Retailer Your-Mart to list

China Economic Review 30 June 2009

The largest retailer in Hunan province, Your-Mart Co, said today that it would raise about US$75 million in a July listing, Reuters reported. Your-Mart will issue 50 million yuan-denominated A-shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on July 8, accounting for 26% of the company’s expanded share capital after the IPO. The funds will be used to upgrade its main shops in Changsha, the location of the company’s headquarters. Your-Mart is the third firm to be given approval for a listing after regulators resumed IPOs this month following a nine-month moratorium. With China’s equity markets rebounding, more domestic IPOs are expected to be approved this year, including that of China State Construction Engineering Corp, expected to raise about US$1 billion.

Full article:

http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/dailybriefing/2009_06_30/Retailer_Your-Mart_to_list.html

China's communist party members near 76 mln, 80% of recruits under 35

http://www.chinaview.cn/ 2009-06-30 18:42:09

Beijing, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has increased to nearly 76 million members over the past 60 years, according to official figures Tuesday.

As of the end of last year, the number of China's ruling CPC members stood at 75.931 million, 17 times the 1949 figure when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced.

Last year more than 2.8 million new members were recruited, up 25,000 from the previous year, it said.

Of the new members, 2.268 million, or 80.8 percent, are under 35 years old, it added.

"Recruits from students saw the biggest surge in 2008, up 71,000 from the previous year," it said.

When asked at a separate press conference how to handle the problem of some college students joining the CPC to facilitate their job hunting, Li Zhongjie, an official studying the party's history, said most applicants' motivation was to play their roles in building the nation and the society.

Full article: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11627880.htm

Chinese Communist Party chief stresses inner-party democracy

http://www.chinaview.cn/ 2009-06-30 19:27:49

Beijing, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Hu Jintao, chief of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has called for a vigorous improvement of inner-party democracy in order to enhance the Party's ruling capacity and leadership in the development of China.

Hu, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday. The digest of his speech at the meeting was published Tuesday, one day ahead of the party's 88th birthday.

Hu said the CPC must pay greater attention to inner-party democracy and actively promote it, because this will help the CPC perform its duty as the ruling party in more scientific and democratic ways and in accordance with the law.

"We must converge the wisdom and strength of the Party to an utmost level; we must fully inspire the creativity and vigor of the Party, and we must spare no efforts to consolidate the unity of the Party," so that the Chinese people can be united under the CPC leadership to carry forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Hu said.

The realization of inner-party democracy must rely on the guarantee of all Party members' democratic rights to know, to participate, to vote and to supervise in all internal affairs of the Party, Hu said.

CPC members, nearly 76 million out of the 1.3 billion Chinese population, should be encouraged to supervise and suggest on all matters concerning inner-party democracy, such as the work to fight corruption inside the Party.

Full article: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11628113.htm

Disney, Hong Kong reach $465m expansion deal

Agencies 2009-06-30 14:28

The Walt Disney Co and Hong Kong's government have reached a deal to expand the territory's Disneyland theme park at a cost of about $465 million, officials announced Tuesday.

The deal, in the works over the last two years, is part of an effort to boost the fortunes of the theme park after it failed to attract as many visitors as hoped after its opening in 2005.

The park, a joint venture between Walt Disney and the Hong Kong government, will get three new theme areas, as well as 30 new attractions.

"The expansion will be a catalyst to the park's long-term development and bring benefits to not just the local tourism industry but also the entire economy," Rita Lau, Hong Kong's commerce and economic development secretary, told reporters.

Under terms of the deal, the Burbank, California-based entertainment giant will contribute all the necessary new capital for construction as well as sustaining the park's operation during the building phases. It will also convert into equity about $350 million in loans to the venture to help with funding and will keep open a credit facility of about $40 million.

Hong Kong, which shouldered much of the $3.5 billion original construction cost, will not add any new capital, the government said.

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/30/content_8338445.htm

China delays mandatory 'Green Dam' installation

Xinhua 2009-06-30 21:03

Beijing: China will delay the mandatory installation of the controversial "Green Dam-Youth Escort" filtering software on new computers, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said here Tuesday.

The pre-installation was delayed as some computer producers said such massive installation demanded extra time, said the ministry.

All computers produced or sold in China were scheduled to be installed with such software after July 1, according to MIIT's previous announcement.

The ministry would continue to provide a free download of the software and equip school and Internet bar computers with it after July 1, said a spokesman with MIIT.

The ministry would also keep on soliciting opinions to perfect the pre-installation plan, he said.

The software is designed to block violence and pornographic contents on the Internet to protect minors. It could also help parents control how much time their children spend online.

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/30/content_8339705.htm

Chinese economy on road to recovery

CCTV 2009-06-30 09:23 BJT

Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, many are paying special attention to China's economic performance. The government's stimulus measures have already shown positive effects. Now a number of economists are saying the Chinese economy has bottomed out, and is already showing signs of recovery.

Wang Yiming, an economist with the National Development and Reform Commission, says the Chinese economy bottomed out in the first quarter of the year. The second quarter is expected to be the anticipated turning point. As overseas demand is yet to pick up, China will continue to rely on domestic consumption. In the meantime, China's exports will continue to slip in the near term. Though they will improve slightly in the second half of the year. Overall, China's exports will record a 10 percent decrease for 2009.

Zhu Jianfang, chief economist with CITIC Securities adds that the second quarter is dis-inventory. Real estate investment will accelerate in the third quarter, while the slip in exports will narrow in the fourth quarter. He says the Chinese economy is now on the upward section of a "U turn". Confidence has gradually been restored, with investment from the private sector showing recovery.

View video: http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20090630/102995.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20090630/102009.shtml

Kobe’s Next Conquest: China

WSJ.com JUNE 30, 2009, 1:14 A.M. ET

One of the great curiosities in modern sports is the Chinese people’s lavish affection for Kobe Bryant. During last year’s Beijing Olympics, he was greeted with a rapturous reception and mobbed everywhere he went. He appears in commercials and on billboards, has a popular Web site and had a reality show on Chinese television. He sells more NBA jerseys there than Yao Ming.

On Tuesday in Los Angeles, the love affair will reach a new level. Not only is Mr. Bryant accepting an award from the Asia Society for his work as a “cultural ambassador,” the ceremony will be attended by Liu Peng, China’s Secretary of Sport and a member of China’s Communist Party Central Committee.

China’s embrace is largely an appreciation of Mr. Bryant’s basketball talent—he won his fourth NBA title earlier this month with the Los Angeles Lakers. “He reminds everyone of Michael Jordan,” says Shen Zhiyu, a senior basketball writer for Titan Sports, China’s largest sports daily.

But it is also a reflection of a deliberate campaign by Mr. Bryant to make inroads in the world’s most-populous country. In addition to his frequent visits to China (a planned trip in late July will be his fourth in as many years) and his considerable work on behalf of sponsor Nike, he’s assuming another identity: philanthropist.

In an attempt to tap into the Chinese government’s growing interest in promoting charity, Mr. Bryant is establishing the Kobe Bryant China Fund. The organization will partner with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government, to raise money within China earmarked for education and health programs. Mr. Bryant’s existing fund, the Kobe Bryant Family Foundation, will also work to strengthen ties between the two countries by teaching middle-school students in the U.S. about Chinese language and culture. Mr. Bryant declined to say how much he is donating to the fund.

Full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204556804574258222289862830.html#mod=rss_about_china

Can ‘Made in China’ Make it for Vodka?

WSJ Blog June 26, 2009, 6:28 AM ET

This week saw the launch of one of the more interesting Chinese branding efforts we’ve seen in a while. Diageo, the U.K. company behind Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, has teamed up with Shui Jing Fang, China’s oldest maker of the potent spirit called baijiu, to produce a premium vodka in the southwestern city Chengdu using a combination of Russian and Chinese techniques.

Paying homage to China’s heyday of exotic glamour in the eyes of the West, the vodka is called “Shanghai White.” At a launch party in Hong Kong on Wednesday, the theme was 1930s Shanghai speakeasy, complete with art deco-style bars, skimpily dressed cabaret dancers and an MC in a top hat and tails. The frosted glass Shanghai White bottle combines chinoiserie patterns with art deco designs in silver and blue.

The vodka is made in Shui Jing Fang’s Chengdu distillery, where it is distilled four times over a period of six months before being bottled and sold at a suggested retail price of US$60. While Shanghai White’s launch was described as global, for now it is only available at a few locations in Hong Kong, and it’s not clear what other markets the vodka may appear in next.

China has been a strong market for Diageo, which also has a joint venture with Shui Jing Fang’s parent company, Sichuan Chengdu Quanxing Group. In September, the head of Diageo’s Asia Pacific division said China would probably be the company’s most stable and resilient market in Asia, according to Reuters, and the profitability of the company’s fast-growing whisky business in China, fueled by sales of Johnnie Walker, has helped to fund growth in other areas. Last year, Diageo introduced Guinness stout in China, where it is marketed as a top-end premium brew.

For its part, the Shanghai-listed Shui Jing Fang (aka Swellfun), is also a purveyor of high-end spirits. A half-liter bottle of its 122-proof baijiu, which traces its lineage back to the 14th century, retails for around 880 yuan ($129).

Full article: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2009/06/26/can-made-in-china-make-it-for-vodka/

Asian Games Cheerleader Selection Contest held in Chengdu

GAGOC 2009-06-29 10:39:40.0

The Jianlibao Asian Games Cheerleader Selection Contest concluded its selection in Chengdu Venue yesterday. The contest was held at Chendu Sport University.

After firece competition, two squads from the host university finished in the top, followed by a team from Xihua University.

The nation-wide contest is underway at 20 universities in 20 cities. Top teams from the current round will attend a professional cheerleading training camp in July and August and get prepared to perform in Asian Games venues.

Full article: http://www.gz2010.cn/09/0629/13/5CVSPJRK0078002T.html

National Crackdown on Prostitution Rings

Xinhua June 29

Chinese police plan a three-month crackdown on gangs that lure and force women into prostitution, to ensure a favorable social environment on the 60th anniversary of the foundation of new China, the Ministry of Public Security website said on June 26.

Deputy Director of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security Chen Jiping called for a comprehensive crackdown on such crime gangs at a working conference in Beijing.

Vice Minister of Public Security Zhang Xinfeng called for public participation in the national drive against forced prostitution and support for security departments across the country.

Zhang confirmed that the focus of the crackdown would be on gangs of criminals that lure and force women into prostitution, business people who provide prostitution services in entertainment facilities, and officials who are instrumental in child prostitution.

Entertainment venues, such as karaoke ballrooms, dance halls and night clubs, service facilities, such as hair salons and health spas and public places including hotels and rented housing are to be strictly supervised and monitored to ensure they are not used for illegal activities, Zhang said.

Full article: http://www.womenofchina.cn/news/Spotlight/211602.jsp

Death toll rises to four from NE China bridge collapse

Xinhua English 2009-06-29 19:39:54 (Beijing Time)

Harbin, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to four after one more body was recovered from a river in northeast China after part of a road bridge collapsed early Monday, sending vehicles plunging into the water below.

Eighteen people had been rescued out of the Hulan River beneath the bridge in Tieli City as of 11 a.m., among whom five were injured. But one died at hospital.

Rescuers also hoisted seven trucks and one van from river, said Vice Mayor Li Qingsheng at a news briefing.

The bridge is a main route into Tieli, a city that comes under the administration of Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province.

Tieli City Public Security Department confirmed Monday it received a report at 2:34 a.m. that part of the Hulan Bridge collapsed while an overloaded truck from Harbin, the provincial capital, was traveling across it. The truck, and several other motor vehicles after it, plunged into the river below.

Two cranes were installed to help hoist fallen motor vehicles from the river. Traffic on the entire bridge was disrupted.

Nobody could say for sure the exact number of motor vehicles traveling to Tieli City on the bridge when the incident occurred.

Full article: http://english.sina.com/china/p/2009/0629/251817.html

Pierre Cardin to sell certain licences to Chinese companies

SINA.com 2009-06-29 22:33:16 (Beijing Time)

French fashion giant Pierre Cardin said on Monday it had no plans for a sell-off to Chinese companies but was planning only to sell certain licences.

"This is not about the sale of the Pierre Cardin group," a spokesman told AFP. "The couturier is in talks with Chinese companies only on the sale of certain licences in China, as it did in the past for Japan for example."

The brand has around 800 licences spread across 140 countries, he noted.

Earlier Monday Pierre Cardin's chief representative in China Fang Fang said that "Mr Cardin is considering selling the China and the overall global brand."

Pierre Cardin arrived in China in 1978 and was one of the first Western fashion houses to enter the nation after Beijing embarked on economic reforms and opened up to the outside world.

Full article: http://english.sina.com/business/p/2009/0629/251839.html

Lianhua supermarkets on the march

Shanghai Daily.com 2009-6-29

The Chinese supermarket chain operator Lianhua Supermarket Holdings said late yesterday it has agreed to buy Hualian Supermarket to expand its presence in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Lianhua said it would buy 99.4 percent of the shares in Hualian from its parent Bailian Group for 488.8 million yuan while Lianhua Supermarket Development, a subsidiary of Lianhua, would take the rest for 2.9 million yuan, Lianhua said in a statement filed to Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Analysts said the merger indicated Bailian is set to reconstruct its supermarket chain business and Lianhua would gain substantial advantages in market competition on completion of the deal.

"The company's market share in the Yangtze River Delta region, especially the Shanghai region, will further expand. And it will experience substantial growth in the franchise business in Zhejiang Province and Jiangsu Province," Lianhua said in the statement. "It will also strengthen bargaining power when negotiating with its suppliers."

Lianhua, the largest supermarket chain operator in China, will have 5,268 stores across the nation, mainly in the Yangtze River Delta region, on completion of the deal. Hualian's strong presence in the delta region would help Lianhua to gain dominance in the area, especially in Shanghai, in line with Lianhua's market strategy to focus on eastern China.

Full article: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200906/20090629/article_405781.htm

P&G's epic campaign: war on fakes

China Daily 2009-06-29 11:21

For Procter & Gamble (P&G) there may be an even greater assault on its business than the ongoing gloomy world economy - fakes and brand infringement.

The world's largest personal-care products manufacturer has shown how seriously it takes the threat by prevailing in the latest round of a nine-year brand protection battle against a Guangdong shampoo maker.

Yet the fight could still go on for many years to come.

It all began when similar trademarks for P&G's Whisper brand - Hushubao in Chinese - and the mark Hushibao from Yaman Cosmetics Co triggered the protracted fight.

Established in 1994, Yaman Cosmetics Co in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, registered the Hushibao brand with the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

Due to similar pronunciations - Hushibao and Hushubao - P&G China opposed Yaman's application in 2000, but in late 2001 the trademark was approved.

P&G soon took action to fight the decision and began a seven-year battle - which again ended in failure.

The Hushibao case is just one of the hundreds of counterfeits and trademark infringement troubles for P&G during its 21 years in China.

Since P&G entered the world's most populous market in 1988, the firm has been repeatedly challenged by fakes and intellectual property infringement, according to a spokesman from P&G Great China.

Full article: http://en.ce.cn/Business/Enterprise/200906/29/t20090629_19420449.shtml

Top five music videos China

CCTV 2009-06-29 09:35 BJT

An impressive video that illustrates the soul of a song with a beautiful story can make a song or a singer famous overnight, and can significantly impact the artist's future development. So, on today's edition of "Countdown", we'll tell you which of the latest music videos are topping the chart.

To most of the youngsters born in the 1990s, the Taiwan boy-band F4 is a bygone idol. While Jerry Yen, a former member of F4, has remained active in singing and acting. This is the first album by the artist since the F4 era, and Yen regards it as a new start for his singing career. Unfortunately, critics haven't given a thumbs up to his new music.

No.5 Jerry Yen "say I love you at KTV"

No.4 Evonne Hsu "Sleepless"

No.3 Richie Ren "Good Medicine Tastes Bitter"

No.2 Penny Tai "Dilemma"

No.1 Jackie Chan and Zhou Hui "Film of myself"

View Video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/cultureexpress/2009/06/cultureexpress_300_20090629_6.shtml

Full article: http://english.cctv.com/20090629/102346.shtml

China basketball team beat Australia 84-78 in warm-up match

CCTV 2009-06-29 09:54 BJT

The rebuilt China national basketball team made a successful debut in its first warm-up match under new coach Guo Shiqiang. Team China won 84-78 over a second-echelon Australian squad Sunday night.

Even without main forces Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, the Chinese team started the game with a 9-3 lead, led by center Wang Zhizhi. Team Australia's roster was mostly made up of Australia league players, with the exception of Toronto Raptors' Nathan Jawai. He helped Australia take the lead later in the opening quarter.

Sun Yue and Wang Lei joined forces in the second quarter to give China an edge in the backcourt, but the frontcourt remained the weak link without Yao and Yi. 32-year-old Wang Zhizhi was the key Chinese player for the first half of play, and China trailed Australia by 8 in rebounding. But things changed for the better in the second half, thanks to contributions from Li Xiaoxu and Zhang Songtao, and a whistle-beating shot by Chen Jianghua gave China a 5-point advantage. China kept control in the final quarter and won the match 84-78.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/sportsscene/2009/06/sportsscene_300_20090629_2.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/sportsscene/20090629/102715.shtml

PLA's 1st peacekeeping center opens

CCTV 2009-06-29 10:24 BJT

The Defense Ministry opened the People's Liberation Army's first-ever peacekeeping center this past week in suburban Beijing.

The facility covers 16,000 square meters and has over 20 class rooms to provide training in subjects including English language. The center also boasts facilities to offer various training, such as survival skills and de-mining. And it is expected to serve as a venue for international peacekeeping exchanges.

China has sent over 12,000 peacekeepers on UN missions since 1990. And nearly 2,000 Chinese peacekeepers are currently on missions overseas.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/ChinaToday/2009/06/ChinaToday_300_20090629_4.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/chinatoday/20090629/103908.shtml

Chinese fans mourn Michael Jackson

CCTV 2009-06-29 10:24 BJT

Michael Jackson fans around the world are mourning the loss of the "King of Pop." Jackson died on Thursday in Los Angeles. How his fans in China feel about his death and how they will remember him.

Along Wangfujing, Beijing's commercial street, Michael Jackson is back in the spotlight.

Chai Jing, a music store customer, said, "Michael Jackson's music had a big impact on China, especially since China was just opening up. His rhythm and dance moves were so fresh and different, which is why his work was so symbolic."

The pop star's music was among best sellers since it reached China in the 1990s. Although his later life was marred by scandals and plastic surgery kept altering his appearance, most of his Chinese fans prefer to judge the star by his music.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/ChinaToday/2009/06/ChinaToday_300_20090629_7.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/chinatoday/20090629/103911.shtml

Unprecedented military drill to improve overall command

CCTV 2009-06-29 13:11 BJT

An unprecedented military drill is being held in Jinan, capital of eastern China's Shandong province. It's the first time in the history of the People's Liberation Army that divisions from the military command of different areas are taking part in the same drill.

The beginning of the drill is declared. Soldiers get ready, and local armed police are also part of the exercise.

The drills test the PLA command and decision-making capabilities. They also help ground troops and air units prepare for combat in intense electronic warfare conditions.

The drills involve airborne assault operations and special forces missions. The air force will send soldiers and various aircraft to take part in the exercises.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/NewsHour/2009/06/NewsHour_300_20090629_4.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/newshour/20090629/106900.shtml

$585,396 worth of gold dressing in Chongqing

Xinhua English 2009-06-28 13:27:59 (Beijing Time)

Two Chinese models show off a set of pure gold underwear for woman and pure gold tie and wrist strap for man at an exhibition in southwest China's mountain city of Chongqing, June 26, 2009. The gold dressing is said to worth 4 million Yuan, or about 585,396 U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin)

Full article: http://english.sina.com/life/p/2009/0627/251514.html

China's Li out of Wimbledon

CRI English.com 2009-06-28 09:00:49

China's Li Na was knocked out of Wimbledon with a straight sets defeat to Polish number 11 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round on Saturday, despite a gritty performance.

The Chinese number two lost 6-4, 7-5 in an hour and 33 minutes on Court 18, despite a valiant showing in which she saved a string of match points.

Li was the second Chinese player in succession that Radwanska had knocked out of Wimbledon.

She beat the Chinese number three Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-7 (7/6), 9-7 in a thrilling, three-hour second round clash.

Full article: http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/06/28/53s497154.htm

Two killed in Han Chineses' attack on Uighur workers

Han Chineses attacked on Uighur workers in a dormitory of a toy factory in China's southern Guangdong province after an ethnic bawl, killing two people and injuring 118, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

In a massive night brawl at the "Early Light" toy factory in Guangdong's Shaoguan city, a group of Han Chinese attack on Uighurs from East Turkistan, in northwest of China, who had been recently recruited to the factory, Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper reported.

The violence lasted until the early hours of Friday morning and at least 16 were seriously injured, the newspaper reported.

About 400 riot police had to be deployed to quell the unrest as the rival workers battled, some with knives and metal pipes.

Around 600 Uighur workers arrived the factory in May this year, the newspaper said.

"Some people carrying metal pipes entered a dormitory to attack Uighur workers. But the Uighurs fought back with knives, leading to a fierce brawl involving hundreds," the newspaper said.

Full article World Bulleting http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=43989

Full article Xinhua News Agency:

http://www.china.org.cn/china/news/2009-06/28/content_18027095.htm

Feature: Chinese cheerleading team

CCTV 2009-06-28 15:34 BJT

CCTV reporter Mark Dreyer got the chance to hang out with the foxy ladies of Chinese cheerleading trying to make an impact on the world cheerleading stage.

Ladies of Chinese cheerleading trying to make an impact on the worldcheerleading stage.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/sportsscene/2009/06/sportsscene_300_20090628_2.shtml

Campaign to free forced child beggars

Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2009

Police plans to launch a crackdown on those have forced underaged people to lead a vagrant life, beg, or commit crimes, said the Ministry of Public Security Saturday.

Some handicapped or underaged people, who have been kidnapped or beguiled by criminals, have become vagrants and beggars or have been forced to conduct criminal activities.

The police will carry out the campaign to protect the rights of these young people and liberate those children who have been forced to commit crimes.

All these liberated young vagrants will be sent back to their homes, but those whose parents are not able to be found will be settled by the civil affairs departments.

People who have beguiled, organized or controlled the underaged vagrants, beggars and outlaws will be punished in accordance with laws and regulations, the ministry said.

Full article: http://www.china.org.cn/china/news/2009-06/28/content_18026166.htm

Li Keqiang stresses closer biz ties with Uzbekistan

Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2009

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday called for closer economic ties between China and Uzbekistan while meeting with Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov.

Li said China and Uzbekistan have deepened their pragmatic cooperation and achieved a lot in this regard in recent years.

Besides growing trade, bilateral cooperation in areas like investment and projects outsourcing also made rapid progress, he noted, adding the two sides have improved the quality and increased the level of bilateral, pragmatic cooperation with joint projects being carried out in energy, mining, transportation, agriculture, telecom, machinery, petrochemical and other sectors.

The Chinese leader called on the two sides to capitalize on the progress of bilateral cooperation, and take full advantage of the fact that the two economies are highly complementary to each other and the two countries enjoy geographical closeness.

Full article: http://www.china.org.cn/international/2009-06/28/content_18025893.htm

Sino-Mongolian peacekeeping drill starts

chinadaily.com.cn 2009-06-28 13:56

The first peacekeeping joint military exercise between neighbors China and Mongolia was launched Sunday morning in a training base in north Beijing.

The six-day drill, named "Peacekeeping Mission 2009", will feature a series of small-size exercises, mimicking real scenario in international peacekeeping. The host has sent a team of 46 soldiers, while the guest with 45 soldiers.

Chinadaily.com.cn will continue to spend time with the armed forces with the two countries and deliver the latest news, images and videos of the drill.

Full article: http://en.ce.cn/National/Politics/200906/28/t20090628_19415527.shtml

2009 National Bodybuilding, Fitness Championship

Xinhua 2009-06-28 15:51

A group of women contestants turn up during the 2009 National Bodybuilding & Fitness Championship, concurrently the Preliminary Contest of Fitness to the 4th National Sports Assembly, in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 27, 2009. Some 200 contestants from 26 delegations across the country take part in the competition in a total of 6 categories.

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2009-06/28/content_8330940.htm

Virtual currency exchanged for real money

CCTV 2009-06-28 12:26 BJT

In 2008, China had 50 million online gamers who admitted to playing for four to five hours every day. Players used virtual currency to participate in transactions in the game. But as Ding Xiaoyue finds out, some of them were able to trade the virtual currency for real money.

In online games, players are rewarded for wins with virtual currency. They can then use this currency to trade for various online items, which they use to barter with other players.

But some gamers turn these goods into real goods. They are sold for genuine currency. For example, in some instances, weapons that are meant to be used in online games, have been sold for several thousand yuan. In fact, some full-time players and game studios are even making profits doing this.

An online game player said, "Game players usually trade on a trading website or barter with other players for goods. We often use virtual currency to buy goods."

In some chess or poker games, players accumulate virtual currency by winning. They can use this currency to continue a new game with other players. While on other websites, they can exchange it for real money.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/NewsHour/2009/06/NewsHour_300_20090628_11.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20090628/102414.shtml

Chinese newspapers mourn the death of Michael Jackson

Source: http://www.danwei.org/ June 27, 2009 11:30 AM

In lieu of an in-depth front page story today, here's a collection of front pages from Chinese newspapers who marked the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson.

Most of the headlines are variations on either "Michael Jackson dies" or "Goodbye Michael." A few newspapers went with something different, but the usual punning headlines that accompany major international news stories were fairly uncommon:
Dongguan Times (东莞时报): "The Whole World Mourns"
Chengdu Evening News (成都晚报): "Farewell to a Legend"
New Information (新消息报): "The King Will Not Return"
Modern Express (现代快报): "Heaven Gets the Moonwalk"
City Evening News (城市晚报): "Remember"
Chinese Business View (华商报): "The Black and White Life of a Lonely King"

In addition, major online news portals like Sina, Sohu (auto-plays music), and even Xinhuanet collected news, music, photos, and memories from Chinese and foreign media.

