"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner

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THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT

North Korea: Witness to Transformation | Testing China’s Patience? The Oil Non-Story–Alex Melton and Stephan Haggard PIIE– Since the passage of the sanctions resolution everyone has been looking for signs that the Chinese may take additional actions. Unfortunately, these stories often reflect wishful thinking, or simply weak reporting as news sources battle to produce copy. Take for example this recent story from Reuters about Chinese oil exports to North Korea.  According to customs statistics, China did not supply North Korea with any oil in February! Are they cutting them off? Has Beijing reached the limits of its epic patience? Wait a minute. Reuters first wrongly reported that this pattern hadn’t occurred since 2007, suggesting that the halt in oil shipments was unusual and therefore must be a response to North Korean behavior.  They later corrected the report to say that the last time oil shipments didn’t occur in February was actually last year, not 2007

China Exports Miss Forecasts as ‘Absurd’ Data Probed – Bloomberg The customs agency acknowledged concerns that the data may be overstated at a press briefing today while standing by its figures and saying the Hong Kong gains stem from different statistical methods. Sales to the U.S. and Europe both fell for the first time since November, leaving the world’s second- largest economy with weaker global demand to support a recovery. “This 10 percent export growth is more real as it’s in line with other data” including power consumption, industrial production and transportation, Lu Ting, chief Greater China economist at Bank of America Corp. in Hong Kong, said in a note today. January and February’s “abnormally strong” gains were probably distorted by companies’ inflated reports, Lu said.  // 海关总署回应内地出口数据虚报质疑_财经频道_一财网 4月10日上午，海关总署新闻发言人、综合统计司司长郑跃声在回答第一财经频道记者提问时表示，因为内地和香港在贸易统计做法上的差别，造成了两地贸易统计数据上的差异。

China Cabinet urges efficient, transparent H7N9 responses – Xinhua | English.news.cn China’s Cabinet has urged efficiency and transparency in government agencies’ responses to the H7N9 bird flu, which has so far infected 33 people, nine of whom have died. Authorities should further coordinate the efforts of different agencies as well as international cooperation for prevention and control of the flu, said a statement issued after an executive meeting of the State Council on Wednesday.//  Shanghai stifled flu ‘rumours’ in early days, says report | South China Morning Post Online speculation about recent flu deaths in Shanghai was quickly muzzled prior to the confirmation of H7N9, reported China’s Southern Metropolis Daily on Wednesday. // China finds bird flu in five new sites: OIE | Reuters China found new cases of bird flu in five live bird markets in the eastern part of the country, a report posted on the website of the World Animal Health Organisation OIE showed on Wednesday. China said the H7N9 avian influenza virus was found on Wednesday in three live bird markets in Jiangsu province, one in Anhui province and one in Zhejiang province, the report said

In China, bird flu brings panic buying of herbal remedy called ban lan gen – The Washington Post The most recent run began with a public advisory issued by Jiangsu province, just north of Shanghai, where most cases of the new H7N9 strain have appeared. The memo, published last Wednesday on the local government’s Web site, carried a tinge of nationalism, urging experts to “explore and develop the role of Chinese medicine” in treating the new bird flu. // and a TCM expert claims that based on “Five Evolutive Phases and Six Climatic Factors 五运六气” the stars have not aligned for a mass epidemic this year…– 专家据五运六气理论推测：H7N9发展为大疫情可能性不大- 中国日报－－ [提要]  针对当前社会广泛关注的H7N9型禽流感，国家科技重大专项“中医疫病预测预警的理论、方法和应用研究”课题组负责人顾植山，根据中医五运六气理论分析指出，今年发生规模疫情的几率不高。// and of course there is money to be made... Flu TCM: just a placebo? – People’s Daily Online  “The synthetic drugs and prescriptions given by officials could be effective, but not for all of them,” said Guo. As major cities like Shanghai and Beijing come out with TCM plans, sales of herbal medicine jumped and TCM stocks rose. The stock price of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited rose by 10 percent on Monday, the maximum daily rising limit allowed in the Chinese stock market.

