SCHWEIZER BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE

Der wöchentliche Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP de Chine
  15.9-21.9.2007, No. 183  
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Table of contents

Hongkong

Avian flu

Beijing Olympics

^ top ^

 

Foreign Policy

Switzerland unveils pavilion model for 2010 Shanghai expo (Xinhua)
2007-09-18
Switzerland yesterday unveiled the model of its national pavilion for World Expo Shanghai 2010 (…). The country, famous for its chocolate, watches and natural scenery, revealed its plans after signing the participation contract with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The design, chosen from 104 candidates through a worldwide competition, focuses on sustainable development as well as harmony and balance, referring to the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. For the 4,000-square-meter pavilion, the Swiss government poured 140 million yuan (18.52 million U.S. dollars) into the project, bigger than the budget for Aichi Expo in 2005 and Hanover Expo in 2000. "This piece of work best shows the characteristics of modern Switzerland - pursuing excellence, innovation and high-quality life," said Manuel Salchli, deputy commissioner general of the Swiss pavilion. (…). ^ top ^

Beijing 'the reason US needs new F-35 jets' - China's rise cited by US Air Force chief (SCMP)
2007-09-21
A senior US official has cited Beijing's rising military power as a key reason for the US Air Force to buy more than 2,400 fighter jets to replace its fourth-generation models. US Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne drew an unusually explicit link to the mainland on Wednesday, saying the United States should stick with a US$299 billion plan to buy 2,433 fifth-generation F-35 fighters. […] But the president of the International Military Association in Macau, Anthony Wong said: "Wynne definitely exaggerated China's military power. In fact, both the air and naval forces want to use it [China's military modernisation] as an excuse to secure funding to upgrade their weapons." […]. ^ top ^

Joint study paves way for Sino-ROK FTA talks (Xinhua)
2007-09-18
The next round of talks on a joint study of a free trade area (FTA) between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will take place next month in Beijing, the ROK deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy has told China Daily. The joint research will form the basis for exploring the possibility of initiating FTA negotiations, Kwon O-kyu said in an interview during his visit to Beijing for the 7th ROK-China Economic Ministers' Meeting last week. (…) During his visit to Beijing, Kwon met Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan, Ma Kai, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Finance Minister Xie Xuren. ^ top ^

Moscow cautious over its giant neighbour (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Moscow had to proceed cautiously when deciding how to work with Beijing because of the mainland's huge population and hunger for natural resources, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said. Mr Losyukov said Russia's co-operation with Beijing did not mean Moscow would let down its guard on areas where the neighbours had competing interests. "When your neighbour has 10-odd times more population than you and feels a deficit in certain resources, one should make precise estimates on how to build up relations," Mr Losyukov said. He admitted Russia and the mainland had "overlapping interests" in some post-Soviet states - meaning Central Asia. (…). ^ top ^

Vatican approval for new bishop (SCMP)
2007-09-20
The Vatican has given its approval for the ordination of Father Joseph Li Shan as bishop of Beijing, after a last-minute effort to ensure the mainland's selected priest gained recognition by the Holy See. The approval came as Catholics in the capital prepared for a Mass tomorrow at which Father Li will become the first mutually recognised bishop in Beijing in almost 50 years. […]. ^ top ^

China and US sign energy accord (China Daily)
2007-09-17
Energy officials from China and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this weekend to cooperate on increasing energy efficiency in China's industrial sector, which accounts for 70 percent of the country's energy demand. (…). ^ top ^

China slashes U.S. criticism of China's religious situation (Xinhua)
2007-09-20
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Thursday slashed a U.S. religious report criticizing China's religious situation, saying "China is strongly resentful of and resolutely opposes the report which runs counter to the fundamental principles of international relations and openly interferes in China's internal affairs." Commenting on the International Religious Freedom Report 2007 released by the US State Department, Jiang said the report's China section has thrown stones at the country's religious and ethnic policies for no reasons as before by trampling on the norms of international relations, and has interfered in China's internal affairs. (…). ^ top ^

