Chinascope – Page 893

RFA: China has 260 Million Chronically Ill Patients û 20 Percent of the Population

According to the Ministry of Health, there are 260 million chronically ill patients in China. In other words, 20 percent of the population suffers from chronic illness. Of those, 85 percent die from their illness, which is higher than the average around the world. Many experts believe that an increase in the rate of chronic illness is related to diet (problems with tainted food) and living habits as well as environmental pollution. The most common chronic illnesses are: cardio-cerebrovascular, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.

The World Health Organization estimated that the medical treatment of chronic diseases accounts for 80 percent of the total medical expenses in China. The early deaths due to these illnesses will result in US$55.8 trillion in economic losses over the next ten years. By 2015, China’s annual medical expenses will reach US$50 billion. According to The National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, 83.8 percent of the Chinese population that is 18 or older never exercise, while only 11.9 percent exercise three times a week or more and at least 10 minutes each time. Most of the people who do not exercise spend their time online or watching TV.

According to Beijing Daily, China has 22 percent of the world’s population while its medical spending accounts for only 2 percent of the world’s total. From 1993 to 2008, the number of patients in China grew from 4.36 to 5.25 billion, a 20 percent increase in 15 years. The economic burden resulting from the illnesses increased 6.5 times from 1999 to 2005, while GDP only grew 4.2 times.

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 18, 2012
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/yl-0818201200189.html

Briefings | | August 20, 2012 | Information/Technology

Caijing Magazine: Looking into Von Hagens’ Body Plastination Factories

Caijing, the finance magazine based in Beijing, published an article titled. “Looking Into Von Hagens’ Body Plastination Factories.” The article queried, "As more and more micro-blogs condemn the ‘corpse factory’ built in Dalian, China, many people wonder why Von Hagens, the individual who is condemned around the world, can legally and comfortably build a body plastination factory in China." The article gave a brief background of the body plastination research center built in 1997 through collaboration between Hagens and the Dalian Medical University. It has been estimated that Hagens made US$9 billion in net profit from the body exhibit tours around the world.

The article questioned the source of the bodies. "Where did the body specimens come from and who would have authorized the donation? China has an extremely low body donation rate which has resulted in a severe shortage among medical schools. China is also a nation that believes that the dead will not receive peace until they are buried. How can such contributions be made when they are against tradition? How did this factory receive an achievement award from the Dalian municipal government? Is it possible that a horrifying economic chain is behind the body exhibit?"

According to the article, specimen plastination factories have been established in a number of cities, including Guangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Taian, and Dalian.

Source: Caijing, August 16, 2012
http://finance.cjzg.cn/yiyao/1345100957998233_4.html

Briefings | | August 20, 2012 | Government/Politics

China Intends to Increase Soft Power by Establishing Its Own Academic Language System

[Editor’s Note: In recent years, as China has been more actively engaged with the world, it has been paying greater attention to developing its “soft power.” Since the way the Communist Party uses language has been powerful and effective within China, the Party wants to create a language system that has the same effect around the world, thereby improving China’s soft power.

The initiative started eight years ago and has gradually become more prominent in Party thinking. Qiushi Journal, a publication of the CCP Central Committee, whose mission is to spread CCP theories and policies, published an article calling for the establishment of an academic language system with Chinese characteristics and Chinese style, which would contribute to the development of this initiative. Below is an excerpt from the article] [1]

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Reports | | August 19, 2012 | Report

Qiushi: Integrate Socialist Core Values into China’s Education Process for the Young Generation

Qiushi, a journal of the Chinese Communist Party, published a series of articles discussing how to incorporate China’s Communist (socialist) core values into the process of educating the young generation. The editor added a note to the articles saying, “The 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress’s Sixth Plenary Session made a series of major decisions on how to promote the socialist core value system, stressing the incorporation of socialist core values into the whole process of national education. Young people are the future hope of the nation. Educating China’s youth is an important part of the overall national education. (Therefore), it is required that the socialist core value system be integrated into the whole process of educating the young generation.

In the article titled “Educate and Guide Young People to Practice the Core Value System Actively,” the author suggested integrating socialist education into classroom teaching, social practice, campus culture, and school management. Another article suggested using socialist core values to guide the educational activities in colleges and universities.

