"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
北京“的哥”：习总书记坐上了我的车_大公资讯_大公网 has Xi Jinping been going out in Beijing? A cabbie tells Ta Kung Pao he gave Xi and a companion a ride… // 微服私訪 習近平北京「打的」記_大公網 Ta kung Pao’s special page on “General Secretary Xi takes a taxi”///emperor Qianlong the most famous of the empoerors known for going out incognito among the people? // 习近平微服私访在北京打的(图)_新闻_腾讯网 Xi’s cab ride, as reported be Ta Kung Pao, top story on all Chinese news portals… [UPDATE: This story is false, Ta Kung Pao has issued a retraction…what a mess END UPDATE]
人民日报-售后问题引热议，人民网调查显示 六成公众对苹果品牌认可度下降（热点解读） People’s Daily says that after it and CCTV’s reporting, a People’s Daily Online survey shows that 60% of people say their approval of Apple has dropped, among other increases in negative sentiment towards Apple // 近日，苹果产品售后服务中外有别问题引起了社会广泛关注。人民网对此发起调查，结果显示，在接受过售后服务的苹果用户中，超半数对其售后服务不满，近八成公众认为售后服务中外有别是对中国消费者的歧视。 专家称，在进一步完善法律制度对消费者权益保护的同时，也应倡导理性消费。近日，人民网强国论坛联合北京美兰德信息公司，在全国城市范围内针对苹果产品的售后服务满意情况对普通公众展开调查。调查结果显示，对于近期媒体对苹果公司相对集中的报道，有54.3%的被访者表示关注过相关报道，而52.0%的被访者表示知道苹果公司在中国大陆地区售后服务规定中存在不公平不合理的情况。// Apple Ordered to Remove Obscene Content From China Store – Bloomberg The crackdown on content in Apple’s China App Store follows more than a dozen stories in the state-run People’s Daily in the past month accusing the maker of iPhones and iPads of arrogance and poor customer service. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook issued an apology on April 2 for its warranty and repair policies as he promised to improve training and support in its biggest market after the U.S. // “净网”行动查处苹果应用商店等198家涉”黄”网站 – 新华法治 – 新华
Chinese navy patrols Diaoyu Islands on treaty anniversary – Xinhua The PLA navy patrolled on the day of historical significance, as the Treaty of Shimonoseki between the two countries was signed on April 17, 1895, following China’s defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). According to the treaty, China ceded Taiwan and its affiliated islands to Japan, and paid Japan as a war indemnity the sum of 200 million Kuping taels. // 马关条约纪念日南海舰队奔赴钓鱼岛雪耻_多维新闻网且南海舰队开赴钓鱼岛海域标志着中国海洋维权将采取“两结合”的模式：一是将南海与东海的海洋维权活动结合起来，形成全海域维权机制；二是将海军的常态化战备巡逻、经常性远海训练与海洋执法力量的常态化巡航结合起来，打上维权双保险。这说明南海舰队此举并非抢东海舰队的饭碗，而是代表中国海洋维权的最新动向 // 2012 saw record 306 Japan fighter scrambles against Chinese aircraft – The Japan Times Japan scrambled fighter jets 306 times in response to intruding Chinese aircraft in fiscal 2012 through March, a record high, the Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff said Wednesday. It is the first time scrambles against Chinese planes have surpassed those against Russian aircraft. For fiscal 2012, scrambles against Russian aircraft totaled 248, an increase by one incident from the previous fiscal year. // Vice premier meets with Japanese delegation in Beijing – Xinhua Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (R) meets with a delegation led by Yohei Kono (L), president of Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade and former Japanese House of Representatives Speaker, in Beijing, capital of China, April 17, 2013.