Beijing in product charm offensive (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Beijing launched a charm offensive yesterday to convince a sceptical world the mainland's products are safe, as a new poll in the US found 78 per cent of Americans were worried about the safety of its goods. The State Council took a group of reporters on a carefully choreographed visit to sparkling pharmaceutical plants in Tianjin , led by smiling, relaxed officials unusually happy to answer questions. […] US officials are in China this week to talk about food and drug safety with their Chinese counterparts.. ^ top ^

Suspected smuggling kingpin in court victory (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Alleged smuggling boss Lai Changxing has won another round in his fight to avoid being sent back to the mainland after the Canadian government dropped its appeal against a court ruling that blocked his deportation due to human rights concerns, his lawyer said on Tuesday. But Lai's lawyer, David Matas, said Canada was still trying to deport his client, who allegedly masterminded a billion-dollar smuggling ring, because of diplomatic rather than legal or human rights reasons. […]. ^ top ^

China's top political advisor meets Hokkaido officials in Japan (People's Daily)
2007-09-17
China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin met in Sapporo Sunday with Japan's Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi and Sapporo City Mayor Fumio Ueda. Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said his visit has enabled him to experience the deep traditional friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples, and witnessed the vast potentials for bilateral cooperation. (…). ^ top ^

Chadian president starts China visit (People's Daily)
2007-09-20
Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno arrived here Thursday morning, starting his state visit to China. During his stay in Beijing, Deby is expected to hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, meet with Premier Wen Jiabao, and Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan. (…). ^ top ^

China, South Africa to further partnership (Xinhua)
2007-09-19
A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday called for stepping up exchanges and cooperation between China and South Africa to further their strategic partnership. Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Essop Pahad, minister in Presidency of South Africa. (…). ^ top ^

Indian PM likely to visit this year (People's Daily)
2007-09-19
India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon held talks with senior Chinese officials in Beijing yesterday, paving the way for his Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's first visit to China. While no date for Singh's visit has been announced, according to Menon's discussions with Chinese officials it could reportedly be in November or December. It's also likely that Sonia Gandhi, head of India's ruling Congress party, will visit China next month. (…). ^ top ^

 

Domestic Policy

Party charter set to include Hu's theories - President will make his mark on Communist constitution (SCMP)
2007-09-18
After months of murky manoeuvring, President Hu Jintao is set to secure a place in the party constitution for his political theory, with the Communist Party announcing yesterday it will amend its charter at next month's national congress. "The 17th Party Congress will appropriately revise the party constitution according to the changing situations and tasks," Xinhua reported, citing a statement from a Politburo meeting presided over by Mr Hu yesterday. […] The revised party constitution will elevate President Hu to virtually the same level as party founder Mao Zedong , the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and his immediate predecessor Jiang Zemin - the party's first, second and third generation leaders, analysts say. […] Besides "Scientific Development" - Hu's catchphrase for sustainable, energy-efficient economic development instead of breakneck growth at the expense of the environment, the party charter amendment should also include his other pet projects, such as "building a harmonious society" - which essentially means reducing income disparities to ease social tension. […]. ^ top ^

Ling Jihua appointed director of General Office of CPC Central Committee (People's Daily)
2007-09-19
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has appointed Ling Jihua as director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, replacing Wang Gang. Before the nomination, Ling was deputy director of the office and Wang Gang, also alternate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, acted as the director. ^ top ^

Standing Committee of CPPCC National Committee to hold 19th meeting in late-October (Xinhua)
2007-09-20
The Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will hold its 19th meeting in late-October following the opening of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The decision was made at the 47th chairman and vice-chairmen meeting of the CPPCC National Committee here on Wednesday, presided over by Chairman Jia Qinglin, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee. The main agenda of the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee is proposed to be studying the guidelines of the Party Congress. (…) The date will be finalized at a meeting of the CPC Central Committee to open on Oct. 9. (…). ^ top ^

