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To be international, English first
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
Yes, Hainan is going to be a top international tourist destination in 10 years. That is the national strategy revealed by the central government on Jan 4. As an emerging global power, China means what it says, especially when it says so openly.
But let’s think before we leap. Is English well spoken and understood in Hainan?
This may seem to be a remote question to ask, compared with Hainan authorities’ concerns about how to cool down the heating real estate market, how to build more luxurious hotels, develop the yacht industry and improve service levels.
But Hainan is set to attract hordes of travelers from the outside. What if a traveler is lost when he doesn’t speak Chinese in the country’s only tropical island province?
This is not a groundless concern.
Last week, visitors in Haikou, the provincial capital, found an embarrassing English sign at the entrance to the building that houses the Hainan provincial committee of the Communist Party of China.
Instead of “Please Register”, the sign inscribed on the right side of the gate reads, “Please Pegister”.
In another case, the publicity department of the Hainan provincial government calls itself the “propaganda department.”
Many people have compared Hainan with Hawaii, as the 35,000-sq-km island is blessed with clean air, clean beaches and dense forest. On many occasions, Hainan officials vowed to build China’s Hawaii.
Hainan is also eyeing the flow of international tourists who flock to Bali of Indonesia and other popular international destinations.
Among many advantages, these hot spots have one thing in common: English is popularly used.
It is true that there are lots of big issues that have to be addressed for Hainan to be elevated to the coveted status of a top world tourist resort. Improving the English level on the island and among the residents is equally a big and imperative issue.
Just as the province is upgrading its infrastructure by pooling tons of money, the island should put massive funds and manpower into teaching English, and using English correctly in the hotel and travel service industries, on signs and menus, and on websites.
This will make foreign visitors far more comfortable and their travels hassle-free. ... Read More
But let’s think before we leap. Is English well spoken and understood in Hainan?
This may seem to be a remote question to ask, compared with Hainan authorities’ concerns about how to cool down the heating real estate market, how to build more luxurious hotels, develop the yacht industry and improve service levels.
But Hainan is set to attract hordes of travelers from the outside. What if a traveler is lost when he doesn’t speak Chinese in the country’s only tropical island province?
This is not a groundless concern.
Last week, visitors in Haikou, the provincial capital, found an embarrassing English sign at the entrance to the building that houses the Hainan provincial committee of the Communist Party of China.
Instead of “Please Register”, the sign inscribed on the right side of the gate reads, “Please Pegister”.
In another case, the publicity department of the Hainan provincial government calls itself the “propaganda department.”
Many people have compared Hainan with Hawaii, as the 35,000-sq-km island is blessed with clean air, clean beaches and dense forest. On many occasions, Hainan officials vowed to build China’s Hawaii.
Hainan is also eyeing the flow of international tourists who flock to Bali of Indonesia and other popular international destinations.
Among many advantages, these hot spots have one thing in common: English is popularly used.
It is true that there are lots of big issues that have to be addressed for Hainan to be elevated to the coveted status of a top world tourist resort. Improving the English level on the island and among the residents is equally a big and imperative issue.
Just as the province is upgrading its infrastructure by pooling tons of money, the island should put massive funds and manpower into teaching English, and using English correctly in the hotel and travel service industries, on signs and menus, and on websites.
This will make foreign visitors far more comfortable and their travels hassle-free. ... Read More
"Big Tobacco" still on the march, WHO warns
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
GENEVA - Governments must do more to protect workers in bars, restaurants and the entertainment sector from harmful smoke, and curb tobacco advertising and sponsorship, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
Developing countries are the new frontier for tobacco companies, which often target women and girls, and smoking rates remain high among poor people in affluent countries, it said.
Tobacco kills more than 5 million people a year from cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, including about 600,000 from second-hand smoke, according to the United Nations agency.
"Most alarming of all, tobacco use is actually increasing in many developing countries. If Big Tobacco is in retreat in some parts of the world, it is on the march in others," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, told a meeting to review implementation of a landmark tobacco treaty five years after it came into force.
"As we all know, the tobacco industry is ruthless, devious, rich and powerful," she said.
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, under review at the WHO, is the world's first and only public health treaty and has been ratified by 168 countries including China.
It obliges governments to protect their populations from exposure to tobacco smoke and reduce demand through price and tax measures, regulating packaging and labeling of tobacco products and curbing tobacco advertising and sponsorship.
