TGS – Page 87 – Chinascope

Wen Jiabao: Progress Has Been Made in the Wang Lijun Investigation

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao responded to questions about Wang Lijun, the former Changchun police chief who entered the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu and stayed there for one day. At a press conference after the conclusion of the Fifth Session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wen stated, “I can tell you all that the Central Committee [of the Party] has taken this matter very seriously. It instructed the relevant departments to start an investigation immediately [as soon as this incident took place]. The investigation has already shown progress. Based on the facts and the law, the matter will be handled strictly in accordance to the law. An answer will be given to the people with respect to the results and handling of the investigation, which will stand the test of law and history."

Source: People’s Daily Website, March 14, 2012
http://lianghui.people.com.cn/2012npc/GB/239293/17385949.html

Briefings | | March 15, 2012 | Government/Politics

China’s R&D Trails Far Behind the West

Study Times published an article discussing the need for China to develop an effective strategy to increase national competitiveness through innovation. In 2007, the U.S. spent a great deal of money on research and development. The total was $368 billion, which is 2.68% of its GDP, or $1,265.70 per person. In comparison, China currently spends about $48.7 billion on R&D, which is 1.46% of its GDP, or $37 per person. At the industry level, the transition from scientific and technological success to manufacturing and production has been very slow. Only 25% of the technological breakthroughs have made this transition, which is way behind the 80% rate in developed countries. Further, less than 5% of these successes have been developed to the point of full production. The article recommended upgrading industries in the following areas: new energies, information, biology, material, medicine, environmental protection, oceanography, and space, as well as other new emerging industries.

Source: Study Times, March 5, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/03/05/07/07_38.htm

Briefings | | March 9, 2012 | Economy/Resources

New Media as Best Way to Promote Socialist Core Values

Guangming Daily published an article on how new media have become an important battleground for the proliferation of conflicts and an arena for the promotion of socialist core values. Through their popularity and due to people’s widespread participation, the new media can awaken people’s socialist values, internalize such values so that they become a popular faith, and reach out to more and more people. Further, the new media represent the best weapon to safeguard socialist core values in the face of the influx of Western capitalist values. As mainstream media, they can lead public opinion.

Source: Guangming Daily reprinted by Qiushi, March 5, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/wh/jsshzyhxjztx/201203/t20120305_142951.htm

Briefings | | March 9, 2012 | Information/Technology

More Chinese Companies Are Expected to Delist Their Overseas Stock

The International Herald Leader published a commentary about Chinese companies delisting their stock from U.S. stock exchanges. On February 15, 2012. Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited became the first Chinese Internet company from mainland China to have completed a stock buy-out and delisted its stock from NASDAQ. On February 21, 2012, after a massive stock buy-back, the Alibaba Group offered to delist its B2B site Alibaba.com from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Shanda and Alibaba are not alone. In 2011 there were a total of 22 Chinese companies that delisted their stocks in the U.S. More are expected to announce plans to delist. According to the article, Chinese companies that were listed through reverse mergers now find it difficult to play by the rules of the American style stringent reporting requirements. "Under the U.S. regulations, the tax payments reported on their SEC filings should be the same as those tax payments filed with tax authorities in the home country, with a discrepancy not exceeding 10%. But according to sources in some consulting agencies, for Chinese companies listed in the stock markets in the U.S., the difference is as large as 10 times, far surpassing what the U.S. law allows."

Source: International Herald Leader, March 6, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2012-03/06/c_131442157.htm

Briefings | | March 8, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Study Times: The U.S. Does Not Have the Final Say in Asia

Study Times published a commentary on the new U.S. strategy in Asia. The article’s author expressed the belief that the U.S. adjustment represents another post-Vietnam war contraction, rather than an expansion. It stated that the U.S. move is more a defensive one to safeguard what it has achieved, instead of an offensive one. In its strategy in Asia, the U.S. coordinates its military, political, and economic actions very well. “This strategic maneuver was carried all the way through and China felt real pressure.” However, the article continued, it is impossible to drive all Asian countries away from China and to isolate China completely. It appears that the U.S. may invite China to join the TPP at a later time so that China will have to play a passive role and simply follow the rules that have already been established. “But China will not accept such an invitation. The U.S. simply does not have the final say!”

Sourse: Study Times, February 27, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/02/27/07/07_33.htm

Briefings | | March 2, 2012 | US-China Relations

Experts: Distribution of Income Is a Major Problem in China

At a press conference on February 29, 2012, Chi Fulin, the President of the China Institute for Reform and Development, stated that, in the near future, the government should introduce an income allocation plan that adjusts the allocation of capital in order to improve public welfare. “At the present time, State-owned capital is invested in competitive markets. It pushes the private sector out and over-heats the investment market. More importantly, it cannot reflect the public ownership of the State’s capital and is not conducive to social fairness.”

Zhang Zhuoyuan, a research fellow at the Institute of Economics at China’s Academy of Social Science, expressed that China is probably the worst country when it comes to income distribution and is also the most confusing and chaotic. Recently, when he was looking at the breakdown on his pay statement, he discovered that his base salary accounts for less than 20% of his total income.

Source: Yangtse Evening Post reprinted at China Economic Net, February 29, 2012 http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/201202/29/t20120229_23114559.shtml

Briefings | | March 2, 2012 | Economy/Resources

Study Times: National Information Security Faces Major Challenges

Study Times published an article discussing the major challenges that China faces in the area of “national information security.” According to the article these challenges include the following. The general public has a serious lack of awareness of information security. Insufficient regulations and policies mean there is a lack of adequate mechanisms to protect the development of information. An international monopoly on cyber security technology deprives China of opportunities to obtain the high tech necessary to bring domestic technology up to speed, thus creating a serious vulnerability in national information security. Malicious attacks against information and transmission systems have seriously violated China’s national information security. An insufficient investment of capital and human resources in information security has led to an increase in threats to national information security.

Source: Study Times, February 27, 2012
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2012/02/27/07/07_31.htm

Briefings | | March 1, 2012 | Information/Technology

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