News » Politics » Neil Heywood and Bo Xilai: What Everyone Missed

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• Neil Heywood and Bo Xilai: What Everyone Missed
• Chinese brands coming to the British high street
• Chinese liquor prices tumble on overexpansion, banquet ban
• Chinese solar firms warn of trade war if EU probe proceeds
• Chinese speculators pile in to London housing bubble
• Samsung widens smartphone lead over HTC, Apple in Taiwan
• Chinese attack helicopter did not copy US technology: ministry
• Romney attacks Obama over China policy
• Hallstatt 2: Clone of Austrian lake town pops up in Guangdong
• Number of rich people in China triples in last five years
• Need help choosing a dress? Rent a shopping buddy in Chongqing
• S.E.C. Alleges Insider Trading on $15 Billion Cnooc Deal
• Beijingers Urge Media to Tell Truth About Flood
• Mainland men sent to labor camp participating in protest in HK
• Labor NGOs in Guangdong Claim Repression
• Raghida Dergham: The Costs of the Third Russian Veto at the Security Council
• Qidong residents protest against new sewage treatment plant
• Restrictions Imposed on Aid Recipients
• Murder Charge Sparks More Questions
• Beijing Police Chief Under Fire For Internet Sweep

Neil Heywood and Bo Xilai: What Everyone Missed Posted: 27 Jul 2012 04:09 PM PDT Nearly every major newspaper has missed the key point to the Bo Xilai scandal: It has practically nothing to do with Neil Heywood. Here's why...

Chinese brands coming to the British high street Posted: 27 Jul 2012 11:20 AM PDT 'Made in China' is usually what it says on clothing labels but ambitious Chinese retailers are now looking to make their own brands household names in the UK "Made in China" is usually what it says on clothing labels, but ambitious Chinese retailers are now looking to make their own brands household names in the UK. The high street is the latest target of the deep-pocketed Chinese, who are on a buying spree in Britain and have already taken stakes in companies as diverse as Thames Water, Weetabix and Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes. Chinese fashion giant Bosideng opened its first store in the UK in the West End of London this week to cash in on the influx of visitors for the Olympics, while Chinese fashion label Eve said it wanted to become "the Chinese McQueen" and is heading to London next year. Bosideng, with sales of more than £800m last year and more than 8,000 stores, is as well known in China as Marks & Spencer is here, and is best known for its colourful down-filled "puffa" jackets. It has ploughed £35m into the six-storey store and plans to use the upper floors as the headquarters for its burgeoning European operation. With most British high street retailers reliant on Chinese factories to produce low cost clothing, Bosideng is swimming against the tide with only 10% of the UK clothing range made in China. Bosideng UK chief executive Wayne Zhu said it had been studying the European market for some time and predicted other Chinese groups would follow. "I know of other Chinese retailers doing feasibility studies", he said. Unlike its vast domestic operation, which also sells womenswear and childrenswear, Bosideng's UK offering is upmarket menswear aimed at the customers of brands such as Paul Smith and Hugo Boss. Zhu said the brand wanted to win over Europeans rather than target wealthy Chinese shoppers already familiar with the brand. "We are a Chinese brand, designed in the UK and made for Europe," he said. To get its product right Bosideng worked with designers Nick Holland and Ash Gangotra who recently collaborated with ex-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher on his label Pretty Green. "The brand draws on Chinese history and inspiration but also has a UK feel to it," added its retail director Jason Denmark. "We have to make a collection that's right for the European market if we are to succeed. International retailers have sometimes misfired on entering the UK. It took Uniqlo two attempts to get its ranges and store locations right, while chains such as the Inditex owned Zara had to tweak its sizing after they failed to take account of different body shapes in new markets. Bosideng's debut in London came as the government courted Chinese entrepreneurs at a conference in the capital – one of 17 summits scheduled over the next fortnight to attract investment and promote British business. The centrepiece of the event was a catwalk show by fashion label Eve which became the first Chinese men's clothing brand to show at London fashion week. Run by Xia Hua, a former politics professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, the brand intends to invest £10m in a London head office next year. "We would like to be the Chinese McQueen," said Hua, who added the retailer was in talks with Harrods and Selfridges. "There are a lot of western brands that go to China and achieve business success but not that many Chinese brands that have succeeded in western markets. I would like to see high quality Chinese products on the [British] high street. Not just made in China but designed in China." Retail industry China Asia Pacific Zoe Wood guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Chinese liquor prices tumble on overexpansion, banquet ban Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:32 AM PDT Sales of Chinese liquor with a high alcohol content and obscenely expensive price tags have enjoyed double-digit growth in China every year for the last 10 years. But distillers are now being forced t...

