News » China » Japan'to send Diaoyu envoy'
News » China » Japan'to send Diaoyu envoy' |
- Japan'to send Diaoyu envoy'
- Kerry positive for China-US relations
- Cities battle against cold front
- Leaks prompt postal overhaul
- Call for law to protect netizens
- Embracing 'mobile' healthcare
- Xi Jinping advocates reform, China Dream
- Agriculture minister stresses farm workers' interests
- China eyes more rural development in 2013
- China company to revitalize Serbian railways
- China firmly opposes U.S. congress defense authorization bill
- Italy's president dissolves parliament after PM resigns
- 7 dead, 19 injured in C China's road accident
- Senior minister among 9 killed in blast in Pakistan
- 4.1-magnitude quake hits Taiwan
- China cancels 1-yr control on thermal coal prices
- China lifts blue alert for cold wave
- China's pork prices rise amid cold weather
- Chinese private firms lack innovation spirit
- Reelin' in the years
| Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST Japan's incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will send a special envoy to China, media reports said, amid tension over the Diaoyu Islands. Beijing blasted controversial provisions on Sunday in a defense bill passed by the US Senate, which acknowledges "the administration of Japan" over the islands and urges arms sales to Taiwan. Observers said that Abe's gesture does not mean any concessions on the islands are in the offing. The bill passed in the US Senate, they added, will fuel regional instability and damage trust-building efforts between China and the US. Abe, leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party will become prime minister on Dec 26. He is considering sending LDP Vice-President Masahiko Komura, head of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union, to China. "Abe's envoy plan is simply posturing, rather than an act of sincerity,'' said Lu Yaodong, from the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Ties were soured in September after the Japanese government illegally "purchased" part of the Diaoyu Islands. Abe declared on Saturday that he would postpone his campaign proposal of sending government personnel to the islands, Japan's Kyodo News Agency said. The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force sent fighter jets on Saturday to an area some 100 kilometers north of the Diaoyu Islands after a plane of China's State Oceanic Administration was spotted patrolling, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. On Friday, Chinese marine surveillance vessels patrolling the waters around the islands found six Japanese coast guard ships illegally entering the area, and demanded they leave at once. Lu said Tokyo's hard line "has been and will be consistent". Feng Wei, a specialist on Japanese studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, estimated that Abe's incoming Cabinet will not make a major concession due to support both within the country and from the US. The US Senate passed the 2013 Defense Authorization Act on Friday by 81 votes to 14. It now awaits the signature of US President Barack Obama. Though the US takes no position on the ultimate sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands, section 1286 said "it is the sense of Congress that'' it "acknowledges the administration of Japan'' over them. And section 1281 said, "it is the sense of Congress that ... the president should take steps to address Taiwan's shortfall in fighter aircraft, whether through the sale of F-16 C/D aircraft or other aircraft of similar capability''. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Sunday that China is "deeply concerned and firmly opposed" to the contents concerning China in the act. Hua said the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan is a "bilateral arrangement in a specific historical time'', and such a pact should not harm the interests of any third parties including China. Dong Manyuan, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the bill shows bipartisan consensus on the islands as well as Obama's increased determination to focus more on Asia in his second term. Tao Wenzhao, a professor of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences warned that the bill sends "erroneous signals to right-wing radical Japanese politicians who are yearning for more support from Washington to rein in China, and are undermining the strategic trust between Beijing and Washington". As for the act's arms sales proposal, Hua, the ministry spokeswoman, said China is firmly opposed to arms sales to Taiwan by any country. Dong said the arms sales issue is not an isolated case and outside forces may be attempting to undermine rapidly developing cross-Straits ties. Orville Schell, director of Center on US-China Relations at Asia Society in New York, said: "My reading of the Obama administration is that they don't want this (tension between China and the US) to escalate out of control.'' The US is deeply dedicated to working out a better relationship with China, Schell added. Chen Weihua in New York and Xinhua contributed to this story. Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn  | ||
