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
  26.5-1.6.2012, No. 425  
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Table of contents

DPRK and South Korea

Mongolia

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Foreign Policy

Chinese Premier meets foreign leaders on trade (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here on Monday with foreign leaders from Zimbabwe, Qatar and Laos and proposed further trade cooperation. In his meeting with Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Wen highlighted the traditional friendship between the two peoples and the solid foundation laid between the two political communities. China is willing to further assist Zimbabwe in fields including education, public health, agriculture and energy and encourage Chinese companies to expand their investment in the country, Wen told Tsvangirai. [...] When meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Wen recognized the robust growth of bilateral relations between China and Qatar, suggesting the two nations cement their cooperation on energy, finance, infrastructure construction and investment. [...] In a meeting with Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Wen said Both China and Laos are in a critical stage of reform and national development, noting that two nations should consolidate their good neighborly friendship and safeguard their common interests. He suggested the two nations expand their cooperation in mining, hydropower, agriculture and transportation. [...] The three foreign leaders were in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the first Beijing International Fair for Trade in Service. Wen also met with World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy on the sidelines of the fair. [...]. ^ top ^

Singapore, Chinese foreign ministers hold talks (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
Singapore – Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Singapore counterpart K.Shanmugam held talks on Monday on bilateral relations, regional cooperation, as well as regional and international issues both care about. [...] China will keep on with its efforts to grow the long-term friendly ties and cooperation with Singapore, which it considers an important and special cooperation partner, the Chinese foreign minister said. [...] Yang said that China shall continue to support the efforts of Southeast Asian nations to build the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) community, and that it looks forward to working together with the ASEAN member nations, including Singapore, to push for further progress in the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. [...] China is willing to boost the exchanges of views and coordination with Singapore, and it is willing to work together with Singapore to push for the continued healthy and steady development of the East Asian cooperation on the right track, Yang said. The Singapore foreign minister said that his country is willing to boost the exchanges and cooperation with China, and share and draw on the experience of each other in the course of development. It is willing to constantly expand the scope of its pragmatic cooperation with China. Singapore is also willing to make common efforts together with China to contribute to the regional development and prosperity, he said. [...]. ^ top ^

Human rights card will not shake China's stability (China Daily)
2012-05-29
A few notable trends are emerging in U.S. policy toward China. While forming “island chains” to contain China, certain U.S. political forces are taking advantage of so-called human rights violations to increase pressure on China. This shows their concern about China's rise as well as their frustration and anxiety in finding it impossible to shake China's ability or to stop its rise. Respecting and protecting human rights has been written into China's Constitution, and integrated into the great undertaking of reform and opening-up. The country has lifted about 200 million people out of poverty in only two decades, leaving a glorious page in the world's history of human rights. [...] The “human rights” card is not only a moral banner for U.S. diplomacy, but also an excuse for “shaping” China's development path. The China Model is bound to shake the very foundations of Western social development theories. The more rapidly China develops, the more upset and frustrated Washington's politicians will be, and the more vigorously they will play the “human rights” card. With an outdated ideological adherence to global dominance, the United States is eager to defend the theoretical foundation of its dominance over the world. The United States wants to improve relations with China and also to “shape” the country's development path by intervening in its domestic affairs. [...] Taking China as a future rival or a long-term partner determines the sustainability of U.S. policy toward China. Without mutual respect, the two major powers cannot build up strategic mutual trust, not to mention achieving mutual benefit. China's growth will not be blocked by the United States, nor will its development path be “shaped” by the country. The Chinese know clearly that social stability is a precondition for human rights. The “human rights” card will not shake China's stability. ^ top ^

Liang calls on Manila to show restraint (China Daily)
2012-05-30
Defense Minister Liang Guanglie urged the Philippines to show "discreet in both words and deeds" over the Huangyan Island issue and make tangible steps toward regional peace and stability. Liang made the remarks while meeting his Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin on Monday on the sidelines of the defense ministers' meeting of Southeast Asian countries in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was the first face-to-face talk for the two defense chiefs, and the highest level meeting between officials from both governments to exchange views on bilateral issues since the Huangyan Island incident broke out about two months ago. "It was the Philippine warship's armed harassment of Chinese fishermen that triggered the Huangyan incident. And actions of the Philippines afterwards further complicated the whole issue, " the defense minister said, reiterating that the island is part of China's inherent territory. Liang said he hoped Manila could maintain restraint and give priority to the overall situation, urging the Philippine military to "respect China's sovereignty and stop further provocations". [...] The defense minister also said as neighboring countries across the sea, China pays great attention to military relations with the Philippines, and it has taken various measures to improve bilateral contacts. The Philippine defense chief said he appreciated the meeting, and exchanged views on the sensitive bilateral issue with his Chinese counterpart. Gazmin said the defense departments of both sides should keep communication lines open to seek a peaceful and proper solution. [...] The Philippines has not only turned to the United States for support but also expanded military cooperation with countries such as Japan and India. Japan sent two training ships to the Philippines for a four-day port call this week and declared it would provide the country with 10 patrol vessels to bolster its maritime and territorial capabilities before the end of the year. [...]. ^ top ^

Pakistani prime minister meets Chinese foreign minister (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Islamabad - Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday that his country is willing to work with the Chinese side to deepen their practical cooperation, broaden people-to-people exchanges, especially among young people, and bring the friendly and cooperative relations to a new height. The special friendship between the two countries has weathered the test of time and grown stronger, he said during a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. He said the Pakistani side always firmly supports China's stand on issues concerning its core interests such as Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, and is grateful for the firm support rendered by the Chinese side for Pakistan's efforts to uphold national sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and dignity. Yang said that the friendly ties have been forged and nurtured under the joint efforts of generations of leaders. Both sides adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, extend mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests. The China-Pakistan relationship, experiencing the tests of changeable international situation, has become an example of friendly coexistence between different countries. The Chinese side will continue to handle the relationship from a strategic height and long-term perspective, unswervingly pursue the policy of friendship toward Pakistan and work with the Pakistani side to develop bilateral relations to a new stage, he said. [...] The effort will be focused on enhancing cooperation in energy, infrastructure and agriculture and expanding people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation for the well-being of the two peoples, said Yang. ^ top ^

Wang Qishan voices opposition to trade protectionism (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan on Tuesday voiced opposition to trade protectionism as he met with foreign guests in Beijing. During his meeting with Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Wang said he highly appreciates the WTO chief's efforts to oppose trade protectionism and push ahead with the Doha Round negotiations. China is willing to work with the WTO more closely to reform and improve world trading rules to further liberalize trade and investment with a view to global economic growth and employment opportunities. Echoing Wang, Lamy said it is of vital significance to de-politicalize economic issues amid the ongoing international financial crisis. [...] Lamy came to Beijing to attend the first Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (Beijing Fair) on Monday. On the same day, Wang met with Craig Emerson, Australia's minister of trade; Shalom Simhon, Israel's minister of industry, trade and labor; Manuel Chang, Mozambique's minister of finance; Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's minister for trade and industry; and Luis Almagro, Uruguay's Foreign Minister, who also attended the Beijing Fair. Trade in services is an important spur for economic recovery and growth, said the Chinese vice premier, adding that the Beijing Fair helps to boost international cooperation in trade and investment, oppose protectionism and strengthen the recovery of the global economy. As China is witnessing an accelerating pace of industrialization and urbanization, the release of the great potential of the country's service sector will provide new opportunities for foreign enterprises, according to Wang. [...]. ^ top ^

Chinese top legislator's Europe tour sows seeds for rich harvest (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
China's top legislator Wu Bangguo returned home Tuesday after wrapping up a four-nation Europe tour that enhanced goodwill and trust and boosted cooperation and partnership. Wu's journey to the Netherlands, Croatia, Luxembourg and Spain, China's latest major diplomatic action in Europe, had great significance in deepening China's cooperative ties with the four countries and consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe. Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), spoke with the heads of state, government and parliament of the four countries and reached broad consensus with them. His proposals on promoting bilateral ties were widely accepted by the leadership and public of his host countries. [...] The leaders of the four nations [...] said enhancing ties with China was the consensus reached among the government, parliament and political parties in their countries. [...] Wu highly valued China's economic cooperation with the four countries he visited and put forward a set of pragmatic and specific ideas and suggestions for deeper cooperation of mutual benefit. [...] Promoting China-EU relations is one of China's key strategies. Wu said the two sides should enhance coordination on international and regional affairs and properly handle major concerns and sensitive issues to push forward the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. [...] China would, as always, help maintain the euro's credibility and welcome European products and investment to the Chinese market, he said, adding he hopes that the EU would recognize China's market economy status as soon as possible, relax high-tech export restrictions on China and act with restraint in implementing trade remedy measures. [...] Mutual respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity and mutual respect and accommodation of core interests are the political basis for China to develop relations with other countries and international organizations. During the tour, Wu elaborated on China's enormous progress in democracy, rule of law and human rights as well as in Tibet's socioeconomic development, saying China respects the development paths other nations choose for themselves. Chinese citizens enjoy broad rights and freedoms according to law, Wu said, adding that a country's human rights practice will gain maximum public support only if it is based on the country's historical and cultural traditions and social and economic realities. He said Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times and China stands firmly against any kind of contact and communication between any country's officials and the Dalai Lama, and strongly opposes any country or any individual trying to interfere with China's internal affairs through the Dalai Lama. His hosts recognized China's progress in human rights, rule of law and other fields, and pledged not to support any form of "Tibet independence.". ^ top ^

China backs European integration: CPC official (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
A senior official with the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday stressed that China supports Europe's integration process as well as its efforts to deal with the sovereign debt crisis. China has faith in Europe's capability of getting over the current crisis, said Wang Jiarui, head of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, during a meeting with European Parliament President Martin Schulz in the sidelines of a China-EU high level political forum that ended here on Wednesday. Wang said the Sino-EU relation is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. [...] In another meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Wang said China's development has benefited from Europe's experience. He said China supported the EU to play a bigger role on the international stage. For her part, Ashton added that the mutual trust and cooperation can be furthered as long as there was sincerity and mutual understanding between the two sides. ^ top ^

China calls for thorough investigation into Houla massacre (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
China on Wednesday called for a thorough investigation into the mass murder of civilians in the Houla region of west Syria. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin made the remark at a press conference when asked whether China will expel Syrian diplomats working in the country. Liu said China wishes to see a thorough probe into the Houla massacre and hopes the killers will be brought to justice. Liu said China hopes UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan's visit to Syria will help ease tensions in the country and encourage relevant parties to implement Annan's six-point proposal, as well as resolutions by the UN Security Council, to bring a halt to the violence. [...] Several western countries, including Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, have decided to expel Syrian diplomats as part of a coordinated move to express outrage at the killings in Houla. ^ top ^

China, Vietnam hold negotiations on low-sensitivity marine cooperation (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
Experts from China and Vietnam began their first round of negotiations on low-sensitivity maritime cooperation programs on Tuesday, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry. The negotiations from Tuesday to Wednesday have included discussions on multiple areas of cooperation, including environmental protection, scientific research, search and rescue operations and disaster prevention and reduction. The two sides also reached a consensus on establishing relevant principles for cooperation and a working mechanism. The second round of negotiations will be held in Vietnam in the second half of this year. [...]. ^ top ^

China, Arab ministers vow to deepen strategic cooperative relationship (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Hammamet, Tunisia - Chinese and Arab ministers vowed Thursday in Tunisia to continue to deepen their strategic cooperative relationship as they wrapped up the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum. At the closure of the conference, which was held in Tunisia's eastern seaside city of Hammamet under the theme of "deepen strategic cooperation, promote common development", Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the conference has successfully finished its agenda and has achieved the expected goals. Defining the conference as "a grand event of reflecting on friendship, enhancing solidarity and looking out for the future," Yang said, "the conference agreed on the communique and action plan for 2012-2014. The two documents will play a role of guiding and promotion in the development of the China-Arab ties and the forum itself in the next two year." According to the communique, China and Arab countries will continue to strengthen political negotiations and cooperation under the forum's framework on major regional and international issues. China reiterated its support to Arab countries' strategic choices for realizing a comprehensive and just peace. The communique stipulated to establish a bilateral and collective disputes-solving mechanism, and set a target of increasing the China-Arab trade volume to 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2014. [...] The two sides also agreed to take measures to deepen cultural exchanges, including to encourage the establishment of cultural centers in each other. Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdesslem said at a press conference after the ministerial meeting that the one-day conference included two close-door meetings, in which the ministers discussed the development of the forum and the China- Arab relations and exchanged of views on international and regional issues of common interest. [...] The conference also agreed to hold the next ministerial meeting in 2014 in China. ^ top ^

China hopes U.S. play constructive role in Asia-Pacific (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
China hopes the United States will play a positive and constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said here on Thursday in reference to U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's visit to the area. Panetta Left Washington on Wednesday, kicking off his nine-day tour, which will include stops in Hawaii, Singapore, Vietnam and India. He will participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, delivering a major policy speech that will focus "on the Asia Pacific, and the United States' role there in light of the new strategy and rebalance," according to Pentagon officials. Liu told a daily press briefing that China has repeatedly voiced its respect for the U.S. presence and interests in the Asia-Pacific region, and hopes the United States will also respect China's interests there. China continues to believe that seeking peace, stability and development is the general trend and common aspiration of the region, Liu said, noting that Asia-Pacific affairs should be dealt with through consultation among the Asia-Pacific nations. The spokesman said that China hopes the United States will work with China and other Asia-Pacific countries to build a more prosperous and stable Asia-Pacific, noting that both sides have agreed to build a relationship of mutual benefit and positive interaction between the rising power and established power. Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry, also answered questions on Panetta's Asia-Pacific trip on the same day. [...] All participants in the Shangri-La Dialogue, a multilateral forum, have "opportunities and possibilities" to meet and exchange views, Yang said, explaining that Ren Haiquan, vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army, will head a delegation to attend the event. China hopes the dialogue will help enhance understanding and trust, according to Yang. [...]. ^ top ^

Chinese human rights delegation concludes visit to Uzbekistan (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Tashkent - A Chinese human rights delegation concluded a four-day visit here on Thursday and left for Ukraine. During their stay in Uzbekistan, the Chinese delegates met with Dilorom Tashmuhamedova, speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, the Uzbek parliament, as well as leaders of various political parties and representatives from human rights institutions in the central Asian country. During the meeting with Tashmuhamedova, Luo Haocai, head of the delegation and chairman of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, lauded the frequent exchanges of high-level visits and extensive bilateral cooperation between China and Uzbekistan in the past 20 years. Noting that bilateral exchanges on human rights have been constantly enhanced, Luo said the two sides should continue to explore ways to deepen their cooperation in human rights theory research and practices and make contribution to the international human rights cause and world peace and prosperity as well. China's achievements in promoting human rights in the last three decades have been widely recognized by members of the international community, said Tashmuhamedova. The visit by the Chinese delegation will not only help deepen the mutual understanding between the two peoples but also boost bilateral cooperation on human rights, she said. During their visit, the Chinese delegates also introduced China's policies and practices in the promotion of human rights, and briefed their hosts on China's Human Rights Action Plan 2009-2010, China's political consultation system and the latest revisions to China's Criminal Procedure Law. ^ top ^

Fishing ban to start on East China Sea (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
The annual fishing ban on the East China Sea will begin from noon Friday, the East China Sea Fishery Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture said Thursday. The bureau issued a circular on Thursday notifying the public that the fishing ban will last until September 16 on the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea between 35 degrees and 26'30 degrees north latitude. And the ban will end on August 1 on parts of the East China Sea south of the zone. The circular said more than 50,000 fishing boats will be moored at ports during the fishing ban. The fishing ban aimed at protecting fish during their egg-laying season is currently in effect on the South China Sea. The fishing ban on the South China Sea started on May 16 and will last through August 1. Local governments have organized free training courses and aquaculture technology exchanges for fishermen during the two-and-a-half-month fishing moratorium. [...] Meanwhile, the fishing bans on China's eastern and southern seas have triggered a price surge in aquatic products. [...]. ^ top ^

 

Domestic Policy

June 4 'could have been avoided' (SCMP)
2012-05-29
Former Beijing mayor Chen Xitong – one of the leaders blamed for the military crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square – now calls it ''a regrettable tragedy that could have been avoided'' and downplays his role in the incident. Chen, mayor during the crackdown, was seen as a hardliner who pushed for military force against student protesters. Some accused him of deliberately exaggerating the situation and misleading paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to get him to authorise the assault by the People's Liberation Army. Chen was promoted to Beijing party secretary and made a Politburo member after the crackdown. But in 1998 he was sentenced to 16 years in jail on corruption charges in one of the most dramatic downfalls of a senior Communist Party official. His case and that of another convicted official – former Shanghai party chief Chen Liangyu – were China's biggest political scandals before the drama that erupted this year over former Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai. [...] Chen said that while he wanted to see a swift end to ''the turbulence'', he believed the incident could have been solved without bloodshed. [...] Chen also likened his plight to that of Bo Xilai, who was stripped of his leadership posts earlier this year as his wife was implicated in the murder of a British businessman. [...] But Wu Guoguang, a former government adviser and now a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada, said the debate would continue until the party came clean. ''If the Cultural Revolution can be reassessed, why not June 4'' Wu said. Chen's political career was cut short in 1995 after he was arrested and later convicted of corruption. He became the first Politburo member to be jailed since the end of the Cultural Revolution. He was released on medical parole in 2006 from Qingcheng Prison – the secretive jail where many student leaders of the June 4 movement were also held. [...]. ^ top ^

Former rail minister expelled from Party (China Daily)
2012-05-29
Liu Zhijun, former railway minister, was expelled from the Communist Party of China due to serious disciplinary violations, according to a decision by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on Monday. Liu, 59, was also blamed for fostering corruption throughout the railway system. The disciplinary watchdog said Liu had taken advantage of his position to help Ding Yuxin, board chairwoman of Beijing Boyou Investment Management Corp, make huge illicit gains. He was also charged with accepting a large number of bribes and leading a corrupt life. His illicit gains have been confiscated and he will be handed over to the judicial department for further investigation. His disciplinary violations may include criminal acts, the watchdog said. [...] Liu was appointed vice-minister of railways in 1996 and minister in 2003. He was removed from his post in February last year. At least eight senior officials at the Ministry of Railways have been sacked in the past two years and placed under investigation. [...] Liu, as minister, called for "leapfrog development". This entailed building a high-speed rail network of 16,000 km by 2015. Investment, totaling trillions of yuan poured in, and funds were embezzled. In one particular case, at least 187 million yuan ($28 million) was misappropriated by individuals or companies involved in building the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, the National Audit Office said in a report in March last year. [...] After the bullet train crash in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 23 last year, which killed 40 passengers, the construction of high-speed rail was curtailed and bullet train speeds were reduced. A report by an investigation team, authorized by the State Council, said in December last year that Liu and the ministry's former deputy chief engineer Zhang Shuguang should take prime responsibility for the accident. ^ top ^

Weibo applies tighter rules on content (Global Times)
2012-05-30
China's largest microblogging service Sina Weibo has introduced new rules aimed at preventing the spread of information deemed inappropriate by Internet regulators, under which an account would be suspended or even deleted if the user posts "sensitive content." According to the Sina Weibo Community Convention and a series of supplementary regulations that went into effect on Monday, microblog users are to be given 80 initial "credit points," which will be deducted for each violation as determined by the service provider. Their accounts will be terminated when the balance reaches zero. Users who post "sensitive information" will be silenced for 48 hours or even kicked out of the popular cyber community, if the "offense" is deemed serious. Sina defines "sensitive information" in its newly issued rules as "information that harms national and social security," which includes contents banned by relevant laws and administrative regulations. Sensitive information is content with "sensitive words" that has nothing to do with the authenticity of the information, and the definition of "sensitive words" is based on our country's relevant laws, a client service employee of Sina told the Global Times Tuesday. The convention, which will impact approximately 300 million users, is also formulated according to "relevant laws" and does not require public opinion consultation, she added. "Freedom of speech can only be limited by laws. For example, it is inappropriate to post content advocating subversion of the state," Wang Zhenyu, a Beijing-based lawyer and a deputy director of the Public Decision-Making Research Center with the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times. Wang added that no Chinese laws have clearly defined the term "sensitive words" or designated a pool for such words. A total of 5,484 voluntary Weibo community committee members have been recruited by Sina, who will judge the content of the posts and decide what to do with the users if they fail to comply with the rules. "Only the courts, not microblogging service providers, have the right to judge the authenticity of the content and decide what online behavior infringes on others' rights or are in violation of Chinese laws," Wang added, noting that the committee lacks legitimacy. The new convention has triggered concern among Weibo users. Hu Yadong, manager of the Sina Weibo operation, said that "absolute freedom is actually not freedom" and restricting someone's right of speech guarantees the right for others. He said the regulation was released to benefit users, and will not affect their loyalty to the platform, the China National Radio reported. [...]. ^ top ^

".cn" domain name opens to individuals (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Individuals can now register the ".cn" domain name, according to a ruling amended by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), China's.cn domain name administrator. Xinhua News Agency reports that CNNIC's amended ruling on domain name registration, which came into effect at 12am on Tuesday, states that any person or organization bearing civil liabilities independently can apply to register the domain. "Individuals will become an important drive for the development of websites," said Qi Lin, assistant director of CNNIC. "Opening the.cn domain name to individuals will boost the openness and uniqueness of the Internet." The new act will help the development of individual micro-application platforms and e-commerce as well. Individual online shops can possess their own.cn domains which will help their brand operation, said Qi. Statistics at CNNIC showed that China had around 2.3 million websites as of the end of 2011, up 20 percent in one year. ^ top ^

Zhejiang protest ends with compensation deal (China Daily)
2012-05-30
Migrant workers' protests that broke out on Monday in east China's Zhejiang province following a peer's death have mostly come to an end and the family of the deceased has received 300,000 yuan (47,298) in compensation, local authorities said Tuesday. The incident started around 8 am in Xianjiang neighborhood [...] of Rui'an city under Wenzhou city, when around 1,000 migrant workers rushed the government office building, turning over an iron fence gate, and damaging over a dozen cars with stones and bricks. The protest ended around 11:30 am as migrant workers dispersed. Local government sources said the protest was sparked by the death of 19-year-old migrant worker Yang Zhi, allegedly killed by his employer Xu Qiyin during a dispute over salary. Rui'an's local government has been negotiating with Yang's family and vowed to help them deal with the aftermath of the death. The suspect, who has been detained by police, was ordered to pay the compensation. ^ top ^

China ups compensation for wrongful imprisonment (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
The amount of compensation payable by the Chinese state for infringement of citizens' personal freedom is to be upped by 20.32 yuan (3.22 U.S. dollars) to 162.65 yuan for each day of wrongful imprisonment or detention, it was announced on Tuesday. The sum is equal to the average daily income of Chinese urbanites in 2011, according to a statement issued by the Supreme People's Court (SPC). The SPC made the adjustment based on figures released the same day by the National Bureau of Statistics. The State Compensation Law stipulates, "If freedom of a citizen is infringed, compensatory payment for each day shall be assessed in accordance with the State average daily pay of staff and workers in the previous year." The SPC ordered courts to handle cases in line with the amended sum. ^ top ^

Chinese official arrested for raping 11 girls (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Authorities in central China's Henan province on Tuesday formally approved the arrest of an official on suspicion of raping 11 underage girls. Li Xingong, former deputy director of the general office of the Yongcheng city committee of the Communist Party of China, was previously detained over charges of raping adolescent school girls, the city's publicity department said in a statement on Sunday. The department on Tuesday confirmed that Li had raped 11 girls, all under age 18, since the second half of 2011. Henan police said they had also arrested another woman for allegedly helping Li pick, seduce and rape the school girls. The case, which has triggered widespread public outrage on Twitter-like microblogging service Sina Weibo, is still under investigation. ^ top ^

Chinese VP talks charity with Bill Gates (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Bill Gates at the Great Hall of the People, calling for closer cooperation between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its Chinese partners on medical care, agriculture and technology. Xi told Gates, co-chair of the foundation, that he appreciates the organization's enduring dedication to improving the health and living conditions of human beings. [...] The Vice President said he hopes that the foundation and its Chinese partners will effectively implement their cooperative projects and explore more means of cooperation. [...] He added that the development of the partnership between China and the United States not only benefits the people of the two nations, but also helps to promote the peace and development of the world at large. Gates agreed that the relationship is of great significance globally and that the foundation attaches importance to cooperation with China. The foundation will work together with its Chinese partners to carry out the projects in China and contribute to disease prevention and control as well as health care, he promised. ^ top ^

Husband claimed he was tortured to force confession (China Daily)
2012-05-31
Chang Linfeng, formal deputy chief editor of China Electronics News Agency, who was accused of killing his wife and burning her body five years ago, appealed to the Beijing Higher People's Court after being sentenced to death with reprieve at his first trial, claiming that he was tortured into giving a confession, Beijing News reported on May 30. The case was retried on May 29 at Beijing First Intermediate People's Court. Five police officers who were in charge of the case also denied they tortured Chang, but carried out a "normal interrogation", the report said. The defendant's lawyer claimed that there was not enough evidence from the autopsy to prove Chang choked his wife to death. "She could have fallen down the stairs or passed out due to panic or bumping into something in the fire," the report quoted the lawyer as saying. Chang confessed that he choked his wife on May 16, 2007 and set fire to the building to make it look like his wife was burnt to death. [...] Chang was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in May 2010, the report said. ^ top ^

