News » Politics » Beijing smog returns after wind dies down

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• Beijing smog returns after wind dies down
• Brazil iron ore giant to set up center in China
• South Korea and Japan affected by pollution in China
• Asus cooperates with Microsoft to expand phone business
• Tibetans Face Passport Dilemma
• Hong Kong and China largest source of fake goods entering US: report
• Beijing plans fewer vehicles on roads during heavy air pollution
• China's economy to recover moderately: economist
• Warning shots at Chinese planes a bad idea: US
• Leung Chun-ying focuses on housing in policy address
• Lintegrity earns Jeremy invite to Vatican sports conference
• Daimler to buy 10%-20% stake in BAW after Hong Kong listing
• Taiwan's number of newborns in 2012 hits 10-year high
• A cautious step in loosening loans for China's real estate
• China Criticizes Clinton’s Remarks About Dispute With Japan Over Islands
• Top China Stories from WSJ: Isle Spat, One-Child Policy, Caterpillar
• Michele Nash-Hoff: Congress Hasn't Averted the Real Fiscal Cliff
• China's Metrosexual Men Revive Luxury Shopping
• A Cease-Fire With Rebels in Myanmar Doesn't Hold
• Chinese Official Posts Sold for Millions

Beijing smog returns after wind dies down Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:27 AM PST The dangerous smog that descended upon Beijing last week is back, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily. After only a few days of relatively clear skies, air pollution in Beijing has r...

Brazil iron ore giant to set up center in China Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:11 AM PST Following the successive deliveries of goods from very large ore carriers (VLOC), Vale SA — Brazil's iron ore giant — has been actively arranging for the docking of its ultra-large ships in China's ...

South Korea and Japan affected by pollution in China Posted: 21 Jan 2013 03:35 AM PST South Korea and Japan are both claiming that China's pollution problem is affecting their own country and citizens, reports the Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthp...

Asus cooperates with Microsoft to expand phone business Posted: 21 Jan 2013 03:31 AM PST The mobile phone business with Microsoft's mobile phone operating system Windows Phone 8 has become the focus of Asus this year, reports Wall Street Journal. The company will launch the mobile phone...

Tibetans Face Passport Dilemma Posted: 20 Jan 2013 06:54 PM PST Hardly any Tibetan has been issued with an international passport since Chinese authorities introduced tough travel rules nearly a year ago in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), according to sources. Under the April 2012 procedures issued by the TAR authorities, prospective Tibetan travelers are subject to arduous—and what some call discriminatory—procedures in an apparent attempt by Beijing to clamp down on their travels abroad. The procedures, contained in an official TAR document obtained by RFA's Tibetan Service, were introduced after many Tibetans attended the "Kalachakra" religious gathering in India in January 2012 presided by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is reviled by Chinese leaders as a separatist. The move was also part of tightened security measures following self-immolation protests by Tibetans questioning Chinese rule in the TAR and Tibetan-populated areas.    "Since February or March of last year, there has been no issuing of new Chinese passport to Tibetans and those in the TAR were hit hard by the move," Office of Tibet in Taiwan researcher Sonam Dorjee told RFA's Tibetan service. Another source, with contacts in Tibet and speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was only aware of Tibetan officials being issued passports by Chinese authorities. "No new Chinese passports have been issued to Tibetan individuals in TAR, except for a few Tibetan officials who received the passports for official purpose and which they need to hand back upon their return," the source said. Unlike Chinese nationals, Tibetans face a "very complicated and difficult process" to obtain passports, Dorjee said. "They may have to wait for years for their applications to be processed and may have to pay bribes along the way." "For most Tibetans with no official connections, they cannot get a passport at all," Dorjee said. Contradiction This is a contradiction of the law as the Chinese government, under national regulations, require the authorities to issue passports within 15 days after an application is made and to notify unsuccessful applicants within six days with the reasons why their applications were denied, he said. "There should be one set of regulations and procedure for all the citizens of the nation but for China, it is not the case," Dorjee said. Tibetans have to first submit their passport applications to local government offices in the areas they resided. The documents will be scrutinized at the village, district and county levels and then finally by the TAR police bureau. "Even after the lengthy process, the applicant is required to sign a document guaranteeing to the effect that he would not engage in any "illegal activities" or activities that are "harmful to the nation" while abroad, Dorjee said. Even if Tibetans are able to obtain passports and get to travel abroad, they have to surrender the travel document to the authorities within seven days on their return home. They also have to report to the local police and subject themselves to interrogations—requirements not imposed on Chinese nationals whose passports are usually valid for five to 10 years and not collected back on their return from abroad. "It shows that even though all are considered Chinese citizens, TAR passport applicants do not have the same rights as guaranteed in China for other applicants," Dorjee said. Quandary Tibetans already with passports are also in a quandary. When the Chinese authorities began implementing a nationwide electronic passport scheme last year, Tibetans in TAR had to surrender their passports even before expiration and were subject to thorough investigation and screening procedures, according to Tibetan watcher Gonpo. Many Tibetans with passports wanting to re-enter Tibet from Nepal were stranded in the border due to the change to electronic passports, he said. A Tibetan businessman who arrived in the Nepali capital Kathmandu in the first week of January from Tibet said many Tibetans who had attended the Kalachakra festival in India a year ago had their passports seized by the authorities and have not got them back. "Passports for all Kalachakra returnees are confiscated with the assurances that new passports will be issued, but to my knowledge no new passports have ever been issued to them," he said. Tibetan businessmen shuttling between the TAR capital Lhasa and Nepal are also concerned their passports would be confiscated. In fact, the number of Tibetans travelling to Nepal with Chinese passports is significantly down in recent days, impacting Tibetan businesses in Nepal, said a Tibetan resident in Nepal. There are about 20,000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal, and Beijing has urged Kathmandu to restrict their activities. Reported by RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.