Chinese solar firms warn of trade war if EU probe proceeds Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:32 AM PDT Four major Chinese solar power companies issued a joint statement on Thursday to call on the European Commission not to launch an antidumping investigation against solar energy products imported from ...

Chinese speculators pile in to London housing bubble Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:32 AM PDT With the Olympics Games about to open in London, savvy Chinese investors have been among those speculating in the city's realty market, causing a major rise in local housing prices. House prices in th...

Samsung widens smartphone lead over HTC, Apple in Taiwan Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT Samsung is stretching its lead over both HTC and Apple with growing smartphone market share in a three-way race in Taiwan. One X smartphones from Taiwan's own HTC became the bestselling model for b...

Chinese attack helicopter did not copy US technology: ministry Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman has refuted reports that China's military attack helicopter Z-10 pirated US technology, saying the helicopter's manufacturer used independent intellectual property...

Romney attacks Obama over China policy Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT As US National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon visits Beijing this week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has again called for a tougher US stance on China's "cheating," reports US broadc...

Hallstatt 2: Clone of Austrian lake town pops up in Guangdong Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT A property developer has built a copy of the famous Austrian lakeside town of Hallstatt in Guangdong in southern China, our sister newspaper China Times reports. Listed as a World Heritage Site, th...

Number of rich people in China triples in last five years Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT According to a report jointly released by China Citic Bank and the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, the number of high net-worth people in China topped 1.185 million in 2011, up...

Need help choosing a dress? Rent a shopping buddy in Chongqing Posted: 28 Jul 2012 02:28 AM PDT A new personal shopping service has emerged in the southwest Chinese municipality of Chongqing, offering people access to "peiguangzu" — a shopping buddy. A gig as a peiguangzu can be lucrative — sa...

S.E.C. Alleges Insider Trading on $15 Billion Cnooc Deal Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:00 PM PDT The Securities and Exchange Commission moves to freeze the assets of traders accused of illegally trading in shares in advance of the announced $15 billion acquisition of Nexen, a Canadian oil producer by the state-owned Chinese oil company, Cnooc.