WHO says no poultry contact in some China bird flu cases | Reuters WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl confirmed that “there are people who have no history of contact with poultry”, after a top Chinese scientist was quoted as saying that about 40 percent of those with the H7N9 virus had had no contact with fowl. “This is one of the puzzles still (to) be solved and therefore argues for a wide investigation net,” Hartl said in emailed comments, though he added he did not know the exact percentage. // Beijing’s first H7N9 patient discharged – Xinhua A girl surnamed Yao, who was tested positive for the H7N9 avian influenza virus…was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday…Yao, who was confirmed as the first H7N9 infection case in China’s capital on April 13, has tested negative for the H7N9 virus over the past three days. The medical observation for her parents were also terminated Wednesday, as neither of them have shown any abnormal symptoms
[视频]部分驻京办公款吃喝仍未遏制_新闻频道_央视网 Video…CCTV News goes after Beijing government representative offices ignoring Xi’s rules on official entertaining and gluttony….parking lots at one high end restaurant (apparently owned by CNPC) full of black Audis…so far just propaganda warnings, would not be surprised to soon start hearing about demotions and disciplinary actions…but wait staff not worried, says her own bosses eat there…//【记者暗访驻京办公款吃喝：我们是中石油的 没人查】据群众反映，一些驻京办的公款吃喝现象严重，记者来到北京北四环边的某单位驻京办事处，一到现场记者就发现一部有着特殊牌照的黑色奥迪车，服务员称，我们是中石油的，不会有人来检查，我们自己领导都来这吃饭，没事 // another People’s Daily page 1 commentary today on changing work styles…人民日报-在求实效上下功夫 ——持之以恒转作风之二 本报评论员 要认识到，制定八项规定的根本目的，就是从严要求，体现从严治党，通过改进工作作风，端正党风政风，密切同人民群众的联系，归根到底是为了把我们的各项工作做得更好。因此，作风转得好不好，不在于口号喊得响不响，文章做得大不大，而在于能够切实推进领导干部深入基层调查研究，解决实际问题。如果热衷于提不切实际的口号，甚至做表面文章，就会有违转作风的初衷。
丁书苗女儿在京受审 曾受刘志军指使捞落马官员_网易新闻中心 Ding Shumiao’s daughter went on trial Wednesday in Beijing…part of liu Zhijun case // 新京报讯 今天上午，山西女商人丁书苗女儿侯军霞在京受审，法院未对媒体开放旁听。据悉，与侯军霞一起受审的还有江西南昌赣鹏集团董事长胡斌等四人，指控罪名为非法经营罪。
China’s toxic harvest: a “cancer village” rises in protest | Marketplace.org Farmers in Niuchong Village, in China’s Hubei province, have united to protest water and air pollution caused by Dasheng Chemical, which operates a local phosphate mine and fertilizer factory. Villagers blame a rapid rise in cancer cases in the village on the company and the negligence of the local government.
Medal of Honor recipient from grim Korean War battle to be laid to rest at Arlington – The Washington Post A Korean War hero comes home at last: Army Lt. Col. Don Carlos Faith Jr., his men vastly outnumbered by Chinese troops in North Korea, devised a desperate plan to break out of the trap. He did not survive, but those who did remember him as “a soldier’s soldier.”
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
China State Newspaper Says Consumption Stimulus Coming | MNI The Shanghai Securities News report follows Monday’s release of first quarter economic data which showed a surprising drop in growth to 7.7% y/y from 7.9% during the final three months of 2012. The State Council said late Wednesday that the growth rate was in range though today’s report indicated a degree of discomfort within the government about domestic consumption rates. The report offered few details, but didn’t hint at any looming announcement of a significant policy package similar to the CNY4 trillion stimulus announced to counter the global financial crisis. Rather, any policies to come are likely to be smaller and more targeted, such as the subsidy program designed to boost home appliance purchases in rural areas which ran from 2009 to 2012. // 国务院提内需“组合拳”：消费、投资、减审批_财经频道_一财网开发和培育信息消费、医疗、养老、文化等新的消费热点，增强消费的拉动作用 ●保持合理投资规模，加强城市道路、轨道交通、环保基础设施等方面建设 ●抓紧清理取消和调整行政审批项目，并向社会公开，激发民间投资和社会创业热情 ●有效防范地方政府性债务、信贷等方面存在的风险再次被重点提及
Heading off a China-style Subprime Mortgage Crisis – Caixin Editorial Reforming the government financial structure remains the best way to minimize risk from local government debt. It is a pity that last year’s budget law amendments did not expressly allow local governments to issue bonds; allowing the independent and legal issue of local government bonds should be the next step forward. To this end, local governments must open their books to public scrutiny, and their balance sheets must meet legal standards. This would allow residents to make an informed decision about whether or not to buy government bonds. At the end of the day, the government’s role must change. Governments at all levels should stop promoting construction projects, and turn their focus from meeting growth targets to providing public goods and services. This includes upholding rule of law and protecting the environment. Only in this way can a China-style subprime mortgage crisis be averted.