Hong Kong and China largest source of fake goods entering US: report Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:51 AM PST Of the counterfeit goods imported into the United States each year, 72% come from mainland China and 12% come from Hong Kong according to a joint report from the US Customs and Border Protection, Im...

Beijing plans fewer vehicles on roads during heavy air pollution Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:51 AM PST The number of vehicles on Beijing's roads could be cut on days when the city suffers from heavy air pollution, according to a new regulation released for comments on Saturday. According to the Beijin...

China's economy to recover moderately: economist Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:51 AM PST China will witness a moderate economic recovery this year while a rapid rebound in inflation is unlikely, according to a chief economist. Despite the uncertainty in external markets, which is conside...

Warning shots at Chinese planes a bad idea: US Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:43 AM PST To prevent a full scale war between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands, the US has implored the Japanese government to abandon their warning shot threats against C...

Leung Chun-ying focuses on housing in policy address Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:27 AM PST Leung Chun-ying, the chief executive of Hong Kong, pledged a reclamation project of 2,000 to 3,000 hectares in a bid to tackle the city's housing crisis during his inaugural policy speech, reports loc...

Lintegrity earns Jeremy invite to Vatican sports conference Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:23 AM PST Squeaky clean Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent, could be the Catholic Church's secret weapon in bringing moral integrity back into p...

Daimler to buy 10%-20% stake in BAW after Hong Kong listing Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:23 AM PST Daimler is considering investing more money in its Chinese partner Beijing Automobile Works by obtaining a 10%-20% stake after the latter goes public, pending consultation between the two parties. ...

Taiwan's number of newborns in 2012 hits 10-year high Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:23 AM PST Boosted by the "Year of the Dragon effect" and the government's policy to encourage marriage and childbearing, Taiwan had more than 234,000 infants last year with a total birth rate of 1.265, both hit...

A cautious step in loosening loans for China's real estate Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:19 AM PST More banks in China are taking the initiative to grant loans to real estate developers this year, the the Beijing-based China Business Journal reported on Jan. 20. Applications to obtain loans from b...

China Criticizes Clinton’s Remarks About Dispute With Japan Over Islands Posted: 20 Jan 2013 09:00 PM PST China accused Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of presenting a distorted picture about its dispute with Japan, and it expressed "resolute opposition" to her position.