Full article: http://www.danwei.org/

Fan Bingbing graces COSMO cover (July issue)

Sina.com 2009-06-25 10:52:09 GMT2009

Mainland actress Fan Bingbing covers fashion magazine 'Cosmopolitan'. The Sophie's Revenge star talked about her personal life and career aspirations in the cover story.

Full article: http://english.sina.com/entertainment/p/2009/0625/251016.html

University graduates targeted by military

Xinhua 2009-6-27

CHINA will this year begin to pre-recruit university graduates into military service for the first time, in an effort to ease the increasingly tough employment situation amid an economic slowdown.

Military pre-recruitment would be carried out among university students every year, starting in May or June, until graduation a couple of months later, according to a policy paper issued by the Conscription Office of the Ministry of Defense and the Student Department of the Ministry of Education.

This year, only male graduates would be eligible for pre-recruitment into the armed forces -- the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Corps, the document said.

Female graduates who wanted to join the military could apply during the winter, the regular recruitment season. If these female students were accepted, they would enjoy the same privileges as their male counterparts.

Pre-recruited graduates could receive subsidies to cover their school costs or to repay educational loans.

All male graduates, regardless of their major, would be eligible if they had no problems in their health and political records. Requirements for eyesight and weight would be eased for early recruits.

Full article: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200906/20090627/article_405562.htm

China revises statistics law to curb data falsification

Xinhua 2009-06-27 17:05

Beijing: China's top legislature adopted Saturday a revision to the Law on Statistics, which is intended to prevent the falsification of official data.

The revised law, to take effect on January 1, 2010, aims to impose severe penalties on officials who "intervene in government statistical work and manipulate or fabricate data."

The law was enacted in 1983.

Under the revised law, government officials and institutional leaders are banned from altering data that statistical workers collected.

Statistical workers must retain original records and improve management of data checking, signing, transferring and archiving to ensure the authenticity and credibility of statistics, under the law.

Statistical workers are also required to exercise discipline and "keep data unchanged against any interference."

Further, "officials who make willful changes or falsify statistics, ask statistical agencies to fake data or take revenge on staff who refuse to commit such acts will be punished."

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/27/content_8330256.htm

Childhood games may show up expo

CCTV 2009-06-27 09:22 BJT

World Expo organizers want to use children's games to display China's folk culture to the world. Chen Xuan from ICS takes a look at some of the games that the city of Shanghai grew up with.

Zhu Jindi, resident, said, "I used to play all these games."

Chen Xuan, ICS reporter, said, "This is similar with "Jacks", the game many westerners play with."

Zhong Fulan, director, Shanghai Folk Culture Society, said, "These are no longer just games."

Foreign visitors to the Expo next year will be able to try the games themselves while learning more about folk culture in Shanghai.

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/cultureexpress/2009/06/cultureexpress_300_20090627_5.shtml

Full article: http://english.cctv.com/20090627/101220.shtml

China's sacred Mt. Wutai, witness to Buddhist history, joins UN Heritage list

CCTV 2009-06-27 09:35 BJT

Taiyuan, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A sacred mountain in China that has been witness to centuries of Buddhist history was added Friday (Beijing Time) to UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Seville, Spain.

The new addition to the heritage list is Mt. Wutai ("five terrace mountain"), comprised of five continuous mountains with flat peaks at altitudes of 2,500 to 3,000 meters above sea level.

The site is in Wutai County, Xinzhou City in Shanxi Province, 230 kilometers from the provincial capital, Taiyuan City.

UNESCO said Mt. Wutai was a "sacred Buddhist mountain."

Buddhist temples on the mountain were built between the 1st century AD and the early 20th century.

Numerous Buddhist constructions, including 68 temples, 150 towers, 146,000 sculptures and many frescoes and tablet inscriptions, were preserved during thousands of years on Mt. Wutai, which witnessed the development of Buddhism in China, Liang told Xinhua.

Full article: http://english.cctv.com/20090627/101325.shtml

"Sex" Will Be Taboo On Chinese Internet From July 1

China Tech News.com June 26, 2009

The Ministry of Health of China has published the "Regulation on Internet Medical and Health Information Service Management", which states that websites are prohibited to spread pornographic contents under the guise of sexual research or education.

The regulation, which will be effective from July 1, 2009, points out that the health channels of comprehensive portal websites in China should not provide sexual research content services, and medical and health websites engaged in sexology research should only be open to relevant clinical and research professionals.

The regulation states that websites that want to provide sex knowledge propaganda should provide the sources of the information in prominent positions. The information, which needs to be checked by medical and health professionals, should not be transferred or adapted from illegal publications; contents of sexology research, including sexual psychology, sexual ethics, sexual medicine, and sex-related treatments, should not be glamorized in the propaganda; and websites are prohibited from spreading pornographic content.

It is still unclear what kind of impact the art world will feel from this new regulation in regards to photos and pictures of nude humans.

Full article: http://www.chinatechnews.com/2009/06/26/10042-sex-will-be-taboo-on-chinese-internet-from-july-1/

More Women Caught up in Narcotics

China Daily June 26, 2009

The number of young women taking new types of drugs is increasing rapidly, a Beijing police officer said on Thursday on the eve of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

More than half of 310 new drug takers seized by Beijing police last month were women, most younger than 30, Yi Yang, deputy director of the anti-drug department of Beijing municipal public security bureau, said at a press conference.

