Bloggers must soon give real names

Officials with the Internet Society of China (ISC) have confirmed that China is exploring adopting a real name system in parts of the Internet, Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported Wednesday.
Hu Qiheng, chairman of the board of directors of the ISC, was reported to have said on Tuesday at Info China 2006 in Beijing that China is making attempts to strike a balance between individual privacy and public interests.
"The past understanding of privacy is too absolute. Not only China, but also the whole world, should realize the necessity of balancing individual privacy and public and national interests," he said.
A new system is likely to be adopted, requiring Chinese netizens to submit information like real names and ID card numbers when they register a blog or a BBS (Bulletin Board Service) account.
Netizens will be able to continue choosing their own online name, and as long as they do not violate laws their personal information will remain private and safe.
The first area for real name application will be blogs, a popular form of internet-based diary.
Blogs have been used by some people to infringe upon other people's privacy and rights.
For example an infamous TV host had thousands of netizens visit her blog just because she wrote an article about a well-known TV anchor's marriage history, which included some allegedly false information.
As a blogger's real name is unknown, it is very difficult to safeguard privacy and rights.
The society, affiliated to the Ministry of Information Industry, was entrusted by the ministry to form a blog research panel to provide solutions for the development of China's blog industry.
The real name system is said to be able to protect law-abiding netizens' privacy.
Yang Junzuo, secretary-general of ISC's self-discipline working commission, was quoted by Beijing-based China Times a month ago saying that the real name system is the solution.
"Free speech on the Internet does not include talking nonsense and not taking responsibility. Bad symptoms will be curbed," he was quoted as saying.
However, not many netizens support the system.
An online poll at sohu.com yesterday showed that only one quarter of surveyed netizens agreed that the system would crack down on online crimes while not interfering with internet use.
More than 70 per cent of people were against it, believing it was "absurd" to enforce a real name system just because of a minority of people who committed online crimes.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Hu stressed at the meeting that the society would adopt multiple ways to improve the Internet environment.
Hu was quoted as saying that the direct purpose of improving the Internet environment is to enable the young generation to grow up in an Internet-friendly environment like youth in developed countries.

Winter flowers make women pretty

Winter has come to the greater part of China's northeastern region, and leaves and flowers are beginning to wither. But for fashionable young women in Changchun, Jilin Province, it is also a suitable time for them to beautify themselves with fresh flowers. They even scatter some rose leaves in their bathtubs, just like ancient royal princesses.
Girls in China's north enjoy dressing up, but frequent sandstorms and dry environment often make them frown. They wish to keep their young facial appearances, no matter how much money they will have to spend. A latest statistics show that cosmetics are better sold in Changchun than in other parts of China. Whenever beauty parlors launch expensive new service items like "flower hairdressing," fashionable young women will flock for them.
Some beauty parlors can provide various kinds of flowers simultaneously, like rose, peach blossom and apricot flowers. As such service items are much sought after buyers have to book them two days earlier.
Pretty girls are often the clients in those restaurants and teahouses that promote new "flower dishes." A lady said that drinking tea with flowers in such a teahouse was very enjoyable after a long day.
Some deft young women are able to make cosmetics by flowers themselves, which makes others jealous. Miss Teng, a white collar working for a foreign-invested company, said she had learnt to make cosmetics from a friend in a beauty parlor. "Now I often have a rose bath, and make some skin-protection liquid out of chrysanthemum, to beautify myself," she said.

