"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner
Just links today:
THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT
Why Xi’s APEC Summit Remarks Are Being Misinterpreted – Caixin–Hu Shuli Unfortunately, some commentators took their analysis of Xi’s words too far, and concluded that they were in fact anti-reform and anti-West. What is the cause and intention of such misinterpretation? At heart, it reflects people’s doubts that reform and opening up is the right path for China. At every step of the road to opening up, interest groups have opposed such efforts and seized on people’s fear of change to create a false mood of nostalgia for the “good old days.” As a result, many people have begun to doubt if reforms are truly needed, and if the government’s resolve to undertake them is truly firm. Xi’s speech in Bali will help to dispel some of these doubts. //Sinocism discussed this speech at length on 10.8..Hu Shuli’s initial reaction was less positive
Beijing should cut back its lending to Washington – FT.com — David Li Daokui What is equally difficult to understand, from the perspective of many academic economists, is the Chinese government’s attitude and behaviour regarding the American debt issue. For many years, economists in China have argued that the government should diversify away from Treasuries, anticipating the US government’s continued high large primary budget deficit and political disputes. But Beijing has actually increased its exposure. Many argue that this is because of a lack of alternative ways to manage China’s large foreign currency reserves. This is an incorrect supposition. //is Li’s plan for diversification, including taking 5% stakes in all listed MNCs with large China exposure, really viable?
Related: Journalist’s Call for ‘de-Americanized World’ Provokes Alarm in U.S., Fart Jokes in China | FP Passport what much of the coverage failed to mention is that the article appeared on Xinhua with the byline Liu Chang, indicating that the editorial more likely represents the views of Liu (who is identified simply as a “Xinhua writer”) and his colleagues rather than China’s top leaders, or “China” itself. The op-ed does not claim to reflect broader Chinese views, and just because an article appears in Xinhua does not mean it represents the views of the Communist Party (which, as an organization of tens of millions of people, does not speak in one voice).
China may be in much better shape than it looks – FT.com But what if the official data were wrong? That is the intriguing claim by two academics, Jun Zhang and Tian Zhu, respectively of Fudan University and China Europe International Business School, who argue that consumption has been consistently underreported. In a recent paper they find three important areas of undercounting. One is housing…Second, they say, a lot of private consumption shows up in statistics as corporate expenses…Third, and most important, they argue, GDP surveys underrepresent high earners, who may not relish the idea of officials with clipboards noting down their every expenditure…Taking these three factors together, the two academics calculate that China underestimates consumption by 10-12 percentage points. //looking forward to Michael Pettis’ response, this challenges the Pettisian view of China’s economy
Related: Re-Estimating China’s Underestimated Consumption by Jun Zhang, Tian Zhu :: SSRN China’s consumption rate is widely believed to be too low. In this paper, we show that official statistics have significantly underestimated Chinese household consumption. First, housing consumption is grossly underestimated due to the construction cost-based method. Second, a lot of private consumption is paid for by companies but can’t be accounted for in official statistics. Third, and most important, high-income households are significantly underrepresented in the household surveys upon which household consumption statistics are based. Our re-estimation suggests that the rate of China’s consumption is more than 60% of GDP, considerably higher than the official 48-49% of GDP.
