| China Daily:
|
|
Policemen wear their new shoulder lights at a ceremony to launch the use of the night lights in Southwest China‘s Chongqing on July 25, 2013. The shoulder lights are being used by the city’s police for the first time and will make policemen on patrol visible for 100 meters. Other public security guards will also be equipped with the lights, which can run for five days on two batteries. [Photo/CFP] |
26/07/2013
Shoulder lights to make police more visible
25/07/2013
China unveils fresh measures to boost growth
BBC: “China has unveiled a series of moves aimed at boosting growth, indicating that policymakers are concerned about the slowdown in its economy.
The steps include tax breaks for small businesses, reduced fees for exporters and opening up of railway construction.
China’s economic growth rate has slowed for two quarters in a row and there are concerns that it may slow further.
But the cabinet said the economy was in a reasonable shape and it was pushing for reforms to stabilise growth.
“The economy is still running in a reasonable range,” the cabinet said.
“We must look at now and beyond to let restructuring and reform play an active role in stabilising growth.””
via BBC News – China unveils fresh measures to boost growth.
See also: https://chindia-alert.org/economic-factors/china-needs-to-rebalance-her-economy/
24/07/2013
Consumer optimism hits a high
China Daily: “Income growth and willingness to spend more are main driving forces
Consumer confidence in China has topped that in other major economies to equal a record high, and economists are saying this signals that consumption will support the world’s second-largest economy, where growth is slowing.
A survey by global information company Nielsen shows China’s consumer confidence index, based on its market research, rose to 110 in the second quarter from 108 in the first, indicating increased willingness to spend on consumer goods and services.
It also reached 110 in the second quarter of last year.
Zhang Monan, an economist at the State Information Center under the National Development and Reform Commission, said domestic demand, especially consumption, will become crucial to supporting economic growth in the second half of the year.
Tao Libao, vice-president of media research at Nielsen Greater China, said, “With the industrial transformation, consumption will become the growth engine.”
The central government has pledged to promote structural reforms, shifting from investment-driven to consumption-oriented development, while ensuring stable economic growth and secure employment.
The Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, released on Tuesday, rose to 94 in the second quarter, compared with 93 in the first.
A reading below 100 means that consumers are pessimistic about the outlook, while a reading above 100 signals optimistic expectations.
Nielsen said consumer confidence declined in 14 of 29 European countries as government budget cuts, tax rises and high unemployment continued.
Consumer confidence improved in the United States, along with increasing employment opportunities, higher home prices and a rising stock market, the company said.
In the second quarter, China had the fifth-highest reading of indices among 58 countries based on surveys covering more than 29,000 global respondents.
Fast growth of disposable income and people’s willingness to spend more on improving quality of life, especially in large cities, was the main driving force behind this, the company said.
The average disposable income of urban Chinese residents was 13,649 yuan ($2,201) in the first half of the year, up 9.1 percent from a year earlier, while the disposable income of rural residents rose to 4,171 yuan, up 13 percent year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Retail sales of consumer goods rose by 12.7 percent in the first six months to 11.08 trillion yuan, compared with a 12.4 percent growth rate in the first quarter, the bureau said.
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with 7 percent of China’s population, contributed about 25 percent of the country’s spending on consumer products and services, Nielsen said.
As urbanization speeds up and consumers pursue a better quality of life, they will have a deeper understanding of consumption, said Yan Xuan, president of Nielsen Greater China.”
via Consumer optimism hits a high |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn.
24/07/2013
Sri Lanka teams up with Chinese firm for $1.4 billion port city
Reuters: “Sri Lanka has finalized a $1.43 billion deal with China Communications Construction Co Ltd (601800.SS) to build a city on a 230 hectare site that will be reclaimed from the sea, the head of the state-run Ports Authority said on Wednesday.
The site is next to the island nation’s main Colombo port and Colombo‘s historic Galle Face Green seafront. It is also close to where Shangri-La Hotels Lanka Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Shangri-La Asia Ltd (0069.HK), is building a 500-room hotel.
“The Chinese firm will invest in reclaiming the land and infrastructure of the port city,” Priyath Wickrama, chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, told reporters. “It will be given around 50 hectare of reclaimed land on a 99-year lease for its investment.”
The 39-month long construction project will start in September, Wickrama said, adding the city would include eco-parks, residential areas, offices and shopping malls.
Since the end of a nearly three-decade war in May 2009, the Indian Ocean island nation has been spending heavily on infrastructure, including ports to attract foreign investments to its $59 billion economy.
It has already created new land near the proposed port city as part of its expansion of the Colombo port to double its capacity by 2015.”
via Sri Lanka teams up with Chinese firm for $1.4 billion port city | Reuters.
23/07/2013
China to expand imports from ASEAN members
Is this action based on genuine economic reasons or is it partly to diffuse China‘s tension with many ASEAN countries involved with the on–going maritime territorial disputes?
China Daily: “China pledged to increase its imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as bilateral trade started to favor China in the second half of 2012, Vice-Minister of Commerce Gao Yan told a news briefing on Tuesday.
Emblem of ASEAN (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
China will enhance trade facilitation through cooperation with ASEAN members in areas including customs and quality checking while sending purchasing groups for agricultural products from ASEAN members, Gao said.
In addition, exhibitions, including the 10th CAEXPO to be held September 3-6 in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, will serve as opportunities for ASEAN exporters to expand their sales to China, she added.
China is the biggest trade partner of ASEAN and bilateral trade hit $400.1 billion in 2012, with Chinese exports totaling $204.3 billion and imports of $195.8 billion, leaving a trade surplus of $8.5 billion. China previously had a trade deficit with ASEAN, Gao said.”
via China to expand imports from ASEAN members |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn.
Related articles
- A Waiting Game – The Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (redoceans.com)
- Japan, ASEAN agree to discuss maritime security at Dec. summit (english.kyodonews.jp)
- China Agrees to Asean Talks on Sea Spat Amid Philippine Warning (bloomberg.com)
23/07/2013
China starts 5-year ban on new gov’t buildings
First ostentatious spending, then came curtailment of banquets and now building construction. China is ratcheting up its austerity drive. But one wonders if this is countering the efforts to re-vitalise the economy.
Xinhua: “Central authorities on Tuesday introduced a five-year ban on the construction of new government buildings as part of an ongoing frugality campaign.
Building construction (Photo credit: Toban B.)
The General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a directive that calls for an across-the-board halt to the construction of any new government buildings in the coming five years.
The ban also covers expensive structures built as training centers or hotels.
The directive said some departments and localities have built government office compounds in violation of regulations.
The directive called on all CPC and government bodies to be frugal and ensure that government funds and resources be spent on developing the economy and boosting the public’s well-being.
According to the directive, the construction, purchase, restoration or expansion of office compounds that is done in the guise of building repair or urban planning is strictly forbidden.
The directive also bans CPC and government organizations from receiving any form of construction sponsorship or donations, as well as collaborating with enterprises, in developing construction projects.
While allowing restoration projects for office buildings with dated facilities, the directive stresses that such projects must be exclusively aimed at erasing safety risks and restoring office functions.
According to the instruction, such projects must be approved first by related administrative departments and luxury interior decoration is prohibited, with criteria and spending to be set in accordance with local conditions.
The directive stipulates that expenditures on office building restoration should be included in CPC and government budgets.
According to the instruction, buildings with reception functions, such as those related to accommodation, meetings and catering, should not be restored.
The directive orders all CPC and government departments to rectify the misuse of office buildings, including those that are used for functions that have not been approved.
The directive says CPC and government officials with multiple posts should be each given only one office, while offices for those who have retired or taken leave should be returned in time.
Local authorities should establish or perfect the management of government buildings by strictly verifying the buildings’ size, according to the directive.
Departments that have moved to renovated or newly-built locations should transfer the original office blocks to government office administrators in a timely fashion, according to the directive.
Departments and units at all levels should address the office shortage caused by adding new institutions by themselves. If the additions do not meet their needs, government office administrators should adjust existing resources to solve the shortage, according to the directive.
Strict approval procedures are also required for renting new office blocks, according to the directive.
“Banning the building of new government buildings is important for building a clean government and also a requirement for boosting CPC-people ties and maintaining the image of the CPC and the government,” according to the circular.”
via China starts 5-year ban on new gov’t buildings – Xinhua | English.news.cn.
23/07/2013
China’s Smartphone Generation
BusinessWeek: “Every day at noon, workers spill out through the red gates of the Xue Fulan garment factory on the outskirts of Beijing to enjoy one precious hour of lunchtime freedom. They are mostly in their late teens or early 20s, living in no-frills dormitories within the factory complex. Most saunter out on a hot summer day with a water bottle in one hand and a smartphone in the other.
While personal computers are rare inside the factory, many of these young migrant workers—who are just climbing onto the lowest rung of the urban economic ladder—are now on the Internet daily. With 12-hour workdays, their free hours are scarce, but they still find time to use social media and dating apps, play video games, and read lifestyle and news sites, where they can catch a glimpse of the upscale urban life they aspire to.
Last week the government-affiliated China Internet Network Information Center reported that 591 million people in China now have Internet access; that’s 45 percent of the population. Just six years ago, only 16 percent of China’s population was online. Among the drivers of the steep rise in Internet penetration: the rapid adoption of Internet-enabled mobile devices, especially among groups that previously lacked regular connectivity, including China’s migrant workers. More than three-quarters of China’s netizens (464 million people) now use a mobile Internet device—instead of, or in addition to, a laptop or PC.
