"Sinocism is the Presidential Daily Brief for China hands"- Evan Osnos, New Yorker Correspondent and National Book Award Winner
US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Beijing this weekend but according to McClatchy he left with no evident breakthrough on North Korea:
Analysts who’ve monitored China’s foreign policy for years said that Kerry’s description of his talks with the Chinese as “constructive and forward-leaning” skirted the fact that apart from some grumbling in local media, China didn’t significantly shift position on North Korea – and won’t, they said, as long as it’s stuck with the risk that reining in its defiant client state could lead to a regime collapse with ripple effects across the region.
“The Chinese always come down in the same place: they’re conflict averse. Their goal is not to punish North Korea and they’re not carrying out U.S. foreign policy. They’re carrying out Chinese foreign policy,” said Daniel Sneider, associate director for research at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University in California.
Kerry left Beijing with no joint statement from the Chinese warning North Korea to cease its threats; indeed, Chinese officials wouldn’t even mention the country by name as they alluded to “challenges we face on the Korean peninsula.” That’s a delicate way of putting that the entire region is bracing for yet another North Korean missile launch, perhaps as soon as Monday, as experts debate whether it’s months or years before Pyongyang has the capability of delivering a nuclear warhead atop a missile.
China’s public statements on North Korea appear to be the same they have been making for years. Xinhua reports that the Chinese FM stressed denuclearization, peace, dialogue on Korean Peninsula issue:
“China’s stance on the Korean Peninsula is consistent. No matter what happens, China will stick to denuclearization and peace on the peninsula and settling the issue through dialogue,” Wang said in talks with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Stressing that China is seriously concerned about the situation, Wang urged related parties to refrain from any act that may escalate the tension, as well as called for restoring the six-party talks.
Wang called for the parties to have dialogue, improve relations, build trust, jointly promote the denuclearization of the peninsula and attain lasting peace in northeast Asia.
Based on this New York Times report, is the US negotiating against itself? Kerry Arrives in China Seeking Help on North Korea:
The United States offer to cut back on newly fortified missile defenses appeared to be part of a new diplomatic strategy to get China, the only country presumed to have any real influence over North Korea, to do what it has long resisted — crack down hard enough on North Korea that its leaders will give up an increasingly sophisticated nuclear program.
In recent weeks, the administration has dispatched two ships outfitted with Aegis antimissile defenses to the region and said it will speed up the positioning of land-based missile defenses in Guam to protect allies in the region after North Korea’s threats to rain missiles on United States troops there and on South Korea. Many Chinese believe the antimissile systems are part of a containment strategy against them at a time when the United States is pursuing a “pivot” to Asia.
If this is accurate all I can say is no wonder Beijing seems to prefer (Global Times) Secretary Kerry to Hilary Clinton.
China is hoping to lower the acute level of tensions so that the status quo can be maintained. Conflict, collapse or reunification are not in China’s interest. Barring a real provocation from Pyongyang that may force Beijing’s hand, the US should be not optimistic about the likelihood of any real, sustained pressure from Beijing for change in the DPRK.
Today’s Links:
THE ESSENTIAL EIGHT
Beijing girl with H7N9 infection in stable condition – Xinhua | English.news.cn Photo taken on April 13, 2013 shows a screen showing a seven-year-old girl, who was infected with the H7N9 strain of bird flu, receiving medical treatment in the Beijing Ditan Hospital, during a press conference held by the hospital in Beijing, capital of China. This was the first such case in the Chinese capital. The child is in stable condition. Two people who have had close contact with the child have not shown any flu symptoms, and the girl’s parents were engaged in live poultry trading in a township of Shunyi District in Beijing’s northeastern suburbs. // H7N9 infections total rises to 49, as Beijing reports first case – Xinhua | English.news.cn The total of confirmed cases of human infection of the H7N9 avian influenza in China has risen to 49, as six new cases, including the first one in Beijing, were reported on Saturday. During the 24-hour period ending 5 p.m. on Saturday, China confirmed six new infections, with one each in Beijing and Shanghai, and two each in eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, authorities said. // Beijing closes markets as girl diagnosed with H7N9 — Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 — English Window to China New Beijing local authorities announced the closure of all live poultry markets and a ban on live poultry trading in efforts to stem the spread of the virus.
Sources: Executive at China Development Bank to Join BRIC Development Bank-Caijing Chen Yuan, who has served the bank for 15 years as the Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1998, is renowned as the pioneer of China’s development finance. More than one source at the CDB have confirmed Chen is leaving for a position at the BRICs Development Bank, taking his practices in development finance onto a bigger stage. Chen Yuan has long been fascinated with the idea of building an international regional development bank, a source close to CDB told the paper.