| Kerry positive for China-US relations Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST The diplomatic wisdom of incoming US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to improve China-US relations, as the Obama administration seeks to rebalance its Asian strategy during the president's second term. President Barack Obama on Saturday nominated Senator Kerry, the son of a diplomat, as his next secretary of state to replace Hillary Clinton, and commentators say that given his track record and reputation, his appointment is almost certain to be confirmed. Among the challenges facing Kerry will be to improve ties between China and the US, which have worsened since Washington's rebalancing policy in the Asia-Pacific region, experts said. "China-US ties have deteriorated through a series of high-profile measures by the US aimed at rebalancing, especially the over-emphasis of military action, which triggered great antipathy from China," said Ruan Zongze, a US studies researcher and the deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies. Kerry supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, to "balance China's economic influence in the region" in a speech at the Center for American Progress before President Hu Jintao's visit to the US in January 2011. "Some called this intensified US engagement in Asia a hedging strategy, an insurance against the possibility of China emerging as a regional hegemony. "Frankly, I don't care what we call it. I just think it makes sense that we ought to do it", he said then. During the address he appealed for maintaining a cooperative attitude toward China, rather than one that treated China as an enemy or the cause of US domestic problems. "If China succeeds in rebalancing its economy, then the global economy will benefit and so will we," he said. "If China fails — or worse, if we cut ourselves off from China in a misguided attempt to 'contain it' as some have suggested — then we will all suffer. And even though we can't call China an ally today, we simply cannot treat it as an enemy." Ruan views Kerry as professional, calm and pragmatic, and expects him to initiate strategic dialogues between China and the US, which will wield positive influence on Sino-US relations. As the new secretary of state, and a supporter of the Asian rebalancing strategy, Kerry would be less aggressive than his predecessor Clinton, said Jin Canrong, an international affairs professor at Renmin University of China. In an era when being secretary of state is increasingly about style as much as substance, many foreign-policy experts said the five-term senator and quiet negotiator is expected to return the office to a more traditional version of diplomacy, according to The Christian Science Monitor. The Vietnam veteran, who was critical of the war after he returned home, lost to US president George W Bush in the 2004 election. He has represented Massachusetts in the senate since 1985, and has served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for decades. During his first term, Obama sent Kerry around the world on his behalf numerous times, particularly to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also helped prepare the president for his live TV debates during this year's election, and won praise from Obama for his sharp national security-focused speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, when he told delegates: "Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off now than he was four years ago." Contact the writer at zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn | ||
| Cities battle against cold front Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST A cold front has descended on many provincial capitals, with temperatures in some cases hitting well below -20 C, while temperatures in parts of central and eastern areas are predicted to hit record lows, the National Meteorological Center said. The cold spell has claimed lives and led to calls for public buildings to conserve energy to ensure heating for residential areas. Temperatures dropped sharply overnight in the north, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, Xinhua News Agency reported. Many areas experienced the lowest temperatures so far this winter, including parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Shandong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan provinces. Some areas in Inner Mongolia witnessed the mercury falling to -40 C on Saturday and Sunday. Highways in Yantai, a coastal city in Shandong province, were temporarily closed on Sunday due to heavy snow. Heavy snow will continue hitting northeastern parts of Shandong province and northwestern parts of Xinjiang through Sunday and Monday. The lowest temperature recorded in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, was -29 C on Sunday, not much colder than the highest of -22 C. Tuesday is predicted to be the coldest day, when the thermometer is expected to record -33 C. In the neighboring province of Jilin, the lowest temperatures in the cities of Changchun, Liaoyuan, Tonghua and Baishan could also plunge to -33 C on Tuesday, the center said. The average temperature in Jilin this winter has been -24 C, 11 to 14 degrees lower than in other years. In Changchun, capital of Jilin province, the city government has asked that home heating be increased. Homeless aid stations in the city also responded by searching for those in need of help, especially children. In Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, residents said even their eyelashes began to ice up when they went outside. "The wind blowing on your face is like knives," said Zhao Jie, a resident. "Nobody is willing to stay outdoors after work. "Many old residential buildings have problems with their heating, so the temperature in these places may be quite low." Beijing has been shivering over the weekend, with the lowest temperature on Sunday falling to -13 C. As cold as this was, it was just short of the 10-year record -13.5 C, said Chen Dagang, senior engineer at Beijing meteorological bureau. But the record is expected to be smashed on Monday when the mercury is expected to read -15 C. The municipal government ordered hotels, restaurants, government departments and public-funded institutions to reduce their heating demands on Saturday to ensure heating for residents would be guaranteed. About 3,900 public buildings in Beijing were asked to keep their indoor temperatures under 22 C and heating systems for government buildings were requested to maintain a temperature of 5 C. Overheating in public buildings will be punished, according to the government. More than 100 extra buses have been allocated to key routes that link major residential areas to transport pivots and shopping centers, according to Beijing Public Transport Holdings. "I haven't seen such cold for at least 15 years," said Wu Xinxin, a white-collar worker in Beijing. "Most of my female colleagues have been wrapping themselves in blankets. "I wrap myself up with a quilt at home as the central heating sometimes doesn't generate enough warmth, so I have to use an electric heater." The cold spell claimed lives. Two tourists died on Sunday after being trapped for at least 18 hours on Lingshan Mountain on the border of Beijing and Hebei province. They were reported missing on Saturday afternoon and found Sunday morning. One was dead at the scene and the other died shortly after being found. The temperature on the mountain was -25 C on Saturday night and there were strong winds, the police said. In Shanghai, the municipal meteorological bureau published a 24-hour warning on Sunday afternoon. In the coastal province of Zhejiang, the meteorological bureau forecast that most of its cities will see a substantial drop in temperature on Monday, possibly hitting -6 C. "There are so many customers ordering our down jackets, forcing us to stop receiving online orders since Saturday," said Hu Haixia, owner of a down jacket tailoring store in Hengdian, Zhejiang. Increasingly lower temperatures in the past month have led to rising pork prices, according to Xinhua News Agency's price system on national farm produce. Contact the writers at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn and xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn | ||
| Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST China's postal authorities have ordered an overhaul of the express delivery sector amid growing concerns over personal information being leaked and traded by workers. The State Post Bureau said in a recent statement that delivery companies should ensure user information is well protected throughout their procedures, and that authorities will be conducting spot-checks on firms, focusing specifically on personal information security. The moves come after various media reports highlighting the reselling by express workers of delivery receipt details, which have increased public concern over the disclosure of personal information. Liu Jun, deputy chief of the State Post Bureau, said at a conference last week that the national authority plans to build a long-term system of protecting user information in the express delivery sector. Anyone found guilty of misusing personal information could face legal action. Liu said companies failing to meet the protection requirements would be suspended from providing service until they have rectified any problems identified. China's express delivery industry has been boosted by the booming online shopping market, estimated at 806.2 billion yuan ($129.2 billion) in the first three quarters of this year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Other figures from the State Administration of Industry and Commerce now suggest there are 210 million online shoppers in the country. The reselling of package receipts has become big business, said Hong Zhilong, a manager of the Anzhenmen branch of ZTO express in Chaoyang district in Beijing. "I now know there are companies that gather this kind of information and resell it — I get calls from them all the time," he said. Hong said delivery workers are required to keep the receipts signed for by customers for a year before handing them to the headquarters of the company. However, Hong said not all workers obey the rules, and "there were many cases of user information being leaked". Zhang Guoquan, a manager at the Tianshuiyuan community branch of Shanghai Yunda Express in Beijing, said he also receives phone calls inquiring about sales of receipts and tracking numbers. "I never even talk with them. I have been in this industry for more than 10 years, and I knew how important reputation is. To me it is a matter of principle," he said. Meanwhile, another area of the industry causing concern to the authorities is the poor disposal of parcel boxes and receipts, by companies and customers. In February, a court in Xiamen, Fujian province, sentenced a 24-year-old man to death after he was convicted of killing a woman, who attracted his attention as being wealthy because she had made so many purchases online, which arrived at her home by express delivery. He noticed the number of parcels she had disposed of at her residential community, and the man had been using the boxes for clues about her wealth. He then pretended to be an express delivery worker, and when she opened the door he gained entry and killed and then robbed her, according to a report by the People's Court Daily. In a statement issued by the national postal authority on Dec 10, express delivery users are reminded to remove any receipts from the outside of any parcels and make sure they do not disclose anything about their personal information before throwing them away. Contact the writer at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn | ||