China makes commitment to social harmony

Beijing -- China's Communist Party, devoted in recent years to expanding the economy at any cost, on Wednesday endorsed a new doctrine that puts more emphasis on tackling the severe side effects of unrestrained growth.
The annual meeting of the ruling party's Central Committee formally adopted President Hu Jintao's proposal to "build a harmonious socialist society," a move some analysts said was one of most decisive shifts in the party's thinking since Deng Xiaoping accelerated the push for high growth rates in the early 1990¡¯s.
The leadership declared that a range of social concerns, including the surging wealth gap, corruption, pollution and access to education and medical care, must be placed on a par with economic growth in party theory and government policy.
"There are many conflicts and problems affecting social harmony," the Central Committee said in a statement released Wednesday after the close of its four-day planning session. "Our party has to be more proactive in recognizing and dissolving these contradictions."
China's economy has recently been expanding at better than 10 percent annually, faster than any other major economy in the world, and the party shows no signs of trying to sharply reduce that rate soon.
China needs much higher growth rates than most developed countries to absorb tens of millions of surplus workers, and even the plans for addressing environmental woes and creating a sounder welfare system assume surging tax revenues to pay for them.
"A harmonious society above all needs development," the statement said.
But the "harmonious society" theme contains a multitude of political positions that reflect Hu's agenda as he has consolidated his power.
He has campaigned doggedly to reduce the party's addiction to state-backed investment projects, politically driven expansion of industry and infrastructure and conversion of state-owned land for speculative real estate development. The fear is that many such projects generate poor economic returns and add to China's pollution, already among the worst in the world.
Local officials have tended to ignore central directives on creating a more sustainable and less speculation-driven economy, partly because they still believe that they will not be promoted unless they can show stellar production results in their domains.
Hand-in-hand with the "harmonious society" drive, President Hu and Zeng Qinghong, the vice president and the leader of the party's secretariat, have undertaken the most sustained crackdown on official corruption since the party first embraced market-oriented economic measures nearly three decades ago.
The anticorruption sweep has already resulted in the detention of Chen Liangyu, the powerful party boss of Shanghai, as well as senior officials in Beijing, Tianjin, Fujian, Hunan and other places.
But party officials acknowledge that corruption is endemic in the one-party system. The mass accumulation of wealth by people who have political power has helped transform China from one of the most egalitarian societies in the world to one of the most unequal, with a yawning urban-rural wealth gap.
Because many people believe that wealth flows from access to power more than it does from talent or risk-taking, the wealth gap has incited outrage and is viewed as at least partly responsible for tens of thousands of mass protests around the country in recent years.
The Central Committee statement did not commit the leadership to specific targets in reducing the gap beyond stating that it would need to see improvement by the year 2020.
But analysts say the new platform should result in significant increases in government spending on education and health care, which tend to be expensive and inaccessible to peasants, migrant workers and retirees, who make up the overwhelming majority of China's population.
Energy efficiency and pollution controls have also become a greater policy focus, though experts say there are still few signs that party leaders have the resolve to fight pollution at the expense of growth.
"For most of the past 15 years, the leadership has put G.D.P. growth above everything else," said Mao Shoulong, a public policy expert at People's University. "Now, they want to make G.D.P. one of a series of social priorities that will determine whether or not you get promoted."
Mr. Mao said President Hu would probably continue to face obstacles in putting his plans into effect. Among the problems are that government revenues as a share of the total economy remain relatively low. Local officials still care far more about generating growth than abstract goals like social equality.
"China is still a poor country that faces many of the problems of rich countries with far more resources," Mr. Mao said. "It is not so easy to change the focus of the leadership at this stage of development."

Chinese Wedding Customs & Rituals

Chinese Wedding Customs & Rituals
In Chinese legend, the fatherly God-in-the-moonlight ties a red string around the ankles of the man and woman who are supposed to be husband and wife someday. Thus, no matter how far apart they are, they will eventually get married...




Proposal & Betrothal
Two families pick an auspicious date as the Betrothal Day. This is a formal meeting between the parents of the perspective bride and groom. The groom's family presents various proposal gifts that represents fertility and prosperity in Chinese Culture, which is also known as "Grand Gift". Thus, the two are considered officially engaged.
Wedding Day Ceremony
On the day of the wedding, two families performs "hair dressing" ritual and "capping" ritual for the bride and groom respectively. Then the groom sets out to the bride's home, and he will inevitably be blocked at her door by her friends, and the bridesmaids will play door game with the groom and his attendants. The bride and groom will then leave her home and proceed to meet the groom's parents for Tea Ceremony. The wedding date ceremony ends with a feast which features elaborate Chinese wedding food.