Former railways minister prosecuted for bribery, abuse of power – Xinhua Former railways minister Liu Zhijun has been charged for bribery and abuse of power, authorities said Wednesday. The Second Branch of Beijing People’s Procuratorate filed the charges against Liu with the city’s No.2 Intermediate People’s Court. The court has accepted the case according to law, and will set a trial date. //  刘志军案_资讯频道_凤凰网 ifeng.com micro-site on the Liu Zhijun case //  媒体：刘志军受贿金额约为6000万元 曾让律师保其不死_资讯频道_凤凰网 Liu charged with taking 60M RMB in bribes, far lower than people assume he took, claims he had his lawyer pledge he would not get the death penalty//  昨天，原铁道部部长、党组书记刘志军因涉嫌受贿罪、滥用职权罪，被北京市人民检察院第二分院提起公诉。市二中院表示，该院正在对检方移送的材料进行依法审查，尚未立案。据悉，刘志军案涉及的行贿人为山西女商人丁书苗等10余人，除受贿5000余万人民币外，还有美元、欧元、港元，共计金额约6000万元人民币。滥用职权罪则是涉嫌帮助丁书苗非法获利30亿余元。// 用法律让民众看清刘志军的罪与罚_社论_新京报网 从中纪委当初的通报来看，刘志军案集中了权钱交易、权色交易等腐败案的典型特征。从反腐的视角考量，这也是一个极其典型的案例。借助刘志军案件的公审，从这个案件中汲取教训，能对今后的反腐提供镜鉴，希望从严治党、依法治国、依法行政能够借此得以推进，让中国的反腐败上一个台阶。 希望，有关司法机关通过依法公开审理刘志军案，用法律和公正，让民众看清刘志军的罪与罚，也让上述问题的答案水落石出。// 刘志军情妇达两位数(组图)-搜狐滚动 Liu’s mistresses numbered in the double digits

China Export Policy Chokes on Vitamin Verdict – Caixin  These are two examples of the market power wielded by tens of thousands of quasi-government trade associations in China, many of which were formed since the late 1980s to control production and prices on behalf of government policymakers. Trade groups have helped China shift away from central government planning toward a market economy. They’ve survived major changes for domestic companies wrought by China’s 2001 entry into the World Trade Association (WTO). And they’re safely entrenched, since every Chinese exporter must join a trade group to qualify for a government license to sell goods abroad. But a recent U.S. court ruling, which followed an eight-year legal battle between Chinese and American vitamin producers, is threatening to rock the trade associations as well as the government’s export-control system.

人民日报-对我国社会主义市场经济体制建设的一项重大贡献 ——重温江泽民同志《实现金融管理电子化》有感 陈元  interesting piece by CDB’s Chen Yuan in today’s people’s daily, Chen Yuan reprints 1993 comments from Jiang Zemin about the importance of bringing financial management and regulation into the digital age, in part as a way to prevent corruption…20 years laters things like property records are not fully digitized and searchable nationwide, officials’ assets not disclosed…still huge gaps that allow the sleaze to flow through// 1993年6月1日，江泽民同志在视察中国人民银行清算总中心时，发表了《实现金融管理电子化》的重要讲话。今年恰逢视察和讲话发表20周年，同时也是金融电子化国家重点项目金卡工程启动实施20周年。重温这篇重要讲话，仍然感到它有很强的前瞻性和震撼力，对20年来我国金融电子化的跨越式发展，对促进社会主义市场经济体制建设，以及促进经济社会发展都产生了非常深远的影响。

圣奴隶_李承鹏_新浪博客 Li Chengpeng responds to attacks from nationalists and fiftycenters…he is far more interesting these days than Han Han// 如何定位你，真是一个大难题。按理你们中很多人的日子过得不济，可你从不反省是什么掠走了你的财产，抢走了你的工作，劈腿了你的女朋友。你天天被爆还假装高潮，倘有路人说句公道话，你从地下爬起，不及擦一擦屁股上的鲜血，一脸的洞晓世事：阴谋，你必是敌国派来策反的……在我已知的人类历史中，见过奴隶，却没见过这么具有圣斗士情结的奴隶。你的神圣使命就是受伤害和受凌辱，并撕咬所有不想受伤害与凌辱的人。你拿着上峰一根鸡毛也像接到了圣火令，对人类大喊：“傻逼、傻逼”。  这么斯德哥尔摩，这么神圣的受虐欲。我想了很久，觉得你该叫：圣奴隶。