Kantar Media, a U.K.-based global consumer research and consulting firm, polled nearly 100,000 Chinese Internet users about their online habits and preferences in 2012 and just released its analysis of the study: 59 percent of respondents said that online chat and dating were their favorite uses of the mobile Internet, while 43 percent described themselves as “frequent” users of social media. Notably, the number of Chinese netizens who claimed they had visited a social media site in the past day was higher among mobile Internet users (32 percent) than among all netizens (26 percent). Weixin (“WeChat”), Tencent’s (700:HK) popular social-media app, is almost exclusively used on smartphones and tablets.
Megacity commutes are also correlated with more time online. In 2012, Chinese commuters who travelled more than one hour to work were three times as likely to go online daily as those whose commutes were under a half hour. As China’s large cities sprawl, traffic jams proliferate as well. Shen Ying, a general manager at CTR Media, Kantar Media’s joint-venture partner in China, believes that the “fragmentation of ‘social’ time created by longer commutes” goes hand in hand with the “desire for social networking.” Fortunately for China’s lonely subway passengers, Internet access on Beijing’s subway is more stable than on New York City’s.”
23/07/2013
Indian development: Beyond bootstraps
The Economist: “An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions. By Amartya Sen and Jean Drèze. Allen Lane; 434 pages; £20. To be published in America in August by Princeton University Press; $29.95. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
AS A conundrum it could hardly be bigger. Six decades of laudably fair elections, a free press, rule of law and much else should have delivered rulers who are responsive to the ruled. India’s development record, however, is worse than poor. It is host to some of the world’s worst failures in health and education. If democracy works there, why are so many Indian lives still so wretched?
Social indicators leave that in no doubt. A massive blackout last summer caught global attention, yet 400m Indians had (and still have) no electricity. Sanitation and public hygiene are awful, especially in the north: half of all Indians still defecate in the open, resulting in many deaths from diarrhoea and encephalitis. Polio may be gone, but immunisation rates for most diseases are lower than in sub-Saharan Africa. Twice as many Indian children (43%) as African ones go hungry.
Many adults, especially women, are also undernourished, even as obesity and diabetes spread among wealthier Indians. Despite gains, extreme poverty is rife and death in childbirth all too common. Prejudice kills on an immense scale: as many as 600,000 fetuses are aborted each year because they are female. Compared even with its poorer neighbours, Bangladesh and Nepal, India’s social record is unusually grim.
“An Uncertain Glory”, an excellent but unsettling new book by two of India’s best-known development economists, Amartya Sen and Jean Drèze, sets out how and why this is so. They argue that Indian rulers have never been properly accountable to the needy majority. Belgian-born Mr Drèze has lived in India since 1979 and became an Indian citizen in 2002. Now at Allahabad University in the north, he is influential among Indian policymakers, particularly for pushing a right-to-information law. Mr Sen, a Nobel laureate, now at Harvard, famously showed how famines have never happened in democracies. The two men want a debate on India’s social failures and how to fix them.”
22/07/2013
Knife attacks and bomb threats follow Beijing airport explosion
SCMP: “Several incidents of violence have been reported in Beijing in the aftermath of the attempted suicide by an aggrieved petitioner at the capital’s international airport on Saturday.
On Monday, a man armed with a knife went on a rampage at a Carrefour shopping centre, in Beijing’s western district, wounding at least four people. Police have arrested a Beijing-native surnamed Wang, born in 1963 at the scene, local police said in a statement.
One child was among those wounded, Beijing News reported on its microblog. The report did not say what triggered the attack.
Last Thursday, a knife-yielding man stabbed two people, including one US woman, to death, in a similar incident.
In two unrelated incidents, Beijing police arrested two men for “threatening to carry bombs and attempting to disturb social order” in the capital.
Four hours after petitioner Ji Zhongxing caused an explosion at Beijing Capital International Airport on Saturday, a 39-year-old man surnamed Wang from Beijing’s Miyun county threatened to set off explosives at a Beijing airport to protest against land seizures, according to a statement by Beijing police.
Only one hour later, a 31-year-old man surnamed Liu from Jiangsu province, threatened to detonate explosives at a video arcade, police said. Both men have since been arrested.
Many Chinese netizens blamed a “butterfly effect” and criticised the government for failing to address petitioners’ grievances. “If the government continues in its corrupt ways, everybody will become Ji Zhongxing,” said one Weibo user. “Using lives to protest is the last way for ordinary people to seek changes,” wrote another.
via Knife attacks and bomb threats follow Beijing airport explosion | South China Morning Post.
Related articles
- Blast hits Beijing airport terminal (bbc.co.uk)
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 