|
|
SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
de Chine |
|
|
|
Foreign
Policy |
China wants 'new partnership' with Africa
2006-06-23 People's Daily
China wants to build a "new type of strategic partnership"
with Africa, Premier Wen Jiabao said as he continued his visit
on the continent. Wen announced Beijing's plan of expanded influence
while wrapping up a visit to South Africa before the next leg
of a seven-nation African tour which saw him traverse the continent
from Cairo to Cape Town. "The Chinese government, guided
by the principle of sincerity, friendship, equality, mutual
benefit and common development, is committed to building a new
type of strategic partnership with Africa," Wen told a
Sino-South African business forum in Cape Town. "To accomplish
this we will ... enhance political equality and mutual trust,
promote win-win economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and
maintain close cooperation in international affairs," the
Chinese leader said. Trade between China and Africa reached
around 40 billion dollars in 2005, a rise of 35 percent from
a year earlier and almost four times higher than in 2001. Wen's
visit -- the third high-level Chinese diplomatic trip to Africa
in less than six months -- follows visits earlier this year
by Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and President Hu Jintao. Wen
promised steps to expand economic and trade ties and help Africa
by offering zero-tariff treatment for some exports and increased
aid and debt relief, while at the same time helping to build
infrastructure. "We take the concerns of some African countries
on trade deficit and textiles seriously and are working to address
these issues," said Wen. South Africa and China on Wednesday
penned a landmark trade deal which will restrict Chinese textile
imports to South Africa and cushion the blow to an already beleaguered
industry. "The fact that we signed a textile agreement
is proof in our relations that we are willing to walk an extra
mile," South Africa's Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
told the forum. "We hope that we can save some of the jobs
and some of the industry," she said. South Africa and China
also signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation pact which local
officials said would include closer work on the development
of pebble bed modular reactors -- seen by South Africa as the
answer to its own growing quest for new energy resources. While
in South Africa, Wen concluded a major deal with the African
country's petroleum giant SASOL which will see a second phase
study on the mainland to probe the possibility of an 80,000
barrel-per-day chemical plant which turns coal into oil. A second
similar deal was concluded Wednesday. Wen and his entourage
left South Africa for Tanzania on Thursday morning, sources
said, after which he will travel to Uganda.
China's visit very fruitful: Afghan president
2006-06-23 Xinhuanet
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Thursday in Kabul described
his visit to the People's Republic of China and meeting Chinese
leaders very fruitful. "I am very happy of the outcome
of my visit to China. It was a very fruitful visit as we signed
11 agreements including agreement on good neighborhood and enhancing
cooperation in the field of trade and economy," Karzai
told journalists at his fortified palace after return from Beijing.
Describing China as a great neighbor of Afghanistan, Karzai
said that enhancing relations with China is important for the
progress of his war-torn nation. "Afghanistan wants to
learn from China's fast progress in all fields. China's economic
progress can be an example for Afghans," Karzai added.
Matters pertaining cooperation in war on terror and extremism,
Karzai added, also came under discussion during his stay in
Beijing with Chinese leaders. Afghan leader, who attended the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, also expressed
his support to the body saying Afghanistan favors any entity
in the region that could benefit it. Earlier a statement of
Afghanistan Presidency issued Wednesday said that Beijing would
grant 10 million U.S. dollars to the post- war country this
year. To help increase Afghanistan's export to China, the Chinese
side announced that it would grant zero-tariff treatment to
278 items of Afghan exports to China as of 1 July 2006, joint
statement of the two governments issued in Beijing during Karzai's
visit said. To support Afghanistan's national reconstruction,
the Chinese side will train 200 Afghan professionals in the
coming two years and will offer 30 government scholarships to
Afghanistan annually starting from 2007, the joint statement
added. The two sides also agreed to establish China-Afghanistan
Comprehensive and Cooperative Partnership in order to consolidate
their traditional friendship and broaden cooperation in all
fields. During his stay in China, President Karzai also met
with business leaders of the two countries and briefed them
on trade and investment opportunities in Afghanistan. The two
sides, according to the joint statement, emphasized that strengthening
cooperation in national defense, security and police affairs
is an important part of their bilateral relationship.
