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Reforms
Xi: Promise given credit
for increase
to open up in central
SOE profits
more is firm By ZHONG NAN
zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
to choose free trade amid high-level talks different types of SOEs this
year depending on their debt
risk. For example, it will intro-
wisely on By ZHANG YUNBI
and WANG QINGYUN
Asia and believes such meas-
ures promote bilateral eco-
China, Japan and the Repub-
lic of Korea and to make an
duce stricter regulations on
SOEs with both higher debt
ratios and deleveraging diffi-
China ties China and Japan voiced
nomic ties, he said.
The two sides also
official visit to Japan.
China values the positive
culties.
Peng said central SOEs’
their support for free trade expressed their hope for coop- signs Abe has been showing emerging industries and new
By ZHANG RUINAN based on the World Trade eration under the Belt and since last year on improving products and types of business-
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Organization and warned Road Initiative. ties, Wang said, adding that es have been driven by sound
ruinanzhang@ against protectionism on China values Abe’s positive they should treasure the macroeconomic fundamen-
chinadailyusa.con Monday. comments on the Belt and hard-won momentum. tals, enabling them to develop
In a meeting with Japanese Road, Wang said, adding that Also on Monday, Wang rapidly in the first quarter.
Chinese Ambassador to the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in China hopes to discuss with co-led the fourth bilateral Those in military industries
United States Cui Tiankai Tokyo, State Councilor and Japan appropriate ways and high-level economic dialogue have doubled their efforts in
urged Washington to make Foreign Minister Wang Yi specific paths for Tokyo to in Tokyo with Japanese For- military-civilian integration,
the “right choice at the cross- said both countries should participate. eign Minister Taro Kono. The State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with speeding up the commerciali-
roads of history” for Sino- strengthen communication Abe said he expects the ini- dialogue had been stalled for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Monday. zation of research and develop-
American relations during a and coordination, stand tiative to help the regional nearly eight years. MA PING / XINHUA ment findings and actively
speech at the 2018 Penn against protectionism, safe- economy to recover and At the dialogue, ministers exploring new businesses,
Wharton China Summit on guard the global free trade develop. in charge of treasury, econo- including intelligent manufac-
Sunday. system with the WTO as the This year marks the 40th my and diplomacy reached a Wang said. In addition, they competition in third-party turing, smart security equip-
“China made the historic core and build an open world anniversary of the signing of wide range of consensuses, should move closer to build- markets such as Southeast ment and remote sensing
decision 40 years ago to carry economy. China-Japan Treaty of Peace according to a Foreign Minis- ing the Free Trade Area of the Asia and Africa into coopera- satellites.
out reform and opening-up, Abe said Japan also values and Friendship. Abe said his try news release. Asia-Pacific, he said. tion to minimize unnecessary The revenues generated by
which changed the course of WTO rules and thinks trade country values highly its ties Beijing and Tokyo should Jiang Ruiping, vice-presi- competition, Jiang added.
China’s future,” Cui said. “The problems should be settled with China and hopes to use jointly advance the integra- dent of China Foreign Affairs See SOEs, page 3
achievements China has according to such rules. Japan the opportunity to improve tion process of the East Asia University and an expert on Contact the writers at zhang-
made are because we pursued pays great attention to the their ties across the board and economy and spur negotia- Japan’s economy, said Beijing yunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
our own course independent- new measures President Xi achieve high level exchanges. tions on the China-Japan-Re- and Tokyo have every reason
Central SOEs’
ly, changed our policies as Jinping announced for Abe also said he looks for- public of Korea Free Trade to better coordinate with each asset-liability
required by the times, com- expanding China’s opening- ward to and welcomes Pre- Agreement and the Regional other to catalyze regional free Inside average ratios
mitted to a people-centered up at the recent annual con- mier Li Keqiang to attend the Comprehensive Economic trade negotiations.
Editorial > p12 Unit: percent
approach, stayed on the path ference of the Boao Forum for leaders’ meeting between Partnership free trade pact, They could shift mutual
of international development By the end of
and continued to pursue a 65.9%
March 2018
mutually beneficial strategy
of opening-up.”
Cui said China and the US
Advanced J-10C fighter placed on combat-ready duty By the end
of 2017
66.3%
2 PAGE TWO
Looking ahead
Candid camera: Street art
Events and stories coming up in the next few days
On chinadaily.com.cn
Visit for breaking news and exclusive content
TOP NEWS 3
Rags to riches: Wholesale spot now high-tech center supplies and medical insur-
ance reimbursement settle-
ment, Zeng said.
country and provide better
services, especially in central
and western parts of China,
Meanwhile, supportive Zeng said.
By DU JUAN work, the government had INNOVATION dies to locate in the new center. is a vivid example of “red wall policies will be introduced to “Medical resources are
dujuan@chinadaily.com.cn moved out all vendors from the China’s internet security consciousness” — how the local boost sharing of medical clustered in major hospitals
ACTION IN A NEW ERA
Beijing Zoo wholesale markets. company 360 Enterprise Secu- government is offering better information and infrastruc- in large cities, leading to
Beijing’s largest clothing One of the buildings that rity Group will move into services to the public to build a ture upgrades for hospitals, scarcity of such resources in
wholesale markets have trans- used to host those vendors has another former wholesale mar- better city. along with measures to rural areas and faraway pla-
formed into a finance and high- been transformed into an inno- ket soon. This should help Since the Zhongnanhai lead- ensure the security of per- ces. ... Therefore, we hope
tech innovation center as the vation center and been named draw small and medium-sized ership compound is in Xicheng sonal medical information internet technologies can
city works on upgrading its the Baolan Finance Innovation companies in the industry to district, people who live and and the quality of healthcare make the access to high-
development structures, focus- Center. The upgraded Bei- the area. work there have developed a services, he said. quality doctors and medical
ing on the core functions. Many vendors that had been “I’m very confident about the loyalty to the Party, a sense of However, problems services easier for less-devel-
Located near the Beijing Zoo in the building, some for dec- jing Zoo area will development of this area since responsibility and a faith to remain for some hospitals, oped areas and, thus, change
in Xicheng district, these cloth- ades, moved to Tianjin and the local government has serve the public’s interest. where patients cannot get the imbalance,” Zeng added.
ing wholesale markets began Hebei province to restart their become an influ- shown its determination to This common awareness is
in the 1980s and over the years businesses. Many were unwill- ential internation- transfer this land into a gather- called “red wall consciousness”
swelled to about 13,000 stalls
covering more than 350,000
square meters.
ing at first to move but their
mindset changed from objec-
tion to understanding.
al center which
ing place for financial and high-
tech industries,” said Li Ran,
general manager of BL Stock
since 1999 because the walls of
Zhongnanhai are red. In Janu-
ary 2016, the central leadership
British pleased with
can further con-
However, the markets were
blamed for causing severe traf-
fic congestion, safety concerns
Most companies that have
moved into the building are in
the finance and technology tribute to the eco-
Co, a real estate operation com-
pany that manages the Baolan
Finance Innovation Center.
raised “Four Consciousnesses”
— the ideology, the whole, the
core and the line — to help
Xi’s IPR comments
and environmental disorders. It industries. It is fully occupied. The district will leave some build the Party through inner-
also was considered unfit for the The government continues nomic growth of land to improve roads and build Party discipline and directives. By ANGUS MCNEICE opportunities” for British
capital’s core functions set by to attract more high-tech com- parking lots. The traffic in the “The upgraded Beijing Zoo in London companies, especially in the
the central government, which panies. the capital.” area will definitely be better. area will become an influen- angus@mail.chinadailyuk.com engineering, financial and
are politics, culture, internation- A Shanghai-based digital Fang Ning, head of the Insti- tial international center which legal services sectors.
al communication and science company named Ucloud has Fang Ning, head of the Institute tute of Political Science at the can further contribute to the British business leaders “At the business level, we
and technological innovation. been offered 15 million yuan of Political Science at the Chinese Chinese Academy of Social Sci- economic growth of the capi- welcomed comments made are already cooperating furi-
By Nov 30, after two years of ($2.39 million) as rental subsi- Academy of Social Sciences ences, said the transformation tal,” Fang said. last week by President Xi Jin- ously and very pro Belt and
ping about the protection of Road,” Troubridge said.
foreign intellectual property Lord Mayor of the City of
SOEs: New businesses A day at the museum rights in China and about
the status of the Belt and
Road Initiative.
London Charles Bowman,
who recently led a delega-
tion to China to promote
National Anthem Law ‘will not affect freedoms’ he will not suspect you,” Tam
remarked.
“I accepted the post because
are fixed in March every year.
“When I knew in Beijing
that Vincent had won, I was
he had trust in me. Because of very happy. The result was
By JOSEPH LI in Hong Kong promulgation and domestic his trust, we worked as best as the most unexpected because
joseph@chinadailyhk.com legislation, the special admin- we could not let him down.” I thought he would lose.
istrative region government “I have summed up why he
The National Anthem Law, prefers local legislation, adapt- By-election win a delight won. First, his personal quali-
which the government tabled ing the National Anthem Law Since he was no longer an ties are okay. Since Lam has
to the Legislative Council in to suit Hong Kong’s situation. official, Tam could rally for become CE, the social atmo-
the middle of last month, will Tam is optimistic that it Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, sphere has relaxed and there
not undermine Hong Kong will not take too long to pass the candidate from the big- are fewer confrontations,”
people’s rights and freedoms, the National Anthem Law gest political party in the Tam said.
says Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, although the opposition camp Legislative Council — the “Of course, people were
a National People’s Congress will, as a habit, filibuster and Democratic Alliance for the tired of filibusters and distur-
deputy. delay. Betterment and Progress of bances in LegCo over the past
“The legislative proposal “They have said a lot of Hong Kong — who won in years and wanted to elect a
is quite moderate,” said Tam, (clumsy) things, yet they fail last month’s LegCo by-elec- pragmatic lawmaker, while
who had the National Anthem to stir up trouble or cause dis- tion. his opponent’s electioneering
Law on his portfolio in the turbances in society,” he com- Tam was pleasantly sur- strategies were desperately
previous government, when mented. prised that Cheng beat an unrealistic,” he noted.
he was secretary for constitu- On national security legis- opposition candidate in the Tam reminded Cheng that
tional and mainland affairs. lation prescribed by Article Kowloon West geographical when the general election
“The law designates spe- 23 of the Basic Law, he sug- constituency. comes in 2020, the propor-
cial dates and occasions for gested the right time would be Equally, he was pleased the tional representation system
singing the national anthem, The national and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags are raised to the sound of September 2020 following the pro-establishment camp was will be used. This will be dif-
while singing of the nation- the national anthem during the ceremony to mark the 19th anniversary of the establishment of LegCo election, to save it from so united for the campaign, ferent from the “single-seat,
al anthem is encouraged in the HKSAR on July 1, 2016. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY being abused as an election demonstrating efficiency and single-vote” system used for
schools by way of education issue; the government should a close-knit team pattern over by-elections.
without carrying any penalty,” do some groundwork in the
Tam said. Refuting their claims, he Article 12 of the International “Flag-raising ceremonies on meantime.
“The spirit of the legislation said the national anthem is Covenant on Civil and Political July 1 and Oct 1 are occasions “Yet, the 2003 drafts are no
does not aim to punish people very solemn thing. In no way Rights. While people enjoy the designated by law and people longer applicable to the con- Raymond Tam’s major posts
who offend the law inadver- will it infringe on freedom of rights, they at the same time have to be solemn when the temporary global and internal
tently. It will only punish those speech or shall it become a are obliged to obey the laws of national anthem is played. situations,” he said.
who willfully distort or insult target of parody. Hong Kong.” Even when you visit the “Many years have passed 2001-03 Press Secre- Constitutional and Main-
United States, you need to be and we have seen big chang- tary to Financial Secretary land Affairs
the national anthem.” “Like anywhere in the He noted some people’s
es internationally, the rise Antony Leung Kam-chung 2012-17 Re-appointed
Tam is aware that people world, liberties of any kind fears they will unknowingly solemn when the US national
2008-09 Under Secre- Secretary for Consti-
from the opposition camp are not without limit,” Tam break the law if they do not anthem is played.” of terrorist and separatist
tary for Constitutional and tutional and Mainland
have proposed many extreme, stressed. sing along when the anthem Tam stressed Hong Kong activities, knowing the cen-
Mainland Affairs Affairs
weird scenarios and made “There should be reason- is broadcast on TV in a res- had a duty to enact the tral government attaches the
2009-11 Director of the 2018-now Deputy to
unsubstantiated claims that able restrictions, such as taurant. He said that this is National Anthem Law after it utmost importance to nation-
Chief Executive’s Office the National People’s
the National Anthem Law restrictions related to nation- surely unwarranted panic as was incorporated into Annex al security, sovereignty and
2011-12 Secretary for Congress
would harm freedom of al security, public order and restaurants are not designated III of the Basic Law. development interests,” Tam
speech and creation. public health as stipulated in places. Having the option of direct explained.
5
CHINA
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
FUJIAN
Ex-insurance
exec stands trial
Wang Yin-
cheng, former
In past, rescue teams were scattered, Shan Chunchang, a special-
ist in emergency manage-
prevention from the Ministry
of Land and Resources,
deputy Party
secretary and
but now they’ll be under a single body ment for the State Council,
said that while risk is on the
drought and flood control
from the Ministry of Water
president of rise from increasing popula- Resources and prairie fire
the People’s By HOU LIQIANG worst hit by natural disasters, tions and infrastructure in control from the Ministry of
Insurance Company of houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn and is adapting to the situa- urban areas, emergency man- Agriculture.
China, a State-owned tion by establishing the minis- agement is underdeveloped “Previously, various rescue
enterprise, stood trial in The new Ministry of Emer- try, said Zhang Xingkai, in rural areas, especially in teams were scattered across
Fuzhou Intermediate Peo- gency Management, which president of China Academy the China’s central and west- different government bodies.
ple’s Court in Fujian prov- officially began functioning of Safety Science and Technol- ern regions. “The new minis- Not every one of these govern-
ince on Monday. Wang was on Monday, will help inte- ogy. try will be key in building up ment bodies, however, will
accused of taking advan- grate China’s scattered disas- Of the 50 natural disasters an efficient emergency respond to emergencies fre-
tage of his positions in the ter-relief resources to cope worldwide with more than response system to safeguard quently. Some of the teams
company from 2006 to with the country’s frequent 100,000 casualties over the people’s lives and wealth,” may be idle for a long period
2016 to seek profits for natural disasters and acci- past three centuries, 26 hap- Shan said. of time, which will affect their
others in return for bribes dents, experts said. pened in China, and 70 per- Officials help inaugurate the new Ministry of Emergency Management The new ministry will take capacity for emergency
of 8.7 million yuan ($1.38 Ceremonies inaugurating cent of the 151 million people on Monday, with Han Zheng, vice-premier and a member of the Stand- over the responsibilities of response,” Shan said.
million), the court said. A the ministry were held in Bei- killed in these disasters were ing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China the former State Administra- As the world enters the era
verdict will be issued at a jing and attended by Vice-Pre- Chinese. Central Committee (third from left). DING HAITAO / XINHUA tion of Work Safety, along of big data, the establishment
later date. mier Han Zheng, who is also Workplace accidents from with functions from other of the ministry will also help
member of the Standing Com- 2011 to 2015 in the country ministries including firefight- in integrating and applying
BEIJING mittee of the Political Bureau are estimated to have result- 1.1 trillion yuan, according to areas with more infrastructure, ing from the Ministry of Pub- emergency-related data, said
Website assists of the Communist Party of ed in direct economic losses Zhang. so improper emergency man- lic Security, disaster relief Wang Yukai, a professor at the
China Central Committee. of 562 billion yuan ($89.4 He said that populations are agement can result in great from the Ministry of Civil Chinese Academy of Govern-
national security China is one of the countries billion) and indirect losses of more densely concentrated in losses. Affairs, geological disaster ance.
