Archive for December, 2012

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09/12/2012

* India’s UP saw over 100 communal clashes in 2012

Despite the notion of unity in diversity, India continues to suffer from communal / ethnic clashes over 60 years after independence.

The Hindu: “Uttar Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of witnessing over 100 communal clashes this year that left 34 people dead.

File photo of the family of 55-year-old Mohammed Umar, who was beaten to death in Mukeempur Pahadpur village near Faizabad on October 25, 2012 as violence erupted during Durga Puja celebrations.

The towns where incidents of such violence took place are Kosi Kalan in Mathura, Faizabad, Pratapgarh, Sitapur, Ghaziabad and Bareilly.

More than 450 people were also injured in these clashes which took place from January till October 31, Home Ministry officials said.

There were 84 incidents of communal clashes in the state in 2011 in which 12 people lost their lives.

The country witnessed 560 incidents of violence this year till October end, which claimed 89 lives, while in 2011, 580 clashes took place that left 91 people dead.

Uttar Pradesh was followed by Maharashtra where 83 incidents were reported so far this year in which 13 people were killed and 88 incidents in 2011 which claimed 15 lives.

Madhya Pradesh saw 78 incidents of communal violence so far this year in which 11 people were killed and in 2011, 81 incidents of communal clashes were reported that left 15 dead.

In Karnataka, there were 54 incidents of communal clashes in 2012 and 70 incidents in 2011 in which three and four people lost their lives respectively.

Rajasthan had witnessed 42 incidents of communal clashes in 2011 leading to death of 16 people while this year the state has witnessed 30 incidents of such violence and six dead.

There were 47 incidents of communal clashes in Gujarat in 2011, in which three persons lost their lives, and 50 incidents so far this year in which five were killed.

Andhra Pradesh saw 33 communal clashes in 2011 in which one died and so far this year, 45 clashes took place in which two were killed.

There were 30 incidents of communal clashes in Kerala in 2011, in which one died, and 46 incidents in this year in which one was killed.

Bihar witnessed 26 incidents with four deaths last year and 17 incidents this year in which three persons were killed.

Tamil Nadu saw 21 incidents of communal violence and two deaths in 2011 and 11 incidents with two deaths this year so far.

There were 15 incidents in West Bengal in 2011 in which three persons were killed, and 22 incidents in this year, in which eight persons were killed.”

via The Hindu : News / National : UP saw over 100 communal clashes in 2012.

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09/12/2012

* Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more

China acquires more natural resources.

Reuters: “Canada approved China’s biggest ever foreign takeover on Friday, a $15.1 billion bid by state-controlled CNOOC Ltd for energy company Nexen Inc., but drew a line in the sand against future buys by state-owned enterprises.

A man walks into the Nexen building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, July 23, 2012. REUTERS/Todd Korol

In a fierce defense of a tough, new foreign investment framework, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada would not deliver control of the oil sands – the world’s third-largest proven reserves of crude – to a foreign government.

The ruling, anxiously awaited by investors and politicians alike, followed months of heated debate about how much of Canada’s energy sector could and should be absorbed by companies run by other nations.

The bid triggered unusually open dissent among legislators in the ruling right-of-center Conservatives, many of whom were particularly nervous about the idea of allowing China to gain control of the oil sands.

Canada said yes to this deal, but will not do so next time.

“To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead,” Harper told reporters after Ottawa gave the deal the green light, along with approval for the less controversial takeover of gas company Progress Energy Resources Corp by another state-owned energy company, Petronas of Malaysia.

“Foreign state control of oil sands development has reached the point at which further such foreign state control would not be of net benefit to Canada,” he added.”

via Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources, oil & gas | 1 Comment »

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09/12/2012

* China’s Wanxiang wins auction for U.S. government-backed A123

Chinese firms continue to acquire foreign firms’ expertise and assets.

Reuters: “China’s largest maker of auto parts won a politically sensitive auction for A123 Systems Inc (AONEQ.PK), a bankrupt maker of batteries for electric cars that was funded partly with U.S. government money, A123’s investment banker said on Saturday.

