China Can Hit Major Economic Targets in 2014

September 10， Tianjin： Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a keynote speech at the opening of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2014， also known as the Summer Davos forum. The 2014 Summer Davos forum was held in northern Chinas port city of Tianjin from September 10 to 12. Premier Li Keqiang remarked China can meet its major economic goals this year and that policymakers will not be distracted by short-term fluctuations of individual indicators. Li downplayed the importance of some economic data from the past two months during the keynote. At the meeting of more than 1，600 business leaders from across the globe， Li appeared more concerned with the job market. China has targets of GDP growth around 7.5 percent and a consumer price index （CPI） increase of about 3.5 percent in 2014， with 10 million more urban jobs to keep the urban unemployment rate at a maximum of 4.6 percent. As the economic aggregate continues to expand， Li said， growth will mean more jobs and there will be a greater tolerance of fluctuations. The forum also discussed diverse issues including Chinas economic outlook， shifts in finance and energy sectors and infrastructure. Li Xueren/Xinhua

Largest O2O Joint Venture

August 29， Shenzhen： Robin Li， chairman and chief executive officer of Chinas biggest search engine Baidu Inc.， Wang Jianlin， Chairman of Dalian Wanda Group， and‘Pony Ma Huateng， Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.， attend a press conference to announce the launch of an e-commerce platform worth US$814 million in Hong Kong. Among the three shareholders， Wanda will hold a 70% stake， while Baidu and Tencent 15% each. Wanda is a commercial property， luxury hotel and film conglomerate， which bought US-cinema operator AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc in 2012 and operates 83 department stores in major cities throughout China. By teaming up， Wanda will become the biggest online-to-offline e-commerce platform in the world， making it easier for people to use their smartphones to find and purchase goods and services. The new company will bring fierce competition to Chinas reigning e-commerce firm Alibaba in the O2O （Online to Offline） sector. Mobile revenue is a quickly expanding market， in which Wanda， Tencent and Baidu are all vying for cuts. CFP

Formula E Racing to Beijing

September 12， Beijing： Drivers of 10 teams from 11 countries walk outside the National Stadium， also known as the Birds Nest， as they pose for an official video after a news conference for the upcoming Formula E Championship race. The FIA Formula E Championship kicks off on September 13 with its first stop in Beijing. To get the race going， foreign and domestic companies have stepped up to sponsor the race. Chinese clean energy producer Hanergy Group will provide a solar power speed-charging system for the championship. The inaugural Formula E Championship， which according to organizers is the worlds first fully electric racing series， will see 10 two-driver teams over 10 rounds， spanning nine cities around the world over a 10-month period. It creates a sport that pushes the boundaries of technology and will inspire and educate people throughout the world to embrace sustainable technologies and practices. Jason Lee /REUTERS

Substantial Apology

August 30， Taipei： Taiwanbased Chinese actor Ko Chen-tung， 23， attends a news conference to publically apologize for using drugs after being released from twoweek detention by Beijing police. He was detained for possession of marijuana in Beijing on August 18. Jackie Chans 32-year-old son， Jaycee Chan， also an actor and singer， was also arrested along with Ko. After testing positive for marijuana， police found 100 grams of the drug at Jaycee Chans home. China is turning up the heat in a high-profile crackdown on drugs amongst a string of celebrities， as the government expands its campaign against extravagance and decadence. Pichi Chuang/ REUTERS

Giant Rabbit

September 4， Taipei： A “giant rabbit” created by Florentijn Hoffman makes its official appearance， reclining at an old aircraft hangar of the former Taoyuan Naval Base during a preview of the Taoyuan Land Arts Festival. The 25-meter- tall model faces the sky， so people can hardly see its face， except via birds-eye view. Made of waterproof paper， wood and styrofoam， the rabbit can withstand both sunshine and rain. Hoffmans creation， like much of his giant animal work， aims to arouse happiness. Because the exhibition coincided with the Mid-Autumn Day holiday， he drew inspiration from the traditional Chinese legend of Change and Jade Rabbit. The 37-year-old artist is best known for his giant rubber duck， which made quite a splash last year in China while floating on Hong Kongs Victoria Harbor and the Kunming Lake of the Summer Palace in Beijing. The rubber duck has visited 23 cities in 12 countries so far. CFP