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Beijing to Send the Largest Ever Delegation to The 2010 Asian Games

With the 2010 Asian Games kicking off in Guangzhou, China, on November 7, Beijing is sending the largest team in Chinese history, with a total headcount of 1454. Of the 977 athletes participating, 35 are Olympic champions. The athletes are from 31 provinces all across China. Their average age is 24. 261 of them participated in the Beijing Olympic Games, and 322 of them have participated in international events like the Olympics and the Asian Games before. 

Source: Xinhua, October 26, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2010-10/26/c_12703055.htm

CASS Blue Book: To Become the No. 2 Nation by 2050

The Chongqing Evening Post recently reported that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) announced publication of the Blue Book of National Competitiveness. The Blue Book is based on research done on more than 100 countries. It concluded that China now holds the number 17 position among all countries and is number 9 among the G20. The Blue Book also set a goal for China to become number three in terms of national competitiveness (after the U.S. and the EU) by 2030 and number two (after the U.S.) by 2050. However, it is believed that China’s current growth model relies heavily on real estate investment and massive resource consumption. This is not a competitive model. The Blue Book also pointed out that China’s lack of the ability to innovate is a primary disadvantage. China is far behind Japan and South Korea in this area. 

Source: Chongqing Evening Post, October 26, 2010
http://www.cqwb.com.cn/NewsFiles/201010/26/20100026120000399042.shtml

Xinhua: Improving the Development of Online Media

Wang Chen, Deputy Chief of the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP, Director of the Central Outreach Office of the CCP, and Director of the State Council Information Office, recently gave a speech at the Tenth Chinese Online Media Forum. Wang observed that there are four new trends in the development of the Internet: 1) The Internet is quickly becoming an important media channel; 2) The Internet is rapidly penetrating the social economy and this means better administration is needed; 3) Multiple information networks are merging, such as the trend to merge the computer, TV, and cellphone; 4) Internet technology is upgraded very frequently, and new service models are introduced very frequently. Wang also pointed out that, in order to cope with the new trends, it is very important to direct public opinion, to control the “battlefield,” and to regulate the “dissemination of information via the Internet.” 

Source: Xinhua, October 27, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/27/c_12706129.htm

Xinhua: China Forbids Newspaper Websites, or Reporters’ Websites unless Approved

According to Xinhua, the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP), the Chinese government’s administrative agency that has the legal authority to screen, censor, and ban any print, electronic, or Internet publication in China, issued a notice October 28, 2010. The notice stated that, unless approved, no reporters or staff members of a newspaper or periodical are allowed to have their websites either in the name of the newspaper or periodical or in the name of the reporters of the newspaper or periodical.

GAPP has recently punished seven media organizations in China. Its actions included closing news stations and firing journalists.

Source: Xinhua, October 28, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/28/c_12713658.htm

ChinaGate: China’s World Map Uses the Same U.S. Data Resources as Google Maps

China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping announced on October 21, 2010, that China officially opened its own “World Map,” which was “China’s self-developed Web Map Service Website.” However, an Internet user pointed out on his blog that the “World Map” probably uses the data from the U.S. company DigitalGlobe, which offers the same image data that Google Maps uses.

On October 24, someone from China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping responded that what the so called "world map" intellectual property rights refers to is the "service software," and not the "data resources." The data resources are from a commercial satellite.

The above news was reprinted on ChinaGate. BJNews published the original news report on October 25, 2010.

Source: ChinaGate, October 25, 2010
http://news.wenxuecity.com/messages/201010/news-gb2312-1195725.html

China Staged Live-Fire Drills in the South China Sea

According to People’s Daily, the Chinese Marine Corps staged live-fire drills, called “Dragon – 2010,” in the South China Sea on November 2, 2010.

A total of 1,800 military personnel took part in the drills. Also involved were attack helicopters, mine sweepers, submarine chasers, landing craft, amphibious tanks, fast attack craft, and various weapons. The focus of the drills was on the entire process of simulating landing combat.

Source: People’s Daily, November 3, 2010
http://military.people.com.cn/GB/43331/13120067.html

First European Army Holds Joint Exercise in China

Southern Metropolitan Daily reported that, between November 5 and 13, the Romanian Army and Chinese PLA will conduct a joint military exercise called “Friendship Action 2010” in Kunming City, Yunnan Province. This is the seventh joint exercise that the PLA has held with a foreign army in the last six months. It is also the first time that a European country’s armed forces have come to China for joint training with the Chinese military. The military officers that the newspaper interviewed said that China must improve its ability to take military action, due to the pressure resulting from the frequent military exercises that the U.S. holds.

Source: Southern Metropolitan Daily, November 4, 2010
http://nf.nfdaily.cn/nfdsb/content/2010-11/04/content_17298141.htm

China’s Cultural Counselor: Cultural Exchanges Are an Important Part of China-French Relations

A Xinhua reporter interviewed Pu Tong, the Cultural Counselor for the Chinese Embassy in France. Pu Tong said, “China and France are both big countries with a strong cultural background. The interaction of both countries started with a cultural exchange. … China-French cultural exchanges are an important part of the two countries’ relations.”

Pu expressed that culture naturally evokes curiosity, and a feeling of closeness and fascination. Therefore, cultural exchanges will play a major role at this juncture as China-French relations are reaching a new level.

Source: Xinhua, November 3, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-11/03/c_12732617.htm