Official on publicity, education of fighting corruption (People's Daily)
2007-09-17
The forthcoming 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will make new arrangements and higher demands for the publicity and education on the ongoing anti-corruption campaign. (…) These were remarked by He Yong, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and deputy secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, at Sunday's national conference on the issue of publicity and education of discipline and inspection departments. (…) He urged discipline inspection departments to make greater contribution. According to him, the Party will launch a new round of large-scale training of discipline inspectors. ^ top ^

China to build grocery-tracking system to ensure food safety (Xinhua)
2007-09-18
China will establish a nationwide grocery tracking system to ensure food safety, said State Administration for Industry and Commerce director Zhou Bohua here on Tuesday. By the end of this year, all food markets and supermarkets in cities above county level would have set up the system requiring invoices and documents attached to purchased commodities, he said. All township, street-side and community groceries shall set up a system of keeping real-time records when purchasing and selling commodities. The above measures are aimed at supervising product quality and food safety more effectively in accordance with the campaign, launched on Aug. 25, to strengthen the supervision and administration of the safety of food and other products. (…). ^ top ^

Draft law would force drugs firms to pay for recalls (SCMP)
2007-09-21
Pharmaceutical companies on the mainland would be required to initiate and pay for recalls if their products are found to be harmful under a new drug recall system the government is considering. If adopted, the new regulations would be the first to cover drug recalls and would significantly increase the power of the State Food and Drug Administration, the traditionally weak government regulatory agency hit by scandals involving substandard and deadly medicines. In the latest, state media reported on Sunday the recall of a leukaemia drug blamed for causing leg pains and other problems. […]. ^ top ^

Number of children hospitalized for suspected food poisoning rises to 260 in NW China (Xinhua)
2007-09-20
The number of kindergarten children hospitalized with suspected food poisoning after eating school meals in northwest China's Gansu Province has risen from 59 to 260, the local government said on Thursday. (…) Among them, 244 had recovered after treatment while the other 16 were suffering from a continuous fever, it said. (…) The management of the kindergarten refused to comment. (…)Local health workers said no food was seemingly left for lab tests, and they had sent the school's dishes to a lab of the city's disease prevention and control center, fearing the incident was caused by inadequate sterilization. (…). ^ top ^

Beijing penalises foreign polluters (SCMP)
2007-09-18
China warned it will impose equally harsh penalties on domestic and foreign companies after finding two overseas firms violating environmental rules in a random inspection, state media said on Tuesday. The inspection found earlier this year that Unilever China and the China branch of Hitachi Construction Machinery Company were discharging waste water with higher chemical content than permitted, the China Daily reported. […] Unilever's plant in Hefei in the eastern province of Anhui was fined 100,000 yuan and ordered to cut production to reduce discharge. It has also paid nearly 50,000 yuan for excessive discharge, the report said. […]. ^ top ^

Computer registration of students on the way (SCMP)
2007-09-21
The Ministry of Education will introduce a computerised registration system for primary and junior high school students, another step to ensure the implementation of the nine-year free education policy. Although the free education policy was brought in as early as 1986, it was often not followed, especially in rural areas. The problem was worsened by the migration of millions of migrant labourers to cities, with tens of thousands of their children failing to find proper schools. […]. ^ top ^

Top auditor's report details creative accounting by government offices (SCMP)
2007-09-20
[…] The National Audit Office checked into how 49 ministries and agencies implemented their budgets last year and found that improper use of funds was common. The National Development and Reform Commission - the top planning agency - charged companies 13.4 million yuan for endorsement fees and sponsorships last year. Diverting money from one fund to another was also common. A unit under the commission responsible for the management of an oil reserve base was found to have siphoned off 49 million yuan of construction funds. […] The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, overcharged for visas. […]. ^ top ^

Death sentences confirmed (SCMP)
2007-09-20
The provincial Higher People's Court yesterday confirmed death sentences on two former vault keepers at the Agricultural Bank of China (SEHK: 3988)'s Handan branch. Ren Xiaofeng and Ma Xiangjing stole 50.95 million yuan to buy lottery tickets. The sentences will now be reviewed by the Supreme People's Court. ^ top ^