Members of the public can
now use a website to alert
Scientists find
authorities about activities
that compromise national
Accidental ox
security, including espio-
nage, according to the
Ministry of National Secu-
rity on Sunday. People can
use the ministry’s website,
www.12339.gov.cn, or call
solutions to keep
12339. In a statement, the
ministry pledged to pro-
tect the privacy of inform-
rockets working
ants. Those who provide
valuable information will By ZHAO LEI
be rewarded if the infor- zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
mation is true, but will be
held responsible for pro- Chinese engineers have
869
viding false information determined what caused the metric tons
intentionally, the state- failure of the second flight of
ment said. Liftoff weight of China’s
China’s largest carrier rock- largest carrier rocket, the
et, a Long March 5, in July Long March 5, which has
China plans new and have come up with cor- a maximum payload of 25
rective solutions, according
weather satellite to the State Administration
tons to a low-Earth orbit,
China will launch a new or 14 tons to a geosyn-
of Science, Technology and chronous transfer orbit
meteorological satellite in Industry for National
the first half of this year to Defense, which oversees the
further increase its weath- program.
er forecasting capabilities, The administration said as the government had to
according to China Aero- in a statement on Monday postpone several key mis-
space Science and Technol- on its website that a num- sions, including the
ogy Corp. The Fengyun II ber of simulations, calcula- Chang’e 5 expedition, which
09 satellite, the last in the tions and ground will send a rover to the
Fengyun II series, will be experiments were carried moon and return with sur-
able to collect meteorolog- out and results point to face samples.
ical, maritime and hydro- structural abnormalities China’s space launch
logical data to help inside the turbine exhaust activities were suspended
weather forecasting in device of one of the first for nearly three months aft-
China and neighboring stage’s liquid oxygen/liquid er the failure. They
regions. The satellite will An ox is hoisted onto a truck on an expressway in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Sunday. The animal fell off another truck and aggressively hydrogen engines. resumed at the end of Sep-
be launched from Xichang charged at vehicles. Police officers eventually subdued the ox and hauled it away. ZHANG XIAOPENG / FOR CHINA DAILY The abnormalities caused tember.
Satellite Launch Center in a sudden loss of engine The strongest and most
Sichuan province. thrust, depriving the rocket technologically sophisticat-
of lift, the statement said. ed rocket built by China, the
GUANGXI
Toddler dies
in knife attack
3 former minister-level officials are charged So far, engineers have car-
ried out several ground igni-
tion tests on the modified
Long March 5 has a liftoff
weight of 869 metric tons, a
maximum payload of 25 tons
engine and concluded that to a low-Earth orbit, or 14
A toddler died and three By ZHANG YAN fits for enter- In a sepa- People’s Proc- the changes are effective, it tons to a geosynchronous
others were injured in a zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn prises or rate develop- uratorate No 1 said, adding that a third transfer orbit. Its payload
stabbing in Nanning on individuals, ment, Yang Branch. Long March 5 is under con- capacity is about 2.5 times
Monday, local police said. Three former minister-level then accepted Chongyong, The Chong- struction and will be greater than any other Chi-
A mother was assaulted by officials have been charged huge bribes former vice- qing Procura- launched this year. The nese rocket.
a man with a knife at noon with bribery, the Supreme either paid in chairman of torate has sent statement did not say what The giant rocket’s first
as she was walking with People’s Procuratorate said on Xiang Junbo cash or prop- Yang the Hebei Peo- Yu Haiyan the case to that rocket’s payload will be. flight was in November at
her child in a stroller. The Monday. erty. Chongyong ple’s Congress Chongqing If the third flight goes well, the Wenchang Space
mother was injured, as Xiang Junbo, 61, former Xiang had Standing Municipal No 1 then the rocket’s fourth mis- Launch Center in Hainan
were two passers-by who chairman of the China Insur- served as vice-president of the Committee, was charged with Intermediate People’s Court sion will send the nation’s province.
intervened. The suspect ance Regulatory Commission, People’s Bank of China, Party bribery by Tianjin Municipal for prosecution. Chang’e 5 lunar probe to the Engineers have started
has been detained by was charged by Changzhou secretary and president of People’s Procuratorate No 2 Prosecutors charged that he moon, the administration assembling the first proto-
police, but no other infor- Intermediate People’s Court Agricultural Bank of China Branch. abused power to gain benefits said. type of the Long March 5B,
mation was released. in Jiangsu province. and chairman of the China According to the indict- for others, and demanded cash Scientists and engineers a variant that will be tasked
According to a witness, the When the investigation Insurance Regulatory Com- ment, Yang, while serving as a or property in return. are pinning their hopes on with lifting the Chinese
suspect is around 25 years was complete, the SPP trans- mission. member of the committee and According to a five-episode the Long March 5 and its space station’s core module
old. The police have inten- ferred the case to the The Central Commission as deputy governor of Hebei documentary released by the variants because the space and other parts, the China
sified armed patrols on the Changzhou people’s procura- for Discipline Inspection, Chi- province, made use of his Central Commission for Disci- industry wants to use them Manned Space Agency said
street. torate, which then forwarded na’s top anti-graft watchdog, position to benefit others in pline Inspection in Septem- to ferry the first Chinese last month.
the case to the court for pros- launched an investigation in exchange for large bribes. ber, Yu cut up all the photos space station into orbit, as That rocket is expected to
YUNNAN ecution. September. In October, Xiang Yu Haiyan, former vice- taken with the people who well as send probes to Mars make its first flight around
174 kg of drugs According to the indict- was expelled from the Party governor of Gansu province, bribed him and flushed them and Jupiter. June next year to verify its
seized by police ment, Xiang took advantage and dismissed from public was also accused of bribery down the toilet to destroy the The July failure affected reliability and capabilities,
of his position to gain bene- office for corruption. by the Chongqing Municipal evidence. the country’s space agenda the agency said.
Police in Yunnan province
have caught three suspects
and seized 174 kilograms of
methamphetamine, the
public security bureau in
Woman believes classmate stole her identity a woman of the same name
had been working with the
education bureau in her
through the admissions
office.
According to Jing, Li Min
Menglian county said on hometown, Sanyuan. She later had previously told her that
Monday. Earlier this month, By LI LEI accountable,” Liu Jun, an recognized by the real Jing as the exam and my student files recognized the person as Li the arrangement was han-
police received a tip that a lilei@chinadaily.com.cn officer of the province’s San- Li Min, a junior high school were lost, but I wasn’t told my Min. Jing believed Li had sto- dled by her parents and she
group of drug dealers were yuan public security bureau, schoolmate who she said had score,” she said, adding it was len her student file and went offered to settle the issue with
planning to bring a large Police in Shaanxi province told Shaanxi Television on not done well in school. a major blow that later had on to technical school using money, which Jing refused.
amount of drugs over the are looking into the case of a Monday. Jing, 36, who lives in Xi’an, tremendous effect on her her identity. The education bureau in
border to China. The gang woman who allegedly stole a The suspected impostor, Shaanxi, told China Daily that character. Jing also said it is not likely Sanyuan released a statement
was busted on Saturday in classmate’s student file 20 who allegedly assumed the she was doing well at school Jing went on to high school to be a single case because the on Saturday saying it had sus-
Lancang county, police said. years ago and has since lived identity of Jing Gaofeng, was and was certain she could pass but her academic perform- file of her sister, Jing Gao- pended the impostor from her
The case is under further under a fake identity. the former head of a local the technical school entrance ance declined. She then went fang, was also reported miss- duties and would investigate.
investigation. “The bureau will follow the kindergarten and transferred examination in 1998. on to junior college and found ing when applying for a Li Min resigned from the
case through to the end and to work with the local educa- “I was surprised when my a job in Xi’an. technical school and was bureau later that day, the
XINHUA—CHINA DAILY hold all the people involved tion bureau. She was later principal told me that I failed In 2017, Jing discovered that retrieved by their father bureau said.
6 CHINA Tuesday, April 17, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION
Residents
VR provides
Learning tour
love their
training for free-range
chickens
autistic kids SHIJIAZHUANG — Chick-
ens roam on a vast farm in
Hebei province, occasionally
fluttering up into the trees.
Unlike other free-range
Simulated environments help them fowl, each wears an electronic
anklet that count steps to
learn how to interact in real world determine when they are
ready for market.
“We don’t sell them until
By ZHOU WENTING watching people’s faces, nor they have taken more than 1
in Shanghai do they pay attention to oth- million steps, roughly 160
zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn ers’ expressions,” said Liu days,” said He Xiaofei, manag-
Xiao, senior marketing man- er of the chicken farm in Wuyi
More than 1,000 autistic ager at Invision. “The game county. Walking around tight-
children in Shanghai have was designed to help them ens chickens’ muscles and
been getting positive results form the habit of looking at makes their meat more tasty.
from training that uses virtual others’ facial expressions.” Canadian Hager Braham (left) and South African Jyotika Chauhan (center) learn Chinese during a tour of the Binhai Cultural Center Some 10,000 chickens are cur-
reality technology to improve In a rowing game, users can — a complex of multiple cultural facilities that includes an art gallery, library and theater — in Tianjin on Sunday. The community rently strolling around the
their perception of people and control two paddles with the college of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area has conducted Chinese courses for foreigners working in the area farm’s 14 hectares. All of them
their surrounding environ- gamepads and keep the virtu- since 2014. JIA CHENGLONG / FOR CHINA DAILY eat only natural food.
ment. al boat moving toward the The chicken farm is a pover-
It works by immersing the shore. Liu said the game is ty alleviation project support-
children in interactive games. aimed at cultivating better ed by the county government
“The features of VR, such as
users being immersed and
interactive, inspire imagina-
tion and perfectly fit what
physical coordination and a
sense of direction and dis-
tance.
More than 1,000 autistic
Job prospects improve for graduates and shopping site JD.com.
Wuyi is one of the poorest
counties in China, with most
of the farmland barren and
children suffering from children between 3 and 12 at By JIANG CHENGLONG related to manufacturing, said Zhou Rong, the universi- alkaline. More than 60 percent
autism need,” said Zhai the city’s rehab centers have jiangchenglong@ software and information ty’s top employment official. of the residents in poverty are
Guangtao, co-developer of the tried the system, and teachers chinadaily.com.cn technology,” said Xue Yong, “We will continue enhancing elderly, sick or unable to sup-
system and a professor at said they appear to enjoy the an employment official in our career guidance.” port themselves.
Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi- games when playing. Employment prospects for Jiangsu province’s human Beijing’s urban compre- With small interest-free
ty. “VR can be an ideal “Another advantage of VR is college graduates are better resources department. hensive plan, released in 2017, loans provided by JD.com, vil-
approach to assist in interven- that some scenarios are hard this year, as employers flock “It’s the Internet Plus strat- required that the capital’s reg- lagers are able to claim some
tion and treatment for these to create with physical items, to universities to recruit egy and the manufacturing ular resident population chickens and receive a divi-
kids.” and it’s costly in time and them, according to university industry’s upgrade to the should be no greater than 23 dend when they are sold.
The approach was devel- labor to take the children to employment officials and high-end level that are driv- million in 2020. The number Some also have part-time jobs
oped jointly by Shanghai Invi- real places because each local authorities. ing the trend,” he said. “The at the end of 2017 was 21.7 mil- on the farm.
sion Digital Technology Co needs an escort,” said Li Chao- “Companies have present- need for talent in industrial lion, which was its first drop The government insures the
and experts at the Shanghai bai, director of Wucailu, a ed information at our univer- research and robots is grow- in 17 years. That means there chickens, guaranteeing the
Mental Health Center and the rehab center for autistic chil- sity since September — a ing.” won’t be as many jobs in Bei- incomes of the resident “inves-
university’s School of Elec- dren. “VR makes it possible at much earlier start than in the In 2015, the State Council jing for graduates as before. tors”.
tronic Information and Elec- a low cost.” past,” said Liu Rui, deputy launched the Internet Plus Wei Boyu, a master’s degree Li Xisheng, 76, borrowed
trical Engineering. Invision co-founder Pan director for career develop- and Made in China 2025 candidate in water conserva- 4,500 yuan ($716) to claim 100
Pan Geng, co-founder of said the games are just the ment at Beihang University, a strategies, aiming at combin- tion engineering at China chickens last year. When they
Invision, said that compared children’s first step. Develop- prestigious engineering Medical students wait in line ing the internet with the Agricultural University, said were ready for market, JD.com
with pictures — which teach- ers are working on a second school in Beijing. at a career fair for grassroots economy deeply and fully he never expected to work in paid him 10,000 yuan. After
ers traditionally use to explain phase, which uses VR to simu- “There were more than 200 medical facilities in Xi’an, enhancing the ability to make Beijing. deducting loan repayment
objects and scenarios to chil- late different social scenes to job fairs held last year — also Shaanxi province, earlier this equipment at a high technical Heavier demand for talent and farm management fees —
dren — VR brings in a lifelike help children obtain and far more than before,” he said. month. LI YIBO / XINHUA level. may not be good for gradu- water, electricity and slaugh-
environment and provides a improve communication “Our graduates received four Data from recent years ates who didn’t prepare well tering — Li was left with a net
stronger sense of reality. skills and better integrate into offers on average, an increase show that more graduates of for the job market. Renmin’s 3,000 yuan.
