China Headlines: China launches three more free trade zones

China Headlines: China launches three more free trade zones 
    Stockholm, June 5 (Greenpost) --Three new free trade zones (FTZ) began official operation on Tuesday as China seeks to draw more international commerce. 
    The new zones were established 18 months after the first FTZ was unveiled in the financial hub Shanghai, which was designed to help streamline the overloaded administrative approval system and encourage innovation and internationalization. 
    Officials expect the new FTZs in Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian will boost economic reform, promote trade and facilitate investment in new areas as the world's second largest economy moves away from an unsustainable export-dependent model. 
    Provincial-level officials attended the launching ceremony at the three zones Tuesday, when dozens of business licenses were ceremonially granted to registered enterprises. 
    Some businesses have already experienced the increased efficiency of working in the new zones. 
    Liu Qiya, the chief financial official with Tuwei Tongli Electrical Technology based in Xiamen, an open coastal city of Fujian, said his company was granted an operational license for the zone just three days after the application was submitted. The same procedure in other parts of the province could take weeks. 
    Antonio Fossanti, CEO of the Italian RDS, said the reason his retail company chose to operate in the Tianjin zone is the one-stop solution of problems concerning policy, customs, trade and marketing. 
    According to a detailed plan released on Monday, the new zones will be based on the Shanghai FTZ but catered to utilize their geographical locations. 
    By its first anniversary, the Shanghai zone had seen nearly 12,000 registered enterprises lured by a better trade and investment environment. 
    The Tianjin zone aims to better integrate the northern municipality with Beijing and Hebei Province. It will prioritize modern service industries, including shipping, culture and equipment manufacturing. 
    The Guangdong zone will deepen economic cooperation between the mainland and neighboring special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macao. It will have three bases in the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. 
    The Fujian zone will focus on developing economic cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan. It will cover three areas in Xiamen, Fuzhou and Pingtan, a new industrial park targeting investment from Taiwan. 
    The Shanghai zone, which has been more than quadrupled in size since it was established, will continue to strive for "the greatest openness" to facilitate investment and trade with currency convertibility and a sound legal environment. It will also further open its service and manufacturing industries. 
    All zones must adhere to the negative list, which details 122 prohibited or restricted areas for foreign investment, ranging from Internet news services, production of radio and television programs to non-ferrous metal mining. This number has been reduced from 139. 
    Foreign investors will be subject to the same rules and regulations for new investment as domestic firms. 
    Experts believe that these fresh zones are strategically important for the "belt and road" initiative, which aims to better connect Asia, Europe and Africa, as a way to boost investment and consumption. 
    Shao Yu, Shanghai-based chief economist of the Orient Securities Co.,Ltd., said the four FTZs will be crucial "supporting points" for the belt and road initiative. 
    "More opening-up moves are needed in regions such as southwestern Yunnan and Tibet for the new strategic layout," he said. 
    Wang Shouwen, assistant minister of commerce, said the new zones will not just copy the Shanghai zone but also break fresh ground in areas such as investment administration, trade regulation and financial systems. 
    The replication of successful reform measures is a common strategy in the reform and opening-up drive. The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, founded in 1980, has been rolled out along the entire east coast over the past three decades. 
    That zone allowed foreign investment to develop the manufacturing industry, a driving force behind the economic boom of previous decades. 
    FTZ fever has caught the attention of officials across the country, with many pushing for their regions to be included in the next batch of FTZs. 
    However, observers warn that the central government must ensure that the FTZs are used to pioneer reform measures, and that their policies are correctly implemented. 
    Foreign business groups have said that the Shanghai zone brought improvements but they expected "more tangible benefits" of financial reforms, such as full convertibility of the yuan. Enditem
Source Xinhua
Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

 

Latest news: China’s Eastern Star Ship righted

Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, June 5(Greenpost)–The search and rescue team has righted the capsized cruise ship in the Yangtze River following more than 12 hours of work, according to CRI.

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The operation started Thursday night after no more survivors were found following three days of search and rescue efforts.

The rescue headquarters says righting the ship would help find the missing people “in the shortest possible time”.

The death toll from the shipwreck stands at 97.

More than 350 remain missing.

Only 14 people have been found alive so far.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been to the rescue site twice to direct the rescue work, look at the rescued persons and the soldiers,

divers and many others.

