FOCUS

April 7， 2013

Chinese President Xi Jinping amid other heads of state at the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia （BFA） in Boao， a coastal town in south Chinas Hainan Province.

April 5， 2013

The BFA General Meeting of Members discussed and eventually adopted the secretary generals report and the resolution of its Board of Directors. The meeting has the final say on BFA matters.

Voices

“China and africa have always been a community of shared destinies. Similar historical experiences， common development tasks and shared strategic interests have bound us together，”

visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech in Tanzanias largest city Dar es Salaam on March 25.

He stressed that China-Africa relations have reached the start of a new historic era， with Africa becoming one of the worlds fastest growing regions and moving ahead like a “galloping African lion，” and China continuing to maintain forward momentum in its development. Xi said history has taught us that Sino-African ties have been forged and sealed in adversity， building on one concrete step after another. China will expand its cooperation with African countries in investment， finance， agriculture and manufacturing and other sectors to help African nations realize independence and sustainable development.

On Chinese Media

Economy & Nation Weekly

Issue No. 6， published on March 18， 2003

Government：

Limits and Efficiency

“Sustainable economic growth should be the top priority of the government. We now face a grim and complicated economic situation with a huge number of uncertainties， many of which are still concealed from us. Without restructuring， it will be difficult for the Chinese economy to sustain growth，”

Premier Li Keqiang told officials at the first plenary meeting of the State Council. He reiterated the two economic missions emphasized at the press conference marking the conclusion of this years session of the National Peoples Congress： ensuring stable growth through minimizing inflation and controlling risks， and upgrading the countrys economic structure.

From March 10， 2013 the Ministry of Railway ceased being an independent establishment of the State Council， Chinas cabinet. Often referred to as the “last bulwark of the planned economy，” the ministry was dismantled as part of Chinas efforts to draw a clear line between the domains of the government and the market.

Since the 1980s the State Council has undergone seven bouts of reorganization， which whittled its component organs down from 100 to the current 25.

In the 1980s governmental restructuring was based on the choice between centralization and decentralization； in the 1990s the topic of discussion was between a bigger and a leaner government. In the new century a consensus has been reached that the government should know its limits， confining its power to aspects it is justified to administer. In other words， an efficient government， however it is structured， should be first of all one with rationally and explicitly defined functions.

Outside railway reforms， the latest overhaul of the State Councils arms also involves the integration and reorganization of five sectors – public health and family planning， food and drugs， media， ocean management and energy.

Whether the government can refrain from stepping over its boundaries while providing satisfactory public services will be a major test for Chinas new leadership.

Administrative reforms have always been a game of chicken between rival interests and powers. Since 1982 the State Council has implemented six rounds of restructuring， each following different courses and yielding varied effects. Looking back at the line of defunct ministries and commissions lost along the way， we see a China progressing amid the pain of growing up and moving on.

China Newsweek

Issue No. 8， published on March 11， 2013

Who Will Farm in the Future？

Chinese farmers now find themselves on another crossroad 35 years after the launch of the opening-up and reform policy， which began with a group of farmers who risked serving long prison terms to contract village lands to individual households. Today the needs of agriculture have reversed， calling for small plots of land under separate families to be pooled and placed into the hands of bigger operators to benefit from economies of scale. To do so still involves immense risks.

Overcapacity in industries and a limp international market amid a harsh global economic slump both call for stronger domestic demand， which can be boosted by greater urbanization. But the exodus of rural laborers seeking city jobs destroys rural communities， leaving large swathes of farmlands unattended. This makes it imperative for further land reform to facilitate the legitimate transmission and merger of rural lands， cultivation of professional farmers and protection of their rights and interests.

Caijing

Issue No. 9， published on March 25， 2013

Reforming the Power Sector

The power industry is the backbone of the national economy. To keep it as healthy as possible， in the past few decades China has wielded more structural reforms on it than on any other industrial sector. Reform of the 1980s doubled the installed capacity of power generation and grid coverage， largely eradicating formerly rampant blackouts. It did however fail to establish a rational pricing system， and power prices remain predominately in the control of government.

In the latest changes the State Electricity Regulatory Commission was absorbed into the National Energy Administration in a deeper reform to the sector. With supportive public opinions， plentiful international experience and trials in recent years， the results of the fresh streamlining the industry are largely viewed as a sign of the governments will and capacity for change.

