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08/12/2019

China Focus: China’s paleolithic relics gain recognition from int’l experts

FUZHOU, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese and foreign experts have marveled at the archaeological and anthropological value of the Wanshouyan Paleolithic Relics in east China’s Fujian Province.

Dozens of archaeological experts from China, Malaysia, Poland, Russia and Japan gathered in Sanming City on Friday and Saturday for a visit to the relics and academic exchanges.

“I have never seen such a thing,” said Lucyna Domanska, a professor with the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Lodz from Poland, pointing to a 120-square-meter space floored with pebbles inside a cavern.

The artificial floor, built about 40,000 years ago, is part of the Wanshouyan Paleolithic Relics, a habitat of human ancestors dating back as early as 200,000 years ago.

“This site is very exciting,” Domanska said. “It is important not only for Asia but for the whole world.”

Some of the relics are “unusual,” said Evgeny Rybin, a senior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noting that “it could be a source of scientific advancements.”

Standing inside a cavern named Lingfeng where ancient stone choppers, scraping devices and hammering tools were unearthed, Rybin said the relics from this site broadened their understandings about the capabilities of ancient people.

“The relics show that ancient people not only used caves but also changed them to fit their lifestyles,” he said.

It is a contribution to the world, said Mohd Mokhtar Saidin, a professor and director of Malaysia’s Center for Global Archaeological Research.

“This is very important. Not every country has evidence of human activities 200,000 years ago, and not every region has this type of cave,” he added.

Inside the limestone hill of Wanshouyan, archaeological remains of the Paleolithic Age have been found in several caverns, which provide important evidence for studying human life as early as hundreds of thousands of years ago.

In 2000, the Wanshouyan Paleolithic Relics was listed as one of China’s top 10 archaeological discoveries of the year.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in archaeological and anthropological value, Center for Global Archaeological Research, China alert, from, Fujian Province, gain, Institute of Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, int'l experts, Japan, Malaysia, paleolithic relics, Poland, recognition, Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sanming City, Siberian branch, Uncategorized, University of Lodz, Wanshouyan Paleolithic Relics | Leave a Comment »

06/12/2019

Chinese vice president meets head of Japan’s national security council

CHINA-BEIJING-WANG QISHAN-JAPAN-NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL-SHIGERU KITAMURA-MEETING (CN)

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan meets with the head of Japan’s national security council Shigeru Kitamura in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Friday met with the head of Japan’s national security council Shigeru Kitamura.

Not only close neighbors, China and Japan are also major economies in Asia and the world, said Wang, pointing out that the two countries both face huge tasks of domestic development and bear important responsibilities for world peace and development.

Wang said the two sides should use the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries as a guide, and move the bilateral relationship forward with wisdom and vision.

He called on the two countries to learn from history, take the overall situation into consideration, gain a clear understanding of common interests, and maintain the focus in developing ties with a long-term perspective.

Wang also encouraged the two sides to work together to create a favorable environment for the two countries’ high-level exchanges in the next stage.

Kitamura said that since last year, bilateral relations have developed positive momentum and seen close high-level contacts. Japan is ready to make full preparations for future exchanges between the two countries’ leaders.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in China alert, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, head of Japan's national security council, Japan, Shigeru Kitamura, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

02/12/2019

Factbox – The world’s biggest electric vehicle battery makers

(Reuters) – Asian companies dominate the market for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and they are expanding their production capacity in Europe, China and the United States in a fight to win lucrative contracts from global automakers.

Some carmakers worry, however, there won’t be enough batteries for all the EVs they plan to launch in the coming years and a bitter row between South Korea’s SK Innovation and LG Chem risks exacerbating the potential shortfall.

Below are details of the world’s leading EV battery makers with details of their customers and expansion plans:

CATL

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s biggest EV battery maker, counts BMW (BMWG.DE), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Daimler (DAIGn.DE) – which makes Mercedes cars – Volvo, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) among its customers.