The anatomy of a Shanghai land grab: Residents kidnapped, their homes destroyed | Marketplace.org In 2005, a developer hired by the Xuhui government set fire to a house in Maggie Lane. The demolition crew was trying to scare people out of their homes. Instead, they burned an elderly couple alive in their bed. After that, the Xuhui government left the neighborhood alone. Xie and her husband were among a handful of people who stayed. But all that changed this week. Now Xie, who suffers from colon cancer, and her husband Chen, have to find another home – much like tens of millions of others displaced by land grabs across China. //in the heart of Puxi…
Seeking Truth: Consolidating the Common Ideological Basis for the United Struggle of the Party and the People | China Copyright and Media This Seeking Truth Autumn Stone editorial, published today, is the second of a diptych. The first one, published two weeks ago, addressed the question of consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological area. This article further explore matters of political unity and resisting deleterious domestic and foreign influence in relation to continued development. // worth a read…initial media reports have focused on the anti-Western comments….but it may actually set up interesting parameters for what is allowed around the discussion of Constitutionalism…also has very negative things to say about neo-liberalism and SOE privatization and the experiences in the former Soviet Union and Mexico…Like it or not, the Party is not wrong to see some of these calls for constitutional governance as trojan horses for more fundamental political change…so we should not be surprised by the reaction over the last few months
Related: 巩固党和人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础 _ 2013/20 _求是理论网 党和人民的坚强团结，离不开巩固的共同思想基础。国际反华势力骨子里是不希望中国发展壮大的，一直在不遗余力地推行西化、分化中国的战略。西化是手段，分化才是目的，一个分裂动乱、软弱涣散的中国才符合他们的利益。他们西化、分化中国最主要的一手，就是搞意识形态渗透，搞乱人们的思想，瓦解党和人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础。这也是最厉害的一手，是釜底抽薪的一手，是最需要我们警惕的。一个国家、一个政权的瓦解往往是从思想领域开始的，政治动荡、政权更迭可能在一夜之间发生，但思想演化是个长期过程。思想防线被攻破了，其他防线就很难守住…再说新自由主义。以美国为首的西方借经济全球化向世界推销新自由主义，给拉美及苏东地区国家带来灾难性后果，也使自身深陷金融危机难以自拔，这实际上宣告了新自由主义的破产。就是这样一种已经声名狼藉的理论，有些人仍然死抱着不放。他们集中攻击国有企业，把国企说得一无是处，称“国有企业与市场经济无法相容”，极力主张国企私有化、国有资产私有化…对改革进行工作层面、政策层面的反思是可以的，但如果得出改革已经走入歧途、背离了社会主义道路的结论，或者认为改革不照西方模式和标准改，就是“不真改”、“不到位”、“不彻底”，那实际上就是否定中国的改革开放，否定党的十一届三中全会以来的路线方针政策，进而否定中国特色社会主义。
Related: [视频]《求是》署名文章：巩固党和人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础_新闻频道_央视网 Tonight’s CCTV Evening News on the “Qiu Shi” essay in latest Seeking Truth // Tonight’s CCTV Evening news on the “Qiu Shi” essay in latest Seeking Truth
Alibaba Financial Arm to Boost Apps as China Net Users Go Mobile – Bloomberg The financial arm of China’s biggest e-commerce company will also introduce fund products and promote a cloud-computing service, said Lucy Peng, chief executive officer of Alibaba Small & Micro Financial Services Group that includes the Paypal-like third party payment system Alipay.com Co.
Related: 阿里与雅虎更改回购协议 即将公布支付宝股权变更_财经频道_一财网 Changes coming to the shareholding structure of Alipay and Aliloans?// 阿里巴巴与雅虎修改了股权回购条款，此外，阿里巴巴还将就支付宝、阿里小贷等公司进行股权改造。
Related: 百度的金融路线图：从支付结算到融资，再到投资理财_财经频道_一财网 Baidu now talking up its plans for Internet finance, First financial told something big coming by the end of October…so far Baidu far behind Alibaba and Tencent in this area // 昨日，一位接近百度的人士告诉《第一财经日报》记者，10月底百度互联网金融业务或将迎来大动作。除了联手基金公司定制推出高收益的线上理财产品外，百度金融从支付结算到融资以及投资理财类的全线产品布局也将初现雏形。
Hong Kong’s Enduring Identity Crisis – Sebastian Veg – The Atlantic While supporters of political independence remain a tiny minority, for an overwhelming fraction of younger Hongkongers identification with the nation (even the “cultural nation”) is less significant than it is for the colonial generation, and an absolute majority of young people identify exclusively with Hong Kong. Such an evolution does not bode well for Beijing’s “trust” that Hongkongers will cast the “correct” ballot if granted universal suffrage. Indeed, a series of events that took place around the commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown suggests the current evolution may be even more deep-reaching.
The NSA’s New Codebreakers – By Matthew M. Aid | Foreign Policy According to confidential sources familiar with TAO’s operations, many of NSA’s cryptanalytic “success stories” against high-priority targets such as Russia and the People’s Republic of China in recent years have been the direct result of TAO’s cyberespionage efforts. For example, sources confirm that much of what the U.S. intelligence community knows about China’s computer hacking efforts against targets in the United States, Europe, and Asia stems from TAO’s intelligence collection efforts since 2005, when TAO reportedly achieved a major technical breakthrough against a Chinese target.
BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE
“Long-lasting Housing Mechanism” to Surface in Nov.’s Third Plenum-Caijing Housing policies, in the form of a “long-lasting mechanism,” will be involved at the Third Plenum of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, reports AAstocks.com, citing an unnamed official from the housing authority The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rual Development has already finalized opinions ready to submit to the central policy-decision organ, the official said. He/she did not disclose details about the mechanism, adding that the MHURD was just one member of a consultation panel.
Citic Trust Program Envisions Market-Oriented Approach to Rural Land Issue – Caixin Participating farmers who own the land usage rights will receive both rent and dividends. The annual rent is equal to the national reserve purchase price of 500 kilograms of wheat per mu, and depends on the amount of land each farmer put into the pool. The dividend has been set at 70 percent of any rent rises for companies in the park. The agricultural development park will be managed by Anhui Diyuan Modern Farming Investment Ltd. It will recruit companies focusing on modern farming, water resource preservation, biofuels, Internet of things and agriculture-related research, Zhang said.
Central bank says housing credit policy unchanged – Xinhua The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank, said on Wednesday it has stuck to its housing credit policy after reports that some banks have tightened lending for home purchases. The central bank has continued to implement a differentiated policy, and seeks to satisfy the needs of first-time buyers, a PBOC spokesman said in a statement. Meanwhile, the central bank has continued to beef up financial support for the construction of affordable housing and small-to-medium commercial housing units. “The orientation of this policy has not changed,” the spokesman said.
Local debt probe ‘to release findings’ |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn The investigation led by the National Audit Office, which began in August, has entered the final stage, and results will be reported to the State Council around Oct 20 after the audit data is processed and sorted, National Business Daily reported, citing an unnamed source. The final results may be made public in November, according to Economy & Nation Weekly run by the Xinhua News Agency.
多地公积金额度告急真相：被挪用建设保障房_房产_腾讯网 some municipal housing provident funds nearly out of cash vecause the money was diverted to build subsidized housing…local finances a mess// 1877亿元、1608亿元，这是截至2012年底北京和上海公布的公积金结余资金量，遥遥领先于其他各地。无法想象，如果这笔巨额资金被花光或者被挪作他用，会有什么后果。“最近一段时间，我们对各地公积金归集和使用情况进行了全国范围的抽查，上周刚刚向部里做了汇报，一些城市确实存在额度紧张的情况。”住建部公积金督查中心的一位官员近日对《华夏时报》记者表示。
China securities regulator calls for more retail investor protection | Reuters Retail investors with less than 500,000 yuan ($81,900) of investment account for about 60 percent of the total market transaction value, but they suffer from inadequate information disclosure by listed companies as well as illegal behavior by some of them, Xiao Gang, the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), wrote in the official People’s Daily. “Protecting the interest of small investors has been a key hurdle of the development of the capital markets,” he said.
“6124”六周年：A股集体“跳水”为哪般？_股票频道_一财网 6 year anniversary of Shanghai A shares peaking at 6124, then crashing
Yuan gains the most in 20 years vs US dollar |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn The last time the currency traded below 6.1 to the dollar was on Dec 27, 1993, when it was at 5.8245. It weakened to 8.7217 on Jan 6, 1994, after a new exchange rate mechanism was implemented. It has appreciated 43 percent since then. The yuan’s moves are restricted to 1 percent on either side of the reference rate set every day by the People’s Bank of China, the nation’s central bank.
First interprovince subway route opens |Society |chinadaily.com.cn Greater London, Greater Tokyo, Greater new York City…Greater beijing, Greater Shanghai…// A new subway route that connects Shanghai and Jiangsu province will boost economic integration in the region and encourage more people to take the metro, experts said. The route, an extension of Shanghai’s subway line 11, opened on Wednesday for a trial run linking the country’s commercial hub and Jiangsu’s Kunshan, a booming county-level administration.
多地掀起城际铁路投资潮 新华社——经济参考网 “虽然地方政府的资金很紧张，但是都意识到铁路的重要性，现在对地方铁路的投资很积极，尤其是获得城际铁路建设主导权以后，对城际铁路的建设开始提速。”中国工程院院士王梦恕告诉《经济参考报》记者。 记者获得的一份内部统计数据显示，今年1至9月全国铁路完成投资3286.96亿元，其中国家铁路和合资铁路完成投资3272.91亿元，为计划的63.2%，比上年同期增加356.01亿元，增长12.2%；地方铁路完成投资14.04亿元，比上年同期增加10.44亿元，增长289.2%。
After Shanghai Free Trade Zone Launch, Other Chinese Cities Line Up for Their Own Zones – China Real Time Report – WSJ BoCom Financial Leasing, one of the companies that has already decided to jump on the Shanghai free-trade bandwagon, isn’t worrying about the near term. The company’s president, Chen Min, told The Wall Street Journal the free-trade zone is a “must-succeed” endeavor for the new leadership in Beijing, and that business ultimately will emerge
万科加速：拿地700亿 年内销售冲击2000亿_21世纪网 If Vanke CEO Wang Shi is so worried about a real estate bubble, why is Vanke buying up so much land? // 虽然9月以来，万科董事会主席王石不停警示楼市的风险，但无论是在土地市场还是在销售市场，万科自己都用迭创纪录的数字来呈现公司的高歌猛进。
U.S. Dealers Fear Chinese Carmakers Following Tesla Model – Bloomberg Chinese automakers could pose a threat to the U.S. auto industry’s dealer franchise system by following Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) in selling directly to customers, the chairman of National Automobile Dealers Association said. “It’s in the back of everybody’s minds at this point, just to make sure that we should talk to the Chinese as their cars evolve,” David Westcott, a North Carolina auto dealer, said yesterday at an Automotive Press Association event in Detroit. “Dealers won’t fight having those cars come in. Will we fight to make sure there’s a franchise system? Yes.”
Ex-Maxwell Technologies Official Allegedly Bribed Chinese – Bloomberg Alain Riedo, the former general manager of a Swiss unit of the company, was charged yesterday in an indictment in San Diego with taking part in a six-year conspiracy to pay government officials in China to win contracts to sell electric storage devices known as capacitors. Riedo, through a sales agent in China, paid the bribes by adding a “secret mark-up” of about 20 percent to the price customers paid for the capacitors, according to the indictment. The extra amounts were paid to employees of state-owned and state-controlled companies, prosecutors said.
China Focus: China issues decree on urban drainage and sewage treatment – Xinhua The decree, which will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, stipulates that all governments above the county level must include the building and management of urban drainage and sewage treatment facilities into their economic and social development plan. The decree provides that cities and towns must plan their drainage and sewage treatment systems in accordance with their local climate, geography,and their economic and social development level. The decree says governments must encourage private investment in the building and operation of drainage and sewage treatment facilities such as in the form of franchise or government procurement of private services.
Prince Frog Plunges by Record After Short Seller Report – Bloomberg The Chinese government’s tax records indicate Prince Frog’s net income is “a fraction of reported figures,” Glaucus said while initiating coverage of the shares at “strong sell.” Queenie Hung from Wonderful Sky Financial Group, Prince Frog’s public relations firm, declined to immediately comment and said the company will issue a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange later today.
POLITICS AND LAW
PetroChina’s Indonesian chief Wei Zhigang focus of corruption probe | South China Morning Post PetroChina removed Wei Zhigang from his post as general manager of its Indonesian unit several weeks ago amid an unspecified official probe into the executive, three Chinese oil industry sources said.
Nanjing mayor Ji Jianye placed under disciplinary investigation | South China Morning Post The People’s Daily online report quoted unnamed sources as saying the amount of money involved in Ji’s case may exceed 20 million yuan (HK$25.3 million). Citing internal sources, it said Ji was implicated in the investigation of Zhu Xingliang , a prominent businessman in Jiangsu. Zhu, the founder of Suzhou Gold Mantis Construction Decoration, was detained in July. The company said at the time that Zhu was “assisting a procuratorate with an investigation”.