Beijingers Urge Media to Tell Truth About Flood Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:23 PM PDT A bridge destroyed by the flood in Fangshan district of Beijing, shared online on July 27. (Wind Zhongmima/Weibo.com) Fangshan, a district of Beijing, was severely hit by the flooding after torrential rain fell on July 21. Angered by the lack of facts in media coverage about the degree of death and damage, residents posted public letters online, heckling the media. They also volunteered to provide information about the true situation of the disaster. In interviews with Radio Free Asia, villagers revealed that no cameras or mobile phones were allowed where corpses were being counted, which was intensively guarded. On July 25, a resident of Fangshan District posted a message titled "A Letter to Beijing TV and China Central Television (CCTV)" on the Internet. The author questioned the validity and source of the death toll, which was officially reported as 37. He also asked why Beijing TV and CCTV did not come to the flood-stricken areas to take live footage. He wrote, "Many thanks for 'showing your thoughtfulness' to Fangshan District! Your 'truthful' report about the disaster of Fangshan District is highly appreciated. According to your report, the death toll of the entire city was 37. I really would like to understand how you came up with that number!"  "If this number is correct, can any of you explain why scenes of numerous corpses were observed all around Fangshan District?"  "You devoted so much time to reporting a Hyundai Tucson trapped in the flood, so why couldn't you provide coverage of Fangshan District showing the destroyed buildings, collapsed bridge, mud-rock flows, and flood victims in deep distress? I am keen to know whether, in your eyes, the value of Fangshan District residents' lives can't compete with a Tucson, which costs merely 200,000 yuan (US$31,000)?"  The author urged the media to "uphold conscience," saying, "We no longer care about the death toll you claimed in your reports. We just want to remind you that media staff must have a conscience. Never trade your humanity or conscience for pleasing the authorities."  On July 26, the state mouthpiece Xinhua updated the official death toll to 77. According to the report, the disaster area has been searched and the number of victims is not expected to increase much further. A netizen commented: "In a country with the second-largest economy in the world, because of a long rainstorm, 77 people died. It's really unheard of!" Related Articles Chinese Netizens Attribute Beijing Flood to Offense of Divine Creatures Beijing Floods, Worst in Six Decades, Displace Thousands, Kill at Least 37 Read original Chinese article.  chinareports@epochtimes.com The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.   Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing crisis within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the new interactive Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

Mainland men sent to labor camp participating in protest in HK Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:44 PM PDT Jiangxi, China – According to Hong Kong's South Morning Post, two mainland activist Song Ningsheng and Zeng Jiuzi were sentenced 14 months in labor camp for participating in a protesting parade in Hong Kong. The report quoted from a human rights group said this was the first time for mainland activist punished for protesting activities in Hong Kong, and pointed out that the parade was "illegal" in official documents in mainline China. Song, 44 and Zeng 53 will spend their next 14 months in a labor camp in Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province. After gone to Hong Kong, the two also went to petitioning at Tiananmen Square and outside of Zhongnanhai, the central headquarters for China's Communist Party and the State Council. Both of them were arrested by the county police two weeks ago. The report says the verdict was two pages long with investigation and interrogation. The police report pointed out that Song and Zeng went to Hong Kong at the end of June 2012 and later participated in the protest on July 1. The two also petitioned in Beijing on July 9 and July 11. FMN

Labor NGOs in Guangdong Claim Repression Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:41 PM PDT Some labor NGOs say the new policy in Guangdong to allow NGOs sway in the province's major cities has come with a heavy price tag and contend opponents in the government are making their lives miserable.

Raghida Dergham: The Costs of the Third Russian Veto at the Security Council Posted: 27 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT What options do Moscow and Tehran have, after the leaderships of Russia and Iran entered the eye of the storm in the wake of the grave loss they have both suffered in Syria? Read more: Russia, Raghida, Annan, Assad, Un, Arab League, Putin, Gcc, Syria, China, Dergham, World News This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Qidong residents protest against new sewage treatment plant Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:16 PM PDT Qidong residents on streets passing handout to the public /Picture from Weibo.com Jiangsu, China – The new construction of a Japanese paper mill in Nantong, is to set up its new sewage treatment plant in Qidong. With concerns of possible risks to the drinking water, local residents and students in Qidong called for actions to protest against the project on July 28. Qidong City government later said the construction has been suspended on July 27. Japanese company Oji Paper Co.,Ltd. was reportedly approved to build a sewage treatment plant in Qidong by Municipal government of Nantong. Qidong City is located right by the estuary of Yangtze River, across the river from Shanghai, with multiple other cities around like Rudong, Tongzhou and Hai'an. Local residents were concerned about the safety of drinking water, and the danger may spread to cities around. Internet was not the only option for Qidong residents. People also made posters, flyers and handouts. Students have forwarded the message of Saturday protest thousands of times on Social sites,  and called for more people to oppose to the sewage treatment project. Many Qidong residents have received notifications from work, school or community offices asking them to sign no to participate in the protests. Local Qidong government's effective warning on the protest also triggered public outage that more effort should be put on disastrous weather forecast. According to the report from People.com on July 27, "A government approved Japanese paper company" was to build its sewage treatment plant in Qidong, Jiangsu Province. On July 26, Zhang Jianxin, Deputy Mayor of Qidong City said in a video entitled "a letter to all citizens" on government website that the Nantong project would be suspended from current construction until further assessment. However, he still referred to the protest an activity "endangers public safety", and asked the public not to participate. FMN