Hu to attend dialogue with G8
2006-06-21 China Daily
Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend a meeting of dialogues
between the Group of Eight (G8) and developing countries in
St. Petersburg in July at the invitation of his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu
announced at a regular press conference here Tuesday that China
maintains that the developed countries and the developing nations
should collectively respond to the global challenges as equal
partners in order to achieve a win-win outcome. According to
Jiang, the dialogues will cover issues relevant to energy security,
education, the development of Africa and the prevention and
control of communicable diseases. The Chinese side hopes that
the meeting will advance the positive progress of international
cooperation in the relevant spheres in compliance with the principles
of equality and mutual benefit, seeking common ground while
reserving differences, and making active, substantial efforts
and conducting cooperation so as to attain the win-win outcome.
Acknowledging both China and the G8 are important members of
the international community and that China remains to be a developing
nation, Jiang said China is willing to enhance dialogue and
cooperation with G8.
Japan's main opposition party head to visit China
2006-06-23 China Daily
The leader of Japan's main opposition party is planning to visit
China next month at the invitation of the Chinese government,
a party official said Friday. Chinese Ambassador Wang Yi invited
Ichiro Ozawa, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, to
Beijing during a meeting at the party's Tokyo headquarters on
Friday, DPJ official Toshiaki Oikawa said. Oikawa could not
confirm a report by Kyodo News agency that Ozawa is expected
to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, saying that officials
are still working on details of the trip. Ozawa's possible meeting
with Hu comes amid chilled ties between the two Asian countries
over territorial disputes and visits by Japanese leaders, including
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, to a war shrine criticized
as a glorification of militarism. Although relations seem to
be improving, the two countries' leaders haven't had a face-to-face
summit since 2001. Speaking after his meeting with Ozawa, the
Chinese ambassador said Beijing welcomes Ozawa's visit and would
like to continue exchanges between China's ruling Communist
Party and the DPJ, according to Kyodo.
China to continue to promote all human rights
2006-06-20 Xinhuanet
China has made important contributions to the cause of human
rights, and it will continue to make efforts to promote all
human rights, a senior government official said here on Tuesday.
The Chinese people once suffered greatly from aggression by
imperialist powers, fighting among warlords, turbulence and
poverty, and that is why they are keenly aware of the value
of peace, development and human rights, said Chinese Vice Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechi. Addressing the inaugural session of the
U.N. Human Rights Council, Yang said the Chinese government
had made great efforts to promote human rights and big progress
had been made. "The founding of the People's Republic brought
about a fundamental change in China's destiny, ushering in a
new era when the people have become masters of the country,"
he said. "Then in 1978, the country embarked on a path
of reform, opening and modernization, and in a short space of
28 years, China has completed a journey that took many countries
more than 100 years," he said. The official said that since
1978, China had made two quantum leaps - from languishing under
poverty to freedom from want and then to moderate prosperity.
"As a result, the Chinese now enjoy unprecedented freedom
in movement, employment, access to information, beliefs, the
choice of way of life, etc.," he said. Yang said China
gave high priority to realizing the value, rights and freedoms
of the people and raising the quality of their life, their development
potential and happiness index. Greater efforts are also being
made by the Chinese government in light of China's move to promote
social justice and protect disadvantaged groups, improve democracy
and the rule of law, and advance political reform in an active
and prudent manner. "We have solemnly put the provision
that 'the State respects and protects human rights' into the
fundamental law of the country- the Constitution," Yang
said. "Acting on this constitutional principle, the Chinese
government will continue to promote all human rights, honor
its international human rights obligations and conduct human
rights dialog and exchanges with other countries on the basis
of equality and mutual respect," he added. The first session
of the Human Rights Council started on Monday and will last
until June 30. Ministers and high level delegates from more
than 100 countries will address the session, expressing their
view on human rights promotion and the future work of the Council.