The ship was believed to capsize due to the severe storm and the

tornado it met.

The ship capsized within just a couple of minutes. It was too quick to

send out rescue signals.  The message was sent out after a guide swam out of the river.

The last one who was rescued out was a 65 year old lady.

Chinese army, navy and air force as well as transportation and communication ministries have all sent out people to the site.

More than 4600 soldiers and 200 divers participated in the rescue.

China Headlines: China eyes bigger global role with Chinese solutions

China Headlines: China eyes bigger global role with Chinese solutions

Stockholm, June 5 (Greenpost) — China on Sunday pledged to play a bigger role in international affairs while stressing its commitment to peace and justice by advancing win-win cooperation and common development.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted old Chinese wisdom and modern approaches in the country’s diplomacy at a press conference on the sidelines of the national legislature annual session.
The top Chinese diplomat took an array of questions on subjects ranging from China’s relations with the United States and Russia, to a military parade it will stage to mark the victory in World War II and the situation on the Korean Peninsula and warring northern Myanmar.

PARTNERSHIP, NOT ALLIANCE
The minister said China’s diplomacy in 2015, with two main themes of peace and development, will focus on making progress in the “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiatives.
China has said on many occasions that the initiatives, proposed by President Xi Jinping to upgrade cooperation between countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, are not exclusive and not a tool of geopolitics like the Marshall Plan.
Wang turned to a musical metaphor, “The initiatives are not a solo for China, but a symphony performed by all the countries involved.”
The hallmark of Chinese diplomacy with major countries is win-win cooperation, he said.
It includes upholding an independent foreign policy of peace and equality among all countries, he said, adding that these ideas originate from Chinese traditions and reflect the socialist principle.
He said China is blazing a new diplomatic path of “making partners rather than allies.”
China has established formal economic partnerships with more than 70 countries and many regional organizations.
While advocating that the current international order needs to be updated, Wang said his country has “no intention of overturning it or starting all over again,” 70 years after the end of WWII and the founding of the United Nations.
“It is very important to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries which are in the majority of the world,” he said.
The minister promised to work with other countries to increase cooperation in combating cross-border corruption, an extension of the anti-graft declaration adopted during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings last year in Beijing.

MICROSCOPE, TELESCOPE
On relations between China and the United States, Wang said the world’s two biggest economies should not “magnify problems through a microscope,” but instead “use a telescope to look ahead to the future.”
He said that President Xi’s scheduled visit to the United States in September will inject “new momentum” into one of the world’s most important partnerships.
The minister also noted that Beijing and Washington, as they exert “pioneering efforts” to build a new model of major-country relations, will encounter obstacles along the path, calling for more trust between them.
With Russia under Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, Wang said that China’s relations with Russia will not be affected by “international vicissitudes” and are not aimed at any third party.
The two countries, with a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, will prioritize cooperation in areas including railways, finance and oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Wang said China will cooperate more with Africa on industrialization, sanitation and security and peace. It will also liaise with India to facilitate settlement of the boundary issue.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in the Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Uncertainties overshadow ties between China and Japan, with territorial and historical disputes being far from resolved.
Wang, a former Chinese envoy to Japan, asked Japanese politicians to use their sense of conscience in judging history 70 years after Japan lost the war.
China is planning commemorative events, including a military parade, to mark the 70th anniversary and will invite foreign leaders to China for the commemorations.
China welcomes the participation of “anyone who is sincere about coming,” Wang said.
“By staging those commemorations, China will expand its convergence with other peace-loving countries and peoples,” said Prof. Gong Fangbin at the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army.

MEDICINE, SOLUTIONS
With its growing presence worldwide and increasingly interwoven interests in some regions, China has been seeking to address global hotspot issues by “putting forward Chinese solutions.”
“The most striking feature of China’s diplomacy last year was its activeness,” said Zhang Yunling, an international studies specialist who is also a member of the National Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. “It matches China’s role as a major player in the world.”
Over the past year, China, which has been following the principle of non interference with internal affairs of other countries, mediated on a host of regional issues, including in Afghanistan, Iran and South Sudan.
“When approaching a hotspot issue, we first need to take the pulse, adopt an objective and impartial attitude, and understand where the issue has come from and establish conceptions based on facts,” said Minister Wang, taking a metaphor from traditional Chinese medicine.
He pledged to follow a multi-pronged approach that seeks a political settlement addressing the concerns of all involved, rather than resorting to the use of force or sanctions.
The minister also urged stability in the conflict-hit northern Myanmar and called for calmness and restraint as the situation on the Korean Peninsula entered another delicate period.
Wang said that China would properly handle regional conflicts and advocate dialogue between cultures, religions and ethnic groups to counter terrorism, which was called by him as a “common scourge to mankind.”
The minister defended China’s construction on South China Sea islands and reefs, saying the move is lawful and justified.  Enditem