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

China’s March New Local-Currency Loans, M2 Growth Top Forecasts – Bloomberg Aggregate financing, a broader measure of credit, was 2.54 trillion yuan in March compared with 1.07 trillion yuan in February, according to data on the central bank’s website.

Yum’s China Sales Tumble 13% in March – Bloomberg as suggested Tuesday in my China Insider column: “Yum Brands, owner of KFC, probably has reason to be concerned, as Chinese have been told to change poultry eating habits, and there are reports of significant declines in KFC’s business in Shanghai, the city with the most reported cases of bird flu.”// An outbreak of bird flu may also curb demand for KFC this month in China, where Yum last year got about half of its revenue. “Within the past week, publicity associated with Avian flu in China has had a significant, negative impact on KFC sales,” Yum said in today’s filing. //yesterday a TCM doctor told me to avoid eating chicken as it might create the conditions in the body to allow the virus to infect…yes I know unscientific, but if TCM doctors all over China are saying this then expect chicken consumption to plummet until H7N9 appears to no longer be a threat, and Yum investors may have a Yucky few weeks ahead…

Communist Party probes Jilin carmaker’s missing billions | South China Morning PostMore than 100 senior managers at one of the mainland’s leading carmakers, the First Automobile Works Group (FAW), have been questioned, and some have been detained, by Communist Party investigators looking into missing company assets, according to a report by the 21st Century Business Herald. Citing anonymous sources, the report said that more than 10 billion yuan (HK$12.4 billion) worth of capital vanished from the Jilin -based company over an undisclosed period, and initial investigations found that the money had been embezzled.

中高端餐饮领跌 餐饮业首现负增长 新华社——经济参考网 new report from China Culinary Association paints grim picture for high end restaurants…new administration campaign against corruption and extravagance having a direct effect on their results// 中国烹饪协会4月10日在北京发布了《2013年第一季度餐饮行业情况分析报告》。该协会行业发展部主任程晓敏表示，尽管已有心理预期，但数据如此低迷仍让业内感到“猝不及防、意料之外。

北京住建部：新盘报价不能高于此前成交价_中国经济网??国家经济门户 Price controls for sales of new homes in Beijing//  北京市新建商品房的售价将接受政府指导，新盘报价不能高于该楼盘此前成交价，也不能高于周边同质商品房价格，否则政府将不予发放预售许可证。今天上午，北京市住建委主任杨斌做客城市服务管理广播“市民对话一把手”节目时，针对“国五条”北京细则的热点问题进行了回应。

VAT reform set to go nationwide in August |Economy |chinadaily.com.cn The expanded pilot program will also include enterprises in the radio, film and television industries, alongside those in the transport industry and some modern service sectors, Li said during an executive meeting of the State Council. The companies will pay a value-added tax, which can be deducted along the supply chain, instead of a business tax to avoid duplicated taxation and to benefit from a lower tax burden.

Rural residents’ incomes grow faster than urbanites: green book – Xinhua | English.news.cn Incomes for rural Chinese grew faster than those of their urban counterparts for the last three years, according to a green book published Wednesday by Social Sciences Academic Press.