The 47-member new human rights body has taken the place of the
former 53-country Human Rights Commission, which accomplished
much in promoting the human rights cause but in recent years
suffered eroding credibility. "It is incumbent upon all
the U.N. member states, particularly the newly elected members
of the Council, to demonstrate political commitment and exert
real efforts to make the Council both dynamic and effective,"
Yang told the session. China hopes the new Council will go further
than its predecessor along the right track and make greater
contributions to improving human well-being, he said. He added
that China was ready to work with other Council members in a
responsible and constructive manner, with a view to formulating
a fair set of rules of procedure. China also wants to explore
feasible working methods through consultation to enable the
Council to get off to a good start.
|
Domestic
Policy |
China's population to peak at 1.5 billion
in 2030s
2006-06-23 People's Daily
China's population will peak at 1.5 billion in the mid-2030s,
experts predict. According to a research report released yesterday,
the population will begin to gradually drop after reaching the
peak. Meanwhile, the number of new-born baby boys will continue
to outstrip that of baby girls, with 119 boys for every 100
girls, according to the national population development strategy
research report. The ratio has remained stable, with a national
census six years ago yielding roughly the same figure, but is
still worrying, according to the report. The internationally
recognized normal ratio is 103-107 of one sex against 100 of
the other. But in China, for every 100 new born baby girls,
there were 109 baby boys in 1982 and 111 in 1990. Foetus gender
identification and non-medical abortion, which continue despite
being illegal, are blamed for the unbalanced gender figures.
A draft of a revision to the Criminal Law, which was discussed
by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
late last year and this April, proposes that those who help
identify the gender of a foetus for non-medical purposes face
criminal charges. Approved by the State Council, the report
aimed to investigate population development trends, as well
as the relationship between population, the economy, resources
and the environment. More than 300 scholars, including 11 academicians,
spent two years compiling the report, which also involved more
than 70 governmental departments and organizations. Their research
won an award yesterday at a national conference on population
and family planning. "China has now entered its fourth
birth peak," said Jiang Fan, vice-director of the National
Population and Family Planning Commission, yesterday. The previous
three peaks occured in 1949, 1962 and 1987. China's population
stood at 1.307 billion in late 2005, according to census figures.
The research report urged the government not to change current
population policies. In the coming 30 years the average fertility
rate will be about 1.8 children for every woman, it said. "A
higher or lower fertility rate is not beneficial for economic
and social development in China," it added. China's labour
forces will become the largest in history in the next 30 years,
said Chen Li, director of the national population development
strategy research project.
Beijing spells out rules on promotion - Provinces warned
to adhere to guidelines when selecting next party leaders
2006-06-21 SCMP
The provincial party apparatus must follow Beijing's edicts
in selecting the next generation of party leaders, Communist
Party organisation chief He Guoqiang said. The remarks by Mr
He, carried in the People's Daily yesterday, came as party officials
hurried to make arrangements for the promotion of a new generation
of officials in the second half of the year. Most provincial
party committees are scheduled to hold their meetings later
this year to endorse the promotion of new leaders. Provincial
secretaries who have reached retirement age or have fallen out
of favour will step down. The new provincial leaders - many
of whom will become governors and mayors in spring next year
- will represent the provinces in a crucial party congress next
year when a new generation of the top leadership will be announced.
In a video conference held on Monday, Mr He reminded the provincial
cadres that they must follow three broad principles - science,
democracy and the system - in selecting new leaders. The three
principles - in contrast to the past when party chiefs often
monopolised the decision-making process - have been a basic
emphasis for the party for more than a decade. "The series
of regulations and documents issued by the party central on
personnel arrangements has great significance for our work in
selecting provincial cadres for promotion," Mr He was quoted
as saying. "All local authorities must strictly adhere
to the relevant regulations and rules and conscientiously implement
the various requirements in the generation-change work,"
the organisation boss said. Mr He was referring to rules such
as the retirement age for provincial and local leaders, cadres'
tenure and party discipline regarding issues such as corruption.