Restrictions Imposed on Aid Recipients Posted: 27 Jul 2012 01:07 PM PDT Authorities in northwestern China are requiring ethnic Uyghurs from impoverished communities to sign pledges affirming their allegiance to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and curtailing their religious freedom in exchange for welfare money, according to a Uyghur media organization in exile. RFA's Uyghur service obtained a document from the Turkey-based Istiqlaltv.com which is written in Chinese and Uyghur and which lists a number of conditions aid recipients must honor to qualify for receiving a monthly stipend from the Chinese government. The document, which Istiqlaltv.com says was distributed in primarily Uyghur-populated areas of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, such as the southwestern cities of Hotan, Aksu, and Kashgar, offers a "basic living fee" to unemployed residents of 200-300 yuan (U.S. $31-47) per month. Residents of the areas typically earn as much as 6,500 yuan (U.S. $1,000) a year, according to local sources. To qualify for the welfare, applicants must sign the pledge, promising to "firmly uphold the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, follow regulations, and be a law-abiding citizen." In addition, the document requires the predominantly Muslim Uyghur applicants to "refrain from engaging in any illegal religious activities and from keeping illegal religious materials at home." Applicants must promise that neither they nor their family members will cover their faces in public for religious reasons and that they will refuse to host guests who cover their faces. Most Uyghur women cover their heads with scarves, while more religious adherents will cover everything but their eyes. And lastly, the welfare applicants must pledge that if they witness illegal religious activities or women covering their faces, they should "report it to the local authorities immediately." "If I violate any of the above four regulations, I agree to stop receiving my [government-provided] basic living fee," the document states, above a section requiring the applicant's signature and date of application. A Uyghur source in exile, who now lives in Turkey and who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that no previous government controlling the Xinjiang region, including the nationalist Kuomintang, the Manchurian Qing Empire, or any former warlord rulers, had ever used such a tactic to "subjugate" the local populace. "The Chinese fear the Uyghurs because we have the moral high ground," he said, reflecting commonly held views that the Uyghur community has long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness under Chinese rule. "They believe that we will rise up with great determination because of this, so they are aiming to destroy the religious traditions of the local people." The source said that many Uyghur communities in Xinjiang have little to show in exchange for Beijing's ambitious programs to develop China's vast northwestern frontier. "They have already taken our land, economy, and our language. Now they will take our beliefs." Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur service. Translated by Dolkun Kamberi. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Murder Charge Sparks More Questions Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:52 PM PDT The announcement of murder charges against the wife of ousted Politburo member and former Chongqing Communist Party boss Bo Xilai has raised more questions than it answers, according to Chinese analysts. China on Thursday formally charged Gu Kailai and a former employee, Zhang Xiaojun, with the "intentional homicide" of British businessman Neil Heywood. Heywood, 41, was discovered dead in a Chongqing hotel in November, and was quickly cremated after his death was blamed on a drinking binge. The charges were filed by state prosecutors in Hefei, the capital of eastern China's Anhui province, following interrogation of the two defendants. Prominent Beijing rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang said the announcement raised questions over whether judicial process was giving way to political conflicts thrown up by the scandal surrounding Bo, his populist political campaigns while in Chongqing, and the overseas business activities of his family. "Right now, they haven't charged her with taking bribes, and in the past when they mentioned her case, they also mentioned her using Bo Xilai's position when he was mayor of Dalian to take bribes," Pu said. "I think that there is a lot of uncertainty now around this dropped charge." He said the announcement