Tackling graft should be China’s priority – FT.com Roderick MacFarquhar–For Mr Xi to transform so corrupt a system from top to bottom would make cleansing the Augean stables simplicity itself…The next great political reform to come to China could be the end of Leninist one-party rule – but for that to be accomplished without trauma, China would need at the very least a leader who put the needs of the nation above the perpetuation of the party.
Liberal writer Li Chengpeng on the parallels of football and politics in China | South China Morning Pos Li is far more interesting than Han Han now// When Li Chengpeng left Chengdu for Hong Kong, a policeman stopped him at the airport. The author expected red tape or harassment, but the policeman was just another fan. He had read Li’s books, he said. The writer, born in the third year of the Cultural Revolution, has become a celebrity gongzhi, or public intellectual, in a very different time. Li’s presence is online and the influence of his blog posts reflect the sheer size of the political debate that is taking place online in China.
How ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ Blew Up in China : The New Yorker In television terms, “The Daily Show” is an undocumented immigrant in China. It’s nowhere to be found on official channels, but in the last few years ordinary men and women have banded together to subtitle and post clips as fast as they can. About half of the Chinese population is now online—a transformative experience for many people. In Chinese, “The Daily Show,” or “Meiri Xiu” (“Everyday Show”), is hosted by a certain Jiong Situ, a.k.a. 囧司徒. It’s an elegant transliteration: 囧, or jiǿng, is a fashionable Chinese character (yes, there are such things) these days, because it’s been adopted by young people to mean what it looks like: a face that is vexed, frustrated, embarrassed. The Chinese reaction to Jiong Situ ranges from bewilderment—his Peter Dinklage reference in a joke about Kim Jong-un’s height may have lost something in the translation—to envy.
[视频]隐秘会所吃喝风_新闻频道_央视网 CCTV Evening News undercover expose of high end private clubs in Beijing, officials geting around Xi’s 8 rules..some unhappy officials tonight. Frugality Bites…// 央视网消息(新闻联播)：去年底，中央出台“八项规定”，成效显著，公开的公款吃喝受到了遏制。但一些人变换对策，改明吃为暗吃，那些私人会所、隐秘餐厅就成为了腐败新阵地。不久前，记者首先暗访了位于北京西三环附近的两家餐饮场所。这里亭台轩榭，小桥流水，环境十分优雅。至于就餐的价格，您听：
Party must grab the agenda, says official – China Media Project In the most recent edition of Red Flag Journal (红旗文稿), a twice-monthly Party publication run by the journal Seeking Truth, the acting vice-minister of Shaanxi province’s propaganda department argues that Party-run media and new media now form two separate “public opinion fields” in China, and that this disconnect is an unacceptable challenge to Party rule. Ren Xianliang (任贤良), who is also a vice-chairman of the All-China Journalists Association (中国记协) — charged with issuing press licenses and monitoring the conduct of journalists to ensure they “serve socialism and the overall interests of the Party and the nation” — has been one of the Party’s core theoreticians on propaganda and press control in recent years. // Sensitive Words: Call to Clamp Down on Weibo VIPs – China Digital Times (CDT) another translated excerpt from Ren’s essay– We ought to control new media according to regulation and occupy the new battlefield for public opinion. The Internet is absolutely not outside the law. It must be managed according to the law. Even under management, there will be influential media, famous websites and bloggers, and Weibo VIPs who will dare to confront us. Warn those who must be warned, silence those who must be silenced, shut down those who must be shut down.// battle for the commanding heights of new media far from over..see 6th Plenum Report Suggests China Will Strengthen Internet Management from my old Digicha blog in October 2011 about the 6th plenum of the 17th about social media…that was a declaration of a starting point, not an empty document
U.S. warns Japan over currency – MarketWatch The U.S. Treasury on Friday warned Japan not to actively weaken its currency as it again refrained from naming China a manipulator.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Desperate measures | Black China Blog According to our sources, a meeting was held in Beijing a day or so ago, with representatives from Chalco, Henan Shenhuo, Xinfa, CPIC, Nanshan and others in attendance. The agenda was simple – cutting production. Unfortunately for them, no consensus was reached. Meantime, China Nonferrous Industry Association has hinted that the Government is also looking at measures to help the Aluminium industry.