Pre-Wedding Ritual
After the betrothal meeting, both families will make announcement to their relatives and friends by sending out "Double Happiness Cakes" along with invitations. The bride's family then prepares dowry and give a list of the dowries to the groom's family. The groom's family performs "setting bridal bed" ritual... The groom's family decorates the bridal house for the wedding, while the bride's family prepares household accessories, mostly bedding and dining necessities, for the new home.
Wedding Night Ritual
The night of the wedding, the bridal room will lit dragon and phoenix candle to drive away the evil spirit, the newlyweds will drink wine from two cups tied together with a red string, arms crossed from each other. This is the formal wedding vow in Chinese culture. Then the bride will be offered dumplings that's boiled half-raw. The pronunciation of "raw" is the same as giving birth to children, a indication of family prosperity.
Post-wedding Customs
The next morning of the wedding, the bride should get up early and make a meal for the groom's family to demonstrate that she is well-nurtured. Three days after the wedding, the groom and bride will go back to visit the bride's parents.

China promised land for automakers

(Reuters)Updated: 2006-11-22 20:00

Chinese twin models pose beside Peugeot cars displayed at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition November 22, 2006. China may still be the promised land for global auto makers but competition is set to reach new heights in coming years as consumers start buying cars for a second or third time and are more swayed by brand loyalty. China is the world's second largest automobile market after the United States. [Reuters]

China promised land for automakers

Foreign models pose beside a Roewe 750, made by Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor Corp. displayed at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition November 22, 2006. China may still be the promised land for global auto makers but competition is set to reach new heights in coming years as consumers start buying cars for a second or third time and are more swayed by brand loyalty. China is the world's second largest automobile market after the United States

'Tibet' theme designs at China Fashion Week

Clothes have unusual connotations on the snow-covered plateau of Tibet. They reflect the history, culture, beliefs, character and wealth of the local people. Long sleeved, broad robes worn loosely with a diagonal slant, and women's aprons welted with colourful stripes, might be the general idea people have about Tibetan dress. There are, however, marked variances in the clothing of different localities, influenced by the different strands of their religion. Tibet's isolated environment has allowed Tibetan clothing to evolve into a variety of distinctive and characteristic styles. Tibetan clothing consists mainly of a Tibetan robe and shirt. The Tibetan robe is broad, and appears longer on the left than on the right, as it is often fastened under the right armpit. Robes are also secured with two cloth belts in red, blue, or green.

New models to be displayed at Auto China 2006

The 2006 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2006) will be held at the China International Exhibition Center and National Agricultural Exhibition Hall from November 19 to 27. It is an international auto exhibition which has been held every two years in Beijing since 1990.
Mercedes-Benz will show the world's first automobile, a classical Wecker, to commemorate the 120th Anniversary of the international auto industry. Another 20 Benz models to be on show include the all-new S500 Long Wheelbase, S600 Long Wheelbase, AMG series, SL sports car, CLK Cabriolet and CLS Coupe.
With the theme of environmental protection and technological innovation, Chery Auto will bring a hybrid vehicle to the exhibition, a diesel vehicle, the Chery QQ6 and three concept cars. The concept cars are the Windcloud II Coupe, Tiggo 5 sports utility vehicle and Chery A3 hatchback.

APEC leaders take family photo

Leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit pose for a family photo wearing traditional Vietnamese clothes, known as the "ao dai", outside the National Convention Centre in Hanoi November 19, 2006. Front row, L-R: Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet, China's President Hu Jintao, Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard. Back row, L-R: South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun, Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Mexico's Economy Minister Sergio Alejandro Garcia de Alba Zepeda, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare, Peru's First Vice President Luis Giampietri, U.S. President George W. Bush, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Taiwan's representative Morris Chang, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

China red _ phoenix

China traditinal wedding clothes is red . And in modern society , red is popular . I t widely has been used . Phoenix and dragon stands for Chinese women and men . The two stands for happiness and wealth.

Chinese actress Gong Li poses as she arrives for a screening of her new film "Curse of the Golden Flower", written and directed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou, during the Closing Night at the AFI Fest 2006 in Hollywood, California November 12, 2006.

