Chinascope – Page 1290

China Faces Soil Erosion over 40% of Its Territory

A three-year government expedition survey shows soil erosion of 3,569,200 square kilometers. This includes water erosion of 1,612,200 square kilometers and wind erosion of 1,957,000 square kilometers. The ramifications of soil erosion on China’s economic and social development are “far-reaching and even irreversible.” The three-year survey was the largest since 1949 with over 800 participants traveling 140,000 kilometers (315 counties) and analyzing nearly 200,000 questionnaires.

Source: Xinhua, November 20, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/20/content_10389295.htm

Briefings | | November 21, 2008 | Economy/Resources

Close to Twenty Thousand Party Officials Fled China with Billions of Funds Since Mid 90s

The Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate’s Office announced that Party officials fleeing China have reached between 16,000 to 18,000 since the mid-1990s taking over 800 billion Yuan overseas. The money was primarily misappropriated from major projects such as land development, tax revenue, loans from financial institutions, funds allocated for government expenditures and national economic programs.

In the past 30 years, the Beijing Municipal People’s Procuratorate has prosecuted over 16,000 cases of corruption and bribery. The Beijing Municipal People’s Prosecutor’s Office was established in January 1951 and closed down in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. It was reopened in July 1978.

Source: Xinhua, November 9, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-11/09/content_10329946.htm

Briefings | | November 21, 2008 | Government/Politics

Private Arms Dealers Emerging in China

Arms production and sales have been solely controlled by the military system in China. But the situation is about to change now. Over 100 private enterprises entered the production and sale of military arms, according to a report by PLA Daily. Wang Baohe, from Shaanxi, is probably the first such private “arms dealer.” Wang developed a light wheeled tank which became a key piece of equipment for the Chinese engineer battalion of the U.N. peace-keeping missions it has joined. It also exported the tanks to eight countries through financial aid programs. Wang could start the business because the “Directives of PLA Arms Purchase” issued in October 2002 proposed to establish a coordinated army and civil arm production system.

Source: PLA Daily, November 20, 2008 http://www.chinamil.com.cn/site1/xwpdxw/2008-11/20/content_1555026.htm

Briefings | | November 20, 2008 | Defense/Military

Henan to Enforce Governmental Reporting of Emergent Events

On November 17, Henan provincial government issues the Notice of Doing A Better Job Reporting Unanticipated Incidents. The Notice specified that when an unexpected event occurs in the future, local authorities ought to in the first time provide information in writing to the provincial Office of Emergency Management. If a written report is impossible due to special circumstances, do an oral report, followed up with a written report. If the first report is incomplete, a follow-up report is required.

The provincial Office of Emergency Management ought to timely report to relevant leadership officials in the provincial government. In case of urgent situations, the Office can simultaneously report to several relevant leaders; for major incidents, it must immediately report to key leaders.

It is reported that Henan Province will strictly implement the regulation by hold accountable personnel who cause damage or major consequences due to late report, underreport, or no report.

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-11/19/content_10378387.htm

Briefings | | November 19, 2008 | Government/Politics

Third Quarter Housing Sales Slide Sharply

As China’s central bank’s Nov. 18 monetary policy report reveals, the third quarter housing market continues to plunge. The year-over-year decline of housing sales in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou are 55.8%, 41.1%, 46.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The nationwide commodity housing sales over the first three quarters this year is 0.4 billion sq meters, 14.9% lower than the same period last year. Total sales revenue is 1.6 trillion yuan (234 billion dollars), only 85% of the same period last year.

The report states the main reason for the drop of real estate transactions as the fast climbing the housing price in the period before. With the economic prospect turning volatile and tumbling stock market, buyers have changed their expectation of future income and trend of housing price. The real estate is a pillar industry of the economy as a major engine for steel, construction materials, and household appliance manufactures.

Source: Beijing Evening News, November 18, 2008
http://www.ben.com.cn/fzcq/fcqc/200811/t20081118_491621.htm

Briefings | | November 18, 2008 | Economy/Resources

Amid Massive Close-downs, Government Restricts Layoffs

The sapping demand caused by the global financial crisis has hit hard on several coastal provinces in China. The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security recently sent a notice, emphasizing a stable employment as the most important task. Shandong and Hubei provincial authorities require government review and approval before any company fires more than 40 people. The Qingdao city of Shandong even demands a nod from local officials before laying off 20 workers or more than 10% of the total employees.

In south China, media has reported thousands of close-downs amid the crisis, some senior managers even committing suicide or fleeing overseas. Although the government has announced the 4 trillion yuan (586 billion dollars) stimulus package, there are widespread doubts on whether the plan can effectively make up for the job losses. The government fears outburst of serious social problems, if not well tackling the shaky job market.

Source: BBC Chinese, November 18, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7730000/newsid_7735600/7735671.stm

Briefings | | November 18, 2008 | Economy/Resources

Guangmin Daily: U.S. Applied Double Standard in Handling the Financial Crisis

An article from Guangmin Daily criticized the United States for applying a double standard in handling the financial melt down in Wall Street versus the financial crisis tjat took place in Asia in 1997 and praised China for being a responsible nation. “At that time, the U.S. actively promoted the neoliberal economic model to tighten fiscal policy with little government intervention” the article said, “but during the current financial crisis, the U.S. government is taking a complete different approach which has seriously damaged the U.S.’s image in the world and it has been criticized as being an irresponsible nation.”

The article then praised China as a “responsible nation that has firmly followed the socialistic market path with Chinese characteristics”. It listed a number of actions that China took to stabilize the domestic economy and said that it has demonstrated itself as a sensible and responsible nation. The article concluded that: “after going through the economic crisis twice, it has made us further believers in the superior quality of socialist market economic systems. Therefore we can’t blindly worship the capitalist market economy anymore.”

Source: Xinhua, November 19, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/theory/2008-11/19/content_10378986.htm

Briefings | | November 18, 2008 | US-China Relations

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”