Source: Qiushi, August 15, 2012
http://www.qstheory.cn/wh/jsshzyhxjztx/201208/t20120815_175758.htm

Briefings | | August 17, 2012 | Government/Politics

International Herald Leader: Patriotism is a Duty, not a Burden

The International Herald Leader, a state media, published a commentary rebutting criticism of the state run sports program. “In addition there were many complaints that athletes participating in the state run sports program bear a "patriotic duty" that is too heavy. When winning, one must thank the State and when losing, one must apologize to the State. People cannot see a human being; they only see a cog in the machine. Such accusations ignore the fact that the state has always funded most of the Chinese athletes and that there is nothing wrong with doing a good job for your employer. The arbitrary interpretation of the post-race reflections of the athletes shows a total disrespect for the freedom of speech of the individual athletes. Do athletes only have the right to thank their parents and coaches, and no right to express their respect for the flag they fight for? Patriotism is never a burden for anyone. It is not wrong to express your love for the motherland openly.”

Source: International Herald Leader, August 14, 2012
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2012/0814/78050.shtml

Briefings | | August 17, 2012 | Government/Politics

Huanqiu: The United States Will Exhaust Itself Trying to Contain China

Huanqiu published a commentary on the U.S. policy to contain China. It stated that this policy has motivated China’s neighboring countries, because of their own conflicts with China, to participate in the campaign to contain China. This is the geopolitical security challenge that China faces now. According to the commentary, the containment policy is a strategy of intimidation against China. It will harm both the United States and China and may lead to internal rifts within the camp that the United States leads. The containment strategy will exhaust the U.S. allies. China should use economic means to break the weak links among them and tire them out more quickly so that the allies will eventually abandon the United States. The containment strategy also increases the burden China faces when it has border disputes, trade disputes, and litigation. This, in turn, encourages political dissidents to create chaos and incites extremist forces, especially the ethnic separatists who make trouble by attacking China for its human rights abuses. All of this is done for the goal of derailing China’s development. “We should clearly recognize the essence of the problem so that, strategically, we remain stable; tactically, we are always able to handle the problem from the perspective of national security; and we finally hit the nail on the head.”

Source: Huanqiu, August 16, 2012
http://ihl.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2012/0814/78050.shtml

Briefings | | August 17, 2012 | US-China Relations

China’s Growing Young Shoppers of Luxury Goods

As China has become the world’s second largest market for luxury goods, the population of young consumers has steadily been growing, particularly when compared to the small number of affluent luxury consumers in Europe and the United States who are mostly over the age of 40. According to the World Luxury Association (WLA), the average Chinese consumer of luxury goods is 15 years younger than the European consumer, and 25 years younger than the American consumer. Ouyang Kun, CEO of the WLA’s China Office, said that more than half of China’s luxury goods consumers have monthly earnings of about 10,000 yuan (US$1,570) with an age between 25 and 28.

“The world’s youngest luxury goods consumers are in China. The vast majority of them received their money from their parents.” said Ouyang Kun. As China’s first generation of entrepreneurs didn’t spend their time enjoying their lives because they were starting and growing their businesses, they then passed that wish on to their children, who now own the best phones, the best bags, and the best pens. A large factor affecting this trend is the way the offspring of millionaires and billionaires compare themselves to others. They use the possession of luxury goods as a way to identify themselves and show themselves off, as well as their family’s wealth and social status, while European and U.S. parents rarely buy luxury goods for their children.

Source: People’s Daily, August, 15, 2012
http://finance.people.com.cn/n/2012/0815/c1004-18745005.html

Briefings | | August 16, 2012 | Economy/Resources

China Battered by August Typhoons

Three typhoons consecutively slammed 12 of China’s coastal provinces, causing severe damage. The three typhoons hit Jiangsu, Fujian and Zhejiang in the first half of August, delivering strong storms, heavy rains, floods, and landslides. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the typhoons affected 30.84 million people, and caused 51 deaths, while 21 went missing. Over 4.06 million residents were evacuated to other regions; 80,000 houses collapsed with 500,000 houses damaged. The crops on 22.98 million acres of land were hit hard; the crops covering 2.63 million acres were totally ruined, resulting in direct economic losses of 65.5 billion yuan ($10.3 billion).

Source: Xinhua, August 13, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2012-08/13/c_112712692.htm

Briefings | | August 16, 2012 | Economy/Resources

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.

CCP, Master of Hostage Diplomacy