THIS WEEK

PaYing Tribute to Guan Gong

Taiwanese burn incense and bow to Guan Gong’s sculpture, currently touring the island after leaving its base in north China’s Shanxi Province, on March 30.

Guan Gong, an ancient Chinese marshal from the Three Kingdoms Period(220-280) and a native of Shanxi, revered for his fidelity and loyalty, is believed to bring fortune to worshippers.

This is the first time the sculpture, molded in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644),travels to Taiwan.

Disaster in Tibet

A rescuer searches for survivors at the site of a landslide in Maizhokunggar County, Tibet Autonomous Region, on March 31.

By April 2, rescuers had retrieved 59 bodies from the site of the massive landslide, which struck a workers’ camp of the Jiama Copper Polymetallic Mine on March 29, burying 83 workers. More than 4,500 rescuers and 200 machines were working at the site to find the buried miners.

Spacecraft Ready

China’s newest manned spacecraft,Shenzhou-10, arrived in Jiuquan,northwest China’s Gansu Province,on March 31 after passing predelivery tests. It will blast off in early June, reported Xinhua News Agency.

The vessel’s carrier rocket is undergoing various pre-delivery preparations, Xinhua said. The mission will carry three astronauts and dock with the Tiangong-1 orbital lab module.

Tiangong-1 was sent into space in September 2011. It docked with the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft in November 2011 and the manned Shenzhou-9 in June last year.

The mission will, for the first time,see astronauts deliver a science lecture to young people from space. New experiments will be conducted in orbit.

China has launched four unmanned and five manned Shenzhou spacecraft and the unmanned Tiangong-1 space module since starting its manned space exploration program in 1992.

Deadly Flu

Health institutions in China have been ordered to step up monitoring of H7N9 bird flu after the total number of infections in the country reached seven.

On March 31, the first three human infections of the H7N9 bird flu strain were reported. The two in Shanghai died and the one from Anhui Province is in critical condition and under treatment in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province, said the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China.

Four more patients from four cities in Jiangsu are in critical condition and under emergency treatment,the Jiangsu Provincial Health Bureau said on April 2.

A Chinese expert team is working to study the toxicity and human infection capacity of the virus.

The virus shows no signs of being highly contagious among humans, according to clinical observation of the patients’ close contacts.

There is no vaccine against the H7N9 bird flu virus.

LUXURY FASHION

Models take to the catwalk at the opening ceremony of the China Fashion Art Show in Beijing on March 30

Cabinet’s Rules

New detailed working rules of the State Council, China’s cabinet, were published on March 28 to push for the establishment of a clean and efficient service-oriented government.

Adopted at the first full meeting of the State Council on March 20,the 58-article document highlights a series of rules designed to regulate the practices of provincial-level governments, ministries, commissions,and departments directly under the State Council.

The State Council should promote the transparency of government affairs and improve information release systems to make sure that the government exercises its power openly and transparently,according to the document.

Rural Poverty Relief

The Ministry of Finance said on March 29 that its spending on poverty relief in rural areas for 2012 surged 31.9 percent from a year earlier to 299.6 billion yuan ($48 billion).

The funds were used to enhance agricultural production, improve people’s living standards and support education, health care and social security, the ministry said.

In December 2011, China released a guideline for rural poverty relief and development during the 2011-20 period in an effort to accelerate the development of the impoverished.

CHEER UP KIDS

A mom and her autistic son take part in a kite-flying activity in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province,to mark World Autism Awareness Day on April 2

Drought Response

A drought that has lingered since October 2012 has affected 23.7 million people living in Yunnan, Gansu and Sichuan provinces to date, causing economic losses of more than 6.8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), according to civil affairs authorities.

The National Disaster Reduction Commission and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have activated an emergency response plan and sent work teams to aid in disaster relief.

Authorities said that the drought may last, as heavy rain is not expected in April.

Antarctic Research

China is planning to build two new research stations in Antarctica by 2015 and site inspections are already being conducted by an expedition team, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said on March 28.

A summer station that can be used from December to March will be set up between existing Zhongshan and Kunlun stations to provide replenishment and other logistical support, the SOA said.

The station will be used to study geology, glaciers, geomagnetism and atmospheric science in Antarctica.

A perennial station will also be built in Victoria Land by 2015. The station will allow researchers to carry out multi-disciplinary research on bio-ecology and satellite remote sensing.

China’s three existing Antarctic research stations are the Great Wall,Zhongshan and Kunlun stations.