“Autistic children are easily society. from three in recent years. said Lu Yu, deputy head of Beijing universities are choos- Zhou said many students “The chickens have changed
distracted. But when wearing “With such a VR system, The offers’ average salary was Henan province’s talent ing to work outside the city. regretted hurriedly signing my life,” Li said, adding that he
a VR helmet, most of them are children will walk virtually higher, too.” exchange center. The ratio of “In 2003, nearly 80 percent contacts with thirsty compa- has just bought an electric tri-
highly interested and into classrooms, restaurants According to the Ministry jobs to students is 1.61 to 1, of graduates took jobs in Bei- nies last year. cycle.
immersed in the three-dimen- and scenic spots and be greet- of Education, nearly 8.2 mil- meaning there are more jobs jing. But in the most recent A human resources worker The free-range chickens sell
sional pictures and sound,” he ed by different people. They lion university students will available per student than five-year period more than surnamed Wang with New well online and are shipped
said. will gradually learn how to complete their studies at the last year, Lu said. half have taken jobs in other Hope Group, a leading com- ready-to-cook. They cost 168
Five games are included in respond in various scenarios,” start of summer. To get first As the manufacturing and cities,” said Wan Yi, deputy pany in the agriculture and yuan to 188 yuan, three or four
the VR system, Pan said. In Pan said. pick of the graduates, most information technology head of career development food sector, said the company times the price of a normal
one, users wear a VR helmet Li said the VR system companies in the past have industries in the nation devel- at Tsinghua University. found that many graduates chicken. Buyers have left more
and virtually “walk” toward a should include scenarios of held information sessions or op, more graduates majoring Renmin University of Chi- didn’t know exactly what they than 14,000 comments on
wall of pictures showing dif- crossing a street and riding a hosted job fairs starting in in science and engineering na has actively helped its wanted. JD.com, mostly expressing
ferent facial expressions. The bus to give the children safety October or November. are needed. graduates find jobs outside “We prefer those with awe about the taste.
child clicks on the matching training and help them “There were nearly 126,400 “Based on our statistics in Beijing. “Now the proportion good preparation and who China’s expanding middle-
faces. acquire the ability to go out graduates seeking jobs at our the first quarter of this year, of our students who work in know themselves better,” she income group has created a
“Autistic children don’t like alone. recruitment service agencies,” more than half of the jobs are other places is 49 percent,” said. lucrative market for high-
quality agricultural products,
attracting investors that
of elderly days.”
For the National Day holi-
day in October, she sent him
netizens an emoji containing a shiny
character for the mother-
land, followed by two danc-
victims ing characters saying “long
life”.
“Her emojis have always
of fraud been direct and simple, but
also filled with best wishes,”
Chen said.
By LI HONGYANG Chen added that many eld-
lihongyang@chinadaily.com.cn erly love the idea of sharing
articles about health and tra-
As China’s elderly popula- ditional Chinese medicine as
tion grows, the number tar- well as “chicken soup for the
geted by online fraud is also soul” with friends on
increasing, according to a WeChat.
survey released last month For others, like 67-year-old
by internet giant Tencent retiree Yin Yuzhen, using
and the Chinese Academy of internet tools helps make life
Social Sciences. much easier.
It found that just over two- Yin and her husband live
thirds of elderly internet on the fourth floor of a build-
users, most of independent ing in Beijing that has no ele-
financial means, had fallen vator.
victim to an internet scam. “Shopping for heavy items
More than half chose not to like cooking oil and staple
seek help, preferring to treat foodstuffs such as rice and
the experience as a lesson. flour used to be a big head-
“Elderly people need ache,” she said. “Now we have
more support and opportu- delivery of such things to our
nities to connect to the doorstep, sparing us from that
internet,” said Tian Feng, a trouble.”
researcher from the acade- When going out, Yin usually
my. “They should be forgiv- books a car service via an app
en and encouraged during Two elderly women show how they use their smartphones for video chats during an internet class for senior citizens in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY on the smartphone her son
the process of learning. gave her two years ago as a
“Support from their chil- birthday gift.
dren is very important to
enhance their ability and OLD AND ONLINE: “Nowadays, we cannot live
without the internet and the
prevent them from being mobile phone, particularly
CHINA’S AGING
duped.” when our son is far away from
According to a World us,” she said.
Health Organization report However, every coin has
in 2015, 28 percent of Chi- two sides. As many elderly
na’s population will be 60 become more interested in
INTERNET EXPLORERS
or older by 2040, up from the internet, some of their
12.4 percent in 2010. children have expressed con-
As more elderly people cern.
surf the web, they are also “My father is addicted to
encountering a wider range surfing the internet these
of online functions and days,” Jiang’s daughter said.
increasingly using them,
according to the survey, Those aged 50 or older comprise more than 10% of the online population, “His eyesight is not every
good, and I worry that reply-
which focused on those
aged 50 and older — people making them a growing force in cyberspace, as Xinhua reports. ing to messages on the singing
platform will be bad for his
defined by researchers from health.”
W
the academy as elderly. hen most of his But that might no longer be and I have 442 followers on “I had a video chat with my Liu Jun, an office clerk in
friends are the case, with a report by the WeSing,” Jiang said. “My grandson yesterday,” said Pan Wuhan, Hubei province, also
working in the China Internet Network Infor- daughter said that I use the Xuelan, 60. “He looked fatter expressed concern about the
Mainland, HKSAR
cheek by jowl in
Bay Area push
Hong Kong, relying on its unique strengths, needs to look to the Chinese
-IQ
High mainland’s technological prowess and vast market to scale new heights
City
in innovation and smart-city development, experts suggest.
By WANG YUKE in Hong Kong Kong, which is home to some of will also seek partnerships with “We’re inclined to get everything
jenny@chinadailyhk.com the world’s top-ranking universi- startups in the SAR to help turn straight and put policies in place
ties, is not short of young talents their ideas into products, said prior to utilizing new technolo-
W
ith the highly-tout- and entrepreneurs although some Zheng. gies, while the mainland goes the
ed Guangdong- innovation and technology com- In Chong’s view, Hong Kong still other way around. They venture to
Hong Kong-Macao panies have found it hard to lure lags behind some mainland cit- try new things and find answers
Greater Bay Area local investors and tap the market. ies like Shenzhen and Shanghai when problems arise,” said Yeung.
poised to roar off on a grand scale, “The markets in mainland cities, in smart-city development. “They Thus, Hong Kong has much to
debate has been raging on how the such as neighboring Shenzhen, are had started five years earlier than learn from the mainland. Among
two special administrative regions massive and people’s consump- us. Hong Kong has run into a the most urgent issues to be
and the nine-city cluster in the tion capacity is competitive,” said shortage of talents, while the tal- addressed is to encourage public
Pearl River Delta can leverage Zheng. ent pool on the mainland is much service providers and privately-
their potential to the fullest and He urged Hong Kong technol- The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao larger partly because its educa- owned companies to share data.
“There’re plenty of third parties
make the project exemplary for ogy enterprises and startups to tion scheme supports and bolsters
future national development, and make inroads into the mainland Greater Bay Area will serve as a innovation,” he said. out there trying to develop real-
consolidate the country’s position market and innovate more to cater “Hong Kong has been placing time data-based products for the
in innovation and technology on to the mainland’s needs. He’s con-
bridge, offering Hong Kong easier ac- its development priority on trad- convenience of citizens. But, they
the world stage. vinced that without a vast market, cess to the sizeable mainland market ing and finance for a long time, can do little without reference of
Pundits in Hong Kong’s innova- however exceptional an innova- and it’s only until recently that the statistics and information gener-
tion and technology industry are tion may be, it could hardly sell for its innovative technologies.” city had begun shifting its focus ated from public institutions,” he
unanimous in that the city and the and stand out. Eric Yeung Chuen-sing, convener of Smart City Consortium to innovation and technology said.
Chinese mainland are inseparable under the administrations of for- For example, insurance compa-
in the process, complementing, Business social platform smart-city strategies across the Area in the coming years, accord- mer chief executive Leung Chun- nies need to obtain enough health
and highly dependent on each While research and develop- globe. ing to Eric Chong, president and ying and his successor Carrie Lam data collected from the general
other in the region’s future devel- ment has been in full swing in Yeung noted that internet-of- chief executive officer of Siemens Cheng Yuet-ngor,” Chong noted. public or certain age groups before
opment. Hong Kong in recent years, the things (IoT) connectivity stan- Hong Kong and Macao. Acknowledging Hong Kong’s they can launch new products tar-
“The Guangdong-Hong Kong- city needs to rely on the mainland dards differ in different countries He sees Hong Kong as a starting advantage in accessing inter- geting diseases that have been on
Macao Greater Bay Area will when it comes to manufacturing and that some mainland cities, point and a good testing ground national entrepreneurs, Chong the rise. And the data are readily
serve as a bridge, offering Hong and marketing, explained Yeung. including Shenzhen, are at the for developing innovative tech- insisted that the city should attract available in hospitals and clinics.
Kong easier access to the sizeable Leveraging its role in the Bay forefront in terms of security nologies. “The projects in Hong more talents from the mainland. “It’s not difficult to make institu-
mainland market for its innova- Area, SCC has teamed up with protocols on IoT devices. If the Kong will serve as pilot schemes. “After all, innovation is driven by tions and companies share data,”
tive technologies,” said Eric Yeung its mainland counterpart Chi- protocols can be standardized in We hope to pick up new ideas people.” Yeung argued, by offering some
Chuen-sing, convener of Smart na Smart City Development in other nations, China’s global influ- with great potential and collabo- feasible incentive measures.
City Consortium (SCC) — a profes- launching a business matching ence in the innovative technology rate with cities in the Bay Area to Novel technologies The government could include
sional organization inaugurated social platform LinkedSmart, industry would gain prominence. develop them further.” Yeung agreed, saying that, com- consent to disclose data in the
in Hong Kong some two years ago which aims to help smart city proj- “The country with a say in a cer- Shenzhen-based technology pared with the mainland, Hong requirements for franchising or
to foster the building of a smart ects and promising business pro- tain industry is likely to expand titan Huawei is already collaborat- Kong seems to have stagnated in licensing. In other words, only
city and advise the government on posals from both sides to secure its influence and develop faster,” ing with Hong Kong’s public ser- smart-city development for some companies that agree to share
relevant policies and measures to financial support from interna- Yeung said, suggesting that help- vice departments, property devel- reasons. First and foremost, Hong data can be issued a license or
pursue that objective. tional investors. ing mainland cities lift their pres- opers and enterprises. It’s ready to Kong had already been well devel- hired by the government, he said.
“But, having talked to some Entrepreneurs can pitch busi- ence across the entire industry is help shopping malls equip them- oped with little room for further Zheng welcomed Hong Kong
local entrepreneurs, I realize that ness ideas and showcase their also key to Hong Kong in keeping selves with an intelligent wireless improvement when the mainland companies in cooperating with
many of them are unable to draw innovations that are categorized its global status. network to facilitate notification started building smart cities from Huawei, stressing the tremen-
investment and even make ends in nine areas, including fin-tech, The Bay Area further promis- of sales information to customers scratch for brand new districts. dous opportunities on offer on
meet as they only target Hong retail-tech, health-tech, med-tech es new opportunities for global via mobile apps. “Making our city smarter means the mainland.
Kong customers. It’s still harder and green-tech. technology powerhouse Siemens, undoing the old infrastructures “You might be unfamiliar with
for startups,” he said. SCC has also signed a memo- which aims to co-create an innova- Stock replenishment and replacing aging installations some mainland cities and don’t
His views were echoed by Zheng randum of understanding with tion ecosystem and foster smart- Moreover, Huawei is working with high-tech ones, which is know what to do. You may want to
Zhibin, general manager of Smart industry partners from various city development in a sustainable on aiding supermarkets to build costly,” he argued. On top of that, resort to mainland companies like
City Global Business Department countries, paving the way for the manner. a notification system for stock Hong Kong’s regulations and poli- us,” said Zheng, hoping that Hong
of Huawei Enterprise Business introduction of Made-in-China The German conglomerate, replenishment, plus an alert sys- cies on adopting innovations are Kong enterprises will venture out
Group — an information and com- original innovations and concepts based in Berlin and Munich and tem for waste collection depart- rigid, whereas mainland cities are of their comfort zone, look to the
munications technology solutions to the world. At the same time, currently Europe’s largest indus- ments or an energy-saving system more open to novel technologies mainland and contemplate how
provider based in Shenzhen. Hong Kong can promote main- trial manufacturing group, will for commercial building complex- and, therefore, more willing to to make the best of such a huge
But, he reckons that Hong land cities’ new technologies and prioritize projects within the Bay es, to name a few. The company take risks. market.
Xie Feng (fourth right), commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR, joins delegation members for a group photo in front of the Leshan Giant Buddha in Leshan, Sichuan province, on April 11. The 71-meter-
high Buddha statue, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, is carved into a cliff and overlooks three converging rivers. It was built over a 90-year period starting in the year 713 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). PHOTOS BY LI YINZE / CHINA DAILY
A
33-strong delegation from SAR. Its mission was to strengthen delegation was Jack Lange, chairman
the Hong Kong Special communication, understanding and of the American Chamber of Com-
Administrative Region, cooperation with Sichuan. merce in Hong Kong — one of the
led by the central govern- Xie said the central government largest American chambers outside
ment’s top foreign affairs official in the is willing to further promote tripar- the United States and the largest inter-
SAR, ended a five-day visit to Sichuan tite cooperation among the Chinese national chamber in Hong Kong.
province on April 12 aimed at boost- mainland, Hong Kong and foreign Members of the delegation were
ing economic ties and exploring the countries. upbeat about the business prospects
investment climate in the southwest- “China attaches great importance in Chengdu, particularly the opportu-
ern province. to international cooperation. My nities offered by the Tianfu New Area,
The team, headed by Xie Feng, office will continue to offer maximum saying they were very impressed by
commissioner of the Ministry of For- support to facilitate communication the rapid and wide-ranging economic
Peng Qinghua (right), secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, meets with eign Affairs of the People’s Repub- between foreign enterprises and development that has taken place on
the delegation on April 8. Peng described the visit as a good opportunity for deepening exchanges and expanding lic of China in the HKSAR, included organizations in Hong Kong and the the mainland.
cooperation in trade, technology, education, culture, art, tourism, finance and other areas with relevant parties.
Uncle Liu, 68, a resident of Meiwan Village, Danling Town in Danling The Hong Kong team toured the Chengdu Research Base of Giant
County, Meishan City, shows off his a home-grown orange. He told Panda Breeding, where giant pandas, golden monkeys and other wild
China Daily his five-member family is reaping abundant supply and and endangered animal species live and are bred.
enjoying a moderately-prosperous life.
The delegation visit Sanxingdui Museum, located by the banks of the Yazi River in Guanghan city, where
eye-catching cultural relics from the ancient state of Shu and dating back some 3,000 years ago, are
showcased. The Sanxingdui Ruins site welcomes about 800,000 visitors from home and abroad each year.
