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

19/06/2014

China, ASEAN to have South China Sea talks – Xinhua | English.news.cn

China is willing to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to promote a code of conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday.

Map of the South China Sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hua’s comment came ahead of the 11th joint working group meeting between China and ASEAN on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DoC) of Parties in the South China Sea. The meeting will be held from next Tuesday to Wednesday in Bali, Indonesia. “China is ready to work with the ASEAN for comprehensive and effective implementation of the declaration and steadily push forward consultations on a CoC,” Hua said. Maritime cooperation on navigation security and joint search and rescue will be discussed during the meeting, Hua said. She called for favorable conditions for the implementation of the DoC and formulation of a CoC to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. China and ASEAN officials met in March in Singapore for the 10th joint working group meeting on the implementation of the DoC. via China, ASEAN to have South China Sea talks – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

Posted in China alert, GeoPolitics, Good news, Neighbour conflict, Politics, Territorial dispute | Leave a Comment »

Tags: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Bali, China, Code of conduct, Singapore, South China, South China Sea

18/06/2014

At the World Cup, It’s Made in China, Sold in Brazil – China Real Time Report – WSJ

From the official Adidas ball to armadillo figurines, China may not have made the World Cup this year, but its factories are keeping soccer fans supplied. As Chao Deng and Jenny W. Hsu report:

Made in China, sold in Brazil. So it goes for many a product going to fans across the world.

The country is manufacturing a long list of World Cup memorabilia—from figurines of the armadillo that serves as the games’ official mascot to wigs, flags and caps. And who could forget the (Chinese-made) vuvuzelas that cropped up when South Africa hosted the last cup? This year, the country is stocking fans with an alternative instrument, the percussive Brazilian caxirolas.

While there is no official tally of how much of the sales profits China will keep, margins could be thinning given the rise in domestic labor costs. Many global sportswear brands outsourced their production to Taiwan in the late 1980s, before the Chinese labor market opened up in 1990s, says Mr. Poon. But now, as wages rise in both China and in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, competition between factories is “not only about who’s the cheapest but who’s most efficient” in production.

“The term ‘Made in China’ is slowly becoming the definition of high-quality, even though it wasn’t the case in the past,” said Simon Lee, president of Wagon Group, the Taiwanese-owned Chinese company that is responsible for 80% of the officially licensed souvenirs for this year’s World Cup.

via At the World Cup, It’s Made in China, Sold in Brazil – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

Posted in China alert, Economics | 1 Comment »

Tags: 2014 FIFA World Cup, Adidas, Brazil, China, FIFA World Cup, South Africa, Taiwan, World Cup

17/06/2014

China battles to be first ecological civilisation – environment – 13 June 2014 – New Scientist

SO YOU want to live in a country that is guided by a philosophy of “ecological civilisation”, run by people with the vision to implement policies that will benefit their children even if it costs more in the short term? Move to China.

Easing off coal

Not convinced? Last week, news circulated that China is considering limiting its greenhouse gas emissions so that they peak in 2030, followed by an orchestrated fall.

It was one man’s view, expressed at a Beijing conference, not an official announcement. But He Jiankun is chairman of China’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change, and his words are in line with actions China is now taking to address global warming.

“China is already doing a lot,” says Fergus Green of the London School of Economics. “They are probably making the most progress of any country, given that they are starting from a position that is far more challenging.”

“Things are changing very, very fast,” says Changhua Wu of The Climate Group think tank in Beijing.

To be clear, China is still the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. Cities like Beijing are plagued by smog, and efforts to clean them up may just move the pollution elsewhere. But there is a huge push for change.

Water scarcity and awareness that China will suffer from global warming are factors, but it is health concerns that loom large. The air in many cities is dangerous to breathe, the water is toxic and there are often food health scares. “People are fed up,” says Wu.

Premier Li Keqiang has declared a “war on pollution”. His leadership has drawn up a philosophical framework called ecological civilisation. It aims to “bring everything back to the relationship between man and nature”, says Wu, and is driving major changes.

Prompted by the idea that used resources must be paid for, China has launched carbon trading schemes in six areas. There, companies must pay to pollute, and abide by a cap on overall emissions. A seventh scheme should start within weeks. They will form the world’s second largest carbon trading scheme, after Europe’s. A national programme should begin this decade.