Top China Stories from WSJ: Isle Spat, One-Child Policy, Caterpillar Posted: 20 Jan 2013 05:50 PM PST The Chinese government responded sharply to comments by the U.S. over islands at the center of a dispute between China and Japan; Caterpillar Inc. grapples with an accounting scandal at a Chinese company it bought last year to drive growth in its mining business; China's top national statistician joined opponents to the nation's one-child policy.

Michele Nash-Hoff: Congress Hasn't Averted the Real Fiscal Cliff Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST We are at a cross roads in our country. We must change our tax, trade, and regulatory policies to rebuild our manufacturing industry to increase the number of taxpayers if we ever want to pay down our national debt, reduce our unemployment rates, and avoid economic collapse. Read more: Fiscal Cliff, National Debt, Trade Deficit, China, Manufacturing-Job-Loss, Business News This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

China's Metrosexual Men Revive Luxury Shopping Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST By Yimou Lee and Farah Master HONG KONG/MACAU, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Let's hear it for the boys. China's fashion-forward men are snapping... Read more: Video, Reuters, Chinese Luxury Goods, China Luxury Shopping, China Metrosexuals, China Metrosexual Men, China Fashion, China Luxury Goods, China, World News This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

A Cease-Fire With Rebels in Myanmar Doesn't Hold Posted: 20 Jan 2013 09:00 PM PST Ethnic Kachin rebels and at least one independent observer said that the continued fighting was less intense than in previous days and that the government's aerial bombardments had stopped.

Chinese Official Posts Sold for Millions Posted: 20 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST Former Chinese regime head Jiang Zemin attends the 18th Party Congress on Oct. 15, 2007, in Beijing, China. (Feng Li/Getty Images) A high ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official attempted to buy a promotion from former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, with at least 30 million yuan (US$4.8 million), according to recent reports. According to a February 2011 article published online by the China-based newspaper the Economic Observer, Liu Zhijun, China's former railway minister who was expelled from the CCP over serious disciplinary violations, had colluded with a businesswoman named Ding Shumiao in a railway bidding project and received a US$132 million commission from her. Later reports by other news agencies put the sum at an even higher US$320 million.  According to an insider, Liu had planned to use the money to buy the position of Vice Premier of the State Department, which would also make him a member of the Political Bureau, reported Hong Kong newspaper Mingpao. Hong Kong's Dongxiang Magazine published a recent article titled "The CCP Faces a Loyalty Crisis." The article said, "There is an unanswered question in Liu's ongoing corruption trial: Liu is a ministry-level official who wants to buy a promotion and become a vice premier. Who can he buy it from? The answer is simple. A ministry level official who wants to be promoted has to bribe at least half of the standing members in the Political Bureau, at a price of no less than 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million) per standing member. And should Liu choose to ask the favor of a retired heavy-weight leader who has the power to intervene or suggest his promotion, he will have to pay upwards of 30 million yuan (US$4.8 million)."  The article added that "the CCP General Secretary also sold government positions." This open secret of the CCP took place during Jiang Zemin's tenure as CCP General Secretary and Party leader, lasting from the time Deng Xiaoping died until Jiang stepped down.  The crisis of cadre's loyalty to the Party formed a few years after the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4th 1989, and became an open issue when Deng died in 1997. Despite the unsolved loyalty crisis, Jiang still went ahead with the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, and continued to suppress religious beliefs such as underground Christianity, Tibetan Buddhism, and Uyghurs, the article said. Jiang also actively promoted his personal belief inside and outside the CCP: Quietly make a fortune and never mind the politics.  Related Articles How Jiang Zemin Encouraged Bo Xilai's Atrocities, Part I The article commented that as a result, the ability of current Party leader Xi Jinping to accomplish Hu Jintao's last wish will rely largely upon whether he will be able to change this view among Party officials. Read the original Chinese article.  chinareports@epochtimes.com The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 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. Who are the Major Players?

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