At the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China A member the delegation poses in front of the statue of Su Dongpo, originally known as Su Shi — one The Hong Kong visitors call on BOE Technology Group — a supplier
in Chengdu, team members played badminton with a sports robot of the major poets of the Song Dynasty (960-1127). of display products and solutions.
designed by the university.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 11
COMMENT C H I N A DA I LY H O N G KO N G E D I T I O N
S
Hai College of Higher Education. posium — Hong Kong people have always lack of national security law here to instigate
thought “national security” concerns only the sit-ins and riots and corrupt young people’s
ome “pan-democrats” the revenue intake as given, and to military aspect. As there is a People’s Liberation minds by spreading sophistry on “Hong Kong
took issue with a state- spend based on the constraint of the (Benny) Tai’s invita- Army garrison in the special administrative independence” and “self-determinism”.
ment made by the given revenues. This should not be. region, what else could the local populace do to And there is no lack of local support to
current chief executive The revenues of governments are not tion for different enhance national security? Nothing is further such destructive causes. The recent separatist
in 2016 to the effect given. Of course, there is a cost in rais-
ing revenue. But if the social benefit
regional interests from the truth. remarks by Benny Tai Yiu-ting, the main engi-
that one need not Most of the offensive activities conducted neer of the illegal “Occupy Central” protests
fully agree with every of extra spending is bigger than the to seek statehood between countries nowadays are not outright in 2014, made at a seminar held in Taipei and
clause in the Basic Law, saying that cost of the additional revenue raised, warfare but covert operations. Hong Kong has attended by separatists from different parts of
this contradicts the requirement that it does make sense to raise that extra
separate from China long been called the “Casablanca of the East” China, are a perfect example of what could hap-
officials and legislators are supposed revenue to support that extra spend- “upon the crumbling — an international spy center in Asia. Taking pen if we are not prepared, including legally, to
to espouse the Basic Law. In that ing. This apparent “deviation” from advantage of its free-wheeling entrepot status, deal with this kind of treacherous action.
2016 statement, Carrie Lam Cheng the literal interpretation of Article 107 of the authoritarian many foreign forces have used Hong Kong as Also speaking at the Sunday symposium,
Yuet-ngor said that she did not agree does not constitute abandoning or a platform for collecting intelligence, staging Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of
with Article 107, which says that the opposing the Basic Law.
state” undermines coup d’etats overseas and even plotting interna- the Central People’s Government in the Hong
government should spend based on Civic Party legislator Jeremy Jansen national unity and tional terrorism. These activities actually go on Kong Special Administrative Region, rightly
its revenue intake. Responding to Tam Man-ho challenged the chief every day without the knowledge of the aver- emphasized that safeguarding national secu-
the query whether she had deviated executive’s “deviation” from the Basic the interests of Hong age citizens, that is, not until something goes rity is the shared responsibility of Hong Kong
from espousing the Basic Law, she
said that: “There are 160 articles in
Law, asking whether officials have the
right to say things that deviate from
Kong. wrong, as with the suspected link of certain
South Asian elements in the city to serious ter-
people.
The nickname “Casablanca of the East” may
the Basic Law. Some are statements the Basic Law without legal conse- rorist attacks thousands of miles away in India. sound romantic but being called that is actu-
about basic principles and policy, such quences, while a man-in-the-street One kind of activity would particularly ally a wake-up call for the city to enact national
as those asserting that Hong Kong is like Benny Tai Yiu-ting is held legally mainland, but seeking to replace irritate the central government, and that is security legislation in line with Article 23 of the
an inalienable part of China; but there accountable. the national political system with an activities backed by hostile, anti-China forces Basic Law.
are others for which you could have Tam has confused the issue. Tai’s alternative system or seeking Hong
other views…” invitation for different regional Kong’s independence will not serve
The chief executive is right. Of interests to seek statehood separate Hong Kong’s best interests, nor those
course, it is possible that one espouses
the Basic Law and yet one may not
agree with some clauses in the Basic
from China “upon the crumbling of
the authoritarian state” undermines
national unity and the interests of
of the country as a whole.
The fact Tai is a professor of law at
the University of Hong Kong makes
Time ripe to fix narrow tax base
A
Law and wish to improve them, so Hong Kong. He is not seeking to his pro-national-disintegration speech
that the interests of Hong Kong and improve the Basic Law to make it bet- particularly worrying. He wields influ- bout a month after Financial Secretary
that of the motherland can be better ter serve Hong Kong’s and the moth- ence beyond that of most people in Paul Chan Mo-po announced his second
served. The Basic Law has not been erland’s interests, and he expressed Hong Kong and his influence on his budget, he finally accepted the commu-
formally amended but it has been these views in a forum organized by students could create more problems nity’s suggestion to hand out HK$4,000
clarified or interpreted a few times; a group that explicitly challenges the down the road. Given that he is a in cash to each qualified person. Most if not all
the national Constitution has been legitimacy of the Communist Party tenured professor of law, it is unlikely political parties and commentators applauded the
amended a few times. Each time the of China’s rule. If he cannot see the that he will be sacked because of his decision.
Basic Law or Constitution is interpret- difference he does not have the intel- speech. But given the grave conse- After all, who does not want free cash? Many of David Wong
ed or changed, it is in order to move ligence to serve as a legislator. quences of pro-national-disintegration us could surely remember when the government The author is an executive member of the New
forward, to meet the needs of the Under the “one country, two sys- views by a law professor, the Depart- handed out HK$6,000 in cash to everyone in Hong People’s Party and former civil servant.
times, to take advantage of the new tems” framework, of course Hong ment of Justice may seek an injunc- Kong back in 2011 and the positive effect it had
knowledge gained, etc. The objective Kong people enjoy freedom of speech. tion for spreading such views openly on the local economy and community mood. The
remains the same, however, which is But there are limits to freedom of or in class. He will say that this con- amount to be handed out later this year is less than
to serve Hong Kong’s best interests speech. In particular speech that chal- stitutes an infringement on freedom that of 2011 but is more concentrated and focused
When times are tough and
and to serve the motherland’s best lenges the “one country, two systems” of speech but if the court agrees that to help those who really need the extra cash. people’s incomes decline,
interests. framework will hurt the interests of this has gone beyond the limits of free Despite the similarities mentioned above, there
In August 2016, Lam stated that Hong Kong. Under the “one country, speech, an injunction would establish is a marked difference between the handouts it would be even harder to
since the government had HK$800 two systems” framework, Hong Kong clearly that there are limits to free of 2011 and 2018. The HK$6,000 in 2011 went
billion of reserves, it could spend as people should not seek independence speech. An injunction that comes to everyone without any means-testing. On the
broaden the tax base. More-
appropriate, implying that the govern- from the motherland, nor should from an independent court and not other hand, the HK$4,000 this year has a rather over, Hong Kong has an
ment need not be bound by the literal Hong Kong people challenge the from the administration would also high threshold. According to the government’s
interpretation of Article 107. As it hap- country’s political system. Hong Kong command authority and credibility. If announcement, applicants must fulfill all the fol- aging population and the
pens, I myself had taken issue with
Article 107, which appeared to imply
people as Hong Kong citizens can
of course criticize policies in Hong
he contravenes the injunction order,
then action against him by the univer-
lowing criteria: be aged 18 or above with a Hong
Kong identity card, have no property, do not ben-
percentage of working popu-
that the government should take Kong and even those on the Chinese sity can be taken. efit from tax rebates and are not recipients of any lation who pay taxes will
form of social welfare. In other words, this is an
anti-poverty scheme funded by the government’s continue to decline.
community care fund. It is designed to support
Final flare those who did not benefit from the other “goodies”
announced in this year’s budget speech. This is an stamp duties from property and stock transactions.
important improvement over that in 2011, where These revenues fluctuate widely when we are in
Editor’s note: people shared their experiences on social media on different parts of the economic cycle. To stabilize
China Daily Hong how they had “wasted” the free money from the government tax revenues, we need to broaden our
Kong Edition has government on travel, new gadgets, clothing and tax base. Previous attempts to launch a goods and
launched a photo- other non-essential expenditure. services tax did not even go past the consultation
sharing campaign Another noteworthy point is that there are ris- phase because any tax increase is clearly politically
at Instagram. You ing populist calls from a public no longer satisfied unpopular. Introducing new taxes will always be
can share your with the standard “goodies” such as tax rebates, controversial to say the least but we cannot afford
photos by tagging additional welfare payments, rates concessions and to delay broadening the narrow tax base problem
#hk24hr, and we’ll other fee reductions. Hong Kong is one of the few indefinitely. When times are tough and people’s
choose the best developed economies in the world where the gov- incomes decline, it would be even harder to broad-
ones to publish in ernment has a repeated budget surplus with no net en the tax base. Moreover, Hong Kong has an aging
the newspaper.
public debt. It is a privilege living in Hong Kong population and the percentage of working popula-
and being able to enjoy world-class public services tion who pay taxes will continue to decline. Previ-
while paying a very low tax rate. We really should ous government studies have shown we may face
not take for granted that the government could structural deficits beginning in the next few years.
hand out free money, rebate taxes and increase Therefore, it is now time to act. Unfortunately,
social welfare every year. Unfortunately, for the the government is too busy countering the opposi-
government, the biggest problem does not lie in tion’s incessant bickering. At the same time, the
insufficient wealth giveaways but in its perceived public’s focus is firmly on the cash handout and
unequal distribution. To be fair, it is impossible to now that the government has already given out
completely balance the needs of all sectors of soci- money directly to the people twice, it is virtually
ety and give out “goodies” in a way that everyone impossible not to do so for a third time. Unless
is happy. The government has years of relevant there is a major economic slowdown and huge
experience but there seems to be no way to please budget deficit next year, the political cost of not
everyone. giving money again will further rise significantly.
An airliner I believe that the government’s reluctance to The public now has even higher expectations on
appears jet- simply hand out free cash is not only because the budget speech, which are even harder to meet.
black against this is unfocused and cannot target those who In order to prevent the job of financial secretary
high orange really need it, but also because it is not financially becoming even tougher, there should be public
clouds catching sustainable. We have enjoyed massive budget debate and consultation on broadening the tax
the last rays of a surpluses in recent years but should not forget the base soon. The annual budget speech should not
sinking sun over be an occasion for the public to discuss how much
tough time of budget deficits in the early 2000s.
Ap Lei Chau.
@SNAKEWWWW / The problem with government revenue is that it money they receive this year but should be about
INSTAGRAM is unstable since it mainly relies on land sales and investing in the future and saving for a rainy day.
12 Tuesday, April 17, 2018
COMMENT
*%("öLö%&$%$
EDITORIAL
A
visit by a Chinese foreign minister to a neigh-
boring country and an economic dialogue ses-
sion between China and a next-door neighbor
should not be a big deal. It would not be were
that neighbor not Japan, and such visits and
dialogues not been respectively postponed for
nine and eight years.
That such a visit and conversation have finally taken place
means a lot to both Beijing and Tokyo, as this year marks the 40th
anniversary of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty.
That the two parties have chosen to repair ties and reopen high-
level economic dialogue after such a long hiatus has naturally
inspired high hopes in both countries that substantial improve-
ments in broader ties will materialize.
Trade is a fitting starting point for any serious attempt at restor-
ing the China-Japan relationship. It has long served as the “ballast
and propeller” of bilateral political relations, as well as overall
state-to-state relations. The high-level economic dialogue is the
highest intergovernmental mechanism for economic cooperation,
and it is supposed to facilitate corresponding policy communica-
tion and coordination.
In spite of their previous exchanges of tough rhetoric, Beijing
and Tokyo know their economies are indispensable to each other.
However, that they are most important trading partner to each
other is only a relatively small, and increasingly smaller, part of
their mutual significance. Recent changes in the global economic
landscape, especially the rise of anti-globalization, protectionist
tendencies, reveal increasing common interests between the two
countries. Their shared reliance on overseas resources and mar-
kets determines a keenly felt shared interest in safeguarding free
trade and economic globalization.
And despite the troubles brewed by history and their territorial
dispute, the two governments appear to converge on the need to
denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Foreign Minister
Wang Yi said he is eager to brief his host on the “very positive
important changes” in the situation on the peninsula. Such an OPINION LINE
encouraging sign of bilateral communication is crucial for retain-
ing the current momentum toward peaceful engagement with the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Wang’s visit will be conducive to positive interaction at higher US and its allies highhanded action Double jeopardy
levels, especially his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shin-
of doctors being
zo Abe. But, despite this, the “substantial upgrade” in bilateral ties
well-wishers anticipate may not come easily.
Wang was correct in reminding his Japanese counterpart of
in disregard of multinational system too many hours
“complex and sensitive factors” that have to be overcome to
improve the China-Japan relationship. The relationship has dem- THE UNITED STATES, the United Kingdom and France carried out military strikes against Syria “FINALLY, the operations are over.” A
onstrated special vulnerability and the two governments will have without the authorization of the United Nations Security Council. Beijing Youth Daily commented on doctor in Huaian, East China’s Jiangsu
to work hard to manage their differences. Monday: province, shared this sentence on her
It is to be hoped the shared desire to improve relations is based social network app WeChat having
on sound foresight rather than merely blind hopes. The action of the US and its allies drives home the chemical weapons. worked continuously for 26 hours. Faw-
message that their advocating of a multilateral sys- The US and its allies are antagonist toward Russia an.com comments:
tem is only lip service to disguise the law of the jun- and Iran, which support the Syrian government,
gle that they truly act upon. and they hate the multilateral system. Their efforts Within 26 hours, the doctor had carried
TO THE POINT Even before the investigation into the suspected to contain Russia have been stepped up since the out 26 gynecological operations. As the
chemical weapons attack in Syria, which the three crisis in Ukraine broke out in 2013. photos she shared on social media show,
National security awareness countries said they supported, the US and its
allies have judged the Syrian government to be
The Syrian civil war has evolved into a proxy
war between the West and Russia over the past
she had been standing for so long that her
feet had swollen and she could not wear
C
the culprit. seven years, although they have common inter- her shoes.
hina celebrated its National Security Education Day on As the Syrian government seems so close to ests in the fight against the Islamic State group. She deserves praise and respect for her
Sunday. Various kinds of activities aimed at enhancing defeating the rebels, it is irrational for it to resort Therefore, the war in Syria will not come to its dedication. However, the workload she
people’s national security awareness were organized in to chemical weapons, which it knows will definite- end until relations between Russia and the West faces is already too heavy for any normal
recent days. ly give the US an excuse to intervene in its civil are reconciled. human being to bear. Working for 26 suc-
This is the third such education day since the National Security war. The US and its allies should realize military cessive hours could do irreparable harm
Law was enacted in July 2015. As a matter of fact, no evidence related to chem- attacks only make the situation more complicated, to a person’s health, even cause death.