Observers have been watching the generation change closely,
monitoring any signs of the emergence of new rising stars or
the sidelining of outgoing leaders. State television reported
that ailing Vice-Premier Huang Ju had made another public appearance,
receiving participants in a banking meeting in Beijing on Monday.
Mr Huang suffers from cancer and only partially resumed work
last month. Liu Xutao, a political scientist with the National
School of Administration, said it was natural for Mr He to make
the reminder, but expected many new provincial leaders would
still share similar backgrounds or come from the same interests
groups. "Under a one-party system, leaders will only promote
candidates who they deem are reliable," Mr Liu said. Hu
Xingdou, a professor of economics and Chinese affairs at the
Beijing Institute of Technology, said the reform of personnel
matters would only be successful if the central and local governments
increased transparency of the appointment and dismissal system.
China to amend budget law
2006-06-16 Xinhuanet
China will amend its decade-old budget law to more closely regulate
the use of government funds not covered by the budget, which
are estimated to be 300 billion yuan to 400 billion yuan (about
50 billion U.S. dollars) a year. "A lack of effective regulations
means the improper use of such funds has become a hotbed for
illegal activities and corruption," said Yu Guangyuan,
an official with the Budgetary Work Commission of the National
People's Congress, China's legislature. He said most economic
crimes committed by leaders of state-owned enterprises and civil
servants involved the illegal use of government funds outside
the budget. While budgeted funds are under strict supervision,
extra-budgetary funds are easier to be manipulated as they are
not attached to specific line items in a budget. According to
Yu, amendments to the budget law will be submitted to the NPC
Standing Committee for deliberation in August this year. They
are expected to be approved at the annual NPC session next year.
"The amendments will require finance departments to produce
more scientific budgets. It will also likely stipulate that
any surplus be transferred to next year's budget," said
Yu. He said that if a government needs to use a budget surplus
within the budget year, finance departments may be required
to file a report to the people's congress. According to Yu,
the amendments should empower auditors to examine the final
financial statements of the government. They should also include
stipulations that enhance examination and supervision of government
budgets by the People's Congress. In 2005, the central government's
budgetary surplus was more than 160 billion yuan (about 20 billion
dollars).
Official held in widening Olympic graft probe - Second-in-charge
of venue construction for Beijing Games has been detained
2006-06-23 SCMP
An Olympic construction official has been linked to an apparently
deepening graft investigation that has already brought about
the downfall of a former Beijing vice-mayor, but Beijing Games
organisers were silent on the issue yesterday. Officials from
the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Bocog)
said they were aware of a report in Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po that
the head of the Beijing 2008 Project Construction Headquarters,
Jin Yan - second-in-charge of Beijing Olympic venue construction
- had been taken away to assist the graft investigation. However,
they had been ordered not to comment. An official from Mr Jin's
office refused to give more details yesterday, saying: "I
don't know much about it." If the Beijing-backed Wen Wei
Po report is true, Mr Jin would be the second senior Beijing
official detained by central disciplinary officials to help
in the investigation of former vice-mayor Liu Zhihua . A Bocog
official said Mr Jin did not hold any official post in the organising
committee. Games organisers had previously been quick to distance
themselves from Liu. "We are not authorised to make any
comments. You should contact the Beijing municipal government
or the Engineering and Construction Office for the Olympics,"
the official said. Bocog says the Beijing municipal government
is in charge of construction of the Olympic venues and the appointment
of key posts in charge of Olympic-related projects. Liu was
sacked from the Beijing People's Congress because of corruption
and for "living a decadent life", Xinhua reported
earlier. The 57-year-old vice-mayor had been responsible for
Beijing's construction, housing, transport and sports activities
before his downfall. He was also in charge of the Engineering
and Construction Office for the Olympics. Reuters reported yesterday
that Liu, believed to be a protégé of former president
Jiang Zemin , was removed by order of President Hu Jintao. Meanwhile,
the online edition of the China Securities Journal confirmed
that Beijing Capital Land chairman Liu Xiaoguang was taken from
Beijing's international airport for questioning last Friday.
