Chinascope – Page 478

China to Become the World’s Largest Natural Gas Importer by 2019

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued the “Natural Gas Market Report 2018,” which predicts that, by 2019, China will become the world’s largest natural gas importer due to the lack of domestic supply. By 2023, China’s natural gas imports will reach 171 billion cubic meters, most of which will be LNG (liquefied natural gas).

According to the Chinese Ministry of Energy, China and India have become the fastest growing countries in demand for natural gas, especially LNG. Last year, China surpassed South Korea and became the second largest importer of LNG after Japan.

The Report shows that China and emerging Asian markets are promoting global natural gas consumption. Between 2017 and 2023, China will account for 37 percent of the increase in global natural gas consumption, surpassing every other country in the world. Regarding the forecast period, the Report expects the global natural gas market to exceed 4 trillion cubic meters by 2022, while China’s demand will grow at an average annual rate of 8 percent, accounting for more than one-third of the growth in global demand.

At present, the United States is the main producer of natural gas and exporter of LNG, accounting for nearly 45 percent of global production growth and nearly three-quarters of LNG export growth.

Source: Shanghai Security News, July 20, 2018
http://news.cnstock.com/paper,2018-07-20,1029054.htm

Briefings | | August 9, 2018 | Economy/Resources

The Liao River Is an Environmental Nightmare

The Liao River is the principal river in southern Northeast China, and one of the seven main river systems in mainland China. Coursing 1,345 kilometers (836 mi) long, it passes through Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Liaoning Provinces.

According to Economic Information Daily, a subsidiary of the official Xinhua News Agency, in recent years, the amount of river water has decreased year by year. In many places, there is no water at all. A major section of the Liao River flows through Chifeng City and Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia, with a total length of 829 kilometers. In Chifeng City, since 2007, most parts of the river have run out of water for most of the year. In Tongliao City, the Liaohe River has experienced 20-years of being cut off.

In addition to the climate drought, the main reason is that there are too many water conservation projects along the river. In Chifeng alone, there are 82 large, medium, and small reservoirs in the upstream portion of the Liao River.

Over the years, with the interruption of water in the middle and upstream areas of the River and with the people living nearby increasing their demand for water consumption, the demand for groundwater has increased. This has resulted in over-exploitation and a decline in the water level. In Chifeng City and Tongliao City, groundwater depletion caused areas of land subsidence as large as 3000 square kilometers, and the water level dropped by about 10 meters.

The water interruptions have caused a large reduction in the area of lakes, wetlands and grasslands. Trees along the banks of the river have declined and died, posing a threat to the ecological environment and ecological security of this area. The grassland area in Tongliao City has been decreasing year by year since 2014. In 2004, the area of lake wetlands in Chifeng City was 60,738.05 hectares. By 2010, it shrank to half that size. Of the 82 reservoirs in Chifeng City, 40 percent have dried up.

Source: Economic Information Daily, August 6, 2018
http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/2018-08/06/c_137370677.htm

Briefings | | August 9, 2018 | Economy/Resources

China Expands International Express Service Overseas

Xinhua reported that, in recent years, China’s international express service has rapidly expanded overseas. For the first six months of 2018, the International express service’s volume, including service to Hong Kong and Macau, reached 520 million pieces, which was a 43.1 percent increase from the same period in 2017. China’s JD Logistics has a delivery service that covers seven islands and 483 cities in Indonesia. YTO Express Group, ZTO Express, and Rookie Network can provide supply chain service in receiving, warehousing, and freight forwarding with the ability to deliver anywhere around the world in less than 10 days. These freight companies have also invested in building international air transportation channels and setting up warehouses in other countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Japan. The Xinhua article stated, “China is using its logistics technology and supply chain management capabilities to let the world enjoy “China’s speed.”

Source: Xinhua, August 5, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2018-08/05/c_1123225398.htm

Briefings | | August 9, 2018 | Information/Technology

Beijing to Launch Patriotic Campaign to Target Intellectuals

According to Xinhua, recently, the Central Organization and the Publicity Department jointly published a notice to launch a “patriotic campaign” targeting intellectuals. The notice stated that the campaign is to “carry out the directions of Xi Jinping to unite the intellectuals with the party and the people and build a consensus among intellectuals to share the goals and the values for which the Party and the Country are fighting.” An RFA article calls the patriotic campaign another round of brainwashing campaigns because the authorities are most concerned about the criticisms that the intellectuals are making. For example, in recent months, the mainland intellectual community has continuously discussed China’s economic strength. Since the beginning of the year, it has been widely believed that China’s comprehensive strength can surpass the U.S. In recent months, however, more and more scholars have publicly stated that China’s economic strength appears impressive but lacks real value. Some people have even questioned Xi Jinping’s policy of governing the country.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, July 31, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-07/31/c_1123203383.htm
2. Radio Free Asia, August 2, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/ql2-08022018101541.html

Briefings | | August 8, 2018 | Government/Politics

As Supplier of 40 percent of Pharmaceutical Raw Materials to Other Drug Companies, China’s Drug Quality Causes Concern