Battery maker A123 Systems Inc. has struggled for years.

Timothy Pohl of Lazard Freres said Wanxiang Group Corp’s bid of about $260 million topped a joint bid from Johnson Controls Inc (JCI.N) of Milwaukee and Japan’s NEC Corp (6701.T) for the maker of lithium-ion batteries.

Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE) of Germany had also qualified to bid, according to two people familiar with the auction, who asked not to be identified. The auction began on Thursday.

Chinese companies have launched $51.3 billion worth of outbound deals this year, making it Asia’s second-biggest spender on overseas acquisitions behind Japan, according to Thomson Reuters data.

While state-owned oil giants continue to dominate outbound deals, recently Chinese companies have targeted deals aimed at securing technology know-how. That shift is supported by China’s five-year development plan that puts emphasis on industries such as high-end manufacturing equipment.

Earlier this year, Shandong Heavy Industry Group agreed to buy a quarter stake in Germany’s Kion Group KIONG.UL, giving China access to industrial technology from the world’s number two fork lift truck maker.

Before that, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group agreed to buy a majority stake in privately held German machinery manufacturer Schwing, while Sany Heavy Industry (600031.SS) bought rival Putzmeister in a 360 million euro ($472 million) deal.

Wanxiang, one of the largest non-government-owned companies in China, has annual revenue of more than $13 billion and supplies auto parts to many of China’s largest automakers.”

via China’s Wanxiang wins auction for U.S. government-backed A123 | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in Economics, Foreign acquisition, Investment in tangibles, Manufacturing | 1 Comment »

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09/12/2012

* China to Flatten 700 Mountains to Build a City

Is there anything the Chinese won’t attempt?

Times: “Last month China made news with the surprising announcement that a firm in the city of Changsha would attempt to build the world’s tallest skyscraper in 90 days. Now, the country is making headlines with another ambitious challenge — flattening 700 mountains in order to build a city.

Lanzhou, China

The so-called “mountain-moving project,” was actually launched in October, and not only is the scale gargantuan, but the costs are astronomical. As much as $3.5 billion will be used to blow up 700 mountains, the Guardian reports, to make room for a full-fledged city in a poor, mountainous province in northwestern China. The country’s state council approved the plan in August after years of preparation, according to China Economic Weekly magazine.

The future city, called the Lanzhou New Area, will be built on the outskirts of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province with a population of 3.6 million. The company behind the proposal, China Pacific Construction Group,  promises to build an urban paradise, 10 square miles in size and capable of generating as much as $43 billion in GDP by 2030, China Daily reports.

The promotional video shows the new metropolis, which will cost another $11 billion to build, will be filled with high-rises, lakes, beaches and gardens.

It sounds grand — except for the fact that Lanzhou has some of the worst pollution in China, according to World Health Organization. Factories producing textiles, fertilizer and chemicals have clogged the air with smoke and particulates, while their waste has discolored the Yellow River, which runs through the province.

Experts have raised concerns about whether the project is environmentally viable. Gansu is an arid province, surrounded by deserts and scoured by sandstorms. But China Pacific Construction Group, one of the nation’s biggest construction companies, said there is no need to worry.

“Lanzhou’s environment is already really poor, it’s all desolate mountains which are extremely short of water,” a spokesperson told the Guardian via email. “Our protective style of development will divert water to the area, achieve reforestation and make things better than before.””

via China to Flatten 700 Mountains to Build a City | TIME.com.

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Posted in China alert, Construction, Economics, Environment, Infrastructure | 1 Comment »

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07/12/2012

* Apple to return some Mac production to U.S. in 2013

Yet another instance of reverse offshoring or re-onshoring.

Reuters: “Apple Inc plans to move some production of Macintosh computers to the United States from China next year, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in remarks published on Thursday, in what could be a important test of the nascent comeback in U.S. electronics manufacturing.

An Apple logo is seen at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2012 in San Francisco, California June 11, 2012. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Apple makes the majority of its products, from Macs to the iPhone and iPad, in China, the world’s factory floor for electronics. But like other U.S. corporations, it has come under fire for relying on low-cost Asian labor and contributing to the decline of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Cook did not say which Macintosh products will be produced in the United States. But the effort is expected to go well beyond simple final assembly of devices, with Apple and unnamed partners building most or all of the components in the United States as well.

The company will spend more than $100 million on the U.S. manufacturing initiative, Cook said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, published on Thursday.”

via Apple to return some Mac production to U.S. in 2013 | Reuters.

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Posted in China alert, Economics, Reverse off-shoring, Technology | 5 Comments »

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07/12/2012

* PLA signs preliminary deal for 24 Russian Su-35 jet fighters

Rare admission that China’s technology may not be up to it.

South China Morning Post: “A preliminary deal for the sale of 24 advanced Russian Su-35 jet fighters to the People’s Liberation Army indicates the technological hurdles China faces in developing its own J-20, especially in terms of engine technology, military analysts say.

scmp_01dec10_fr_plane3_13_11_08_66_sm_19070747.jpg

Mainland and Russian media reported last month that Beijing might purchase 24 Su-35s, an updated version of the fourth generation Su-27, for US$1.5 billion. The deal was first proposed by Moscow two years ago.

Beijing expressed interest in purchasing only four Su-35s last year, but that was rejected by Moscow, which had originally expected China to buy 48 planes, Moscow’s Vedomosti business daily quoted an official from Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Co-operation as saying.

It also quoted Igor Korotchenko, head of the Russian Defence Ministry’s public council, as saying Moscow also asked Beijing to sign an agreement not to make copies of the Su-35.

A Beijing-based PLA senior colonel, who requested anonymity, said: “We decided to buy the Su-35 because it’s a fact that our home-made engines have failed to measure up to the Russian products.”

He said China was still playing catch-up, despite recent headlines hailing its progress on military modernisation.

“Engines have been the biggest headache and we are still trying to cope with it,” he said. “The purchase of the Su-35s might help our J-20 project, but there are too many deeper problems hiding in our military industrial system that are hindering our research and development.””

via PLA signs preliminary deal for 24 Russian Su-35 jet fighters | South China Morning Post.

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07/12/2012

* India Dips a Toe into the South China Sea Dispute

Thoughtful commentary about why India, who has no territorial claims in he area, is getting involved with the South China Sea disputes.

Geopolitical Monitor: “Although the Xi Jinping administration is now secure enough in its transition to power to put nationalist jingoism back in the box from whence it came, recent events suggest that China will continue to tow a hard line in regards to its military and economic rights in the South China Sea.Joint exercises between the Indian Navy and the US Navy

Earlier this week, Chinese media sources reported that police authorities in Hainan province will be authorized to search and seize foreign vessels operating in Chinese waters starting next year. The announcement prompted an immediate response from the Philippine government, which condemned the move and requested a clarification as to what exactly can be considered ‘Chinese territorial waters.’ ASEAN also chimed in over the announcement, with Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan calling it a move that “raises the level of concern and great anxiety [in the dispute].”

Judging by Chinese official statements on the subject, it seems likely that this expansion of search and seizure powers applies to China’s entire territorial claim, which is essentially most of the South China Sea, extending as far south as Brunei. It can be seen as an initial attempt to leverage China’s growing naval power to buttress an ambitious territorial claim that has, up until now, remained largely rhetorical.

If Beijing goes through with the plan, it will ramp up the volatility in an already precarious region. Whenever hard military assets are being deployed and coming into close contact with one another, the risk of a crisis breaking out is substantially heightened. It wouldn’t take much for a relatively small and seemingly insignificant event, much like the standoff between China and the Philippines earlier this year, to spin out of control and set off a regional conflict.

And make no mistake: there will be no shortage of military ships operating in the South China Sea. On the very same day that China announced its intention for expanded search and seizures, the government of Vietnam announced that it was going to begin military patrols of its own territorial claim. This announcement comes on the heels of an incident earlier this week in which a group of Chinese boats cut the cables of a PetroVietnam survey vessel operating off the Gulf of Tonkin.