HIV-Infected Students

The number of Chinese students registered as infected with HIV is on the rise, an official said on March 30.

A total of 1,700 students were reported HIV positive in 2012, a 24.5-percent increase from 2011, said Yu Jingjin with the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Yu said that 87 percent of the total HIV/AIDS cases in 2012 came via sexual transmission.

In total, China has reported more than 7,000 students living with HlV. The first AlDS patient in China was found in 1985.

Smog Fight

Beijing will tighten restrictions on car use to reduce air pollution, local authorities said.

“We are considering launching the policy in particular areas and periods to control the number of cars on roads, as well as managing the use of cars from other cities,”said Fang Li, Deputy Director of Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau.

With a population of about 20 million, Beijing had more than 5 million vehicles at the end of 2012.

But authorities have been encouraging people to use public transportation.

The capital city will also continue to control vehicle emissions using the policy that restricts private cars from being driven one day of the week.

Apple’s Mea Culpa

Customers try latest iPad products at the Apple store in Wangfujing Street in downtown Beijing on January 25, Asia-only“Red Friday.”

Apple on April 1 issued a public letter of apology to Chinese consumers over the company’s warranty policies in the country.

In the statement, Apple said that the company is making four major adjustments to improve its after-sales services for Chinese consumers, including improving its warranty for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, enhancing supervision over and training for authorized service providers.

Apple was told earlier by the China Consumer’s Association to equalize local warranty periods with other countries.

Here Comes The 1,000th

A Boeing 737-800 displayed in Seattle during the celebration of the delivery of China’s 1,000th such plane on March 28.

Boeing forecasts that China would need 5,260 new aircraft,valued at $670 billion, in the next 20 years.

Detailed Curbs

A month of heated debate, guesswork and worrying has ultimately come to an end as cities across China con firmed details of property curbs created to tame an overheated market.

On March 30, Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, along with Hefei of Anhui Province and Xiamen of Fujian Province announced precisely how they will implement the Central Government’s regulatory plan set earlier this month.

With no firm timeline set for the imposition of the measure, which is designed to cool the red-hot property sector, many are racing to sell.

South China’s Guangdong Province was first to detail its implementation of the measures on March 26.

Beijing ruled that single adults with permanent local residence, and who have not made purchases in the city before, are allowed to buy only one apartment.

Shanghai said banks would be banned from giving loans to local residents who are buying a third apartment or more.

The two cities both vowed to strictly implement the 20-percent tax on capital gains from property sales.

Chongqing pledged that the growth rate for home prices would be lower than growth in per-capita income in order to make homes more affordable for purchase.

LOGISTICS COMPETITION

Contestants compete against each other on how to best operate a forklift at the 2013 Jiangsu modern logistics skill contest held on March 30 .

Upbeat Outlook

Despite moderation in the Chinese economy, U.S.-based companies remain upbeat on the near-term outlook of their businesses in the country.

Over three quarters of respondents indicated that they are optimistic about how their companies will perform over the next two years, according to the Business Climate Survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China

U.S. companies turned out strong performances in China last year, as 71 percent of respondents said they posted sales growths in 2012 and 44 percent reported better operating margins in China than the global average, according to the annual survey conducted among 325 member companies of the chamber.

More U.S. businesses are oriented toward selling in the Chinese market, rather than seeing the country only as a processing and export hub. The percentage of respondents who said their goal this year is to sell directly to China reached a record high of 71 percent.

However, the percentage of respondents who plan to increase investment by 21-50 percent dropped from about 30-18 percent over the past four years.

The results reflect a slightly more conservative business outlook amid China’s focus on promoting higher-quality economic expansion in an era of rebalancing, the chamber said.

BRAND-NEW AIRPORT

The expansion of Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport was completed on March 30. The airport, located in Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, has a new 110,000-square-meter terminal

A Drawn-out Lawsuit Ends

Qihoo 360, a leading Chinese antivirus software developer, lost a lawsuit that it filed against Tencent, the country’s biggest Internet company,over the latter’s abuse of its dominant market position, according to a court ruling issued on March 28.

Tencent did not create a monopoly and all of Qihoo 360’s appeals have been rejected, according to a ruling from the Guangdong Provincial Higher People’s Court.Qihoo 360 was also ordered to pay 790,000 yuan ($125,912) in legal fees.

Qihoo 360 sued Tencent in October 2011 for hindering market competition and abusing its position.It also asked for 150 million yuan($24.15 million) in compensation from Tencent. The court had tried to mediate between the two sides but failed.