FAW Group Denies Reports of Corruption Probe Linking to 100 Executives-CaijingFAW’s deputy chief economist Zhou Yongjiang was at the center of the new round of the prolonged investigation at the group, among more than 100 FAW executives already taken away by police for “assisting investigations”, local media said. Zhou, also former general manager of Faw-Volkswagen Sales Company Ltd, was the second of high-ranking executive involved following the arrest of his former aide-de-camp Jing Guosong. Jing was detained by China’s party discipline inspection bureau after he was charged of renting power and taking millions in bribes.
Joy Global’s Reviews of IMM Indicate Results Accurate, CFO Says – Bloomberg Joy Global Inc. (JOY), the world’s second-largest maker of mining equipment, refuted allegations made about its International Mining Machinery Holdings Ltd. unit and said it has a “high level of comfort” in the reported results of the business it bought in China last year. “Joy Global has conducted numerous internal and external financial and operational audits and business reviews of IMM before, during and subsequent to the company’s acquisition in 2012,” Jim Sullivan, Milwaukee-based Joy Global’s chief financial officer, said today in a telephone interview. “These audits and business reviews have not uncovered any fraudulent activity and have given management a high level of comfort that the internal controls within the business are sound and reported results are accurate.”
Lennar Continuing Project as China Talks Said Broken Off – Bloomberg Ten months have passed since Lennar signed a memorandum with Beijing-based China Development Bank for a five-year loan to develop the Hunters Point and Treasure Island sites, where plans call for more than 18,000 homes, along with commercial buildings, job-training centers, parks, trails and open space. The loan talks haven’t progressed for more than a month, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. A U.S. tax law requiring foreign banks to report certain information about their American assets or else pay a levy was a sticking point that contributed to discussions breaking off, according to a separate person.
报告：一个农民工市民化需支出成本约8万元|农民工|市民化|成本_新浪财经_新浪网 80,000 RMB to “urbanize” a migrant worker says a new report from the State Council Development Research Center// 国务院发展研究中心的《农民工市民化的成本测算》课题报告称，“根据对重庆、武汉、郑州和嘉兴四个城市的实地调研，一个典型农民工市民化(包括相应的抚养人口)所需的公共支出成本总共约8万元左右。其中，远期的养老保险补贴平均约为3.5万元，住房和义务教育等一次性成本约为2.4万元，每年的民政救助等社会保障及公共管理成本平均约为560元。市民化成本并非高不可攀，只要妥善安排，不会成为推进农民工市民化的主要障碍。”
POLITICS AND LAW
Another Sichuan Businessman Investigated for Graft – Caixin A Sichuan property developer is being investigated by Communist Party anti-corruption officials, a source close to the situation says, the third billionaire to come under such scrutiny in the province this year. Deng Hong, chairman of Chengdu Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), was being investigated over corruption linked to land deals, the source said. It was unclear what specific organization was handling the inquiry. Earlier media reports had said Deng was questioned in December by anti-corruption officials in connection with an investigation into Li Chuncheng, the former mayor of Chengdu. The inquiry into Li regarded “serious violation of the law,” the party’s Central Discipline Inspection Commission said on December 6.
How Liu Zhijun Was Able to Get Away With it For So Long – Economic Observer Online – In-depth and Independent The sensational details surrounding the case of fallen railways minister Liu Zhijun’s have captivated the public and media. But we should focus on the big question: How was such an unbelievable case able to develop in the first place?
China launches models of morality campaign – Xinhua | English.news.cnA nationwide campaign to select and honor models of morality was launched in China on Friday, aiming to boost the public’s moral standards, according to a statement issued after an official teleconference. Models of morality are those who demonstrate the fine traditions and virtues of the Chinese nation, as well as moral leaders that have emerged amid China’s drive for national prosperity.