Peace and prosperity are people’s most basic and universal aspi- ical weapons has been found in the ruins of a sci- and they should come together with the interna- Besides, such a heavy workload for doc-
rations. Safeguarding national security is thus in the fundamental entific institute that was attacked by missiles, tional community to seek political solutions to the tors can also be risky for their patients.
interests of all Chinese people. The Central Committee of the which the US alleges was a major R&D center for Syrian crisis. Medical operations require skill, experi-
Communist Party of China with Xi Jinping as the core has accu- ence, and concentration; tiredness could
rately grasped the characteristics of the country’s security situa- result in a doctor making a mistake.
tion and made a series of significant policy arrangements aimed
at maintaining national security. China has embarked on a
national security road under the absolute leadership of the Party.
Joint actions to end job discrimination However, many doctors commonly
work extra hours. According to a white
paper issued by the Chinese Medical Doc-
This will offer more solid security guarantees for the country to tor Association, doctors in Class A hospi-
realize national rejuvenation and ensure Chinese people can live ABOUT 8.2 MILLION STUDENTS will graduate from college in China this year, a record high. Peo- tals work 51.05 hours on average a week,
peaceful and better lives. ples’ Daily commented on Monday: and those in Class B hospitals 51.13 hours
History tells us that a flourishing age does not inevitably mean a week on average. Both are much higher
peace. Therefore, we must bear national security in mind at all Hundreds of thousands of students will also dents from the countryside. than the standard of 40 hours. The paper
times. The security risks and challenges we now face will under- return to China after graduating from universities And some companies directly say that they do not also shows that less than 25 percent of the
mine the nation’s interests if not effectively tackled. China must overseas. Cutthroat competition in the job market recruit graduating students born in certain places doctors enjoyed their legal annual leave.
strengthen the social foundation for national security and prevent is predictable, as understandably, employers will without explaining why. It is urgent to change this situation. If a
and resolve various kinds of security risks. It must promote become more picky. But some openly demon- The Employment Promotion Law, enforced in majority of doctors face a work overload,
strate strong employment discrimination, which 2007, explicitly outlaws employment discrimina- then not only is their own health at risk
national security education and cultivate national security aware-
should be addressed by the labor rights depart- tion. But over the past 10 years, no employers have so too is the health of their patients.
ness among the public.
ments. been punished for discriminating against job candi- To remedy this situation, at least two
As the most basic public good, national security is by no means
Gender discrimination is the most common. dates. measures should be taken. First, the
an abstract concept. When it comes to national security, nobody
Although relevant laws and regulations strictly ban The legislature and labor rights departments Labor Law must be more strictly imple-
can remain an outsider or onlooker. This means that all of us mented, so as to prevent doctors from
gender discrimination, some employers clearly say should not sit idle any more. They should make it
should view safeguarding national security as our duty and that they only accept male candidates, even if the easier for the employees and job hunters to collect working too many hours. Second, medical
responsibility. We should all make efforts to a build a solid wall of jobs can be done by men or women. evidence and sue employers if they are discriminat- majors in colleges should be enlarged so
national security. And we should remember that the more secure Regional discrimination is the other problem. ed against. there is more medical talent for the
a country is, the more sense of security its people will have. Some companies, particularly those in big cities, If people keep silent over it, employers will con- nation. Only with ample medical staff will
— PEOPLE’S DAILY prefer local urban candidates to graduating stu- tinue to discriminate against candidates. the situation improve.
C O N TA C T U S
China Daily HOT WORDS
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CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, April 17, 2018 VIEWS 13
Zheng Zhijie
T
eign balance sheet is quite sound sovereign assets totaling 241.4 terms of marketization in recent gated to bail them out, says the
— the total debt ratio of China’s trillion yuan, and a debt of 139.6 years, although there is still room contingency plan to deal with the he past four decades have seen China
central and local governments trillion yuan. So, given the low
correspondingly for improvement, especially in local governments’ debt released perform a development miracle,
was 38.8 percent at the end of
2016, far lower than the 60 per-
liquidity of State assets of admin-
istrative organs and limited
the country’s sov- the bond issuance pricing mech-
anism. The low bond spread indi-
on Nov 14, 2016. The plan also
says the ability to control the
which is reflected in its regional and
local successes. Among the regions to
cent red line set by the Maas- transfer of land rights, China’s ereign assets have cates the existing pricing debt risk should be incorporated have tasted economic success is China’s
tricht Treaty signed by European sovereign net assets will remain mechanism doesn’t reflect the in the performance and promo- youngest province of Hainan, which this year
Community members in 1992 to positive even after deducting 16.2 also expanded, true market value of some local tion of local government officials. marks its 30th anniversary as a province.
integrate Europe. trillion yuan from State assets government bonds and their cost Holding the local municipal and I spent last week in the province talking
China’s liability ratio, too, is and replacing 68.5 trillion yuan yielding a high of risk. county administrations responsi- with veteran politicians at the annual Boao
lower than the ratios of major land assets with 3.1 trillion yuan The authorities therefore ble for debt restructuring, based Forum for Asia, as well as chatting with taxi
economies and some emerging worth of land-transferring fees. level of net value should establish a market-orient- on the cause and time period of drivers, waiters and even pedestrians. Those
market economies, and even low- ed pricing mechanism with less their debt risks, will be a serious inspiring conversations showed how the
er than the members of the Orga- Important guarantees for the Chinese administrative intervention — warning to those local govern- right policies and their implementation can
nization for Economic for debt repayment government. this is also important to increase ments that have run up huge bring about positive economic and social
Cooperation and Development. State assets, including operat- the marketization of local debts debts. change. For example, Hainan’s per captia
China’s debt ratio is 52.97 per- ing assets and some natural and realize differential pricing After the provincial govern- GDP soared from less than $200 in 1988 to
centage points lower than the resources, are important guaran- regionally. ments start shouldering more $7,179 last year.
average of the OECD members — tees for debt repayment. Although Second, a sound credit rating responsibilities for municipal Thanks to reform and opening-up, Hainan
the central government’s debt China has sufficient sovereign likely to be much higher. system should be established for and county administrations in is now home to a number of dazzling villas
ratio is 62.68 percentage points assets to cover the liabilities, it China’s high net asset value the issuance of local bonds, while terms of financial management, and high-rise holiday apartments, offers jobs
lower than the OECD members’, may sometimes face difficulties in structure is very different from promoting information disclo- the central government should and a better life to its residents, and draws
though the local governments’ repaying some debts. It should be those of major developed coun- sure and market supervision on distance itself from the local hundreds of thousands of travelers from home
ratio is 9.71 percentage points noted, however, that the State tries, because its resident sector, local loans can increase the local governments on debt repay- and abroad.
higher than the OECD average. assets may be underestimated private enterprises and govern- governments’ financial transpar- ment so that the latter can inde- But despite the rapid development, they feel
and the debt overestimated. ment departments (including ency and make them more self- pendently establish their credit proud that the island province is still one of
Size of economy makes Since the State assets’ value State-owned enterprises) account disciplined. rating system and curb oppor- the cleanest places in China while many other
a big difference was measured using historical- for about one-third each of the Third, a capital budget system tunism. regions in the country are suffering from vari-
Besides, whether a govern- cost accounting, the net value of total net assets while in devel- should be established immedi- The central government ous degrees of environmental woes because of
ment faces a debt risk should be the assets and the government’s oped economies, the resident sec- ately to tighten regulations espe- should also further diversify rapid industrialization and urbanization,
judged not only in terms of debt ability to repay could increase if it tor accounts for 70-80 percent of cially on State financing. And to bond investors — for example, although China has now taken strict measures
expansion, but also by the size of is measured in terms of market net assets, with the public sector minimize the debt risk from the stock exchanges and commercial to correct the situation.
the economy, that is, whether it value or fair value. And debt having a small share. Hence, with very beginning and make fund banks can issue some enterprise-
has enough resources at its dis- could be overestimated, because sufficient stock assets and other allocation more efficient, it is and individual-oriented bonds,
posal to pay down the debt in the by simply adding up certain lia- available resources, China’s debt necessary to work out a mid-term or explore better ways to issue
face of a financial risk. bilities and contingent liabilities, would be less risky. financing plan for major infra- bonds for institutional investors ... how to quicken the pace
In-depth research into China’s and using different probability structure construction projects, with social insurance funds,
sovereign balance sheet in recent methods for transferring contin- Practical measures aimed at extending it later to cover all housing provident fund or sup- of its development and
years shows the continued gent liabilities will lead to differ- controlling debt risks infrastructure projects. This plan plementary pension. The reform
increase in leverage has led to ris- ent outcomes. Also, except for However, China’s debt prob- should cover all sources of fund- can also help solve the problem
make it inclusive should
ing debt since the global financial
crisis in 2008, but correspond-
losses in contingent liabilities,
other non-performing debts such
lem, especially the local govern-
ments’ debt problem, deserves
ing from all levels of government,
such as financial subsidies, equi-
of almost all investors flocking
to commercial banks, by pro-
top the province’s agenda
ingly the country’s sovereign as subordinate loans and doubt- special attention, and the author- ties and debt financing. moting financial liquidity in the ... Hainan must try to turn
assets have also expanded, yield- ful loans, in fact, can be partly ities should not ignore the root And fourth, a regulation is secondary market and attracting
ing a high level of net value for repaid. Therefore, the real cause of what could be a systemic required to impose severe penal- locals to supervise government itself into a regional center
the Chinese government. For amount of sovereign net assets is problem. To prevent any poten- ties on the local governments finances.
and prepare a blueprint
for the next three decades
Attack on Confucius Institutes motivated
Editor’s note: Recently several US senators including Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and Joe Wilson have appealed to the US Congress to list Confucius Institutes as “foreign agents”
of development.
according to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Two experts share their views on the issue with China Daily’s Liu Jianna. Excerpts follow:
In addition to the tangible successes of its
Hardliners have hijacked special economic zone, Hainan has also con-
the US’ trade policies tributed to China’s accumulating soft power.
The latest assault on Confuci- The Boao Forum for Asia has already
us Institutes in the United become a platform for the exchange of eco-
States is part of concerted nomic thoughts and ideas for Asian people
efforts to limit the engagement in less than two decades, similar to the
and exchanges with China by World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzer-
forces hostile to China. Even the land.
US-China Economic and Securi- Apart from the annual forum, the tiny, tran-
ty Review Commission affiliated quil town of Boao also attracts thousands of
to the US Congress, in its annual people from around the world to other meet-
report issued in November, has ings throughout the year. The debates and the
demanded that Chinese media ideas exchanged at those events play an
outlets in the US be listed as important role in China’s efforts to promote
“foreign agents”. regional cooperation and integration, as well
The Foreign Agents Registra- as globalization and free trade.
tion Act was enacted in 1938 to Besides, the universities, institutions con-
restrict political propaganda by ducting research in reform policies, agricul-
Nazi Germany. According to the ture and especially hybrid rice are also
US Department of Justice, the blossoming in the province.
act requires people acting as On Friday, I attended a book launch at the
agents of foreign powers in a 26-year-old Haikou-based China Institute for
political or quasi-political Reform and Development and was impressed
capacity to disclose their rela- to see the think tank, headed by scholar Chi
tionship with the foreign gov- Fulin, has built such a wide network of inter-
ernment, and their related national academics, published so many influ-
activities, including receipts ential books and reports, and has been
and disbursements of funds. making efforts to turn its proposals into Chi-
However, the wanton or dubi- na’s reform practices. Following his proposal
ous use of FARA will create seri- to build Hainan into an international tourist
ous problems for even normal attraction, Chi is also making sincere efforts to
cultural and civil exchanges ensure the about 10 million residents in the
between China and the US. province use only clean energy by 2025, and
This raises the question: Why encouraging vocational and healthcare educa-
some US politicians are target- tion.
ing cultural programs and These measures will prove critical in the
exchanges organized by China? SONG CHEN / CHINA DAILY coming decades, because providing better air
The fact is, what we see today is and clean water for the people has become a
the inevitable development of US has no reason to Wang Lili, depu- ures should be taken. priority for the government, and China’s dem-
the debate on China’s policies Li Haidong, a doubt Chinese culture ty dean of Natio- First, public diplomacy ographic changes and industrial restructuring
in the US from 2014 to 2016, professor at Certain US politicians and nal Academy of should be diversified to fully demand a well-educated workforce.
which gave US hardliners the China Foreign opinion leaders have increasing- Development and mobilize the non-governmental Still, while considering its future develop-
upper hand in bilateral rela- Affairs Univer- ly labeled China’s cultural pro- Strategy, and an forces, including think tanks, ment strategy, Hainan should keep in mind
tions. The debate also revealed sity grams in and exchanges with associate profes- mass media and business enter- that it is relatively less developed as its current
the Trump administration is the US states as activities aimed sor at Renmin prises. Second, the importance per capita GDP is about $1,000 less than the
reducing its engagement and at exporting authoritarianism, University of of Chinese culture should be country’s average — and its gap with Shenz-
increasing its efforts to contain with Confucius Institutes bear- China explained. And third, new hen and Shanghai is shockingly wide.
China. ing the brunt. Some of them media should be wisely and Therefore, how to quicken the pace of its
New fronts have opened up in is only following the trend, have even used a concocted con- the bugle call for battle. This extensively used to better con- development and make it inclusive should top
the “anti-China war” thanks to which incidentally he also cept of “sharp power” to ques- should explain why Chinese duct public diplomacy and the province’s agenda. And while making
the efforts of the hardliners. Giv- helped start. tion China’s overseas cultural overseas cultural exchange pro- spread Chinese culture. efforts to achieve this goal, Hainan must try to
en these facts, the targeting of Despite the US’ confrontation- activities. grams, including those through The peaceful rise of China is turn itself into a regional center and prepare a
Chinese cultural and exchange al moves, however, China can Reflecting the Cold-War Confucius Institutes, have been an irreversible trend. So, the US blueprint for the next three decades of devel-
programs by certain US politi- still take some measures to ease mentality and double standard, targeted. should abandon its prejudices opment.
cians is not hard to explain. Poli- tensions on this front. For it can be seen as part of the Yet China urgently needs to against China and properly Hainan can become the gateway connect-
cies unfavorable to China and instance, it can encourage non- China-containment strategy conduct public diplomacy and evaluate China’s public diplo- ing the rest of Asia with China through the
Sino-US relations are being governmental exchanges to adopted by some Western strengthen cultural exchanges macy and cultural exchange 21st Century Maritime Silk Road — one of the
introduced because there are no clear the US’ doubts over gov- countries. Voices in favor of with other countries, including programs. Only through all-em- two routes of the Belt and Road — as it neigh-
political elements to effectively ernment-funded programs. But containing China and engaging the US, as these are major chan- bracing cultural exchanges that bors several Asian countries. Therefore Hain-
counter the hardliners’ assault more dexterity and agility in strategic competition with it nels to improve soft power and seek harmony in diversity can an needs to use this special advantage to
on China. This shows the tide should be applied when dealing have taken hold in the US the national image, build trust we make the world a better, become a leading player in the Belt and Road
has turned in Sino-US relations with Sino-US ties in these media and other fields, with and promote peace. To achieve more diverse and colorful place Initiative and China’s further reform and
and US President Donald Trump gloomy times. some anti-China hawks giving this goal, the following meas- for future generations. opening-up.