| Call for law to protect netizens Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST Experts said legislation is the best way to protect residents' private information on the Internet and provide a safer online environment. With private information, including bank account numbers and passwords, being leaked online in recent years, many people have realized the urgency of properly protecting their privacy, experts said. In December 2011, about 40 million users' passwords at Tianya Club, a major Internet forum, were leaked, and it has become common for Internet users to receive spam messages and calls from strangers. Ding Junjie, a professor at the Communication University of China in Beijing, said such problems are inevitable with the development of the Internet, but their negative effects should not be underestimated. He suggested upgrading current regulations and guidelines on Internet information into a law, to better protect online users' privacy. "Although we have some regulations on cyber security and a few Internet companies also have their own guidelines to prevent information leaks, it's far from enough," he said, adding that current regulations are "fragile" and people with malicious intent can easily break them. "To deter those who intend to make illegal money by selling others' privacy, strong legislation seems to be the most effective solution." Ding said a law will be helpful in the implementation of an online real-name system, where users cannot hide their identity behind an online pseudonym. Some micro-blogging services started to enforce a real-name system from March 16, aiming to stop online rumors and create a healthy online environment. Now people who wish to register a micro-blogging account must provide their identity card number and wait for the police to match the information, said Li Zheng from Tencent Weibo, one of China's most popular micro-blogging platforms. "The policy only targets newcomers, and all users can still use their Internet names, because their information is hidden and protected behind the platform," Li said. Shen Yang, a professor at Wuhan University, said the real-name system adds to the workload of these companies and has led to complaints from netizens, but if the policy is properly carried out, it does more good than harm to the development of the Internet. The regulations and punishments determined by the government and companies should have a legal basis, he said. Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn | ||
| Posted: 23 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST Shanghai Re Medical Co is a startup business jointly established by Shanghai Jiaotong University's medical school and a group of professionals who specialize in the healthcare and telecommunication sectors. It is engaged in providing remote and mobile cardiovascular disease diagnosis services for community clinics and rural healthcare centers. "Our targeted group is China's 230 million patients with cardiovascular disease who seek help at community clinics and even rural medical institutes where cardiologists are in short supply," said the company. It now serves 170 residential community clinics in Shanghai, covering 20 million citizens. The cost of the service is around 30 percent of a professional cardiologist. "China has 32,000 community clinics and more than 37,000 township and village medical institutes, which indicates the huge market potential of this service. Such a mobile technology-based medical service is promising in China, given its efficiency and lower cost," said James Xiao, senior manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers China Pharmaceutical & Life Science, who was in charge of PwC's global study on mobile technology in healthcare in China. A mobile healthcare service refers to using mobile devices, such as cellphones and iPads, to collect community and clinical health data to deliver healthcare information to practitioners, researchers and patients and conduct interactive communication. When further developed, it can also monitor patients' vital signs and direct provision of care via mobile telemedicine. PwC's study shows widespread adoption of mobile technology in healthcare is now viewed as inevitable by 80 percent of doctors and healthcare payers in China. PwC surveyed 103 ordinary people, 76 doctors, 31 hospital executives and 14 officials from medical and insurance departments around the nation. The study found that Chinese people have high expectations of mobile healthcare. The number of cellphone subscribers in China has exceeded 900 million, making the nation the largest mobile user base in the world. China is also in the process of upgrading its healthcare system through policy reforms and massive government investment in access, quality and efficiency. "These two forces will create fertile ground for growing mobile technology businesses that hope to target the diverse needs of the Chinese people," said the report. "People in China are very excited about the potential benefits mobile healthcare could bring about as its applications will empower Chinese people to take control of their health," said Ronald Ling, PwC's Asia healthcare leader. The study report indicates that 54 percent of those surveyed believe mobile healthcare service will improve the way they manage their overall health. And 45 percent hope to use mobile healthcare service as a way to make access to doctors more convenient. A total of 36 percent believe the service will also reduce medical care costs. The most desired mobile healthcare solutions are in the areas of integrating real-time medical information from patients into their existing medical records, allowing transparency between doctors and patients. A total of 24 percent of those surveyed are aware of and willing to use the integrated services, while 73 percent will be willing to use the integrated services in the future. Almost all future users of the integrated services are willing to pay for them. Fu Jianming, a 45-year-old Beijinger, said he really hopes this service can be available in his community as soon as possible. "My parents and parents-in-law are all over 75 and living with me and my wife. If the service is offered, it will be very convenient for them to see doctors in community clinics, a place with many fewer patients than