SMOKE-FREE LAWS
But WHO monitoring has revealed huge gaps in implementing the treaty.
"For example, just slightly more than 5 percent of the world's population is protected by national smoke-free laws," Chan said.
Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous nation, the United States, and tobacco-producing Zimbabwe are among those that have stayed outside the pact.
Many countries have implemented smoking bans in government buildings and health-care facilities, but have much lower rates in the entertainment and hospitality sectors, a WHO report said.
Tobacco taxes are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, but only 21 countries have tobacco tax rates greater than 75 percent of the retail price, Chan said.
Fewer than one third of treaty members restrict advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, the WHO says.
Tobacco companies had argued that the treaty threatened the livelihoods of tobacco farmers, advertising revenues, and the survival of restaurants, bars and sporting events, Chan said.
The main threat to fully implementing the treaty remains interference by the tobacco industry, activist groups including Corporate Accountability International said in a statement.
"Big Tobacco promotes its addictive and deadly product to kids with images like Philip Morris's Marlboro Man, by sponsoring rock concerts and sporting events, and by putting tobacco brand names and logos on everything from T-shirts to patio umbrellas," they said.
Philip Morris International, which sells Marlboro cigarettes and is the world's largest non-state-owned tobacco firm, declined to comment on Chan's comments, but said it supported regulation and many of the treaty provisions.
"We really hope the process focuses on implementing effective regulations that work, such as measures to reduce youth smoking and illicit trade in tobacco products, to reduce harm caused by smoking," spokesman Ben Russell told Reuters.
A British American Tobacco spokesman voiced dismay at the WHO's unwillingness to talk to the industry.
"The WHO thinks its aims such as encouraging retail display bans and plain packaging will make a difference. There is no evidence to show this - it just drives illicit trade," he said. ... Read More
Developing countries are the new frontier for tobacco companies, which often target women and girls, and smoking rates remain high among poor people in affluent countries, it said.
Tobacco kills more than 5 million people a year from cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, including about 600,000 from second-hand smoke, according to the United Nations agency.
"Most alarming of all, tobacco use is actually increasing in many developing countries. If Big Tobacco is in retreat in some parts of the world, it is on the march in others," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, told a meeting to review implementation of a landmark tobacco treaty five years after it came into force.
"As we all know, the tobacco industry is ruthless, devious, rich and powerful," she said.
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, under review at the WHO, is the world's first and only public health treaty and has been ratified by 168 countries including China.
It obliges governments to protect their populations from exposure to tobacco smoke and reduce demand through price and tax measures, regulating packaging and labeling of tobacco products and curbing tobacco advertising and sponsorship.
SMOKE-FREE LAWS
But WHO monitoring has revealed huge gaps in implementing the treaty.
"For example, just slightly more than 5 percent of the world's population is protected by national smoke-free laws," Chan said.
Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous nation, the United States, and tobacco-producing Zimbabwe are among those that have stayed outside the pact.
Many countries have implemented smoking bans in government buildings and health-care facilities, but have much lower rates in the entertainment and hospitality sectors, a WHO report said.
Tobacco taxes are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, but only 21 countries have tobacco tax rates greater than 75 percent of the retail price, Chan said.
Fewer than one third of treaty members restrict advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, the WHO says.
Tobacco companies had argued that the treaty threatened the livelihoods of tobacco farmers, advertising revenues, and the survival of restaurants, bars and sporting events, Chan said.
The main threat to fully implementing the treaty remains interference by the tobacco industry, activist groups including Corporate Accountability International said in a statement.
"Big Tobacco promotes its addictive and deadly product to kids with images like Philip Morris's Marlboro Man, by sponsoring rock concerts and sporting events, and by putting tobacco brand names and logos on everything from T-shirts to patio umbrellas," they said.
Philip Morris International, which sells Marlboro cigarettes and is the world's largest non-state-owned tobacco firm, declined to comment on Chan's comments, but said it supported regulation and many of the treaty provisions.
"We really hope the process focuses on implementing effective regulations that work, such as measures to reduce youth smoking and illicit trade in tobacco products, to reduce harm caused by smoking," spokesman Ben Russell told Reuters.
A British American Tobacco spokesman voiced dismay at the WHO's unwillingness to talk to the industry.
"The WHO thinks its aims such as encouraging retail display bans and plain packaging will make a difference. There is no evidence to show this - it just drives illicit trade," he said. ... Read More
China to put Tiangong-1 into space next year
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
BEIJING - China is to put an unmanned space module, Tiangong-1, into space in 2011, a space expert said here on Wednesday.