Landless farmers urged to migrate to Africa (SCMP)
2007-09-19
Farmers forced off the land and unable to find urban jobs should consider moving to Africa to become landlords and practise their agricultural skills, the head of the Export-Import Bank said this week. Li Ruogu said Beijing would support farmers who migrated. […] Chongqing embarked on fast-tracked urban development after the National Development and Reform Commission selected it in June to be an experimental zone for national urbanisation reform. More than 12 million farmers will have to leave their land by 2020 under the city's plan. "Construction of the `experimental zone' will relocate several million peasants," Mr Li said, adding that Chongqing should consider organising migration to Africa. […]There are no official figures on the number of Chinese farmers in Africa but the mainland's labour exports this year had grown by 33 per cent compared with last year, the Ministry of Commerce announced. ^ top ^

CCTV to stop drugs in schools (SCMP)
2007-09-19
Surveillance cameras installed by schools to deter or catch burglars are being used as a new weapon in the war on drugs in the New Territories North, according to police. The move was announced yesterday, three months after four schoolgirls aged 13 and 14 were arrested for taking ketamine at Fanling Government Secondary School. […]. ^ top ^

Beijing sees rise in new HIV/AIDS cases (China Daily)
2007-09-20
The Beijing municipal government registered 563 new cases of HIV/AIDS in the first half of this year, up 50 percent from the same period last year, a health official said on Thursday. Among the new cases were 11 foreigners, 120 Beijing residents and 432 migrant Chinese from outside the city, said Zhao Tao, head of the disease control and prevention section of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau. (…) The city had registered 4,253 HIV/AIDS cases since 1985 by June, including 164 foreigners and 885 Beijing residents. Needle sharing by drug takers and sex were the main transmission routes of the disease, accounting for 68.1 percent of the infections. (…). ^ top ^

Entry, exit procedures made easier (People's Daily)
2007-09-19
Foreign or Chinese passengers who transit at a mainland airport for less than 24 hours on their way to another country will not need to fill in entry and exit forms from next month. In addition, Chinese passengers need no longer fill in exit forms when they leave the country, the Ministry of Public Security announced yesterday. The moves aim to simplify immigration procedures in line with international practice and improve efficiency, Zhu Jiqing, deputy director of the ministry's exit and entry administration bureau, told a press briefing. (…). ^ top ^

Journalist freed after two years (SCMP)
2007-09-17
A journalist imprisoned for two years for posting politically sensitive essays on the internet said yesterday he had been released. Li Yuanlong, 47, was detained in September 2005 and convicted of "inciting subversion of state sovereignty" for his essays, which were carried by several overseas websites banned on the mainland. Mr Li said he was released last Friday on completion of his jail term and insisted on his innocence. […] Reporters Without Borders said at least 35 journalists as well as 51 cyber-dissidents are being held. ^ top ^

China bans 13 sex-related radio talk shows (China Daily)
2007-09-15
The State Administration of Film, Radio and Television (SAFRT) switched off 13 radio sex talk shows in five central and southern provinces recently, according to SAFRT's website. According to the notice issued by SAFRT on September 13, 11 sex explicit talk shows broadcast by provincial broadcast stations in Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hainan were suspended for their pornographic nature. (…) On September 5, the SAFRT banned another daily talk shows broadcast by Sichuan Provincial People's Broadcast Station and Chengdu Municipal People's Broadcast Station for the same problems. The notice said the banned programs dealt with material of an "extreme pornographic nature" and talked about sex lives, sexual experiences, sex organs and the efficacy of certain drugs for sex. (…) The SAFRT said it will establish a hotline in near future for the public to report vulgar programs they discover. ^ top ^