Qihoo 360 claimed that QQ, an online chat program developed by Tencent that has more than 780 million active users, has a 76.2-percent market share.

But the court said users have multiple choices for similar instant messaging products.

A survey from the China Internet Network Information Center showed that 63.4 percent of users had used more than two different types of instant messaging software within six months.

Tariff Exemption

China began dropping import tariffs and import-related valueadded taxes for a range of advanced components and raw materials for making sophisticated equipment on April 1, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Items that enjoy tax exemption include high-speed railway signal systems, garbage sorting systems,solar cells, integrated circuits and manufacturing equipment for flatpanel displays.

Importers of said components and raw materials should register with customs and taxation authorities for tariff exemption review between April 1 and April 30.

Nonferrous Metals Slump

Despite an increase in production of nonferrous metals, the sector’s pro fits declined markedly in 2012.

Combined pro fits of nonferrous enterprises with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan ($3.22 million) reached 166.6 billion yuan($26.82 billion), a year-on-year decline of 16.3 percent, , according to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA).

Jia Mingxing, Vice Chairman of the CNIA, said the industry is still facing challenges regarding environmental protection, energy conservation, resource guarantees and excess production capacity.

The 10 major nonferrous metals monitored in China are copper,aluminum, lead, zinc, nickel, tin,antimony, magnesium, titanium and mercury.

Green Bus

Passengers disembark from a bus entirely powered by electricity in Shanghai.

A total of 120 electric buses,which were used during the World Expo in 2010, have been put into daily operation to reduce carbon emission in the city.

Numbers

50.9%

China’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI)for the manufacturing sector in March, the sixth consecutive month that the PMI figure stayed above 50 percent, which demarcates expansion from contraction

1.32 tln yuan

Online retail sales in China in 2012, a jump of 64.7 percent from the previous year

10

Number of Chinese mainland companies that went public in the first quarter. All were listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

159 mln yuan

Amount netted by China’s first online judicial auction of land use rights

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Child soldiers of the Seleka rebel coalition sit on a pickup truck in Bangui,capital of the Central African Republic, on March 25. UN statistics show armed con flict in the country has affected about 600,000 children

BELGIUM

Children collect Easter eggs during an egg hunt event in a Brussels park on March 31

NORTH KOREA

People gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on March 29, the day before Pyongyang issued a statement announcing that it is in a state of war with South Korea

INDIA

Forest guards carry a tranquilized adult leopard caught in a residential area in Guwahati on March 30. The leopard was wandering through a part of the densely populated city when curious crowds startled the animal

PALESTINE

A Palestinian holds the national flag over his head during a Land Day rally in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip on March 30. Land Day commemorates the six Arab Israeli protesters killed by Israeli troops during mass protests in 1976 against the Israeli Government’s land con fiscation plans

FRANCE

A police car blocks access to the Eiffel Tower in Paris on March 30 after the landmark monument was evacuated following a bomb threat

“People should take good care of their parents and elders while they are alive. We do not suggest people spend too much on funerals and graveyard space purchases.”

Lu Ning, Deputy Director of Xiaoshushan Cemetery in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, speaking to China Daily on March 29

“Cities with poor economic development are blessed with better air conditions.”

Ma Zhong, a professor at the School of Environment at Renmin University of China, revealing a report based on research conducted since 2005 in 281 cities

“The smell makes me feel uncomfortable and I’m scared people may drop food or spill a drink on me every time they eat breakfast next to me because it’s so crowded.”

Wu Yizhong, a regular Shanghai Metro commuter, in response to the Metro’s newly released draft on increasing penalties for people eating on trains. The draft is open for public comment until April 30. If approved, all food and drinks will be banned from carriages and platforms

“I still remember when we won that first world championship in 1981.

Despite injuring your wrist, you insisted on pushing through the pain to finish all five sets. Your fighting spirit will inspire me forever. I miss you so much. We will be teammates again in the next life.”

Lang Ping, a renowned Chinese volleyball player and coach, expressing her sorrow on her microblog at the news that Chen Zhaodi, a former member of the Chinese championship volleyball team, died from cancer at the age of 58 in Beijing on April 1

FASHION DESIGNER

Ma Ke, chief designer for the domestic Wu Yong brand, achieved recent fame for designing dress for Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping,during her first foreign tour.

Ma has won many costume design awards for her hard work and talent. At the age of 24, she won the title of Top 10 Chinese Fashion Designer. In the following year, she established her own fashion brand,Exception de Mixmind. ln 2007, she became the first Chinese designer to release her designs on Paris Haute Couture, publishing her brand Wu Yong.