14
WORLD
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
UNITED STATES
7 killed, 17 injured
in prison riot
In Damascus and Baghdad, people US communication channels still in
Seven inmates were killed
and 17 others injured in a
protest against US-led airstrikes operation, Russian diplomat says riot at a maximum-security
prison in South Carolina,
the state’s department of
By CHINA DAILY Rouhani condemned the air- Channels of communi- municated with Moscow corrections said on Mon-
strikes over phone, agreeing cation between Russia and before taking action in day. It said the riot erupted
Russian President Vladimir that the “illegal action serious- the United States allowing order to reduce the danger on Sunday evening at the
Putin warned on Sunday that ly damages the prospects for a for a better understanding of any civilian casualties Lee Correctional Institu-
further Western attacks on Syr- political settlement” in the of what is going on are still and that it is still open for tion in Bishopville, South
ia would bring chaos to world war-torn country, according to open, Russian Deputy For- cooperation with the latter Carolina and was brought
affairs, following the US-led a Kremlin statement. eign Minister Sergei Ryab- on the Syrian issue. under control at 2:55 am on
tripartite military attacks on “Putin in particular stressed Monday. “The incident at
kov said on Sunday. Nevertheless, Ryabkov
alleged chemical weapons that if such actions, carried Lee CI resulted in 17
“I don’t know how the said it would be rather dif-
facilities in the nation. out in violation of the UN inmates requiring outside
American colleagues ficult for Russia and the
The strikes, launched by the Charter, continue, it will inevi- medical attention and 7
interpret the word ‘coordi- West to reach a consensus
United States along with its tably lead to chaos in interna- Syrians wave Iranian, Russian and Syrian flags during a protest against inmates were killed,” the
nation’. Channels of com- on a draft resolution of the department said.
allies Britain and France before tional relations,” the US-led airstrikes in Damascus on Saturday. OMAR SANADIKI / REUTERS munication and United Nations Security
daybreak on Saturday, followed statement said. information exchange that Council as both sides have
reports of suspected chemical On Monday, hundreds gath- Barbara Bush
make it possible to get a their own red lines.
weapons use in Douma district ered in a square in Syria’s capi- noon, raising Iraqi and Syrian to build lasting peace, one
on the outskirts of Syrian capi- tal, Damascus, rallying in flags in solidarity with the peo- needs to dialogue with Iran,
better picture of what is “We will critically look at in failing health
happening and, hopefully, the proposals of the West- Former first lady Barbara
tal Damascus on April 7. support of their armed forces, ple of Syria and chanting slo- Russia and Turkey. France’s
to more accurately assess ern troika. ... It would be Bush is in “failing health”
The Syrian government which they said succeeded in gans condemning the policy is to talk with everyone.
had strongly denied the alle- confronting the unprecedent- It’s the condition to have each other’s plans, are still extremely difficult to and won’t seek additional
bombing against Syria.
gation, calling for the Organi- ed joint airstrikes by the West peace,” Macron told French functioning,” Ryabkov was reach any reasonable medical treatment, a Bush
zation for the Prohibition of over the weekend. Trump ‘convinced’ news outlets on Sunday. quoted by Tass news compromise or decision. family spokesman said.
Chemical Weapons to send a State TV broadcast the rally Jabra al-Taei, a female civil- Macron said on Sunday agency as saying. ... We have to understand “Following a recent series of
fact-finding mission for inves- live from the central Omayyad ian activist, said: “Syria is a that he had convinced Trump, US Ambassador to Rus- that we have well-known hospitalizations, and after
tigations. However, the three Square. Protesters waved Syri- brother and has been exposed who previously said he want- sia Jon Huntsman said in a red lines,” he said. consulting her family and
nations carried out the strike an flags at the demonstration, to an aggression by the United ed to take US forces out of statement on the same doctors, Mrs Bush, now age
on the day the mission just dubbed a “salute to the States, Britain and France. But Syria, to stay for “the long day that Washington com- XINHUA 92, has decided not to seek
arrived in Damascus. achievements of the Arab Syr- unfortunately they forgot that term”. additional medical treat-
The United Nations Securi- ian Army”, set off fireworks such bombing could threat the But the White House push- ment and will instead focus
ty Council on the same day and unleashed celebratory lives of civilians.” ed back against Macron’s com- on comfort care,” spokes-
held an emergency meeting gunfire. Meanwhile, French Presi- ments about Trump’s Also on Monday, British ment that the strikes were “in man Jim McGrath said.
over the missile attacks at Rus- On Sunday in Baghdad, dent Emmanuel Macron said intentions for US forces. Prime Minister Theresa May Britain’s national interest” Bush has been treated for
sia’s request, but failed to thousands of Iraqis and civil he was ready to talk to all, “The US mission has not was scheduled to face angry and were carried out to stop decades for Graves’ disease,
approve a resolution con- rights activists rallied in including Russia and Iran, to changed — the president has lawmakers for authorizing the further suffering from chemi- which is a thyroid condition,
demning the bombardment. downtown to protest against pave the way for inclusive been clear that he wants US for- strikes without a vote in Par- cal weapons attacks. had heart surgery in 2009
On Sunday, Russian Presi- the US-led attacks on Syria. political transition in the war- ces to come home as quickly as liament. for a severe narrowing of
dent Vladimir Putin and his The demonstrators rallied torn Syria. possible,” White House spokes- Her office said she planned Xinhua, AP and Reuters her main heart valve.
Iranian counterpart Hassan in Tahrir Square in the after- “I say it from the beginning, woman Sarah Sanders said. to tell critics of the govern- contributed to this story.
SOUTH KOREA
‘Nut rage’ sister
Facebook takes out suspended
Korean Air Lines said it has
Abused Filipinas pin hopes on legalized divorces “sitting in the small plastic stool,
watching the world go by while
slowly sipping the ca phe da (iced
cafes and organizations.
Frith focused mostly on roaster
training, barista training, quality
coffee)”, he recalls. control and product development.
MANILA — Although her hus- be in school because I was not — couples is to seek a legal separation, of the Solicitor General. He describes the now-familiar fla- Frith has became part of a small,
band nearly killed her, Krista and because I want to earn money which does not allow either party The influential Catholic Church vor as “nutty chocolate and caramel young community of producers,
Dador cannot get a divorce as the to pay for my annulment.” to remarry, or a civil annulment, said the government should never ice cream with a bitter aftertaste”. processors, green coffee buyers and
Philippines is one of only two states The Philippines took a step which rights groups say is lengthy offer divorce as an option but use “Everything I heard, smelled, saw roasters who are trying to “make
— along with the Vatican — without toward making divorce legal in and costly — as Dador found out. other laws to stop abuse instead. and tasted was familiar thanks to Vietnamese coffee something legit
a divorce law. March with the lower house of Con- Marriage can only be annulled Journalist Mar-Vic Cagurangan my early exposure to the sounds of and worthy of attention”.
The prohibitive cost of an annul- gress passing a law allowing people on limited grounds, such as insani- said she worked day and night to the language, the food and customs. “People must be patient, with the
ment means that Dador, who has to dissolve marriages, in the face of ty or contracting a sexually trans- raise $2,000 for her annulment, I couldn’t quite understand why it ability to take some risks, because it’s
received no financial support from opposition from bishops in the mitted disease. Abuse and infidelity while also paying her two children’s was so familiar, but it felt something a slow process requiring a long-term
her husband since they separated mainly Roman Catholic country. are not valid reasons. school fees. The average income in like ‘home’,” said Frith. approach. They must have a good
eight years ago, is looking to work Even though thousands of wom- A 2017 survey by independent the Philippines is just over $3,500, The passion for Vietnamese cof- attitude, and be willing to collaborate
as a maid in the Middle East, leav- en want to end failed and abusive pollster Social Weather Stations according to the World Bank. fee, combined with his experiences with others — even their competi-
ing their two children behind with relationships, the bill is unlikely to found that 53 percent favored legal- “Everybody deserves to be hap- working as a roaster in Washington tors. We all need to work together to
her mother. receive the support it needs from ization of divorce in the Philippines. py,” she said. “People deserve to after graduating from college, led grow the high-quality segment of the
“This is a risk I’m taking,” said the upper house Senate, which has The number of annulment cases move on — romantically, mentally Frith to a career in coffee consulta- coffee industry. No single entity can
the 28-year-old, who makes a living to draft and pass what is known as a increased to more than 8,000 in and legally.” tion. While working in the US, he do it alone,” said Frith.
washing neighbors’ laundry in counterpart bill, campaigners said. 2017 from about 1,000 in 2008, maintained an interest in his moth-
Quezon City. “I want my children to The only option for unhappy according to figures from the Office REUTERS er’s country and its coffee. VIET NAM NEWS/ANN
SPORTS
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Digest SWIMMING
SURFING
Shark attack stops
Aussie competition
A professional surfing event
off Western Australia was
Sun taking his cue from Kobe
briefly suspended on Monday
after a shark attack in the area. NBA superstar’s training regimen
The Margaret River Pro
competition, part of the World an inspiration for Chinese pool ace
Surf Tour, was put on hold for
an hour after the attack at Gra- By SUN XIAOCHEN “I haven’t set a goal to win
cetown, about 15 kilometers in Taiyuan, Shanxi all the events in Tokyo. It’s
away. sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn unrealistic, but I know I have
A man in his 30s, who was to recover my aerobic endur-
surfing at Cobblestones Beach Sun Yang is taking inspira- ance to maintain my lead in
near Gracetown, was bitten on tion from Kobe Bryant in his strength events — the 200
the leg but managed to make it quest for Olympic history. and 400 — and to try to win
to shore, where bystanders A picture posted on Weibo more at the longer distances.”
used a rope from his surfboard in February of Sun training at The likes of reigning 400
to apply a tourniquet. an open-air pool in Sydney Olympic champion Mack
The victim was still con- was accompanied by the mes- Horton of Australia, Lithuani-
scious when flown to Royal sage: “What are you guys an 200 specialist Danas
Perth Hospital by air ambu- doing at 5 am every day?” Rapsys and Italian duo Gabri-
lance. A four-meter shark was It was a testament to the ele Detti and Gregorio Paltrin-
later spotted nearby. 26-year-old Chinese super- ieri in the distance events
star’s dedication. pose major threats to Sun’s
BASEBALL Speaking at the national dream.
Red Sox roar to championships in Taiyuan on However, the nine-time
the weekend, Sun revealed his world champion remains
best-ever start training ritual involved a 3:50 bullish about his chances
Mitch Moreland and am alarm call, mirroring the despite less-than-convincing
Andrew Benintendi each punishing early-morning results so far at the six-day
pounded out three hits as the gym starts that NBA legend meet in Taiyuan.
Boston Red Sox extended the Bryant was renowned for. “The intensity and quality
best start in their 118-year his- “If Kobe knows what it of the training I completed in
tory by beating the Baltimore looked like in Los Angeles at 4 Australia made me confident
Orioles 3-1 on Sunday at frigid am, then I know what Austra- that I still have what it takes
Fenway Park. lia looked like as well,” said to extend my dominance, as World and Olympic champion Sun Yang acknowledges the crowd after winning the 800 meter freestyle final in 7:50.47 at the China
Mitch Moreland also had Sun, whose daily regimen long as I work hard and in the National Swimming Championships in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, on Saturday. PHOTOS BY XINHUA
three hits for the Red Sox, who Down Under involved four right way,” Sun said.
completed a three-game sweep hours in the water and two on His winning time of 1 min
of the shortened series and land over the course of six 46.07 sec in the 200 free on “I hope he can regain his style prowess.”
improved to an MLB-best 13-2 weeks. Friday only ranked fifth in the exceptional stamina for long- Having experienced some
under new manager Alex Cora. Having won the 200m, world this season while his distance races, so I am putting choppy waters outside the
Manny Machado had an 400m and 1,500m freestyle winning time of 7:50.47 in the an emphasis on his 1,500 pool, including an arrest in
RBI double for Baltimore, golds at the 2012 and 2016 800 ranked fourth. training,” said 60-year-old 2013 for driving without a
which has lost five of six. Olympics, Sun is aiming to Sun’s reunion with Zhu Zhi- Zhu, who helped Sun claim license, Sun has learned to
Boston ace Chris Sale gave add the 800 to his collection gen, though, has provided two golds and set the still- appreciate Zhu’s methods
up one run and two hits in five in its debut at Tokyo 2020 and him with a timely boost. standing world 1,500 record more.
innings, striking eight and become the first swimmer to After falling out over (14:31.02) at the London 2012 “We now understand each
walking two. win over the four distances at management issues in 2014, Games. other better in a relationship
the Games. the pair put their differen- “He’s a much more mature that is more like between
BASKETBALL “If everything goes well I ces behind them to reunite athlete now but remains friends, rather than teacher/
Liaoning off to will compete in four events in in February, and, together aggressive in training. My job student,” said Sun. “Hopefully
Tokyo,” said Sun, who signed with Aussie coach Denis is to help him make up for his we can have the perfect end-
CBA Finals flier up for all five free events, Cotterell, Zhu guided Sun’s decline in endurance and to ing to each other’s careers
The Liaoning Flying Leop- including the 100m, here. training in Sydney. go beyond the limit in free- together.” Coach Zhu Zhigen talks with Sun Yang during a training session.
ards clinched a 120-108 away
victory over regular-season
BUSINESS
GROWTH PAINS Vandalism a bump in road for bike-sharing p19 CAPITAL
UK art exports to
China on the rise
p20
What’s news
One of Mobike’s shared bicycles stands in London’s Islington neighborhood. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Vandalism a bump in
road for bike-sharing
Ofo and Mobike remain on course for UK expansion while smaller
operators hit by thieves and vandals call for industry regulation
By ANGUS MCNEICE in London Mobike’s general manager. Newcastle, Oxford and London. Newcastle
angus@mail.chinadailyuk.com When Mobike launched in Man- “We have 35,000 downloads of CHINESE
chester last summer, the scheme our app every month in the UK. We BIKE-SHARING
When a Chinese dockless bike- lost 8 percent of its fleet to theft and are very bullish about the future of COMPANIES
sharing scheme was launched by damage. The company’s UK manag- this business,” Seal-Driver said.
Mobike in the Northern English er, Steve Pyer, said once the novelty Both companies operate their
IN THE UK
Number
town of Stockport in March, resi- of the scheme has worn of, vandal- fleets without docks, and users lock of bikes 950
dents took to social media to voice ism decreases sharply. and unlock bikes using a mobile
their approval. “About 80 bikes have been dam- app. Manchester
“Really great to see Mobike
launching in Stockport,” a Twitter
aged in Manchester. Everywhere
else is minimal, a couple of bikes
For many Londoners who live on
Shefield 350
the outskirts of the city center, the
user wrote. “Hopefully, it will take here and there,” Pyer said. “We scheme offers an alternative to Lon- 1,200 Norwich
off.” haven’t had a repeat of Manchester don’s docked bike-sharing system.