1.33m live in poverty despite boom times (SCMP)
2007-09-17
The number of people living in poverty exceeded 1.33 million last year, having doubled over the past 20 years despite the booming economy, a new survey shows. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service analysed the government's population data and found that the number of people living in low-income households doubled from 631,138 in 1986 to 1,336,873 last year. The percentage of low-income households rose from 11.9 per cent to 20.1 per cent during that period. […] The council defined low-income households as those with less than half the income of the median household income of same-sized families across the whole population. […]. ^ top ^

400,000 scientists working for military (SCMP)
2007-09-17
About 400,000 mainland scientists - or 1 per cent of its scientific workforce - are directly involved in military research, a senior science official revealed yesterday. The statement from Sun Laiyan , deputy director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, on the central government's website, was the mainland's latest disclosure about its armed forces following a pledge earlier this month for greater military transparency.. […]. ^ top ^

New family policy attacks elites' egos (China Daily)
2007-09-19
Authorities in Shaanxi Province have introduced new measures to deter the rich, famous and influential from flouting national family planning laws. According to Feng Yueju, director of the provincial population and family planning committee, Shaanxi is facing two key issues: Society's elite classes are having too many children, while poor families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. "Financial punishment does little to deter certain celebrities and wealthy people, because they can afford to pay any fine," Feng said. "However, what these people do treasure is their reputation, their status in society, and that is what we have focused on." (…). ^ top ^

Pressure driving migrants to suicide (China Daily)
2007-09-19
Pressure from work and home have contributed to the growing suicide rate among migrants in Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province, an official at the local medical emergency center said. According to statistics from the Dongguan 120 medical emergency center, 552 people attempted suicide in Dongguan from April to September 10. Seventy percent of them were migrants. (…). ^ top ^

 

Shanghai

Wipha kills 5, weakens to tropical storm (China Daily)
2007-09-20
Typhoon Wipha spared Shanghai and Hangzhou the brunt of its fury but still caused extensive damage in the east coast with torrential rains and strong winds. Five people were killed and three were missing in the aftermath of the typhoon, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said last night, without giving details of the casualties. (…). ^ top ^

 

Hongkong

City-wide drill to test readiness for a flu pandemic (SCMP)
2007-09-21
A city-wide pandemic preparedness drill will be held today to test the emergency response to a community-acquired flu involving boys "falling sick" in Fanling. […] Field investigations, management of patients and admission and treatment procedures at the newly commissioned Infectious Disease Centre and the Major Incident Control Centre in Princess Margaret Hospital will be tested. […]. ^ top ^

Mainland visitors rise by a third this month (SCMP)
2007-09-20
The number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong in the first half of this month increased by a third on figures for the same period last year. The increase came despite crowds of visitors flocking to the new Venetian Macao, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said. About 560,000 mainlanders came to Hong Kong from September 1-15, 32.9 per cent more than last year, while the total number of arrivals during the period rose by a fifth to more than 1 million. There had been fears the Venetian Macao, which welcomed its 1 millionth visitor last Thursday, 17 days after opening, would lure many tourists away from Hong Kong. […]. ^ top ^

HK firms are promised easier investment rules (SCMP)
2007-09-20
The Ministry of Commerce is poised to simplify procedures for Hong Kong companies to invest on the mainland under a free-trade deal between the two sides. Speaking at a business forum on the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) yesterday, Vice-Minister of Commerce Liao Xiaoqi said it would decentralise the power of approval to lower levels when dealing with investment applications from Hong Kong. […] Despite promises by the central government to speed up the investment process, some Hong Kong enterprises say they are still bogged down in the application process due to what they claim is a lack of clear guidance on implementing the agreement. […]. ^ top ^

Mainland to limit cities in stocks scheme - Regulators fine-tune policy to cut risks of huge capital outflows (SCMP)
2007-09-17
Beijing is set to restrict the freedom to buy Hong Kong stocks to residents in strictly designated cities, as the central government moves against risks of a huge capital outflow from its new relaxed policy, sources said. […] However, the central government had not yet made a final decision on which cities were to be designated, the sources added. […] The cross-border investment programme was designed to allow some capital outflows in order to ease excessive domestic liquidity which regulators fear may be creating an asset price bubble in domestic financial markets. "The geographic locations [of cities permitted to transact the cross-border trade] are an issue now because the central government needs to strike a balance," said a source. "[The through-train programme] has become a thorny issue for the officials since it was announced." […]. ^ top ^

 

Taiwan

Mainland warns Taiwan over march (SCMP)
2007-09-17
A day after tens of thousands of supporters of Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian staged a mass demonstration in Taiwan to back his efforts to join the United Nations, Beijing said yesterday it was keeping a "close watch" and would be "prepared to deal with the situations". The veiled warning - made by a spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council - did not spell out specific actions but reiterated that Beijing "would not tolerate any moves to separate Taiwan from the mainland". The demonstration, held in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan on Saturday, attracted more than 300,000 people, Mr Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party said. […] The spokesman however did not comment on a competing rally - held by the opposition Kuomintang - in Taichung City. More than 50,000 supporters marched in that rally to back the KMT's own campaign for a referendum for the island to join the UN under any name. […]. ^ top ^

 

Tibet

Don't meet the Dalai Lama, China urges foreign leaders - Beijing issues warning over exiled Tibetan spiritual leader (SCMP)
2007-09-21
China has urged foreign leaders not to meet the Dalai Lama after he met the Austrian chancellor during his week of overseas trips. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader expressed disappointment over the deadlock in the latest talks on the Tibet issue. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu repeated the position stated on Tuesday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel should not receive the Dalai Lama. A meeting between the two is scheduled for Sunday in Berlin. Restating the long-held position that Tibet was part of China, Ms Jiang said Beijing was "firmly against" any official contact between foreign governments and the Tibetan exile. […]The Tibet issue was highlighted yesterday when Human Rights Watch reported seven Tibetan boys, aged 14 and 15, had been detained in northwest China after graffiti calling for the Dalai Lama's return was found on the walls of a village police station and schools.Nicholas Bequelin, a China researcher for Human Rights Watch, called for their "immediate and unconditional" release, saying they had been detained in Gannan prefecture, Gansu province , earlier this month. Their families lost contact with them after they were moved to Xiahe county on September 10," Mr Bequelin said. He added that one of boys had been badly beaten before they were moved to an unknown location. ^ top ^

Canadian PM agrees to meet Dalai Lama (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is to meet the Dalai Lama next month in a move likely to annoy Beijing, which has just expressed disapproval at Germany receiving the Tibetan spiritual leader this weekend. Mr Harper has previously taken a hard-line view of the mainland, criticising its human rights record, and has claimed that Beijing is spying on Canada. Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of engaging in "splittist activities" and objects to foreign leaders meeting him.

 

Economy

Shanghai seeks alliances with foreign bourses (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Shanghai will make a major effort to help the city's stock exchange co-operate with overseas counterparts, a sign plans for closer trading ties with Hong Kong are gaining pace. Shanghai mayor Han Zheng, at a conference this week to mark the setting up of a panel on establishing Shanghai as an international financial hub, said the city should accelerate moves to bring markets more in line with international practices. It was the first time a top Shanghai official had responded to calls last week from Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chief Ronald Arculli to develop a single China market. […]. ^ top ^

Beijing moves to curb consumer price increases - State-fixed charges will be frozen (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Beijing has issued price-control measures for consumer products, which include a freeze on prices it controls for the rest of the year, stressing the need to maintain stability. Analysts said the measures suggested Beijing was giving top priority to combating inflation, with social stability a big concern in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Day holiday and the Communist Party's 17th National Congress, which starts next month. In a statement on the National Development and Reform Commission's website yesterday, six ministries urged officials at all levels to make every effort to ensure stable prices during the holidays. […] Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Yi Xianrong doubted the effectiveness of the price controls. "The decision-makers still consider things like they are operating under a planned economy," he said. "They wish to control things by administrative measures, but they will not work. Local governments could find ways to elude the instructions." […]. ^ top ^