Qi Faren, former chief designer of China's Shenzhou spaceships, said the country planned to launch Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft within two years to dock with Tiangong-1.
Qi, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual full session of the country's top political advisory body.
Weighing about 8.5 tons, Tiangong-1 is able to perform long-term unattended operation, which will be an essential step toward building a space station. ... Read More
Qi Faren, former chief designer of China's Shenzhou spaceships, said the country planned to launch Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft within two years to dock with Tiangong-1.
Qi, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual full session of the country's top political advisory body.
Weighing about 8.5 tons, Tiangong-1 is able to perform long-term unattended operation, which will be an essential step toward building a space station. ... Read More
NPC member urges freedom for football
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
China’s beleaguered football game should be ruled by law and the sport should be more market-oriented, according to a proposal being submitted by NPC member Zeng Qinghong.
The president of Guangzhou Auto Group, which sponsors the local football team, said he will put forward plans during the sessions to establish a sound football player transfer system and reduce the power of the Chinese Football Association in the decision-making process.
“The government should retreat from directing the football team operation but be a good supervisor. Let the football teams be clubs and the market discipline run its course,” Zeng said. ... Read More
The president of Guangzhou Auto Group, which sponsors the local football team, said he will put forward plans during the sessions to establish a sound football player transfer system and reduce the power of the Chinese Football Association in the decision-making process.
“The government should retreat from directing the football team operation but be a good supervisor. Let the football teams be clubs and the market discipline run its course,” Zeng said. ... Read More
The importance of China's second opening up
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
The most important thing to happen in China in recent decades but receive little attention is the country's "internal opening up". The rural-urban migration - swarming of cities by manual laborers, minggongs, from the countryside - is the most that one hears about the internal movement of people. But this is just one part of the story.
People in one city, too, are moving to another for education, employment and business. They are moving from smaller, provincial towns and cities to other towns and cities. They are moving both within and outside their provinces. This movement of students, white-collar workers and businesspeople tends to be less evident but could be greater in magnitude. It therefore has a far greater implication than the migration into large cities, which draws almost all the attention in migration studies.
Given the huge size and population of China's provinces, and their diversity and heterogeneity, the number of people who move within or to neighboring provinces is huge. Cross-migration from provinces such as Heilongjiang to Guangdong or Hainan is becoming less uncommon, though.
China does not have a history of development-led, voluntary and free migration of people. Nor does it have a tradition of welcoming migrants. Hence, the internal opening up is creating a huge impact on provincial life and sentiments, inter-provincial relations, which at times is marked by competition and rivalry, and provincial identities. But perhaps its greatest impact is on social space (for living together), community and class relations, and the scope of social mobility.
Movement of people often comes with considerations of social mobility. Chinese society seems to have been shaken out of its traditional hierarchical slumber by a host of developments, led by economic growth, creation of more and new types of jobs and opportunities, more broad-based prosperity, better chances of moving up the social ladder, better lifestyles in better environs and, of course, the internal opening up. Here is a huge country being rediscovered by its own people.
Migrations have created serious inter-provincial disputes, but problems of sharing urban space and resenting "outsiders" is becoming common. Weideren, the outsider (not weiguoren, the foreigner) is the word to watch out for these days. Negative stereotypes about people from certain provinces, especially from where large numbers of people are known to migrate in search of work, are being reasserted. Not everyone in China wants hukou (household registration) to be abolished. Many want it to stay because it restricts rural people from settling down in urban areas. It seems hukou is becoming less and more important at the same time, depending on which side you see it from.
On the one hand, the government says it is trying to abolish hukou. On the other, officials say registration of the floating population is necessary. Despite the claims to the contrary, the hukou system has not been relaxed considerably. Instead, it has been applied selectively, with officials looking the other way if a place needs a certain category of people to migrate to certain areas. It is one thing to allow construction workers and restaurant waiters to migrate to cities and improving/protecting facilities/rights of migrant workers and another to lift restrictions on rural-urban migration or relaxing/abolishing hukou.
Some cities such as Shanghai and Chongqing may be experimenting with liberal policies toward migrant workers, but hukou is unlikely to be abolished anytime soon. At best it can be reformed. For example, restrictions on rural-urban migration could be relaxed partly or even substantially.