 

Source   Xinhua

Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Facebook: chenxuefei7

Twitter: chenxuefei7@hotmail.com

 

Chinese companies strive to lead development in 5G technology

Chinese companies strive to lead development in 5G technology 
 
    BARCELONA, Mar.4 (Greenpost) -- Chinese telecommunications firms such as Huawei look certain to lead the development into 5G technology, if events at the 2015 Mobile World Congress (MWC) currently being held here are anything to go by. 
    With the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) hot topics in Barcelona, it is obvious that the 4G network simply isn't going to be enough to carry the estimated 100 billion internet connections that are needed, something Huawei's acting CEO, Ken Hu has described as "a huge challenge for the mobile industry." 
    "Everything will be connected: our toothbrushes, our sneakers, glasses, watches...as well as forklifts and robotic arms used in factories," said Hu, stressing that 5G, with a capacity 1,000 times greater and an estimated 100 times faster than current 4G networks, can make that connected future possible, providing the speed needed for self-driven vehicles, for example. 
    Hu is not alone in thinking that way. Jurgen Escalon from Wibro Technologies commented to Xinhua: "obviously we are waiting for it (5G), in some parts we are still waiting for 4G to work but I think we are part of the business where this will help us to deliver. It's more mobile," 
    Escalon expects companies such as Huawei to be leading the charge towards 5G, but admitted he hoped they would not be the only contenders. 
    "It looks like Chinese companies will be in the lead, but there are strong contenders in other parts too, so we hope the competition will help drive it faster," he said. 
    At the MWC, Huawei signed a collaboration agreement with Japan's major mobile operator, DOCOMO for both companies to test 5G remote access technology (RAT) in the latest of a series of agreements with countries from all around the globe. Huawei backed the commitment further, announcing plans to invest at least 600 million U.S. dollars in research and development in the technology over the next three years. 
    "5G development needs a standard to be defined, but as I see it, it's for supplying load for the IoT, developing to support the massive uptake of video on demand and to realize the extent and proliferation we are going to rely on mobile data to interact with our world. It is very interesting and exciting," said Colin Brown from Spark Connect in New Zealand, which has Huawei as their core provider. 
    "We are interested in seeing where the evolution takes us. We see China playing a big role on our part," he concluded. 
    Orlando Pereira from Paraguayan mobile operator, VOX, highlighted the role Chinese companies had already played in 4G development, and expects to see something similar in the case of 5G. 
    "5G is making very rapid progress, it is a relatively new technology and there is not a lot of information which has been made public," he explained. Pereira speculated it would "probably need a spectrum of frequencies and that is going to depend on the distribution in the world and in that we think that the Chinese companies are once again going to be important." 
    Hu agreed, having previously said the "telecom sector should open its doors and proactively embrace and dialogue with other industries to define 5G standards." 
    "Our ability to imagine the future is still quite limited, but we know it will be a super-connected and super-intelligent world and we are at the beginning of the beginning," he said.  Enditem
SOURCE Xinhua
Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Commentary: More trust from the West in China-Africa cooperation key to Africa’s takeoff

Commentary: More trust from the West in China-Africa cooperation key to Africa’s takeoff

 

by Guo Jun

Stockholm, June 5 (Greenpost)– The year 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a milestone which has seen China and Africa accelerate their steps in expanding cooperations in various fields for the past 15 years.

Infrastructure projects built by Chinese companies are quickly popping up around the continent. Up to now, China has completed 1, 046 projects in Africa, building 2,233 kilometers of railways and 3,530 kilometers of roads, among others, promoting intra-African trade and helping it integrate into the global economy.

However, as Africa is benefiting from the fruits of trust established with China very long time ago, some in the West have been watching all these with doubtful, or green eyes, hence fantastic theories like “neocolonialism” and “China is exploiting Africa’s resources” are floating up.

Believers of such theories seem to ignore the simple fact that Western powers have been holding their grounds in production of natural resources like oil, gas and minerals in many African countries.

According to a report quoted by the Wikipedia, joint ventures between foreign companies and Nigerian government account for approximately 95 percent of all crude oil output in Nigeria, while local independent companies operating in marginal fields account for the remaining 5 percent. And the top six foreign companies operating in Nigeria are all of western origin, including Shell Nigeria who accounts for 50 percent of Nigerian’s total oil production.

The same story happens in many other African countries: Angola, Zambia, Botswana, etc., a story neglected by some people in the West perhaps because they have taken this for granted for too long to remember.

China has grown into one of the major trading partners with Africa. Winning infrastructure project bids with lower cost, quick delivery and good quality, buying and selling goods for each other’s needs, at both parties’ willingness, aren’t these market economy practices?

“Some say that China is conducting ‘concrete diplomacy’ by helping Africa with infrastructure development. I believe that is what badly needed by Africa in pursuing economic growth,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a recent press briefing.

Infrastructure projects, investment in manufacture and aids in health sector are China’s main gifts to Africa as the continent strides towards a more integrated and promising one, especially with a continental free trade zone encompassing 26 African countries being close at hand.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told the Financial Times in October 2014 that his main preoccupation was to build efficient infrastructure capable of providing inexpensive services to boost GDP growth to double digit levels.

He said China was a desirable partner in this endeavor not only because of its funding capabilities but also because it desists from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

Africa is big enough to consume investment from China and the West. According to the World Bank, an extra 93 billion U.S. dollars is needed every year over the next decade to bridge the infrastructure deficit alone in Africa.

The efficient West-China cooperation on the continent will provide greater opportunities for African countries, particularly in the area of technology transfer, peace and security operations as China is increasing its coordination with United Nations peacekeeping missions.

There should be more confidence and trust from the West in the engagement between China and Africa, and also more trust from the West that China is a reliable partner to cooperate to help Africa loose no time in taking off so as to benefit the whole world. Enditem

Source  Xinhua

Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

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Twitter:  chenxuefei7@hotmail.com

 

China Focus: China, ADB can tap “belt and road” potential

China Focus: China, ADB can tap “belt and road” potential

 

Stockholm, June 5(Greenpost)– The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and China can make use of the huge potential in infrastructure and energy along the belt and road, said ADB Vice President Zhang Wencai.

“Belt and road” refers to the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st century maritime Silk Road proposed by China in 2013 for improved cooperation between countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

The belt and road will result in increased investment that will improve connectivity across Central Asia, Zhang said in an interview with Xinhua.

The ADB can work with China to translate the concept into concrete action through the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, Zhang said.

The CAREC program is an ADB initiative launched in 2001 to promote regional cooperation in transport, energy and trade between its 10 members, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

“China can contribute to the economic corridor development in the CAREC region by sharing its experience in logistics, infrastructure, economic zones, spatial economic agglomeration, urbanization and public-private partnerships,” he said.

“Large investment needs for infrastructure in the region create large funding gaps,” he said.

All CAREC countries have substantial needs in energy development, Zhang added.

An ADB study in central Asia found that investment of about 36 billion U.S. dollars is needed before 2022 for power infrastructure in four countries.

“Given the large funding gap, China could look into co-financing with the ADB and other multilateral institutions in CAREC countries, and share its technical and management skills in large infrastructure projects,” he said. Enditem

Source  Xinhua

Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson

facebook: chenxuefei7

twitter: chenxuefei7@hotmail.com

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中国2014年生产了2900万辆电动自行车

北欧绿色邮报报道(记者陈雪霏)--据新华社消息,工业信息技术部日前透露,2014年中国生产了2905万辆电动自行车,基本上与2013年持平。

China produced 29.05 million electric bicycles (e-bikes) in 2014, basically equal with that for 2013, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

与此同时,普通自行车产量达到6202万辆,比上年下降了0.9%。

Meanwhile, the output of human-powered bicycles dropped 0.9 percent year on year to 62.02 million units.

12月份,电动自行车和普通自行车分别下降了1.7%和0.4%,达274万辆和567万辆。

In December, the output of electric bicycles and human-powered bicycles declined 1.7 percent and 0.4 percent year on year, to 2.74 million units and 5.67 million units respectively.

2014年中国自行车产业出口值增加了2%。销售与产出比例为98.1%。

In 2014, China’s bicycle manufacturing industry witnessed a year-on-year two percent rise in value of export delivery, with sales-output ratio at 98.1 percent. In December, the value of export delivery grew 0.9 percent year on year, and the sales-output ratio was 94.8 percent.

中国的自行车生产大户年产值都在2000万元以上,去年都增加了10%,利润增加了16%,上缴税收也增加了10%。

China’s large bicycle manufacturers, each with more than 20 million yuan of annual business revenue, saw their total main operating revenue rise 10.3 percent year on year in 2014, their total gross profit grow 16.1 percent year on year, and their total tax payments increase 10.1 percent year on year. Enditem

Source Xinhua

Editor and translator: Xuefei Chen Axelsson 编译陈雪霏

 

China’s clock output down 0.1 pct on year in 2014

China’s clock output down 0.1 pct on year in 2014

 

Stockholm, June 5(Greenpost)– China produced 145.02 million clocks in 2014, down 0.1 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The output of watches declined 3.5 percent year on year to 182.54 million units.

In December, China’s clock output and watch output reached 12.4 million units and 21.28 million units, down 19 percent and 17.6 percent year on year, respectively.

In 2014, China’s clock and watch manufacturing witnessed a year-on-year 10.7 percent increase in value of export delivery, and its accumulated sales-output ratio was 98.6 percent.

China’s large-scale clock and watch manufacturing enterprises, each with more than 20 million yuan of annual business revenue, saw a year-on-year rise of 8.7 percent in main operating turnover. Their total profit and paid taxes grew 25.7 percent and 3.5 percent year on year, respectively. Enditem

Source Xinhua

Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

 

 

China furniture industry revenue up 10.9 pct on yr in 2014, to 718.74 bln yuan

China furniture industry revenue up 10.9 pct on yr in 2014, to 718.74 bln yuan

 

Stockholm, June 5(Greenpost) — China’s furniture industry generated 718.74 billion yuan of main operating revenue in 2014, up 10.9 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Meanwhile, it made 44.19 billion yuan of total profit in the year, up 12.5 percent year on year; and paid 23.96 billion yuan in taxes, up 10.4 percent year on year.

China’s furniture industry posted a sales-output ratio of 97.8 percent in 2014, basically equal to that for 2013; and its value of export delivery came to 162.44 billion yuan, up 4.9 percent year on year.

In December, the sales-output ratios of China’s furniture industry reached 98.4 percent, 0.2 percentage point higher than in 2013; and the value of export delivery was 15.89 billion yuan, up 1.9 percent year on year. Enditem

Source Xinhua

Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

China tops patent applications list in 2014

China tops patent applications list in 2014

Stockholm, June 5 (Greenpost) — China had more invention patent applications than any other country in 2014 for the fourth year running, official data showed on Monday.

The number of invention patent applications filed to the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) in 2014 stood at 928,000, up 12.5 percent from 2013, the SIPO said.

The office authorized a total of 233,000 invention patents in the year, 163,000 of which were from Chinese applicants.

By the end of 2014, China had 663,000 invention patents with high quality and market value, and the number of invention patents per 10,000 Chinese people reached 4.9, the SIPO said.

China has seen rising numbers of patent applications as part of a drive to upgrade the economy. However, the country’s invention patents still lack a competitive edge, experts said.

One of the government’s priorities has been to boost innovation by improving intellectual property rights protection. Enditem

Source Xinhua

Editor  Xuefei Chen Axelsson

 

Mobile online games see rapid development in 2014

Mobile online games see rapid development in 2014

 

Stockholm, June 5(Greenpost) — China’s mobile-based online games grew rapidly last year, powering growth in the country’s game industry, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has said.

A CNNIC report showed China had 248 million mobile online game players by the end of 2014, surging 32.9 million from the previous year.

Thanks to the development of 4G network and smartphone hardwares,China’s online game players are turning from computers to mobile phones, a new powerhouse to drive the vibrant sector, according to the report.

The number of people accessing the Internet from mobiles totaled 557 million by the end of last year, up 56.7 million year on year and accounting for 85.8 percent of China’s total online population. Enditem