Bond Yields Fall after Regulator Issues Rules on Wealth Products – Caixin The banking regulator’s most recent policy to control risk regarding banks’ wealth management products has caused domestic bond yields to fall as demand from banks soared. The benchmark yield for 10-year government bonds was 3.44 percent on April 16, down from the 3.58 percent when the policy was introduced on March 27, data from financial information provider Wind Info shows. The impact on yields had been across the board in the bond market, said Ping An Securities’ analyst Shi Lei. He attributed the declining yields to a new regulation that imposed limits on the amount of wealth management money banks can invest in “non-standard” assets, such as trust loans and accounts receivables, which are not traded in the country’s principle bond markets.
银监会摸底风险敞口 同业业务整肃将启幕_财经频道_一财网 CBRC issues another circular to plumb the debt depths among the main banks// 昨日，多名知情人士向《第一财经日报》证实，银监会近日要求政策性银行及国有、股份制商业银行在5月8日前上报同业敞口的风险管理情况。 一家上市股份制银行金融市场部负责人对本报称：“此举可能是为下一步制定具体的同业业务规范摸底。”
CITIC Caught Up in Financial Fraud Case – Economic Observer Former employees at a branch of China CITIC Bank in Zhengzhou reportedly sold an unauthorized wealth management product in 2011 and investors are still waiting to get their money back. The bank denies any responsibility for the actions of its former employees. // 债市风暴：杨辉神秘的“身边人”_财经频道_一财网 detention of CITIC Securities fixed income exec sounds like could be a big deal, expose all sorts of fun behavior in debt markets// 中信证券杨辉所涉何事仍待调查，行业人士解密债市交易“老鼠仓”手法。// 继万家中信后齐鲁银行徐大祝被查 养券黑幕或引监管风暴-财经网 除了已经被证实被公安部门带走的万家基金的邹昱和中信证券的杨辉外，包括齐鲁银行等在内的数家商业银行也被卷入其中，另外，国家监管层已经对一家政策性银行和一家国有商业银行进行了约谈 // 债券代持“潜规则”曝光 “万家”事件或引来监管风暴-财经网 万家基金三只债基经理邹昱因涉嫌“债券代持”输送利益被控制调查。另一位银行间重量级大佬－－中信证券固定收益部执行总经理杨辉亦指被监管层调查其丙类户非法交易。相关事件暗示着监管层着手整顿银行间债市
Jing Daily: Burberry Stands Out As Bright Spot In China Slowdown News Burberry, though, became a bright spot for luxury in China, surprising experts with relatively high growth numbers. The company, which experienced plunging stocks in September, today reported a 10 percent rise in fourth quarter revenue. News reports attribute the growth primarily to the brand’s large and growing China market.
Chinese CPA profession to step up? | China Accounting Blog | Paul Gillis What is remarkable is that his firm is standing up to local governments, and that Zhang is talking so openly about it. I think this may mark the beginning of a new era for CPAs in China. Are CPAs about to take a greater role in governance in China – speaking the truth to power? In my opinion, Zhang Ke is the top CPA in China, more powerful than any of the Big Four senior partners. He once headed Coopers & Lybrand’s joint venture in China, only to leave in 1998 to start his own firm after a falling out upon the merger of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse.
EU trade chief seeks backing to investigate China’s Huawei, ZTE: diplomats | Reuters the companies don’t dare make the complaint, for fear of backlash from Beijing// The European Union’s trade chief will seek the backing of EU states to investigate Chinese telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE, even without a complaint from European manufacturers, EU diplomats said on Tuesday. The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, has been collecting evidence to prepare a possible case against Huawei and ZTE over state subsidies it says allows the companies to undercut European firms.
Moutai Profit Growth Slows Amid Xi Austerity Push – Bloomberg Kweichow Moutai Co. (600519), China’s largest maker of baijiu liquor, said first-quarter profit rose 21 percent, less than half the pace of the year-earlier period as President Xi Jinping pushes to curb extravagant spending by government officials // happy to hear the other day that Xi Jiu is still ok, at least at some official tables
PBOC’s Gang Yi: Likely to Widen RMB Trading Band Near Future | MNI In a panel discussion at the International Monetary Fund, Yi noted the band was widened to 1% from 0.5% and, “I think in the near future we are going to increase the floating band even further.” And Yi, administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said, “I think the exchange rate regime will continue to reform in the direction of a market-oriented direction, and make the market demand and supply to a large extent to determine the rate.”
Exclusive: Risk ranking: China revamps anti-money laundering rules – sources | Reuters The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, issued its new anti-money laundering rules to financial institutions in December, requiring them to rate clients’ risks based on their location and the nature of their businesses, including their levels of transparency, five accountants and bankers with knowledge of the rules said.The rules were not publicly announced, and banks and insurance firms have to implement them by December 2015, the accountants and bankers said.
Hertz Buys 20 Pct Stake in China Auto Rental – Caixin Hertz Global Holdings Inc. has agreed to buy 20 percent of China Auto Rental Holdings Inc. (CAR) as part of a broader partnership between the second-largest U.S. car rental company and China’s biggest. The two companies announced the deal on April 16. No financial details were disclosed.
Feeling Glum About China? Look to the Car Lots – China Real Time Report – WSJNow, warehouses full of inventory have started to empty, leaving room for any increase in demand to pass through to stronger production. “Basically destocking will likely finish in late April, when the busy season for construction is coming,” said an executive with Anhui Conch, one of China’s largest cement producers. “Industry people are optimistic about sales in coming months and cement prices are expected to rise as destocking is done.”
American banker, now proud to be a Chinese national | South China Morning Post Some in Hong Kong’s financial community were surprised by an e-mail from one of the most veteran investment bankers in the city on Tuesday night. Marshall Nicholson, a managing director in charge of investment banking in Hong Kong for China International Capital Corporation (CICC) told his colleagues and friends that he had officially renounced his United States citizenship and would soon receive a HKSAR passport. “I am very proud to say I have become Chinese,” said Nicholson in the e-mail, which was seen by the South China Morning Post and spread quickly in the local banking world on Tuesday night. // tax considerations?
China Reality Check: To The Sidelines As Tax Hits House Market | MNI Official data due for release on Thursday (0930 local/0130 GMT) may show average prices nationwide rose for a 10th month on a sequential basis, and for a fourth month year-on-year in March. But March may also have marked a watershed for housing markets in China’s largest cities: it may represent the last hurrah for this latest wave of price appreciation after local governments began rolling out fresh measures to control prices at the end of the month, in accordance with Beijing’s orders. The measures, which include higher downpayment minimums on mortgages for second homes, have quietened market activity after March’s frenzy. During the three days from April 8 after Beijing reopened the city’s online purchase registration system, only a daily average of 450 units transacted. That compares with March’s daily average of 1410 units
全国住房供地计划连续两年减少 土地市场恐陷低迷 新华社——经济参考网 国土资源部16日公布2013年全国住房用地供应计划显示，今年全国住房用地计划供应15.08万公顷，是过去5年年均实际供应量(9.77万公顷)的1.5倍，但从计划额度角度计算，已经连续两年减少(2011年为21.8万公顷，2012年为15.93万公顷)。其中，一线城市(北、上、广、深)计划供应量同比增加2.8%。 近些年土地供应呈现出差异化特征：一线城市和部分热点城市供地相对不足，二三线城市土地供应规模较大。业内人士认为，今年供地计划的制定，已针对区域分化进行调整。但随着楼市调控政策的落地，土地市场降温预期明显，或将影响到今年的土地有效供应。
开发商“越狱”国五条 楼市上演“三十六计 ” on the myriad ways real estate developers are getting around the new real estate restrictions// 地方版“国五条”细则陆续出台，楼市“小阳春”踪迹难寻。然而，平静之下却暗流涌动。中国证券报记者近日调查发现，北京地区的买卖双方早已针对政策漏洞，祭出应对之策。在二手房市场，假结婚与假离婚双管齐下，力求降低交易成本。在新房市场，开发商千方百计在价格上做文章，既完成交易，又不牺牲利润。在与政策博弈的过程中，瞒天过海、暗度陈仓、金蝉脱壳、趁火打劫……“三十六计”的戏码悄然上演。
AmCham-China’s survey on foreign firms debatable: MOC official – Xinhua | English.news.cn An official with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Wednesday that a recent survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham-China) has under-represented foreign businesses in China, making the survey results debatable.