Hukou's functions are more than restricting rural-urban migration. It is needed when a Chinese wants to marry, buy a house or choose his work or place of work. It remains important for exercising social control and keeping social distance, too.
Yet hukou is only one part of the story of internal movement of people. Migration is not entirely a function of or determined by hukou. There is a tendency among people to either blame or credit hukou for everything related to internal migration. Some say hukou is discriminatory. But hukou is not just about discrimination, social control or restricting people's movement. It is central to civil and police administration in the vast and populous country called China. And that is why it is still there.
China's internal opening up seems to be irreversible. And the government, instead of trying to restrict the free flow of people, may adapt to the situation.
The author is a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, India (www.csds.in). ... Read More
People in one city, too, are moving to another for education, employment and business. They are moving from smaller, provincial towns and cities to other towns and cities. They are moving both within and outside their provinces. This movement of students, white-collar workers and businesspeople tends to be less evident but could be greater in magnitude. It therefore has a far greater implication than the migration into large cities, which draws almost all the attention in migration studies.
Given the huge size and population of China's provinces, and their diversity and heterogeneity, the number of people who move within or to neighboring provinces is huge. Cross-migration from provinces such as Heilongjiang to Guangdong or Hainan is becoming less uncommon, though.
China does not have a history of development-led, voluntary and free migration of people. Nor does it have a tradition of welcoming migrants. Hence, the internal opening up is creating a huge impact on provincial life and sentiments, inter-provincial relations, which at times is marked by competition and rivalry, and provincial identities. But perhaps its greatest impact is on social space (for living together), community and class relations, and the scope of social mobility.
Movement of people often comes with considerations of social mobility. Chinese society seems to have been shaken out of its traditional hierarchical slumber by a host of developments, led by economic growth, creation of more and new types of jobs and opportunities, more broad-based prosperity, better chances of moving up the social ladder, better lifestyles in better environs and, of course, the internal opening up. Here is a huge country being rediscovered by its own people.
Migrations have created serious inter-provincial disputes, but problems of sharing urban space and resenting "outsiders" is becoming common. Weideren, the outsider (not weiguoren, the foreigner) is the word to watch out for these days. Negative stereotypes about people from certain provinces, especially from where large numbers of people are known to migrate in search of work, are being reasserted. Not everyone in China wants hukou (household registration) to be abolished. Many want it to stay because it restricts rural people from settling down in urban areas. It seems hukou is becoming less and more important at the same time, depending on which side you see it from.
On the one hand, the government says it is trying to abolish hukou. On the other, officials say registration of the floating population is necessary. Despite the claims to the contrary, the hukou system has not been relaxed considerably. Instead, it has been applied selectively, with officials looking the other way if a place needs a certain category of people to migrate to certain areas. It is one thing to allow construction workers and restaurant waiters to migrate to cities and improving/protecting facilities/rights of migrant workers and another to lift restrictions on rural-urban migration or relaxing/abolishing hukou.
Some cities such as Shanghai and Chongqing may be experimenting with liberal policies toward migrant workers, but hukou is unlikely to be abolished anytime soon. At best it can be reformed. For example, restrictions on rural-urban migration could be relaxed partly or even substantially.
Hukou's functions are more than restricting rural-urban migration. It is needed when a Chinese wants to marry, buy a house or choose his work or place of work. It remains important for exercising social control and keeping social distance, too.
Yet hukou is only one part of the story of internal movement of people. Migration is not entirely a function of or determined by hukou. There is a tendency among people to either blame or credit hukou for everything related to internal migration. Some say hukou is discriminatory. But hukou is not just about discrimination, social control or restricting people's movement. It is central to civil and police administration in the vast and populous country called China. And that is why it is still there.
China's internal opening up seems to be irreversible. And the government, instead of trying to restrict the free flow of people, may adapt to the situation.
The author is a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, India (www.csds.in). ... Read More
China's PMI for Manufacturing Sector down in Feb.
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 52 percent in February, down 3.8 percentage points from January 2010, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CELP) said on Monday.
It was the 12th straight month the index was above 50 percent.
The PMI includes a package of indices to measure manufacturing sector performance. A reading above 50 percent indicates economic expansion, while that below 50 percent indicates contraction.
The figure stood at 56.6 percent in December 2009, the highest since May 2008, according to the CELP.
Zhang Liqun, a researcher with the State Council's Development Research Center, said the February PMI figure showed uncertainties still existed in China's economic recovery, adding that he was cautiously optimistic about China's export growth prospects.
