Information/Technology - 102. page

PLA Daily claimed that China is the biggest target of spyware which mostly are from US. In a recent Annual Report of China Internet Security Report, the statistics claimed that there were 64,000 computers attacked by spyware worldwide daily and 26 percent of them took place in China. According to National Computer network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT/CC), there were 220,000 spyware attacks to China from overseas in 2005 where 40 percent were from US, 11 percent from Japan, 10 percent form Taiwan, and 8 percent from Karea.

Source: Xinhua, April 3, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-04/03/content_7909500.htm

On March 6, PetroChina announced the opening of a commercial oil reserve project in Shanshan county of Xinjiang province. Total oil reserves there are expected to reach 1 million cubic meters. The project marks the beginning of China’s second phase of tapping oil reserves in response to the worldwide oil shortage.

The first phase centers on the coastline and consists of four strategic oil reserve bases: Zhanhai, Zhejiang province; Huangdao, Shandong province; Zhoushan, Zhejiang province and Dalian, Liaoning province. The Dalian base was the last one opened and it was close to being 2/3 completed as of March 6.

Source: China Stock, March 7, 2008 http://cnstock.xinhuanet.com/newcjzh/06cjdt/2008-03/07/content_3075200.htm

Beijing Meteorological Bureau reported that sandstorm appeared in south of Ganshu and west of Mongolia on February 29 and traveled south to Beijing with the cold air on March 1. The nearby regions of Beijing including west of Mongolia, Shanxi, and north of Hebei were reportedly remain under the sandstorm condition as of the first day of March. Estimated population affected will reach 110 million. Beijing recorded 15 sandstorms in the spring of 2007. More sand storms are expected in 2008.

Source: China News, March 2 and 4, 2008 http://www.chinanews.com.cn/tp/shfq/news/2008/03-02/1179107.shtml http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2008/03-04/1180550.shtml

On February 22, 2008, China’s eight leading State run online media signed the "Chinese Pact on the Self-discipline on Visual-Audio Programs and Services of the Internet," urging all Chinese domestic websites to “spread positive, healthy programs and boycott corrupt, outdated ones.” The eight State media are the official websites of Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, the State Council Press Office, China Radio International, China Central Television, China Youth Daily, China Economic Daily, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

There are 210 million Chinese Internet users, according to the 21st Statistical Survey Report on the Internet Development in China published in December 2007. 69 percent are under 30 years old. The largest age group is between 18 and 24, accounting for 32% of the total Internet users.

Source: Xinhua, February 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-02/22/content_7647209.htm
China Internet Network Information Center, December 2007
http://www.cnnic.cn/index/0E/00/11/index.htm

The most recent issue of Qiushi magazine published an article titled “Understand, Treat, Use, and Manage News Media Properly” written by chief of Chinese Communist party’s Fujian provincial Propaganda Department. It reinstated that China’s news media is a mouthpiece of the Party and people under the socialist condition. It should not be deemed as a public venue independent of or opposite to the Party or people. News media should carry both the functions of news propaganda and information dissemination. It should insist on the role of guiding the public opinions, which is the soul of the work of journalists.

Source: Qiushi magazine, 3rd issue 2008 (Qiushi is the official publication of Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee)
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20080201/GB/qs%5E472%5E0%5E21.htm

Zhuang Fengan, a Chinese Aerospace expert, disclosed that China has been conducting research on spaceplane. Yan Liang aircraft stress testing base in Xian, a subsidiary of No. 1 Group of China Aviation Industry will carry out the final testing, which is expected to be completed before 2010.

The Global Times calls the U.S. developed spaceplane “sudden and swift; capable of bombing any target on earth.”

Source: Wenweipo, Hong Kong, February 6, 2008 http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/army/2008/02/200802060815.shtml

On January 24, after ten years of research and development, the China Ministry of Information announced the launch of a decimal internet technology. It combines domain name, ip, and MAC addresses, and will replace the existing hexadecimal system developed by the U.S. Xie Jianping, Chief Engineer in charge of the project said that China has become the second country in the world next to the U.S. that has mastered the technology in domain names and address distribution.

China pays 500 billion yuan (US$6.9 billion) to the U.S. each year for worldwide Internet usage, including domain registration, analysis, channel resources, equipment, and software. The total amount exceeds China’s annual defense budget.

Source: China First Finance Daily, January 24, 2008
http://finance.people.com.cn/GB/6818246.html

According to China Internet Network Information Center, as of December 31, 2007, the number of Internet users in China had reached 210 million. According to The Beijing News, "This is a tremendous force that can guide and push China towards democracy and freedom." The most challenging task is not the Internet, but the authorities’ attempt to control it. The article is critical of the practice of putting someone in jail because of what that person writes. It suggests that the authorities should be open and treat Internet users with kindness – one should go along with “the grand trend of human civilization” instead of bucking it.

Source: The Beijing News, January 19, 2008
http://www.thebeijingnews.com/comment/shelun/2008/01-19/014@014708.htm