Chinese Go Nuts After a Bumper Crop – WSJ.com Mei Guan had never seen so many Chinese customers at her Hong Kong Café in 10 years of operation. She wondered what brought them all to this small city in southern Georgia, because “there’s really nothing to see in Albany,” she said. They came for the peanuts. A stream of Chinese nationals began arriving in the peanut-farming region last winter, causing a frenzy in a $4 billion U.S. industry. With six-figure checks in hand, the Chinese are expected to scoop up 300,000 tons of peanuts this year—half of expected U.S. exports
Private Equity Looks for the Exits – Economic Observer As the queue to list on China’s stock market grows, private equity firms are looking to ditch their stakes in companies that they invested in on the basis that they would one day go public.
POLITICS AND LAW
人民日报-国企改革，坚定方向稳步推进（新国企 新起点之四：方向篇） 本报记者 白天亮 4th in page 1 people’s daily series this week on SOEs, tone seems to be soes are good if efficient and managed well, china’s needs them as national champions// “公平竞争的环境最重要。越竞争越精彩，越公平越有说服力。” 中国建材集团董事长宋志平说。国企搞好了，总会有人说是享受了特殊政策，而忽视国企自身的努力。但在税收、规范管理等方面，国企又明显较其他企业付出更多。不少国企负责人谈道，国企并不需要特殊关照。一视同仁，才能保证国有企业是“真企业”。背着抱着，发展不出好企业，即便取得一些成果也难以服众。 改革是最大的红利。坚持基本经济制度，坚持市场化方向，相信国有企业潜力无限，空间无限，精彩还在后头！
人民日报-深化经济改革的逻辑与行动框架（学术论苑） 夏 斌 Xia Bin in People’s daily on the logic and framework for action for deepening economic reforms // 以上扭曲的收入结构、支出结构和生产结构，加上资金、资源等要素价格低廉和行政管制、外需繁荣等因素，必然导致国内生产的大量产品和服务要靠大量出口来消化。可见，我国经济中存在的结构问题是密切关联的，而且其成因不仅仅局限于实体经济，资金、资源等要素价格改革不到位以及土地收益分配、市场准入限制、税收和行政性垄断等因素同样起了不可忽视的作用。因而，解决这些问题，需要抓住核心、突出重点，全面协调推进各方面改革。
Death Spotlights Abuses in China Party Graft Probe – ABC News Yu Qiyi had a promising career in a government investment company when he disappeared on his way home from a business trip March 1. Thirty-eight days later, the bespectacled, boyish-looking engineer died after turning up in a hospital emaciated, with bruises on his arms and thighs, dark welts on his buttocks and scrapes on his feet and shins. In between, Yu was held by investigators from China’s ruling Communist Party in secret detention frequently used but not regulated by law. Since his death last week, he’s become a rallying point for reformers who want to do away with a system that is prone to abuse but that Chinese leaders depend on to keep members in line.
Promoters of failed reforms may be let off|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn A proposal to exempt those who promote reforms from liability when pilot projects fail has triggered heated debate among legislators in Shanghai. The draft regulation, designed to establish Shanghai as a pioneer in carrying out and encouraging reforms, was put before the Standing Committee of Shanghai People’s Congress for discussion on Wednesday. The regulation comes as this financial center of China is under pressure to pursue economic transformation and is in urgent need of reforms to open up the bottleneck that has impeded its further development, experts said.
广东徐闻副县长涉嫌违纪被双规 曾遭情妇等6女围殴_财经_腾讯网 Guangdong official who was beaten by mistress and 6 of her female friends last month has been “shuang’gui’d”// 据中新社4月17日报道，广东湛江市纪委官员17日接受中新社采访时称，徐闻县副县长杨杰因涉嫌严重违纪近日被“双规”(在规定的时间、规定的地点交代问题)，目前，其违纪问题正在进一步调查中。
新一届部长履新首月:低调上任 高调改革_财经频道_一财网 新一届部长就任已有一个月的时间，他们用新的执政理念来诠释自己的新职责，回应人民的新期待。
Graduate Student in China Poisoned to Death, Roomate Suspected-CaijingA graduate student at one of China’s top universities died Tuesday following liver failures after he drunk unknown chemicals-contaminated water in his dorm. The death of Huang Yang, a medical student at Shanghai-based Fudan University, came two weeks after he was sent to a local hospital where he slipped into coma and suffered acute live failures. Police later found toxic chemicals in the purified water in their dormitory, but yet to reveal names of the chemicals.