The PMI reading was based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics, covering purchasing and supply managers in more than 700 firms across China. ... Read More
It was the 12th straight month the index was above 50 percent.
The PMI includes a package of indices to measure manufacturing sector performance. A reading above 50 percent indicates economic expansion, while that below 50 percent indicates contraction.
The figure stood at 56.6 percent in December 2009, the highest since May 2008, according to the CELP.
Zhang Liqun, a researcher with the State Council's Development Research Center, said the February PMI figure showed uncertainties still existed in China's economic recovery, adding that he was cautiously optimistic about China's export growth prospects.
The PMI reading was based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics, covering purchasing and supply managers in more than 700 firms across China. ... Read More
China UnionPay opens card payments business in Brunei
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
China UnionPay (CUP), the largest bank card organization in China, Tuesday launched a card payments business in Brunei in an alliance with local bankcard network Baiduri Bank Co.
CUP cards would be accepted at hundreds of high-end retail stores, hotels, and restaurants in Brunei, said Cai Jianbo, first executive vice president of China UnionPay.
The new business would improve CUP's service channels in Brunei as its automatic teller machine (ATM) business was tapped into Brunei through cooperation with Citibank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), said Cai.
The international network of CUP reached into 84 countries and regions, with eight Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations, including Brunei accepting UnionPay cards, said Cai.
According to the data released by CUP in January, onshore cross-bank transactions rose 21.7 percent from a year earlier to 6.94 billion in 2009 and the transaction value grew 66.8 percent year-on-year to 7.7 trillion yuan ($1.13 trillion). ... Read More
CUP cards would be accepted at hundreds of high-end retail stores, hotels, and restaurants in Brunei, said Cai Jianbo, first executive vice president of China UnionPay.
The new business would improve CUP's service channels in Brunei as its automatic teller machine (ATM) business was tapped into Brunei through cooperation with Citibank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), said Cai.
The international network of CUP reached into 84 countries and regions, with eight Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations, including Brunei accepting UnionPay cards, said Cai.
According to the data released by CUP in January, onshore cross-bank transactions rose 21.7 percent from a year earlier to 6.94 billion in 2009 and the transaction value grew 66.8 percent year-on-year to 7.7 trillion yuan ($1.13 trillion). ... Read More
China faces dual challenges in 2010: UN expert
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
UNITED NATIONS: Despite economic successes over the past year, China faces dual challenges in 2010 as it interacts with rich nations eager to pass along the burdens of the crisis and the side effects of a massive stimulus package, a UN expert told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
"China's economic achievements in 2009 are well-known to the world," said Hong Pingfan, chief of the global economic monitoring center of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The year 2009 saw the world mired in the first global economic recession since World War II. It was against this background that China launched a massive fiscal stimulus package as part of its strenuous efforts to tackle the crisis, successfully achieving an 8-percent growth for the year, Hong said.
Enhanced role
In 2009, China actively became involved in the international economic and financial agenda by appearing at gatherings of key international economic platforms -- the Group of 20, the UN General Assembly and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
By taking part in these important events, Chinese leaders played a pivotal role in promoting global coordination and cooperation to tackle the financial crisis, Hong said.
"China had always taken a firm stand on these occasions, that is, to protect world economy, trade and free flow of investment and reject trade protectionism," he said.
Besides presenting itself at the summits, China also made use of other channels to push forward reform of the international financial architecture, emphasizing fairness, openness, inclusiveness and order, and highlighting developing countries' rights of speech and decision-making.
"Through these activities, China has greatly enhanced its role in the global economic and financial arena," Hong said.
"At a time when all developed countries and some 40 other developing countries were still suffering from economic recession and sliding per capita income, China was constantly enjoying a growing per capita income, which was definitely an amazing achievement," the UN expert said.
"China has not only realized its own economic growth, but also boosted the confidence of other countries to deal with the financial crisis, giving an impetus to the world economic recovery," he said.
Dual challenges
In 2010, however, China faces dual challenges in terms of economic development, Hong said.
According to him, from the perspective of the international economic environment, although the world economy will continue on its recovery path, some of the leading developed countries are expected to recover at "an exceedingly slow pace."
As such, it would be impossible for these countries, including the United States, West European countries and Japan, to contribute in any significant way to world growth as they struggle to cope with ever higher unemployment rates, a very likely scenario in 2010.