July 2013–Richest man in Jiangsu assists procuratorate in investigation – People’s Daily Online Gold Mantis became China’s first listed interior design and decoration company in 2006, attracting many shareholders, including the Yunfeng Fund, co-founded by Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma.
Milder Accounts of Hardships Under Mao Arise as His Birthday Nears – NYTimes.com “Scholars disagree, but whether their estimate is somewhat higher or lower, that doesn’t affect the fact that the Great Leap Forward created a massive disaster,” Lin Yunhui, a retired party historian at the National Defense University in Beijing who has spent much of his career studying Mao’s time, said by telephone. “My own estimate is that there were about 30 million abnormal deaths.” Few if any mainstream historians place any credence in the revisionists’ claims, but they express alarm that the party, which in recent decades has tolerated more open research into the period, seems to be encouraging a retreat into deceptive orthodoxi
Rumor-mongering suspect arrested in SW China – Xinhua Dong Rubin, who uses the online name “Bianmin”, meaning “man living on the border,” is suspected of falsely declaring the capital in company registration, illegal business operations and the crime of “creating disturbances,” according to police authorities. Dong had confessed to the police on the rumor-mongering procedures. He did these to gain economic profit, police said. After being entrusted by “clients,” he employed or arranged others to fabricate online posts and organized a team to comment. Then Dong himself, who is an online celebrity, commented and invited other famous bloggers to participate in the discussion to attract media attention until the clients’ demands were met.
网络空间应有法律规则 公民权益必须依法保护 _ 2013/20 _求是理论网 ——访最高人民法院审判委员会专职委员高憬宏…对改革进行工作层面、政策层面的反思是可以的，但如果得出改革已经走入歧途、背离了社会主义道路的结论，或者认为改革不照西方模式和标准改，就是“不真改”、“不到位”、“不彻底”，那实际上就是否定中国的改革开放，否定党的十一届三中全会以来的路线方针政策，进而否定中国特色社会主义。
Commentary: “Tibetan orphans” incident exposes Dalai Lama clique’s callousness, hypocrisy – Xinhua The “Tibetan orphans” incident, exposed by European media, has lifted the veil on the callous and hypocritical Dalai Lama clique, who have been masquerading as pacifist and benevolent. According to a series of stories published by Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung, the vast majority of the so-called “Tibetan orphans” who were brought to Switzerland in the 1960s through a privately-run campaign masterminded by a Swiss entrepreneur and the Dalai Lama had at least one parent in Tibet. // is there an English version of the original Swiss report?
People’s Daily: An Action Plan for the News Undertaking of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Period | China Copyright and Media This article by People’s Daily chief editor Yang Zhenwu was published in People’s Daily today, and is the latest in a series of articles by propaganda officials on extolling the virtues of Xi Jinping’s important speech at the National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference on 19 August.
政府会计核算或成三中全会议题 缓解突击花钱_网易新闻中心 reforms to government accounting may be on the agenda at the Third Plenum // 被寄予改革厚望的十八届三中全会将于11月召开，据知情人士向《第一财经（微博）日报》透露，政府会计核算制度有望跻身三中全会改革议题，未来我国的政府会计制度将进一步从收付实现制（亦称现收现付制）向权责发生制（亦称应收应付制）改革。
详解24省（区市）党委常委领导班子民主生活会-时政频道-新华网 Xinhua looks at the highlights from 24 provincial Democratic Life Meetings // 连日来，各省省委常委班子积极组织学习，大家通过集体观看各类影像图文资料，认真领会讲话精神，研究贯彻落实措施，在真诚的批评与自我批评中，推动专题民主生活会获得积极成效。截止发稿日，已有24个省（区市）常委领导班子召开党的群众路线教育实践活动专题民主生活会。当时会场的重点是什么，在批评与自我批评环节，又有什么精彩语录，如何点评这次民主生活会，都成为人们关注的话题。
New Report Says 15% of Corruption Accusations Against China’s Officials Are Made by Mistresses – China Real Time Report – WSJ China’s official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday that mistresses served as accusers in 15% of corruption cases recently exposed online. The Xinhua report was based on a study conducted by the Center for Public Opinion Monitoring at the government-backed Legal Daily newspaper and was based on an analysis of 26 allegations of corruption made online between January and September. The study found that merchants made up the biggest share of accusers at nearly 27%. Others included businessmen, journalists, other officials and ordinary Internet users. The study didn’t say how many of the allegations were proven to be true.