The company emerged as a major force partly thanks to Beijing’s policy of only subsidising vehicles equipped with Chinese batteries in the world’s biggest EV market. Beijing is phasing out EV subsidies next year.

CATL, which operates factories in China, is building its first overseas plant in Germany and is considering a U.S. factory.

PANASONIC CORP (6752.T)

Japan’s Panasonic, a supplier of U.S. EV pioneer Tesla (TSLA.O), said it has installed equipment to ramp up production at Tesla’s Nevada plant to 35 GWh from its current production of around 30 GWh as of late October. Panasonic has said it is investing about $1.6 billion in the factory.

Panasonic also produces EV batteries in Japan, China and plans to shift some of its plants to a new joint venture with Toyota. Panasonic’s clients also include Honda and Ford Motor Company (F.N).

For a graphic of expansion plans: tmsnrt.rs/35tFmOL

BYD CO LTD (002594.SZ)

China’s BYD, which is backed by U.S. investor Warren Buffett, is also one of the world’s biggest EV battery makers. It mainly uses them in-house for its own cars and buses. BYD said last year it is was considering cell production in Europe.

LG CHEM LTD (051910.KS)

The South Korean firm was an early industry mover, winning a contract to supply General Motor’s (GM.N) Volt in 2008. It also supplies Ford, Renault (RENA.PA), Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo.

It is investing 3.3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) to build and expand production facilities near Tesla’s plant in Shanghai. It has a joint venture (JV) in China with Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK), which makes Volvos, and is in talks with other carmakers about JVs in major markets.

The firm is considering building a second U.S. factory in addition to its facility in Michigan and is expanding its plant in Poland.

SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD (006400.KS) Samsung SDI an affiliate of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), has EV battery plants in South Korea, China and Hungary, which supply customers such as BMW (BMWG.DE), Volvo and Volkswagen. Samsung SDI is investing about 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to expand its factory in Hungary though the EU is investigating whether Budapest’s financial support complies with the bloc’s state aid rules.

Samsung started production last year on the Hungary plant, which will produce batteries for 50,000 EVs a year.

SK INNOVATION CO LTD (096770.KS) LG Chem’s cross-town rival SK Innovation supplies batteries to Volkswagen, Daimler and Kia Motors (000270.KS), as well as Jaguar Land Rover [TAMOJL.UL] and Ferrari (RACE.MI).

An oil refiner that came to the battery industry late, SKI is investing about $3.9 billion to build three plants in the United States, China and Hungary, with a goal of expanding its annual production capacity to 33 GWh by 2022.

SKI currently operates one battery factory in South Korea, with a capacity of 4.7 GWh annually.

It set up a joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) of China in August 2018 and another Chinese partner. It is in talks with Volkswagen about another battery JV and is building a $1.7 billion factory in the U.S. state of Georgia, not far from Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant.

Source: Reuters

Posted in automakers, batteries, battery, Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC), Beijing’s, biggest, BMW, BMW (BMWG.DE), Budapest’s, BYD, BYD CO LTD (002594.SZ), Chattanooga, China alert, Chinese, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), contracts, Daimler, Electric vehicle, equipped, Europe, EV pioneer, Factory, Ferrari (RACE.MI), firm, Ford, Ford Motor Company (F.N), Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK), General Motor’s (GM.N), Georgia, Germany, global, Honda Motor Co (7267.T), Hungary, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), industry mover, Japan, Japan’s, Kia Motors (000270.KS), LG Chem, LG CHEM LTD (051910.KS), Makers, Mercedes, Michigan, Nevada, Panasonic, PANASONIC CORP (6752.T), Plant, Poland, policy, Renault (RENA.PA), Rover [TAMOJL.UL], Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD (006400.KS), Shanghai, SK Innovation, SK INNOVATION CO LTD (096770.KS), South Korea, South Korean, subsidising, Tesla (TSLA.O), Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), U.S., U.S. investor, Uncategorized, United States, vehicles, Volkswagen, Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Volt, Volvo, Warren Buffett, world's | Leave a Comment »

27/11/2019

Modi’s loss in state election raises questions about bullet train

MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s richest state is set to be ruled by parties opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, jeopardising a Japanese-backed bullet-train project opposed by farmers.