China’s Dream World by Minxin Pei – Project Syndicate The first thing that Xi should do is to articulate a clearer, more specific, and inspiring version of the China Dream, and stop letting the CCP’s propaganda officials define it for him. The China Dream may include all of the economic benefits and material comfort that ordinary Chinese desire, but it will not be complete without the human rights and dignity that citizens in civilized societies take for granted. The second thing that Xi and his colleagues need to do is to follow up with specific policies and actions that can bolster the credibility of their declared goals. Political slogans, however high-sounding, become stale when their purveyors fail to make good on their promises. Xi may still be enjoying a honeymoon with the Chinese public, but it is likely to be a short one. His predecessors had ten years to carry out real reforms and accomplished little, leaving the Chinese in no mood to endure another decade of government by shibboleth. //Xi and his colleagues know this
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
Chinese Ambassador Calls for New Great Power Relationship – Caixin The Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, said China and the United States must embark on a new great power relationship which should first be enacted in the Asia-Pacific region. “China and the U.S are two great powers situated on the two sides of the Pacific, and as such, have many intertwined interests which the countries must turn into opportunities for cooperation,” said Cui during an interview with Caixin in Washington, D.C. on April 15.
The United States can’t let China scuttle the Doing Business index | Shadow Government Doing Business reflects a broadly American and widely accepted view about development — that the private sector is its main driver. A small number of influential, vocal countries on the board of the World Bank such as China, Brazil and India dislike where they end up on the DB rankings. As a result, they have called on bank management to change the methodology of the report to reflect aspects that they can perform more highly on and to stop ranking countries according to the ease of doing business. In addition, several quarters are calling for the World Bank Group to give the Doing Business project to another institution.
97 saved from Chinese ship afire off Antarctica | South China Morning Post saved by Norway..will this help repair the Nobel damage?// A Chinese factory fishing ship caught fire on Wednesday just off the coast of Antarctica and 97 crew members were rescued by a nearby Norwegian vessel as Chile’s military mobilised to prevent any environmental damage.
Are blogs to blame for Sino-American misperceptions? | Daniel W. Drezner And here I’m going to have to disagree with [Alistair] Johnston a bit. On a day in which the mainstream media demonstrated a truly excellent ability to spread its own misinformation — and, in response, said mainstream media blamed Twitter — I’m highly dubious that the blogs play that much of a causal role. To be sure, I do think blogs can sometimes perpetuate falsehoods. That said, most of Johnston’s evidence for blog effects comes from domestic policy, and methinks the foreign policy media ecosystem functions a wee bit differently. If I had to wager why the misperceptions about China that Johnston enumerates have emerged, I’d hypothesize, in descending order of importance, the following reasons:
William Bradley: Jerry Brown Leaves the Party Behind in China Brown and the new California-China Office of Trade and Investment also announced four new Chinese investments in California, totaling approximately a quarter of a billion dollars These investments in pharmaceuticals, construction, waste containment, and marine resources will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles area, Sacramento, and San Diego. Brown and state tourism officials also announced the selection of actress Gao Yuanyuan as California’s first tourism ambassador from China. She will appear in various advertisements and events to promote tourism in the Golden State.
China to exhibit mineral found near Diaoyu Islands|Society|chinadaily.com.cn A mineral explored near the Diaoyu Islands decades ago by Chinese researchers will be exhibited for the first time in Beijing on the World Earth Day, an official said Tuesday. Jiang Jianjun, director of Technology and International Cooperation Department with the Ministry of Land and Resources, said the sample mineral, “diaoyudaoite,” will be on show at the exhibition scheduled on April 22 in the afternoon, at the Geological Museum of China.
TECH AND MEDIA
What’s Behind China’s Growing Legions of Online Readers | Tea Leaf Nation According to a survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, Chinese people read about 4.35 books per year – a number that has drawn much discussion given that in Japan, the figure is 40 and in Israel, 64. Digital reading, however, is still not included in those calculations, and millions of online novel readers in China have certainly proved that printed books are no longer only places where digital readers — let’s call them bookworms 2.0 — can be found. In this way, China’s literary scene has functioned somewhat like its media landscape, where harsher restrictions on the printed form lead to a more vibrant, comparatively free online space
中国雅虎邮箱将整体迁移至阿里云 8月停止服务_科技频道_凤凰网 yahoo’s china email service to be moved to Aliyun, Yahoo mail to be shuttered in August
Faster Internet to reach more parts of China – Xinhua | English.news.cn Some 18,000 rural villages and 5,000 schools in impoverished regions will enjoy broadband or faster Internet service this year, according to an annual plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and seven other ministries on Wednesday.