Last year, women accounted for 21.7 percent of 14,000 drug users caught by Beijing police.

The trend of more women drug users is related to the popularity of new types of drugs in mass binges, he said.

New types of drugs appearing in the past decade include methamphetamine and ketamine.

"They are used as a stimulant for their powerful enhancing effects on mood and energy," he said.

In the most high-profile case this year, pop star Man Wenjun and his wife Li Li reportedly treated friends with ketamine and other new drugs at Man's birthday party last month.

Professor Xia Guomei from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences said men drug addicts may just stay at home alone and use traditional drugs such as heroin.

But new drugs such as "ice" enhance sexual ability, so some men drug takers organize group sex, in which the same number of women participate. That could also explain the increase in women drug users, she said.

Full article: http://en.chinagate.cn/top_news/2009-06/26/content_18016374.htm

China VC investors retain their faith in social networking sites

China Economic Review June 26th, 2009

The financial crisis may have dealt a blow to the world’s most powerful economies, but it has also brought once-skyrocketing valuations to a reasonable level. Venture capitalists are now taking a second glance at China’s internet sector.

“We’re aggressively looking into internet [investments] for the first time in a while,” said William Bao Bean, a partner with Softbank China & India Holdings, speaking at a recent technology conference in Beijing.

Opinion is divided, however, as to where money would be best spent. Social networking sites (SNS), one-time darling of the Chinese venture investment, appear to have fallen out of vogue with many investors. Their attention has shifted to online gaming, seen by many as a recession-proof segment of the IT sector.

Others, though, insist on the long-term potential of SNS in China. What’s more, there are signs that some of the most successful Chinese social networking sites have done what their counterparts in West have still largely failed to do: begin monetizing their user base.

Much of the success lies in Chinese youths’ willingness to pay for virtual goods. The industry’s trailblazer is Tencent, which runs one of the country’s largest social networking communities, QZone. Tencent posted total revenues of just over US$1 billion in 2008, US$719.1 million of which were from internet value-added services. The vast majority of these involved the sale of virtual goods.

“If you’re a [Chinese] teenager living in a small room with your mom or dad and want to have a place to call your own, then it makes sense to go online and create your own virtual space,” said Dan Brody, CEO of Koolanoo Group, an internet and new media investment company which invested in 360quan.com, a social networking startup targeted towards fashionable, outsider Chinese youths.

Full article: http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/today-in-china/2009_06_26/China_VC_investors_retain_their_faith_in_social_networking_sites.html

Starbucks recalls coffee grinders in China

Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2009

The coffee chain store Starbucks would recall 3,000 coffee grinders in China, as faulty grinders might fail to turn off or turn on unexpectedly, posing a laceration hazard to consumers, the country's quality regulator said Thursday.

The Starbucks Barista blade grinders and Seattle's Best Coffee blade grinders were sold at Starbucks stores from March 2002 through March of this year, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

Starbucks had received 176 reports of grinders that failed to turn off or turned on unexpectedly, including three reports of hand lacerations that occurred when the grinders turned on unexpectedly during cleaning, the company said in a statement.

It said it would offer refunds for the recalled grinders and destroy them.

Full article: http://www.china.org.cn/business/2009-06/26/content_18017217.htm

Nokia new models out

China Daily 2009-06-26 08:15

Nokia yesterday released a slew of cell phone models in China as part of the Finnish handset giant's latest effort to increase its market share in the world's biggest market and offset declining sales in developed countries.

The move comes as mobile handset shipments in China continue to rise on the back of the government's subsidy program for rural purchases even as the global market recorded its worst-ever quarter in the first three months of this year, making the country even more important for global cell phone makers.

The new products, which includes low-priced models and premium handsets, "will not only cater to affluent customers such as those in Beijing and Shanghai but also to people everywhere, including those in rural areas", said David Tang, vice-president, sales, Nokia China.

Nokia leads the China market, accounting for a market share of 34 percent, while South Korean electronics conglomerate Samsung has a 21 percent share, the market researcher said.

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-06/26/content_8325265.htm

Baskin-Robbins Opens Two New Stores In Shanghai

China Retail News 2009-6-26

Ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins recently opened two new stores in Shanghai.

These have are the fourth and fifth stores to be opened in Shanghai since Baskin-Robbins established a partnership with Shaanxi Stellerich Food and Restaurant in 2008. According to Shaanxi Stellerich's plans, the number of Baskin-Robbins stores in Shanghai will be increased to 15 before the end of this year.

In the future, the company plans to open more stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shaanxi, with the aim of making the total number of Baskin-Robbins stores across China reach 1,000 by 2018.

Full article: http://www.chinaretail.org/shownews.asp?id=874

China Telecom in talks to offer BlackBerry

IDG News Service , 06/26/2009

China Telecom is in talks with Research In Motion (RIM) about offering the BlackBerry in China, as the carrier looks to expand the handset selection for its next-generation mobile network.

The companies have "started preliminary contacts" over offering the device, which could potentially use China Telecom's 3G network, a spokesman for the carrier said.

The companies expect to start sales of the device in the fourth quarter, said Zhang Jun, an analyst at research house Wedge MKI.

China's three carriers -- China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom -- are all expanding their 3G networks, which currently offer limited coverage and have drawn few subscribers. Each carrier has sought to offer stylish handsets for its network to attract and retain users.