The BJP’s inability to pull together voters in the westerly state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is capital, has meant that three parties, including a former BJP ally, will form the government. That is a major setback for Modi after his landslide victory in general elections this year.

It could also hinder the bullet train project, a $17 billion investment largely financed by a long-term, low-cost loan from Japan. The BJP was in power in both Maharashtra and Gujarat states when work began on project in 2017.

“We have always opposed the bullet train,” said Manisha Kayande, a spokesperson for the Shiv Sena, a former BJP ally whose leader is now set to head Maharashtra. “Our state is giving a major chunk of money for the project, when most of the track is in another state. This will definitely be re-framed,” .

The train will run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat state, a distance of 508 kilometres (315 miles). But it has run into obstacles acquiring land amid opposition from fruit farmers.

Any delay of the project is likely to undermine investor confidence, at a time when growth has slowed to its weakest pace in years.

Critics say India does not need the high-speed train and investment should go instead to improve the existing network.

“We are not against development or infrastructure projects, but at the same time farmers’ interests can’t be ignored. We will rethink about projects that farmers are opposing,” said a senior leader of Nationalist Congress Party, which is a part of the coalition government.

National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), the government agency overseeing the project, had no immediate comment.

The authorities have acquired 548 hectares land out of the total requirement 1,380 hectares and the project was targeted to be operational by 2023 , the government told parliament in July.

Protests against land acquisitions are common in India, where tens of millions of farmers till small holdings. A planned $44 billion refinery to be run by a consortium including Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, is also struggling to secure land in Maharashtra.

Source: Reuters

Posted in Ahmedabad, Bharatiya Janata Party, bullet-train project, farmers, Gujarat, India’s, Japan, Japanese-backed, jeopardising, Maharashtra, mumbai, National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), nationalist, opposed, parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s, richest state, ruled, Saudi Aramco, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

26/11/2019

China, Japan agree to further improve ties, strengthen people-to-people exchanges

JAPAN-TOKYO-CHINA-WANG YI-SHINZO ABE-MEETING

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

TOKYO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday agreed that both sides should work together to further improve bilateral ties and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

Japan and China have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges and positive progress in the improvement of bilateral relations recently, said Abe, adding that the Japanese side is eagerly looking forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit next spring and believes that it will be a major opportunity for promoting bilateral relations in the new era.

A stable Japan-China relationship is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in Asia, and is also crucial to addressing current global challenges. Japan is ready to work with China to usher in a new future of bilateral relations, he said.

Japan welcomes the launch of the high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and stands ready to work with China to continuously boost the affinity between the two peoples and properly handle sensitive differences so as to create a favorable atmosphere and conditions for the improvement and development of bilateral relations, he added.

Abe also said he is looking forward to further in-depth communication with Chinese leaders on bilateral ties during his visit to China next month to attend the China-Japan-ROK (Republic of Korea) leaders’ meeting.

Wang, for his part, said that with the political guidance of the two leaders and joint efforts of both sides, China-Japan relations have returned to the right track and have seen a sound momentum of improvement and development. The top leaders of the two countries had a successful meeting in Osaka in June and reached important consensus on building bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era.

The China-Japan relations have gone through twists and turns and the present situation has not come easily and should be doubly cherished, Wang said.

The two sides should push for continuous improvement and development of China-Japan relations from a longer-term and broader perspective, he said.

He called on the Japanese side to meet China halfway, take more positive actions, properly manage and handle differences so as to create a favorable atmosphere and conditions for the proposed major political and diplomatic agenda of the two countries.

The improvement and development of China-Japan relations not only conform to the interests of the two countries and peoples but also has great positive significance to regional peace and stability, injecting stability into the current world situation which is full of uncertainty, said Wang.