刑讯逼供是司法之耻、民众之辱 _光明网评论员 _光明网 实际上，这一点，在中国的法律中也有体现。在现行宪法、刑事诉讼法以及相关法律中，法律对公民权利有明确的界定，对公权力如何行使也有明确的限制。这些规定，本应是中国人所应享有的“待遇”。但是，像杭州市公安局聂海芬类的公权力行使者，偏偏视法律于敝屣，生生让张高平、张辉叔侄体验了一次现代人所不应再有的、与当代文明背道而驰的违法的司法“待遇”。问题还在于，现实中，还有多少像张高平、张辉叔侄这样的被屈打成招者，还有多少像聂海芬那样的“先进工作者”，还有多少像聂树斌这种事实已清但就是不予改正的奇冤之案……司法之耻，民众之辱，还要持续多久呢？
逼供酷刑冤案频发 中国梦危机重重_多维新闻网 中共党媒光明网4月8日刊文《刑讯逼供是司法之耻、民众之辱》指出，“刑讯逼供的存在，与文明社会格格不入。”除光明网外，新华网也在近期刊发和转载了大量抨击刑讯逼供和酷刑的文章，而众多市场化媒体更是对其极力鞭挞。废除酷刑、禁止刑讯逼供已经成为中国各界的共识和致力推动的目标，和对中共未来新政的期待。在这一背景下，废除酷刑和刑讯逼供已经成为检验习近平“中国梦”成败的重要尺度。
Fei Chang Dao: Web Sites Censor Articles, Discussion About Abuse at Masanjia Re-education Through Labor Facility On April 11, the state-sponsored China Women’s Daily published an article entitled “Facing the Truth, Promoting Reform of the Re-education Through Labor System – A Chat With Journalist Yuan Ling, Author of ‘Leaving Masanjia’.” (直面真相 推动劳教制度改革 对话《走出“马三家”》采写记者袁凌). Some excerpts:
FOREIGN AND DEFENSE AFFAIRS
Chinese president meets U.S. secretary of state – Xinhua | English.news.cn Xi called on both countries to take a strategic and long-term view of China-U.S. relations, carry out dialogue and cooperation in a positive attitude, deal with their differences in the spirit of mutual respect and substantiate their partnership. “We should blaze a trail for a new type of relations between major powers that features equality, mutual trust, tolerance, mutual learning, cooperation and common prosperity,” Xi said. Xi highlighted the importance of high-level communications, saying he would like to maintain contact with President Obama and calling for the two countries to make the best of China-U.S. strategic and economic dialogues and high-level consultations on people-to-people exchanges.
Remarks With Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Top of Their Meeting The current China-U.S. relationship is at a new historical stage and has got off to a good start. On the very day I was elected Chinese President, I talked on the phone with President Barack Obama, during which the two sides reaffirmed our commitment to developing the cooperative partnership and building a new type of major country relations between the two countries. And this has reaffirmed the strategic nature and the direction of development of China-U.S. relations. I believe your visit to China this time will give a boost to the positive momentum of China-U.S. relations.
Secretary Kerry Solo Press Availability in Beijing, China I’m personally really pleased to be back in Beijing. And I’m confident that this will be the first of a number of trips here because of the importance of our relationship, which in many ways, I think today took a significant step forward and gained even greater definition in terms of that importance. Both President Xi and Premier Li and the new government have talked at great length about trying to build an even stronger relationship with the United States. And they have talked about the ways in which we can create a model partnership in our relationship. President Obama is excited about that prospect, and we are going to fully explore all of its possibilities. It is absolutely clear to everybody that when you have two of the most powerful – the two most powerful economies in the world and two of the most significant energy users in the world, as well as two members of the permanent Security Council of the United Nations, with interests that extend around the world, you have the possibility of being able to create synergy.//synergy? i guess better than saying “positive energy”?
U.S., China agree to work together on cyber security | Reuters China and the United States will set up a working group on cyber-security, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday, as the two sides moved to ease months of tensions and mutual accusations of hacking and Internet theft
Remarks With Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi at the Top of Their Meeting The two sides reaffirmed the agreement on building a cooperative partnership and exploring a new type of major country relations between China and the United States and made plans for high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms in the time to come. We agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in such fields as economy, energy, and environmental protection, and deepened cultural and people-to-people exchanges. We also had an in-depth exchange of views on a broad range of international and regional issues of mutual interest. The two sides issued a joint statement on climate change. Just a few minutes ago, you and I attended the clean energy event jointly hosted by our two countries. It was indeed encouraging to see the Chinese and American business communities and people from various sectors being so enthusiastic about cooperation in this area.
China breaking UN sanctions to support North Korea – Telegraph Indeed, while few people have even heard of the sanctions in Dandong, even fewer seem to care about them. At the Bank of Dandong, Mrs Wu laughed at the suggestion that the sanctions might have stopped the flow of money. “How is that possible?” she asked. “Business is still going on. We have lots of people every day.”
