Economy/Resources - 263. page

On January 3, Social Sciences Academic published the “Blue book of Chinese Society.” It stated that with China’s GDP growing over 10 percent in 2007, mid to low income families are facing increasing financial pressure. The consumer price increase will continue to be a serious factor in 2008. The Blue Book disclosed that 10 percent of the low income group spent close to 50 percent of their income on food consumption, in addition to the rising cost of living and medical expenses. This group is thus the least capable of surviving. The report also warned that the increasing disparity between the rich and the poor continues to be a threat to social stability.

Source: Radio Free Asia, January 4, 2008
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2008/01/04/income/

On December 29, the Ministry of Finance approved a 50 million yuan (US$6.8 million) emergency fund to provide temporary aid to college student cafeterias. It is to ensure that, prior to the upcoming winter break, students’ lives will not be affected by the increased price of raw materials. Earlier this year, the General Office of the State Council issued a notice to various levels of governments to provide financial relief to student cafeterias and those students who are on financial aid. In addition, the National Development And Reform Mission also requested the students’ receive discounts in college utility expenses.

Source: China News, December 30, 2007
http://edu.chinanews.cn/edu/kong/news/2007/12-30/1119587.shtml

On December 20, 2007, the International Herald Leader under Xinhua published an article calling on western countries to reconsidertheir their strategy in pushing for an adjustment in the RMB exchange rate. The reason: a World Bank study found the Chinese economy is overestimated by about 40 percent.

On November 24, Cao Yushu, deputy president of the China Macroeconomic Research Association, talked about the three main concerns regarding China’s economic situation.

A survey sampling 1,000 citizens in major cities in China was published in the August issue of Global Enrepeneur Magazine. It reveals that the Chinese public has mixed feelings about foreign companies doing business in China.   

On the one hand, the results showed that over 80 percent of those surveyed think that the foreign companies have promoted economic development in China. On the other hand, 73.1 percent expressed strong dissatisfaction towards the foreign companies as they have "relocated environmentally hazardous industries and factories to China."

In a recent article in Chinese Economic Times, economist Zhou Tianyong pointed out that China has not formulated effective and systematic policies to restrain the discharge of pollutants and that the existing system has actually aggravated environmental pollution instead of preserving the environment. [1]

The State Statistical Bureau announced that China’s inflation rate was 6.5% in August, 0.9 percent higher than July and the highest since December 1996.

According to China News Service, the process of desertification is accelerating for China’s most beautiful wetland prairie, the Ruoergai Marshes. It is now difficult to find bogs, and the desertified areas are increasing at an annual rate of 11.65%. With over two hundred out of three hundred lakes dried up, the wetlands have shrunk to less than 40% of their original area.