The Chinese side welcomes Abe to attend the China-Japan-ROK leaders’ meeting in China next month. China is willing to work with Japan to give full play to the role of the high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people exchanges, usher in a new era of exchanges between our peoples, localities and youth, and create a brighter future for bilateral relations, he said.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in agree, Asia, China alert, China-Japan-ROK (Republic of Korea), Chinese President Xi Jinping's, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, cornerstone, improve ties, Japan, Japan-China relationship, Japanese Prime Minister, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Osaka, peace, people-to-people exchanges, prosperity, State visit, Tokyo, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

16/11/2019

A rubbish story: China’s mega-dump full 25 years ahead of schedule

A worker prepares to cover the waste with a capping layer at the Tianziling landfill site on August 7, 2019 in HangzhouImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Image caption A worker applying a capping layer to a landfill site in Hangzhou

China’s largest dump is already full – 25 years ahead of schedule.

The Jiangcungou landfill in Shaanxi Province, which is the size of around 100 football fields, was designed to take 2,500 tonnes of rubbish per day.

But instead it received 10,000 tonnes of waste per day – the most of any landfill site in China.

China is one of the world’s biggest polluters, and has been struggling for years with the rubbish its 1.4 billion citizens generate.

How big is the landfill site?

The Jiangcungou landfill in Xi’an city was built in 1994 and was designed to last until 2044.

The landfill serves over 8 million citizens. It spans an area of almost 700,000 square metres, with a depth of 150 metres and a storage capacity of more than 34 million cubic metres.

Until recently, Xi’an was one of the few cities in China that solely relied on landfill to dispose of household waste – leading to capacity being reached early.

Earlier this month, a new incineration plant was opened, and at least four more are expected to open by 2020. Together, they are expected to be able to process 12,750 tonnes of rubbish per day.

The move is part of a national plan to reduce the number of landfills, and instead use other waste disposal methods like incineration.

The landfill site in Xi’an will eventually become an “ecological park”.

How much waste does China produce?

In 2017, China collected 215 million tonnes of urban household waste, according to the country’s statistical yearbook. That’s up from 152 million ten years earlier.

The country had 654 landfill sites and 286 incineration plants.

It is not clear what China’s recycling rate is, as no figures have been released. China plans to recycle 35% of waste in major cities by the end of 2020, according to one government report.

This July, sorting and recycling rubbish was made mandatory in Shanghai – leading to “a sense of panic” among some residents.

In 2015, there was a landslide at a rubbish dump in the southern city of Shenzhen, killing 73 people.

The dump was designed to hold four million cubic metres worth of rubbish, with a maximum height of 95 metres.

When it collapsed, it was holding 5.8m cubic metres of material with waste heaps up to 160m high.

Plastic waste in Kuala Langat
Image caption One town in Malaysia was left swamped with foreign waste

Does China deal with other countries’ waste?

Not anymore. It used to, until the end of 2017 when it decided to ban the import of 24 different grades of rubbish.

In 2017 alone, China took in seven million tonnes of plastic rubbish from Europe, Japan and the US – and 27 million tonnes of waste paper.

Other countries, including Malaysia, Turkey, the Philippines and Indonesia, have picked up some of the slack.

But they struggled to deal with the amount of waste coming in – often times resulting in massive, out-of-control landfills in their own countries.

Some of these countries have now banned the import of certain types of rubbish and are even sending it back.

Source: The BBC

Posted in 25 years, ahead, China's, Europe, full, Hangzhou, incineration, Indonesia, Japan, Jiangcungou, landfill site, Malaysia, mega-dump, Philippines, picked up, plastic rubbish, recycling rubbish, rubbish story, schedule, shaanxi province, Shanghai, Shenzhen, slack, the Philippines, Turkey, Uncategorized, US, waste paper, Xi'an city | Leave a Comment »

28/10/2019

Putin accepts Duterte invite, just before Manila-Beijing South China Sea oil talks. Coincidence?

