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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
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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
Premier Wen confident in economy
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Saturday he was confident in China's economic development in 2010, although it was "the most complicated year" for the country's economy.
"Last year was the most difficult year for China's economic development in the 21st century, while this year will be the most complicated," Wen said during an online chat with Internet users.
"We will consolidate the economic recovery while addressing new challenges," he said.
"The top priority is balancing stable and comparatively fast economic growth with the adjustment of the economic structure and the transformation of the development pattern, while keeping inflation in check," Wen said.
"I have confidence in China's economic development," he added.
China's massive stimulus plan proved effective
China's massive stimulus plan has been proved to be effective and China's economy has bottomed out and witnessed a sound recovery, said Premier Wen during the online chat.
The stimulus package brought confidence and courage, and improvements have been gradually made during its implementation, Wen said while chatting online with Netizens at www.gov.cn and www.xinhuanet.com.
Boosted by a raft of stimulus measures, China's economy expanded 8.7 percent in 2009, staging a speedy recovery after being hit by the worst global financial crisis in eight decades.
The stimulus package included fiscal spending; tax cuts; adjustment and support policies for key industries; support systems for scientific development; and improvements in the social security system.
The package has contributed to the nation's development and people's livelihood with both economic and social achievements, he added.
Fair distribution of social wealth stressed
Premier Wen compared a fair distribution of social wealth to the government's social conscience in the on-line chat.
Wen said, "It must be unfair when a society's wealth is in hands of a few people, and in that case, the society must be unstable."
He said it is the government responsibility to "make the cake of social wealth as big as possible" and the government conscience to "distribute the cake in a fair way."
The fair distribution of social wealth concerns social justice, Wen said, adding it actually involves distribution of national income.
However, "the proportion of residents' income is relatively low in the distribution of national income," he said.
To "make the social wealth cake bigger," efforts should be made to concentrate on enhancing production capacity and take economic construction as a central task, he said.
Wen said special attention should be paid to changing the development mode and "make our economic development really focus on the advancement of science and technology and the quality of labor force."
China still faces serious employment pressure
China is still facing serious challenges in employment, though labor shortage has been found in booming cities in China's coastal areas recently, said Premier Wen Jiabao.
Wen attributed the labor shortage in coastal areas to three possible factors. "First, it may be the result of economic recovery, which enables the enterprises to improve production, get more orders and thus need more workers," he said.
"Secondly, it may be that the enterprises are looking for workers for certain professions while the unemployed are looking for other jobs," he said. "Some enterprises need skilled workers, which the society is widely short of."
"The labor shortage is also a result of the growing awareness among the workers of their own rights and interests," Wen said, adding workers would weigh different choices for better salaries.
The labor shortage in certain areas signals a stabilized and recovering economy, but the serious employment situation has not changed in general, Wen said.
"Every year 150 million migrant workers leave their rural homes to look for jobs in cities, 24 million urban unemployed are waiting for jobs, and the number of university graduates will hit a record high of 6.3 million this year, all adding up to our employment pressure," Wen said.
He also mentioned a report saying the number of farmers who go to hunt jobs in cities this year dropped 6 percent from last year.
"It is what we hope to see if they stay home because the economic situation in rural areas is getting better and their living conditions have improved," he said.
"We shall not only encourage migrant workers to be absorbed into the city life, but also work for a better life for those live in the vast countryside," he said.
"I hope the employment situation is better than last year," he said.
University graduates encouraged to start own businesses
Wen said the government encourages university graduates to start their own businesses, as the country is facing serious challenges in employment.
He said the government can usually create job opportunities for 9 million people a year. However, more than 6 million people graduate from universities annually and need jobs.
Statistics show that the number of Chinese university graduates will reach an all-time high of 6.3 million this year, posing a grave challenge for the country's employment.
"It is a very important task for us to create job opportunities for them," Wen said.
He said the government has called on university graduates to work in relatively underdeveloped central and western regions, border regions and rural areas.
"We particularly hope they can start their own businesses, and we have stipulated many favorable policies in this regard," he said, citing a series of favorable loans.
"The government has always attached great importance to the employment of university students," he added. ... Read More
"Last year was the most difficult year for China's economic development in the 21st century, while this year will be the most complicated," Wen said during an online chat with Internet users.
"We will consolidate the economic recovery while addressing new challenges," he said.
"The top priority is balancing stable and comparatively fast economic growth with the adjustment of the economic structure and the transformation of the development pattern, while keeping inflation in check," Wen said.
"I have confidence in China's economic development," he added.
China's massive stimulus plan proved effective
China's massive stimulus plan has been proved to be effective and China's economy has bottomed out and witnessed a sound recovery, said Premier Wen during the online chat.
The stimulus package brought confidence and courage, and improvements have been gradually made during its implementation, Wen said while chatting online with Netizens at www.gov.cn and www.xinhuanet.com.
Boosted by a raft of stimulus measures, China's economy expanded 8.7 percent in 2009, staging a speedy recovery after being hit by the worst global financial crisis in eight decades.
The stimulus package included fiscal spending; tax cuts; adjustment and support policies for key industries; support systems for scientific development; and improvements in the social security system.
The package has contributed to the nation's development and people's livelihood with both economic and social achievements, he added.
Fair distribution of social wealth stressed
Premier Wen compared a fair distribution of social wealth to the government's social conscience in the on-line chat.
Wen said, "It must be unfair when a society's wealth is in hands of a few people, and in that case, the society must be unstable."
He said it is the government responsibility to "make the cake of social wealth as big as possible" and the government conscience to "distribute the cake in a fair way."
The fair distribution of social wealth concerns social justice, Wen said, adding it actually involves distribution of national income.
However, "the proportion of residents' income is relatively low in the distribution of national income," he said.
To "make the social wealth cake bigger," efforts should be made to concentrate on enhancing production capacity and take economic construction as a central task, he said.
Wen said special attention should be paid to changing the development mode and "make our economic development really focus on the advancement of science and technology and the quality of labor force."
China still faces serious employment pressure
China is still facing serious challenges in employment, though labor shortage has been found in booming cities in China's coastal areas recently, said Premier Wen Jiabao.
Wen attributed the labor shortage in coastal areas to three possible factors. "First, it may be the result of economic recovery, which enables the enterprises to improve production, get more orders and thus need more workers," he said.
"Secondly, it may be that the enterprises are looking for workers for certain professions while the unemployed are looking for other jobs," he said. "Some enterprises need skilled workers, which the society is widely short of."
"The labor shortage is also a result of the growing awareness among the workers of their own rights and interests," Wen said, adding workers would weigh different choices for better salaries.
The labor shortage in certain areas signals a stabilized and recovering economy, but the serious employment situation has not changed in general, Wen said.
"Every year 150 million migrant workers leave their rural homes to look for jobs in cities, 24 million urban unemployed are waiting for jobs, and the number of university graduates will hit a record high of 6.3 million this year, all adding up to our employment pressure," Wen said.
He also mentioned a report saying the number of farmers who go to hunt jobs in cities this year dropped 6 percent from last year.
"It is what we hope to see if they stay home because the economic situation in rural areas is getting better and their living conditions have improved," he said.
"We shall not only encourage migrant workers to be absorbed into the city life, but also work for a better life for those live in the vast countryside," he said.
"I hope the employment situation is better than last year," he said.
University graduates encouraged to start own businesses
Wen said the government encourages university graduates to start their own businesses, as the country is facing serious challenges in employment.
He said the government can usually create job opportunities for 9 million people a year. However, more than 6 million people graduate from universities annually and need jobs.
Statistics show that the number of Chinese university graduates will reach an all-time high of 6.3 million this year, posing a grave challenge for the country's employment.
"It is a very important task for us to create job opportunities for them," Wen said.
He said the government has called on university graduates to work in relatively underdeveloped central and western regions, border regions and rural areas.
"We particularly hope they can start their own businesses, and we have stipulated many favorable policies in this regard," he said, citing a series of favorable loans.
"The government has always attached great importance to the employment of university students," he added. ... Read More
Political advisors suggest income tax cut
2010-3-3 这无聊的生活 0 comment | Browse:
China, known for its sparing consumers, should relieve its tough income tax levies, said Xu Shanda, former chief of the State Administration of Taxation and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Nanfang Daily reported Wednesday.
The country should work out a long term plan on steady tax reduction that tally with its market economy, Xu added.
The former taxation chief's suggestion was echoed by Li Shufu, chairman of automaker Geely Group and also a member of CPPCC, the nation's top political advisory body.
Li proposed the income tax baseline should be raised from the current 2,000 yuan ($293) benchmark to 5,000 yuan ($733). He also suggested the country's taxation system be more flexible with a biyearly regular adjustment according to macro-economy and price level.
The country's annual national CPPCC meeting kicks off at 3 pm Wednesday at the People's Great Hall in Beijing. ... Read More
The country should work out a long term plan on steady tax reduction that tally with its market economy, Xu added.
The former taxation chief's suggestion was echoed by Li Shufu, chairman of automaker Geely Group and also a member of CPPCC, the nation's top political advisory body.
Li proposed the income tax baseline should be raised from the current 2,000 yuan ($293) benchmark to 5,000 yuan ($733). He also suggested the country's taxation system be more flexible with a biyearly regular adjustment according to macro-economy and price level.
The country's annual national CPPCC meeting kicks off at 3 pm Wednesday at the People's Great Hall in Beijing. ... Read More
China to focus on energy restructure in 2010
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China would put more emphasis on adjusting its energy structure this year with focus on renewable energy and nuclear power, director of China's National Energy Administration (NEA) said in Beijing Tuesday.
Zhang Guobao, also vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before he attends CPPCC's annual session.
Adjusting the energy development pattern would be the top priority in NEA's blueprint for this year to fulfill China's promise at last year's Copenhagen climate summit, and more efforts would be made in scientific research and development in the field, he said.
"I'm proud to say that China is at the world's advanced level in new energy development, but there is still much room for improvement," he said.
Zhang took wind power as an example. "Compared with wind power reserves of 2.6 billion kilowatts (kW), China's installed wind power capacity stood at only 22 million kW."
Zhang also highlighted China's determination in developing nuclear power projects, 21 of which are under construction in the country. Currently China has 11 nuclear power projects in operation.
The Chinese government has voluntarily announced ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit that it would cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level, which represents reduction of roughly 1.5 billion tons of emissions. ... Read More
Zhang Guobao, also vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before he attends CPPCC's annual session.
Adjusting the energy development pattern would be the top priority in NEA's blueprint for this year to fulfill China's promise at last year's Copenhagen climate summit, and more efforts would be made in scientific research and development in the field, he said.
"I'm proud to say that China is at the world's advanced level in new energy development, but there is still much room for improvement," he said.
Zhang took wind power as an example. "Compared with wind power reserves of 2.6 billion kilowatts (kW), China's installed wind power capacity stood at only 22 million kW."
Zhang also highlighted China's determination in developing nuclear power projects, 21 of which are under construction in the country. Currently China has 11 nuclear power projects in operation.
The Chinese government has voluntarily announced ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit that it would cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level, which represents reduction of roughly 1.5 billion tons of emissions. ... Read More
Mutual respect is the key in Sino-US ties
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More cooperation, less containment needed in Sino-US ties: Zhao
BEIJING: There were broad signals Tuesday that China and the United States would like to get their relationship back on an even keel even as Beijing made it clear that its interests cannot be compromised.
Both sides used an automotive analogy to describe their relationship - and the message was the hope for a smoother ride.
Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), compared the Sino-US relationship to a car.
"It has two drivers. Americans should know this. China also has control over the steering wheel, the accelerator, and the brake. The two drivers must consult with each other to drive the car. Otherwise it will only spin around," Zhao said on the eve of the opening of the annual session of the CPPCC, the national political advisory body. The annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, opens Friday.
"There should be more cooperation, and less 'containment' in Sino-US relations," he said.
Zhao said that "strategic reassurance" - a catchphrase coined by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg to describe the relationship - is mutual.
Steinberg, the No 2 in the State Department, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in what analysts described as a trip to "salvage" ties. He is accompanied by Jeffrey Bader, a senior director for Asian affairs on the US National Security Council.
Steinberg used the phrase "strategic reassurance" late last year to describe Sino-US relations, suggesting that Washington should welcome China's rise as a global power, even as Beijing repeatedly said that its rise would not run counter to the interests of others, including the US.
US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Monday that the visit offers an opportunity to "refocus on the future" of relations.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here and I think there's an interest, both within the United States and China, to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Crowley told a Washington press briefing.
Steinberg is expected to touch on a full range of issues including arms sales to Taiwan and climate change.
Crowley said Steinberg will also discuss the resumption of Six-Party Talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and try to persuade Beijing to support new sanctions against Teheran's nuclear program.
Bilateral relations have been strained after the US announced in January a $6.4 billion arms package to Taiwan, and President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama last month.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang Tuesday reiterated Beijing's position that Washington is to blame for the problems in bilateral ties.
"The responsibility for the current difficulty in China-US relations lies completely with the US," Qin told reporters. "We hope the US takes Chinese concerns seriously and respects China's core interests."
Observers believe that the broad, deep and complex relationship will steadily assume normalcy this year given a convergence of common interests.
Niu Xinchun, an expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Beijing and Washington need to coordinate on a range of issues, such as the international nuclear summit next month and the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in May.
Describing Steinberg and Bader as "China hands" who are influential in China-related policy, Niu said he welcomes their visit but urged the US to refrain from further hurting Beijing's interests.
Tao Wenzhao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "we could let bygones be bygones".
"But we hope the US is more cautious. Washington should not hurt China's core interests any more, and should avoid triggering more trade friction."
Google claims 'unfounded'
At the CPPCC press conference, Zhao also said that Google, the US-based search engine giant, has no grounds to blame the Chinese government for alleged hacker attacks on its servers, or for threatening to pull out of China over censorship issues.
"Google was very careful in 2005 when it first came to China to study the Internet market and the investment environment here," said Zhao, who was then the minister of the State Council Information Office.
"Google studied Chinese law sentence by sentence. They also made a serious commitment to (obey) these laws when entering China in 2006," he added.
Zhao even referred to Darwinism to say species need to adapt to their living environment, and not the other way around.
Climate change blame rejected
Zhao also said it's wrong to blame China for limited progress made at December's Copenhagen conference on climate change.
China said it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 2020 by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels.
"It's voluntary without any supplementary conditions In comparison, some other countries didn't set any targets," he said, adding that it was unfair for some foreign media to point the finger at China after the conference. ... Read More
BEIJING: There were broad signals Tuesday that China and the United States would like to get their relationship back on an even keel even as Beijing made it clear that its interests cannot be compromised.
Both sides used an automotive analogy to describe their relationship - and the message was the hope for a smoother ride.
Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), compared the Sino-US relationship to a car.
"It has two drivers. Americans should know this. China also has control over the steering wheel, the accelerator, and the brake. The two drivers must consult with each other to drive the car. Otherwise it will only spin around," Zhao said on the eve of the opening of the annual session of the CPPCC, the national political advisory body. The annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, opens Friday.
"There should be more cooperation, and less 'containment' in Sino-US relations," he said.
Zhao said that "strategic reassurance" - a catchphrase coined by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg to describe the relationship - is mutual.
Steinberg, the No 2 in the State Department, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in what analysts described as a trip to "salvage" ties. He is accompanied by Jeffrey Bader, a senior director for Asian affairs on the US National Security Council.
Steinberg used the phrase "strategic reassurance" late last year to describe Sino-US relations, suggesting that Washington should welcome China's rise as a global power, even as Beijing repeatedly said that its rise would not run counter to the interests of others, including the US.
US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Monday that the visit offers an opportunity to "refocus on the future" of relations.
"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here and I think there's an interest, both within the United States and China, to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," Crowley told a Washington press briefing.
Steinberg is expected to touch on a full range of issues including arms sales to Taiwan and climate change.
Crowley said Steinberg will also discuss the resumption of Six-Party Talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and try to persuade Beijing to support new sanctions against Teheran's nuclear program.
Bilateral relations have been strained after the US announced in January a $6.4 billion arms package to Taiwan, and President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama last month.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang Tuesday reiterated Beijing's position that Washington is to blame for the problems in bilateral ties.
"The responsibility for the current difficulty in China-US relations lies completely with the US," Qin told reporters. "We hope the US takes Chinese concerns seriously and respects China's core interests."
Observers believe that the broad, deep and complex relationship will steadily assume normalcy this year given a convergence of common interests.
Niu Xinchun, an expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Beijing and Washington need to coordinate on a range of issues, such as the international nuclear summit next month and the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in May.
Describing Steinberg and Bader as "China hands" who are influential in China-related policy, Niu said he welcomes their visit but urged the US to refrain from further hurting Beijing's interests.
Tao Wenzhao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "we could let bygones be bygones".
"But we hope the US is more cautious. Washington should not hurt China's core interests any more, and should avoid triggering more trade friction."
Google claims 'unfounded'
At the CPPCC press conference, Zhao also said that Google, the US-based search engine giant, has no grounds to blame the Chinese government for alleged hacker attacks on its servers, or for threatening to pull out of China over censorship issues.
"Google was very careful in 2005 when it first came to China to study the Internet market and the investment environment here," said Zhao, who was then the minister of the State Council Information Office.
"Google studied Chinese law sentence by sentence. They also made a serious commitment to (obey) these laws when entering China in 2006," he added.
Zhao even referred to Darwinism to say species need to adapt to their living environment, and not the other way around.
Climate change blame rejected
Zhao also said it's wrong to blame China for limited progress made at December's Copenhagen conference on climate change.
China said it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 2020 by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels.
"It's voluntary without any supplementary conditions In comparison, some other countries didn't set any targets," he said, adding that it was unfair for some foreign media to point the finger at China after the conference. ... 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