China Mobile to challenge WeChat – Xinhua | English.news.cn China Mobile Ltd, the nation’s biggest telecom operator, has launched public bidding for operating its Fetion service, an instant messaging tool similar to Tencent Holdings Ltd’s WeChat. Previously, Fetion was solely operated by Beijing Ultrapower Software Co Ltd. China Mobile’s move is seen by many analysts as a strategic step to restructure Fetion and take on Tencent’s WeChat. Growth Enterprise Board-listed Ultrapower applied for a one-day trading suspension for “potential major incidents” on Monday. The company resumed trading on Tuesday, but its stock price dropped by the daily limit of 9.99 percent, closing at 18.56 yuan
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
Chinese Student’s Quest for Bank Career Ends at Marathon – Bloomberg Lu Lingzi traveled from China to the United States last year, hoping that a graduate degree in statistics from Boston University would help her land a job as a financial analyst for an investment bank. On April 15, a day off from school because of a Massachusetts holiday, she went with two friends to see the Boston Marathon, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators each year along the 26-mile (42-kilometer) route. She was killed in one of two explosions near the race’s finish line, according to Boston University’s website. Authorities have called them an act of terror.
Asia Sentinel – On China’s Future Wang Lixiong is a Chinese writer and scholar best known for his political prophecy fiction, Yellow Peril, which was ranked 41st in The 100 Most Influential Chinese Novels of the 20th Century by Asia Weekly, which has gained widespread popularity in China as well as worldwide media attention. He is regarded as one of China’s the most outspoken dissidents, democracy activists and reformers
Driving golf in China: Citic’s sponsorship of Guan just the start | beyondbrics When China’s 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang made history in the US Masters golf tournament last week, few people will have been more pleased with his success than the bosses of Citic, the country’s leading investment bank. The state-controlled group was one of golf’s earliest backers in China and is today one of its biggest sponsors. And Guan’s achievement in becoming the youngest-ever player to make the cut in the Masters has come only three decades after Citic executives helped to introduce golf into China.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? 2012 Edition – The Pew Charitable Trusts Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race: 2012 Edition documents how the old order is changing technologically and geographically. Clean energy is gaining ground in the global energy mix. Even as several pioneering countries have stumbled, new markets have opened, and the center of gravity for clean energy investment has shifted from West to East.
Chinese poachers could face 20 years over pangolins | South China Morning Post Twelve suspected Chinese poachers could face up to 20 years in prison for possession of hundreds of dead pangolins or scaly anteaters, Philippine wildlife authorities said on Wednesday. The boat carrying the 12 Chinese men ran aground on Tubbataha marine park, a Unesco World Heritage-listed coral reef near Palawan, last week. “We are preparing a case. We are still compiling supporting documents (but) it carries a heavy penalty of 12 to 20 years imprisonment,” Adelina Villena, environment officer of the province of Palawan, said.
FOOD AND TRAVEL
New entry fees for scenic town[1]|chinadaily.com.cn Authorities in Fenghuang county, Hunan province, reduced student ticket prices for its scenic old town and gave more people free entry amid rising pressure from netizens and small businesses who protested the tourist site’s new paid-entry requirement. Tourists have been charged 148 yuan ($23.93) for a ticket to visit the old town since April 10. Entry was previously free.
Wuliangye’s big investment overseas but little success|Companies|chinadaily.com.cn Wuliangye Yibin Co has made a big investment in advertising in 70 overseas television markets, but was accused by insiders of not using its money in the appropriate place, according to Daily Economic News. An insider pointed out that Wuliangye’s advertisement campaign in the international market has made no impact. //and what are the odds that insider did not share in the benefit of the advertising largesse, as did other insiders and their friends?
BEIJING
人民日报-“触动利益”才能驶好出租车（人民时评） 魏 薇正如李克强所说，“现在触动利益往往比触及灵魂还难”。有城市在相关改革中，建立起了年检制度，根据投诉、违章等扣分，扣到一定程度就削减公司一辆车，但实际上，被“踢”出行业的企业却几乎没有。这样的情况也警示着北京，即便有了很好的顶层设计，执行中仍需不断打破既得利益的藩篱。《意见》还在纸面，真正落实时才是触动利益的开始，那或许才是更为艰难也更为重要的一步。
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