  • The president is set to become the first Russian leader to make a state visit to the Philippines for more than 40 years, according to a former envoy
  • Moscow is aware of China’s entry into the Philippines, and could have its eye on some projects there, while the US is also watching developments
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shake hands during a 2016 meeting in Peru. Photo: EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shake hands during a 2016 meeting in Peru. Photo: EPA
The timing of Moscow’s announcement over the weekend that President Vladimir Putin
has accepted an invitation to visit Manila has raised eyebrows, as it comes on the eve of crucial bilateral talks between the Philippines and China on joint oil exploration in the

South China Sea

.

In a statement immediately welcomed by the Philippine presidential palace, Igor Khovaev, Russia’s ambassador to the Philippines, on Saturday told reporters Putin had accepted Duterte’s invitation “with gratitude”.

No date has been set for the visit, with Khovaev only saying Moscow would “do our best to arrange this meeting as soon as possible”.

A steering committee with representatives from both Manila and Beijing is set to meet this week to discuss the joint oil exploration deal. China has proposed a 60 per cent-40 per cent split in favour of the Philippines, according to Hermogenes Esperon, 

Courting Russia with South China Sea oil is a ‘dangerous gamble’ for Duterte

Neither side has clarified if the split refers to ownership or revenue, and no other details were disclosed.

After an August meeting with Duterte, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the countries could take a “bigger step” in jointly developing oil and gas resources if they could properly handle their sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea.

But defence and security analysts say the Philippine president took a “dangerous gamble” on a visit to Russia last month, when he invited the Russian state oil company Rosneft to explore for oil in Philippine waters – which include parts of the South China Sea claimed by China.

The timing of Moscow’s announcement has not gone unnoticed.

A Chinese deepwater oil rig in the South China Sea. Photo: Weibo
A Chinese deepwater oil rig in the South China Sea. Photo: Weibo

“It’s a welcome and historic development. Some wise guy in the Duterte government thought about timing [the invitation to Putin around the oil talks with Beijing],” said retired Philippine ambassador Lauro Baja, who once served as president of the United Nations Security Council.

Baja told the Post that no Russian president had visited the Philippines during his more than 40 years with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“The Philippines then was almost a nonentity as far as Russia was concerned, [but] maybe now Russia recognises the strategic importance of the Philippines [in terms of] regional politics,” he said.

Baja said Moscow was aware of China’s entry into the Philippines, and could have its eye on some projects there.

“For all their so-called alliance, China and Russia are fierce competitors for influence and other benefits. And I think Russia has some objectives in mind like selling armaments and [forging] technological agreements,” he said, while cautioning that the situation remained “nebulous”.

New Philippines military chief sees no ‘shooting war’ in South China Sea despite disputes

“It’s a fascinating development but things are still early … For now, this is [just] an invitation extended by Duterte and accepted in principle by Putin.”

The United States will also be monitoring developments in the Philippines, according to Greg Poling, director of the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

“Russia is eager to boost its influence in the region, and doubtless doing so with a long-standing US ally is seen as a bonus by Moscow,” he said. “There is nothing that prevents the Philippines from engaging in security cooperation with Russia, but the devil will be in the details.”

Poling added that the US would be concerned if Russia-Philippine cooperation involved acquiring military platforms that were incompatible with the shared platforms and doctrines used by Washington and Manila, as well as the latter’s other major security partners, namely Australia, Japan and South Korea.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte inspects firearms donated by Russia in 2017. Photo: Reuters
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte inspects firearms donated by Russia in 2017. Photo: Reuters

“The US will also be concerned if any acquisitions or cooperation with Russia might threaten information security or intelligence cooperation between the US and the Philippines,” he said.

“And finally, any major platforms acquired from Russia would likely require the US to impose sanctions on the Philippines unless a waiver is granted, and the US government has been very stingy about awarding those waivers because they undermine the effectiveness of the sanctions regime.”

Moscow last week offered to help the Philippines produce its own arms for both domestic use and export with the help of Russian technology. Max Montero, an Australia-based Filipino security consultant, viewed that offer as “a swipe at the US”.

“Imagine a US stronghold and long-time ally and former colony becoming a manufacturing hub for Russian arms. And it makes it worse if [the Philippine armed forces] buys them too,” he said.