could mean that China's most senior leaders now no longer wish to pursue bribery charges against Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. "I think that's quite likely to be the case ... Personally I think that they are planning to kill Gu Kailai to shut her up. After she is dead, how will she be able to testify to Bo Xilai's bribe-taking?" Serious doubts Pu said he had serious doubts over the motive for Heywood's murder suggested in the Xinhua announcement. "Why would the Hefei prosecutors [make] the murder appear to be without cause or motive? "Investigation results show that [Gu] Kailai, one of the defendants, and her son surnamed Bo had conflicts with the British citizen Neil Heywood over economic interests," Xinhua reported in the first official word on the once-powerful Bo family's fate since the March 15 ouster of Bo Xilai as Communist Party secretary of Chongqing. "Worrying about Neil Heywood's threat to her son's personal security, [Gu] Kailai along with Zhang Xiaojun, the other defendant, poisoned Neil Heywood to death," it said. Pu said this motive appeared unconvincing in the absence of details about the family finances, which were reportedly at the heart of the dispute between Gu and Heywood in the first place. "[Xinhua said] it was because of [fears for] Bo Guagua's safety, so this woman, this mother, is supposed to have had Zhang Xiaoyuan kill [Neil Heywood]," he said. "Would she be likely to have such vengeful hatred?" Unusual location Meanwhile, popular online political commentator Liu Yiming said that the fact that the case was being handled in an unrelated location—Anhui province—was very unusual. "I think the authorities are trying to get this wrapped up ahead of the 18th Party Congress," he said. "It is very unusual for them to hold the trial in a neutral location." "It's not as if this is the trial of a high-ranking official ... It's a criminal case," he said. He said many people were speculating that for the central government to do this must mean that they are now trying to minimize the relationship between [the cases of] Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. "I think personally that they are inextricable," he said. Liu said he had also heard from his own political sources that the authorities would soon be making an announcement about Bo himself, who along with his former police chief Wang Lijun is currently under investigation for "serious breaches of Party discipline," as the ruling Communist Party was unlikely to want the case hanging over its forthcoming leadership transition. Fair trial unlikely Meanwhile, Pu said he had grave doubts over the likelihood that Gu, or anyone else involved in the scandal, would get a fair trial. Pu said that if the cases of Gu, Bo and Wang were linked, then the judicial process would be severely compromised by treating Gu's murder trial separately. "It will create a situation in which the witnesses aren't there any more. I think it's more likely that what they are doing is trying to cover up the conflict caused by this case, rather than trying to expedite it here." "Gu Kailai still hasn't seen a lawyer," Pu said. "Is that because she doesn't want a meeting or because her family members don't want to hire one for her?" "There is nothing in the handling of this case that shows us that [China] is being ruled by law. This will not be a fair trial," he said. The announcement came a week after a key witness in the case, Cambodia-based French architect Patrick Devillers, flew to Beijing to assist Chinese police with their inquiries. French and Cambodian officials said he did so of his own free will. Patrick Henri Devillers, 52, is believed to have had close ties to Gu, and had given the same address as her while living in London, according to U.K. media reports. The fall of Bo Xilai has embroiled China's ruling Communist Party in the biggest political scandal in decades, just ahead of a key leadership transition later in the year, and Devillers was initially detained at Beijing's request. But no details have yet been made public by China about the ongoing investigation into "serious violations" of Party discipline alleged against Bo and his former police chief Wang Lijun. Reported by Fang Yuan for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Beijing Police Chief Under Fire For Internet Sweep Posted: 27 Jul 2012 07:36 AM PDT After Beijing's massive deluge, local residents turned to the internet to vent against the city's widespread flooding. Now that anger has turned towards the chief of Beijing's Public Security Bureau...

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