Days later, however, a second in Oxford or London. We’ve got “I use both Ofo and Mobike, and Cambridge
wave of commenters rose up, this about 1,200 bikes in Manchester the key reason is convenience,” said
time to lament the suspension of the and the level of vandalism has Adam Silver, a bike-sharing user 1,000 Oxford
scheme due to widespread reports dropped off a cliff.” who lives in Southeast London. London
of vandalism — “So sad that a few
spoil this for the majority,” one user
Joseph Seal-Driver, UK manager
for Ofo, said that cases of vandalism
“These bikes stretch far into my
area and are incredibly easy to use. I Total number
550
said. are well publicized, but have had go all over town with them, from an
Beijing-based Mobike rolled out minimal impact on the company’s evening restaurant booking to a of bikes
200 of its silver and orange bikes on operations in Britain. simple errand.”
March 12 in Stockport, 8 kilometers “You get the first issue of a small Silver said that he does have con- 100 650
southeast of Manchester, promising
800 more in the coming weeks. On
but noticeable amount of vandalism
— a bike in a river or something like
cerns over data privacy, as the apps
record location information and 4,550 BRETT DIETRICH / CHINA DAILY
2,000 2,000
March 24, though, Mobike suspend- that — and the press picks up on it,” access contacts.
ed the service in order to “protect he said. “And then eventually, the “I always worry about data con-
our bikes and our team”.
The company, which has since
bikes become part of everyday life,
people start using them every day.
cerns, I do with every app but, for
better or worse, those concerns are
4,250
resumed its service in the town, has Vandalism just peters out.” overridden by the convenience of
not disclosed how many bikes were Dublin-based dockless operator the scheme,” he said.
stolen or damaged, though there are
anecdotal reports that more than a
Urbo, which operates in London
and Ipswich, said that maintaining
Both Ofo and Mobike say they
only share GPS data with councils, 35,000
third of the fleet was vandalized in a dedicated on-the-ground team is and do so for free. Ofo app UK
the first 10 days of operation. key to controlling the threat of van- “The data is very valuable,” said downloads
It’s been a year since Ofo — Mob- dalism. Pyer. “We don’t keep anything about per month
ike’s biggest rival — brought the first “Our level has been low — only the person. It’s all about cycling
dockless bike-sharing scheme to the about 5 percent of our fleet have routes, cycling infrastructure,
UK from China, and the industry been vandalized or stolen. Credit where the bikes are going. They can
has developed rapidly, with several goes to our operations team,” said see exactly which roads they take, a
new operators rolling out in cities Urbo co-founder Tom McGovern. really rich data set straight away.”
across Europe. “It’s a bit like the broken window For now, both companies say that
But the issue of vandalism is not effect — if one window in a house is data will remain with local authori-
confined to Stockport, and for some broken, more will be broken soon. If ties.
smaller companies it can be crip- you leave a vandalized bike laying “We’re not about to start advertis-
pling. around for a long period, you’re ing on bikes, we are not about to 1.7 km
In January, Hong Kong bike-shar- increasing the chances of more of start monetizing the data,” Pyer Mobike
ing company GoBee pulled out of your fleet getting stolen.” said. average ride Ofo bikes line a street in Norwich, the United Kingdom.
the Belgian city of Brussels, and Lille Like Urbo, both Ofo and Mobike As was the case in China when distance in UK ANGUS MCNEICE / CHINA DAILY
and Reims in France, because 80 to have teams that move bikes to dockless bike-sharing first started, a
90 percent of its fleet in those cities high-use areas, perform general number of smaller operators have
had been damaged or stolen. GoBee repairs, and respond to cases of begun to compete for riders across ensure that rules were in place to now control 90 percent of the mar- should allow businesses that aren’t
is continuing to supply a service in vandalism. the UK. ensure that predatory pricing ket in China. heavily financially backed to be sus-
Paris, and the Italian cities of Flor- The European Cyclists Federation Singapore-based operator oBike doesn’t occur.” “Regulation is going to be key to tainable, and not damaged by pro-
ence, Turin and Rome, where only 1 estimates that these teams account runs in Oxford, having withdrawn In China, analysts have long ensuring healthy competition in longed promotions or extremely
to 6 percent of the fleet has suffered for 30 percent of an operator’s costs. its bikes from London following an warned that the bike-sharing sector this market,” McGovern said. “We low pricing and free offers,” Roberts
from vandalism. “The question many people ask is ill-fated launch last year when it did is a bubble, with a surplus of opera- don’t want to see any predatory pric- said.
“We must face up to the sad reali- how does each city treat shared not inform councils of rollouts. tors backed by too much funding ing like we’ve seen in China, where Pyer said that Mobike welcomes
ty that a minority bent on destruc- assets, what kind of a society is it? British company YoBike operates competing for too little profit. some operators were giving free regulation in the UK following the
tion does not share our vision on Can people share things? I’m not more than 300 dockless bikes in Ofo recently raised $866 million rides for as long as six months, turbulent beginnings of the bike-
mobility, and we can no longer sup- sure if that is a good question,” Seal- Bristol, while Dublin-headquar- in a financing round led by Alibaba meaning smaller, less-funded opera- sharing industry in Asia.
port the financial and moral costs Driver said. “It’s actually often about tered Urbo runs 500 bikes across Group, having already raised $700 tors go out of business.” “With the benefit of hindsight, in
of the repairs,” GoBee said in a the execution of the service — how three London boroughs and 100 in million in 2017. Last year, Mobike Dockless bike-sharing is not yet China there should have been more
statement. it’s managed, how robust the bikes Ipswich. raised $600 million in a funding regulated by the UK government, regulation to start with,” Pyer said.
But the world’s largest bike-shar- are. And that’s why we’ve done a McGovern says Urbo’s primary round led by Tencent. though most operators including “In the UK, you’ve seen images
ing operators Ofo and Mobike dis- good job in the UK.” concern is not vandalism, but By comparison, Urbo is currently Ofo and Mobike have signed up to from China of massive bike moun-
miss vandalism as a manageable Since launching in Cambridge in competition from operators with looking to raise 5 million euros ($6.2 Bikeplus, an informal governing tains, and there was a bit of hysteria
growing pain. April 2017, Ofo has spread to Lon- much larger financial clout. Both million) to fund planned expan- body for bike-sharing operators in a year ago. But we’ve gone the other
“As with many new launches don, Norwich, Sheffield and Urbo and Ofo compete for riders sions in the UK and Ireland, and Britain. way — we’ve started with strict regu-
there can be teething problems, Oxford, and will soon be available in the borough of Redbridge in GoBee managed to raise $9 million Bikeplus director Antonia Rob- lation, and everyone is now seeing
but we are working closely with in Leeds. East London. in its last financing round. erts estimates ride fares account for the benefit.”
the council, the police and local The bike-sharing company has “In Redbridge, we sat around the Over the last year, four of China’s around one third of an operator’s Going forward, Mobike plans to
stakeholders to address any issues about 4,500 bikes on British roads table with the council and Ofo to 30-plus bike-sharing operators, income. expand to 15 cities in the UK by the
and make the scheme a success in — around the same as Mobike, make sure we’re on the same page,” including the third-largest, Bluego- “It’s important that we find a way end of the year, while Ofo wants to
Stockport,” said Darryl Evans, which operates in Manchester, McGovern said. “We needed to go, have gone bust. Mobike and Ofo in order to collectively agree that we build its London fleet to 150,000.
20 BUSINESS Tuesday, April 17, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION
TV firms
Beidou system to rush into
AI-ready
expand into HK sector
Move paves way for navigation service Zhang said. “To bolster Hong
Kong’s smart city vision, the
By FAN FEIFEI
fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn
to access overseas markets in future Chinese mainland has what it
takes to export its expertise. Watching television in
This is where the Beidou net- the digital era has just got a
By LUO WEITENG work could come in.” lot easier. Chinese TV man-
in Hong Kong The newly established ufacturers have ushered in
sophia@chinadailyhk.com company has joined hands the era of intelligent TVs as
with the Hong Kong Observa- more and more affluent
Hong Kong marks the first The selling points tory, a weather forecast agen- A member of staff displays a work of art at London-based auction house Christie’s auction preview consumers are pursuing a
stop on the road to expand- cy of the SAR government, to held in Shanghai. XINHUA smarter, high-end lifestyle.
ing the Chinese mainland’s of the Beidou net- offer Beidou standard time Industry insiders said
self-developed Beidou Navi- services for local citizens, in a speech recognition tech-
gation Satellite System into a
worldwide network, said a
top executive of the company.
work are accuracy
and reliability.”
pilot project that will get off
the ground in no more than
two months, Zhang noted.
British art exports to China nology plays a vital role in
boosting the development
of artificial intelligence-en-
“The Asian financial center
stands as the bridgehead and
incubator to bolster the sys-
tem’s ‘going global’ vision,”
Zhang Zuxin, chairman of Hong
Kong-based BD International
Technology Group Ltd
Such a project, he said,
will put Hong Kong citizens
on course to have GPS time
and Beidou time work in
surge 350 percent in 2017 abled TV sets, and the com-
petition will be fiercer with
technological
ments and innovation.
advance-
Zhang Zuxin, chairman of tandem. By BO LEUNG in London Sotheby’s Important Chinese Baofeng Group Co Ltd,
Hong Kong-based BD Inter- house’s answer to the domi- “The selling points of the boleung@mail.chinadailyuk.com Art sale made $10.7 million, a Beijing-based internet
national Technology Group
Ltd, told China Daily in Hong
Kong on Thursday. “What’s
nance of the US Global
Positioning System.
The massive engineering
Beidou network are accuracy
and reliability. It is also a
hedge against vulnerability
Art exports from the United
Kingdom to China rose more
115.90 and Bonhams took in $15 mil-
lion during their Fine Chinese
Art sale.
entertainment and tech-
nology company, is bet-
ting big on the AI-enabled
million pounds
going on in Hong Kong will project, jointly established by from the overreliance on any than 350 percent in 2017, Many of the art buyers were TV. Feng Xin, its chief
essentially add flesh to the hundreds of government one single system,” Zhang according to newly released 2017 art exports from the Chinese but because the buy- executive officer, said the
bones of the mega plan for the departments since the late said. “From the outset, the figures from the UK tax United Kingdom to China ers are anonymous, it is company will concentrate
global venture of the system.” 1990s, has been widely Beidou network is designed authorities. impossible to know how many on its TV business in the
The Hong Kong-based com- applied for civilian use across to be completely compatible In 2016, exports were valued of the artifacts sold were next year, which means its
pany has been built with the
goal of applying the Beidou
system for civilian use first in
169 sectors of the world’s sec-
ond-largest economy, cover-
ing the Chinese mainland
with the US GPS, Russia’s
GLONASS service and the
EU’s Galileo system. Behind
at 25.5 million pounds ($36.2
million); last year, that figure
surged to 115.9 million
21 percent exported to China.
Meanwhile, UK export fig-
ures reveal an overall decline
previous investments in
virtual reality and online
video markets will slow
China’s market share of
Hong Kong and then other and more than 30 neighbor- our going global push is the pounds. of 2.2 percent to 4.84 billion down.
global art sales last year
overseas markets in the future. ing countries, Zhang said. pursuit of making the Beidou The figures measure the val- pounds. Baofeng has launched its
As outer space becomes Hailed as a poster child of network an alternative to US, ue of goods crossing UK bor- Import traffic from the UK’s latest AI-enabled TV7 at
part of the Belt and Road Ini- how indigenous innovation Russian and European servi- ders rather than sales, so can main European Union trading 2,999 yuan ($477). TV7 can
tiative, countries and regions makes the Chinese mainland ces, giving countries the free- include works of art being partners was down almost 60 be turned on immediately
involved in this initiative are
on track to be among the first
in line to plug into the Chi-
less dependent on foreign
technology, the Beidou net-
work fits in well with Hong
dom of choice to have more
than one system operate in
tandem in the near future.”
moved for exhibition.
The recent Global Art Mar-
ket Report co-published by the
$11.1 percent year-on-year.
According to Ivan Macquis-
ten, an art market consultant
when the user calls the
name of its AI assistant —
Baofeng Big Ears — instead
nese mainland’s homegrown Kong’s ambition to become a Known as an international Art Basel contemporary art
million and writer who analyzed the of using the remote control.
satellite navigation services world-class smart city over metropolis, Hong Kong is a show and UBS found that in amount of Christie’s sale of figures from the British gov- The 55-inch TV can listen
by the year end. This paves the next five years, which was natural choice to test the 2017, China became the sec- Chinese art in London last ernment’s taxation depart- to and understand users’
the way for the system to underscored by a long list of huge potential of the Beidou ond-biggest art market in the November ment Her Majesty’s Revenue commands using its speech
deliver global coverage in innovation initiatives rolled system, he noted. world after the United States, and Customs, this could be the recognition capacity, and
2020, when some 35 satellites out by a local government “If we can make the city a accounting for 21 percent of “result of simple reluctance to recommend TV programs
will be in operation. blueprint released in Decem- showpiece of the network’s $63.7 billion worth of global send art and antiques there for according to users’ age,
Beidou, which literally ber last year, he noted. great benefits to the local sales. in the sale of Chinese artifacts. sale” following Britain’s deci- gender and preference.
means Northern Dipper, the “Satellite-based navigation economy and people’s liveli- The report noted that one Auction house Christie’s sale sion to leave the European “We have carried out
Chinese name for the constel- and positioning services hoods, we can clear up some reason was because of the rise of Chinese art in London last Union. strategic cooperation with
lation known in the West as proved to be an indispensable deep-rooted misunderstand- in the number of wealthy Chi- November achieved a total He said the fall in sterling, iQiyi.com, a Chinese
the Big Dipper or the Plough, part of making almost every ings and dispel doubt the nese individuals. amount of $11.1 million. Also especially in the first half of online streaming video
is the Asian economic power- sector of the economy smarter,” world over,” he added. There is also greater activity in London last November, 2017, could also be a factor. service provider, to pur-
chase its video content,”
said Liu Yaoping, CEO of
Baofeng TV, the TV arm of
Online fashion retailer eyes US public offering so Meilishuo could get a lot of
resources and help,” said Li
Yujie, an analyst at RHB
percent limit, including Hai-
kou-based manufacturing com-
pany Sundiro Holding, Hainan
its kind in China — as an
example, Hainan still lags
behind in terms of the contri-
Research Institute Sdn in Shennong Gene Technology, bution of wholesaling and
BEIJING — Meilishuo, a rival Mogujie in 2016 to form sions about a Hong Kong IPO Hong Kong. “It still depends and Haima Automobile Group. retailing to local GDP. In this
Chinese online fashion retail- a company with $3 billion in at a valuation of at least $60 on how the overall market Public information shows that sense, companies related to
er backed by Tencent Hold-
ings Ltd, is in talks with
sales, and was said to have
been valued at $3 billion at
$4 billion billion, media reported.