A company spokesman denied the 51-year-old was involved in any
irregularities or crimes. "There is no conclusion [of the
investigation]. We have to wait for the result, although we
don't know how long it will be," the Journal quoted the
spokesman as saying. The company said on Wednesday that its
business activities were continuing as normal and the group
director believed its financial status would not be affected
as Liu Xiaoguang was co-operating with the investigation into
the vice-mayor's activities.
No evidence shows spread of H5N1 among humans: expert
2006-06-21Xinhuanet
A senior Chinese health official has moved to allay fears of
a human bird-flu pandemic, saying there was no evidence of human-to-human
transmission, but he did warn that the evolution of the virus
was unpredictable. Suspected cases of human-to-human transmission
in Indonesia have set off international alarm bells. Six family
members from a remote farming village on Sumatra died after
testing positive for the H5N1 virus -- the world's largest reported
family cluster. Shu Yuelong, director of the National Influenza
Center under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
said suspected cases of human-to-human transmission had also
been reported in Vietnam, Thailand and other countries. But
there has been no conclusive evidence showing that H5N1 had
evolved into a human-to-human transmission virus, Shu was quoted
by China Population News as saying. Both epidemiological and
etiological evidence was needed to determine whether a virus
could be transmitted between humans, Shu said. The H5N1 virus
had acquired the ability to infect and kill mammals, but the
number of human infections was still small, Shu said. Research
of the National Influenza Center showed the virus extracted
from Chinese bird flu patients was genetically different from
those in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. No trace of human
influenza had been found in the gene of the virus extracted
from Chinese patients of bird flu, Shu added. The H5N1 virus
remained mainly a virus of birds, but experts fear it could
change into a form easily transmitted from person to person
and sweep the world. So far, most human cases can be traced
to direct or indirect contacts with infected birds. The virus
has killed 130 people around the world since 2003, according
to the World Health Organization (WHO). Some 200 million birds
have died or been culled. So far, China has recorded 19 human
cases of bird flu with 12 deaths. More than 30 outbreaks of
bird flu have been reported in China since last October. The
latest outbreak occurred in north China's Shanxi Province, said
sources with the Ministry of Agriculture. The Chinese government
should review the strategies and effects of the bird flu control
efforts of the past two years and improve them to cope with
the epidemic, which was still a serious threat, said Chinese
bird flu control expert Liu Xiufan. "When, and to what
extent, the current avian influenza virus could evolve into
a human pandemic is unpredictable. We should do our best to
reduce the risk of a human pandemic influenza breaking out and
make necessary preparations before such a risk becomes reality,"
said Liu. Some changes in the H5N1 strain have taken place recently.
It had increased its virulence in ducks, and the available vaccines
were ineffective in protecting poultry, said Liu. ()
Death toll in Sichuan landslide rises to 11
2006-06-18 Xinhuanet
A landslide on Sunday in southwest China's Sichuan Province
has left at least 11 people dead, six injured and forced 544
people to evacuate their village, local officials said. The
accident occurred at 1:50 a.m. at Shiji Village in Kangding
County of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Nearly 100 cubic
meters of rocks fell in the slide, smashing 12 houses and hitting
40 others in the village, according to Wang Yingping, director
with the county's disaster-relief office. More than 50 heads
of livestock were killed by the falling rocks, which also destroyed
some farmlands and forests and cut roads, electricity and water
supply in the village. A total of 116 households were evacuated
with help from rescuers amid fears of a new landslide. Heavy
rains that have been pouring in the region for a month likely
triggered the landslide, according to Tian Long, head of the
county's press office. All the injured have been hospitalized
and three of them were in serious condition, doctors said. Disaster-relief
workers were helping to resettle local residents.
