Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol. 60/No. 47 i Beijing Review

CPI and PPI China reported mild consumer inflation growth in October, while producer prices posted a strong increase, beating market forecasts. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.9 percent year on year in October, up from September’s 1.6 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. Although this was the biggest increase in nine months, it was still moderate compared to the government goal of around 3 percent for the whole year. The figure perfectly met market expectations and was mainly a result of rising non-food prices, China Merchants Securities Co. Ltd. said in a research note. Non-food prices climbed 2.4 percent year on year, with health care costs jumping 7.2 percent from a year earlier. Home rental, education, culture and entertainment also saw rises of more…

When Chinese President Xi Jinping went to Viet Nam to attend the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, followed by state visits to Viet Nam and Laos, there was keener world attention to the itinerary than usual. It was Xi’s first overseas trip after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which charted out the path China would follow for the next five years; and Xi’s re-election as the CPC general secretary con-solidated his position as one of the historically influential leaders of China. With the strong and stable Chinese economy as a major engine of global development and with China assuming greater responsibilities in international affairs, Xi’s Southeast Asia visit was to be an indication of China’s foreign policy, especially vis-à-vis its neighboring countries. Analysts say…

Founded on November 11, 1949, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is the largest air force in Asia and the third largest in the world. In recent years, several new models of fighter jets, including the J-20, J-16 and J-10C, and the Y-20 military transport aircraft have been commissioned by the PLA Air Force, facilitating its advancement toward an all- around, modern, combat-ready force. Comments to yuanyuan@bjreview.com…

A lifestyle exhibition showcasing ideas and future trends in urban living for people in China attracted over 600 entrepreneurs, artists, scholars, journalists and consumers to the Phoenix International Media Center in Beijing on November 5. The exhibition trans-formed the Beijing offices of Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television into an open living space that enabled visitors to experience differ-ent lifestyle concepts. The event—the inaugural U-Salt Festival—featured panel discussions between professionals from industry, the arts, academia and the media, and also highlighted over 30 lifestyle activities ranging from gardening to traditional arts and crafts—such as ceramics, wood carving and Suzhou embroidery—to the cutting-edge technology of virtual reality. Consumption drives transformation The conference—the largest open activity ever staged at the Phoenix Center—aimed to illus trate the concept of Demands of the New Era…

Members of Antarctic expedition form the number 34 on the helicopter deck of the research icebreaker Xue Long during a ceremony to celebrate the ship crossing the equator on November 15. The vessel set sail from Shanghai on November 8 to undertake the nation’s 34th Antarctic expedition, scheduled to last as long as 164 days. Scientists will carry out 19 research tasks during the expedition and make preparations for building China’s fifth scientific research station in Antarctica.…

BELGIUM Representatives of 23 EU states pose for a group photo after signing a joint defense cooperation pact at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels on November 13 SLOVENIA Slovenian President Borut Pahor (center) holds a press conference in Ljubljana on November 12. Pahor won the presidential runoff that day to secure a second consecutive five-year term in office PAKISTAN A Pakistani official uses a steamroller to crush bottles of liquor during an event in Karachi, south Pakistan, on November 13, at which the Pakistan Coast Guards, destroyed huge amounts of illicit liquor and drugs smuggled into the country IRAN A mirror amongst other personal belongings in debris reflects local women in a village in Sarpol-e Zahab County on November 14. A huge earthquake struck the area along…

As another annual APEC Summit drew to a close in Da Nang Viet Nam, the future suddenly became uncertain as the U.S. president lashed out at so-called “chronic trade abuses” and promised to take a bilateral approach to address trade issues. President Donald Trump sent a clear message that his country does not offer a free ride to any country and the U.S. wants to conduct trade on the principles of fairness and reciprocity. As the U.S. is poised to give up its leadership position, the vision for building a “seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated Asia-Pacific” is apparently in jeopardy. Such anxiety was soothed to some extent when Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in his keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit in Da Nang that “we should uphold…