New punishments for police abusing prisoners (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
Chinese police will face punishment ranging from demotion to dismissal if they are found to have abused inmates or connived in the maltreatment of prisoners, according to a provision published by the Ministry of Supervision on Wednesday. Police will be fired if prisoners die as a result of their beating, corporal punishment or maltreatment, as well as their manipulation or connivance in similar misconduct, reads the provision. Dismissal also applies in cases of police found to have harbored criminal activities committed by inmates, or to have helped prisoners escape. The provision, which will take effect on July 1, serves as a discipline guidance for police in prisons and labor camps, meaning police will face criminal charges simultaneously if their misconduct breaks the law. In China, those who commit misdemeanors are normally placed in reeducation-through-labor centers instead of prisons. China promulgated a six-article ban governing the conduct of prison and labor camp police in 2006. It prohibits police from abusing prisoners, collecting money and belongings from prisoners' families, gambling and drinking in working hours. Those violating the ban will receive disciplinary punishment or be sacked, it says, without elaborating. Analysts believe the latest provision, which is more specific and comprehensive, will better protect inmates' legitimate rights and interests by enforcing a clearer discipline standards for police. [...]. ^ top ^

China to include fingerprints in citizens' ID (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
China will require its citizens to register their fingerprints when applying for ID cards from January 2013 in a bid to curb counterfeit ID cards and ensure faster identification, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The first version of ID cards, launched in 1985, will be prohibited from use from Jan. 1, 2013. Meanwhile, these cardholders will receive second-version ID cards by the deadline, said Vice Minister Huang Ming Wednesday at a meeting on the management of citizens' ID cards. In 2004, the country introduced the second-version card. By 2010, 1.04 billion people or 77.6 percent of China's population, had received the second version. According to Huang, citizens applying for ID cards for the first time as well as those applying for replacement cards will be required to have their fingerprints taken. And those still holding valid second-version ID cards can register their fingerprints on a voluntary basis. [...] The move came after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopted an amendment to the Resident Identity Card Law last year to require citizens' fingerprints recorded when they apply for or change ID cards. Lawmakers hold that including fingerprints data in the ID cards will help identify people in a faster and more precise manner and will effectively curb the counterfeiting and altering of the cards. ^ top ^

Report warns of risk from nicotine addiction (China Daily)
2012-05-31
Smoking habits have barely changed over the past decade and lack of knowledge about damage caused by nicotine addiction poses huge challenges, a landmark report said. According to Health Hazards of Smoking, issued by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, China accounts for about 40 percent of global production and consumption, and is the world leader for both. The report, the first official document issued by the ministry on the dangers of nicotine, shows that the smoking rate among people aged from 15 to 69 had declined by just 0.08 percent from 2002 to 2010. Chen Zhu, the minister of health, listed the challenges facing those trying to reduce the number of smokers. "More than half of males aged 15 and over smoke. Obviously, there are a lot of teenagers in that number. As many as 740 million Chinese people are exposed to passive smoking. People are underestimating the harmful effects." The launch of the report supports scientific findings on the harm tobacco can cause, Chen said. [...] According to the report, more than three quarters of people lack sufficient knowledge of the dangers caused by smoking and more than two thirds are unaware of the hazards of passive smoking. On top of that, 54.7 percent of medical workers surveyed underestimated the effects of low-tar cigarettes. Zhong Nanshan, who specializes in respiratory problems at China's Academy of Engineering, attended the report's launch on Wednesday and believes it came just in time. "We need this report," Zhong said, citing the mistaken belief among some people that smoking can help cure SARS and Alzheimer's disease. The report is also useful, Zhong said, to combat the tobacco industry promoting low-tar or herbal cigarettes. About a million Chinese people die from smoking-related diseases each year on the mainland, according to a 2011 report Tobacco Control and China's Future, compiled by 60 specialists in public health, economics and law. The report estimated that the net contribution of the tobacco industry to the economy was minus 61.8 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) in 2010. May 31 marks the 25th World No Tobacco Day, with a theme of tobacco industry interference, which was also mentioned at the launch ceremony. [...] Zhong also expressed his opposition to tobacco industry interference, referring to the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau and State Tobacco Company. Both participate in tobacco control efforts. "The organization that produces and sells tobacco is the same organization that participates in tobacco control. The production puts profits first, but tobacco control puts people's health first... I don't understand why they are together. The mechanism needs changing.". ^ top ^

China mulls illegal drug blacklist (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
China's drug watchdog on Wednesday invited public consultation on a proposal to blacklist illegal drug producers and sellers. Companies and individuals severely violating drug and medical instrument-related laws and rules would be documented on a blacklist established by drug administrations, according to the draft regulation published on the website of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). If the draft is approved, their names and pertinent details will be publicized through government websites or media for better public supervision, as well as be provided to departments concerning finance, the environment and commerce as a reference in their planning, bid inviting and procurement of supplies. The move, cited by the SFDA as an effort to further ensure drug safety, comes after a scandal in April in which it was revealed that poisonous drug capsules made with industrial gelatin were arriving on the market. The SFDA on May 25 said 254 pharmaceutical enterprises, or 12.7 percent of all capsule makers in the country, were found to be producing such capsules. Eight categories of individuals and companies would be blacklisted, including those who produce or sell fake drugs, produce medical instruments without business credentials and cause major security incidents with their unlicensed products, under the proposal. People banned from the drug business for 10 years by law would also be recorded in the blacklist, it added. Drug administrations would pay special attention to those included on the list and require them to report their quality management periodically, said SFDA spokesperson Wang Lianglan. Public suggestions are welcomed between June 1 and 6. ^ top ^

China announces fund for electrical waste processing (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
China's Ministry of Finance said Wednesday that the country will start amassing a special fund from July this year to subsidize the cost of dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment. The fund will be paid by domestic producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment, according to a regulation jointly issued by the ministry and five other departments. The fund's establishment aims to promote comprehensive utilization of resources and encourage energy saving and environment protection, it said. Under the regulation, the collection and subsidy criteria varies depending on the equipment. For example, it will collect 13 yuan (2.05 U.S. dollars) from producers for each TV set, but offer a subsidy of 85 yuan for the treatment of each waste TV set. As a major manufacturer and consumer of electrical and electronic equipment, at the end of 2011, Chinese owned around 520 million TV sets, 300 million fridges, 330 million air conditioners, 320 million washing machines and 300 million computers. Tens of millions of the items are disposed of and require waster processing annually, according to the ministry. ^ top ^

Wen visits students in rural school (China Daily)
2012-05-31
Premier Wen Jiabao urged rural schools to guarantee food safety when he visited some "left-behind" children in the mountainous region of Central China's Hunan province. Wen made the remark while visiting a primary boarding school in Shuangxi township of Guzhang county, on Friday, to present his best wishes to the children for International Children's Day, which falls on June 1. [...] Local governments in Hunan are participating in a national program — the "nutritious meal" project — aimed at improving nutrition in rural primary and middle schools. Through the project, the central government provides the schools with a 3 yuan (47 cents) daily subsidy per student, and the money is used to buy nutritious food, including milk and eggs, for the children. The subsidies to improve the children's nutrition are also an investment for the future, because children's physical condition and academic development are closely related, Wen said. There are 355 students in the primary school visited by Wen, and 280 of them are "left-behind" children — children whose parents are away from home most of the year working in coastal cities — said Liang Huicong, the principal of the school. Most of the left-behind children at the school are being raised by their grandparents, and many of them are withdrawn, lonely and miss their parents, Liang said. Some of the students said that they could not help crying when talking with their parents on the phone. The teachers at the school are trying to help them become more sociable, and have had some success with many of the children, the principal said. Wen said that migrant workers have made great contributions to boosting economic growth, and the left-behind children will be well taken care of in their parents' absence. Given that some rural schools have been merged and many children have a long walk to school, Wen said that local authorities should establish new or reopen some old ones so that students won't waste so much time on getting to school and back. Local authorities should take students' safety into consideration when building new schools, Wen added. ^ top ^