Toll of E. China chemical plant blast rises to 16
2006-06-21 Xinhuanet
Death toll in a chemical plant blast in east China's Anhui Province
has risen to 16, after two missing were confirmed dead, the
provincial work safety administration said on Wednesday. Among
the 24 injured people, four with slight injuries have left hospital,
but the three seriously injured people are still in critical
condition despite doctors' intensive efforts, the administration
said. The blast occurred at 3:09 p.m. last Friday at a workshop
of the Dun'an Chemical Co., Ltd. in Dangtu County of Anhui.
The two-story workshop complex was razed to the ground. Initial
investigation shows the blast was ignited in the emulsification
process of the powder at the workshop of the plant that produced
explosives for such civilian uses as mining. The investigation
also found that since 2005, the company had kept producing emulsified
explosives beyond its designed capacity, according to Chen Shuo,
deputy director of the administration. Ten bodies of the victims
have been identified while identification for the remaining
six is still under way, said Chen. Police have detained two
people, Wang Yong and Wang Zijun, president and general manager
of the company, who were suspected to be responsible for the
fatal blast.
|
Taiwan |
Taiwan's Ma urges A-Bian to resign
2006-06-22 China Daily
The leader of Taiwan's biggest opposition party ripped into
Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday, saying in a TV speech that Chen
should resign because his incompetence and corrupt family were
dragging down the island. The verbal assault by Nationalist
Party chairman Ma Ying-jeou came one day after Chen gave a two-hour
televised address defending himself against a campaign to recall
him. Ma, a likely "presidential" candidate in 2008,
said that Chen's speech failed to restore the public's faith
in him. "We cannot allow Chen to continue. It's negative
for Taiwan," said Ma, a Harvard-educated lawyer and the
popular mayor of Taipei. The opposition leader said his party
didn't want to launch the recall campaign, but it could no longer
stand by and watch Taiwan's decline. He said Chen has mismanaged
the economy and has damaged relations with the U.S. Ma said
the Nationalists would like to see Chen finish his term but
the party just can't stand by and watch the island continue
to decline. "We don't want to see Taiwan keeping going
around in circles," he said. Ma spoke after the "Legislature"
finished its first day of debates on whether to hold a referendum
on recalling Chen because of alleged family corruption and incompetence.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party and its allies boycotted
the debates, which will continue the rest of the week. "Lawmakers"
plan to vote next Tuesday on whether to hold the recall referendum.
It's not expected to pass because the opposition, which has
a slim majority, needs a two-thirds majority to approve it.
Chen's troubles began last month with allegations that his son-in-law,
Chao Chien-min, was involved in insider trading. Chao, a physician,
was arrested on May 24 and the probe continues. Chen - a former
lawyer and fierce debater - said in his TV speech that he felt
heartbroken that his son-in-law was involved in the investigation.
But he pledged that his son-in-law wouldn't receive preferential
treatment as the investigation continues. Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen,
has also been accused by the opposition of accepting gift vouchers
from the Sogo department store. Chen denied the allegations
and repeated a promise that he'd resign if his wife is found
guilty. Nationalist leader Ma said that Chen didn't clearly
explain why the first lady was innocent. He noted that Chen
said that she didn't "directly" accept the gift vouchers.
"What does it mean when he says she didn't directly receive
the gift vouchers?" Ma said. "Did she accept them
or not?"
|
Economy |
Top minds in heated debate on RMB, trade
2006-06-23 China Daily
A heated debate broke out yesterday over the effect of the renminbi's
value on the Sino-US trade imbalance. Renowned Chinese economist
Justin Yifu Lin and leading US trade expert Nicholas Lardy argued
over whether the currency's value should be increased to help
reduce China's exports to the US. Lardy, a senior fellow of
the Washington-based Institute for International Economics,
said "the US dollar has been overvalued and China's currency
has been undervalued for a long time." Addressing a seminar
in Beijing, he said he didn't think the renminbi's value was
the most important factor influencing trade between the two
nations, however he still urged China to appreciate the currency.
He also claimed the US export licence system which China has
bitterly complained about is not a major factor in the imbalance.
