Just links today:

• Taoism also part of China’s soft power – People’s Daily Online
• The Uncertain Future of Beijing’s Migrant Schools – China Digital Times (CDT)
• 华盛顿应克制民主说教的冲动（国际论坛）–国际–人民网
  Zhong Sheng in People’s Daily: Washington should check its urge to preach democracy//
  美国如何更好地加入亚洲发展进程，为亚洲的稳定与发展发挥建设性作用，这是一道值得思考的难题。要想解答得好，华盛顿先要调整好自己的心态，克制住总想当“民主说教者”的冲动。
• Li Peng’s thoughts get a big airing | SCMP.com
  People’s Daily promotes former premier’s books on economy and runs commentary criticising Western economics, as factions jockey ahead of party meeting
• Railroaded into a Fast-Train Technology Trap – Caixin Online
  Fast-train companies nationwide are paying heavily for a decision that favors ‘technology transfers’ over homegrown development
• No Point in Protesting against Protests – Caixin Online
  As ‘not in my backyard’ demonstrations become more common in China, local governments must change their priorities and become more responsive
• In Shanghai, Payoffs and Planning Go Together – Caixin Online
  Hu Jun has become the third Shanghai planning agency deputy director ousted for bribery since 2008
• Seven Officials Detained in Guangzhou Corruption Raid – Caixin Online
  Party disciplinary authorities detained seven urban management officials on allegations of taking bribes related to construction permits and government contracts
• Luxury Developer Sets Record with Beijing Land Purchase – Caixin Online
  Sinobo develops and manages urban high-end projects. The average price per square meter of homes in the Heritage Estate, one of its projects in Beijing, is 130,000 yuan.
• Sany abandoned one of the branches in Zhangjiakou – Companies & Industries – Morning Whistle – Latest chinese economic, financial, business, political and society news
  any Heavy Industry Co.,Ltd, the sixth-largest heavy machinery manufacturing company has been fighting against the reports that they are cutting jobs on a large scale since the begining of this year. But local media reported again that one of its branch, Sany Zhangjiakou Wind Power Technology Co., LTD, located in Zhangjiakou city, Hebei province, was totally collapsed.
• Land King in Beijing is an isolated case – Companies & Industries – Morning Whistle – Latest chinese economic, financial, business, political and society news
  After 10 times of price quoting online and 46 times of price bidding in the auction, Wanliu residential land plot in Beijing’s Haidian District was finally handed over to Beijing Sinobo Group.,Ltd.(Sinobo), a private company investing in property, mining and e-commerce.
• Analysis: Latin America’s love affair with China may sour | Reuters
  (Reuters) – Latin America has developed a dangerous dependency on China as a voracious consumer of commodity exports and the region now faces a potential hit as the huge Asian economy cools.
• Analysis: Banks play cat-and-mouse with Beijing to comply with rules | Reuters
  so just like american and european banks. the chinese bankers have learned from the masters//
  China’s banks are playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the Beijing authorities, window-dressing deposit numbers at the end of each quarter to meet regulatory requirements on how much funds they must hold.
• 曲折探矿权|宁夏|矿权|民企_21世纪网
  宁夏一家申请探矿权的民企，缘何受到地方政府的行政处罚，并深陷一场历时7年的法律纠纷。
• Huawei hires former U.S. defense contractor official – The Washington Post
  Huawei Technologies, the world’s second-largest vendor of telecommunications equipment, has hired a former U.S. defense contractor official as its chief security officer as it tries to counter perceptions that the China-based firm is trying to insert its technology into U.S. systems on behalf of Chinese intelligence services….Donald “Andy” Purdy, the former chief cybersecurity strategist for Falls Church-based CSC, began his new job Tuesday. The move comes as Congress is conducting an investigation into alleged links between Huawei and the Chinese government.
• The Useless Tree: A Confucian Constitution for China: Where’s the Popular Sovereignty?
  Bell and Jiang’s argument is, then, simply political. They are skeptical about how a “Western multi-party democracy” might fit contemporary Chinese circumstances, and likely believe that authoritarianism has suited China just fine. They may also, I suspect, not like what China has become: a socially and culturally pluralistic and dynamic society that has moved away from tradition and toward various possibilities of modern politics and economics.
• In China, Tensions Between Church and Government – NYTimes.com
• Hanoi will feel pain for helping US return – Globaltimes.cn
  The only viable path for Vietnam is to coordinate with China to limit the US pivot to Asia. The territorial disputes should not turn into hostility against each other. Instead of being a link in the US chain containing China, Vietnam can be a post against deep US involvement in Asia.Hanoi has been keen on facilitating the US return to Asia in the last few years. It should be clear that the pressure Washington has placed on China will be felt in Vietnam. It will very likely be among the first victims if East Asia is overwhelmed by political disturbances.
• Negative influence of US’Asia strategy must be eliminated – People’s Daily Online
  In recent years, cooperation among East Asian countries has maintained a flourishing momentum. The peace, stability and development are common wishes of countries of the region. One major purpose for the economically-gloomy United States to declare its “returning to the Asia-Pacific Region” strategy in this period is to share the economic prosperity of East Asia and bring along its export and employments.
• Chinese Entrepreneurs and the Dwindling Importance of the American Connection | PandoDaily
  still want american ipo exits for most part. m&a nascent//
  The rise local VCs in recent years does mean that having a totally Chinese background has become more important, Tian concedes. But for Chinese startups that are focused on a global market – a phenomenon that is on the increase – there are obvious advantages in having the international experience. Perhaps a more pressing problem is that many entrepreneurs, who are often from wealthy backgrounds, simply come from different walks of life than their potential customers. “A lot of entrepreneurs cannot realize that they are actually very different from 99.9 percent of the population,” Tian said.
• Jing Daily: Despite Devoted Audience, China’s Art House Theaters Struggling
• J-15 jets on deck as carrier sets off on longest sea trials — Shanghai Daily
  CHINA’S aircraft carrier has set out from Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning on sea trials that will last 25 days, the longest yet, and experts say domestic J-15 fighters may be involved in landing and takeoff exercises.
• American stabbed to death in downtown Beijing – Xinhua | English.news.cn
• VietNamNet – Fisheries agency objects to China’s capture of VN boats | Fisheries agency objects to China’s capture of VN boats
• Sina Sell-Side Still Searching For Muppets | DigiCha
  Sina’s ($SINA) weak share performance is making the Wall Street analysts who cover it look bad. The average 12-month target price is 77.55, 24 analysts rate the stock a buy, 5 rate it a hold and 2 rate it a sell. The stock is barely trading above its 52-week low and has dropped more than 50% over the last year. Some analysts have reduced their price targets since I last posted their ratings in December 2011.So is this a great time to buy Sina near the bottom? Or does the market know more than the analysts, and should we expect weak Q2 results and more bad forward guidance, peppered with more promises of eventual Weibo monetization?

