Chinascope – Page 758

Report Shows Internet Speeds Below Standard and Compensation Policies Lacking

According to a 2014 investigative report on Internet speed in the Beijing region, over 97 percent of the customers signed a contract for an Internet speed of over 10 megabits per second (Mbps). Among those, three percent chose a 100 Mbps contract and 11 percent chose 50 Mbps. The report showed that the download speed that most of the Internet companies claimed to provide was below the standard, especially for the ones who claimed to carry the 100 Mbps broadband width. The report said that most of the Internet carriers, especially the second or third tier carriers, are frauduent. In the meantime, most of the Internet users are unaware of the slower speed. The report stated that only one Internet company in Beijing has a compensation policy (to reimburse subscribers) if the internet speed goes below the standard.

Source: Xinhua, July 13, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2014-07/13/c_1111588264.htm

Briefings | | July 14, 2014 | Information/Technology

Income from Shanghai Internet Game Industry Reached 25.5 Billion Yuan

Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Press and Publications published statistics on the revenue from Shanghai’s game industry. According to those statistics, the total 2013 Internet game revenue, including client server games, online games, and mobile games reached 25.5 billion yuan (US$4.11 billion), up 34.2 percent from 2012. This amount accounted for 30.7 percent of the Internet game revenue in China. Of these three types of games, client server games accounted for 66.5 percent of the total revenue, online games accounted for 24.9 percent, and mobile games accounted for 8.6 percent, which was double the amount in 2012.

Source: People’s Daily, July 11, 2014
http://game.people.com.cn/n/2014/0711/c40130-25266887.html

Briefings | | July 14, 2014 | Information/Technology

2013 Blue Book on the Development of Radio, Film, and Television Published

On July 10, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television published its 2013 Blue Book on the development of radio, film, and television. According to the statistics published in the Blue Book, in 2013, 824 new movies were produced; 326 of them played in theaters and 498 or 60 percent of the new movies didn’t make it to the theater. The movie box office revenue in 2013 was 21.7 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion), 12.7 billion of which came from domestic films. The total investment in television dramas was 10.3 billion yuan (US$1.67 billion) where 441 television dramas and 15,770 series were produced. The figures were down by 65 television dramas and 1,933 series compared to 2012. In addition, the growth rate in radio and television advertising decreased by 2.74 and 6.97 percent respectively compared to 2012. The Blue Book concluded, “It means that the traditional radio and television market is shrinking and the business model for this industry needs to be upgraded.”

Source: Xinhua, July 11, 2014
http://news.xinhuanet.com/book/2014-07/11/c_126738965.htm

Briefings | | July 14, 2014 | Government/Politics

Global Times: No U.S. Conspiracy? Kerry Please Prove It with Action

China’s state media the Global Times published a special invited commentary article about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s remark in an interview with CCTV. Below is an excerpt from the article.

“Recently, in an exclusive interview with CCTV, U.S. Secretary of State Kerry said that China really should abandon the so-called American conspiracy theory, which is to say that the U.S. Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy is not against China or to contain China. Many [Chinese] netizens questioned whether that is true.”

“Chinese netizens did not take this statement seriously. Many responded to Kerry: [It is] ‘deceiving,’ ‘adding insult to injury,’ ‘The villain is obvious,’ ‘Comrade Kerry, you got the wrong manuscript,’ ‘Every time China wants to give up the American conspiracy theory, the United States always hits your face with the facts,’ ‘Whenever the United States abandons its conspiracy, we will abandon the American conspiracy theory,’ and so on.”

“Americans [always] give [the best] explanation of the American conspiracy theory with their actions. U.S. officials, including Obama, have claimed on several occasions that the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy is not aimed at China. However, since the start of this year, the United States has frequently created troubles for China.”

“Sino-U.S. relations are quite grim. The Washington Post reported on the 7th that some experts believe that China-U.S. relations are currently facing the most severe test since President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972. On June 26, the U.S. National Interest magazine website published an article by Michael Vlahos stating that history reminds people that the outbreak of a Sino-U.S. war is indeed possible. Some Internet users believe that if the United States does not change its policy of containment against China, talk will only be negotiations about some of the little specific things and it will not solve the Sino-U.S. friction and the deep-level contradictions.”

“We really hope that the ‘American conspiracy theory’ is just ‘hearsay.’ We really hope that the U.S. realizes that ‘the containing China’s theory is wrong, a hundred percent wrong.’ It is of no use if the United States only says it. The key is to come up with action. Establishing new relations between big powers, one has to start bit by bit, rather than shout with exaggerated, empty words.”

Source: Huanqiu (Global Times), July 10, 2014

http://opinion.huanqiu.com/opinion_world/2014-07/5057164.html

Briefings | | July 11, 2014 | US-China Relations

Tencent: Seven Ways to Transfer Funds Out of China

According to Tencent Financial, the wealthy in China use a number of means to transfer large amounts of money out of China.

Underground banks conduct the largest share of this type of business. When funds are deposited into an account in an underground bank in China, the client can withdraw the foreign equivalent from an overseas account at the same bank. A second method is currency exchange agents. They secure enough people who will lend their residence cards to exchange up to $50,000 per residence card. Therefore, for one large transfer, it may take days or even weeks to locate enough people.

Other methods include import and export trading companies that engage in money laundering as a side business. Gambling in Macao provides another channel to transfer funds out of China. Some people set up an offshore company and transfer funds little by little through an intermediary. This approach takes a long time and requires expertise in international accounting principles.

A lesser known method is to purchase U.S. real estate investment funds. Then at the end of the investment period, the funds remain in the U.S. Some people in Southern China purchase insurance policies from the Hong Kong market. The high premium insurance allows the policy holder to cancel and to change the beneficiary. Once the insured or the beneficiary arrives in Hong Kong, they cancel the insurance and receive a refund of the premium.

Source: Tencent Financial, July 10, 2014

http://finance.qq.com/a/20140710/013803.htm

Briefings | | July 11, 2014 | Economy/Resources

Global Times: Overly Exaggerating the Strength of the U.S. Is Not Good for China

In an article recently published in Global Times, Han Xudong, a professor at the National Defense University, stated that China has overly focused on the United States. Below is a partial translation of the article.

"Today, Chinese in every profession all pay close attention to the United States’ every move. With its increasing international influence, China is bound to meet head-on with the United States in many ways. To study and pay attention to the United States is quite necessary. However, overly exaggerating the issues of the United States, engaging in some meaningless matters, or exaggerating China’s own things will only be detrimental to China’s development."

"In fact, China’s ‘feverish’ focus on the U.S. originated during the Gulf War. In this war, the United States, for the first time, applied high-tech weapons to fight the first high-tech war. Subsequently, the Chinese territory started its own ‘Gulf War research fever,’ trying to ascertain how the United States won the Gulf War. Due to the use of precision weapons, China began to characterize the war as an information war. People began to overstate constantly the extent of informationization in the U.S. In fact, the level of information in the U.S. and the U.S. military is not as high as what the Chinese have imagined."　　　　

“Currently, as to the United States’ action in the Asia-Pacific region, people tend to use their preconceived notions of ‘rebalancing’ to analyze and interpret the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy. Americans say that its Asia-Pacific strategy is a ‘rebalancing’ strategy. So far, the substance of this ‘rebalancing?’ is something for which the Americans have not given an official explanation. Nevertheless, the Chinese people continually try to interpret its meaning. The Chinese people are currently doing what the Americans should do. In fact, the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy should be a much more profound and broader strategy than a ‘rebalancing’ strategy. Because the United States has preset China as a ‘global strategic adversary,’ the concept of a mere ‘rebalancing’ presents difficulties in covering the strategic initiatives in the Asia Pacific region that the U.S. might take.”

Source: Global Times, July 7, 2014

http://mil.huanqiu.com/observation/2014-07/5050149.html

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2014-07/07/c_126719716.htm

Briefings | | July 10, 2014 | US-China Relations

State Media: Bank of China Engages in Money Laundering

The state’s media, China Central Television (CCTV), reported that the Bank of China, one of the four major state banks, engages in money laundering. In violation of government control of cross-border fund transfers, it transfers large amounts of cash abroad for clients who plan to emigrate overseas.

"’Regardless of where and how you get your money, we can help you get it out [of China].’ The staff from a Bank of China branch said that it does not matter how black or dishonorable the money is; the bank has a way to clean it and get it overseas safely.”

At a recent immigration expo in Beijing, an immigration agent explained that due to government control of fund transfers by individuals, one may be able to transfer up to $50,000 a year. In order to apply for investment immigration, one must transfer large amounts to accounts designated by foreign governments. To do that, one must go to the Bank of China. The Bank of China representative at the expo confirmed this information. “We help you convert such a large amount [of yuan] into foreign currencies and transfer it out in one transaction. That is the step we handle.” According to CCTV, the Bank of China charges its clients a 0.3 to 0.4 percent handling fee for these types of transfers.

Source: Xinhua, July 9, 2014

http://news.xinhuanet.com/2014-07/09/c_126731280.htm

Briefings | | July 10, 2014 | Economy/Resources

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.”