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, the Five Friendlies will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace--and blessings from China--to children all over the world.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame.
In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life. The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among the Five Friendlies, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.
Each of the Friendlies has a rhyming two-syllable name--a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together--Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni--they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
The Five Friendlies also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature--the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky--all stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.
Spreading Traditional Chinese Blessings Wherever They Go
In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading blessings through signs and symbols. Each of the Five Friendlies symbolizes a different blessing--and will honor this tradition by carrying their blessings to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as the Five Friendlies carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.
At the heart of their mission--and through all of their work--the Five Friendlies will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, the Five Friendlies reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games--and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.

Reputed as the "Silk County" in its long history, Hangzhou

The city of Hangzhou, on the bank of West Lake in Zhejiang Province, has long been called the Capital of Silk. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the city had many silk workshops, and in recent years, along with the rapid economic development of the city, the China Silk Town was established here.
The Silk Town, in fact, is a pedestrian street, several hundred meters long, with buildings in the traditional style of the regions south of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. More than 600 sk enterprises have stores and sales outlets here, offering the same silk and silk products that sell well all over China and in many other parts of the world. The salesclerks offer satisfying service and take the initiative to introduce their silk capes, ties, pajamas, handicrafts, and other items- some traditional, some stylish - all in beautiful designs and colors and reasonably priced.
The Silk Town helps wholesale businessmen know the trends of the silk market and provides tourists with inexpensive and fine-quality silk clothing with a Chinese flavor. It is also a museum, where people can learn about the history of silk.
Silk, along with West Lake, has become the trademark of Hangzho.

the China Silk Culture Festival in Hangzhou

Chinese Olympic swimming champion Luo Xuejuan shows off a silk costume during the China Silk Culture Festival in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province

China Center Sees Panda Baby Boom

At the Wolong Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan Province, nurses are caring for two sets of twins born two days apart.
"It's amazingly gratifying and rewarding considering that not too long ago, these guys were going to be extinct," said Anna Florance, a volunteer at the center.
There were less than 1,500 giant pandas in the wild just five years ago.
Man helped shrink their natural habitat of bamboo-rich mountains. The panda's already low libido -- especially when in captivity -- also didn't help. The pandas, it turned out, were a lot more interested in playing and eating than mating.
At first, researchers tried everything to inspire panda romance, including showing videos of other pandas mating.
What eventually worked best was science and determination. By trail and error, the Wolong staff perfected the use of artificial insemination and panda pre- and post-natal care.
Now, more giant pandas born and survive at the center than anywhere else in the world.
With 180 pandas now in captivity and as many as 3,000 in the wild, researchers are moving closer to their ultimate goal: sending them home to the wild.
One was released this summer. The staff hopes to release many more in years to come.

Ode to Friendship

China's aid to Africa dates back to 1950s.
By the end of 2005, China had helped establish more than 720 projects for Africa, offered over 18,000 governmental scholarships, dispatched more than 15,000 medical workers, and treated 170 million patients in Africa.
China had also exempted 10.9 billion yuan (US$1.38 billion) of debts of 31 heavily indebted and least developed African countries and eliminated tariffs on 190 categories of African imports to China.
"China is the first country that supports and helps us take up arms and strive for liberation. We regard the country as our brother or sister," said Alphaus Vehonga Muheua, president of the National Union of Namibian Workers, in an earlier interview with Xinhua.
Muheua said many public facilities in Namibia, including stadiums and roads, are built with aids from China. "We are now building the State House in our capital. It is another China-sponsored project."
Africa's energy sources, raw materials and industrial products have also begun to enter the Chinese market. The two sides have both benefited from closer trade and economic cooperation.
The two-day Beijing Summit of FOCAC focuses on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development", and the Chinese and African leaders will review the development of China-Africa relationship and blueprint future cooperation.
FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.
Since the FOCAC launch in 2000, three ministerial conferences have been held in Beijing and Addis Ababa, with an action plan discussed and passed, laying out cooperation programs between China and Africa from 2007 to 2009 under the FOCAC framework.

Asia's Africa Advantage

Recently, China pledged a billion dollar to Nigeria, almost a billion and a half to Zimbabwe and not long ago two billion to Angola. India opening its own EXIM bank to enter the African continent just as the US started when it began invading the developing countries. All of these countries continue to contribute to the Asian Development Fund and the African Development at the same time.