Southern Metropolis Weekly

Issue No. 9， published on March 18， 2013

A War over Powdered Milk

Chinese parents are scrounging the world for formula milk. The deep mistrust of mainland brands after a series of milk scandals starting in 2008， and the hefty tax on imported milk have prompted them to turn to Hong Kong for safe and affordable food for their young.

This mania however has alarmed local residents who have complained that mainland shoppers are draining the formula supply in Hong Kong. Starting on March 1 the Hong Kong government capped the amount of powdered milk individuals can take out of the region per trip at 1.8 kg， a controversial decision that is even denounced by some Hong Kong academics as against free trade rules.

Others however see it as a disguised blessing for mainland dairy producers， who have the opportunity to restore trust on native milk brands and win back lost market shares through measures like rigorous supervision of sources and processing， stricter testing and greater emphasis on moral self-discipline.

New Weekly

Issue No. 391， published on March 15， 2013

Internet Video Tearing into TV

TV has long been a creative and successful media， but now it is being upstaged by online films and videos. Gangnam Style soared into unrivaled popularity by securing a billion views on YouTube and intriguing people worldwide to upload their own versions of the iconic horse dance. More and more people are watching videos online. And with billions of computers， tablets and smart phones in use， increasing numbers of people have access to the technologies to produce and share their audio-visual materials， making each individual a kind of mini TV station.

We now live in a time when audiences aspire for greater interactivity and choice about when， where and what to read or watch， while advertisers favor visual information from potential consumers. These are what online video can do but conventional TV cannot. But as the Internet is making forays into TV， it is also pushing the latter to adapt to new needs and tastes. This is not a tug of war between two forms of media but rather about changing lifestyles.

Exchanges

President Xi Meets with John Kerry

President Xi Jinping on April 13 met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss bilateral ties and issues of common concern. Xi called on both countries to take a strategic and long-term view of China-U.S. relations， carry out dialogue and cooperation in a positive attitude， deal with their differences in the spirit of mutual respect and substantiate their partnership. “We should blaze a trail for a new type of relations between major powers that features equality， mutual trust， tolerance， mutual learning， cooperation and common prosperity，” Xi said. “This is obviously a critical time with some very challenging issues，” Kerry told Xi. “Issues regarding the Korean Peninsula， the challenge of Iran and nuclear weapons， Syria and the Middle East， and economies around the world are in need of a boost.” Kerry said the United States would like to work with China to follow the requests of the presidents of both countries， increase high-level visits and jointly tackle challenges.

Young Chinese Artists Participate in Paris Art Fair

On March 27， the four-day Art Paris Art Fair 2013 opened in the Grand Palais on the Champs Elysees， bringing together 144 galleries from 20 countries.

Five young Chinese artists participated in the fair， including Gao Jie， who brought his wall sculpture Out of Control， composed of five vertically arranged slabs of wax， cement and gypsum. Each identical square features a man squeezed into a cluttered， claustrophobic space， representing the crowded and awkward living conditions and the conflicts with reality faced by urban dwellers.

The Art Paris Art Fair is an annual exhibition of modern and contemporary art attended mainly by artists and collectors from Europe. In recent years， young Chinese artists have become regular participants of international art fairs， and they are increasingly recognized and sought after by international collectors.

With the current challenges to the Sino-Japanese relationship， cultural exchange needs to play a more active role in promoting trust and mutual understanding.

Cultural Minister Meets with Head of Urasenke

On March 22， Cultural Minister Cai Wu met with Sen Soshitsu， head of Urasenke， one of the three main schools of Japanese tea ceremony.

Cai spoke highly of the contribution of Urasenke to cultural exchange between China and Japan. With its guiding principle of “peacefulness through a bowl of tea，” Urasenke has persisted in a mission of friendship between the two countries and has sent over 120 delegations to China. Cai said that cultural exchange has played a key role in developing bilateral ties and promoting friendship. With the current challenges to the Sino-Japanese relationship， cultural exchange needs to play a more active role in promoting trust and mutual understanding.

Urasenke is the largest school of Japanese tea ceremony with over six million members， giving it significant influence in Japanese politics， business and culture. Sen Soshitsu is the 15th-generation head of Urasenke， and has been committed to friendship and cultural exchange between China and Japan for a long time. The Chinese Ministry of Culture officially recognized his contribution to cultural exchange with an award in 2002.

Figures

10 Working Days

China will adjust the prices of oil products every 10 working days to better reflect changes in the global oil market， the National Development and Reform Commission （NDRC） announced on March 26. Previously， domestic fuel prices were adjusted when prices for Brent， Dubai and Cinta crude changed by more than 4 percent over 22 working days.

