Information/Technology - 81. page

According to Qi Faren, an expert in Chinese space technology, China will establish its own global navigation system, called Beidou-2, by 2020. It will be done in three steps. The first step is to build a regional navigation system. This has already been completed through the launch of the first Beidou system, officially called the BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System, also known as Beidou-1. Beidou-2 will be completed in the second and third steps. The second step is to launch about 12 to 14 satellites in the early part of the twelfth five-year plan period (2011 to 2015) to form a regional and autonomous navigation positioning system. The third step is to have over 30 satellites covering the entire earth by 2020. Beidou-2 will provide navigation services to China and its neighboring countries, said Qi. “Beidou-2 will be the equivalent of the U.S. GPS. Wherever the U.S. GPS is used, one will be able to use Beidou-2.”

Source: Xinhua, March 1, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/it/2011-03/01/c_121136735.htm

On February 28, 2011, the Propaganda Office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee announced that China has become the world’s third largest film producer and No. 1 in TV series. For the past six years in a row, each year’s growth of box office income from film productions has exceeded 30%.

Recent years have seen tremendous government support for the cultural industries by providing preferential policies in financing and investment. In 2010, newly added mid-and-long-term loans in cultural industries amounted to 27.6 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion); special funds at the central and provincial level add up to 5.2 billion yuan (US$0.79 billion). So far, special investment funds or investment corporations have emerged in seven provinces, with total capital of over 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion). 26 companies in culture related businesses are now listed on the Shanghai or Hong Kong stock markets. In 2010 alone, they raised capital of 10.4 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion).

Source: Xinhua, February 28, 2011

http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/28/c_121130553.htm

China Review News (CRN), a Hong Kong based Chinese government news agency, recently reported that the Voice of America (VOA) is planning to stop its Chinese language short wave, medium wave and satellite broadcasting services. The report expressed the belief that this only represents a strategic change in the propaganda method used against China and that the U.S. is switching to the Internet as the new approach, where U.S. technologies have clear advantages. The article referred to Hillary Clinton’s recent speech on Internet freedom, given at George Washington University, as proof of the strategy shift. The State Department recently announced that it plans to establish Chinese and Russian Twitter accounts as a new means of communication. The report expressed deep doubts about the effectiveness of the “Twitter Approach,” citing that Chinese users have already gotten used to China’s domestically developed microblogging services.

(Editor: The CRN report failed to mention the fact that the “Great Fire Wall” currently blocks Twitter, and that Chinese domestic microblogs are heavily censored.)

Source: China Review News, February 24, 2011
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1016/0/7/6/101607644.html?coluid=148&kindid=0&docid=101607644&mdate=0224002804

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently announced that, in 2011, special projects will be initiated in six to eight strategic leading technologies such as advanced nuclear fission, energy, and space science. These initiatives are aligned with the CAS Road-map to 2050 and are a part of the “Innovation 2020” plan. The goal of these initiatives is to make breakthroughs in each of these areas and to stimulate technological as well as industrial innovations. With a goal of completion in ten years, “Innovation 2020” is designed to enter the global cutting edge of strategic technology, build a high-end talent pool, and establish innovative platforms. It is planned that, by the end of 2020, China will be the world leader in all mainstream scientific fields, such as chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

Source: Guangming online, February 15, 2011
http://tech.gmw.cn/2011-02/15/content_1612333.htm

A researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Science, called for “deep consideration” of the fact that over 95% of China’s museums have fake fossils. He suggested that over 80% of the fossils of marine reptiles have been artificially altered to some degree. Even worse, the counterfeiters do not think there is anything wrong with what they are doing. One situation often seen is that different types of fossils are cobbled together to create one “fossil.” The end product represents something that never existed, but all parts are “fossils.” The China Geological Museum refused to comment on this matter.

Source: Xinhua, February 10, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/10/c_121059259.htm

According Radio Free Asia on January 27, 2011, the Southern Daily Group dismissed Chang Ping, a well-known newspaper columnist. At the same time, Li Wenkai, director of the Southern Metropolis Daily, and two editors were asked to leave the Commentary Department of the newspaper.

Compared to other parts of China, the media outlets in Southern China are known for being outspoken.  Recently, pressured by the Propaganda Department of the CCP Central Committee, a number of journalists have been let go.

Source: Radio Free Asia, January 27, 2011
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/bao-01272011103426.html

The CCP Secretary of China’s Reporters Association, Zhai Huisheng, recently led the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department in launching a campaign to “eliminate false reporting.”

On January 18, 2011, the China State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping released its official online mapping system with the English “Map World.” This project seeks to establish a “Chinese Brand” in the online GIS (Geographic Information System) services field. It is considered part of the “Digital China” initiative. The total amount of data in the system is 30TB, which includes 3 billion “tiles” of digital maps. The Bureau admitted that the Map World system still has problems with access, performance, and stability. It also lacks some “subject information.” Satellite images also have precision and foreign supply issues. The government is determined to firmly promote this system.

Source: Xinhua, January 18, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-01/18/c_12995918.htm