Archive for September, 2013

  |   Newer Entries »
06/09/2013

China urges U.N. role on Syria after U.S. says gives up

reuters: “China’s Foreign Ministry urged a role for the U.N. Security Council in resolving the crisis in Syria on Friday after the United States said it had given up trying to work with the council on Syria, accusing Russia of holding it hostage.

A Free Syrian Army fighter poses for a picture as he holds an RPG launcher in Raqqa province, eastern Syria September 4, 2013. Picture taken September 4, 2013. REUTERS/Nour Fourat

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power’s remarks on Thursday left no doubt that Washington would not seek U.N. approval for a military strike on Syria in response to an August 21 chemical attack near Damascus.

She said a draft resolution Britain submitted to the five permanent council members last week calling for a response to that attack was effectively dead.

Asked about those comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the Security Council needed to be used.

“China supports the important role that the U.N. Security Council plays in properly resolving the Syria issue,” Hong told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

“We hope that relevant parties can continue communications and coordination and hold deep consultations so as to resolve the relevant issue in a peaceful way,” he added.

China has called for a full and impartial investigation by U.N. chemical weapons inspectors in Syria into the August 21 attack, and has warned against pre-judging the results. It has also said that whoever uses chemical weapons had to be held accountable.

“China believes that a political solution is the only realistic way out on the Syria issue. Given the current circumstances, a political solution is of utmost importance,” Hong said.

“We also hope the international community can work together and push for the holding of an international conference on the Syria issue at an early date.”

Russia and China have both vetoed previous Western efforts to impose U.N. penalties on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But China has also been keen to show it is not taking sides and has urged the Syrian government to talk to the opposition and take steps to meet demands for political change. It has said a transitional government should be formed.”

via China urges U.N. role on Syria after U.S. says gives up | Reuters.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/geopolitics-chinese/

Posted in China alert, GeoPolitics, Politics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
06/09/2013

Beijing says 400 million Chinese cannot speak Mandarin

BBC: “China‘s Education Ministry says that about 400 million people – or 30% of the population – cannot speak the country’s national language.

Pupils in traditional costumes attend a ceremony at the Confucius temple in Nanjing, Jiangsu province 1 September 2013

Of the 70% of the population who can speak Mandarin, many do not do it well enough, a ministry spokeswoman told Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

The admission from officials came as the government launched another push for linguistic unity in China.

China is home to thousands of dialects and several minority languages.

These include Cantonese and Hokkien, which enjoy strong regional support.

Mandarin – formally called Putonghua in China, meaning “common tongue” – is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

The Education Ministry spokeswoman said the push would be focusing on the countryside and areas with ethnic minorities.

For decades, the ruling Communist Party has promoted Mandarin in an attempt to unite the most populous nation in the world.

But government efforts have been hampered by the sheer size of the country and a lack of investment in education, particularly the rural areas, says the BBC’s Martin Patience in Beijing.

The government’s policies have also long been contentious, particularly among ethnic minorities, our correspondent adds.

In 2010, there were protests in Tibet about the use of Mandarin in schools. At the time, protesters said it was eroding their culture and language.”

via BBC News – Beijing says 400 million Chinese cannot speak Mandarin.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/social-cultural-diff/china-is-homogeneous/

Posted in China alert, ethnic minority, Mandarin, Social & cultural | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
06/09/2013

Chinese boy to get ‘electronic eyes’ after cruel attack

Health24: “A six-year-old Chinese boy who had his eyes gouged out by a woman believed to be his aunt may one day see again after a Hong Kong hospital offered him “electronic eyes”.

Electronic eyes

Hong Kong-based eye expert Dennis Lam said his team would provide the treatment for free to Guo Bin – known as Bin-Bin – who was found covered in blood near his home in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi last month after the horrific attack.

Lam told AFP that future technology could restore up to 40 percent of the boy’s lost vision.

“When I heard about it I was really angry, very upset. I asked myself if I can help,” Lam told AFP.

“Being an eye doctor, my greatest encouragement is when patients can see again,” he said.

False eyes

Lam said that he is still waiting for consent from the child’s parents to bring him to his eye hospital in Shenzhen in southern China where he can be given a pair of false eyes as soon as next week.

Cameras in the prosthetic eyes would relay a signal, based on the shape of objects, to an electric pulse generator connected to his tongue helping him to recognise shapes, Lam said.

He added that the technology is already being used in Japan and Europe.

The final goal is to give the boy bionic eyes linked directly to the brain which will help him partially regain his sight, Lam said, a treatment which is still being developed.