Besides, the government deficit and debt of these countries are also projected to widen even more in 2010 -- "we are already seeing some signs," the UN expert said.
Under mounting pressure from expected slow growth and worsening fiscal conditions, these countries will by all means try to pass along burdens incurred by the crisis to other countries, among which China will likely become a top target, Hong said.
As the world's top exporter, China is also leading the world in terms of foreign trade surplus. "Major developed countries will do all they can to exert some kind of pressure on China," Hong said. "In reality, there have already been requests for yuan appreciation and trade protective measures taken against China."
Generally speaking, China will continue to experience tough challenges in the international economic arena in 2010, the severity of which should not be underestimated, he said.
On the other hand, the Chinese economy also has its own problems, he noted. In 2009, China's aggressive policies and measures did not stimulate domestic demand without some side-effects. Consequently, growth from investment demand has far exceeded that from consumer demand, and credit volume has ballooned, signalling potential risks of asset bubbles, Hong said.
Under the circumstances, the Chinese government is gradually taking measures to seek a readjustment of the economic structure, without which the sustainability of the economy would be called into question, he said. ... Read More
"China's economic achievements in 2009 are well-known to the world," said Hong Pingfan, chief of the global economic monitoring center of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The year 2009 saw the world mired in the first global economic recession since World War II. It was against this background that China launched a massive fiscal stimulus package as part of its strenuous efforts to tackle the crisis, successfully achieving an 8-percent growth for the year, Hong said.
Enhanced role
In 2009, China actively became involved in the international economic and financial agenda by appearing at gatherings of key international economic platforms -- the Group of 20, the UN General Assembly and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
By taking part in these important events, Chinese leaders played a pivotal role in promoting global coordination and cooperation to tackle the financial crisis, Hong said.
"China had always taken a firm stand on these occasions, that is, to protect world economy, trade and free flow of investment and reject trade protectionism," he said.
Besides presenting itself at the summits, China also made use of other channels to push forward reform of the international financial architecture, emphasizing fairness, openness, inclusiveness and order, and highlighting developing countries' rights of speech and decision-making.
"Through these activities, China has greatly enhanced its role in the global economic and financial arena," Hong said.
"At a time when all developed countries and some 40 other developing countries were still suffering from economic recession and sliding per capita income, China was constantly enjoying a growing per capita income, which was definitely an amazing achievement," the UN expert said.
"China has not only realized its own economic growth, but also boosted the confidence of other countries to deal with the financial crisis, giving an impetus to the world economic recovery," he said.
Dual challenges
In 2010, however, China faces dual challenges in terms of economic development, Hong said.
According to him, from the perspective of the international economic environment, although the world economy will continue on its recovery path, some of the leading developed countries are expected to recover at "an exceedingly slow pace."
As such, it would be impossible for these countries, including the United States, West European countries and Japan, to contribute in any significant way to world growth as they struggle to cope with ever higher unemployment rates, a very likely scenario in 2010.
Besides, the government deficit and debt of these countries are also projected to widen even more in 2010 -- "we are already seeing some signs," the UN expert said.
Under mounting pressure from expected slow growth and worsening fiscal conditions, these countries will by all means try to pass along burdens incurred by the crisis to other countries, among which China will likely become a top target, Hong said.
As the world's top exporter, China is also leading the world in terms of foreign trade surplus. "Major developed countries will do all they can to exert some kind of pressure on China," Hong said. "In reality, there have already been requests for yuan appreciation and trade protective measures taken against China."
Generally speaking, China will continue to experience tough challenges in the international economic arena in 2010, the severity of which should not be underestimated, he said.
On the other hand, the Chinese economy also has its own problems, he noted. In 2009, China's aggressive policies and measures did not stimulate domestic demand without some side-effects. Consequently, growth from investment demand has far exceeded that from consumer demand, and credit volume has ballooned, signalling potential risks of asset bubbles, Hong said.
Under the circumstances, the Chinese government is gradually taking measures to seek a readjustment of the economic structure, without which the sustainability of the economy would be called into question, he said. ... Read More
Ministry denies nod on transgenic seed imports
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture refutes recent media reports that its watchdog agency has approved imports of genetically modified (GM) food seeds for large-scale cultivation in China, the People's Daily reported Wednesday.
The ministry has authorized four GM crops' imports -- cotton, soybean, corn and kale -- but only as raw materials for industrial production rather than breeding seeds for cultivation, said the unnamed official with the ministry's GM Safety Management Office.