But by far one of the most interesting recent developments in the South China Sea dispute is the entrance of India into the fray. Earlier this week, Indian Admiral D.K Joshi publically asserted that India will not back off from protecting its maritime and economic interests in the South China Sea.

Although India doesn’t have any direct territorial claim in the area, the waters are strategically important to New Delhi for three reasons. First, like for any trade-dependent country, the South China Sea represents an important global shipping route and freedom of navigation must be maintained. Second, India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) owns a stake in waters claimed by Vietnam. And third, and perhaps most importantly, the South China Sea represents an opportunity for an Indian riposte against China’s ‘string of pearls’ naval encirclement of the Indian subcontinent.”

via India Dips a Toe into the South China Sea Dispute – Geopolitical Monitor.

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06/12/2012

* Xi unveils foreign policy direction

China Daily: “For German chemist Katharina Kohse-Hoinghaus, it was a huge surprise to get an invitation to a key meeting from newly-elected leader Xi Jinping just 20 days after he assumed his new role.

Xi unveils foreign policy direction

She was even more surprised on Wednesday to find that she was among the first group of foreigners Xi met as leader of the Party.

She was one of 20 foreigners from 16 countries invited to a face-to-face discussion with Xi on China’s development. Kohse-Hoinghaus, a world-renowned specialist in industrial combustion who has worked for about 10 years in China, said the meeting “demonstrates how serious you take the process of transformation and innovation in cooperation with other countries”.

It was the first time that Xi, the newly elected head of the Communist Party of China, met foreigners in this capacity.

Analysts said the meeting conveyed the new leadership’s foreign policy blueprint, and sent a strong signal that China cherishes its ties with foreign countries and people, and will continue on its road of opening up and cooperation with the outside world.

“We are open to the world and we want to learn from the world … We have learned from the past and realize we cannot succeed in our development behind closed doors,” Xi said at the meeting.

Foreigners with expertise in their fields have contributed immensely to national development and are called foreign experts in China. They also bridge China and the outside world.

The number of foreign experts has risen from less than 10,000 at the end of the 1980s to around 530,000 by the end of 2011.”

via Xi unveils foreign policy direction[1]|chinadaily.com.cn.

Posted in China alert, Economics | Leave a Comment »

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06/12/2012

* Senior provincial official under investigation

Will this be the first of many such investigations?

Senior provincial official under investigation

China Daily: “Li Chuncheng, deputy secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is under investigation for alleged discipline violation, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

via Senior provincial official under investigation |Politics |chinadaily.com.cn

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06/12/2012

* China pledges $56 billion to cut air pollution

Reuters: “China will spend 350 billion yuan ($56 billion) by 2015 to curb air pollution in major cities, the environmental watchdog said on Wednesday.

Visitors to Tiananmen Square shield themselves from the sun with umbrellas on a hot and hazy day in Beijing July 28, 2010. REUTERS/David Gray

Local governments will fund most of the programs aimed at cutting the level of harmful particles in the air in 117 cities by at least 5 percent between 2011 and 2015, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said in a statement on its website.

Doctors warn that the tiny floating PM 2.5 particles, named for their less than 2.5 micrometer diameter, can settle in the lungs and cause respiratory problems and other illnesses.

China began publishing data on the amount of such pollution earlier this year in an effort to address concerns from residents that pollution readings were grossly understated.

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the thick cocktail of smokestack emissions, vehicle exhaust, dust and aerosols that often fills the air in many cities is a growing concern to increasingly prosperous urban residents.

Many Chinese in Beijing refer to an air pollution index published by the U.S. embassy, a move that has drawn the ire of Chinese officials who have called it unscientific.

Those measurements, based on U.S. standards, appear much grimmer than those of the city government’s and often list pollution levels as hazardous at prolonged exposure.

China has cited its ongoing reliance on heavy industry as the reason it failed to meet some of its 2011 air and water pollution reduction targets.”

via China pledges $56 billion to cut air pollution | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/economic-factors/greening-of-china/

Posted in carbon emission, China alert, Economics, Environment, greenhouse gas, Pollution | 3 Comments »

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