Chinascope – Page 835

People’s Daily: Ministry of Commerce Responded to the Idea of Foreign Investments Fleeing China

People’s Daily recently reported that China’s Ministry of Commerce suggested that the so called “phenomenon” of foreign investments fleeing China for Southeast Asia is just a few OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) factories leaving for neighboring countries. The minor scale does not constitute a trend. However the Chinese government does recommend that investors move to the Western region inside China where they can realize the same benefits. Starting with the end of year 2011, the actual foreign investment level has been on the decline. Observers expressed the belief that investors were moving their money to Southeast Asia where they found the lower labor costs more attractive. The government found there was a 9.18 percent decline in the number of new companies founded based on foreign investment. As an answer to this decline, in the first half of this year, the Chinese government simplified the process of approving foreign investments.

Source: People’s Daily, July 27, 2013

http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2013/0727/c1004-22346039.html

Briefings | | July 30, 2013 | Government/Politics

China Released First List of Sunsetting Industry Sectors

China.com recently reported that the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the official 2013 list of the industry sectors planned for sunsetting. The first batch incorporates 19 industrial sectors which include iron and steel, coke, ferroalloy, calcium carbide, aluminum, copper (including recycled copper) smelting, lead (including secondary lead) smelting, zinc (including recycled zinc) smelting, cement (clinker and grinding), plate glass, paper, alcohol, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, tanning, printing and dyeing, chemical fiber, and lead-acid batteries (plates and assembly). The Ministry required all production capacity with old-generation technologies to cease operation by this September and to be disassembled for retirement by the end of the year. None of the capacity is allowed to be transferred to other regions. All individual companies covered in the scope of this government list have been identified and publicly listed on the local government websites as well as in primary local media publications.

Source: China.com, July 25, 2013

http://finance.china.com.cn/industry/hotnews/20130725/1671753.shtml

Briefings | | July 30, 2013 | Economy/Resources

China News: China will not Consider Large Stimulus Package

China News recently reported that Chinese Minister of the Treasury Lou Jiwei disclosed that China was not planning on any large scale stimulus package to boost the economy. Lou made the comment at the recent G20 Summit that took place in Moscow. Lou said that the Chinese job market is still healthy, although economic growth has been slowing down. He expressed that the Chinese government would rather rely on structural reforms to address the growth issue. Lou also mentioned three key focus points in the near term: (1) Reduce government control over the marketplace – over 165 government approval requirements were removed in the past several months; (2) Convert all current tax forms to Value-Added Tax (VAT) in the entire services industry in the next two years to speed up the growth of the services industry; (3) Try to achieve a balanced budget and cut government spending by five percent.

Source: China News, July 21, 2013

http://finance.chinanews.com/cj/2013/07-21/5065583.shtml

Briefings | | July 30, 2013 | Economy/Resources

Each Year in China over 100 Million Contract Hepatitis B

The Ministry of Health disclosed that there are 350 million Hepatitis B Carriers in the world and close to 100 million of them are in China. Of the 700,000 people who die from viral hepatitis diseases each year, 50 percent of them are in China. Also, Hepatitis B is ranked number one among the infectious disorders. It account for 1/3 of the total in China. Each year over 100,000 people contract the Hepatitis B virus.

Source: July 27, 2013, People’s Daily
http://npmpc.people.com.cn/n/2013/0727/c125298-22346921.html

Briefings | | July 29, 2013 | Information/Technology

Kyodo News: China Developing Missile Early-warning Satellite

China News Service carried an article that Japanese Kyodo News had originally published. The article reported that the PLA seems to have speeded up development of the missile early-warning satellite, which is capable of detecting missiles that the enemy has launched. The article stated that, if the project is successful, China will be the third country, following the U.S. and Russia, to own this type of satellite. The development of the satellite has become the most urgent task in PLA missile defense work. Since 2009, China has launched a number of testing satellites. The article reported that, according to a Japanese research scientist, China may be able to launch a missile early-warning satellite in less than five years. China has not issued any official statement regarding the news.

Source: China News Service, July 26, 2013
http://www.chinanews.com/mil/2013/07-26/5087621.shtml

Briefings | | July 29, 2013 | Defense/Military

Outlook: Actively Respond to the New Union of Western Countries

[Editor’s Note: Outlook published an article discussing how the U.S. has shifted its strategy from focusing only on the Asia Pacific area to establishing stronger ties with the European countries in order to counter the rise of the emerging powers such as the BRICS countries. This "new union" of Western countries will inevitably have an impact, whether visible or hidden, on China. The author is Chen Xiangyang from the Institute of World Political Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations. A translation of the article follows.] [1]

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Reports | | July 28, 2013 | Report

People’s Daily: The West Makes Rules and Tries to Force China to Follow Them

“At the recent fifth round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that, with China’s economic development, China needs to assume more international responsibility.” A People’s Daily [overseas edition] article warned that, “When faced with international media who, one after another, tout the ‘China responsibility theory,’ China should respond by avoiding the interference from this outside noise.”

The article said, “Because of differences in values and social system, Western society has long viewed China with a bias, from the ‘China collapse theory’ to the ‘China threat theory’ to the current ‘China responsibility’ theory. All these are to deny and obstruct China’s economic development. They not only deny China’s positive role in promoting world economic recovery; they even blame China for the tight global supply of resources. This is actually a replica of the ‘China economic threat theory.’"

According to Bai Ming, Deputy Director of the Department of International Market Research at International Trade and Economic Cooperation Research Institute of the Commerce Ministry, "The main purpose for Western countries to repeat the ‘China responsibility theory’ is to divert international attention." “At the same time, it is to impose more pressure on China. It is a common means Western countries use to oppress China.”

Sun Zhe, Director of the Sino-U.S. Relations Research Center at Tsinghua University said, "The United States wants China to take more responsibility. The intention is to [make China] use ‘fair’ competition with them in accordance with the rules set by the United States and other Western countries." "China cannot afford to and will not take action that is inconsistent with the rights and obligations of China’s [actual] responsibility."

Source: People’s Daily (overseas edition), republished by Xinhua, July 20, 2013 http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2013-07/20/c_125037696.htm

Briefings | | July 26, 2013 | US-China Relations

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.