 

POLITICS AND LAW

Xi stresses Hainan’s development as resort island – Xinhua | English.news.cn Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for faster development of Hainan Province as an international resort island. Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour from Monday through Wednesday of the island province in south China, where he chatted with fishermen returning from work in the South China Sea, visited a rose farm and a major cruise terminal, among other events. // 人民日报-习近平在海南考察时强调 加快国际旅游岛建设 谱写美丽中国海南篇 ○ 抓民生要抓住人民最关心最直接最现实的利益问题，抓住最需要关心的人群，一件事情接着一件事情办、一年接 // [视频]习近平在海南考察_新闻频道_央视网 CCTV Evening News on Xi’s Hainan tour

军队鹰派成新血液 薄熙来案将近左派死灰复燃_多维新闻网 【多维新闻】Duowei looks at the military hawks like Dai Xu, leftists and how Bo Xilai case may help their revival//  自原重庆市委书记、被认为是中国“左派”政治领袖的薄熙来被立案调查和“双开”后，左派力量在中国政局中受到相当程度的挫折，在中国舆论场变得低调和沉寂了许多。近日，中国空军大校、被认为是中国鹰派代表之一的戴旭发表微博称禽流感是美国对中国使用的“生物心理武器”，“死不了几个”后，引发中国左右两派强烈对攻。观察人士指出，中国左右两派对掐在中国政治和舆论场是一件十分常见的事情。 不过此番左右两派的较劲实际上是继薄熙来落马后规模和程度最大的一次。因为此次与之前相比有一个十分明显的区别，中国军方鹰派与左派联合，使得左派阵营声势复振。然而，加入左派阵营的这些军队鹰派仍然与传统左派有较大差异，也可以称其为“军左”。“军左”加入中国左右论争一方面有助于凝聚社会共识，另一方面更需要敢于面对和纠正自身的问题。

人民日报-“求人之风”为何愈演愈烈？（人民论坛） 周新生 People’s Daily asks why more and more people have to ask for “favors”// 我们常常看到这样的社会现象：孩子上学，没被正常录取，走预留名额的路子需要求人；调动工作，必要的手续之外，打通一些关节需要求人。国人的生活中，存在很多求人的事，求人的主体上至高级官员下至布衣百姓，求人的对象则包括掌握着大大小小权力和资源的官员或工作人员。

Attempted murder case to be reviewed – CHINA – Globaltimes.cn The Shanghai Municipal People’s Prosecutor’s Office said on its official website Monday that it will re-examine the case of a local man convicted of conspiring to kill his wife in 1995. The announcement comes after a retired prosecutor raised doubts over the fairness of the trial and called for a re-investigation. // a trend? 

Liao Yiwu’s New Book Is ‘For a Song and a Hundred Songs’ – NYTimes.com Liao Yiwu was a reluctant dissident. A Chinese poet and storyteller nourished on Beat generation literature, he picked fights, drank to excess and despised politics.

国家铁路局定编130人 设七大地区铁路监管局_财经频道_一财网 国家铁路局机关行政编制为130名，其中，局长1名，副局长4名；另设立7个地区铁路监督管理局，负责辖区内铁路监督管理工作，行政编制350名，领导职数按1正2副配备。

河北一副市长被指任董事 对记者称不要互相伤害_新闻_腾讯网昨天，有网友举报河北省霸州市副市长韩清华为霸州一家公司董事，并贴出该公司董事会第一次决议，该决议称韩清华为该公司董事之一。霸州市委宣传部工作人员表示尚未听说此事，相关情况调查组正在调查中。律师表示该公司或为政府控股公司。

人民网推出地方政府重大项目“舆评决策能力”地图–舆情频道–人民网 People’s Daily Online rolls out a new public opinion decision-making tool for local governments to track public opinion sentiment about proposed projects in their areas…kind of a “public opinion impact assessment” to go with “environmental impact assessment”// 导读：在我国的经济发展和社会建设中，一些重大项目的投资和兴建通常成为经济社会发展的发动机。由于这些项目涉及到老百姓的切身利益，在当前新媒体环境下，其往往也成为舆论的发动机。我们认为，重大项目的评估和上马，“舆评”和“环评”同等重要，有关部门在论证和评估重大项目时，应充分对该项目可能引发的舆论风险及公众舆论承受力作出预估，并及时完善项目建设过程中的信息发布、沟通机制和响应机制。 基于此，人民网舆情监测室推出重大项目舆评决策能力地图和排行榜，对当前重大项目引发的舆情热点进行分析，通过分析这些事件的特点，为增强政府在项目上马和建设过程中的舆评决策能力提出若干建议。

