Chindia Alert | CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon

17/01/2014

* China’s Tech Firms Now Challenging the Likes of Samsung, Apple – China Real Time Report – WSJ

Chinese tech firms, once mostly known for their manufacturing prowess, are now challenging market leaders and setting trends in telecoms, mobile devices and online services. As Juro Osawa and Paul Mozur report:

Keeping better-known global competitors at bay in their massive home market, Chinese tech companies are hiring Silicon Valley executives and expanding overseas with aggressive marketing campaigns featuring international sports stars and celebrities.

They still face a perception problem among consumers in many parts of the world that their products aren’t as high-quality or reliable as others. Some foreign competitors have alleged that Beijing gives unfair advantages through subsidies, cheap financing and control over the currency market.

But, many executives at Chinese and Western companies contend, China’s technology sector is reaching a critical mass of expertise, talent and financial firepower that could realign the power structure of the global technology industry in the years ahead.

via China’s Tech Firms Now Challenging the Likes of Samsung, Apple – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

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

Tags: Apple, Asia, Beijing, China, Chinese, Chinese language, Chinese tech firms, mobile devices, Samsung, Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley executives

17/01/2014

Honeymoon threatens to be brief for India’s anti-graft party | Reuters

From a rally that nearly ended in a stampede, to a rebellious lawmaker and a minister openly duelling police over drug gangs, the honeymoon could be short-lived for an anti-corruption party that shook up India\’s politics last month.

Arvind Kejriwal and friends (Photo credit: vm2827)

The Common Man\’s Party (AAP) enjoyed a heady few weeks after its leader Arvind Kejriwal pulled off a political surprise by becoming Delhi chief minister in December elections.

He eschewed the usual displays of power beloved of many of India\’s VIPs, such as expensive official cars that routinely ran red lights, and promised voters cheap water and power.

With his party aiming to contest a general election due by May, both the ruling Congress Party and the main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party worry that Kejriwal could eat into their traditional voter support in the cities.

Kejriwal\’s party is still a force as it attracts supporters across the nation, ranging from intellectuals to journalists and rights activists. But a sinking feeling of inexperienced, out-of-their-depth politicians is increasingly manifesting itself.

via Honeymoon threatens to be brief for India’s anti-graft party | Reuters.

Posted in India alert, Internal politics, Politics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Aam Aadmi, Arvind Kejriwal, Bharatiya Janata, Chief Minister of Delhi, Delhi, India, Indian National Congress

16/01/2014

China confirms hypersonic missile carrier test | Reuters

China has flight-tested a hypersonic missile delivery vehicle in a move that was scientific in nature and not targeted at any country, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

A Chinese military build-up has raised regional jitters. Many countries in Asia have welcomed a stated U.S. intention to shift more attention and military assets back to the region. They are beefing up military spending and ties with Washington.

\”Our planned scientific research tests conducted in our territory are normal,\” the Beijing Defence Ministry said in a faxed response to Reuters. \”These tests are not targeted at any country and at any specific goals.\”

The statement confirmed a report by the online Washington Free Beacon newspaper that the hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) was detected flying at 10 times the speed of sound over China last week.

A spokesman for the Pentagon said it was aware of the test.

\”We routinely monitor foreign defence activities and we are aware of this test,\” said Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Pool, a Pentagon spokesman:

via China confirms hypersonic missile carrier test | Reuters.

Posted in Aerospace, China alert, Military, Politics, superpower, Technology | 1 Comment »

Tags: Asia, China, Hypersonic speed, Pentagon, People's Liberation Army, United States, Washington Free Beacon

16/01/2014

China’s Hebei closes more than 8,000 polluting firms in 2013 | Reuters

China shut down 8,347 heavily polluting companies last year in northern Hebei province, which has the worst air in the country, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday, as the government moves to tackle a problem that has been a source of discontent.

Residents ride bicycles along a street amid heavy haze in Xingtai, Hebei province November 3, 2013. Dense smog has periodically shrouded major cities in north and northeast China in recent years, raising increasing public discontent, Xinhua News Agency reported. REUTERS/China Daily

Local authorities will block new projects and punish officials in regions where pollution is severe due to lax enforcement, Xinhua cited Yang Zhiming, deputy director of the Hebei provincial bureau of environmental protection, as saying.

High pollution levels have sparked widespread public anger and officials concerned about social unrest have responded by implementing tougher policies.