in big hospitals and it is near our home," he said. "At the same time they can enjoy a high-quality diagnosis service, the same as that in big hospitals. That's fantastic." The study also found Chinese doctors expect mobile technology healthcare to improve both their interaction with hospitals and with patients. Around 44 percent of the surveyed doctors think this service can bring better processes and communications with hospitals, and 33 percent think it can reduce administrative time. Reduced cost is also a key attraction to adopting mobile medical solutions. New entrants in the sector in China have emerged with ideas that create attractive benefits for patients and doctors, sound returns on the investments of stakeholders and a sustainable revenue model for themselves. "Looking back to how the Internet and mobile phones revolutionized everyday life, the service seems to be a logical solution towards China's healthcare transformation," said Xiao. "The prevalence of mobile users and maturity of China's mobile infrastructure will help bypass any limitations in the existing system. Using this solution, doctors in rural areas can enjoy the same level of access to medical knowledge and communication as in a large city, and chronic health conditions can be monitored and managed at the doctor's fingertips through mobile devices. More importantly, it can reduce costs." Recently, Shanghai Re Medical signed a contract with a clinic in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in northwestern China. Other institutions and companies are testing the waters. Contact the writer at liujie@chinadaily.com.cn | ||
| Xi Jinping advocates reform, China Dream Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:48 AM PST The new helmsman of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xi Jinping has been acclaimed as a leader advocating reform and the China Dream and bringing a fresh breeze into China's political life. | ||
| Agriculture minister stresses farm workers' interests Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:45 AM PST Chinese Minister of Agriculture has stressed the need to implement measures to help farm workers. | ||
| China eyes more rural development in 2013 Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:30 AM PST China will look to improve farmers' income growth and reduce obstacles in agricultural development next year, in a bid to boost vitality in rural areas, according to an annual conference. | ||
| China company to revitalize Serbian railways Posted: 23 Dec 2012 04:12 AM PST "SERBIA has a lot of trust in Chinese construction companies, and I am sure that they will do this job well" said Milutin Mrkonjic, Serbian Minister of Transport Saturday after signing a memorandum of understanding with Beijing based Chinese Construction Communication Company ( CCCC ) International | ||
| China firmly opposes U.S. congress defense authorization bill Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:24 AM PST China voiced firm opposition on Sunday to contents concerning the country in a defense authorization bill approved by the U.S. congress. | ||
| Italy's president dissolves parliament after PM resigns Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:08 AM PST Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday dissolved parliament after a series of consultations with party leaders, which came following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti. | ||
| 7 dead, 19 injured in C China's road accident Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:08 AM PST Seven people were dead and another 19 injured in a road accident Sunday morning in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, local police said. | ||
| Senior minister among 9 killed in blast in Pakistan Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:08 AM PST At least nine people including senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour were killed and over 18 others were injured in a suicide blast that hit a political gathering in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Saturday evening, senior government official said. | ||
| 4.1-magnitude quake hits Taiwan Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:16 PM PST A 4.1-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:13 p.m. (Beijing time) on Sunday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) reported. | ||
| China cancels 1-yr control on thermal coal prices Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 PM PST BEIJING - China's price regulator will end its one-year control on thermal coal prices beginning Jan 1, 2013. The decision was made because prices are stable based on balanced demand and supply. Prices of thermal coal will be decided by suppliers and consumers, according to a statement issued by the National Development and Reform Commission. "The move to cancel limits on thermal coal prices will not lead to sharp price hikes as demand is sluggish amid the global economic slowdown," said Zhang Yongjun, an analyst with China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE). The NDRC on Nov 30 last year decided to control prices of thermal coal from Jan 1, 2012 to put a stop to soaring coal prices. It allowed the contract price of major thermal coal to float by no more than 5 percent this year from last year. The market price of 5,500-kilocalorie coal should be capped within 800 yuan ($126.98) per metric ton at major shipping ports in north China. The country's power consumption, a key barometer of economic activities, rose 7.6 percent year on year to 413.9 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) last month, higher than October's 6.1-percent rise, according to the National Energy Administration. It was the second straight month of acceleration, according to the administration. | ||
