China’s state media published an editorial discussing China’s position in the escalating North Korea nuclear crisis. The article said the following about China’s part:
Person Who Had Contact with a Diseased H7N9 Patient Developed Symptoms
As of the end of April 4, 2013, Shanghai had reported four more H7N9 bird flu cases with four fatalities and two undergoing treatment, bringing the total number of cases in Shanghai to six. According to the local authorities, there is no connection between the six cases. One person who had contact with a diseased H7N9 patient has developed a fever, running nose and an itchy throat, and is presently undergoing treatment.
On April 4, China’s agricultural authorities announced that they had detected the infectious H7N9 avian flu virus in some pigeon samples collected at a marketplace in the Songjiang District of Shanghai, where agricultural products are sold.
[Editor’s note: So far, China has confirmed 14 H7N9 cases, six in Shanghai, four in Jiangsu Province, three in Zhejiang Province and one in Anhui Province. Of all, four died in Shanghai and one died in Zhejiang Province.]
Source: Xinhua, April 5, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-04/05/c_124541810.htm
China’s Rivers May be Disappearing
China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the first official survey on the nation’s water resources. According to the survey, China’s rivers may be disappearing. The survey shows that China has 45,203 rivers that each cover an area of at least 50 square kilometers and 22.909 rivers that each cover an area over 100 square kilometers.
Pang Jinwu, representative of the China’s Ministry of Water Resources, stated that the survey corrected some statistics that had been used since the 1950s. For example, based on the estimates of the experts in 1950s, China had over 50,000 rivers that each covered an area of at least 100 square kilometer. That number was more than double the figure from the first official survey.
Source: Xinhua, March 27, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2013-03/27/c_115183982.htm
Housing Sales 6.4 Trillion Yuan in 2012; Chinese Government and State Banks Received 5 Trillion
A rough estimate, based on official statistics, shows that, in 2012, the Chinese government and the state banks’ revenue from real estate amounted to 4.8 trillion yuan (US$0.8 trillion). This was about 75 percent of the total real estate sales for the year of 6.4 trillion yuan (US$1.0 trillion).
In 2012, China’s commercial housing sales were 6.4456 trillion yuan, an increase of 10 percent over the previous year. Zhou Jiangong, editor-in-chief of the Chinese version of Forbes magazine, posted an online message that included comprehensive statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Finance. It said: "In 2012 real estate sales were 6.4 trillion yuan (US$1.0 trillion), with paid deed taxes of 287.4 billion yuan (US$46.3 billion), property taxes 137.2 billion yuan (US$22.1 billion), business taxes 405.1 billion yuan (US$65.3 billion), and land appreciation taxes 271.9 billion yuan (US$43.8 billion) for a total of about 1.1 trillion yuan (US$0.18 trillion) in tax. The bank mortgage balance of 12 trillion yuan (US$1.9 trillion) generated interest payments of 840 billion yuan (US$135.4 billion), plus land sales revenue amounted to 2.8517 trillion yuan (US$0.46 trillion). The government and the banks revenue from real estate totaled 4.7917 trillion yuan (US$0.77 trillion), accounting for 75 percent of the total revenue of 6.4 trillion yuan (US$1.0 trillion)."
11 types of taxes are involved in real estate development and maintenance: the business tax, value added tax, land appreciation tax, property tax, urban land use tax, deed tax, farmland tax, corporate income tax, personal income tax, stamp duty, the urban maintenance and construction tax, and the education surcharge.
Source: Guangming Daily, April 4, 2013
http://economy.gmw.cn/2013-04/04/content_7209230.htm
U.S. Returning to Asia-Pacific Allows China to Have More Reasons to Strengthen Its Military
Xinhua republished a Huanqiu (Global Times) article that a PLA scholar wrote, claiming that adequate military confrontation can be a good thing for China.
Two More H7N9 Bird Flu Cases Reported
On April 3, 2012, Zhejiang Province reported two H7N9 bird flu cases with one death, bringing the total number of H7N9 bird flu cases in China to nine with three deaths. According to local authorities, no epidemiological connection between the two Zhejiang cases has been found.
On April 2, Jiangsu Province reported four H7N9 bird flu cases with all four patients in critical conditions. The local authorities stated that there is no epidemiological connection between these four cases. Earlier, both Shanghai, and Anhui Province reported a total of three cases with two fatalities.
Source: Huanqiu, April 3, 2012
http://china.huanqiu.com/local/2013-04/3796213.html
http://china.huanqiu.com/local/2013-04/3792565.html
China’s Government Intervention in the Market Results in Long-term Economic Risk
On March 18, 2013, China Review News published an article criticizing the government for intervening in the market. “Because of the government’s interference in the market, inefficient central government enterprises can obtain low cost funds; because of the government’s interference in the market, enterprises that operate at a loss can gain profit in writing by availing themselves of government subsidies; because of the government’s interference in the market, inefficient companies have consumed China’s energy, thus accelerating the risk of a future crisis.”
The government’s distortion of prices has caused excess capacity, which present both a current and future long term risk to China’s economy. It means the failure of market allocations, resulting in even more government control.
Source: China Review News, March 18, 2013
http://www.zhgpl.com/doc/1024/7/2/7/102472794.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=102472794&mdate=0318054412
Another Red Terror? Beijing Propaganda Council of Ministers Launches New Three Anti-Movement
According to a China Gate article reprinted from Apple Daily, “The Red Terror is appearing again in Mainland Chinese Newspapers and Websites." Reports have been widely disseminated that the National Propaganda Council of Ministers (also translated as National Publicity Council of Ministers) has issued an order to get rid of ‘three new types of anti-personnel’ (Anti- Communist Party, Anti-Government, and Anti-Nation).”
On January 4, 2013, the National Propaganda Council of Ministers met in Beijing. Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and the President of the Party School of the CCP Central Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Liu Yunshan served as Minister of the Central Government Propaganda Department for several years. He has now taken command of suppressing public opinion.
Source: China Gate, April 2, 2013
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2013/04/02/2318501.html