Hebei, the country\’s biggest steel producer, is home to as many as seven of its 10 most polluted cities, Xinhua said, citing statistics published monthly by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Pollution in Hebei often spreads to neighboring Beijing and Tianjin. On Thursday, Beijing was blanketed in its worst smog in months. An index measuring PM2.5 particles, especially bad for health, reached 500 in much of the capital in the early hours.

Some small high-polluting plants are being relocated to remote areas to avoid oversight, Xinhua quoted Yang as saying. He said the government would \”beef up the industrial crackdown\”.

China has drawn up dozens of laws and guidelines to improve the environment but has struggled to enforce them in the face of powerful enterprises.

via China’s Hebei closes more than 8,000 polluting firms in 2013 | Reuters.

Posted in carbon emission, China alert, Ecology, Economics, Environment, Green, greenhouse gas, Pollution | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Beijing, China, Hebei, Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China, northern Hebei province, pollution, Tianjin, Yang Zhiming

16/01/2014

India Is Polio-Free for 3rd Year, but It Can’t Afford to Be Complacent | TIME.com

Good news does not always flow freely in India. Too many children still go hungry. Violence against women endures. Inflation is soaring, and gay sex was just criminalized, again.

But today India got a boost: Jan. 13 marks the country’s third year of being free of polio, the highly infectious disease that attacks the nervous system of children in particular and can paralyze within hours. The last child to be crippled by polio in India was a 2-year-old girl in West Bengal, whose case was confirmed on Jan. 13, 2011. The fact that none have been found since is a stunning turnaround from 2009, when India hosted nearly half the world’s cases. That polio has been wiped from this vast, crowded country is arguably one of the greatest achievements in modern public health — and a stirring reminder that sheer determination can, in fact, change lives.

People used to say that ridding India of polio simply couldn’t be done. The virus has used the subcontinent as an incubator for centuries, and some experts argued that the slow process of vaccinating every child could never outpace the rapid transmission of the disease. Happily, they were wrong. Teaming up with groups like Rotary International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Indian government launched yearly national vaccination drives carried out by millions of volunteers and, eventually, backed up by sophisticated disease-surveillance and population-monitoring systems. In 2002, there were 1,600 polio cases in India. By 2009, there were 741. Today, there are none.

via India Is Polio-Free for 3rd Year, but It Can’t Afford to Be Complacent | TIME.com.

Posted in Good news, Health, India alert | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Government of India, India, Infectious disease, polio cases, Poliomyelitis, Rotary International, Violence against women, West Bengal, World Health Organization

15/01/2014

Wuhan overpass swings into place[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn

A 17,000-ton section of an overpass was rotated 106 degrees, one step closer to the completion of an elevated highway in Wuhan city, Central China\’s Hubei province, on Jan 14, 2014. The section on pier number Z63, at a height of 15 meters, was built along the railway to not disturb trains. It finished rotating and joined its other parts in 90 minutes. The completed overpass will be 256 meters long and span 11 railways, including the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Wuhan-Hefei Railway. It is expected to open to traffic this month.

Wuhan overpass swings into place

via Wuhan overpass swings into place[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn.

Posted in China alert, Construction, Economics, Highways, railways | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Beijing-Guangzhou Railway and Wuhan-Hefei Railway, Central China, China, elevated highway, Hubei, hubei province, Overpass, Recreation, South Central China, Trains and Railroads, Wuhan, Wuhan city

15/01/2014

Villagers in SW China share the wealth[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn

Jianshe village in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province, shared about 13.11 million yuan ($2.17 million) in bonuses with the 340 households in the village, on Jan 14, 2013. The village became rich after piloting a land circulation project, which introduced a new farming company and an investment company. One household received 314,000 yuan.

via Villagers in SW China share the wealth[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn.

Posted in China alert, Economics, Good news, land transfer, Social & cultural | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Asia, China, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Sichuan, sichuan province, Southwest China, SW China share the wealth, Villagers

14/01/2014

Another ancient university’s remains found in Bihar – The Times of India

Remains of an ancient university have been discovered in Bihar, which is home to Nalanda and Vikramshila universities, officials said on Tuesday.

Main stupa of Sariputta in the ancient Nalanda University, Bihar, India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

\”We have discovered remains of another ancient university at the Buddhist monastery site of Telhara in Nalanda district,\” Atul Kumar Verma, director of state archaeology, told IANS.

Telhara was visited by Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang in the 7th century AD, and it was mentioned as \”Teleadaka\” in his account, Verma said.

Describing it as a major discovery for Bihar\’s history, Verma told IANS over telephone that remains of \”Tiladhak\” ancient university are spread in a big area and will take more time for full excavation – just like Nalanda where the excavation took years.