China has set targets to make more wealth using less energy and it is on course to meet them. It contributes one-fifth of global investment in renewables, more than any other nation, has more installed wind power than anywhere else and in 2013 doubled its solar capacity.

The smog is turning people off dirty power. Construction of coal-fired power stations peaked in 2007 (see graph), and smaller power stations are being switched off. According to the London-based think tank Carbon Tracker, 10 out of 30 provinces have cut their coal use, and wind capacity is growing twice as fast as coal. “The coal-fired power plants that China is building are some of the most high-tech and efficient available,” says Carbon Tracker’s Luke Sussams. There are also schemes in place to make people who pollute water pay those who suffer as a result.

Environmentalists have pushed policies like these for years. But while Western nations debate them, China is testing them and rolling out those that work.

via China battles to be first ecological civilisation – environment – 13 June 2014 – New Scientist.

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

Tags: Beijing, Carbon Trading, China, Climate Group, Committee on Climate Change, London, London School of Economics, Yenisei Kirghiz

17/06/2014

China’s Gray-Haired Set Could Boost Digital Shopping – China Real Time Report – WSJ

Online shopping in China isn’t just for the young, according to a new survey. That could be good news for an already quickly growing e-commerce industry that largely caters to the young.

While the bulk of online shoppers are still in their 20s and 30s, a survey published Tuesday by data provider Nielsen said the number of online consumers aged 55 or older grew 72% between 2012 and 2013. It cited data from Taobao, one of China’s largest shopping websites, which is owned by Alibaba Group, though it didn’t release the underlying figures.

“China could become the world’s most aged society by 2030,” said Tao Libao, a Nielsen official with responsibility for e-commerce, in a prepared statement. “The elderly online consumers deserve more attention from both current online retailers and brick-and-mortar retailers who are going to venture online.” People aged over 60 could be 30% of China’s population by 2030, Mr. Tao said.

They survey said they tend to be more careful shoppers, attracted by easy price comparisons and special discounts given that they often have less income than younger people.

“It’s cheaper to buy online,” said Zhang Jinnian, a Beijing shopper in her fifties who has been using the internet to shop for the past year. In that time she has bought clothes, shoes and a bicycle online. “It’s always more expensive in a store,” said Ms. Zhang, who declined to give her exact age.

via China’s Gray-Haired Set Could Boost Digital Shopping – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

Glance: China’s Alibaba has deep tentacles in China’s retail and Internet giants

Posted in aging population, China alert, Consumer, eCommerce, Economics | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Alibaba, Alibaba Group, Beijing, China, E-commerce, EBAY, Online shopping, Online shopping in China, Tao Libao, Taobao, Zhang Jinnian

17/06/2014

Top China diplomat to visit Vietnam in possible thaw over oil rig | Reuters

China’s top diplomat will visit Vietnam on Wednesday in a sign the two countries want to ease tensions over China’s deployment of an oil rig in the disputed South China Sea, but experts said there were many obstacles to healing the ruptured relationship.

Map of the South China Sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The visit by State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who outranks the foreign minister, will be the highest level direct contact between Beijing and Hanoi since a Chinese state oil company parked the rig in waters claimed by both countries on May 2. Yang would attend an annual meeting on bilateral cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing. Vietnamese officials said Yang would meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung as well as the head of the country’s ruling communist party. “We hope that Vietnam keeps its eye on the broader picture, meets China halfway and appropriately resolves the present situation,” Hua said, without directly mentioning the rig. Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said the rig would be discussed. Ties between the two neighbours have been largely frozen since early May, with both sides constantly accusing the other of inflaming the situation. Dozens of Vietnamese and Chinese coastguard and fishing vessels have repeatedly squared off around the rig, resulting in a number of collisions. via Top China diplomat to visit Vietnam in possible thaw over oil rig | Reuters.

Posted in China alert, Diplomacy, Economics, Foreign invasion, foreign policy, GeoPolitics, Good news, History, Military, Neighbour conflict, Politics, Territorial dispute | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Beijing, China, Hanoi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Nguyen Tan Dung, Paracel Island, South China Sea, Vietnam

17/06/2014

China Seeks Shorter, ‘More Portly’ Troops With Brainpower – Bloomberg

China’s military has relaxed its height, eyesight and weight requirements for soldiers in an effort to attract more educated personnel, the state-owned China Daily newspaper said today.