Contrasting Views on North Korea Underscore Sensitivities and Lack of Evidence – NYTimes.com On the hawkish end is the Pentagon’s intelligence arm, the Defense Intelligence Agency, which fears that North Korea could threaten American troops with a nuclear weapon on a crude missile. On the skeptical end is the State Department, which has more doubts about Pyongyang’s capabilities. And somewhere in the middle is the Central Intelligence Agency. Those contrasting views are vying with one another in the intelligence community, and a hint of those differences came into rare public view on Thursday when an assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency that it has “moderate confidence” that North Korea has the ability to shrink a nuclear weapon and fit it into a missile warhead surfaced at a Congressional hearing. That conclusion was disputed by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, who issued a statement later in the day saying that it did not reflect “the consensus” of the nation’s intelligence community.
[SinoNK Exclusive] North Korea Through the Lankov Prism: Welcome to “The Real North Korea” « SINO-NK Dr. Andrei Lankov, a visiting professor of history at Kookmin University in Seoul, is one of the top researchers and sought-after commentators on North Korean issues in the world today. His new text, The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia, comes out next month. Dr. Lankov generously provided SinoNK with a copy of the draft proofs two months ago and asked us to provide preliminary public reviews of his new text. We have gladly acquiesced to Dr. Lankov’s request, the results of which follow.
Podcast: How Serious is North Korea’s Nuclear Threat? : The New Yorker Kim Jong-un has pushed his country’s latest staredown with South Korea and the United States “way beyond where the North Korean game normally goes,” Barbara Demick says on this week’s Political Scene podcast. Should we be frightened of what might happen? Is the Obama Administration’s reaction—to play down the threat—the right move? Demick joins host Dorothy Wickenden and Evan Osnos to provide some insight and analysis on those questions and more.
The Enabler – By Edward Luttwak | Foreign Policy It’s time for this to end. The United States cannot force the North to give up its bellicosity, but surely it can force the South to renounce its perversity. The price of continued U.S. protection should be the adoption of a serious defense policy, the closure of the Kaesong racket, and a complete end to cash transfers to the North, whatever the excuse. Pyongyang may still try to pick a fight, but at least this will eliminate the incentive to persist in this monstrous extortion strategy.
What Kerry Should Tell China – By Shen Dingli | Foreign Policy Beijing must urge the United States to be honest and respect historical facts in Asia. If Kerry asks China to abide by international law and be a responsible stakeholder, China would agree completely, as China’s possession of the islands of Taiwan, Diaoyu, and Huangyan have nothing to do with violating any international law. However, the United Nations Charter prohibits any country from infringing upon another’s sovereignty — therefore the Pentagon should end its weapons sale to Taiwan. Being a responsible stakeholder does not mean allowing Japan to steal China’s Diaoyu Islands. I’m not arguing that China should wait to work together with the United States and its allies to tackle North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues, and buttress cooperation on cybersecurity, until the two countries resolve the island issues. Nevertheless, Kerry should not seek cooperation without respecting China’s reasonable expectations.
The Jamestown Foundation: Beijing Builds its Eurasian Transportation Network Yet, the Western sanctions against Tehran, while essential and justifiable in themselves, have strengthened China-Iran commercial relations by denying Iranians alternative economic partner. Not only do the sanctions help Chinese companies by depriving them of competitors, but Chinese negotiators have exploited Iran’s position to demand better terms such as lower oil prices…Over time, China’s infrastructure investments in South Asia and Iran will consolidate Beijing’s dominant economic position in Eurasia and lay the groundwork for a greater PLAN presence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The port in Gwadar, the Karakoram Highway, and the proposed rail and pipeline links simultaneously advance both these interests. Among other benefits, these projects will help align Iran and Pakistan together to Beijing’s benefit.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Luxembourg: The Steve McQueen of Cybersecurity At one point, the Chinese hackers realized that their network had been penetrated. They started searching for the intruder, but so hamhandedly that he spotted the effort. He installed a keylogger on the Poison Ivy servers that he had hacked and waited for the Chinese to log in to their proxy servers. Then he dropped his compromised connection to the Poison Ivy servers and instead hacked the proxy servers using the Chinese hackers’ credentials. Once in the proxy server, his connection to the network looked like every other victim network communicating with its controller. That’s impressive but Luxembourg’s finest wasn’t even close to done. While he was in the hacker’s network Rascagnères copied their remote access logs to map the attackers’ workstation machines. Then he rifled the Poison Ivy servers to find the tools the hackers were using — as well as all the data they were stealing from victim networks. The data had been password-protected by the hackers, so he brute-forced their passwords. And, while the Chinese unit was probably still desperately trying to figure out whether they’d successfully locked the intruder out, he exfiltrated all their stuff out from under their noses.
