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All posts by LLD - 193. page

Foreign Students Will Have to Leave China during Summer Olympics

According to Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA), 10,000 plus foreign students will have to leave China during the Summer Olympics. Several universities in Beijing and foreign diplomats have confirmed that all foreign students will not be allowed to stay during the months of July and August, even though they may not have completed their studies. One spokesperson from Beijing University was quoted as saying that “there is no exception, as this is an order from above.” The ban also includes week-long summer classes. DAAD or the German Academic Exchange Services in Beijing also warned incoming visiting scholars. Foreign students will not be able to come back until after September 17, when the 2008 Paralympics will have finished. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to confirm this news.

Source: Deutsche Welle, Chinese, April 17, 2008
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3273472,00.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Wen Jiabao Says Most Outstanding Economic Problem is Inflation

According to Xinhua, Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao hosted a State Council Executive Meeting on current economic affairs on April 16, 2008. The meeting concluded that the most outstanding problem is the overall inflation. Other issues include low production in the agriculture sector, possible overheating of fixed asset investment, and a grim outlook for energy saving. The meeting also required that all branches of the government at all levels make sure the central government policies are effectively and thoroughly carried out from top to bottom.

Source: Xinhua, April 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/16/content_7989988.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

The Olympics: The Foremost Political Task Facing the Party and the State

Beijing has repeatedly stated that the West is politicizing the Olympics Games. Many including President Bush also believe that the Olympics is all about sports. However, published speeches by the Communist Party and government officials call for prioritizing preparations for the Olympics as a national political task. A successful Olympics is a political task for the Party buildup, airport security, environment protection, transportation, the judiciary and digital broadcast of TV, just to name a few.

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Analyses | | |   Opinion

State Council: Make Sure Price Control is Implemented

A Recent directive from the General Office of State Council re-emphasized exerting price control with “effective measures.” On April 2, 2008, The Correcting Industrial Illegitimate Practice Office (CIIPO) of the State Council issued a Notice On Implementing The Correction Of Industrial Illegitimate Practice in 2008. The notice asked “relevant authorities” to strengthen regulation on market price, strictly control the government-stipulated price, and take temporary measures to intervene the prices of necessities. It also demanded “strike hard” on illegalities on pricing practices.

Source: China.com.cn, April 10, 2008
http://www.china.com.cn/policy/txt/2008-04/10/content_14769635.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Stock Market: Down 50% in Six Months

On Tuesday, both Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges ran landslide slumps. SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange) Composite dropped 143.55 to near 3300, while the SSE (Shenzhen Stock Exchange) Component Index fall 841.52. More than 600 stocks ended limit-down. According to a report issued by Guotai Junan Securities, the leading security firm in China, it only took six months for the SSE Composite to dive from the peak of 6124 last October to 3308 this week, 50% shrinkage of the market value. The drop is not only historical in China, but very rare around the world. Previously, SSE Composite had a 40% downward swing from 2245 in June 2001 to 1350 in November, another 40% plunge from 1740 to 998 in 2004.

Source: Information Times, April 2, 2008
http://informationtimes.dayoo.com/html/2008-04/02/content_153174.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Senior official Warns Overheating Economy and Comprehensive Inflation

In the most recent issue of Qiushi journal, the core publication of Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party, a senior official authored an article on the risk of an “overheating economy” and “comprehensive inflation.” Xie Fuzhan, the chief of State Statistics Bureau, pointed out that China need to focus on quality and curb the “impulse of expanding investment projects.” The article suggested strengthened macroeconomic control, strict housing regulation, and tight monetary policy. To ease the expectation of price rises, Xie proposed to increase the supply for basic necessities.

Source: Xinhua, April 2, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-04/02/content_7906294.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Beijing To Expand Cooperation with Arabic Countries

At a press conference at Damascus, a Chinese diplomat expressed Beijing’s desire to expand the cooperation with Arabic countries. Sun Bigan, the government’s Middle East special envoy, told journalists that China has a friendly strategic cooperative relationship with Arabic countries. On issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, and human rights, Arabs have given “precious” supports, while China reciprocates by backing their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national rights. In 2007, the bilateral trade amounted to 86.4 billion USD. Sun added that Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will lead a delegation to the Second Ministerial Meeting of Sino-Arabic Cooperation Forum to be held in Bahrain in May.

Source: Xinhua, March 27, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/27/content_7871633.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

China Faces Grim Agriculture and Grain Production

At a national agriculture and grain production telephone conference, the State Council announced ten “important” measures to step up the support of the sector. Increase of the agricultural output is believed to be the key to alleviating the galloping inflation, the “most outstanding” problem in the economy. According to Premier Wen Jiabao, 2008 is a “grim” year for China’s agriculture and grain production, due to natural disasters and adverse climate.

Source: Xinhua, March 27, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-03/27/content_7870258.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources