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Briefings - 1180. page

China Optimistic in the International Financial Crisis

President Hu stated on October 24 that the good development trend in Chinese economy is in itself an important contribution to the international market stability and world economic development.

Xinhua reported that government think tanks in China are confident of China’s ability to handle the crisis in spite of a reduced 9.9% of the economic growth in the first three quarters. China is actively expanding in Africa and Latin America and China exports more home items than luxury items. Effective November 1, tax rebate rates will increase for textiles, toys and other high valued added items. Comparing to the same period last year, Retail sales of consumer goods for the first three quarters went up by 22%, an increase of 6.1 percentage points. Actual utilization of foreign funds went up by almost 40%, an increase of 29 percentage points.

Source: Xinhua, October 24, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/24/content_10245934.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/24/content_10247609_1.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

800 million Yuan of Agriculture Funds in Violations and 175 Disciplined

Jiangxi Province found rampant funding irregularities in its agriculture subsidy programs, reported Xinhua on October 23, 2008. An inspection earlier this year show funding violations in the amount of 796,950,000 yuan, of which 658,960,000 yuan were erroneously delayed, 4,150,000 were arbitrarily retained, 26,300,000 yuan were misappropriated, 1,130,000 yuan were embezzled and 106,410,000 yuan were in other violations. There were 254 cases under investigation. 175 individuals were administratively disciplined. 25 of them have been charged in courts.

Source: Xinhua, October 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2008-10/23/content_10239890.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

High-ranking Party Official Refuses to Return to China

Municipal Communist Party Committee of Wenzhou has dispatched officials to France to seek the return of a high-ranking Party official, Xinhua reported. On September 19, Mr. Yang, a member of Wenzhou Standing Committee started a 12-day official visit to Europe leading a government delegation. While in France, Yang called one of the Wenzhou Communist leaders and submitted his resignation citing health reasons. The Wenzhou City explicitly asked Yang not to resign and ordered him to return to China. October 22, a group of three officials departed for France to meet with Yang.

Source: Xinhua, October 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2008-10/23/content_10240091.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

More Milk Powder Infants Are Hospitalized

105 new patients were admitted to hospital on October 22 as the result of melamine tainted milk powder.  3, 654 infants remain hospitalized as of October 22, stated China’s Ministry of Health. 46,717 were treated and released from hospitals.

Source: Xinhua, October 23, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/22/content_10235302.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Public Petition for Special Pardon of Yang Jia

As of October 23, over 1,200 people petitioned for Special pardon of Yang Jia. Yang Jia, a young man in his twenties, was sentenced to death on September 1 2008 by Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People’s Court, after a closed trial, for killing 6 policemen in Shanghai. On October 20, the Shanghai Higher People’s Court turned down his appeal. The petition initiated by 44 in China on October 21 calls for abolishment of death penalty and cited unfair treatment of Yang while in government custody and during the trial.

Source: Chinese Human Rights Defenders, October 23, 2008
http://crd-net.org/Article/Class53/200810/20081023075704_11301.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Patent Applications Bring Little Economic Returns

Patent applications by universities in China have brought little licensing fees, Guangming Daily reported. Comparing to 3 to 5 % world average, patent applications have increased at an annual rate of 20% in China since 2000. Applications by higher education institutions account for 11.7%. Scientists and researchers find no incentives to apply due to low economic returns and high application costs.

Source: Guangming Daily, October 19, 2008 reprinted by China News http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2008/10-19/1417105.shtml

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Unemployment among College Graduates up to 15%

Among all of China’s college graduates, as many as 15% cannot find a job, according to a recent report issued by China Youth Research Center. The Report on China Youth Rights and Welfare also forecast the deteriorating trend in the imbalance in the gender structure of the nation’s youth population in the coming decade, with 15 to 20 surpluses of males in every 100 females. The report is compiled based upon a survey on a sample of 4,000+ people in 108 counties in 12 provinces.

Source:
Xinhua, October 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/employment/2008-10/22/content_10231406.ht

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Chinese Families File Tainted Milk Lawsuit in U.S.

As Chinese courts refuse to accept suits seeking damages over the contamination of dairy supplies with the industrial chemical melamine, a group of victims under the name of Federation of Victims of Shengyuan Infant Milk Formula have hired a U.S. lawyer to claim compensation. This is the first time that a foreign lawyer involves in the toxic milk scandal.

Shengyuan group, one of the major Chinese diary manufacturers, owns a Delaware-registered venture capital company headquartered in Maryland. The linkage allows U.S. courts to have a jurisdiction over Shengyuan. The first trial is scheduled at a federal court in Maryland.

Mr. Liu, a representative of the group, said to RFA that “it is Shengyuan that violates the law, not we.”

On courts rejection of toxic milk lawsuits, Dr. Zhang Boshu at Chinese Academy of Social Science felt regretful. “We could have handled the issue through normal legal channels, which should be encouraged instead of suppressed by the government.”

Source:
RFA, October 20, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/lawyer-10202008102514.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability