Archive for July, 2012

11/07/2012

* Socialist market economy turning point for China

Xinhua: “Good education, housing, medical care and insurance are within the reach of more Chinese since the adoption of a market economy, according to a Tuesday commentary in the People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The formation and improvement of China’s socialist market economy has reshaped the lives of 1.3 billion people and exerted an influence on the future of the whole world, wrote Ren Zhongping.

In the past 20 years, the most populous nation has become the world’s second-largest economy and has stood among middle-income countries in terms of its per capita gross domestic product, Ren said.

China turned itself from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market and became the world’s biggest exporter and a member of the World Trade Organization, Ren said.

At the beginning, China’s transformation faced many obstacles, including domestic prejudice and doubts of foreign countries, Ren said.

However, the “China miracle” surprised everyone, Ren wrote.

“It is said that everything happened in the past 20 years could not be planned in any plan,” Ren said.

Focusing on developing productivity, adhering to the common development of public-owned and private economies and integrating market allocation with the government regulation helped make China successful, Ren said.

However, the problems that have emerged after development are no smaller than those that existed before China’s prosperity, Ren said.

It’s imperative to enhance the quality of economic development, eliminate factors that hamper economic growth mode and smash the administrative monopoly so as to further free development of the private economy, Ren said.

The author called for a sound insurance system that can relieve social anxiety and narrow the income gap, as well as stark government reforms.

Unswerving reform is the only way to realize the goal of “establishing a sound social market economic system by 2020,” Ren said.

Changing China’s economic growth mode, promoting transformation of government functions and boosting equality in public services will allow China to shoulder a sea of challenges both now and in the future, Ren wrote.”

via Socialist market economy turning point for China: People’s Daily – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

A fair summary of the past 20 years and a good prognostication of the next twenty.

Related articles

11/07/2012

* Ordination of Bishops Increases Tensions Between China and Vatican

NY Times: “In a sign of rising tensions between the Vatican and China, authorities in recent days have ordained one Catholic bishop without Rome’s consent and detained another after he made a dramatic break with the country’s Communist-run religious hierarchy.

On Friday, government officials organized the consecration of the Rev. Joseph Yue Fusheng as bishop in the northern city of Harbin. Bishop Yue’s nomination had not been approved by the Vatican, and reports said bishops loyal to the Vatican were forced to participate — a common practice meant to give Beijing-appointed bishops legitimacy in the eyes of local believers. The Vatican immediately excommunicated him.

Then, on Saturday in Shanghai, the most important city for China’s Catholics, the Rev. Thaddeus Ma Daqin, a man widely seen as acceptable to both Beijing and Rome, was consecrated as auxiliary bishop, which would put him in line to succeed Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian, 95, who had been approved by both Beijing and Rome.

But Bishop Ma stunned hundreds of worshipers in the city’s Cathedral of St. Ignatius by announcing that he would no longer work for the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the government-run body that oversees Catholics in China.

“In the light of the teaching of our mother church, as I now serve as a bishop, I should focus on pastoral work and evangelization,” Bishop Ma told the crowded church. “Therefore, from this day of consecration, it will no longer be convenient for me to be a member of the patriotic association.”

The announcement, captured on video and posted on foreign and Chinese Web sites, was met with sustained applause from the congregation.

Bishop Ma’s fate is unclear. Catholic Church members in Shanghai said he did not lead Mass on Sunday as scheduled. They say he was taken away after the service and is being held at the Sheshan Catholic seminary, on the outskirts of Shanghai.”

via Ordination of Bishops Increases Tensions Between China and Vatican – NYTimes.com.

In terms of reform and liberalisation and so forth, China often takes two steps forward and one step back. This series of confrontations with the Vatican can be seen by many to be one of its backward steps.

See also: Chinese Christians

10/07/2012

It is only natural that the world’s number two in GDP should sooner rather than later take number two spot in Fortune 500.

See also: G2

10/07/2012

* 5m greener vehicles on the Chinese streets by 2020

China Daily: “China has set a target of producing and selling 500,000 energy-efficient and alternative-energy vehicles a year by 2015, and five million vehicles by 2020.

The blueprint, announced by the State Council on Monday, has outlined generous subsidies to consumers and producers of the new generation of greener vehicles, as it aims to ease the country’s heavy dependence on imported oil, cut emissions, and speed up the restructuring of its automobile sector into a more environmentally sustainable model.

According to the details, there will be heavy government investment in the core technology needed to build a strong and globally competitive new-energy vehicle industry.

The short-term emphasis will be on developing pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as well as wider usage of hybrid vehicles and energy-saving combustion engine automobiles.

The world’s largest auto market has set an accumulated production and sales target of 500,000 units of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2015, and that will be increased tenfold to more than 5 million units by 2020.”

via 5m greener vehicles on the streets by 2020 |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn.

Continuing on the path to a ‘greener’ China – https://chindia-alert.org/economic-factors/greening-of-china/

10/07/2012

* New rule to rein in Chinese govt spending

China Daily: “Officials face removal from their posts if they are found overspending on vehicles, receptions and overseas trips, according to new regulation released on Monday.

The regulation issued by the State Council are the first legal documents that ask authorities above county level to include spending on the three items in budgets. The rules will take effect from Oct 1.

The regulation is the latest in a series of moves the central government has taken in recent years to promote transparency and fight abuse of taxpayers’ money amid public complaints.”

via New rule to rein in govt spending |Politics |chinadaily.com.cn.

More and more steps are being taken to rein in excesses of party cadres and officials. Is this because of the 10-year leadership change or a desire to be more retrained with the public becoming more aware and assertive?

See also:

10/07/2012

* A Recent History of India Through Western Magazine Covers

A Recent History of India Through Western Magazine Covers – NYTimes.com.

10/07/2012

* Chinese Firm Pursues Hawker

WSJ: “A Chinese bidder is in advanced talks to buy the bulk of aerospace company Hawker Beechcraft Inc.’s businesses for $1.79 billion, an approach that could raise political concerns given U.S. sensitivities about previous Chinese attempts to buy American assets.

Superior Aviation Beijing Co. will have an exclusive right for 45 days to negotiate to buy Hawker’s corporate jet and propeller plane operations, the U.S. company said. If a deal is reached, Superior would serve as the opening bidder in a bankruptcy auction in which other suitors could try to top its offer.

Hawker Beechcraft filed for bankruptcy protection in May. Above, an employee shown last year working on a jet at its Wichita, Kan., plant.

Superior, which has ownership ties to Beijing’s municipal government, won’t be bidding on Hawker’s defense unit because of potential U.S. national-security concerns about foreign purchases of such assets.

Hawker’s defense business houses military technology and sells military training and light attack aircraft to U.S. and foreign governments. The business, called Hawker Beechcraft Defense Co., will continue to operate and could later be sold separately. If sold, Hawker said, the company would refund as much as $400 million of Superior’s $1.79 billion purchase price.

A winning bid by Superior would further the ambitions of China’s aerospace industry to move deeper into jet production, as well as give Superior itself a bigger role in the industry. Makers of small aircraft have been looking to China recently as a key source of demand as the market for business jets shrinks.”

via Chinese Firm Pursues Hawker – WSJ.com.

This is in line with our analysis of Chinese acquisitions: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

09/07/2012

* China – Police Crack Down on Child Trafficking Rings

'It is good to have only one child'

‘It is good to have only one child’ (Photo credit: kattebelletje)

NY Times: “The police have arrested 802 people on suspicion of child trafficking and have rescued 181 children in a major operation spanning 15 provinces, the Ministry of Public Security said Friday. The recent operation broke up two trafficking rings and led to the arrests of the ringleaders, the ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site. China’s strict one-child policy has driven a thriving market in babies, especially boys because of a traditional preference for male heirs.”

via China – Police Crack Down on Child Trafficking Rings – NYTimes.com.

One of the unintended but direct consequences of the Chinese one-child policy.

See also: 

06/07/2012

* For the Indian Father of the ‘God Particle,’ a Long Journey from Dhaka

NY Times: “For the Indian Father of the ‘God Particle,’ a Long Journey from Dhaka

English: Satyendra Nath Bose in Paris 1925

English: Satyendra Nath Bose in Paris 1925 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the word “boson,” (as in Higgs-Boson) as media reports have plentifully pointed out during the past two days, is contained the surname of Satyendra Nath Bose, the Calcutta physicist who first mathematically described the class of particles to which he gave his name. As was common with Indian scientists in the early 20th century, however, his work might easily have eluded international recognition. Like the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujam, Mr. Bose was saved from obscurity by a generous and influential mentor in Europe. In Mr. Bose’s case, that mentor turned out to be one of the greatest physicists of them all: Albert Einstein.”

via For the Indian Father of the ‘God Particle,’ a Long Journey from Dhaka – NYTimes.com.

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