"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner
Today’s Links:
THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT
1. HK student representatives plan to visit Beijing Friday-EJ Insight The Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) said it will send representatives to Beijing this Friday, hoping to meet with central government officials and seek their response to the student body’s call to withdraw the decision on the Hong Kong electoral framework, Apple Daily reported Tuesday. The trip’s timing coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that is being held in China’s capital city. The HKFS said if the student representatives are denied access to Beijing, it would mean that the central government is treating the people of Hong Kong as enemy.
Related: 社评：“占中”剩下一只疲惫但狡猾的尾巴_
2. Macau Oct gaming revenues set for worst drop on record October is set to be the worst month on record for casino revenues in the world’s biggest gambling hub Macau as China’s pervasive war on corruption, combined with fewer tourists and slowing economic growth, dampen the appetite to wager. Gambling revenues for the month are expected to have fallen some 20-23 percent year-on-year, analysts say, the sharpest drop since the former Portuguese colony started keeping records. October would also be the fifth consecutive month of declines after two years of rapid growth which saw Macau surpass Las Vegas in revenue by seven times. // corruption crackdown biting now
3. 生命线在强军兴军伟大征程中闪耀–时政–人民网 l
Related: CPC command of military must be upheld – Global Times If the West wants to create disturbances in China, nothing is more effective than weakening the CPC’s leadership. The West has penetrated into many agendas, such as questioning the source of the legality of CPC’s rule. Nationalization of the military is also one of these topics. It directly advocates depriving the Party’s leadership of the military and shaking the foundation of the Party’s power. The latest Gutian conference strangled such calls. One week ago, the fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee stressed the combination of the Party’s leadership and the rule of law. The Party has been resolute in the anti-corruption campaign and reforms. These do not weaken the Party’s leadership, but instead, they have consolidated the Party’s governance. China and its people are the real winners of the country’s reforms. Those who try to diminish the Party’s rule will be the losers.
Related: Party commands gun: Xi – Global Times Days before the conference, the PLA Daily published a series of articles highlighting Party control of the military, refuting Western arguments regarding the nationalization of a country’s military forces. “Foreign hostile forces preach the nationalization and de-politicization of the military, attempting to muddle our minds and drag our military out from under the Party’s flag,” one of the articles said…Xi also stressed the fighting capacity of the military in the conference, saying it is the “sole criterion for testing troops and assessing military officers,” Xinhua said. To strengthen the military’s ideological and political development, Xi urged the troops to have a strong sense of Party principles and interests, to tighten the management of high-ranking and middle-level officers, strengthening the anti-graft campaign and military’s fighting spirit, and striving for innovation in political development, the PLA Daily reported on Sunday.
4. The Myth of Chinese Super Schools by Diane Ravitch | The New York Review of Books At this juncture comes the book that Barack Obama, Arne Duncan, members of Congress, and the nation’s governors and legislators need to read: Yong Zhao’s Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World. Zhao, born and educated in China, now holds a presidential chair and a professorship at the University of Oregon. He tells us that China has the best education system because it can produce the highest test scores. But, he says, it has the worst education system in the world because those test scores are purchased by sacrificing creativity, divergent thinking, originality, and individualism.
Related: 网传北京史家小学孩子“不招人待见” 官方称暂不回应 People’s Daily Online on post gone viral that says students from Beijing’s premier primary school–Shijia–are arrogant brats…school would not respond to PD requests for comment…and yet most parents would still do just about anything to get their kids in // 人民网北京11月3日电 （贾兴鹏）日前，一则关于《揭秘北京牛校史家小学的孩子为啥“
5. 中学语文国学比重将增至35% 或于明年9月进课堂_新闻_腾讯网 increasing emphasis on “Chinese National Culture Studies” in primary and middle school textbooks…will occupy 35% of language and literature textbook content starting next year // 据新华社电“在新修订的初中语文教材中，
Related: 教育部团中央发文：
6. 起底乐视：游走于监管红线 命运已不全在贾跃亭手中-手机和讯网 Caijing on LeTV’s regulatory troubles, interviews CEO Jia Yueting who has fled to Hong Kong. Ling Jihua’s brother was an early investor, LeTV has recently run into serious regulatory issues, rumors are because of that connection. Jia is from Shanxi like Ling family…LeTV is an online video service listed on ChiNext (quote and charts; stock currently halted), at its peak early this year had a market cap of 41B RMB. Wonder if any US- or HK-listed firms have Ling family ties…might be good short candidates // 10月17日接受《财经》记者专访时，贾跃亭称，“
7. Expats in China: Three-Quarters Male and Illiterate | the Beijinger In a poll designed to figure out how to attract and retain foreign talent, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs discovered that 73.8 percent were male, and only a shockingly low 8 percent report that they could speak at least simple Chinese.
8. 经济参考网 – 部分地区户改遭遇“逆城镇化” 市民费尽周折改回农村户口 Xinhua’s Economic Information looks at phenomenon of rural workers unimpressed with hukou reforms and leaving cities to return home…is the goal of 100 million new urban residents by 2020, as envisioned by government planners, realistic? // 在国务院新出台的《关于进一步推进户籍制度改革的意见》中，
BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND TRADE
Xi’s Baby Steps Too Tame to Defuse Demographic Challenge – Bloomberg The workforce of people aged 16 to 59 declined 2.44 million in 2013, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows. Needing 2.1 kids per couple to keep the population stable, Zuo in Shanghai said the rate dropped below that level after 1990 and the current 1.5 average means the population will start to fall within the next 10 years. “China’s demographic situation and labor supply have fundamentally changed,” Yi Gang, deputy governor of China’s central bank, wrote in an article published in the People’s Daily yesterday. “The aging problem will intensify and it’s impossible for China to sustain double-digit growth rate.”
Iron Ore Declining as APEC Curbs in China Seen Stunting Demand – Bloomberg Iron ore prices dropped to their lowest since September amid a lack of demand in China, with some mills in the world’s largest buyer ordered to suspend production before a summit of world leaders in Beijing.
经济参考网 – 一线城市土地市场活跃 楼市分化明显 land sales in tier 1 cities picked up in October, // 尽管今年楼市走淡，2014年前九个月，
数说楼市：11月北京楼市开门红 – 头条网 last week Beijing had mostly weekly housing transactions of year
News Analysis: China’s house price declines expected to moderate in Q4 – Xinhua The average price of a new home in 100 major cities in October fell for the sixth-straight month, reaching 10,629 yuan (1,738 U.S.dollars) per square meter, down 0.4 percent from September, statistics from China Index Academy (CIA) showed Saturday. Prices in the surveyed cities fell 0.52 percent in October from the same month last year, ending 22 straight year-on-year increases, CIA said.
China Targets VW With First Request Under New Recall Law – Bloomberg The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine told VW to supply the additional documents for its Oct. 17 recall of New Sagitar and Beetle vehicles, according to a Nov. 1 statement on the regulator’s website. The automaker had issued the recall two months after the quality inspector started an investigation into mounting complaints from owners about broken rear suspension axles.
‘Let’s Pray Together’: Chinese Scallop Firm Takes a Whallop – China Real Time Report – WSJ Investors wondering what happened weren’t reassured when the company attributed the abrupt reversal of fortunes to the sudden deaths of scallops, one of its most popular products, in the tens of thousands of hectares of sea waters that it fishes in. The culprit, Zhangzidao said, was the extreme fluctuations of water temperature earlier this yea
Chinese premier vows to upgrade economy through reforms – Xinhua He made the remarks while chairing a meeting with scholars and heads of enterprises to discuss the current economic situation and future economic work. The belief that the economy is running within a reasonable range is based on the fact that economic growth can provide sufficient employment and maintain stable prices while raising incomes, improving the environment, and boosting quality and efficiency of development, Li said. The government will turn to more farsighted means to tackle realistic difficulties, give the market a larger role and improve growth quality and efficiency to promote scientific and upgraded growth, he said.