\”It is a positive development in the field of excavation in Bihar. After discovery of remains of 4th century ancient Nalanda and 8th century Vikramshila university, this is the discovery of remains of third ancient university in the state,\” Verma said.

Verma said that Tiladhak ancient university was set up in 5th century during the Gupta period.

via Another ancient university’s remains found in Bihar – The Times of India.

Posted in Culture, India alert, religion | 2 Comments »

Tags: Bihar, Gupta Empire, Nalanda, Nalanda district, Telhara, Verma, Vihara

14/01/2014

Ready for whatever Congress wants me to do: Rahul Gandhi – The Hindu

Ahead of the AICC meeting on Friday when he is expected to be named the Congress Prime Ministerial candidate, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday appeared ready to take up the responsibility.

“None of my family members ever worked for the sake of power. Neither my father nor my grandmother,

“I am a sepoy of Congress. I will obey whatever order is given to me. I will do whatever Congress wants me to do… Decisions are taken in our party by senior leaders,” he told Hindi daily ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ in an interview.

“Earlier also some decisions were taken…Power is poison ….does not mean that I am not keen to take responsibility. There is no word of reluctance in my life…Congress has never been specific. Whatever task the Congress wanted me to accomplish, I have done that,” Mr. Gandhi said when asked whether he was ready to take up the post of Prime Minister and about perceptions of him being reluctant.

Mr. Gandhi’s remarks at the party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur in January 2013, that his mother Sonia Gandhi had told him that power is poison had led to speculation as well Opposition attack that the Congress vice-president was not willing to take up responsibility.

Explaining his remarks, he said, “Power is poison is an observation that when power comes, one should know how to deal with the associated dangers that come with it. This is it. Power is poison means use power for the welfare of people and do not use it to make oneself bigger or more powerful.”

To a direct question on whether he will accept any such responsibility, Mr. Gandhi said, “None of my family members ever worked for the sake of power. Neither my father nor my grandmother.”

Mr. Gandhi’s father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi were both Prime Ministers of the country.

via Ready for whatever Congress wants me to do: Rahul Gandhi – The Hindu.

Posted in India alert, Internal politics, Politics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Congress, Dainik Bhaskar, Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Jaipur, rahul gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, the Congress Prime Ministerial

14/01/2014

Indonesia to China: Stop Buying Our Stuff – Businessweek

Indonesian mines account for about 20 percent of the world’s nickel supply and a hefty chunk of the bauxite (used to make aluminum). China has been importing ever-larger amounts of these and other minerals from its Asian neighbor. Ironically, the more the Chinese buy, the angrier Indonesians become: Rather than purchasing refined minerals from Indonesia, China imports the raw rocks and does the processing itself, thus depriving Indonesians of jobs and tax revenue. Miners took more than 250,000 tons of nickel out of Indonesian mines last year but processed only about 16,000 tons in-country, exporting the rest. Meanwhile, China refined more than half a million tons.

A miner sprays water over tin ore at the PT Timah operations in Sungai Liat, Bangka Island, Indonesia on Nov. 19

To make matters worse, through much of last year, China stockpiled Indonesian ore to hedge against any action the government in Jakarta might take to encourage more of the value-added work to stay home. The stockpiling makes Indonesian officials even more irritated. “I just returned from China, and I saw with my own eyes there are 3 million tons of bauxite and 20 million tons of nickel over there,” Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat told reporters on Jan. 8. “That’s what we want to stop.”

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is taking action do just that. On Jan. 12 a new rule took effect prohibiting companies from exporting nickel ore and other raw minerals—while allowing miners to ship minerals that first go through processing or refining in Indonesia. The goal is simple: “No more ore exports,” Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said last month. “There should be refining or smelting.”

via Indonesia to China: Stop Buying Our Stuff – Businessweek.

Posted in China alert, Economics, mining, Natural resources | Leave a Comment »

Tags: China, Freeport-McMoRan, Indonesia, Jakarta, Mineral, Newmont Mining Corporation, Nickel, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon

Chindia Alert: You’ll be Living in their World Very Soon

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* China’s Tech Firms Now Challenging the Likes of Samsung, Apple – China Real Time Report – WSJ

Honeymoon threatens to be brief for India’s anti-graft party | Reuters

China confirms hypersonic missile carrier test | Reuters

China’s Hebei closes more than 8,000 polluting firms in 2013 | Reuters

Wuhan overpass swings into place[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn

Ready for whatever Congress wants me to do: Rahul Gandhi – The Hindu

Indonesia to China: Stop Buying Our Stuff – Businessweek

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