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There's Somethin' Brewin' In The Air

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/science/earth/23hong.html

Air Pollution has reached a record high in Hong Kong. On Monday they reached the highest levels in history and continued in intensity on Tuesday. The government even issued an " official government warning to avoid outdoor activities and physical exertion." For the past few days the city has been obscured by a grey haze and you can't even see the city scape. Pollution levels were 12 to 14 times the amount recommended by the World Health Organization, according to the Clean Air Network, which campaigns to inform the public on Hong Kong’s pollution issues, on Monday. According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, there are two dozen sandstorms a year, six times the number 50 years ago, according to China Daily, an official English-language newspaper. While natural pollution has had a substantial affect on the cities air quality, it is the roadside pollution stemming from factories and car emissions that will destroy the world.

Premier Urges Redoubled Drought-Relief Efforts

A drought in Southwest China caused a visit from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The premier has called for intesified efforts to help the people of the region. During a three day trip to the region that ended on Sunday, Wen visited Qujing, one of the regions that suffered the most from the recent severe drought, to comfort the affected locals and direct relief work. Wen went to drought affected villages, farmlands, and reseviors to learn about the impact that the drought has had on local life. The premier says that the prioroty should be given to the guarentee of drinking water and the preperation of spring farming. He urged officials however to prepare for the worst as the drought is likely to continue. Wen said that more efforts should be put into spring farming as a good harvest is needed to ensure a steady and rapid economic growth and stable commodity prices. To address water-shortage, Wen ordered intensified efforts on water conservancy project construction and promised more government support in this field. The severe drought has affected 51 million Chinese and left more than 16 million people and 11 million livestock with drinking water shortages. Since autumn last year, southwest China, has received only half its annual average rainfall and water stores are severely depleted.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-03/22/content_9621608.htm

Animal Cruelty=Out in China

Find Your Dog Soup Elsewhere (or at least in the next town)

The latest draft of China's first anti-cruelty against animals was made public on Wednesday. It has banned zoos from mistreating animals by not giving them adequate food and water a stipulation added after 13 Siberian tigers died within in a 3 months at a northern Chinese zoo. The draft has also changed a controversial point that banned the consumption of cats and dogs , it now leaves this up to regional authorities. Experts changed the ban on eating dogs and cats because many people do not agree with a complete nationwide ban, and the situation varies by region. The latest draft allows provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions to decide which areas in their jurisdiction can adopt the ban. In areas where the ban is in place offenders can up to 5,000 yuan ($730) and organizations found guilty of selling the meat can be fined between 10,000 and 500,000 yuan. The panel would submit the draft next week to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature. If legislators deem it important, the draft might take two or three years to be adopted as a law, or it might take longer, even 10 years, before it can be really implemented. China currently has the Wildlife Protection Law, the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law, the Livestock Husbandry Law, the Pig Slaughter Regulations, the Laboratory Animal Management Regulations and other specific laws and regulations that address animal protection and management. These laws however do not enable the Chinese people to fully protect the animals.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/19/content_9611306.htm

The Myths About China's Currency

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/opinion/20iht-edbottelier.html

So pretty much a lot of China bashers are all getting hyped up again because we are nearing the April deadline for the US Treasury to announce whether or not "China manipulates its currency for unfair trade advantage." There are a lot of myths revolving around China's currency relationship with the US, and this article covers a few of them.

1: China's growth depends on exports- false
It only accounts for about 1%

2: China’s consumption is not growing fast enough- false
Its working just fine

3: Revaluation of the renminbi will help the United States- false
It has little effect on the relationship

Overall, China’s nominal exchange rate is much less important than the domestic policy adjustments needed in both countries.

Chinese Tourists To See the World in Greater Numbers

More Chinese tourists are expected to travel abroad this year. The Annual Tourism Report conducted by the China Tourism Academy reported that an estimated 54 million Chinese citizens would go aborad this year, as opposed to 47 million in 2009. These tourists are expected to spend 48 billion yuan, 6.86 billion dollars. The director of the academy's international tourism development institute stated that the tourism will "contribute to the recovery of the world economy and help offset China's trade surplus". The global economic crisis has greatly influenced people's decisions on where to travel. Only 27% of the tourists visited foreign nations in 2009, with 34% traveling to foreign countries in 2008. The majority of the travel occured withing the country, with tourists traveling to the major cities of China. China is currently the biggest tourist market in Asia.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/19/content_9611291.htm

Toyoda On Mapo Tofu

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/03/02/toyoda-on-mapo-tofu/

In his visit to Beijing, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda used a culinary analogy as he tried to end anxiety among some Chinese consumers over the quality of Toyota’s cars that predates its recent global recall. In his exclusive interview with the state broadcaster, he compared Toyota cars to Mapo Tofu, a popular spicy bean curd dish in Asia. The interviewer asked if the well known rumors of the worst quality cars being sent to China was true, and he responded by saying that all cars are created the same, but different areas often have their own tastes, just like Mapo Tofu. Due to the noticeable dip in interests, this comparison might stay.

CPPCC Calls for Less Containment in Sino-US Ties

On Tuesday during a press conference, Zhao Qizheng, a spokesman for the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), stated that there should be more cooperation and less containment concerning Sino-US relations. He stated that the two countries had already established good ties between them, but at the beginning of 2010, Barack Obama "chilled" the ties among the two countries. These two events were Obama's arms sales plan involving Taiwan, and his meeting with the Dalai Lama. Zhao Qizheng said that these events "seriously disturbed" and "seriously violated" Sino-US realtions. Zhao also stated this relationship is like a game of tennis, and now the ball is in America's court. He added to his statement that China held no responsibility concerning the recent conflicts that have occured. The CPPCC National Committee will hold another conference on Wednesday, and will have over 2,000 political advisors proposing different solutions to state affairs.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/guangxisessions/2010-03/02/content_9526797.htm

Government to Increase Education Spending

The Chinese government has vowed to increase spending on education. They say they will increase spending to 4% of the country's gross domestic product by 2012, a target previously set in 1993. The outline which addresses everything from the education system and the quality of teaching to school enrollment and is expected to be the leading document on education reform for the next ten years. Although they first pledged to increase spending in 1993 they have yet to meet that target. Education is an issue that has been the target of much criticism from the public, especially education imbalances, the academic workload of students, academic corruption as well as a growing education bureaucracy. China is vowing to change their system to one that is run by "educationalists" or those who love to teach and know how to teach, and those who have been teachers for their entire lives. This seems like an admirable goal for the government, and it is good that they are responding to what the people want.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/01/content_9515384.htm