As I said, earlier, it is obvious that in any open trade marketing, there is always one who benefits more than the other. There is never a mutual beneficiary for if not the whole world would have been equal.

However, the Asian countries have one thing and one thing only that would make them more successful in Africa compared to the US. Despite the quality the US products are known for, it has better reputation in Africa and looked onto as the only super power in world politics.

The Asian countries are able to deal with African countries without being politically correct about it. They are able not to interfere in their trade partners political systems and just go for their own interest and economic advanatge. As the Chinese President put it in Nairobi during his last tour of some parts of Africa, "We respect the political model chosen by the African people."

The US constitution warrants the government to gauge any countries political system before doing any business with but when it announced that it is going to reopen ties with the Libyan government, African countries have come to see why and how much oil rich nations have leverage in the arena.

I doubt if even with open trade, the Asian countries will be mutually beneficiaries with Africa for history tells us differently. Just that may be Africa stands a better chance to gain more with them than with others.

a sea lion waiting for her mother

Beijing to announce aid, trade package for Africa

2006-11-03 06:41
China will announce a package of measures covering aid, investment, trade and social development for African countries during the weekend Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC).

Vice-Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo made the remarks yesterday at the closing ceremony of the Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and Seychellois President James Alix Michel review a honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006. James Alix Michel is in Beijing for a state visit to China and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled for Nov. 4-5. [Xinhua]The programme aims to "deepen mutually beneficial co-operation and realize common development," Wei said.

Under the FOCAC framework, China has already taken a series measures including debt relief, tariff exemptions and personnel training to push China-Africa partnership to a new level, according to Wei, also sectary-general of the summit's organizing committee.

From 2000 to 2005, trade between China and Africa saw a rise of 30 per cent each year while keeping to the objective of striking a balance. From January to September, bilateral trade amounted to US$40.56 billion and is expected to exceed US$50 billion for the whole year.

During the period, China waived debt of 10.9 billion yuan (US$1.38 billion) owed by 31 African countries and extended zero-tariff treatment to selected imports.

It also helped establish 900 projects and trained more than 1,460 professionals in various specialities.

FOCAC is a mechanism for dialogue and co-operation set up in 2000 to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

The summit, which will open tomorrow with the participation of heads of state or government from 48 African countries, is expected to come up with two milestone documents a declaration of the Beijing Summit and the Beijing Action Plan (2007-09).

The two-day meeting of senior officials endorsed the draft documents.

"We have reviewed all aspects of our co-operation including infrastructure, health, education and trade. They can be easily adapted and presented to the leaders at the summit," Haile-Kiros Gessesse, a special envoy of Ethiopia, the co-chair country for FOCAC, told China Daily.

"The Beijing Declaration will aim to establish a new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa based on equality, mutual trust, economic win-win co-operation and cultural exchanges," said Gessesse.

Others shared Gessesse's views, describing the senior officials' meeting as successful prelude to the summit.

"This summit will mark another climax of co-operation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the China-African diplomatic relationship," said Nolana Ta-ama, Togo's ambassador to China.
The Beijing Summit will be the most important event in the history of Africa-China relations, further consolidating co-operation and common development, he said.

WB: Africa has made tangible economic progressNAIROBI: Africa has shown tangible progress in the effort to uplift millions of people out of poverty, the World Bank said yesterday.
The bank's annual study of the continent found that 16 states had managed to maintain annual economic growth of more than 4.5 per cent since the 1990s.

The report said many countries, including Senegal, Mozambique, Cameroon, Uganda, Ghana and Cape Verde, have lifted significant percentages of their citizens above the poverty line and might well be on course to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2010.

The annual publication, African Development Indicators 2006, depicts a diverse continent, with several countries making remarkable progress. "Africa today is a continent on the move, making tangible progress on delivering better health, education, growth, trade and poverty-reduction outcomes," said Gobind Nankani, the bank's vice-president for the Africa region.

Gross primary enrolment rates as a share of the relevant age group a standard indicator of investment in the poor shot up to 93 per cent in 2004 from 72 per cent in 1990, contributing to a rise in literacy rates from 50 per cent in 1997 to 65 per cent in 2002, said John Page, the bank's chief economist.