GENOMICS SCIENTIST

Wang Jun, Director of BGI-Shenzhen (BGI), a leading international genomic organization based in Shenzhen, won You Bring Charm to the World Award on March 30.

His work has brought hope to cure such ailments as cancer and high blood pressure. In addition,Wang’s research can be applied to agriculture and environmental protection.

Another Channel for Chinese Public Diplomacy

NF People

April 1

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Russia and three African countries, his wife Peng Liyuan accompanied him all the way,including visiting an orphan school and making a public speech in the process.

From simply showing up out of courtesy and taking part in some international social activities to now shouldering diplomatic tasks, China’s first lady is playing an increasingly important role.

During the recent four-nation visit, Peng has received increasing attention for not only her attire but also her good-will activities, seen as a soft-toned diplomatic gesture. With her reputation as a celebrated artist and her active participation in public service programs, the Chinese public expects Peng to usher in a new era of public diplomacy.

Born in 1962 in east China’s Shandong Province, Peng was a successful folk song artist long before she became first lady. She joined the People’s Liberation Army at the age of 18 as an artistic soldier before assuming her latest title equivalent to major general. In 1990, she received a master’s degree in vocal music from the China Conservatory of Music, becoming the first in China to acquire such a degree. Peng has performed for soldiers and civilians alike, from cities to remote areas, garnering enormous popularity and admiration among the Chinese public.

Can Price Rise Cure Taxi Woe?

Jinan Daily

March 29

It is reported that the cost of taking a taxi in Beijing is likely to increase a lot over the coming months.The starting price within 3 km might rise from 10 to 15 yuan ($1.59 to 2.38) and that per km from 2 to 2.4 yuan ($0.32 to 0.38). On hearing the news,many say they would not be able to afford such high prices.

For a long time, it has been increasingly difficult for Beijingers to take taxis during rush hours. The possible price hike could ease the pressure of taxi services to some extent with some turning to other means of transport such as subways and buses.However, this in turn could lead to system overload and an increase in the amount of privately owned vehicles on the road, which would up the scale of traffic congestion and pollution.

In fact, taxi woes stem from monopoly of the market rather than prices. For example, taxi rent per shift is often as high as 5,000 yuan ($805) per month, which accounts for nearly half the salary of drivers. Furthermore, the government implements strict controls on taxi market access, causing supply to fall short of increasing demand. The number of taxis has been around 66,000 since the 1990s.

Due to monopolies, difficulty in taking taxis exists in many cities across China. On the one hand,it is hard for passengers to take a taxi; on the other,it is difficult for taxi drivers to earn money. Without doubt, no matter how much prices rise, it cannot address the problem if the government doesn’t take market reform seriously.

Downtrend Not Bad

Xinmin Evening News

March 29

According to the National Bureau of Statistics,domestic consumption growth in January and February has met a sudden decline.

The rise in total retail sales of consumer goods dropped while the revenues of high-end restaurants decreased 3.3 percent year on year. Furthermore, many high-end alcohol and tea brands have cut prices.

The reason seems obvious. The Central Government issued eight mandates at the end of last year banning banquets and entertainment at public expense and encouraged economical governance. As a result,the booming high-end food and beverage market,backed mostly by public funds, experienced a slump.

Some experts have revealed concerns regarding reduced prices that influence consumption,though their fears are unfounded. Previous booms in high-end products have always been unreliable.Further more, prosperity based on consumption has created a huge loss in national wealth. Domestic demand will never be stimulated by corruption and the waste of public funds. Therefore, in this light,sluggish demand is positive.

Who Should Pay for Failed

Attraction?

Rednet.cn

April 2

The Epang Palace Park, a replica of a royal building from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) on the outskirts of Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, is about to end its 13-year life due to illegal procedures. The project cost over 200 million yuan($32.26 million) during its five-year construction. lt is reported that a new, larger-scale relic park will be built on the current site.

The question is how the once prosperous zone fell into disrepute. Its short life can be associated with the historic Epang Palace, built during the rule of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 B.C.). The palace eventually succumbed to fire during a war waged against Qin’s tyranny.

In 1995, local authorities decided to build a scenic park over the Epang Palace relics without preservation and protection approval from the Central Government. With large debts to be paid,who will bear the brunt?

Overall, the problem occurred largely due to near-sighted development planning regarding land and tourism resources.