Demand for goods set to exceed supply (SCMP)
2007-09-20
Demand for some consumer goods is likely to exceed supply for the first time since 1998, mainland media quoted the Ministry of Commerce as warning yesterday. A ministry survey predicted shortages of pork and cooking oil would lead to pressure for price increases. […] The ministry estimated retail sales to total 8.8 trillion yuan this year, up 15 per cent on last year, and the consumer price index would increase 4 per cent, the China Securities Journal reported. […]. ^ top ^

China Telecom loses 380,000 to mobile switch (SCMP)
2007-09-21
China Telecom Corp (SEHK: 0728), the nation's biggest fixed-line telephone operator, said its subscriber base shrank last month for the first time since it released the figures as more users switched to mobile telephones. China Telecom lost about 380,000 subscribers in August, reducing the total to 224.17 million at the end of the month. That was the company's first user decline since it started posting monthly numbers in January last year. ^ top ^

Report: China's forex investment company to debut (Xinhua)
2007-09-20
China Investment Co. Ltd., the country's long-awaited state forex investment company set up to make better use of its huge foreign exchange reserve, will be inaugurated on Sept. 28, Wednesday's China Business News reports. Lou Jiwei, current deputy secretary-general of the State Council, will act as board chairman, while Gao Xiqing, now vice chairman of the National Council for Social Security Fund, will be the general manager, the newspaper said, citing unidentified sources. (…). ^ top ^

China's private sector employs 120 mln (Xinhua)
2007-09-16
China's private enterprises employed 120 million people by September this year, up 9.5 percent from the same month a year ago, said a senior official on Saturday. "The private sector of the economy is a main avenue of employment and re-employment in China," said Zhong Youping, deputy minister of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. (…). ^ top ^

Coca Cola CEO expects China to be its largest market (Xinhua)
2007-09-16
Coca Cola expects China to be its largest market, said E. Neville Isdell, chairman and chief executive officer of the Coca Cola Company. Although China's economy has been growing rapidly for more than two decades, Isdell noted that he had confidence in its further growth. "China is currently our fourth largest market, but I hope it could become No.1." Coca-Cola built two new bottling factories in east China's Jiangxi Province last July and in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in August, bringing the total number of its factories in China to 37. (…)." (…). ^ top ^

 

Avian flu

Guangzhou village to cull 100,000 birds - Officials confident quick action will stop bird flu outbreak from spreading (SCMP)
2007-09-18
All poultry in Panyu county's Sixian village, the site of a new mainland outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, would be culled within a few days, a Guangzhou official said yesterday. Vice-Mayor Su Zequn said more than 100,000 birds would be destroyed to prevent the virus from spreading. […] Dead ducks were first reported on September 5 and nearly 10,000 had died by last Wednesday. Panyu officials culled about 32,600 ducks that had been in contact with the dead birds and police quarantined the affected area on Thursday. […]Tissue samples were sent to the Ministry of Agriculture late last week and the cause of the birds' deaths was confirmed to be the H5N1 bird flu virus yesterday afternoon. Bird flu experts said the public should not be worried because it was an isolated outbreak and was unlikely to widen. "I do not think the public need to worry about the case at all," the director of the Guangdong Animal Vaccination Centre, Yu Yedong, said. […]. ^ top ^

 

Beijing Olympics

No smoking in taxis, buses (SCMP)
2007-09-21
All the city's public vehicles, including taxis and buses, will become no-smoking areas from next month in a push to stamp out smoking in public areas before next year's Olympics, the Beijing Times reports. Taxi drivers found smoking in their vehicles will be fined 200 yuan.

Games police taught to smile (SCMP)
2007-09-20
About 100 new border police are attending a training course for next year's Olympic Games, the Beijing Morning Post reports. The course includes instruction in smiling, with police being trained how to show exactly eight teeth when smiling at passers-by. ^ top ^

 

Joel Baumgartner
Embassy of Switzerland
 

The Press review is a random selection of political and social related news gathered from various media and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion of the Embassy.
 
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