What may have prompted the rumored green lights on GM seed imports and cultivation is the ministry's recent seed safety certifications on three genetically engineered crops – a corn breed coded "BVLA430101", pesticide-resistant rice "Huahui No.1" and hybrid rice "Bt Shanyou 63".
However, the official clarified that the ministry's nod last August, coming after a marathon trial period of six to 11 years, doesn't constitute a green light on GM seed imports or large-scale cultivation, which would require further authorization, a production license and an operation license. The process of obtaining the latter two also requires a lengthy test.
China, the world's largest consumer and exporter of rice, will need about 630 million tons of rice a year by 2020, when its population is estimated to top 1.6 billion. ... Read More
The ministry has authorized four GM crops' imports -- cotton, soybean, corn and kale -- but only as raw materials for industrial production rather than breeding seeds for cultivation, said the unnamed official with the ministry's GM Safety Management Office.
What may have prompted the rumored green lights on GM seed imports and cultivation is the ministry's recent seed safety certifications on three genetically engineered crops – a corn breed coded "BVLA430101", pesticide-resistant rice "Huahui No.1" and hybrid rice "Bt Shanyou 63".
However, the official clarified that the ministry's nod last August, coming after a marathon trial period of six to 11 years, doesn't constitute a green light on GM seed imports or large-scale cultivation, which would require further authorization, a production license and an operation license. The process of obtaining the latter two also requires a lengthy test.
China, the world's largest consumer and exporter of rice, will need about 630 million tons of rice a year by 2020, when its population is estimated to top 1.6 billion. ... Read More
US to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese salts, coated paper
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
WASHINGTON: The US Commerce Department said Tuesday that it would impose preliminary duties on imported Chinese potassium phosphate salts and coated paper, a move that may escalate trade disputes between the two countries.
In these countervailing duty (CVD) cases, the two products will face 109 percent and up to 13 percent duties, respectively.
Potassium salts are used in industrial cleaning products, fertilizers and food additives, while coated paper is used in printing of corporate annual reports and high-end catalogues and magazines.
The department said in separate statements that it had "preliminarily determined" that Chinese producers and exporters of the two products had received subsidies equivalent to the duties that were imposed.
"As a result of this preliminary determination, Commerce will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on these preliminary rates," said the statement.
According to the US government data, from 2006 to 2008, imports of certain potassium phosphate salts from China increased 228 percent by volume and were valued at about $16.4 million.
The Commerce Department will make its final determination in May.
The department said that it would also impose 17.48 percent preliminary duties on certain coated paper imported from Indonesia over the same issue of government subsidies.
In 2008, imports of certain coated paper from China and Indonesia were valued at an estimated $228.7 million and $44.3 million, respectively.
The final determination for the coated paper cases will be made in July.
The new case followed a recent final decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent federal agency, to impose punitive tariffs on imported Chinese steel pipes targeted for unfair subsidies. The move was denounced by the Chinese government as protectionism.
The protectionist moves by the Obama administration will ultimately hurt the US-China trade relations, which are becoming more and more important due to the global financial crisis, economists warned. ... Read More
In these countervailing duty (CVD) cases, the two products will face 109 percent and up to 13 percent duties, respectively.
Potassium salts are used in industrial cleaning products, fertilizers and food additives, while coated paper is used in printing of corporate annual reports and high-end catalogues and magazines.
The department said in separate statements that it had "preliminarily determined" that Chinese producers and exporters of the two products had received subsidies equivalent to the duties that were imposed.
"As a result of this preliminary determination, Commerce will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on these preliminary rates," said the statement.
According to the US government data, from 2006 to 2008, imports of certain potassium phosphate salts from China increased 228 percent by volume and were valued at about $16.4 million.
The Commerce Department will make its final determination in May.
The department said that it would also impose 17.48 percent preliminary duties on certain coated paper imported from Indonesia over the same issue of government subsidies.
In 2008, imports of certain coated paper from China and Indonesia were valued at an estimated $228.7 million and $44.3 million, respectively.
The final determination for the coated paper cases will be made in July.
The new case followed a recent final decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent federal agency, to impose punitive tariffs on imported Chinese steel pipes targeted for unfair subsidies. The move was denounced by the Chinese government as protectionism.
The protectionist moves by the Obama administration will ultimately hurt the US-China trade relations, which are becoming more and more important due to the global financial crisis, economists warned. ... Read More