Inside China: PLA strategist reflects military’s mainstream – Washington Times Popular as they are, these conspiratorial theories are not accepted by everyone in China. In fact, many Internet users ridicule Col. Dai’s fantastical claims. And quite a few Chinese security analysts have privately and quietly expressed disgust and shame toward the senior colonel’s scandalous claims to foreign counterparts at international conferences. Yet not a single serious scholar or strategist inside China’s defense establishment has been able or permitted to challenge Col. Dai’s conspiracy mania face-to-face on national TV or in mainstream media outside of the Internet. The reason is that Col. Dai represents views that are encouraged by China’s mainstream strategic culture, which is widely viewed as conspiratorial, anti-U.S. and paranoid a culture that does not allow open debate or the free exchange of views that contradict the official party line.
China’s hot pursuit of Arctic gas–Interfax Beijing policymakers are in the early stages in terms of formulating a cogent vision for the Arctic. “As we have no territory in the Arctic Circle, we have no alternative but to cooperate with Arctic states,” a source with the National Energy Administration told Interfax. Trade value between China and the Arctic region was a mere $2 billion in 2011, according to Zhang. Among the eight Arctic countries, Russia seems to be the best partner for now, according to Chinese experts. “I would like to see Chinese companies increase their level of participation with Russian oil and gas firms in joint development activities in the Arctic,” Zhang said. “Closer Sino-Russian cooperation would increase oil and gas sources and offer safer import routes, as well as enhancing our ability to compete globally.” During President Xi Jinping’s first state visit abroad to Moscow in March, Rosneft reportedly agreed to offer China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) access to jointly explore three offshore Arctic areas, the first such deal Russia has signed with an Asian company.
China’s Foreign Policies May Harm the Country’s Own Interests – China Real Time Report – WSJ China, its neighbors, and rest of the world would all benefit if Beijing were to match its lofty rhetoric on regional peace with positive deeds and clear messages to irresponsible actors. This includes holding itself to the same standards of restraint that it demands of others. Yet the reality is that frictions between Beijing and its neighbors and Washington are likely to increase, powered in part by a post-2008 notion that China’s power is waxing as the U.S.’s wanes. The world should expect China to pursue its national interests in an increasingly forthright fashion as its military power and capabilities rise towards a level more commensurate with its already substantial global economic and security interests.
HONG KONG, MACAO AND TAIWAN
Taiwan, Japan ink fisheries agreement – Taipei Times DIAOYUTAI ISLANDS:Taipei pushed for the inclusion of an escape clause stating that the pact does not have any bearing on the two countries’ sovereignty claims
TECH AND MEDIA
‘Django’ Expected Back in Chinese Theaters – NYTimes.com One person who was briefed on plans for the film said late Friday that it would undergo additional cuts to qualify it for the Chinese film market, following some slight earlier changes to its presentation of bloodshed.
Gady Epstein on The Internet–Sinica Podcast Given our longstanding predilection for tech gossip, we are delighted to be joined on Sinica this week by none other than Gady Epstein, author of the Economist’s fourteen page survey and our resident expert on general techniques for nailing jello to the wall. And if you’re interested on the Internet in China be sure to listen up: we promise is a wide-ranging and fun discussion touching on many of the pieces in The Economist, along with some insider gossip about what points the Economist decided were simply too much to print.
去哪儿否认转型OTA？不可信！-看点-@虎嗅网 这一点我相信。的确可能再过几天，OTA们拿到了一些实惠之后，可能会继续开开心心的重新在去哪儿露面。但是我也确信，就算恢复上架了，过不了半年一年，类似的分手事件一定还会重演。因为，我相信去哪儿已经在暗地里坚定的走在了类OTA化发展的路上，虽然这次分手到来得有点早，甚至可能会上演分分合合的肥皂剧，但是终究无法回避它到底走哪条路的问题。//surprised no English tech blogs have covered this Qunar brouhaha..or is Qunar just not material to Baidu?