“In the high end it (his sight) could be 20 to 40 percent about ten years down the road. It’s a wild guess. The ultimate goal is to help him to see again.”

Hong Kong’s Cable TV said the boy’s parents were considering the offer.

The little boy went missing after playing outside and his eyes were found nearby.”

via Chinese boy to get ‘electronic eyes’ after cruel attack | Health24.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/prognosis/how-well-will-china-and-india-innovate/

Posted in China alert, Good news, innovation, Technology | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , ,
04/09/2013

Manmohan seeks break with developed world’s policies

The Hindu: “Prime Minister refers to an orderly exit from unconventional monetary policies in the backdrop of splits between emerging markets and the U.S. and the slowing growth of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for an “orderly exit” from unconventional monetary policies being pursued by the developed world to avoid damaging growth prospects of the developing world. File photo

Amid imminent phasing out of the fiscal stimulus by U.S. Federal Reserve, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday called for an “orderly exit” from unconventional monetary policies being pursued by the developed world for the last few years to avoid damaging growth prospects of the developing world.

In a statement before leaving for the 8th G20 Summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, he also underscored the importance of the grouping of industrialised and major developing economies to promotes policy coordination among major economies in a manner that provides for a broad based and sustained global economic recovery and growth.

The Prime Minister made a reference to an orderly exit from unconventional monetary policies in the backdrop of splits between emerging markets and the U.S. over its winding down of stimulus and the slowing growth of India and other four BRICS countries.

Dr. Singh said though there are encouraging signs of growth in industrialised countries, there is also a slowdown in emerging economies which are facing the adverse impact of significant capital outflow.

“I will emphasise in St. Petersburg the need for an orderly exit from the unconventional monetary policies being pursued by the developed world for the last few years so as to avoid damaging the growth prospects of the developing world,” he said.

Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa — grouped in the BRICS bloc seen as an alternative economic powerhouse — all go into the meeting experiencing slowing growth, embattled currencies and huge capital outflows.

The Indian rupee has lost one-fifth of its value against the US dollar this year following major capital outflows triggered mainly due to the moves by the Fed Reserve.

India is also suffering a decade-low growth and GDP rose just 4.4 per cent in the first quarter this fiscal, the weakest performance since 2009.

Dr. Singh said he will once again emphasise at the Summit that the G20 should ensure primacy of the development dimension in his deliberation, focus on job creation, promote investment in infrastructure as the means of stimulating global growth and create potential in developing countries to sustain higher growth in the medium term.”

via Manmohan seeks break with developed world’s policies – The Hindu.

Posted in Economics, India alert | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
03/09/2013

Beijing aims to slash coal use

China Daily: “The Beijing municipal government has vowed to slash the capital’s consumption of coal by more than 50 percent over five years based on 2012 levels, according to a clean-air action plan issued on Monday.

Beijing aims to slash coal use

With the plan, local government is aiming to reduce the proportion of coal used within the city’s total energy mix to below 10 percent. Pollution from coal-fired emissions is a major contributor to Beijing’s smog, especially during the winter.

The plan aims to reduce the amount of fine particulate matter to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by 2017, which would be a 25 percent drop from 2012 levels. This requires the capital to slash 13 million metric tons of coal consumption over five years.

The municipal government has been cutting down on coal consumption for 14 years, according to China Environmental News, which is run by the Environmental Protection Ministry. Within that time frame, according to the publication, Beijing has slashed 7 million tons from its total coal consumption.

The plan issued on Monday lists a number of coal-cutting measures, including allocating a coal quota to districts and key users, strengthening the capital’s gas and electricity supply and revising a sulfur concentration standard in coal.

By reducing its coal consumption, the government says it will increase the demand for natural gas supply to 24 billion cubic meters by 2017, a goal the government said it will meet.

“The supply of natural gas within and outside China is promising since more natural gas reserves have recently been discovered,” said Zhou Dadi, vice-chairman of China Energy Research Society.

Four gas-based power plants will begin operations in Beijing by 2014. It has been estimated that they will cut the use of coal by about 9.2 million tons.

Another measure within the plan calls for replacing low-quality coal usually used in rural and suburban areas with high-quality coal that is low in sulfur content before the 2016 heating season begins.

“These areas use about 4 million tons of coal every year, accounting for less than 20 percent of the city’s total consumption. Yet because of the coal’s low quality, the sulfur dioxide generated amounts to more than 70 percent of the total emissions,” said Wang Jian, deputy head of the pollution prevention and control department of the Environmental Protection Ministry.

Wang said all low quality coal will be phased out in 2016.