But his claims were rejected by economics professor Lin. Lin,
who is based at Peking University's China Centre for Economic
Research, said an appreciation of the renminbi would not necessarily
benefit the US economy. Many of the goods exported by China,
he pointed out, are no longer produced in the US, and if the
US turns to other countries for them it will risk paying higher
prices. Lin said the current deficit was caused by the different
configurations of industries in China and the US, with the former
producing low-tech products and the latter high-tech products
and services. Appreciating the renminbi may not dampen Chinese
exports, warned Lin. Some Chinese supplies are not easily replaced
by supplies from elsewhere, he argued, and if the demand remains
the American deficit could even expand. Lardy did accept that
the trade imbalance was caused by China being the final point
in the Asian supply chain, with a large proportion of exports
to the US not actually produced by China. For example, 60-70
per cent of the value of China's manufacturing products is imported
first and then exported after assembly. While for electronic
appliances, the ratio is as high as 90 per cent, he said. But
Lardy defended the US export licence system, saying: "It's
very common to hear from Chinese officials that the export licence
system is a cause of the bilateral trade imbalance, and I don't
think this is a likely significant factor." He quoted figures
demonstrating that the US Government has approved, on average,
80 per cent of applications for technology exports to China,
and the value of the products and technologies that have failed
to earn government approval account for only a small portion
of exports. In 2005, he said, the value of unapproved technologies
was about US$12 million, or 0.3 per cent of the bilateral trade.
But Lin insisted that Lardy underestimated the negative significance
of US export regulations on China, which he saw as a trade barrier.
Despite the relatively small number of applications that were
actually turned down, the system may have had a wider impact
on potential export applicants, Lin pointed out. "If the
US treated China as equally as its partners Japan, South Korea
and others, I think US exports to China would soar," said
Lin. His words follow a promise from US Undersecretary of Commerce
for Industry and Security David H. McCormick in late May that
the US would "update" its export policies to China,
and look for ways to reduce the administrative burden on civilian
trade. Yesterday's seminar was arranged by the China Development
Research Foundation, an organization affiliated to the central
government. Lardy is in the country talking about the ideas
in his latest book, "China: the Balance Sheet," recently
published by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International
Studies and Institute for International Economics. He will continue
his tour at the weekend when he takes part in a Sino-US economic
forum in Tianjin.
Mainland firms to build plants abroad to ensure power supply
2006-06-20 SCMP
China has signed agreements to build power plants in Russia,
Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and import electricity from them. Experts
said more companies were expected to invest abroad and transmit
power back to the mainland in order to acquire cheaper resources
internationally. They also warned that the projects could see
neighbouring countries suffer from worsening pollution. Liu
Zhaoshao , chief economist of the State Grid Corporation, told
a recent energy forum that it was negotiating with relevant
parties and the deals were pending final approval from the National
Development and Reform Commission, according to Xinhua. In Mongolia,
the preliminary plan is to build three power plants with an
installed capacity of 3.6GW each. The first plant will begin
operation by 2010. Most of the supply will go to Beijing, Tianjin
and Hebei, while only a small part will serve Mongolia. The
State Grid Corp will build the transmission lines, while the
construction of the plants may be carried out by Mongolian companies.
The project in Kazakhstan will follow a similar pattern, while
the power plants in Russia will be built by Russia. Tang Ming,
a chief economist with the Asian Development Bank, said it was
natural for companies to seek cheaper resources globally. When
asked if China was moving its pollution problem to its neighbours,
Mr Tang said the phenomenon was decided by "the different
development stage each country is at". "Every country
has different requirements in environmental protection. In the
three nations, the requirements are not as high as in developed
countries," he said. Tsinghua University professor Li Dun
warned that moving a pollution source from one nation to another
did not help reduce the problem. "If the companies consider
costs globally, they should consider the environment globally
too. It's like vowing not to cut domestic trees while cutting
trees from other places. This is definitely not how a responsible
company acts," Professor Li said.
|
Julie Kong
Embassy of Switzerland
|
The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy. |
|
|