“Weakening the US alliances in Asia will benefit Russia [as it is] one of the US’ competitors in arms sales and geopolitics.”

Russia offers arms technology to the Philippines with ‘no conditions’ as US ties falter

The Philippines, Montero said, would benefit from such an arrangement since it is “a laggard in defence technology”. However, he pointed out that the country’s armed forces continue to buy weapons from the US and receive American arms as grants, potentially limiting the domestic market for Russian arms.

Navy cooperation has also been on the agenda, as Moscow and Manila discussed signing a new naval pact in March, while warships from each country have visited the other this year. Philippine naval vessels made their first-ever visit to Russia in October, while three Russian ships docked in the Philippines for a goodwill visit in January.

Russia is the top supplier of arms to Southeast Asia, and the No 2 global arms supplier, behind the US. Southeast Asia bought US$6.6 billion of Russian arms between 2010 and 2017, or more than 12 per cent of Russia’s sales, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Swedish think tank that publishes global arms tracking data.

Source: SCMP

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26/10/2019

Merger of China’s shipbuilding giants gets the green light

  • After nearly 10 years of planning, the country’s two shipbuilders will be reunited with a combined revenue of US$141.5 billion
China’s two shipbuilding giants have built hundreds of military vessels over the past few years as the country’s navy seeks to modernise rapidly. Photo: Xinhua
China’s two shipbuilding giants have built hundreds of military vessels over the past few years as the country’s navy seeks to modernise rapidly. Photo: Xinhua

China on Friday announced the merger of the country’s two largest state-owned shipbuilding giants, a step Beijing has been preparing for nearly a decade to strengthen the competitiveness of its shipbuilding industry.

The intention to merge the Shanghai-based China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) and the China Shipbuilding Industry Co (CSIC), based in Dalian, Northern Liaoning province, was announced in a statement on the website of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, China’s cabinet.

The merger would enable China to establish a shipbuilding giant with a combined revenue up to 1 trillion yuan (US$141.5 billion), capable of building vessels ranging from warships, like aircraft carriers, to civilian ships such as container ships and oil tankers, said a source familiar with the merger plan.

“This merger has been in the making since Hu Wenming, a former party leader of the state-owned aviation industry, was assigned to CSSC as party secretary in 2010,” the source said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

“The merger plan was put on the drawing board at a time when the world shipping industry had entered a golden period in 2009, and the business of CSSC and CSIC was at its peak, but [China’s] analysis indicated a decline was on the horizon, as has actually happened in recent years.”
Chinese shipbuilder touts warships in push to expand arms sales in region

CSIC and CSSC were part of the same group until 1999 when they were split into two separate entities. Since then, China has overtaken South Korea and Japan to become the world’s largest builder of merchant ships, a rise spurred by the boom in world trade and the country’s accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001.

CSSC manages shipbuilding business in the east and south of China, while CSIC oversees activities in the northern and western parts of the country. Both are also primary contractors for PLA naval ships.

Commercial shipbuilding was the major source of revenue for both enterprises, given they were generally less technologically challenging and of lower cost to build, the source said.

“Developing and building warships for the PLA needs more manpower and more advanced technologies because naval ships, which are built for sea battles, take longer to build and require cutting-edge technologies, hence the higher costs,” the source said.

China tests new warships in live-fire drills near Vietnam
CSSC and CSIC have built hundreds of military vessels over the past few years as the Chinese navy seeks to modernise rapidly. These have included aircraft carriers, Type 055 destroyers, Type 075 amphibious assault ships and Type 094A nuclear submarines.
But, the source said, the two giants’ naval warship building mission would be cut back next year, as Beijing expected greater financial pressure as a result of slower economic growth. The merger would allow the two companies to pool their resources and enhance their competitiveness, especially in the development of mega vessels.
But the source said the two giants’ naval warships building missions would be cut back beginning next year as Beijing foresees greater financial pressure as a result of slower economic growth. The merger will allow the two companies to pool their resources and enhance their competitiveness, especially in areas of mega vessels.
“The merger is also part of China’s long-term maritime energy development plan to meet President Xi Jinping’s sustainable and clean energy goal, because China needs more giant vessels to help ship oil and gas from other countries,” the source said.
Source: SCMP

Posted in aircraft carriers, Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Beijing, China Shipbuilding Industry Co (CSIC), China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), China’s, China’s cabinet, Chinese State Council, civilian ships, competitiveness, container ships, Dalian, giants, green light, industry, Japan, Liaoning province, merchant ships, Merger, military vessels, oil tankers, PLA naval ships, Shanghai, shipbuilding, shipbuilding giants, South Korea, Uncategorized, Vietnam, warships, World Trade Organisation (WTO) | Leave a Comment »

25/10/2019

Chinese vice president visits Japan to promote ties

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (L) attends a banquet held by Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 22, 2019. Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Friday rounded off a fruitful friendly visit to Japan. During the five-day visit as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy, Wang attended the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. (Xinhua)

SAPPORO, Japan, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Friday rounded off a fruitful friendly visit to Japan, with the two neighbors pledging continued efforts to foster a relationship that fits the needs of the new era.

During the five-day visit as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy, Wang attended the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito, and met separately with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso.

On Tuesday, when Emperor Naruhito officially proclaimed his enthronement, Wang conveyed to him and Empress Masako the sincere congratulations of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, and asked the emperor and empress to pass on Xi and Peng’s cordial greetings to Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.

Emperor Naruhito, for his part, asked Wang to communicate to the Chinese president and his wife the genuine gratitude and best wishes of the imperial couple as well as of the emperor emeritus and empress emerita.

In his meeting with Abe, Wang conveyed to him the cordial greetings of Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and expressed sympathies over the serious casualties and losses caused by Typhoon Hagibis, an unusually monstrous tropical cyclone that recently wreaked havoc in Japan.

The vice president recalled that Xi and Abe met in the Japanese city of Osaka in June and reached a series of important consensus on pushing for a China-Japan relationship that fits the needs of the new era, creating new opportunities for the development of bilateral ties.

The two sides, he added, should abide by the principles set forth in the four political documents between China and Japan, properly address such issues as history and Taiwan, and ensure that their relations will move forward along the right track of peace, friendship and cooperation.

China stands ready to work with Japan to continuously cement political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, expand people-to-people exchanges and build a constructive security relationship, said Wang.

He also called on the two countries to join hands to act as defenders of multilateralism, promoters of open cooperation, and practitioners of cross-civilization dialogue, and make positive contributions to advancing global and regional peace, stability and development.

Noting that Xi has accepted in principle Abe’s invitation for a state visit to Japan next spring, Wang said he hopes that the two sides will maintain close contact and coordination, so as to create a favorable environment and a conducive atmosphere and ensure that the visit will materialize smoothly and achieve complete success.

The Japanese prime minister once again extended congratulations on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and thanked Xi for sending Wang as his special envoy to attend Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony and pay a friendly visit to Japan.

Japan and China have a long history of exchanges and boast a solid traditional friendship, Abe said, adding that today the two countries enjoy steadily deepening cooperation on economy and trade, deal with international affairs side by side, and shoulder great responsibility for peace and prosperity in Asia as well as the whole world.

As both countries are entering a new era, and the Osaka meeting has facilitated a full return of Japan-China relations to normal development, the two sides have huge potential in future cooperation, added the Japanese prime minister.

The Japanese side, he said, earnestly looks forward to Xi’s state visit to Japan in the coming spring, and is willing to properly handle the Taiwan question and other sensitive issues.

He added that his country stands ready to make concerted efforts with China to enhance top-level planning for bilateral relations, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, and build a Japan-China relationship that is beautiful, harmonious, future-oriented and vigorous.

In his meeting with Aso, Wang said China and Japan, as important countries in Asia and major economies in the world, should more consciously perceive and handle their relationship against the backdrop of the world and the times, and manage and plan it from long-term, strategic perspectives.