The new pricing system has also discarded the 4-percent floating band for oil price changes and adjusted the varieties of crude used to calculate the price changes for domestic oil products. The old pricing mechanism was introduced in 2009， and since then China has raised oil prices 15 times and cut them 10 times. Chinas dependency on imported oil increased from 30.2 percent to 57.8 percent from 2000 to 2012.

1.2 Trillion

Chinas budget deficit hit a record high this year， up RMB 400 billion from last year to RMB 1.2 trillion. Of this， RMB 850 billion belongs to the central budget and RMB 350 billion is local government debt. This will put Chinas deficit rate at about two percent， still within the safe range， officials said. Nevertheless， the 50 percent jump over last year sparked wide debate on the rationality and economic risks of such a huge deficit.

22.2 Percent

A study by the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences found only 55.87 percent of its shallow groundwater samples in the North China Plain， Chinas second largest at 310，000 square kilometers， are unpolluted. A mere 22.2 percent of the plains shallow groundwater can be drunk directly from the source， 21.25 percent is potable after proper treatment， and 56.55 percent requires intensive treatment before suitable for consumption.

4，600 Species

China ranks top in the world in terms of biodiversity， home to 10 percent of higher plant and wildlife species on earth. Environmental pollution and ecological destruction has inflicted a heavy toll on wildlife. Illegal poaching and trade of wild animals that have yet to be eradicated have further threatened biodiversity. In the past 50 years about 200 higher plants have disappeared from China， averaging 4 species annually， and 4，600 species are endangered. About 400 wild animals are also categorized as endangered species.

Turkish Cultural Year in China Unveiled in Beijing

On March 21， “The Silk， the Sword & the Pen” was performed at Beijing Poly Theater， marking the opening of the Turkish Cultural Year in China. An ensemble of over 100 artists from the Turkish State Opera and Ballet treated the Chinese audience to an artistic extravaganza， displaying a wide range of Turkish cultural icons including the Grand Bazaar， Maidens Tower， Turkish carpets and calligraphy.

Further events of the Turkish Cultural Year in China include art exhibitions， music， dance and opera performances. Exchanges involving new media and other promotional activities will be held in 12 cities.

China and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2012. As part of it， China held the Chinese Cultural Year in Turkey last year， which included 85 activities and over 400 shows in 40 Turkish cities， attracting over a million Turkish people.

Society

Remarkable Progress on Sino-Foreign Joint Schools

So far the number of schools and programs jointly run by Chinese and foreign institutes stands at 1，780， including 732 that grant bachelors degrees and above. Last year Chinas Ministry of Education approved the establishment of five independent Sino-foreign joint universities， including NYU-Shanghai， Wenzhou-Kean and DukeKunshan universities. It has also sanctioned six second-tier schools jointly established by foreign partners within Chinese universities， namely the China-France Institute at Renmin University of China， the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School in Suzhou， the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology， BeijingDublin International College at the Beijing University of Technology， the SYSU-CMU Joint Institute of Engineering， and the SJTUParis Tech Engineering School. At present China has 43 independent Sino-foreign joint universities and second-tier Sino-foreign joint schools within universities that are authorized to grant bachelors degrees and higher diplomas.

Old-age Care a Broad Concern

An online survey by China Youth Daily on 4，562 Chinese people found 88.2 percent of respondents worry about old-age care for their parents， and 84.5 percent acknowledged that the issue plays a role in their choice of jobs. There are several actions they expect the government to take – better the public system of old-age care services （79.1 percent）， scrap the dual pension system（72.3 percent）， expand the coverage of pension and social benefits for retirees（49.7 percent）， care for empty nesters and elderly incapacitated by declining health （49.4 percent）， allow insurance payments for medical bills incurred in other provinces and cities （49 percent）， invest more in old-age care services （47.4 percent）， and allow aged parents hukou registration to be transferred to their childrens place of abode （45.2 percent）.

Earliest Bronze Armor Pieces Excavated

Chinese archaeologists in northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province said that one piece of thigh armor and two pieces of armor covering the torso dating back 3，000 years may be the oldest pieces of bronze armor ever unearthed in China. The announcement was made after experts studied the artifacts retrieved from the tomb of a nobleman from the Western Zhou Dynasty （1046 - 771 BC） in Shigushan Mountain of Baoji City.