| China lifts blue alert for cold wave Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 PM PST BEIJING - China's National Meteorological Center(NMC) on Sunday lifted its blue alert for the severe cold wave that has been sweeping many northern regions of the country. The cold snap is easing but temperatures will continue to drop in central and eastern China and on Monday some will experience record low temperatures, according to the NMC. Temperatures dropped overnight by 6-8 degrees Celsius in southeastern parts of northwestern China, western parts of northern China, Inner Mongolia and central and eastern parts of northeastern China, southeastern Fujian and coastal areas in Guangdong. Many places experienced the lowest temperatures so far this winter, including parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan. The meteorological alerts are categorized as blue, yellow, orange and red, with the severity of any disaster ascending. | ||
| China's pork prices rise amid cold weather Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 PM PST BEIJING - Increasingly lower temperatures in the past month has led to rising pork prices, according to Xinhua News Agency's price system on national farm produce. Pork prices were up 5.2 percent on Saturday from November 20, the price system showed. Northern and northeastern China reported the highest price hikes. Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces saw rises of more than 10 percent. However, pork prices on Saturday were 8 percent lower than the same period last year. Impending festivals, including the New Year and the Spring Festival, will see rising pork consumption, according to the system. Pork is a staple meat in China. Food prices account for almost a third of the weighting in the country's calculation of the consumer price index (CPI), the key gauge of inflation. The CPI grew 2 percent year on year in November, up from a 33-month low of 1.7 percent in October, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. | ||
| Chinese private firms lack innovation spirit Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 PM PST BEIJING - Privately-owned companies in China rely on copying their counterparts' technology with few bothering to improve and innovate, a report has concluded. The Report on Chinese Non-governmental Enterprises' Competitiveness 2012 found that of those surveyed 36.4 percent of the country's private companies had not set up their own research and development center during the past three years. The report, released Saturday by the Center for Private Economy Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, surveyed 622 private firms in 19 provinces and municipalities. It included Zhejiang, an eastern region boasting many private companies. "The overall independent innovation capabilities of Chinese privately-owned companies are relatively weak and they are in urgent need of transforming and upgrading their industrial development mode," the report concluded. According to the report, only 35.2 percent of enterprises have shifted from labor-intensive products to those with high technical input in the past three years. While urging private enterprises to break away from traditional development methods, the report proposed the country set up a public technology service network that will help companies to utilize latest technological breakthroughs. In addition, the report recommended favorable taxation and financing systems that will ease private companies' financial burdens during the transformation. | ||
| Posted: 22 Dec 2012 11:58 PM PST Bernardo Bertolucci reflects on his new movie and an illustrious career that saw him court controversy and gain access to the Forbidden City. Mariella Radaelli reports. Bernardo Bertolucci, the first foreign director to film inside the Forbidden City, tackles the loneliness of youth and its obscure necessity in his new film Me and You, which was released in Italy in October. He looked relaxed and happy to be back after a nine-year hiatus from filmmaking.
"I need to go on now. It's like therapy," he says. Radicalism and rebellion have always been a major part of Bertolucci's art house cinema style. Even today the legendary Italian film director (who was born in 1941 on a farm near Parma) maintains his alluring, radical style, and psychoanalysis continues to be a significant feature of his cinematography. "It's like having an additional lens on my camera," says the director. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of The Last Emperor, Bertolucci's stunning epic set in China, which won nine Oscars. China was a source of "infinite emotion, and a superlative enriching experience", he says. "At the beginning I said to myself, 'Oh hell, I don't know the Chinese. How does a Chinese person turn on a television?' I had to throw myself into it, follow my intuition." Was it a fascination with exoticism? "Yes, exactly that, very much. I am really enchanted by differences. However slowly, as you get to know someone from a different culture, you realize that they are not that different. They are just like you. We all share the same dreams," he says. "Inside the Forbidden City, I could see mysterious courtyards and massive closed doors that you could tell had been closed for who knows how long. I made friends with one of the guards. I told him, 'Come on, take me there tomorrow, let me see that.' "The man brought enormous keys: tlot, tlot, tlot went the sound of these keys going into the rusty locks that opened the doors of abandoned pavilions. You can't imagine how fascinating they were. What strong emotion. My experience in China is always connected with this image of me looking for keys to open doors." |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Update » News » China To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Comments