In the new era, the two countries have broader common interests and more common concerns, and the strategic value of their relationship is growing ever more prominent, noted the Chinese vice president.

China, he said, stands ready to work with Japan to effectively seize the opportunities and, with their eyes set on the future and the big picture, comprehensively strengthen coordination and communication in various areas including financial cooperation, so as to lift bilateral ties to a higher level.

Aso said that boosting candid, open and constructive exchanges between the two countries is conducive to bilateral relations, and that Japan supports open market and free trade, and is willing to step up communication and cooperation with China in the financial realm.

The Japanese side, added the deputy prime minister, is actively making preparations in order to foster a conducive atmosphere for Xi’s planned visit next year.

Also during his stay in Japan, Wang held separate meetings with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Governor Naomichi Suzuki of the Hokkaido prefecture.

In addition, he met with Pakistani President Arif Alvi in Tokyo.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), China-Japan relationship, Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Chinese vice president, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, congratulations, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, Empress Emerita Michiko, Empress Masako, enthronement ceremony, fruitful friendly visit, Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Osaka, Pakistani President, Peng Liyuan, President Xi Jinping, Taiwan, Taro Aso, Tokyo, tropical cyclone, Typhoon Hagibis, Uncategorized, wreaked havoc | Leave a Comment »

23/10/2019

Chinese ‘panda’ pet cafe raises eyebrows

A 'panda' dog in a Chinese pet cafeImage copyright HONGXING NEWS
Image caption A pet cafe in China’s Sichuan province lets people play with dogs dyed to look like pandas.

​Animal cafes have been springing up all over the world for the last two decades as a place for animal lovers to enjoy a meal alongside their furry friends.

But a new “panda” cafe in Chengdu in south-western China – internationally known as the home of the giant panda – is raising eyebrows and a lot of concern.

According to the Chengdu Economic Daily, a cafe recently opened in Chengdu, seems at first glance to be home to six giant panda cubs.

But the “panda” cafe is – in fact – all bark and no bite because on closer inspection, it turns out they are actually the Chow Chow breed of dogs, which have been dyed to look like China’s national animal.

‘Could damage their fur and skin’

The owner of the cafe, Mr Huang, says that as well as serving food and drink, the cafe provides a dyeing service.

He tells Hongxing News that he imports his dye from Japan and has hired special staff for dyeing the dogs.

“Every time we dye it costs 1,500 yuan [$211; £163],” he says. “The dye is really expensive.” He says that this is to ensure the quality of the dye, and says that it in no way affects the animals.

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Hongxing News says that a short video inside the cafe had raised awareness of it nationally and has boosted visitor figures.

But it has also raised a lot of concern. One vet, Li Daibing, told Hongxing News that he urged people not to dye their pets, saying: “This could damage their fur and skin.”

A giant panda in ChengduImage copyright VCG
Image caption Chengdu has become a popular tourist site for seeing the vulnerable species, and national Chinese treasure: the giant panda.

‘Has become normal’

Dyeing pets became a full-blown craze in China in the early 2010s, first for competitions, but then amidst a domestic wave of “extreme dog pampering”.

Since, however, there has been a growing consciousness in China about animal ethics and testing. Many of the thousands of social media users commenting on the popular Sina Weibo microblog have voiced their concern about such treatments being used on animals.

Many call the idea “crazy” and note that hair dye can “damage people’s hair and scalp”, so could similarly affect a dog.

But others argue that “it’s really cute”, and say that they perceive animal dyeing “has become normal”.

It’s not just China either – earlier this year, the Latitude Festival in Suffolk was criticised by the RSPCA after a flock of sheep were dyed pink.

Source: The BBC

Posted in Chengdu, Chengdu Economic Daily, Chinese, Chow Chow, dye, eyebrows, Giant panda, Hongxing News, Japan, Latitude Festival, national Chinese treasure, panda, pet cafe, raises, RSPCA, sichuan province, Sina Weibo, Suffolk, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

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