Chinese-led consortium wins bid to build Mexico’s first bullet train project – Xinhua The 50.8-billion-pesos (about 3.7 billion U.S. dollars) project involves building a bullet train line to connect the national capital of Mexico City with the growing industrial hub of Queretaro to the north by 2017. Upon completion, the bullet train service would cut travel time from about two and a half hours to less than an hour, with trains traveling at a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour. “Today the results of the bidding on the Mex-Qro High-Speed Train were released (and) the winner is China’s CRCC company,” SCT head Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said via Twitter. The SCT’s director of Rail Transport, Pablo Suarez Coello, told reporters that “China’s Exim Bank will finance 85 percent of the project,” the daily Excelsior said.
GOP swing could help Obama on trade — U.S., China, EU hold out hope on ITA at APEC — Congressional heavyweights say let data flow — POLITICO Voters probably won’t be thinking about President Barack Obama’s trade agenda when they go to the polls Tuesday, but if the Senate goes Republican it could pave the way for two of the biggest trade deals in U.S. history,” writes Pro Trade’s Doug Palmer this morning.
China’s Shipbuilders See Wave of New Orders, but Profitability Is Low – Caixin “The shipyard is extremely busy now,” said an employee of Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. “We will launch seven new ships before the end of the year, so we’re working overtime on the weekends.” Haitong Securities recently published a report saying that the industry’s recovery will continue, estimating that ship prices will rebound in late 2014 once cargo capacity surpluses are resolved. Other industry observers, however, are less certain. Sources from companies in Nantong, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, said that more orders have not made shipbuilders feel more secure because profits have been sacrificed.
China pledges mergers, private investment in shipping industry reform | Reuters In the Oct. 31 document, the government said it would conduct research how to promote mergers and acquisitions between the industry’s firms, with a view to encourage specialization, and would also actively encourage mixed-ownership reform of its state-owned shipping firms. Finance and insurance institutions would be asked to increase support for the shipping industry to help promote the development of the country’s ship leasing and insurance sectors, with the aim of achieving results by 2015, it said.
老干妈：从不打广告，为什么火遍全世界？_行业动态_投资界 s
POLITICS AND LAW
In Anti-Corruption Campaign, Top Yunnan Officials Pay Steep Price for Graft, Political Relationships | East by Southeast According to one university administrator who wished to remain anonymous, his college’s office environment has changed in the past year. As he explained, “Before, you just had to show up, sit in your office, drink tea and chat with the other teachers from time to time. Now, a lot of people are very nervous at the school because we’re known to be pretty corrupt.”…The changes may not be over yet, however. When asked about corruption in Yunnan, locals still doubt the effect of the current campaign. “In Yunnan, nine out of ten officials are corrupt,’’ Mr. Yang, the school teacher, claims “and it’s the same everywhere else in the country. The story isn’t over yet.” // yes, stamping out rampant corruption throughout society may actually be harder than making progress cleaning up the Party…The campaign to promote Socialist Core Values looks to be part of the plan to address this issue, hard to see it succeeding without a lot of pain, and even then…
China to reform anti-corruption bureau to help in the fight against graft | South China Morning Post Qiu Xueqiang, deputy head of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), said, in an interview with Xinhua over the weekend, the agency would be overhauled and named the General Administration of Anti-Corruption and led by a deputy minister of SPP. The new body will focus on “major cases”, said Qiu, adding that the reform is expected to provide the anti-corruption team, built in 1995, with stronger “fighting capacity, credibility and agility”.
China to share up to 80% of assets in global corruption manhunt: expert – Global Times China will offer up to 80 percent of forfeited assets with the countries that help China recover wealth illegally transferred overseas, a mechanism to help China’s efforts worldwide to hunt alleged corrupt officials, a top international criminal law expert said on Sunday. According to the international practice dealing with the return of stolen assets to lawful owners, the confiscated assets will be shared with the country that suspects transfer their assets to or flee to. The proportion depends on its assistance to the recovery, Huang Feng, head of the Institute for International Criminal Law at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times.