温州官员双规期间猝死续：死者家属要求看监控遭拒_资讯频道_凤凰网京华时报讯（记者怀若谷）前天凌晨，被“双规”的温州市工业投资集团有限公司党委委员、总工程师於其一死亡，因遗体有多处红色淤块及伤痕，家属质疑死者曾遭刑讯殴打。昨天，家属向前来调查的检察院工作人员要求查看事发当晚监控视频遭拒，检察院人员称此事仍未立案，无法控制相关人员。

Official media reiterates position against bureaucracy, waste – Xinhua | English.news.cn Official media outlets in China have reiterated the country’s position against officials’ bureaucracy and unscrupulous waste of government funds. The People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), published a front page article in its Wednesday edition stating that the CPC leadership’s requirements to reject such vices have been effectively implemented by local governments with bureaucratic meetings being shortened and public spending on extravagant official banquets slashed.

CPC members told to emulate official’s “plateau yak spirit” – Xinhua | English.news.cnYu Zhengsheng (2nd R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with members of the work team organized to promote Gyumey Dorje’s spirit among Party members in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2013. After 11 years of dedication and hard work as a grassroots official, Gyumey Dorje died of a stroke in May 2012 while serving as Khampa Tibetan chief of Wari Township in Sichuan’s Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

杨健出任南方报业集团董事长 杨兴锋被免职–河北频道–人民网

 

FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS

BBC News – China media: Views on North Korea In Global Times, Zhang Liangui, a North Korea expert at the Communist Party’s Central Party School, foresees a “70- 80% likelihood of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula”, and believes that North Korea’s aim is reunification with the South by armed force. Cai Jian, deputy director of the Centre for Korean Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University, disagrees and tells Global Times that a large-scale military conflict is unlikely to break out because North Korea’s threats are largely just psychological warfare against the US and South Korea.

Words to four nations over Korean Peninsula tensions – People’s Daily Online  On April 6, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed severe concern over the current tense situation on the Korean Peninsula to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over the phone, and said Beijing “does not allow troublemaking at the doorsteps of China.” In wake of the rising tensions on the Korea Peninsula, for the regional peace and stability and to safeguard China’s national interest, it is necessary to address relevant sides over the issue:

North Korea’s Goal May Be Acceptance as Nuclear State – Bloomberg North Korea wants to be recognized as a nuclear weapons state and “thinks we will blink,” Joseph De Trani, a former head of the National Counterproliferation Center, part of the U.S. intelligence community, said yesterday in a briefing at the Wilson Center, a Washington policy research group.

Analysis: In bitter irony for China, North Korea furthers U.S. strategic goals | Reuters In a boon for U.S. policy that can only add to China’s frustration with Kim, North Korean bellicosity has helped reinforce an American strategy of rebalancing its security policies toward the Asia-Pacific region. To a China that often sounds more wary of Washington than of Pyongyang, months of North Korean missile and nuclear tests followed by a daily stream of bloodthirsty war threats may be worrisome, but the U.S. reaction is even more troubling.

China, North Korea, and Nuclear Arms | ChinaFile As tensions again escalate on the Korean Peninsula, ChinaFile examines more than a decade of developments in North Korea’s nuclear armaments program. Fully-searchable, the timeline links each development to news headlines from the day and is sortable by country.

Japan to let Taiwanese fish near the Senkakus – The Japan Times The deal will allow Taiwanese trawlers to operate in part of Japan’s exclusive economic zone near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, sources close to the talks said. Under the deal, Japan and Taiwan will designate an area in Japan’s EEZ as jointly managed waters where fishing by both Japanese and Taiwanese boats will be allowed. The jointly controlled zone excludes waters within a 12-nautical-mile (19-km) radius of the Japan-held Senkakus. // China angered as Japan, Taiwan sign fishing agreement | Reuters China expressed serious concern on Wednesday after Japan and Taiwan signed a fishing agreement for the seas around a disputed group of East China Sea islands which have been at the center of an increasingly hostile stand-off between Beijing and Tokyo.