Beijing is also trying to completely eliminate the use of coal within the Second Ring Road, the core area of the city, an aim first established in 2001. So far, about 200,000 households had switched from coal to electricity by the end of last year. The plan issued on Monday said by the end of 2015, the remaining 65,000 households within the area will begin using electricity for their winter heating.”

via Beijing aims to slash coal use |Society |chinadaily.com.cn.

See also:

Related articles

Posted in carbon emission, China alert, Economics, energy, Environment, Good news, greenhouse gas, Pollution | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
02/09/2013

Hard Facts on China

I believe that the data in the referenced material below is valid, but not sure of the conclusions.

http://horne.vplp.org/2012/11/hard-facts-on-chinaa-must-read.html

Posted in China alert, Economics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: ,
02/09/2013

No decision in India on shutting petrol pumps at night: Moily

The Hindu: “Amidst a storm over proposal to shut petrol pumps during night to taper fuel demand, Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Monday said the government had not made any such proposal and the idea had come from public.

“No decision has been taken to keep petrol pumps dry during any part of the day,” Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily said on Monday. File photo

“It is not our idea. It is an idea which is coming from public and others. No decision has been taken to keep petrol pumps dry during any part of the day,” he told reporters.

His Ministry plans to launch a massive fuel conservation drive from September 16 to cut fuel demand by 3 per cent and save an estimated Rs. 16,000 crore or $2.5 billion in Forex outgo.

“We are toying with the ideas (on conserving fuel) that have come to us. That doesn’t mean we have accepted them or are enforcing shutdowns,” he said.

Mr. Moily said before the planned launch of September 16 campaign, several proposals to save cut fuel consumptions have come to the government and as per usual practice are being mulled over by his ministry.

“It is incorrect to say that any decision on shutting petrol pumps has been taken,” he added.”

via No decision on shutting petrol pumps at night: Moily – The Hindu.

Posted in austerity, Economics, frugality, India alert | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , ,
02/09/2013

IAF inducts its biggest transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster III

Times of India: “Giving a major thrust to IAF‘s capability to swiftly move troops and tanks to battle fronts, defence minister A K Antony on Monday formally inducted its biggest 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base.

Thirteen C-17 Globemaster III aircraft fly ove...

Thirteen C-17 Globemaster III aircraft fly over the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia during low level tactical training Dec. 20, 2005. These C-17 planes are assigned to the 437th and 315th Airlift Wings at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The plane’s induction is a giant stride for the force and it will perform tactical and non-traditional operations also, he said.

The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft has been procured from the US under a deal expected to be over Rs 20,000 crore. A symbolic key of the plane was presented by the Minister to the unit’s commanding officer to mark its induction.

Speaking on the occasion, IAF chief NAK Browne said the plane will be operated from the advanced landing grounds in the northeastern states as well as from high altitude bases in north and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”

via IAF inducts its biggest transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster III – The Times of India.

Posted in Defence, GeoPolitics, India alert, Military, Politics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
01/09/2013

Jiang Jiemin: China corruption probe into top official

There are increasing signs that this time, anti-corruption is being taken very seriously by the Party and government.

BBC: “Chinese authorities have announced a corruption investigation into Jiang Jiemin, the head of the commission that oversees state-owned companies.

File picture of Jiang Jiemin

The supervision ministry said Mr Jiang was suspected of a “serious violation of discipline”. He has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The term is used to refer to corruption by managers of state companies.

President Xi Jinping has vowed to eradicate corruption in China, warning that it threatens the Communist Party.

Recent months have seen several high-profile corruption cases against high-ranking officials, including disgraced senior party official Bo Xilai, who was put on trial for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power in August.

The verdict in his case is expected “at a date to be decided”. Mr Bo denies all charges.

Until March Mr Jiang was head of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which has faced a number of corruption allegations.

Last week it was announced that another four CNPC executives were under investigation for corruption.

Earlier in August the general manager of state-owned phone company China Mobile Ltd was detained in the southern province of Guangdong. He too is being investigated for discipline violations.

Internet users are also increasingly pursuing those perceived as having done wrong through online exposes and campaigns.

But in recent weeks there have been signs that this has worried the authorities, with a number of journalists arrested for “rumour-mongering” and a high-profile blogger arrested.”

via BBC News – Jiang Jiemin: China corruption probe into top official.

See also:

Posted in China alert, corruption, Economics, Politics, Social & cultural | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
  |   Newer Entries »
CCChang

Law of Unintended Consequences

continuously updated blog about China & India

ChiaHou's Book Reviews

continuously updated blog about China & India

What's wrong with the world; and its economy

continuously updated blog about China & India