Xi stresses rule of law for “safe China” – Xinhua President Xi Jinping has underlined that the rule of law was a key guarantee for building a “safe China,” urging political and legal organs to collectively develop the public security system. Xi made the remarks in an instruction on China’s security work publicized Monday. // 习近平:
法治维新_政经频道_财新网 Caixin cover story–Rule of Law Restoration // “周虽旧邦，其命维新。如将不尽，与古为新。”
【舒立观察】法治政府的花钱和问责_新世纪周刊频道_财新网 H
中央巡视组：四川官场存在“官商勾结权钱交易”_新闻_腾讯网
中央第四巡视组向西藏自治区反馈巡视情况–24小时滚动新闻-
内蒙古奸杀冤案拖8年未重审 关键证据莫名丢失_新闻_腾讯网 more from The Beiijing News on the case of an Inner Mongolia man wrongly executed in 1996 for a murder that someone else confessed to in 2005…many of people who prosecuted the first case in positions of power, lots of resistance to reopening the case. Been getting lots of play in Chinese media for at least a week, perhaps a good “propaganda example” of the injustices that occur when there is no rule of law as the 4th Plenum promises… // 媒体称“呼格吉勒图案”将启动重审程序，但截至目前，
China’s top anti-graft official stresses to rule Party by law – Xinhua Wang’s essay (反腐败是输不起的斗争 Fighting corruption is a struggle we can not afford to lose”), in yesterday’s Essential eight, also makes multiple references to Confucianism, “Rule By Morality”. Can’t imagine lots of cadres read this and got a warm, fuzzy feeling // Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Wang Qishan, said that the Constitution and legal system were integral to moving the Party forward, and that Party leaders especially must set a sterling example for the rest of society. The fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held at the end of October, moved to comprehensively promote the rule of law in China. In his article, run by the Party’s flagship newspaper People’s Daily, Wang said the Party’s leadership and socialist rule of law were consistent with each other. He said that the Party should translate its guidelines and policies through legal procedure, making them laws and regulations to be followed by everyone. Wang said the CPC must also be ruled by its internal regulations and disciplines, first of all, the Party Constitution.
Beijing IPR court to open this month – Xinhua A special court for intellectual property rights (IPR) cases will open in Beijing early this month, said the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) here Monday. Two similar courts in Shanghai and Guangzhou will open by the end of this year, said Wang Chuang, deputy head of the IPR division with the SPC. In August, China’s top legislature approved the SPC’s plan to set up three special courts for IPR cases in an effort to improve efficiency and quality of trials in IPR cases.
党报批部分领导因沽名钓誉之心制造偶遇新闻_网易新闻中心 Pe
Cheng Li-China’s Fourth Plenum Has Opened Up Discourse on Constitutionalism, Governance | Brookings Institution Critics’ disappointment and the hesitation of CCP leadership aside, the Fourth Plenum has reopened much-needed public discourse on constitutionalism and governance in China. One can expect various forces in the country — from liberal intellectuals, human rights lawyers, and independently-minded legal professionals to Maoists, conservative party apparatchiks, and vested interest groups — in the coming years to contend on the legal front. The next few years will be a test not only to see whether China’s century-long movement for constitutionalism can find a more effective way to enlighten the nation at this critical time in history, but also a test for Xi. Will Xi make a lasting contribution by doing as he said he would, and “placing power in the cage of law”? If he does not, his fear — and the fear of his father — will not be calmed.
习近平的政治符号学 新古田会议要说什么_中国-多维新闻网 如果说伴随古田会议、
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
Manual on How to Spot a Spy Circulates in an Increasingly Wary China – NYTimes.com The manual 中国民间防间谍手册(ZT)—-
China Law Translate | 反间谍法 Counter-Espionage Law full translation
Commentary: Defrosting China-Japan ties demands Abe’s practical action – Xinhua Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has spared no efforts, at least as his previous announcements go, in seeking to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during this multilateral event. His wish will be fulfilled, since Beijing, the host of this forum, will undoubtedly receive the Japanese leader with etiquette and hospitality, despite chronic territorial rows and historical feud with Tokyo. However, that does not necessarily mean Abe’s long-sought formal talks with Xi during APEC would come true, which demands Abe extend good faith and take real action to create the proper atmosphere.
China patrols Diaoyu Islands – Xinhua Vessels of the China Coast Guard (CCG) conducted a patrol mission in China’s territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands on Monday, according to a statement by State Oceanic Administration. The vessels are CCG 2401 and 2305. China has been conducting the patrols on a regular basis.
China Echoes U.S. Warning on North Korea’s Nuclear Warheads | Defense Tech After talks in Beijing, the nuclear envoys of China and South Korea agreed to cooperate in efforts to rein in North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
North Korea’s Charm Offensive: New Cards, Same Player | The Diplomat the international community should not dismiss North Korea’s diplomatic flurry, but we must be clear-eyed when engaging with the North. As we patiently test its resolve, it is imperative that nations ensure that any concessions or policy changes be made only as a result of concrete and measurable progress. We should be cautious to interpret this as any fundamental transformation in North Korea’s foreign policy or global outlook yet, and realize that this may be part of a new charm offensive intended to reduce its international isolation and China’s leverage. Undue optimism could lead to concessions to the North without concrete actions, which would undercut the goals of North Korean nuclear disarmament and further offset the realization of a nuclear-free peninsula. Paul Haenle is the director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy. Anne Sherman is a research assistant at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center.
Chinese Investment in Central Asia: With or Without the SCO? | cogitASIA CSIS Asia Policy Blog In the end, while economic cooperation was intended to be a central pillar of SCO development, what we have seen instead is simply a growth of Chinese economic overtures and an inertia of wider multilateral economic cooperation. Among a multitude of debilitating obstacles are Russian concerns of Chinese dominance, political mistrust amongst Central Asian neighbors, and slow decision-making in the SCO. In the midst of this multilateral stagnation, Chinese economic advances in the region through bilateral mechanisms will continue at a steady pace, but the SCO can be expected to remain largely inconsequential as an economic forum.
HONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN
From Fujian, China’s Xi Offers Economic Olive Branch to Taiwan | The Diplomat Though Xi’s tour included attending a military conference in Fujian, his major message for cross-strait relations focused on economics. Xi visited the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, the mainland’s pet project for encouraging more cross-strait investment and business cooperation. While there, Xi emphasized role of Fujian in fostering economic ties between the mainland and Taiwan. In a statement, Tawain Affairs Office spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang pointed out that Xi specifically visited Taiwanese enterprises and met with Taiwanese businesspeople during his tour of Fujian. Stressing the ethnic and cultural ties between Taiwan and the mainland, Xi said that there was “no reason” for the two sides not to join hands in joint development. Xi also praised the role of Taiwanese businesspeople in fostering a positive cross-strait relationship. Overall, Xi’s tone during this visit represented a return to earlier, softer rhetoric toward cross-strait relations, where improved business ties were seen as acceptable progress on the road to Beijing’s eventual goal of reunification.
Mainland spokesman hails Xi Jinping’s comments on cross-Strait relations – Xinhua During a visit on Saturday to Pingtan, a pilot development zone in southeast China’s Fujian Province, Xi said the two sides of the Strait “have no reason not to join hands in development.” At a meeting with Taiwanese entrepreneurs, Xi said, “The mainland has a large population, a broad market and a wide scope of industries, so it is big enough for Taiwanese products and enterprises.” He also expressed hope that entrepreneurs would continue to contribute to economic cooperation and peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. “We hope the two sides of the Strait will firmly adhere to the theme of peaceful development of cross-Strait ties, reinforce the basis for development, promote mutual trust, enhance cooperation and strengthen the mutual bond to achieve further development and mutual benefits,” the spokesman said. In response to a question on reports about Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou’s latest remarks on cross-Strait ties, the spokesman stressed opposing “Taiwan independence” and insisting on the “1992 Consensus” as the basis for peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.