[视频]王岐山在省部级领导干部廉洁从政研修班座谈会上强调 带头纠正“四风” 带头廉洁自律_新闻频道_央视网 央视网消息(新闻联播)：中共中央政治局常委、中央纪委书记王岐山16日在省部级领导干部廉洁从政研修班座谈会上强调，党员领导干部要贯彻党的十八大精神，落实习近平总书记关于加强领导干部理想信念教育和党风廉政建设的重要指示精神，带头纠正“四风”，带头廉洁自律。
张艺谋超生事件已5个月 无锡官方称调查没进展_新闻_腾讯网 5 months after reports that director Zhang Yimou has 7 kids, still no progress in the investigation that was announced
“大师”王林否认被查：正在台考察 官方没找我_新闻_腾讯网 Fengshui master, fortune teller and allegedly fake Chinese doctor Wang Lin is now in Taiwan
温家宝：习仲勋从不多谈自己曾蒙受的冤屈_新闻_腾讯网 Wen Jiabao talks about his experiences with Xi Zhongxun // [导读]温家宝表示，习仲勋忧党、忧国，但从不多谈自己曾经蒙受的冤屈和遭受的迫害。在中央工作的七年间，我国改革开放不断深化，习仲勋在许多重大决策上发挥了重要作用。
Civil service recruitment registration begins in China – Xinhua Civil servant jobs are popular in China as they offer relative stability. In 2013, over 1.38 million people applied for around 20,000 vacancies in central authorities.
红二代大聚会唯缺薄一波家人_中国_多维新闻网 【多维新闻】10月15日是中共元老、国家主席习近平之父习仲勋诞辰100周年，中共中央在人民大会堂举行高规格座谈会，习近平及母亲齐心、夫人彭丽媛以亲属身份参加。众红二代亦济济一堂，彰显大团结，但根据已公开的名单及央视画面，却不见薄一波的家人。//No Bo Yibo family members at the Xi Zhongxun symposium
China sends riot police to block new protests by flood victims | ReutersOn Tuesday, residents of Yuyao city massed in front of the local government headquarters, denouncing what they decried as inadequate relief efforts and demanding the local Communist Party secretary and mayor step down. Accounts on microblogs, supported by photographs posted on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, said they vandalized the government building, using metal tools to pry loose and remove the party slogan “Serve the people” mounted at the entrance.
干部们的“土豪宴席”何时休-时政频道-新华网 核心提示：近期，干部大办豪华筵席的新闻集中被曝光，部分筵席之奢华让网友感慨“干部土豪”的嚣张气焰。尽管中央多次倡导勤俭节约作风、肃清奢侈浪费歪风，但仍就是有一部分心存侥幸的领导干部顶风作案。村干部大摆酒席的底气从何而来？就是源于手中的权力，源于权力监管体系的不完善，因此，我们只有进一步完善权利监管体系，落实监督管理，管理好村干部手中的那些看似无足轻重，实则关系群众民生、民计的权力，才能约束村干部的行为，进而为群众办实事、办好事，才能真真正正的密切党群干群关系
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
日本靖国神社17日起迎秋季大祭 安倍或献祭品_新闻_腾讯网 China very focused on how Prime Minister Abe deals with Yakusini Shrine visit pressure over the few days // [导读]靖国神社今日至20日迎来秋季大祭，安倍晋三避谈是否进行参拜，但仍可能选择献上祭品，意图两边“不得罪”。
Turkey missile deal shows China’s growing Mideast clout | ReutersMixing commerce and geopolitics, experts say, is at the heart of Beijing’s approach. Chinese officials have become regular visitors to most Mideast states while a range of regional leaders including Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah have all visited China. The aftermath of the “Arab Spring” and Washington’s abandonment of longtime proxies such as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, some analysts say, has left some governments keen to find alternative allies. Even longtime U.S. partners feel the draw.
Chinese president meets Myanmar defense chief – Xinhua Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s Defense Services, on Wednesday in Beijing. Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, hailed the bilateral relationship and described China and Myanmar as “good neighbors, good friends and good partners.”
Osborne’s open door to Chinese banks prompts MPs’ check on City rules | Politics | The Guardian Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the committee, is seeking assurances that the chancellor did not put too much pressure on the City’s regulatory bodies to relax rules to entice Chinese investment banking businesses to set up in London. The Conservative MP has written to Andrew Bailey, chief executive of Prudential Regulation Authority, to find out if he was consulted about allowing Chinese banks to operate as branches in the UK rather than as subsidiaries – the latter option bringing tougher oversight by the City regulator.
HONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN
Hong Kong Television Network’s Application for TV License Rejected – China Real Time Report – WSJ HKTV was widely seen by the public as a frontrunner to win a TV license based on the large investments made since it submitted its bid at the end of 2009. It continued pouring money into the network even as the government repeatedly delayed the decision on new licenses due to staunch opposition from TVB and Asia Television. “The news itself is shock to the management and to the staff as well…I believe this decision goes against public opinion,” Mr. Wong told reporters Wednesday, noting that the company will lay off 320 of its 500 employees. It employs 250 actors and actresses, many of whom were hired from TVB, one of the world’s biggest distributors of Chinese-language TV programming.
TECH AND MEDIA
百度、360法庭激辩“Robots协议” 搜索大战升级_财经频道_一财网 fun, Baidu and Qihoo suing each other.
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
Tsinghua professor: Non locals should take tests to get Beijing residency | Offbeat China much mocked online, netizens are already circulated proposed test questions // “As China’s modernization progresses, a large amount of excess labor from rural areas are pouring into cities. To become an urban resident, they first need to acquire necessary qualities, which means additional education. To become an urban resident, one should know about cultures and technologies. At the same time, those who are already urban residents should maintain certain moral standards and be law-abiding.”
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
网购进口奶粉宝宝喝后呕吐腹泻发烧 奶粉竟有股辣味 – 新华健康 – 新华网 baby gets sick from imported milk powder bought online….// 壮壮(化名)是一个刚来到这个世上166天的男宝宝，他从出生开始就喝惠氏启赋婴幼儿配方奶粉。壮壮很爱喝这种奶粉，每天能喝1000毫升。可是，自从10月8日，壮壮妈妈蒋女士打开了一罐新奶粉，壮壮就不爱喝了，还总哭闹。第二天壮壮开始咳嗽、流汗、流泪、流鼻涕、脸色涨红，此后几天又呕吐、腹泻、发烧。蒋女士和爱人都觉得不对劲儿，赶紧尝了尝奶粉，没想到竟尝出了刺激性的辣味儿。“壮壮停喝3天后，所有不适症状都消失了，所以我觉得是奶粉的问题。”蒋女士说，这批奶粉是在某网上商城买的，该商城已联系了厂家，厂家人员来看过，但没有结论。“我们想找权威部门检测一下，一定要查出个究竟来，因为奶粉关系着每一个孩子的生命。”蒋女士说。
FOOD AND TRAVEL
Television: Sacred Mountains – Series – Trailer – YouTube looks interesting. when/where will it air? // This is a series trailer for Ryan’s new television series entitled: Sacred Mountains with Ryan Pyle. The show is a 4x60min television series that will follow adventurer and award winning photographer Ryan Pyle to the furthest and most remote corners of China in the name of natural and cultural exploration, and of course some brilliant photography. // next year, Year of The Horse, a big year to do the Kora around Mt. Kailash
BEIJING
北京限价政策适度放松 房价继续攀升_房产_腾讯网 One eye open, one eye closed..Beijing loosens some of the propeorty repression measures for new developments // 一个正在申请预售许可证的开发商向记者证实，对于限价，目前有一个变通的方法是，开发商可通过更换案名提高预售价格。也就是说，同区域内的新项目审批已经存在涨价的可能性。该开发商所申请的项目一期销售价格为15800元/平方米，但二期申报价格为25000元/平方米。该价格已被所在区的主管部门认可，而以前，如此高的涨幅是不可能批准的。