  Here is the list of analyst ratings, updated July 11:

• China’s malformed media sphere – China Media Project
  Some have suggested that this more “open” approach to social media was quite intentional. In the run-up to the 18th National Congress it is critical for the leadership to be on guard against popular animosity toward the government. On the other hand, they must ensure tensions have an outlet lest they erupt into more destabilizing conflict.Others have read Shifang differently. They say that what we see in the case of Shifang are different political factions struggling behind the scenes, with different ideas about how incidents like this should be handled.

  It’s hard to favor either reading without more evidence. But I believe what we have in this case is still a method of “kill and use” (打杀和利用). Compared to the high-speed rail collision and Dalian PX protests last summer, we are seeing a definite and serious retreat by mainstream media (including both Party and commercial media). Sure, controls on Weibo have relaxed this time around — as compared, for example, to the Wukan incident last year.

  But on social media, the general tone is one of emotional unburdening — and facts and analysis are seriously wanting. What we are seeing in fact is an unhealthy form of communication emerging under a malformed system of controls.

• Market-Based Programs From Bo Xilai – WSJ.com
  For all Bo Xilai’s reputation as big-government leftist, he was a more complex character when it came to policy.
• » Wenzhou River Runs Milky White After Latex Factory Leak Beijing Cream
  On Monday morning, residents near Quxi River in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province discovered the place they wash their clothes and food had turned into a “Milk River.” Overnight, a kilometer-stretch of river had filled with a chemical leak from nearby Dashulin Trading Co., a company that makes, among other things, latex.
• Navistar Seeks Most of $73 Billion China School Bus Sales – Bloomberg
  China may spend $72.7 billion (463 billion yuan) to upgrade school buses and increase their number over the next decade, said Navistar and Blue Bird Corp., another manufacturer. Navistar, which has about half the U.S. market, sees China buying 50,000 a year by 2015, With partner Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. (600418), Ustian said he wants to get most of that.
• Shootout Makes Land Disputes Vietnam’s Priority: Southeast Asia – Bloomberg
  Vietnamese proving once again they are rougher fighters than the Chinese?//
  The prime minister said land management was inadequate and called for a national review of procedures after a dispute in the northern city of Haiphong ended in violence, the government said on Feb. 10 on its website. Fish farmer Doan Van Vuon and family members shot six police officers and detonated a landmine at his home on Jan. 5 as local authorities tried to expel them, according to the government’s website.
• China Wants Sea Spat Off Asean Agenda as Clinton Urges Talks – Bloomberg
  China warned nations to avoid mentioning territorial disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam at a security meeting this week, rebuffing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s call for talks on the issue.
• China’s Stocks Rally From Six-Month Low Amid Policy Speculation – Bloomberg
• Wen Says Investment Now Key to Stabilizing China Growth: Economy – Bloomberg
  Stabilizing economic growth is not only a pressing priority for China now, it is also a long-term “arduous” task, Wen said in a statement posted on a government website yesterday. “Growth-stabilizing policies include boosting consumption and diversifying exports, but currently, what is important is to promote a reasonable growth in investment,” Wen said.
• Steel City Blues: What China’s Reforms Means for a Plant in Guangdong – China Real Time Report – WSJ
  Baosteel Group Corp.’s Shaoguan steel plant, about 210 kilometers north of Guangzhou, in a rural part of Guangdong province, has turned into a steel city since opening in 1966. The facility has apartments, schools, hospitals, open-air markets and automobile garages. That’s mostly been a blessing for the workers there, who get cheap housing, pensions and lots of services. About 50,000 people live in the area. But now Shaoguan is threatened.
• China Lifts Spending As Growth Weakens – WSJ.com
  China is ramping up state spending to counter its sharpest decline in growth since the financial crisis, further entrenching state-owned companies and dimming the hopes of some that China would use the slowdown to restructure its economy with market-oriented changes.Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday the government’s primary task is to promote investment. Although policies to stabilize growth “include stimulating consumption and diversifying exports,” he said in a statement posted on the government website, “currently the main task is to promote reasonable investment growth.”

• Andrew Batson: China’s Coming Economic Transformation – WSJ.com
  The battle is not between the usual bulls and bears. The most interesting split this time is between those who focus on a “macro,” or top-down, picture of an economy, and those who zoom in on a “micro,” or bottom-up, picture of companies.
  The macro crowd says that China is slowing, but not collapsing. They point to broad-based economic indicators like industrial output, which grew 9.6% year-on-year in May. Granted, this is much slower than the 13%-14% gains recorded last year. But those searching for a real economic disaster story, they argue, would find more to work with in countries like Spain, where industrial output fell 6.1% the same month.
  Those of a micro persuasion don’t believe these statistics and instead prefer to look at more detailed corporate reports, many of which show falling profits and sales. They’ve seized on the fact that makers of construction equipment, which grew enormously during the building boom of the last couple of years, are now seeing a 30%-40% fall in sales volumes and a rise in unpaid bills.
• Measure for measure: oil vs electricity as a proxy for Chinese economic growth | beyondbrics
  The debate about the reliability of China’s electricity statistics as an indicator of overall economic activity has sparked back into life with three high-voltage contributions – from China bear Andy Xie, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank.
• Deflation Worries Grow as Chinese Local Provinces Report Negative Growth in Electricity Usage-Caijing
  Growth of electricity consumption in China slowed to around 4 percent year-on-year in June from the previous month’s 5 percent, with several provinces posting negative growth in the month, according to Chinese media, stoking worries of deflation as the second-largest economy slows.
  The usage of electricity in provinces including Zhejiang, Jilin, Henan and Yunnan declined in June, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported, quoting local news bulletin in energy control authorities.
• FT Alphaville » A tale of two Chinas
  There are two ways that China’s economic future is viewed today.
• Yue Shixin appointed political commissar of PLA Garrison in Hong Kong – Xinhua | English.news.cn
• Piranhas bite people in SW China – Xinhua | English.news.cn
• Piranha “wanted” as controversial manhunt kicks off – Xinhua | English.news.cn
  nirvana for taobao piranha sellers//
  Fishery authorities in the city of Liuzhou are offering 1,000 yuan (157 U.S. dollars) to local residents for every confirmed piranha kill.
• Fuel price drop has little impact on cost of living: expert – Xinhua | English.news.cn
  Economic experts said China’s latest fuel price cut won’t have a significant impact on living costs, adding that prices may rebound during the next readjustment.
  The price cut, starting from Wednesday, will lower the consumer price index (CPI) for July by 0.01 percentage point, said Chen Qing, an analyst with the Beijing-based SCI, a major portal for Chinese commodity information.
• China refuses Japan’s representation over Diaoyu Islands – Xinhua | English.news.cn
  A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that China does not accept a representation lodged by Japan over Chinese fishery administration vessels’ recent patrol of waters off the Diaoyu Islands.
• Report: China’s ‘Defend the Diaoyu’ iPad Game Taken Down – China Real Time Report – WSJ
  Citing a tech analyst named Sun Mengzi, China Daily says the most likely explanation is the game violates Apple’s terms of use, which “specify that ‘enemies’ within the context of a game cannot target a specific race, culture, real government or corporation, or any other real entity.”That would certainly seem to rule out Defend the Diaoyu Islands, which in its game description on the Apple store refers to the Japanese as “devils.”

  In fact, followed to the letter, Apple’s rules would seem to exclude most of China’s nationalist video games, often called “red games,” as well as many non-Chinese war games.

• BBC News – Japan protests at Chinese ships near disputed islands
  Japan has summoned China’s ambassador to protest against the appearance of Chinese patrol boats near a disputed chain of islands in the East China Sea.
• Chinese ships patrol Diaoyu Islands|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn
  SHANGHAI – Three Chinese fishery patrol ships arrived at areas near the Diaoyu Islands around 2 am Wednesday during a routine check, according to fishery authoritie
• China delegates stress peace at ASEAN meeting |Asia-Pacific |chinadaily.com.cn
  China does not want the efforts and progress of maintaining peace and safety in the South China Sea to be disturbed, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing on Tuesday, amid the ongoing 19th ASEAN Regional Forum and related meetings during which the issue was put on the table.
• 孟建柱晤老挝主席 称湄公河流域安全形势仍严峻(图)-搜狐滚动
  Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu visits Laos just days before Hilary Clinton. Laos must be feeling flush, if a bit squeezed…

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