The vaccine safety problem that has occurred in China recently highlights the ineffectiveness of China’s drug regulatory system. At present, since China supplies 40 percent of world’s pharmaceutical raw materials, the international community has begun to question its drug quality. The Central News Agency reported that, in 2017, the value of pharmaceutical raw materials that China exported was US$29 billion. Their customers included Teva Pharmaceutical, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. It is estimated that 80 percent of the pharmaceutical raw materials used by U.S. drug companies are sourced from China and India. In 2017, Chinese drug manufactures received 22 warnings from the FDA compared to 5 warnings in 2014. European Medicines Agency data reported that 10 percent of the pharmaceutical raw materials made in China failed its inspection. In July, European Medicines Agency and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings that antihypertensive drugs made in Zhejiang Province could cause cancer. In Beijing, the officials announced that hundreds and thousands of vaccines with quality issues were sold on the market and vaccine manufacturers were accused of forged production data. According to the FDA news website, in 2017, China joined the ICH (International Council for Harmonization) as its eighth regulatory member, pledging to transform its pharmaceutical regulatory authorities, industry, and research institutions gradually in order to implement the international coalition’s technical standards and guidelines.

Source: Central News Agency, August 7, 2018
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201808070293-1.aspx

Briefings | | August 8, 2018 | Information/Technology

Russian Newspaper Criticizes China’s “One Belt, One Road”

Russia’s newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Independent Newspaper) recently carried a lengthy article that criticized China’s “One Belt, One Road” policy. The article stated that, the more actively China promotes the “One Belt, One Road” policy and the more money it puts in, the more local anti-China protests there are and the louder the anti-China slogans are.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta, a pro-government Russian daily newspaper, quoted from a Kazakhstan sociologist that, in 2007, only 18 percent of local people disliked Chinese immigrants. The figure rose to 33 percent in 2012. By 2017, as many as 46 percent of the local people hated Chinese immigrants.

The article stated that many people in Central Asian countries believe that China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative exhibits the intention to occupy Central Asia. People who hold this mentality are not only concentrated in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan where there is a strong anti-Chinese sentiment. Within a short 10 years, such an attitude has spread throughout Central Asia. It has expanded to different religions and different ethnic groups, becoming a very fashionable part of the public opinion in the region.

Anti-Chinese sentiment is also politicized. The elites in Central Asia have used anti-China sentiment as a tool and actively use it when battling for political power. In the future, political forces that oppose the ruling class will play the Chinese card to accuse the incumbents of selling out national interests. Anti-Chinese sentiment has even turned into a profitable business. Local politicians in Central Asia have learned to use this tool to make a fortune. In the near future, this “commodity” will also be sold internationally to any foreign geopolitical buyer.

The article also said that China’s implementation of the “Belt and Road” and its local business operations have destroyed the ecological environment of Central Asia and have become a hotbed for corruption. The Chinese people are very willing to hand over envelopes filled with money to local officials in order to solve problems, including tax issues.

The article quotes from analysts that China’s expansion of influence in Central Asia is seriously threatening Russia’s interests. However, it is still unclear whether the anti-China sentiment in Central Asia has links with Russia. China and Russia are fiercely competing for influence in Central Asia. China’s “One Belt, One Road” seems almost incompatible with Russia’s “Eurasian Economic Community.”

Source: Radio France Internationale, August, 6, 2018
http://rfi.my/2yj4.T

Briefings | | August 8, 2018 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Huawei Surpassed Apple to Become Number Two as a Cellphone Maker

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu recently reported that, based on numbers from the U.S. research institute IDC, in the second quarter of 2018, Chinese communications equipment vendor Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world’s second largest cellphone manufacturer in terms of handsets sold. Huawei’s Q2 global handset shipment (54.2 million) is significantly more than that of Apple’s (41.3 million), and Huawei now has a global market share of 15.8 percent (versus Apple’s 12.1 percent). Samsung remains the top vendor in the same category but saw a 1.8 percent decline in sales, down to a shipment volume of 71.5 million, with a 20.9 percent global market share. Two other Chinese handset makers, Xiaomi and Oppo took the world’s number four and five positions. In Q2, Huawei did take the top leader position from Samsung in the Russian market. It set the goal to be the world’s number one cellphone maker in 2020.

Source: Sohu, August 1, 2018
http://www.sohu.com/a/244589900_466942

Briefings | | August 7, 2018 | Economy/Resources Information/Technology

Xinhua: The U.S. Plan of “Arab NATO” Faces Trouble

Xinhua recently published a commentary that offered an opinion on the planned mid-October Washington Leadership Summit which will include the U.S. and eight Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It appears the U.S. is planning to establish a NATO-like defense-oriented organization in the Arab world. However, this dream has three obstacles. First, these Arab countries have a lot of internal disagreements and they are not aligned with the U.S. vision and interests. Second, the relationship between the U.S. and the Arab “allies” is not all that good due to such facts as the U.S. often suspects them of having ties to terrorists. Third, it is very hard for the U.S. to apply control and limits to the function of an “Arab NATO,” especially regarding its relationship with Israel. It would be more realistic if the U.S. were not to be a member of the organization and would not appoint its military commander. The bottom line is, the U.S. may have a lot to gain in terms of arms sales, but to turn this dream into a profit, it probably has a long way to go.

Source: Xinhua, August 1, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2018-08/01/c_1123207977.htm

Briefings | | August 7, 2018 | Geo-Strategic Trend

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.”

The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.