抵制网络低俗 妈妈评审团呼唤“正能量”_网易新闻中心千龙网北京讯 4月11日，首都互联网协会召集北京妈妈评审团的部分成员与市网络管理部门、市妇联及教育、法律专家人士召开评审会，针对当前网络上影响未成年人健康成长的不良信息进行了点评。妈妈们再次建言：在开展专项治理行动的同时，应尽快推进网络立法，将不良信息的雾霾彻底清除，还网络一片蓝天。//Beijing Mommy “censors” call for “positive energy”, resistance to vulgar content online
“微信收费”的公关大战-观点-@虎嗅网 运营商和工信部作为腾讯的对立面，在公关战中败得一塌糊涂，那么这会不会是腾讯玩的苦肉计呢？持这种观点的运营商的人不在少数。但是另一个值得关注的现象是：一轮轮的传言也让腾讯的股票受了伤；而且，继3月14日之后，4月5日和11日，腾讯又两次正式辟谣，甚至说“（微信要对用户收费）纯属有人恶意造谣”，强调“微信绝不会对用户收费”，这一态度让“腾讯阴谋论”的支持者糊涂了，于是又开始寻找和分析，谁是“恶意造谣者”。和360绑定在一起的line进入了阴谋论者的视野，在“微信收费”的传言广泛传播的时候，line的知名度和营销行为也在同步增长。而与飞信有关联的神州泰岳股票也在一路攀升，更让许多人浮想联翩。…相对于互联网企业，运营商更书生气和技术流，缺少那种你死我活、舍我其谁的霸气，因此在宣传战、公关战、信息战中，无法与之抗衡，于是就出现这么一种有趣的现象：强调合作的运营商被媒体假想为对OTT痛下杀手想通吃市场的恶魔，而善于在恶斗炒作中发展壮大自己的互联网企业被描绘为待宰的羔羊；本来没有那么深的矛盾，但在媒体的炒作和舆论的宣传下，俨然成了不共戴天的仇敌，而在这样的心理暗示下，也许就真成了敌人，只有竞争，没有竞合了。
SOCIETY, ART, SPORTS, CULTURE AND HISTORY
Taoist priest spreads ancient wisdom | South China Morning Post The principal philosophy and religious traditions of Taoism, which incorporate elements of Buddhism, were established in China about 2,400 years ago. Yet even today, the lives of Taoists may still appear veiled in mystery to the casual observer. The latest official statistics indicate that there are more than 30,000 mainland sites dedicated to the religion. Hong Chen, 41, recently spoke about the lives of modern Taoists and what led him to become a Taoist priest.
“外围女”抹黑模特行业 -齐鲁晚报数字报刊 近日,由“海天盛筵”事件发酵起来的新名词“外围女”成为网络热词。连日来,记者采访了多位模特经纪人,经调查发现,“外围女”其实早在几年前就已在业内广泛存在,“海天盛筵”事件则让她们全面曝光。据京城知名模特经纪人王先生介绍,“外围女”只不过是打着模特旗号从事色情活动的特殊群体,在时尚界里是不折不扣的“挂羊头卖狗肉”。
The Philadelphia Orchestra Announces Expansive Plans for its 2013 Residency in the People’s Republic of China as well as its Commemorative Fortieth Anniversary Tour | The Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra—one of the world’s most renowned ensembles and cultural emissaries—today announced the details of its Residency in the People’s Republic of China, which focuses on high-level People-to-People Exchanges through grassroots engagement of Chinese musicians in the nation’s major cities and further into its provinces. Beginning May 29 and closing June 10, 2013, this innovative Residency will run concurrent with The Philadelphia Orchestra’s commemorative Fortieth Anniversary Tour of China, which will be conducted by Donald Runnicles, a frequent and valued partner of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Runnicles will conduct seven concerts in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, Beijing, and Macao during this Tour and may participate in certain residency activities. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will conduct the ensemble during its China Residency in 2014.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
No new Bohai Bay oilfield spill: authorities – People’s Daily Online China’s oceanic authority on Friday refuted recent claims of a new oil spill in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in Bohai Bay following headline-making contamination there in 2011. Citing test results, the State Oceanic Administrative (SOA) said the oil patches spotted in the nearby Changdao sea area recently belong to fuel oil, not crude oil.
Beijing Brambling, Zhejiang Duck Spawn Deadly Flu, Study Finds – BloombergA brambling from Beijing, a wild bird from Korea and a duck from China’s Zhejiang province probably helped spawn the new flu variant that’s killed 11 people, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The birds were infected with avian flu strains that most resemble the H7N9 virus circulating in eastern China, according to an April 11 study by researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing and Fudan University in Shanghai.
Profiting from Pollution: Clean Tech Companies Seeing Green in Gray Chinese Skies — [contextChina] / 太平洋中国通 For companies that make devices for both monitoring pollution and mitigating its negative effects, however, China’s Airpocalypse has spelled opportunity. Halma, a London-listed maker of safety, health care, and environmental technology, expects 30 percent growth in its mainland China business over the course of the next 3-5 years. This will be driven in large part by rising sales of the company’s air pollution monitors.
