Chinascope – Page 816

Muddled Urbanization in Ordos Results in the Loss of Billions and Helpless Ex-Farmers

On September 27, 2013, China Review News published a report on the failure of the urbanization process in Ordos, one of the twelve major subdivisions in Inner Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China. After 10 years of muddled urbanization in which the government caused overheating in the real estate market and in which almost all residents participated, Ordos, a coal mining city, is now an empty city where most of the new buildings are vacant. As a result, billions in wealth has been lost with the burst of the property bubble. Now, all local-governments as well as ordinary residents have to find ways to repay their debts.

As previous rural villages have been demolished, ex-farmers, now urban citizens, stand idle and feel helpless. They have lost all their relocation money in private financing related to real estate development. When property development was hot, these ex-farmers, without any money and no flocks of sheep, had to find jobs as construction workers. In the most recent couple of years, they could not even find any construction jobs because all construction sites have been shut down.

Source: China Review News, September 27, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1027/6/7/7/102767771.html?coluid=10&kindid=258&docid=102767771&mdate=0927175545

Briefings | | October 2, 2013 | Economy/Resources

Study Times: Strengthen the Supervision and Management of Social Organizations

On September 23, 2013, Study Times published an article on further strengthening the supervision and management of social organizations in China. Recently, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China issued the following orders: It asked four social organizations to stop having any activities for 6 months; it gave warnings to six social organizations; and it revoked one social organization’s registration. The article urged the People’s Republic of China to accelerate the pace of relevant legislation and build a sound and comprehensive legal and regulatory supervision system to control and manage all social organizations.

Source: Study Times, September 23, 2013
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2013/09/23/06/06_36.htm

Briefings | | October 2, 2013 | Government/Politics

Beijing CBD Properties Are as Expensive as the Tokyo Shinjuku CBD and the City of London

On September 29, 2013, People’s Daily published an article on how expensive properties are in the Beijing Central Business District (CBD). The original article was from Beijing Youth Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Youth League committee in Beijing. According to the article, Beijing CBD property is as expensive as real estate in the Tokyo Shinjuku CBD and in the City of London. However, the average income of Beijing residents is only 1/5 of the income of people living in Tokyo and London. If an ordinary young man wanted to buy an 80-square-meter apartment in the Beijing CBD, he would have to work at least 40 years without eating or drinking anything.

Source: People’s Daily, September 29, 2013
http://house.people.com.cn/n/2013/0929/c194441-23069638.html

Briefings | | October 2, 2013 | Grapevine

BBC Chinese: Shanghai Free Trade Zone Launched with No Major Surprises

BBC Chinese reported that, on September 27, two days before the official launch of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, the Chinese State Council released the General Plan which described the special measures made available in the Zone. The new Free Trade Zone will include four bonded areas where special regulatory freedom is offered in six categories: the Financial System, Shipping and Ports, Commerce and Trade, Professional Services, Culture, and Society. For the Financial System, the Zone expanded permission for independent domestic and international banks and insurance companies to establish operations (although freely exchanging RMB is still restricted for now). For Commerce and Trade, it opened up the market for the telecommunication and video game industries (under the condition that network and information security are still protected). For Professional Services, for now, it mainly covers tourism, which allows joint-ventures to manage Chinese tourists visiting non-Taiwan foreign territories (except that businesses fully owned by foreign investors are still not allowed). For Culture and Society, the Free Trade Zone now opens up the medical care market (including hospitals), the performance agent market, and the entertainment market to businesses fully owned by foreign investors (under the condition that all business activities are conducted inside the Zone).

Source: BBC Chinese, September 27, 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/business/2013/09/130927_china_sfz_background.shtml

Briefings | | October 1, 2013 | Economy/Resources

China News: Xi Jinping Met with Karzai

China News reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on September 27 in Beijing. Xi expressed the willingness to work closely with Afghanistan to deepen the “strategic-partner relationship.” He offered a five-point suggestion: (1) Maintain high level contact between the governments, lawmakers, and political parties of the two countries; (2) Strengthen cooperation in trade, resource development, and infrastructure-building; (3) Enhance mutual security support on fighting drugs, international crimes, and the “Three Evils” (terrorism, separatism and religious extremism); (4) Provide Afghanistan training for various types of expertise; (5) Strengthen cooperation in the United Nations and strengthen the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Karzai thanked China for all the help provided and welcomed China to participate in Afghanistan’s energy resource development programs.

Source: China News, September 27, 2013

http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2013/09-27/5332637.shtml

Briefings | | October 1, 2013 | Geo-Strategic Trend

CRN: China May Become the Largest Trade Country

China Review News (CRN) recently quoted the Chinese Commerce Ministry, which made the statement that China’s total import/export volume may surpass the United States by the end of this year. This means that, for the first time, China may become the largest trade country in the world. The Commerce Ministry suggested that this world record “did not come easy,” especially in a tough time when the world economy is suffering from low demand. The Ministry expressed the belief that the primary reasons for this achievement are the improved international market environment and the improved competitiveness of Chinese companies. Bloomberg News suggested last year that China is about to set the biggest international trade milestone since 1945, when the United States obtained its dominant status. According official Chinese data, unless there is a major unexpected disaster, China will surpass the United States in the volume of both imports and exports. However the experts argued that being “big” is not necessarily being “strong.” It is much harder to remain the largest.

Source: China Review News, September 26, 2013

http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1027/6/5/7/102765795.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102765795&mdate=0927075830

Briefings | | October 1, 2013 | Economy/Resources

Xi Jinping: Party Members Required to Engage in Criticism and Self-Criticism

Outlook Weekly published a commentary on September 30 discussing President Xi Jinping’s recent speech on engaging in “criticism” and “self-criticism” to improve the quality and heritage of the Party. Xi indicated that this would have a significant impact on the Party. The commentary said that if “criticism” and “self-criticism” are used frequently, the Party organization will grow stronger and more powerful. Otherwise, it will suffer losses or pay a costly price. The commentary listed examples of how “criticism” and “self-criticism” are seriously lacking among Party members. It asserted that this deficiency has resulted in an unhealthy tendency and signs of crisis within the party.

President Xi recently stressed that “‘criticism’ and ‘self-criticism’ are powerful weapons to use in solving the internal conflicts within the Party." Xi said that if all levels of Party members use these weapons frequently, it will help to “promote unity” and “improve the ability to identify and solve problems.”

Source: Xinhua, September 29, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-09/29/c_117551444.htm

Briefings | | September 30, 2013 | Government/Politics

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.