Male recruits can now be 1.6 meters tall (5 foot 2 inches), down from 1.62 meters, while the minimum height for women will reduced by the same margin to 1.58 meters, the paper said, citing the Ministry of Defense’s recruitment office. The upper weight limit for male enlistees was also relaxed to “allow more portly young men” into the military, it said.

Eyesight standards were also lowered because nearly 70 percent of high school and university students in China are short-sighted, it said. Mental illnesses including schizophrenia, dissociative disorder, depression and bipolar disorder has also been removed from a list of conditions barring candidates from enlisting, according to the paper.

The looser requirements come as President Xi Jinping tries to hone the world’s largest army by headcount into a professional fighting force capable of winning wars. Efforts by China’s military to attract better-educated recruits to match its modern weaponry has been hampered by a decline in the health of candidates. According to Beijing’s army recruitment office, some 60 percent of college students fail the physical fitness examination, with most graduates being overweight, the China Daily reported in August.

via China Seeks Shorter, ‘More Portly’ Troops With Brainpower – Bloomberg.

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

Tags: Beijing, Bipolar disorder, China, China’s military, health, mental-health, Military, President Xi Jinping, recruitment office, weight requirements, Xi JinPing

16/06/2014

China aims to revamp justice system but Communist Party to retain control | Reuters

Legal reforms are a key platform for President Xi Jinping‘s government to restore popular faith in the Party and judicial system amid simmering public discontent over miscarriages of justice often caused by officials‘ abuse of power.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the sixth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 5, 2014. REUTERS/Ng Han Guan/Pool

China must “improve the requirements for appointing justices and prosecutors while upholding the principles of leading party officials and respecting the rule of justice”, an unnamed official in the top office in charge of judicial reforms told the official Xinhua news agency.

It did not say when the pilot programs would be launched.

To limit interference by local governments, provincial governments will pick judges and prosecutors and fix the budgets of local courts and procuratorates, Xinhua reported. The system currently gives local governments greater sway in appointments.

Panels of legal specialists at the provincial level will nominate judges and prosecutors, but the Party must still approve their appointments.

The reforms must “uphold the Party’s leadership,” the official said, signaling a willingness by the central leadership to improve its courts as long as the Party’s overall control is not threatened.

Critics have described the leadership’s call for greater independence for courts as a hollow gesture, because judges ultimately answer to the Party.

via China aims to revamp justice system but Communist Party to retain control | Reuters.

Posted in China alert, Illegal practices, Justice, Law suit, Politics, Rule of law | Leave a Comment »

Tags: China, Communist Party, communist party of china, Government, judicial system, miscarriages of justice, President Xi Jinping, Xi JinPing

14/06/2014

First there was fake Apple stores in China now fake Ikea shop found in Kunming | Mail Online

It seems that Kunming in the southwest corner of China is the world capital of knock-off shops.

Seem familiar? Employees push a shopping cart past the information desk at the lobby of the 11 Furniture Store

Apple recently found five counterfeit versions of its stores there after blogger BirdAbroad posted photos of one online – and now a fake Ikea has surfaced.

It’s called 11 Furniture and is a 10,000 square metre, four-storey replica that’s virtually identical to the Swedish-made version.

It copies Ikea’s blue-and-yellow colour scheme, mock-up rooms, miniature pencils, signage and even its rocking chair designs. Its cafeteria-style restaurant, complete with minimalist wooden tables, has a familiar look, although the menu features Chinese-style braised minced pork and eggs instead of Ikea’s Swedish meatballs and salmon.

This knock-off Ikea store is emblematic of a new wave of piracy sweeping through China. Increasingly sophisticated counterfeiters no longer just pump out fake luxury handbags, DVDs and sports shoes but replicate the look, feel and service of successful Western retail concepts — in essence, pirating the entire brand experience.

‘This is a new phenomenon,’ said Adam Xu, retail analyst with Booz&Co. ‘Typically there are a lot of fake products, now we see more fakes in the service aspect in terms of (faking) the retail formats.’

via First there was fake Apple stores in China now fake Ikea shop found in Kunming | Mail Online.

Counterfeit Apple Stores open for business in China

Posted in China alert, Consumer, fake, Retail | Leave a Comment »

Tags: Apple, Apple Store, Apple stores, Cafeteria, China, DVD, Ikea, Kunming, Meatball

14/06/2014

‘Fake’ government toppled by Chinese police – Telegraph

It will go down as one of the most audacious attempts at Chinese fakery yet: a bid to forge an entire government.

Police in central China say they have brought down a 'counterfeit government'

That is what police claim happened in Dengzhou, a city 480 miles northwest of Shanghai, in Henan province, with more than 1.5 million inhabitants.

Three of the city’s farmers were this week facing charges of forging official documents after allegedly trying to build a parallel and entirely fictitious government for reasons that remain obscure, the local Dahe News Online website reported.

The “counterfeit government” began operating last September when Zhang Haixin, Ma Xianglan and Wang Liangshuang, three villagers, proclaimed themselves the leaders of the self-styled Dengzhou People’s Government.

The trio reportedly accused the incumbent Communist Party administration of “dereliction of duty” and opened their own headquarters just around the corner from those of the city’s real governors.

via ‘Fake’ government toppled by Chinese police – Telegraph.

Posted in China alert, fake | Leave a Comment »

Tags: China, chinese police, Communists, Dengzhou, Dengzhou People's Government, Government, Henan, Henan province, Ma Xianglan, politics, Shanghai, Zhang Haixin

14/06/2014

BBC News – China’s literal take on World Cup fever

The Global Times started it. The headline in the Communist Party controlled newspaper ran: Soccer fever kicks off fake sick notes.

Citing the painful 11-hour time difference between China and Brazil – meaning games kick-off sometime between midnight and 06:00 – the article suggested that opportunistic online wheeler-dealers were offering the fraudulent diagnoses to enable fans to take the day off.

There are certainly a lot of football fans in China.

The national team may be a long-running embarrassment, having only ever qualified for one World Cup, back in 2002, but the passion is still there.

The time difference with South Africa wasn’t all that much better than Brazil but China still accounted for the largest single-country audience for the 2010 tournament, with an average of 17.5 million tuning in for each live match.

Chinese are known for their love of football

For a relatively small fee, a sick-note can be arranged

A veritable peoples’ army of genuine football craziness, no doubt. But an army of sick-note slackers and skivers?

China’s artistry for fakery has been well documented. Fake bags and watches, fake cars even, are old news. Recent reports uncovered the existence of a fake UN peacekeeping force.

So it is not surprising, and not at all difficult, to find the online services offering bogus medical documentation.

Within minutes we were being asked what ailment we preferred, and from which hospital we would like the diagnosis to be provided.

An hour or so later and our very authentic-looking sick-note was delivered by a man on a moped. Fee charged, roughly $16 (£9).

But is demand for these services really, as the Global Times suggests, soaring as a result of the World Cup?

Our dealer denied it, but we did find another one who suggested that business of late was unusually brisk.

There’s a chance though that it might not be down to devious football fans at all, but rather an upsurge of journalists, like me, trying to prove just how easy sick notes are to obtain.

Following a quick scan of the foreign media I’m saddened to report that the Telegraph’s man in Shanghai has gone down with a respiratory tract infection, the reporter for US National Public Radio has a bad bout of gastroenteritis (beginning this coming Sunday) and someone in NBC News‘s China office has been diagnosed with chronic appendicitis.

May they all get well soon.

via BBC News – China’s literal take on World Cup fever.

VIDEO: Lineker’s four teams to win World Cup

Posted in China alert, fake, Social & cultural | Leave a Comment »

Tags: 2010 FIFA World Cup, Brazil, China, Medical certificate, NPR, World Cup

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, ASEAN to have South China Sea talks – Xinhua | English.news.cn

At the World Cup, It’s Made in China, Sold in Brazil – China Real Time Report – WSJ

China battles to be first ecological civilisation – environment – 13 June 2014 – New Scientist

China’s Gray-Haired Set Could Boost Digital Shopping – China Real Time Report – WSJ

Top China diplomat to visit Vietnam in possible thaw over oil rig | Reuters

China Seeks Shorter, ‘More Portly’ Troops With Brainpower – Bloomberg

China aims to revamp justice system but Communist Party to retain control | Reuters

First there was fake Apple stores in China now fake Ikea shop found in Kunming | Mail Online

‘Fake’ government toppled by Chinese police – Telegraph

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