Why Leave Job in Beijing? To Breathe – WSJ.com Headhunters say that requests for corporate departures to lesser-polluted cities outside China have snowballed in recent months. Recruiting has become an uphill challenge, said Carl Hopkins, Asia managing partner of legal recruitment firm Major, Lindsey & Africa, noting that pollution is compounding a long-existing obstacle of high taxation rates. “The mere decibel level of response when you ask people if they will live here [in China] is telling,” said Mr. Hopkins, who is based in Hong Kong. “They all say ‘you have to be joking.’ “//so an upside to being “last laowai standing”?
Human Infection with a Novel Avian-Origin Influenza A (H7N9) Virus — NEJM The difference between the two Shanghai viruses and the similarity between the Shanghai/2 and Anhui/1 viruses argue against human-to-human transmission in these cases, and no close contacts of the patients have tested positive for these viruses. However, limited human-to-human transmission was observed in the H7 outbreak in the Netherlands in 200310; therefore, the pandemic potential of these novel avian-origin viruses should not be underestimated.
Global Concerns Regarding Novel Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Infections — NEJM Severe disease in humans caused by a novel influenza A virus that is distinct from circulating human influenza A viruses is a seminal event. It might herald sporadic human infections from an animal source — e.g., highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus; or it might signal the start of an influenza pandemic — e.g., influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. Therefore, the discovery of novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infections in three critically ill patients reported in the Journal by Gao and colleagues is of major public health significance. Chinese scientists are to be congratulated for the apparent speed with which the H7N9 virus was identified, and whole viral genome sequences were made publicly available in relatively short order. Because this H7N9 virus has not been detected in humans or animals previously, the situation raises many urgent questions and global public health concerns.
FOOD AND TRAVEL
36 Hours in Taipei, Taiwan – NYTimes.com A haven for insomniacs of all types, Taipei is truly a city that never sleeps, welcoming residents and visitors to brush up on their history, explore their spirituality and, most of all, satisfy their taste buds.
北京新辣道鱼片检出致病菌 可引起多种严重感染_网易新闻中心 北京新辣道鱼片被检出致病菌】鱼火锅近两年风靡京城,不过要是点了”带菌”鱼片,吃了可能就”闹肚子”。北京日前通报,北京新辣道食品有限公司的调味龙利鱼片被检出金黄色葡萄球菌。此菌是致病菌,可引起多种严重感染。对此,餐馆称目前店面销售的鱼片没问题，有问题批次的鱼片已下架。
Leap of faith: Will Temple restaurant light the way for online wine in China? | Grape Wall of China Talk about China’s burgeoning online wine market usually focuses on heavily funded and tech-savvy firms that move high volumes at low prices. The shiny example is yesmywine.com. When Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) enters the fray, it will be as an already successful and trusted business. Managed by Ignace Lecleir, well-known in Beijing for handling the opening of Maison Boulud, Temple is widely regarded as among the city’s top restaurants, scoring high for food, service, decor and attention to detail — from the pre-dinner drinks to the treats given to departing guests.
BEIJING
北京学区房频现天价 半年每平方米涨1万元_网易新闻中心 astronomical prices for beijing homes zoned to top schools…100k/m or more…actually very rational, top primary/secondary education a massively scarce resource in the capital// 核心提示：华清嘉园是北京学区房的典型，它位于北京市高等学府最集中的地区，小区内就有中关村第二小学华清校区。在短短半年的时间，这里的房价每平方米涨了1万元。一间37平方米的学区房叫价350万，各路网友纷纷冠名此地为“宇宙中心”。
JOBS AND EVENTS
Careers in Chinese Market Research and Consulting (CMR) CMR’s 2-Year Business Analyst program offers smart and motivated individuals the chance to work in a fast-paced, international work environment with a commitment to excellence. Business Analysts typically join us after completion of an undergraduate or master’s degree, or after 1-2 years work experience in a non-strategy consulting field.
Several Job Vacancies–European Chamber of Commerce In China
Agenda and Special Projects Writer and Editor | the Beijinger Classifieds | Employment | Apr 1, 2013 | thebeijinger.com The Agenda and Special Projects Assistant Editor (AE)Writer and Editor will pitch, write, research, and edit content for the website, guidebooks and special projects as well as maintaining a social media presence for the guides and Agenda. The Special Projects Writer and Editor also blogs for the Agenda website, assists with proofing and production and represents Agenda, the Special Projects and True Run Media at events.
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