Statistics showed that 58.3
performs, it would be a good
year to fetch good valuation
there are 30 Hainan-based com-
panies listed on China’s A-share
these two sectors in Hainan
will have much room to grow,
several investment banks the time of that deal. total valuation that Meilishuo percent of Meilishuo’s users for e-commerce sector.” market. By the end of the third according to the note.
about a US initial public offer- The company, whose name plans to reach via the listing are ages 23 to 30, while the Furthermore, JD and Meili quarter of 2017, these companies’ The Central Committee of
ing that could value the start- means “Beauty Talk,” is one of on the US stock market family monthly income of Inc, the parent company of total assets came to 434.5 billion the Communist Party of China
up at about $4 billion, the more popular fashion and more than 75 percent of users Meilishuo, announced the yuan ($69.2 billion). and the State Council jointly
according to people familiar cosmetics retailers online, a was between 10,000 yuan establishment of a new joint Hua Chuang Securities released a document on Satur-
with the matter. niche it’s clung to despite the ($1591.4) and 20,000 yuan. venture in January, as JD wrote in a note that Hainan is day, saying that China is aiming
The women-focused dominance of Alibaba Group to sell shares to the public. As of 2016, the company hopes to tap more female home to a number of impor- to establish a free trade system
online retailer hosted a Holding Ltd and JD. Smartphone maker Xiaomi had about 15,000 merchants shoppers to compete with Ali- tant port cities such as Haikou in Hainan by 2025 and make
meeting to discuss the Meilishuo’s envisioned $4 Corp is seeking a valuation of on its website and a mobile baba’s Tmall. and Sanya. The number of the free port system more
prospects of an initial public billion valuation is an initial as much as $100 billion in a application that had been The new company will build port cities will help Hainan mature in the province by 2035.
offering with potential advis- target and could change if a much-anticipated offering, downloaded 100 million and operate a social commerce achieve rapid development in Information technology,
ers and underwriters, the deal proceeds, the people people familiar with the mat- times. That year, it merged platform leveraging JD’s cur- terms of logistics, transporta- deep-sea science and technolo-
people said, asking not to be said. The company didn’t ter have said, while Meituan with Mogujie, founded in 2011 rent level-one entry point on tion and services. Therefore, gy, tourism, ecological environ-
identified because they were respond to requests for com- Dianping, the mainland’s larg- with about 130 million regis- WeChat, Tencent’s popular resources such as commodi- ment and resource conservation
talking about private negoti- ment. est provider of on-demand tered users. social media platform. ties, technologies and raw will be the major areas concern-
ations. This is another Chinese online services also backed by “Tencent wants to develop materials will be allocated in a ing Hainan’s reform, according
Meilishuo merged with technology company looking Tencent, has begun discus- e-commerce via its partners, BLOOMBERG — CHINA DAILY more reasonable way, helping to the document.
17 $SULO 7RZQ3ODQQLQJ%RDUG
22 ANNOUNCEMENT Tuesday, April 17, 2018 C H I N A DA I LY H O N G KO N G E D I T I O N
FIELD STUDY
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas hosts a marathon talk session on China’s rural development
as part of the 2018 Wuzhen International Architecture Forum. Deng Zhangyu reports.
A
fter focusing on cit-
ies and skyscrapers
for the past 40
years, Rem Kool- A sculpture of Laozi, the great Chinese thinker, by Wu Weishan,
haas, the Pritzker Prize winner director of the National Art Museum of China, is on show in
and one of the most important Beijing. JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY
architects of his generation,
has shifted his attention
toward “the rural”, a field he
has repeatedly described as
holding the key to the world’s
BRICS thread runs
future.
To explore the subject more
deeply, the 74-year-old held a
through art display
six-hour talk on Thursday
with 17 Chinese experts on By LIN QI as Qi Baishi and Pan Tian-
rural issues. The Dutch archi- linqi@chinadaily.com.cn shou.
tect says China highlights its Wu Weishan, director of
countryside more than others The late Indian landscape the National Art Museum,
in the world. artist Bireswar Sen centered says the paintings, which
The dialogue titled Coun- his creation on portraying are themed on the lotus
tryside Marathon, part of the the splendor of the Himala- flower, represent an impor-
Wuzhen International Archi- yas, although he approached tant symbol of visual arts in
tecture Forum 2018, saw houses clean and tidy. it on a small scale. He com- China, while the Mandarin
Koolhaas hold discussions “As an architect, I spend my posed a poem of colors by pronunciation of lotus, he, is
from his apartment in time more on communication depicting the changing views similar to that for the word
Amsterdam via the internet rather than design. It’s more of the mountain peaks, val- “peace”, and the flower is
with scholars, officials, archi- important to change people’s leys and cascades of the also a metaphor in Chinese
tects, artists, writers and way of thinking and create mighty range in four seasons. culture for innocence and
independent musicians who sustainable development,” he But he worked on a piece integrity. That is why the
actively take part in China’s adds. of paper that is no more than museum picked these works
rural reconstruction, in Wuz- Every month, Lyu brings 10 centimeters in length and for the exhibition, although
hen, a water town in East Chi- students and teachers from width. they have been shown sever-
na’s Zhejiang province. The the CAFA’s rural development When a collection of his al times in earlier decades.
architect was unable to attend course he co-founded with miniature watercolors For the local audience, the
the forum in person due to Koolhaas to tour the country- debuted at the National Art exhibition unveils the variety
health reasons. side and offer practical solu- Museum of China in Beijing and dynamism of the creation
Koolhaas says that he tions to their problems, on April 12, the audience of unfamiliar artists in the
believes the impact of urbani- joining the new wave of urban needed magnifying glasses other four BRICS countries.
zation on rural areas is an intellectuals who are engag- to appreciate the Himalayan
issue that affects the entire ing in rural development in landscape that Sen hailed
world, not only China. But the China. with dancing lines and If you go
architect also says he finds Karl Ellefsen, a professor at rhythmic colors. The works
China’s situation interesting, the Oslo School of Architec- are from the collection of the 9 am-5 pm, Mondays
especially since the country’s ture and Design, who is also a National Gallery of Modern closed. 1 Wusi Dajie,
planners are putting it firmly teacher in Lyu’s team, says: Art in New Delhi. Dongcheng district,
at the top of their agenda. “Few people in Europe have Gallery head Adwaita Beijing. 010-6400-1476.
The architect, who has noticed that China is experi- Gadanayak says Sen’s land-
designed many iconic build- encing huge changes in terms scape artworks evoke a
ings in major cities around the of rural development and how divine feeling for nature and Collections from the Iziko
world, is perhaps best known it is investing heavily in its that he often depicted a Museums of South Africa, an
in China for his design of the countryside.” monk or a poet walking institution comprising of 11
CCTV headquarters in Beijing, The Norwegian professor alone in the extensive moun- museums and galleries, cele-
a landmark in the capital. stays in China for a week every tains, which suggests his brate the diverse ancient tra-
When he visited China ahead month and has traveled to attempts to escape into a ditions of South Africa, for
of Spring Festival in February, several villages in remote spiritual space from the cha- example, a stone engraved
he says he was impressed by rural areas. With these trips, os of the world and immerse with an ostrich dated back
how quick people were able to he looks to draw comparisons himself in nature. 2,000 years ago is on show,
move from the cities to the between China’s rural issues Gadanayak says that in says the museum group’s
countryside to celebrate Chi- with those in Europe, where India, people’s thoughts are CEO Rooksana Omar.
nese New Year, leaving some the problem of food security related to nature, as it is the She says meanwhile, these
cities almost empty. arising from the agricultural universal root of all living on cultural aspects have
In fact, Koolhaas began his industrialization process is Earth, despite the differen- inspired modern artists, and
engagement with China’s being faced by many. ces in culture and history. several works on display
rural regeneration last year by Like Ellefsen, Koolhaas “As long as we connect our show how they have revised
joining forces with the Central wants to undertake a compar- roots through artistic motifs from archaic rock
Academy of Fine Arts to set up ative study, but expand its expressions, we can under- paintings in paintings and
a one-year course for 13 stu- scope to cover the entire globe. stand each other, ... and we wood cuts.
dents working in areas related Next year, he will present an can together face a common A cultural diversity
to rural development, includ- exhibition at the Guggenheim future, and stand up to the because of the melting of
ing several architects and a Top: A bird’s eye view of Wu village near Wuzhen, from where Chinese intellectuals discuss rural China Museum in New York titled challenges,” he says. immigrants from across the
city mayor. over the internet with Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Middle and above: The Banwan Primary School Countryside: Future of the Gadanayak’s words also world defines the works
Lyu Pinjing, the director of in a village in Guizhou province is being redesigned by architect Lyu Pinjing, who is also helping to World, which will include vid- define the motif of a current loaned from Brazil’s Nation-
the academy’s architecture repair an ancestral temple (above) in another village in the province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY eos and documents from the exhibition at the National al Museum of Fine Arts in
school and a speaker at the Wuzhen forum that saw Kool- Art Museum of China. Rio. It shows seven artists
Countryside Marathon forum, haas discuss China’s rural Uniqueness and Conver- who are now active both at
introduced the one-year revitalize an entire village,” tional houses, rebuilt village resources I have to help them issues from cultural, architec- gence brings together 61 home and in the internation-
course he developed with the says Lyu, who has devoted schools, set up weaving work- revitalize the village,” Lyu says. tural and economical perspec- works of art, including Sen’s al art community. Their
help of several foreign experts much of his time in rural shop and porcelain-making Last year, Lyu helped find tives with Chinese academics landscapes, from several works explore not only the
including Koolhaas, explain- development in Guizhou prov- studio by transforming ruined college teachers to train more and practitioners. public and private collec- links between Brazil and the
ing that its aim was not to ince, which is home to many houses in Banwan, a remote than 400 female village arti- The Wuzhen International tions in Brazil, Russia, India, West but also the influence
teach students specific skills ethnic groups. village surrounded by moun- sans who make their living Architecture Forum 2018 will China and South Africa, the of Asian migrants.
but instead to enlighten them Lyu has been involved in the tains that is inhabited by the from weaving and embroidery hold another two forums later BRICS members. Alexander Sedov, director-
with a global perspective. rural reconstruction of at least ethnic Buyi people. to adapt their homemade this year, discussing the The ongoing exhibition general of the State Museum
“China is in great need of three villages in Guizhou prov- Lyu will showcase his archi- products to suit a wider mar- concepts of home, and the runs through Sunday. of Oriental Art of Russia, says
people who excel at rural ince, like many other archi- tectural works at the village at ket. He will return to another countryside. The National Art Museum its collection of paintings
development. But it’s not as tects who have worked in rural the Venice Biennale of Archi- village in Guizhou later this of China is presenting its and sculptures on show dis-
simple as just building or China to help design or rede- tecture in May. month to help promote a Contact the writer at own collection of Chinese play a rising interest among
transforming houses in the velop rural areas. “It’s more than just a job for healthier lifestyle through bet- dengzhangyu@ ink-and-water paintings by Russian artists in Asian cul-
countryside. It’s about how to In 2016, he repaired tradi- an architect. I had to use all the ter hygiene and keeping their chinadaily.com.cn 20th century masters, such tures in the 20th century.
LIFE
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
RIVER AS MUSE
A textile company funds a painting project that aims to present a modern view of the Yangtze’s landscapes. Lin Qi reports.
T
he landscapes along the Jiangyin, Jiangsu province. The “Many places along the Yang-
Yangtze, the world’s textile company had commis- tze seemed familiar to many of
third-longest river, have sioned the project. us, but we were still over-
recurred as a motif in the Traditionally, the production of whelmed by such massive world-
works of Chinese painters for cen- a classic mountain-and-water class projects as the Three
turies. painting has centered on the idea Georges Dam,” says Liu of the
We depicted the
Notable artists who have
depicted the panoramic scenery
of wo you, which literally means
“wondering while lying down”.
power station.
Shi Jiangcheng, another par-
dam with carefree
include Xia Gui of the Song The expression suggests that ticipating painter, says trying to brushwork,
Dynasty (960-1279); Wang Hui, painters depict scenery in a way blend the beauty of the Three
one of the four great mountain- that allows the audience to imag- Georges — a highlight of Ten instead of giving
and-water masters of the early ine traveling mentally through a Thousand Li of Yangtze River —
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911); and canvas, surrounding themselves with the natural landscape was a attention to all the
pioneers of modern art in China, with nature, even when indoors. different process as the ancient
such as Zhang Daqian and Wu For Ten Thousand Li of Yangtze masters didn’t have to include details.”
Guanzhong. River, the painters from the Soci- the modern infrastructure in
Most of the earlier artists paint- ety of Classic Chinese Painting in their works. Shi Jiangcheng, painter
ed alone. But a recent project Beijing adopted a realistic “We depicted the dam with
brought together some 50 paint- approach since they began work- carefree brushwork, instead of
ers to complete a new work ing on the scroll last year. giving attention to all the details, country it runs through.
depicting the river’s scenery. They intended to celebrate not so that it doesn’t look like an Zhou Jianping, the founder of
Ten Thousand Li of Yangtze only the river’s scenic grandeur industrial label but appears more Heilan, says many painters
River, the 200-meter-long ink but also man-made symbols, natural in its surroundings,” says involved in the creation are in
painting, was displayed at the such as dams, which have added Liu Dawei (front), chairman of the China Artists Association, who Shi. their 70s and 60s.
National Museum of China in elements to the Yangtze land- participated in the painting project, exchanges ideas with the director of the The painting deviates from “It (depicting the Yangtze) was
Beijing recently. The river flows scape, so that the audience is able National Museum of China, Wang Chunfa, about the scroll at the exhibition. the traditional tendency of pre- a shared dream,” he says, adding
for some 6,300 kilometers, and to view changes brought about by senting the Yangtze’s landscape that his company wanted to
a li — as a traditional Chinese the country’s reform and open- as extensive but the river soli- share its admiration of Chinese
unit of distance — equals 500 ing-up over the past four decades. esque towns along the river’s low- economic and cultural develop- tary, according to Zhang Fuxing, culture by funding the painting
meters. Participating painters have er stretches. When conceiving the ments, according to Liu Dawei, another painter on the team. He project.
The painting is expected to be traveled to the landmark spots painting’s layout, they again visit- chairman of the China Artists says the painting shows a
on permanent display at the along the Yangtze, such as the ed some of these locations to Association, who participated in “rejoicing and vigorous” river as Contact the writer at
Heilan Group’s headquarters in Three Georges Dam and pictur- brush up their knowledge of the the painting project. an indicator of the energy of the linqi@chinadaily.com.cn