A sweeping reform of the supervisory system has been rolled out across China since November 5, about one year after the decision to pilot it in Beijing as well as Zhejiang and Shanxi provinces was announced. It is a major reform of the political system initiated by the central Party leadership, lauded Xiao Pei, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Supervision. The fundamental purpose of the super-visory reform is to strengthen the Party’s leadership in the fight against corruption; link the Party’s discipline enforcement with gov-ernment law enforcement; and incorporate anti-corruption and anti-dereliction forces in supervisory and corruption prevention agen-cies as well as procuratorates, Xiao said. He explained the aim of this reform at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party…

All was not silent in the heart of the Kubuqi Desert in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The whistling of the wind was covered up by the roars of machines. With an auger in hand, one worker was drilling a deep hole in the sand, then another worker put a seedling in it and covered the hole with sand. It took less than 20 seconds to plant a tree. “This method doesn’t affect the soil structure and will keep moisture in the sand. The survival rate of the seedlings can reach as high as 65 percent in dry areas,” said Han Meifei, an engineer with Elion Resources Group, best known for its successful efforts in greening the Kubuqi Desert. In areas with enough groundwater, hydrau-lic planting methods are more…

Public Interest Litigations Courts across China have dealt with 831 public interest litigation cases initiated by procuratorates over the past two years, resolving 455 of them, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) said on November 14. Of the total, 645 cases involved administrative litigation, 362 of which were concluded, according to statements made by the SPC during a televised briefing. In July 2015, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate began a pilot reform allowing procuratorates to initiate public interest litigations in 13 provincial regions. China’s top legislature passed revised civil and administrative procedure laws in June to allow prosecutors to instigate public interest litigations. The reform aims to better protect the interests of the nation and the public, especially in food safety and protection of the environment and resources. Addressing the event on…

China’s relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the most vibrant of all the association’s ties with its other dialogue partners. That is the con-sensus of ASEAN and was espoused by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang when he addressed the 20th China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders’ meeting on November 13. The meeting also marked the golden jubilee of ASEAN, a regional bloc that promotes political, economic and security collaboration among its 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. As the first major country outside the bloc to endorse the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN, China has hailed the progress of countries in Southeast Asia in the past decades. Since the establishment…

Comments to zanjifang@bjreview.com Chinese people have a long history of growing wheat, and cooked wheat-based foods are enjoyed by people nationwide. Which kind of noodles taste best? Which kind of steamed buns are sweet and chewy? These are questions that con-cern every ordinary Chinese family, and He Zhonghu, a research fellow at the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and Director of the National Wheat Improvement Center, who was also a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October in Beijing, seems the most appropriate person to answer them. He’s lab includes food processing and cooking equipment, as part of his research involves making noodles and cooking them. His objective is to make wheat-based foods more delicious.…

Wang Xiaojing, a 29-year-old working for a real estate company in south China, found her spending exceeding 6,000 yuan ($900) on November 11, also known as Singles Day, a day marked by an online shop-ping frenzy nationwide. She bought skincare products, lingerie, a supply of snacks to last her for months, and a suitcase for her par-ents at a whopping discount. Her family had also shown interest in the shopping extrava-ganza. Wang said her mother reminded her a week before not to miss the annual online shopping carnival. Wang’s boss, who declined to be named, also had an online shopping trolley full of different electronic products. He checked out on November 11 too. “Both of us have faith in online stores,” Wang said, adding that she found the commodities she…

U.S. electric automaker Tesla Inc. has been in the media spotlight in the past few weeks for something still uncertain: whether, and when, it will build its first car fac-tory in China. Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke of a “rough target of start of production in about three years” on the company’s plan for a China plant in a recent conference call with analysts, following reports of it having talks with the local government on building a factory in Shanghai. Nothing is final yet, but one thing is certain: However Tesla’s plan turns out, China is unlikely to slow down its drive to open wider to foreign investors. “We always welcome foreign investment, especially in hi-tech, energy-saving and environmental protection as well as strategic emerging industries,” Ministry of Commerce spokesperson…