British banker in court over grisly Hong Kong double murder – Yahoo News Classmates also said he was intensely athletic and had been a member of the prestigious rowing club at Cambridge. “He was a tough guy. He had a rower mentality of pushing himself,” said one former Winchester pupil. “A classic banker I guess.” Another Winchester classmate described him as “clever but socially awkward”.
TECH AND MEDIA
Closer Look: Alibaba Singularly Determined to Keep ‘Double 11’ to Itself – Caixin Alibaba can tell other companies not to use Double 11 in their ads because it applied to register the phrase as a brand with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on November 1, 2011. Its application was approved by the business regulator on October 14, 2013. The administration’s approval allows Alibaba and its subsidiaries to use “Double 11” in a range of industries, including in advertising, telecoms, education and entertainment. Alibaba’s desire to keep the name all to itself has upset JD.com, which fired off a letter to media outlets on October 30, saying that November 11 was an important day for the e-commerce industry now and no one had the right to “monopolize” it. JD.com learned of the ban when it recently tried to place ads with a media company, which refused to let it use the Double 11 wording, an employee of the e-retailer said.
Xiaomi Said to Seek Funds at About $50 Billion Valuation – Bloomberg Xiaomi a great company but that valuation is insane…probably a good time for smart insiders to cash a bit out // The valuation surpasses more established Asian electronics makers including Sony Corp., which has a market capitalization of about $21 billion, and Lenovo Group Ltd. (992)’s $16 billion. Lenovo, the world’s largest PC maker, just acquired Google Inc.’s Motorola Mobility phone unit. DST Systems Inc., an existing investor, is among the potential participants in the funding round, said one of the people.
Official warns mobile Internet against “blood-tainted clicks” – Xinhua expect much more regulation of mobile apps and app markets…chaotic right now // Peng Bo, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said previous cases of media reports hyping up bloody attacks on children or copycat suicides to earn click rates are believed to have incited malicious imitators. “We should never seek such ‘blood-tainted’ clicks,” Peng said at a conference on promoting rule of law in mobile Internet regulation. Peng said the Chinese government will support mobile Internet development with great effort but warned business operators to practice the socialist core values and should not spread information that violates the country’s Constitution or contents that undermine national security, national unity or social stability.
小马奔腾出品“姑嫂的战争”大结局？李莉深孚众望，
刘强东向总理建言：推广电子发票 完善诚信体系|电子发票|李克强|刘强东_互联网_新浪科技_
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
You Say Weird, I Say Beautiful: Xi Jinping Criticism Doesn’t Ruffle SOHO China – WSJ “They are beautiful buildings, buildings that are attractive,” said Mr. Pan. “So I think President Xi’s comments about weird buildings do not include any of SOHO China’s buildings.” // we’ll see
Money can’t replace education – Xinhua Beijing Evening News recently quoted a primary school student as saying that the wealth his family had was enough for three generations to live comfortably without having to work hard. His family has 14 houses in Beijing, 12 of which are rented out. The boy said: “I can live a decent life as a landlord in the future. Why should I take the trouble of going to school?” The boy has raised a question highly relevant to the times. Why should children born with a silver spoon in their mouths go to school? And what is the use of education in today’s society? The answers vary from person to person.
消息称花样游泳部前主任涉嫌操纵比赛被调查_网易新闻中心 Yu Li, former head of synchronized swimming department in National Sports Administration under investigation, match-fixing reportedly involved
70% of Chinese overseas willing to return for work_News Galleries_English Homepage In a survey conducted on Chinese living in North America by CareerBuilder, a recruiting company, 70 percent of participants expressed willingness to work in China or start a new business in China. Of these, 24.69 percent were highly willing to and 45.68 percent were willing to return but needed more time to think about it. For those willing to return to work in China, 32.5 percent made the decision to take care of and support parents, 27.9 percent felt a stronger sense of belonging in China and 16.1 percent were attracted to China’s fast economic development.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
China to build global quantum communication network in 2030 – Xinhua China will build a global quantum communication network by 2030, said a leading Chinese quantum physicist on Sunday. “China’s quantum information science and technology is developing very fast and China leads in some areas in this field,” said Pan Jianwei, a Chinese quantum scientist and professor at the University of Science and Technology of China.