Truth behind frequent U.S. military exercises in Asia-Pacific region – People’s Daily Online It is not difficult to see that the U.S. attempts to scramble the Asia-Pacific situation through joint military exercises, making full use of its military exercises as a kind of multilateral counterbalance against China, which is seeking more rights and interests in the Asia-Pacific region. It can thereby enhance its own influence on the Asia-Pacific region. This is perhaps the most ultimate intention of the U. S. In addition, the U.S. has chosen the Asia-Pacific region not only as a “trump card” to suppress the “regional hegemony” of China but also as an opportunity to demonstrate its strength and reshape its image as a superpower so as to fulfill its profound intentions. By Zhen Zehao, associate professor of the National Defense University (NDU) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

Australia should make efforts to ease tensions in Sino-US relationship–Global Times–Hugh White The US will have to accept that it can no longer lead Asia the way it has done for decades. China will have to accept that even as its wealth and power grow, it will not be able to dominate Asia the way the US has done in the past. Australia should do all it can to encourage Beijing and Washington toward an accommodation, and at least make sure that it does nothing to make things harder, as some of its policies in recent years have tended to do.

Brown’s China trip may have dubious value for the state – latimes.com there is always a curmudgeonly columnist somewhere// You know things are going splendidly for a governor when he can arrange a weeklong jaunt through China and not have to pay a cent himself — or even dip into the public till. The fact that it’s sort of a 75th birthday bash for Gov. Jerry Brown and that the roughly 90 invitees — mostly special interests, but also some longtime chums — are willing to pay $10,000 each, plus trans-Pacific airfare, is particularly impressive. Oh, OK, it’s a “trade and investment mission.”

China pollution may hold silver lining for California – latimes.com Brown made his agenda clear not long after he arrived in Beijing, a city so gridlocked in traffic that parts of his schedule are being upended to account for the time he spends trapped in it. “We’re from California,” the governor said, addressing the dozens of delegates at a lavish dinner Tuesday in a restaurant that 400 years ago served as a palace for a Qing Dynasty prince. “We’re not interested in politics. We’re interested in business.”

In China, Jerry Brown forced to cope with formalities – latimes.com Staff entourages and scores of high-level security. Police escorts and long motorcades of dark sedans. This is not how Jerry Brown typically rolls. But those are among the governor’s new realities this week as he moves from boardrooms to ballrooms amid the government meetings, signing ceremonies and formal banquets that will make up his swing through China.

人民日报-打压中国国企，救不了西方经济 钟 声 Zhong Sheng–“oppressing” Chinese SOEs will not save Western economies// 国际金融危机爆发以来，“去全球化”和保护主义思潮在美国等西方国家有所上升，打压新兴市场国家和发展中国家企业成为惯用招数,中国国企频频遭遇压制。　某些西方国家的高官和智库屡屡发表攻击中国国企言论，抱怨中国国企“依靠政策扶持”、“不公平竞争”、“不透明、效率低”。为了一己私利而肆意编造，在事实面前终究站不住脚。改革开放30多年来，特别是中国加入世界贸易组织十余年来，中国国企进行了深刻变革，全方位与国际市场接轨。中国国企完成多元化转型，不少已经上市，其中一些还是在美国上市的。对中国改革稍有研究的人，不应忽略这一基本事实。

人民日报-考虑修改教科书审定标准，不再顾及亚洲邻国感受 日本，历史问题有新动向 本报驻日本记者 刘军国 People’s Daily on Japanese textbooks that do not accurately reflect history…

 

TECH AND MEDIA

Apple’s Jeff Williams Reportedly in China Addressing PR Fallout From iPhone Warranty Controversy – Mac Rumors the Chinese report I saw said he was here april 1// M.I.C. gadget points to a report [Google translation] from Chinese tech site Zol.com.cn earlier this week claiming that Apple Senior Vice President for Operations Jeff Williams is currently in China dealing with the public relations fallout from criticism of the company’s iPhone warranty policies in that country.