Liu Junshe， head of the excavation team， said the discovery filled in a blank in Chinas early military history， as finds of pieces of armor forged during or prior to the Qin Dynasty （221 - 206 BC） are rare. Liu said the piece of thigh armor， or cuisse， was 29 cm in length and tube-shaped， while the two upperbody armor pieces measured 23.5 by 10 cm and 40 by 21 cm. Both featured mortises to connect to each other or to the leather parts of the amour.

Desalted Seawater to Ease Beijings Thirst

Desalted water from the Bohai Sea will be piped into Beijing in three years， according to a manager of Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd. The Groups seawater desalination project in Caofeidian， Hebei Province is expected to reach a daily capacity of one million tons， which will be transported to the capital city through a 270-km pipeline. The water will meet the daily need of five million Beijing residents， and represents one third of total daily consumption in the city.

The cost of channeling desalted seawater into Beijing can be controlled to between RMB 7 and 8 per ton， in comparison with RMB 4 per ton for fresh water at present. The manager however remarked that when the cost of land and other factors concerning freshwater supply infrastructure are included， the cost of desalted seawater is actually lower than that of freshwater.

José Carreras Shanghai Concert

Date： May 2， 2013

Place： Shanghai Daning Theater

Price： RMB1280/880/680/500/380

Spanish opera singer José Carreras was， along with Placido Domingo and the late Luciano Pavarotti， one of the Three Tenors that formed a famous ensemble in the late 20th century. Carreras voice is considered one of the finest of our times， especially in the middle range. Critics regard him as a lyric tenor with the generosity of a spinto， having a noble， richly colored and sumptuously resonant timbre. In 1990 Carreras organized a series of Three Tenors concerts， which audiences numbering hundreds of millions watched through mass media. In 2001 the Three Tenors performed a concert in the Forbidden City， becoming a household name in China.

NCPA Production of Verdis Nabucco

Date： May 22-26， 2013

Place： National Center for Performance Art

Price： May 22/24 VIP/RMB 880/780/700/600/380/280/180 May 23/25/26 VIP/RMB 780/680/580/450/280/220/160

Nabucco， Giuseppe Verdis third opera， is considered to have established his reputation and status as a serious composer. Nabucco follows the plight of the Jews as they are attacked， conquered and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco. Deeply moved by the patriotic sentiment expressed in the libretto， Verdi imbued his score with the love he bore for his native Italy. The chorus Va Pensiero was a huge success while still in rehearsal， and remains one of the most popular songs in Italy today. Distinguished opera director Gilbert Deflo directed the NCPAs Nabucco， and renowned tenor Plácido Domingo has agreed to perform the role of Nabucco on May 22 and 24.

Economy

Increase in SOEs Payments to the State

Minister of Finance Lou Jiwei said at the China Development Forum that the ratio of dividends Chinas state-owned enterprises （SOEs） hand over to the state remains low. The state has allowed SOEs to retain a relatively large portion of their profits in the light of their yet unsolved“historical problems.” The government will raise the percentage of dividends SOEs pay to the state as these problems are solved.

In the first two months of 2013， Chinas SOEs reported operating revenues of RMB 6.51 trillion， up 11.3 percent from the same period last year， while the total profits grew 9.7 percent year-on-year to RMB 306 billion. This signifies a return to growth after successive decreases last year.

Big Five Banks 2012 Profits at RMB 774.61 Billion

The 2012 annual reports show Chinas five big state-owned banks – the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China， the Agricultural Bank of China， the Bank of China， China Construction Bank and the Bank of Communications – saw total net profits of RMB 774.61 billion， a year-on-year increase of 14.86 percent. This translates to RMB 2.116 billion every day last year.

Although growth is slower compared to that of 2011， the major commercial banks are still performing well， with both the volume and quality of their assets on the up. Furthermore， though the bad debt of the Bank of Communication has risen slightly， that of the four others has shrunk.

Sci-Tech

Tibet to Build First Genetic Resource Bank

Tibet Autonomous Region will start construction on its first gene bank within the year， regional authorities said. The bank will help Tibet protect its genetic resources and ensure sustainable conservation， according to the regional science and technology authority， by preserving plant seeds as well as DNA from animals and microorganisms.

Tibets biodiversity is abundant， but its environment is relatively fragile， said Li Hui， a researcher from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Tibet is home to more than 9，600 plant species， including 855 unique to the region. It also has 800 species of wild vertebrates， 123 of which are under national protection.The bank will help to ensure the continuation of some species， as well as aid research into breeding endangered species， Li said.