China ramps up efforts to combat Ebola | Science/AAAS | News “Ebola has become the common enemy,” Lin Songtian, director-general of the Department of African Affairs, told reporters in Beijing on 31 October. “Our aid to Africa in fighting Ebola has been the most sustained campaign and among the largest financial contribution [for international relief efforts] in our history.” China’s financial assistance for fighting Ebola to date—including grants to the World Health Organization, the U.N. Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund, and other organizations—totals 750 million RMB ($123 million), according to Lin. When asked by a reporter to explain China’s generosity, Lin pointed out that there are now 25,000 Chinese businesses registered in Africa and that China is the continent’s largest trading partner. Moreover, he added, Beijing sees African capitals as political allies.
Deserted by China, Taiwanese solar cell makers eye new markets | Reuters Taiwanese solar cells were in high demand as a means for Chinese panel makers to sidestep U.S. anti-dumping tariffs. Since Washington extended the duties to Taiwan in July, however, Chinese buyers have shifted back to cheaper, home-made cells for use in the panels they ship to the United States. This has left Taiwanese solar cell makers with a 1 gigawatt-sized hole in their order books at a time when they have added extra capacity to meet Chinese demand that is no longer there.
AGRICULTURE
Dim Sums: Rural China Economics and Policy: Shaanxi Farmers Reluctant to Rent Land The results of a new survey show that “farmers view land like gold, and they’re reluctant to give it up.” Villagers’ uncertainty about their rights to their land makes them reluctant to let go of it, posing a problem for the new class of large farms looking to consolidate farmland.
官媒:城市大饼不能再铺下去-新闻频道-和讯网 Ministr
BOOKS AND LITERATURE
The poetry and brief life of a Foxconn worker: Xu Lizhi (1990-2014) Translations of poems by Xu Lizhi (许立志), the Foxconn worker who committed suicide on 30 September 2014, at the age of 24, in Shenzhen, China. Also includes an obituary with some explanatory notes.
BEIJING
Heard in the Hutong: How Beijing Residents Feel About Efforts to Fight Air Pollution – – WSJ no longer ignorant about the issue, in part due to the weibo efforts of soho
Preparing for ‘APEC War’ in China – NYTimes Iron and steel factories received the government’s message to shut off production during APEC long ago, so they changed production schedules accordingly,” said Xu Zhongbo, the head of Beijing Metallurgical Consulting, in a telephone interview. That meant October was heavily polluted, but November may be better. Equipment normally shut down for maintenance was kept running, said Mr. Xu, making it easy to ramp up production.
Security tightens in Beijing ahead of APEC meeting – Xinhua In downtown Beijing, 161 police stations were equipped with bulletproof helmets, knife-proof uniforms and explosion-proof blankets, said Zhang Jing, vice head of the patrolmen contingent with the BMSB. Police also added X-ray machines, security gates, detectors and explosive-removal robots so as to improve security checks in China’s capital. To complete a three-dimensional command network during the summit, police bought a medium-sized helicopter. “It will be used to take high definition photos and send them back,” said Zhu Pengfei, an officer with the airmen contingent of BMSB. “It can also carry relief if necessary.”
China rolls out the red carpet for Apec – FT.com According to the local investment promotion bureau, Rmb7bn ($1bn) was spent transforming the area along the lake to house the week-long event. A website that tracks the Chinese construction industry puts total investment at five times that, or Rmb36bn. Visiting leaders will be whisked out of the city extra quickly thanks to the wide new highway that leads directly to the lake, bypassing the cumbersome traffic circles of Huairou, the nearby satellite city northeast of Beijing.