A Truly Chinese Internet on Tap as ICANN Goes International – China Real Time Report – WSJ Speaking in an interview Wednesday, Fady Chehadé, president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – the private body that oversees the basic design of the Internet — said the organization would roll out Chinese character options for top-level domains in the second half of 2013.

Michael Mann’s New Film to Feature Sino-U.S. Anti-Hacking Task Force (Exclusive) – The Hollywood ReporterMichael Mann’s new thriller will feature American and Chinese agents working together to combat cyber-theft. The Legendary Pictures-backed project, which is to boast of Chris Hemsworth in a lead role, will revolve around a U.S.-China task force pursuing a hacker hailing from the Balkans and based in a Southeast Asian country, according to a rep for Mann.

腾讯抛“信令”解决方案 把球踢给运营商_财经频道_一财网 Tencent working on a technical solution to reduce WeChat bandwith use/phone signal interference//  围绕在微信与运营商之间的“信令困扰”终于有了一定进展。4月9日晚，腾讯微信团队发布公告称，已启动针对2G/2.5G网络优化计划，正研发新一代动态心跳技术，与运营商运维部门共同探讨信令解决方案。

工信部再提实施手机实名制 扩展到固话上网卡|手机|实名制|工信部_通讯与电讯_新浪科技_新浪网 MIIT moving forward on real name registration for basically any device that accesses telecom networks…how much will it be implemented? // 新浪科技讯 4月11日消息，在手机实名制几乎要被淡忘之际，工信部的一则公告又把不少用户给惊醒了，工信部的公告称，要为电话用户真实身份信息登记制定相关法律，并且实名制并不仅限于固话，还包括固话用户和上网卡用户，未来都需要登记真实信息。

Self-Censorship on Chinese TV: An American Comedian’s Experience | PBS NewsHour Fulbright fellow Jesse Appell’s “Gangnam Style” parody was subject to censorship when he was asked to perform on Chinese television.

去哪儿下架风波：被指既当裁判员又当运动员|去哪儿|OTA|下架_互联网_新浪科技_新浪网 Baidu’s Qunar have a real crisis, or are competitors blowing it up in the media..something Qunar used to do against Ctrip, and may still?// 包括艺龙旅行网、同程网、芒果网及住哪网等OTA供应商都在清明出行高峰之前不约而同暂停了与去哪儿网的合作，集体“下架”酒店产品。引爆点则是去哪儿网将OTA供应商点击费大幅提高。艺龙及同程网等分别向记者表示，目前正在与去哪儿网谈判，不排除未来会继续合作的可能。　从四月初事件发生，各方态度都不甚明朗。而4月10日，艺龙网CEO崔广福与去哪儿网CEO庄辰超忽然在微博上隔空喊话，各方均坚持己见，谈判或将继续僵持

Baidu’s Qunar hit by merchant revolt | South China Morning Post Local media have written about this latest conflict several times in the last week, including the latest report that says a number of major third-party agents that provide hotel booking services have abandoned Qunar’s platform after the company changed its operational model. Qunar confirmed the exodus, but said it is talking with the parties about returning to its platform. There’s no explanation on why the agents have left Qunar, but in this instance the obvious reason is money

New media big trend for Chinese language study in US: expert – Xinhua | English.news.cn “Our students actually seek technologies even we may not give to them, so I think there’s a lot more online dialogue,” Robert Davis, executive director of the College Board’s Chinese Language and Culture Initiatives, said during the sixth annual National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) of the United States. // but have yet to see a scalable business plan for startups addressing Chinese language learning market

Alibaba to Appoint New CFO Ahead of Anticipated IPO – Bloomberg Alibaba will promote deputy CFO Maggie Wu to replace Joseph Tsai on May 10, the same day billionaire Jack Ma relinquishes the post of chief executive officer, according to a company statement yesterday. Tsai will become executive vice chairman and oversee strategic investment.

 

SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY

The Road of No Return – Economic Observer Online  many went to the US because they were not going to advance in the Chinese system…the handful at top prep schools are the exceptions// There are currently 23,795 Chinese teenagers in private high schools across America. Given the complicated process of applying to these schools, it’s hard for the thousands that didn’t make the cut to find their place in the domestic education system again.

新京报：“唐僧寺”大拆迁真是为“申遗”？-中新网 temple in Xian with Xuanzang’s bones to be “moved”…weibo erupts, top topic as of writing//  如果拆除了其中大部分建筑，其完整性和真实性无从谈起，申遗还会成功吗？借着申遗的势头大搞拆迁，推动房地产开发或许才是当地政府的真实意图.　据报道，埋有唐代高僧玄奘法师灵骨的西安兴教寺，正面临大规模拆迁。当地政府给出的拆迁原因，是丝绸之路联合申遗的需要。因为联合申遗名单上只有兴教寺塔，不包括寺庙内其他建筑。此前，是曲江系公司参与商业运作。

陕西批准国民党军人为烈士 文件要求不对外宣传- 南网 – 南方日报官方网站社会 京华时报讯（记者李显峰）陕西省政府近日批准6名抗战牺牲的国民党军人为烈士，批复文件称6人为“同志”，引发网友热议。昨天，陕西省政府官方微博回应，该政策一直在执行。据记者查询，针对国民党军队抗日致残官兵可否按残废军人给予抚恤优待问题，民政部曾表态：查实后可批准，但对外不作宣传。

NGOs in China: Announcing China Development Brief’s New Chinese NGO Directory and Special Report The bilingual (Chinese-English) Directory (with 251 NGO profiles and a Special Report: Mapping China’s Public Interest NGOs) is one of the most important reports and publications that we have produced at CDB in many years. It took us more than one year to research, compile, translate and edit and is the first-ever public directory focused solely on grassroots Chinese NGOs. We hope it will serve as a valuable reference for anyone interested in NGOs in China.

 

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

Amid China air, water pollution, soil survey reveals century-old heavy metals | Reuters Zhuang Guotai, head of the ecological department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said a nationwide soil survey showed the countryside had paid a heavy price for an agricultural revolution that has seen grain production almost double in the last 30 years, despite a much reduced workforce. Soil pollution is regarded as one of China’s most serious health threats, contaminating the food chain with pesticide and fertilizer run-offs as well as toxic elements like lead, arsenic and cadmium

康菲赔偿拉锯 渤海疑似再漏油|渤海|漏油|康菲_21世纪网 locals reporting a few small oil slicks in Bohai, possibly another leak from Conoco Phillips speculates 21st century business herald// 4月10日，山东砣矶岛村民向本报记者透露，两天前在砣矶岛吕山口村又发现了部分油污，以及打捞油污的废弃油毡。 与此同时，山东长岛县204名渔民代表之一王忠国在接受本报记者电话采访时也证实，截至4月10日，其在当地其他村庄也发现了类似油污和油毡，并拍摄了一则长达5分钟的视频资料。

FOOD AND TRAVEL

白酒塑化剂新标准或放宽 或成第二个国产奶粉-中国金融新闻网 new plasticizer standards for baijiu to be quite lax…// 从急于想让消费者恢复信心的白酒行业来说，过宽的标准也并非是好事，在我看来，更像是掩耳盗铃。短期内，是有了国家标准这把尚方宝剑，可你过得了国标的关，能过的了消费者心里的关吗？答案显而易见。三年前降低指标“倒退25年”的奶粉新国标没救得了国产奶粉， 反而加剧消费者对整个行业的恐慌，如果标准过于宽松，白酒行业也许会成为第二个信任尽失的“国产奶粉”。

BEIJING

New Beijing airport targets 2018 opening |Society |chinadaily.com.cn Construction of a new airport in south Beijing will start next year, and the facility is expected to be completed and put into use in 2018, local authorities announced on Wednesday. Preliminary work prior to the construction of the airport, located in Daxing district, bordering Hebei province, is under way, sources with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform said.

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