Information/Technology - 96. page

On June 10, the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a strategic research report entitled “Innovation 2050: Scientific Revolution and Future of China.” A technological roadmap for the next 50 years, the report covers 18 key areas including energy, population health, space, the ocean, information, national, and public security.

Over 300 experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences spent more than a year to develop the report, which clearly defines the focal point for future technology development and lists 22 strategic technology issues which will affect the modernization of China. The roadmap is divided into three phases which will be revised every five years.

Source: Xinhua, June 10, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-06/10/content_11521348.htm

Other than Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Chong Qing, most provinces will see a decrease in college entrance examination applications this year. The main reason is the tough job market college graduates face.

Some high school graduates apply for vocational schools to learn a trade. And more and more of them are applying to colleges overseas.  For example, there are 3000 high school students who take the SAT test each year to apply to colleges in the US.

Source: Huan Qiu, May 28, 2009
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-05/473516.html

The China National Certification and Ratification Regulatory Committee announced that it will defer  implementation of its “IT Product Safety Forced Certification System” for one year. The scope of the forced certification has also been reduced to government-procured IT products only. However, Japan, European countries, and the US all expressed concerns about China’s policy.

The certification system dictates that makers of thirteen IT products, which have been either imported or produced in China, including anti-spam software, firewalls, network monitoring and control systems, and OS for IC chips, must disclose the source code to Chinese government for certification. However, the source code is the intellectual property and core compatibility of the software producers. Foreign countries are concerned that Chinese producers may produce copycat products once businesses disclose these trade secrets to China. Also, exposing source code for network tools will allow China freedom to browse private information on the Internet.

Source: The Liberty Times, May 1, 2009
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/may/1/today-int2.htm

The highly visible “Hangzhou City Computer Information Network Safety Protection Management Regulation” went into effect in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province on May 1, 2009. The regulation states that no company or person may use computer networks to spread rumors, disturb social order, or destroy social stability; encourage the public to criticize others, expose others’ privacy, or make even subtle personal attacks; or publicly insult or fabricate lies to slander others. On-line service providers must record the valid identification information of the user when he/she is applying for service. [1]

Yangcheng Evening News published several articles to point out that the internet users’ dismay about the tighter government’s restriction over freedom of speech on the Internet. [2] [3] [4]

Source:
[1] Zhejiang News, May 1, 2009
http://www.zj.chinanews.com.cn/detail/1118252.shtml
[2] Yangcheng Evening News, May 2, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/news/2009-05/02/content_2124053.htm
[3] Yangcheng Evening News, May 3, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/sp/2009-05/03/content_2124295.htm
[4] Yangcheng Evening News, May 4, 2009
http://www.ycwb.com/misc/2009-05/04/content_2124689.htm

Xinhua News republished an Oriental Morning Post article on April 7 regarding the official announcement of the new policy governing the private publishing industry in China. The policy clearly stated that private publishing will be included in the formal planning and administration of China’s overall publishing industry.

Due to the tight control the Chinese government has on the publishing industry, private publishing companies were constantly facing the pressure of a potential violation of government rules. However, while validating the status of the private publishing industry, the new policy also emphasizes the government’s role of "guiding" and "regulating" the behaviors of the private publishing companies.

The new policy is unclear about foreign capital’s role in the private publishing sector. The report stated a belief that the new policy will not heavily impact state-owned publishing companies.

Source: Oriental Morning Post, April 7, 2009.
http://epaper.dfdaily.com/dfzb/html/2009-04/07/content_123104.htm

Internet surfers in China are no longer able to visit the video sharing website Youtube.com, due to the site carrying some scenes of Tibetan monks being beaten by the Chinese Armed Policemen.

A spokesperson of the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Internet is open in China, but for national security purposes, it needs to be managed to prevent spreading “poisonous information.” He said that he is unaware of the case of Youtube.com.

BBC Chinese reported that since January, China has closed several hundred websites, including some popular blogs, as well as websites popular among Tibetans. Investigations confirm that China still blocks access to certain websites, including BBC Chinese.com.

Source: BBC Chinese, March 24, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7960000/newsid_7961100/7961110.stm

On December 16, 2008, www.people.com.cn, the website of Chinese government’s official newspaper the People’s Daily, started a kabushiki kaisha (public corporation) in Tokyo Japan, marking the first step in the agency’s overseas expansion.

The Japanese subsidiary operates a Japanese language version of the newspaper’s website (http://j.people.com.cn/) and the Japan channel of the paper (http://japan.people.com.cn). The former focuses on reporting China-related news to the general public in Japan, as its production and technology center is moving from Beijing to Tokyo. The latter, concentrating on reporting Japan-related news to people in China, is the only domestic news portal that specializes in Japan and the Sino-Japanese relationship.

Source: Xinhua, December 16, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2008-12/16/content_10515261.htm

A recent scandal revealed that the “Chinese Football (Soccer) Association” changed a soccer player’s age to be two years younger. Yao Xiao came from Sichuan. The news was quite an embarrassment to the soccer fans from Sichuan since Yao was regarded as a real proud of those fans because he was claimed to be the youngest player in Chinese soccer history.

In an interview with a senior soccer coach from Liaoning, the reporter found out that the age alteration has been a hidden rule that was commonly practiced in soccer area and is no longer a secret. The practice was driven by the pursuit of winning through a team composed of an older age group because the reward and recognition to the coaches and team management are closely tied to their performance. The age alteration is not only a common practice among soccer players, the article wrote, it is also practiced among basketball players, track teams or even the soccer referees.

Source: Commercial Times, Liaoning Province, December 7, 2008
http://www.sdshang.com/MMM/P_Show.asp?id=7996