Cost of a second child: Pair fined 1.3m yuan (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
A couple in eastern China's Zhejiang Province who violated China's family planning rules has been fined 1.3 million yuan (US$205,000), the biggest such penalty levied by authorities in the city of Ruian. The couple gave birth to a daughter in February after having a son in 1995, Modern Express reported yesterday. Couples may have a second child under a few conditions, such as both spouses being from one-child families, or the first child has a non-inherited disease. In some provinces, rural couples are allowed to have a second child if their first child is a girl. The couple did not qualify. They are wealthy operators of several companies across the nation, the paper said. Local regulations say the fine should be four to eight times the average annual income of local residents, and family planning authorities have flexibility in meting out penalties. Since many violators are rich families in Ruian, they are given the maximum fines, local authorities said. Ruian is in the jurisdiction of Wenzhou, which boasts many wealthy entrepreneurs. Nearly half of Wenzhou's families have two kids, and more than a dozen couples have been fined more than 1 million yuan. The previous record fine, 1.25 million yuan, was imposed in April. The Chinese government adopted the family-planning policy in 1979 to rein in the growth rate of the world's largest population. China's large population imposes pressure on the nation's sustainable development and has become a bottleneck for China's competitiveness. The gender imbalance, with many more boys born than girls, poses a big social problem. Changes in family structure, including smaller families and family members not living together, also challenge social management and public service. ^ top ^

Chinese bank vice president assists in investigation (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), the nation's third-largest lender by market value, has confirmed that its vice president, Yang Kun, "is assisting investigations by authorities." The brief statement, posted on the website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange late on Wednesday, did not elaborate on what entity is conducting the investigation or what is being investigated. It said the bank's businesses, operations and financial situation will not be affected by the goings-on. Previous media reports claimed Yang was taken away last week to assist an investigation by the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Yang, 53, holds a master's degree in economics and has been working with ABC for more than two decades. He has been the bank's vice president and executive director since January 2009, and his current tenure ends on Jan. 16, 2015. Yang is also chairman of an ABC-controlled fund management company and a financial leasing firm wholly owned by the bank. As the bank's first vice president, Yang received an annual salary of 916,500 yuan (144,558 U.S. dollars), before tax, in 2011, second only to ABC President Zhang Yun, according to the bank's annual report. ABC's share price fell 1.86 percent to 2.64 yuan on the Shanghai bourse on Thursday, but rose 0.64 percent on the Hong Kong bourse. ^ top ^

Public shows big appetite for food safety app (China Daily)
2012-06-01
A new application available for download is topping the medical category of the App Store soon after its release. The China Survival Manual contains information on thousands of food safety scandals and updated warnings under 12 categories including health and nutrition, dairy and beverages. It has been downloaded more than 200,000 times since its release on May 24, according to Shen Xi, a media relations staff at Kingsoft, developer of the application. "It is high time we compiled information pertaining to food security scandals and inform the public of the potential hazard," she said. "However, the most important thing is to provide solutions to the public when a new scandal is exposed." Chen Junshi, a food safety expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the skyrocketing popularity of the food safety application has to some extent reflected the seriousness of the issue in China at the moment. "People are getting more concerned over whether the food they eat every day is safe," he said. [...] The food safety issue has aroused increasing concern as continuous scandals have been exposed, including the use of food additive clenbuterol, which produces leaner meat but endangers human health, and gutter oil, illegal cooking oil made from kitchen waste and decomposed animal fat and organs from slaughterhouses. The State Food and Drug Administration said on May 23 that the country will run a campaign from the end of May through September to inspect health and nutrition products and their manufacturers. [...]. ^ top ^

 

Beijing

Beijing provides easier residence registration for foreigners (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
The Chinese capital city has adopted a set of measures to make it easier for foreigners to obtain resident permits, sources with the city's police said on Monday. According to Chinese law, foreigners living in China's urban areas must apply for residence registration at local police stations within 24 hours of moving into an apartment or house. However, since many people newly arrived from abroad live far from police stations, are unfamiliar with local transport or have problems in communication, it is common for them to face troubles in registering; some even end up living without a residence permit. Now, however, residence registration services for foreigners are available from a broader list of sites, such as in select communities with sufficient police facilities, according to the Public Security Bureau of Beijing. And aged, sick or disabled foreigners who have difficulty applying for registration in person can make an appointment by phone or text message for a door-to-door service. Other new police services include providing foreigners with handbooks introducing foreigner-related laws and regulations and general knowledge regarding safety, traveling, catering and transportation. Additionally, foreigners whose visa or residence registration is going to expire will be alerted by text message or visited by police personnel. Police offices based in communities have processed resident permits for 38,000 Beijing-based foreigners, about 12 percent of the total living in the city, which began a 100-day campaign on May 15 to curb the illegal entry, residence and employment of foreign nationals. The campaign includes household checks in Wangjing, Sanlitun and Wudaokou, areas of the city known for their high concentration of foreign residents, as well as on-the-spot street checks that require foreigners to present valid identification. ^ top ^

 

Guangdong

Man sentenced for mercy killing of mother in S China (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
Guangzhou - A Chinese migrant worker has been sentenced to three years in jail for killing his paralyzed mother at her request, according to a court ruling issued on Wednesday. Deng Mingjian, 41, was sentenced to three years in jail with a reprieve period of four years for intentional homicide, the Panyu District People's Court ruling said. Deng purchased two bottles of pesticide on May 16, 2011 at the request of his mother, Li Shulan, 73, who suffered from hemiplegia for 20 years, the ruling said. She died the same day just minutes after drinking the pesticide, the ruling said. Deng was described as a "filial son" and was said to have taken care of his mother for decades. Several of his neighbors and relatives asked the court to give him a lenient sentence for this reason. The court considered Deng's guilty plea and the appeals of the public in making its ruling. ^ top ^

 

Tibet

China objects to Austrian chancellor-Dalai meeting (China Daily)
2012-05-26
China on Saturday objected strongly to a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the meeting, regardless of China's repeated representations, was a severe interference with China's internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and sent false signals to the "Tibet independence" forces. The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Austria will both lodge solemn representations to the Austrian side, he said. The issue regarding Tibet is of exclusive concern to China's internal affairs. And the Dalai Lama is but only "a political exile who has long been engaged in anti-China secessionist activities in the name of religion," Hong said. China objects firmly to any foreign leader's meeting with the Dalai Lama in any form and opposes any country, or anyone, interfering in China's internal affairs by using the Dalai Lama, he said. Hong urged the Austrian side to take seriously China's solemn stance, stop indulging and supporting anti-China "Tibet independence" forces and take immediate and effective measures to minimize the baneful impact, so as to safeguard the overall development of bilateral ties. Top of the document. ^ top ^

Lhasa development impresses Greek delegation (China Daily)
2012-05-30
The Tibetan people have the right to choose how they want to live and to pick their own development methods, a senior executive at the Hellenic-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday during a visit to the Tibet autonomous region. "I have seen and come to know the good and honest Tibetan people through visits and exchanges with them in Tibet," said Athanassios Frontistis, a member of the Hellenic-Chinese chamber's board of directors and vice-president of the organization. Frontistis and others with the chamber arrived in Tibet on May 25 for a four-day visit. They went to Lhasa, the capital, and the Lhokha prefecture. "On a visit to Tibet University, I found the university is devoting itself to carrying forward and developing Tibetan history and protecting traditional Tibetan culture and arts," Frontistis told China Daily. "And when I visited the grand Potala Palace and Barkor Street, which has a history of more than 1,300 years, I saw that traditional Tibetan historical relic buildings have been well protected," Frontistis said. "The street is huge. The crowds of people and the shops doing brisk business present a scene of harmony," Frontistis said. [...] "We can say that today's Lhasa is the city of the people of Lhasa," Frontistis added. In addition to visiting scenic spots, relic sites and local businesses, the group met Dong Yunhu, head of the region's publicity department to exchange views on Tibet's economic, cultural and political development. Dong said Tibet is expected to learn from experience and expand cooperation with Greece in the tourism industry. [...] Established in 1995, the Hellenic-Chinese Chamber is a non-governmental organization in Europe. The groups arrived in Beijing on May 23 at the invitation of the Information Office of the State Council to start a weeklong visit to China. In the Chinese capital, they met Wang Chen, minister of the Information Office of the State Council, Wang Jinzhen, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Ma She, deputy director of European affairs department of the Ministry of Commerce. [...]. ^ top ^

 

Xinjiang

Xinjiang to become new engine for China's auto industry (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
China's far west Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is expected to become another engine for the country's automobile industry as Shanghai Volkswagen, German carmaker Volkswagen AG's joint venture in China, laid the foundation for its new factory here on Monday. The plant, located in the regional capital Urumqi, is expected to become operational in 2014 with an annual production of 50,000 units. The factory's first phase of construction will cost 2 billion yuan (316 million U.S. dollars), said Hu Maoyuan, chairman of SAIC Motor Corp and Shanghai Volkswagen at the ceremony. As the first sedan manufacturing program in Xinjiang, the factory provides opportunities for Shanghai Volkswagen to explore the booming western China and central Asia markets, Hu said. [...] Since 2010, China has been pushing for greater opening-up of the resource-rich and strategically-located Xinjiang, aiming to transform it into a regional economic hub from a relatively underdeveloped desert region. Auto and equipment manufacturing has become a major industry in Xinjiang. [...] Chinese manufacturing giants, including SANY, Shaanxi Automobile Group, Dongfeng Motor and XCMG, have already set up their plants in Xinjiang. China-made automobiles exported to central Asian nations from Xinjiang more than doubled last year to 16,000 units, according to local customs data. The revenue of these auto exports also grew by 120 percent to 680 million U.S. dollars, according to figures released by the Xinjiang customs office. [...]. ^ top ^

Senior leader says to promote Xinjiang's leapfrog development (Xinjiang)
2012-05-31
Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday called for more support to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to achieve leapfrog development and long-term stability in this westernmost region of China. Li made the remarks at the 3rd National Work Conference on "pairing assistance" projects to support Xinjiang's development. President Hu Jintao met the delegates to the annual conference and thanked them for their efforts made in accelerating Xinjiang's development. Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, were present at the meeting. Zhou Yongkang, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also met with the delegates and attended the conference. [...] Vast land, abundant resources and huge development potential make Xinjiang a major area to implement China's strategy to expand domestic demand and the strategy to develop the country's western regions, Li said, adding Xinjiang is also a key area to accommodate transfer of domestic industries. Xinjiang is one of the bridgeheads for China's opening to central Asia and Europe, said Li, calling for speeding up the opening of China's western border areas while enhancing the openness of its eastern coastal regions. Li noted that assisting the development of Xinjiang is a long-lasting, arduous and imperative task. More efforts and higher effectiveness are needed to advance the programs concerning the well-being of local people, such as housing, employment, medical care and social insurance, while the infrastructure construction and environmental protection should be further improved, said Li. More support regarding technology, education, talented people and excellent cadres should be provided to Xinjiang, and the exchanges between Xinjiang and inland areas should be enhanced, Li added. [...]. ^ top ^

 

Hongkong

HK stays top competitive economy (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Hong Kong has been ranked the world's most competitive economy for the second consecutive year, according to the International Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Yearbook 2012 released Thursday. Hong Kong's Financial Secretary John Tsang welcomed the institute's decision, saying "Hong Kong is highly competitive vis-a-vis most other economies in the world, especially in terms of government efficiency, business efficiency and macroeconomic performance. In particular, openness to trade, rule of law, a business-friendly environment, sound fiscal policy, mature institutional framework, well-functioning financial market, and global city image are key factors underpinning Hong Kong's success. " The yearbook said Hong Kong maintained its top position, followed by the United States, Switzerland, Singapore and Sweden. Among the four competitiveness factors assessed, Hong Kong continues to take the lead in government and business efficiency, and remains fourth in economic performance. Top of the document. ^ top ^

 

Taiwan

Mainland urges DPP to change independence stance (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
The Chinese mainland Wednesday called on Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to cease its pursuit of "Taiwanese independence" and join the mainland in striving for peaceful development. "We hope that the DPP can respond to the needs of Taiwan people who desire peace, stability and development," Yang Yi, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference. On Sunday, the DPP elected its new chairman Su Tseng-chang. He will take office Wednesday afternoon. The biggest barrier between the DPP and mainland is the DPP's support for "Taiwanese independence," Yang said while commenting on recent remarks by Su in which the leader said he would like to visit the mainland as DPP chairman if no conditions are imposed. "Our door is always open. The key lies with the DPP and when they choose to remove the barriers they have erected for themselves," the spokesman said. The mainland would like to see the DPP change its stance and become a constructive force for the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, Yang said. ^ top ^

 

Economy

WTO's Lamy: China has opportunities for service industry upgrading (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
Beijing– Director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Pascal Lamy said Monday in Beijing that China has huge opportunities to upgrade its service industry. Lamy made the remarks at the forum "WTO and China: Beijing International Forum", part of the China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (Beijing Fair) that opened Monday. China is a country with boundless ability for growth and innovation, and it boasts great opportunities for its service industry upgrading, said Lamy. The boundary between the manufacture and service industries is become increasingly vague, as manufacturers, especially in developed countries, combine more services with their products, according to Lamy. Nearly 60 percent of American enterprises had combined manufacture and services, and the trend is starting to appear in China, the WTO chief said. Five year ago, less than 1 percent of China'a manufacturers claimed to provide services, but 20 percent of them now claim to do so, he noted. China is now at the critical phase amid economic globalization, a great opportunity to develop its own service industry and transfer services and products from high quantity to high value, he said. Lamy also pointed out that China faces severe challenges in uneven development at the same time. Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government, the five-day Beijing Fair, akin to China's major commodities fair, the Canton Fair, has attracted more than 22,000 service providers from 82 countries and regions to foster trade in the sector. ^ top ^

Premier Wen urges further opening up in service sector (Xinhua)
2012-05-28
Beijing – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday called for increased opening up in the country's service sector and encouraged local service providers to go global to boost the industry's share in foreign trade. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first Beijing International Fair for Trade in Service, Wen said China will promote service outsourcing in areas of software, information and construction, while actively expanding imports to bring advanced technology and management experience from overseas. Over the coming five years, the value of China's services imports will top 1.25 trillion U.S. dollars, Wen said. China's service sector attracted 55.2 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment in 2011, overtaking the manufacturing industry for the first time. "Fostering growth in the service sector is the main direction for China's economic transformation and restructuring, as well as an internal call to improve people's living standards," Wen said. Although huge demand fueled double-digit growth in the service industry in past years, a low share in the economic output and a persistent deficit in the sector posed challenges for the industry. [...] To boost the share of the service industry in the economy, China stated in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) that it aims to bring the sector's proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) to 47 percent by 2015 and make it a strategic focus for the country's industrial restructuring and upgrading. Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government, the Beijing Fair, akin to China's major commodities fair, the Canton Fair, attracted more than 22,000 service providers from 82 countries and regions to foster trade in the sector for the coming five days. The Beijing Fair will become an annual event offering a platform for global service buyers and sellers. ^ top ^

Chinese president urges quality, cost-effectiveness in industry (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Chinese President Hu Jintao has said China should develop a modern industrial system that is structurally optimized, clean and safe, and that features advanced technologies. Speaking at a Monday meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Hu said the nation needs to raise both its quality and cost-effectiveness in these areas in order to become an industrial powerhouse. According to Hu, the country has become a major industrialized nation following the reform and opening-up policy initiated more than 30 years ago; however, mounting pressure on resources and the environment, a lack of core technology, as well as imbalanced regional development could impede healthy industrial growth and bring risks to the economy. He said that solving these problems would be an "important assurance" in further enhancing the country's economic power and lifting its global competence. The president called for intensive efforts to make progress in industrial upgrades, promoting emerging industries of strategic importance and expanding the service sector. Work should also be undertaken to push forward innovation and implement strategies that seek to revitalize the country through science and education, he urged. Hu also said that information technology should be further applied, and that the country needs to consolidate industries so as to prevent "blind expansion" and unnecessary construction. ^ top ^

Li Keqiang meets World Economic Forum chairman (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang met here on Tuesday with Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum, and pledged to conduct more cooperation with the organization. Li spoke highly of the "unique role" played by the forum in promoting global economic and technological exchanges, and in dealing with the international financial crisis. Facing the complex global economic situation and its increasing uncertainties, it is essential for the international community to strengthen cooperation, he said. The vice premier called upon the forum to continue providing a platform for all sides to jointly cope with global challenges and promote sustainable development. Li said that while continuing to conduct trade, economic and technological exchanges with the outside world, China will pay more attention to deepening cooperation in the fields of brainpower and knowledge, sharing experience on development with other countries to boost win-win development. Schwab hailed China's important global economic role, promising he will continue to serve China's development with the forum's resources. ^ top ^

2 trillion yuan may be invested in stimulus (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
China may pump in as much as 2 trillion yuan (US$315 billion) in investment to boost the economy - half as much as in 2008 - with the country facing increasing challenges, a Credit Suisse report said. It is so far the most specific prediction on how China will act against an economic slowdown, and whether it will have the same side effects as the 2008 stimulus. The stimulus plan, if carried out at the predicted size, will lift China's economic growth in the second half of this year from a possible dip below 7 percent this quarter, Tao Dong, an analyst with Credit Suisse, said yesterday. The stimulus "can hold the slide in growth and investment demand, but probably not enough to stage a 2009-style rebound," Tao said. He added that unlike the 2008 stimulus, in which local governments borrowed heavily from banks, this stimulus will have greater funding from the central government. [...] To reflect the needs for reforming economic structure and controlling property speculation, the package this year may also increase subsidies for environmental-protection projects and funding for public housing, Tao said. China's State Council, or Cabinet, said last week the central government would act to speed up economic growth as the country is facing increasing difficulties. The statement omitted detailed plans, especially the amount of funding attached. But it outlined directions similar to the 2008 stimulus, including faster approval of infrastructure projects, more subsidies for consumer goods sales, and encouragement to seek alternative financing. [...]. ^ top ^

Chinese wages see double-digit growth (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
The average annual salaries of urban Chinese workers at non-private companies hit 42,452 yuan (6,717 U.S. dollars) in 2011, up 14.3 percent year on year, statistical authorities announced Tuesday. After taking inflation into account, wages actually grew by about 8.5 percent, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Meanwhile, the annual salaries of workers at privately-owned businesses in urban regions grew 12.3 percent (after deducting factor of inflation) to 24,556 yuan in 2011, NBS data showed. The data was based on a survey of 1.48 million non-privately owned organizations and 620,000 private companies, the NBS said. Wages for workers in the nation's more developed eastern regions and major cities were the highest, while the central provinces of Anhui, Henan and Hubei ranked lowest, according to the NBS. The finance, telecommunication, computer service and software development sectors offered the highest salaries, the NBS said. Feng Nailin, director of the population and employment statistics department under the NBS, said last year's stable and rapid economic growth helped buoy wages. [...] The salary increase came after more than two-thirds of provincial governments hiked their minimum wages by an average of 22 percent last year, Feng said. Feng said the wage growth is in line with a trend of growing labor costs in recent years. ^ top ^

China to top online retail in 2013: official (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
China will become the world's largest online retail market in 2013, following years of fast growth, a Ministry of Commerce (MOC) official forecast on Tuesday. China recorded 194 million online shoppers and 782.56 billion yuan (123.72 bln U.S. dollars) in online retail trade by the end of last year, said Li Jinqi, director of the information technology department of the MOC, during a conference on E-commerce held in Beijing. The volume marked a 53.7 percent rise year on year and constituted 4.32 percent of China's total consumer goods retail volume in 2011, according to Li. "E-commerce has brought a change in the marketing mode, and online retail is becoming a new growth engine," Li noted. According to a MOC report also released on Tuesday, China's E-business trade was worth 5.88 trillion yuan in 2011, up 29.2 percent from 2010 and constituting about 12.5 percent of China's gross domestic product last year. The report said over 40 percent of China's small and medium-sized enterprises have used E-commerce to maintain rapid growth amid a worsening external environment. ^ top ^

Pirating fine doubles in copyright law draft (China Daily)
2012-05-30
China will increase the fine for piracy to 1 million yuan ($158,000), Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of General Administration of Press and Publication, said on a seminar on intellectual property law and adjudication between the US and China on Tuesday, Beijing News reported. The National Copyright Administration drafted a revised version of the copyright law in March and solicited opinions. In the draft, the penalty for piracy has been raised to up to 1 million yuan from the current up to 500,000 yuan, the report said. According to Yan, the copyright administration has received more than 1,560 responses to its solicitation of opinions, including the US Patent and Trademark Office, US Copyright Office, Motion Picture Association of America and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the report said. ^ top ^

China-Japan direct currency trading to boost economies, trade (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
The imminent launch of direct trading between the Chinese currency yuan and the Japanese yen is expected to considerably facilitate bilateral trade and investment and give fresh impetus to the world's second and third biggest economies. The Central Bank of China on Tuesday announced the direct trading will kick off on Friday, both in Shanghai and Tokyo. For years, the greenback has been the only major direct trading currency of the yuan, also known as the renminbi, and China's main foreign exchange reserves currency, continuously keeping yuan's dependence on the U.S. dollar. The yen, after the dollar, will become the second major direct trading currency of the yuan. China is Japan's largest trading partner, and bilateral trade reached as high as 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2010. About 60 percent of Japan-China trade is estimated to be conducted in dollar. The direct trading will boost bilateral investment, as well as imports and exports due to more convenience in business and considerable reduction of risks caused by fluctuation of the dollar's exchange rates on the world market. The trading also can encourage Japanese investors' purchase of Chinese financial products and better protect the interests of Chinese enterprises in the global supply chains. It also serves as an energetic spur to the influence of the two currencies on the global market. Moreover, the trading will save the two countries some 3 billion dollars of transaction fees annually, which are paid to the U.S. central bank in the dollar-involved China-Japan trade. [...]. ^ top ^

UBS to launch locally incorporated bank in China (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
UBS AG said Wednesday that it has received approval from China's banking regulator to convert its Beijing branch into a locally incorporated, wholly foreign-owned bank. The new bank will be called UBS (China) Limited and is expected to go into operation by the third quarter of this year, UBS said. Possessing a locally incorporated bank is a precondition for UBS to start its yuan-related business and aid in its commodity, currency and fixed-income businesses, the company said. The establishment of the locally incorporated bank will also enable UBS to increase its onshore capital and allow the bank to start offering additional products and services, such as short- and medium-term notes for corporate clients and structured deposits for wealth management clients, the company said. ^ top ^

China exports bullet train technology to Georgia (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
A Chinese electric locomotive manufacturer has delivered the electric traction system, the network control system and traction motor of electric bullet trains to Georgia, it was announced on Wednesday. The delivery signaled that China has become an exporter of such core technology for the first time, according to a statement issued by the Zhuzhou Institute of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Ltd.. [...] The locomotives will be used in bullet trains travelling at a speed of 120 km per hour between Georgian cities in the mountainous Caucasus region, according to the statement. The project contract was signed in August 2011, and the products for the EMU including the auxiliary traction inverter, the network control system, the braking resistance and traction motor have all been delivered. ^ top ^

China to boost strategic emerging industries amid economic slowdown (Xinhua)
2012-05-31
The State Council, or China's cabinet, on Wednesday adopted a plan to boost the development of seven strategic emerging industries amid the country's economic slowdown. "It is an important and strategic task to develop strategic emerging industries, particularly when the economy is facing increasing downward pressure," said a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao. The statement said the development of strategic emerging industries is of great significance in terms of maintaining long-term and steady economic growth. The meeting resulted in the creation of plans to launch 20 major projects related to the seven strategic emerging industries. According to the statement, the strategic industries include energy-saving and environmental protection, information technology, biology, advanced equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials and new-energy vehicles. The healthy development of these industries, the statement said, will mainly rely on a market that can play a fundamental role in allocating resources, an optimized policy environment and market participants. The State Council urged indigenous innovation and enhanced international exchanges and cooperation while promoting the development of strategic emerging industries. [...]. ^ top ^

China's May PMI drops to 50.4% (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
China's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a readout of the country's manufacturing activity, fell to 50.4 percent in May 2012, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said Friday. ^ top ^

Rare earth invoice to curb illegal mining (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
China is to introduce a specialized value-added tax invoice system for rare earth producers on Friday in an effort to curb rampant illegal mining and production of the metals. The introduction is an important regulatory step, as it will curb illegal mining and excessive production, said Li Shanle, an official with the bureau of industry and information technology in Jiangxi province, one of the country's major rare earth production bases. However, some industry insiders have questioned the impact of such a move. The invoice will only be effective to regulate legal enterprises, but might not control illegal miners and producers as they do not need invoices, warned Zhang Xiaoping, general manager of the South Rare-earths Company in Dingnan county of Jiangxi province. China is the world's largest producer of rare earths, a group of 17 metals vital for the manufacture products ranging from smart phones, wind turbines, electric car batteries to missiles. The country now supplies more than 90 percent of rare earth products on the global market. Lured by high profits, illegal mining and smuggling cases continue in the country despite the government's counter efforts. ^ top ^

 

DPRK and South Korea

China issues 20,000 work visas to DPRK (China Daily)
2012-05-28
Beijing – China is issuing 20,000 working visas to people from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to attract working labor to the northeast of the country, the website of Seoul's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday. "To ease a manpower shortage in the three provinces in Northeast China, the (Chinese) authorities have decided to introduce 20,000 people from North Korea in the form of industrial trainees," a diplomatic source based in Seoul told the newspaper. According to the report, a company in Tumen, in the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Jilin province, has employed 29 women from the DPRK this month, for the first time. A further 160 DPRK women have been dispatched to the region. Media in Northeast China also carried advertisements for DPRK labor, it said. The newspaper said DPRK citizens can work in sectors including manufacturing and services after getting working visas, It said the monthly salary was above $150. The average monthly pay of DPRK workers at the Kaesong Industrial Park, a collaborative economic development by the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, is $110. China is issuing the visas to help the DPRK, while Pyongyang is actively pushing forward the move to help the country accumulate foreign exchange, said the report. The Chinese government has yet to confirm the report. ^ top ^

U.S. not qualified to talk about human rights issue: DPRK official (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Pyongyang - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Tuesday that the United States is not qualified to talk about the human rights issue of independent countries, the official news agency KCNA reported. A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the 2011 human rights report released last Thursday by the U.S. was a "political tool" to realize America's strategy for world domination by slandering other countries' human rights issues. The DPRK was always mentioned in the report as the U.S. antagonized the country and tried to "isolate and stifle" it by criticizing the DPRK's human rights issues, the statement said. Washington has no moral qualifications to raise the human rights issue to the DPRK as long as the U.S. sticks to its "anachronistic hostile policy" towards the DPRK, the statement said. The U.S. on May 24 released its controversial annual human rights report, entitled Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011. The report claimed that "overall human rights conditions remained extremely poor" in countries, including Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Belarus and China. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman last Friday described the U.S. government report on China's human rights practices as "biased." The spokesman urged the United States to stop interfering in the internal affairs of other nations. ^ top ^

Indonesia to give 2 mln USD in food aid to DPRK (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Jakarta - An Indonesian minister said that government plans to give 2 million U.S. dollars of aid to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) government to help it with its ongoing food crisis, local media reported on Thursday. Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said that government' s plan had been drafted since long ago, but held back due to technical difficulties related to the funds' distribution. "We want to make sure that this humanitarian aid goes to the right people in North Korea," Marty said as quoted by the tempo.co. The government was currently working with the World Food Program and UNICEF to figure out the methods and forms of aid delivery to the Communist country, the minister said on Wednesday. North Korea has been suffering from a food crisis since 1990, with the United Nations reporting that at least 3 million North Koreans were in need of food. In addition, malnutrition among children in that country has reportedly been consistently rising. On May 15, North Korea's chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yong-nam, met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss trade and investment during a bilateral meeting between the two countries. ^ top ^

Classic DPRK opera starts China tour (Xinhua)
2012-06-01
Opera performers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Thursday staged classic opera "The Flower Girl" in northeastern China, marking the start of their two-month tour of the country. The opera was staged by the Phibada Opera Troupe in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province. It tells a heart-wrenching story of a poor girl who picks flowers from a mountain every day and sells them at a market to care for her ill mother. The opera has been staged in China many times, and a film adaptation created a stir among Chinese in the 1970s. After the two-day run in Changchun, the troupe will perform in other Chinese cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chongqing. h In 2010, they brought an operatic adaptation of Chinese literary masterpiece "A Dream of Red Mansions" to China, and last year staged an adaptation of the Chinese legendary "Butterfly Lovers" in the country. ^ top ^

 

Mongolia

Parties and coalitions reveal their candidates (Montsame)
2012-05-28
Political parties and coalitions have revealed their candidates who will run in the parliamentary election in June 28. In accordance with the election law, 28 parliamentary seats will be taken through the majority system, whereas 48 seats--through the proportional system. In other words, 28 MPs will be elected from the parties or coalitions, and 48--from the constituencies. By the proportional system rule, the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) is announcing their 28 candidates such as S.Batbold /Prime Minister/, U.Khurelsukh /MPP secretary-general/, D.Demberel /Parliament Speaker/, O.Enkhtuvshin MP, D.Lundeejantsan MP, Ts.Nyamdorj /Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs/, N.Enkhbold MP /Vice Speaker of parliament/, Ya.Sodbaatar, J.Enkhbayar MP /and Minister of Defense/, D.Sarangerel and others. The Democratic Party (DP) is naming 28 candidates such as N.Altankhuyag MP /chairman of the DP/, Z.Enkhbold MP, Kh.Temuujin MP, Ch.Saikhanbileg MP, D.Erdenebat, Sh.Tuvdendorj, R.Burmaa, Ts.Bayarsaikhan MP, R.Gonchigdorj MP, M.Batchimeg and others. The "Justice" joint coalition--the MPRP and National Democratic Party--has revealed only eight candidates--N.Enkhbayar /former President of Mongolia, chairman of MPRP/, Ch.Ulaan MP, S.Narangerel, Ts.Oyunbaatar, O.Baasankhuu, Ch.Khurts, S.Avirmed and E.Batshugar (N.Enkhbayar's oldest son). The Civil Will-Green Party has 28 candidates--S.Oyun MP /chairwoman of the party/, S.Demberel /head of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry/, S.Gan-Ochir, M.Khurelsukh and others. By the majority system, the MPP and DP are to run in each of 26 constituencies spread among aimags and districts of Ulaanbaatar city; the Civil Will-Green Party--in 25 constituencies, except for Dundgobi aimag's constituency; and "Justice" joint coalition--in 21 constituencies. As we informed before, the candidates at constituencies are to have their documents registered in the constituencies' committees, whereas other candidates will bring the documents to the General Election Commission (GEC) by May 30. By June 6, the GEC is to decide whether to register the candidates, and only then, by June 7, all candidates will be revealed. ^ top ^

GEC releases emergency plan (Montsame)
2012-05-28
At its meeting on Monday, the General Election Commission (GEC) approved draft rules on measures to be taken in emergency situations. The rules' are for ensuring reliable actions in the election in case of electricity cut, break down of facilities and software, and for ensuring the non-stop activities of distributing information. Apart of the matter, the GEC members got familiarized with a course of works being done in frames of realizing the election law, and then discussed an issue of amending the composition of constitutional committees. ^ top ^

General Election Commission reports (Montsame)
2012-05-29
The General Election Commission (GEC) is registering independent candidates. As of today, the GEC has documents from candidates of the Democratic Party, the Mongolian People's Party, the Mongolian Social Democratic Party, the Conservative United Party, the Civil Will-Green Party, the Mongolian Green Party, the "Third Force" joint coalition of the Republican Party and the All-Mongolian Labor Party, and the "Justice" coalition of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party and National Democratic Party. In accordance with the law, the GEC will make decisions whether to register or not candidates withing one week after having collected all the documents and inspected them. ^ top ^

Mongolia enters as an observer (News.mn)
2012-05-29
Mongolia is entered as an observer to the Euro-Asian group to combat against money laundering and terrorist financing, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mongolia joined to the International convention against money laundering and terrorist financing and the Mongolian parliament approved a Law Against money laundering and terrorist financing in 2006. The Euro-Asian group to combat against money laundering and terrorist financing is established in 2003. ^ top ^

Mongolia seeks economic growth through legal reform (Xinhua)
2012-05-30
Ulan Bator- President Tsakhia Elbegdorj discussed corruption and other issues Tuesday during a forum called to generate ideas for creating a legal environment that will promote economic growth in Mongolia. In addition to corruption, Elbegdorj also touched on such issues as women's participation in politics and adoption of the Fiscal Stability Law, which will play a key role in ensuring Mongolia's future economic stability. The two-day forum aimed to reach a consensus among legal practitioners, policy makers and the business community in order to provide recommendations for creating a legal environment that will promote economic growth. The forum, hosted by Elbegdorj's office, also was to consider issues related to foreign investment regulations, domestic and external economic policies, and banking and financial services regulations. ^ top ^

South Gobi resources opens new border gates (News.mn)
2012-05-30
SouthGobi Resources Ltd. Opened an eight new border gates exclusively for coal transportation at the Shivee Khuren-Ceke border crossing on May 28, 2012, informed Marketwire. The gates will significantly increase the capacity for exportation coal from Mongolia to China. Prior to the commencement of the new border crossing infrastructure, all coal transported out of Mongolia at Shivee Khuren-Ceke went through a single crossing gate approximately eight meter wide. Generally, empty trucks would be admitted into Mongolia in the mornings and then loaded trucks could export to China in the afternoon. The new hates create a significant increase in capacity as a number of gates will be available for simultaneous export traffic and two gates will be reserved for inbound arrival of empty trucks such that a constant two-way flow of traffic can be facilitated. At this time, the eight gates will be operated from 8 am to 8 pm six days per week. “Our daily transportation record for the old border infrastructure was actually achieved last week at 409 trucks- which crossed from Mongolia to China (ie, approximately 37,000 tonnes of coal), told Alexander Mlyneux, President and CEO to the Marketwire. “We believe the new infrastructure will eliminate the ‘bottleneck' at the border for quite some time. The expanded border crossing should also reduce transportation cost because of more efficient truck utilization for the transport companies” he added. ^ top ^

 

Gregor Muischneek
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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