But the BlackBerry may not strongly attract users. Data services are not yet very popular in China, where voice and text messaging remain the most common activities on mobile phones, Zhang said.

Full article: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062609-china-telecom-in-talks-to.html

China protest arrest of fishermen

CCTV 2009-06-26 10:11 BJT

China has lodged an urgent representation with the Indonesian government over its confiscation of 8 Chinese fishing boats and arrest of over 70 fishermen on June 20.

At a press conference, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Qin Gang rejected Indonesian media reports that the Chinese fishermen were trespassing in Indonesian maritime territory around the Nauna Islands archipelago. He said the area has historically been a fishing area for Chinese fishermen.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, "We are expressing strong disatisfaction to the Indonesian authorities for confiscating Chinese fishing boats and arresting Chinese fishermen. We demand that the Indonesian government release the fishermen and return the fishing boats as soon as possible."

View video: http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/ChinaToday/2009/06/ChinaToday_300_20090626_3.shtml

Full article: http://www.cctv.com/program/chinatoday/20090626/102826.shtml

PepsiCo Opens 'Green' Drink Plant in China

Reuters 26/06/2009

New York, June 26 - PepsiCo Inc said Friday that it opened a new "green" drink plant in China and plans to build five more plants in China over the next two years as part of a $1 billion investment in the world's most populous country.

The plant is in the western city of Chongqing and meets the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which require the use of energy and water-saving systems.

Over the next two years, the world's second-biggest soft drink maker after Coca-Cola Co said it expects to open new drink manufacturing plants in Kunming, Zhengzhou, Quanzhou, Lanzhou and Nanchang.

The news comes just days after Coke said it opened two new bottling plants in China.

Emerging markets like China and India are critical to Pepsi and Coke as recession and changing consumer habits limit sales growth in the United States.

PepsiCo said in November that it would invest $1 billion in China over the next four years. The company already has 26 plants in China, which make Lay's lychee potato chips and beverages such as Tropicana Guo Bin Fen juices and Cao Ben Le drinks, which are inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.

Full article: http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/24522/China/Pepsi/pepsico-opens-green-drink-plant-china.html

Wanglaoji in top list for first time

China Daily 2009-06-26 08:15

Charity pays. Herbal drink brand Wanglaoji, which ranked nowhere in Hurun's brand value list last year, leaped to the 49th ranking this year thanks largely to its generous donation of 100 million yuan to the Sichuan earthquake victims last May.

The Guangdong-based drink firm created a huge intangible asset through positive and healthy brand building and marketing, and its brand value is estimated to have hit $540 million, according to Hurun's latest report yesterday.

Wanglaoji's rocket rise is a good example on how to construct a smart image through shouldering corporate social responsibility, analysts said.

Financial services, tobacco and alcohol are the most valuable industries for homegrown Chinese brands. China Mobile tops the brands list for the third year running with a brand value of $29.3 billion, followed by four financial service brands, ICBC, CCB, Bank of China and China Life.

An interesting thing is that China's tobacco brands swept the list by taking up 13 positions, while last year Chunghwa was the only listed tobacco brand, ranking 49th.

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-06/26/content_8325225.htm

Govt steps up heat on Google

China Daily/Agencies 2009-06-26 07:50

The world's most popular search engine has been dragged into what appears to be an escalating row between China and the United States on Internet controls.

Beijing yesterday stepped up accusations that Google is spreading obscene content over the Internet, a day after US officials urged Beijing to abandon plans for the installation of a controversial porn-filtering software, Green Dam, on new computers.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday accused Google's English-language search engine of spreading obscene images that violated the nation's laws, less than 24 hours after disruptions to the company's search engine and other services within China.

Spokesman Qin Gang did not directly say whether official action was behind the disruptions, but made plain the government's anger and said "punishment measures" taken against Google were lawful.

"Google's English language search engine has spread large amounts of vulgar content that is lewd and pornographic, seriously violating China's laws and regulations," he told a regular news conference.

Qin said authorities "summoned representatives of Google in China and urged them to remove the content immediately".

Full article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-06/26/content_8325309.htm

Sinopec to buy Addax for US$7.3b

China Daily June 25, 2009

Sinopec Group, China's second largest oil company,Wednesday agreed to buy the Geneva-based oil and gas producer Addax Petroleum Corp for US$7.3 billion, in a bid to tap oil reserves in West Africa and the Middle East.

Sinopec Group made the deal through its subsidiary Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp (SIPC). The company offered to pay CUS$52.80 (US$45) per share in cash for the takeover, the Beijing-based Sinopec said in a statement yesterday.

"The deal will enable SIPC to achieve its strategic objective of building a stronger presence and operations in West Africa and Iraq, accelerating its international growth strategy as well as optimizing its offshore oil and gas assets portfolio," said the statement.

"In addition, Addax Petroleum's exploration potential, particularly in offshore deepwater exploration projects, will provide a strong platform for SIPC's ongoing growth and development," it said.

Addax's oil and gas assets are mainly based in West Africa and the Middle East, with core assets in Nigeria. The company said it produced 134,730 barrels of oil a day in the first quarter, with more than three quarters of its output coming from properties in Nigeria.

China's three major oil companies, Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), have all accelerated the pace of their overseas development in recent years. CNPC, the country's biggest oil producer, is reportedly starting talks this month to expand exploration and production opportunities in Mongolia.

Full article: http://www.china.org.cn/business/2009-06/25/content_18009472.htm