China to Complete Integrated Mapping System by 2020

The government will build an integrated mapping system to cover Chinas land， underground， sea， air and outer space by 2020， said a senior national surveying and mapping official.The system， when completed， will facilitate the countrys economic development， national defense and policy-making， said Li Pengde， deputy director of the National Administration of Surveying， Mapping and Geoinformation. It will also provide spatial positioning information to improve emergency response and everyday convenience. For this purpose， said Li， the system will adopt state-ofthe-art equipment and technologies， including medium- and low-altitude remote sensing mapping platforms， mapping satellites and underground measuring robots.

Outbound Investment Speeds up Dramatically

While Chinas inbound investment ebbs， outbound investment has sped up greatly. In the first two months of this year， Chinese businesses invested in 1，187 enterprises in 133 countries and regions worldwide， with US $18.388 billion of direct investment in non-financial sectors， a year-on-year increase of 147.3 percent. They also completed 11 cross-border mergers and acquisitions （M&A） in that time.

Professor Roland Bel from Euromed Management said that at a time when many European companies need capital， Chinese investors should take the opportunity to obtain advanced technologies， marketing networks and established brands in Europe through investment or M&A activities. Such investment can help Chinese enterprises raise their own competitiveness as well as explore developed European markets.

At a round table meeting for leaders from the private sector during the Boao Forum last April Chris Lu， CEO of Deloitte China， said that as large multinational businesses are bringing harsher competition to domestic market， Chinese private firms have pursued vigorous investment in foreign countries， and already become dominant in Chinas foreign investment. In 2012， the private sector took over 61 percent of the total fixed assets investment overseas. The figure for 2011 was 50 percent.

Wal-Mart Increases Presence in China

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.， the worlds largest retailer by sales， will open 30 new stores in China and invest nearly RMB 500 million to remodel existing branches. It will remodel 50 stores this year， following the remodeling of 31 stores last year. The new openings in China are part of a target announced last October for the company to have more than 100 new stores within the next three years.

So far this year， the US retailer has opened new stores in Sanhe， Hebei province， and in Bazhong City， Sichuan Province. The company will continue to upgrade its operations and invest in its stores， Sams Clubs and distribution centers， said WalMart Chinas President and CEO Greg Foran. “The aim is to strengthen our business foundation to enable longterm development in China.”

Chinas First Jumbo Jet to Debut in 2014

Chinas first jumbo jet， the C919， is expected to make its maiden flight in 2014， its chief designer said. The design of the C919s airframe has been completed and ground tests of the jets major equipment start this year， said Wu Guanghui， the jumbo jets chief designer and vice general manager of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China （COMAC）， which manufactures the aircraft.The company will complete a series of technical reviews and conduct over 40 wind tunnel tests in 2013， said Wu.

The C919， with 150 seats and a range of 4，075 kilometers， already has more than 200 orders from a dozen Chinese companies. It will compete with Boeing and Airbus in the medium-range sector， which accounts for 70 percent of Chinas market.

China to Launch 10 More Weather Satellites

Zheng Guoguang， head of China Meteorological Administration， told the media that China plans to put 10 more weather satellites into the orbit as well as set up over 50 Doppler radars and around 40，000 automatic weather stations.

At present the nation runs seven weather satellites， 178 new-generation Doppler radars and 52，000 automatic weather observation stations. These satellites and radars collect data every six minutes and the stations every minute.

According to Zheng， the technical sophistication of Chinas climate monitoring system has steadily improved over recent years and now ranks high worldwide. The additional meteorological facilities will boost the spatial resolution of weather monitoring to 10 km and the temporal resolution to a minute， significantly increasing the accuracy of forecasts. Such real-time monitoring better prepares China for emergent disastrous weather.

Hugging Salt& Pepper Shakers

This sleek shaker set fits perfectly together to resemble a couple in a loving embrace. From above， they resemble Yin and Yang， representing the balance of opposites： black and white， sky and earth， masculine and feminine， and， in this case， salt and pepper.

Super-practical 4occhi Eyewear

With Guilio Iacchettis novel 4occhi， meaning “four eyes” eyeglasses， youll never have to make the decision between grabbing your regular glasses or a pair of sunglasses on a changeable summers day. These two-in-one spectacles can easily be flipped upside-down whenever light turns to dark or near turns to far， thus meeting your changing needs as you face them.

Dream Desk

With its ingenious layered compartments this desk gives you a simple and practical way to organize your books. Youll be surprised about how much space this system saves， allowing you to see everything clearly and saving you time scanning the spines. Say goodbye to messiness.