The Military Shapes Up

Since the beginning of this year, China’s military forces have been closely observed by both domestic and foreign news media. The public, too, is intrigued by the new evolution of China’s armed forces. After Xi Jinping took over as chairman of the Communist Party of China Central Military Commission (CMC) last November     

Seeing Deeper Into Space

Following the successful launch of the Chang ’e-1 satellite in 2007, Chang ’e-2 was lifted off by a Long March 3 carrier rocket on October 1, marking the beginning of the second phase of China’s lunar probe project.     

Victims of Fortune

Beijing’s old alleys and residences are preserved on film before they make way for new real estate projects Dubbed the "best place to see before it’s gone" by Time magazine in 2010,the old alleys,or hutongs,and quadrangle courtyards around the Bell and Drum towers of north Beijing will officially undergo a facelift,beginning the end of February this year.     

The 12th NPC and CPPCC Convene in Beijing

正The annual sessions of the National People’s Congress(NPC)–China’s top legislature–and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)–China’s top political advisory body–convened in early March.The country’s two most important political events centered this year on deepening reforms and advancing modernization of China’s governance system and capability.Premier Li Keqiang summarized reform goals for 2014 as detailed in the government     

OUTSTRIPPING EXPECTATIONS

正The Chinese economy looks set to maintain stable and moderate growth in 2014 The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on January 20 that in 2013,China’s GDP grew 7.7 percent to 56 trillion yuan($9.17 trillion),reaching the goal of 7.5 percent set by the Central Government at the beginning of the year.In short,the Chinese economy has continued to grow at a relatively quick pace.     

It’s the Season for Property Registration

<正>A new registration system aims to clarify ownership rights The long-awaited rules of property registration have finally come out.The provisional regulations were released by the State Council,China’s cabinet,on December22 last year.In accordance with China’s Property Law,these rules mark the beginning of the country’s real estate registration work.It has been six years since the registra-     

On Chinese Media

Oriental Outlook Issue No.3,published on January 15,2015China’s Opportunities Promoted by the"One Belt and One Road"Initiatives as well as numerous other interconnectivity drives,the year2014 was a critical point for China’s investments abroad.Whether China’s total investments abroad can exceed the amount of foreign investment at home has aroused public concern.The Ministry of Commerce predicted that this inflection point would appear by 2016 at the latest.According to estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and     

A GraveMisfire?

<正>A"deaf review"of Jiang Wen’s much maligned latest film Gone With the Bullets It was hard to go anywhere in Beijing in December 2014 without being assailed by posters advertising Chinese auteur Jiang Wen’s latest movie Gone With the Bullets.I was drawn to the film’s beautiful promotional material showing Jiang’s character with one of the film’s female leads adversarially juxtaposed against Ge you’s character and another female     

A Village’s Five-Year Plan

<正>A tiny village in north China has discovered its potential by drafting a development plan For the residents of Chaicheng Village in north China’s Shanxi Province,September 8 this year marked the beginning of the harvest season.As the long evening     

Gates Wide Open

<正>China vows to further open up its market to spur international and domestic economic development China’s entry into the WTO 10 years a go was a major step in the country’s reform and opening up. It indicated the "beginning of a new historic stage"in the country’s interaction with the rest of the world, said Chinese President Hu Jintao, at a high-level forum marking the 10th anniversary of China’s accession to the     

Online Gaming:Real Growth from the Virtual World

2011 marks the beginning of the second decade in the story of China’s online gaming culture. According to the 2010 China Online Games Market Report published by the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese market for online games reached RMB 32.3 billion in 2010, an increase of 25.2 percent over the previous year. This strong growth points to good times ahead for the domestic gaming industry.     

The Ongoing Housing Dilemma

Relaxation measures put housing control policies to the test Housing regulators in Yangzhou in east China’s Jiangsu Province announced on May 8 the beginning of an incentive policy for new home buyers. Jointly issued by local finance and housing     

Shifting Toward High-Quality Development

正2018 marks the beginning of implementing the agenda mapped out by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC)and the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up,as well as an important year for carrying out the 13th FiveYear Plan(2016-20),all of which endowed 2017’s Central Economic Work Conference with profound signif icance.The conference,held at the end of the year,put forward Xi Jinping Thought on Socialist Economy with Chinese     

Maori People’s Warm Friendship Recalled

In 1981,at the invitation of the New Zealand-China Friendship Association,I had a chance to join a delegation headed by then CPAFFC President Wang Bingnan to pay my first visit to New Zealand.There,the CPAFFC delegation was accorded a warm and friendly reception,particularly by the Maori people.They are New Zealand’s aboriginal people,belonging to the Polynesian race.Since the beginning of the 19th Century,great numbers of Europeans     

Qipao Comeback

正WHEN I was about 13 years old,a shop called Shaolin opened up in my hometown in southeast England.At that time,I had no idea what or where the name Shaolin came from–my friends and I would pronounce it"shay-oh lin"–but after my first visit to the shop,I was certain it would become a firm favorite on our list of places-to-hang-out on a Saturday afternoon.Shaolin was an Aladdin’s cave of Chinese goods.On entering,you were fi rst struck by atmospheric,dim lighting and the heady smell of incense.Then,the sounds:A CD of bamboo flute music accompanied by sounds of nature,and the tinkle of wind chimes evoked a sense of calm that made you want to stop and browse.For me,these sensory experiences became synonymous with"the Orient,"and     

Lenovo＇s European Dream

正ACCORDING to the latest report on the global PC industry,released by two market research institutions–IDC and Gartner–China’s Lenovo Group took 16.7 percent of the global market in the second quarter of 2013,overtaking Hewlett-Packard to become the world’s largest personal computer producer.Lenovo has achieved this result two years in advance of the expectations of Gianfranco Lanci,president of Lenovo EMEA(Europe,Middle East and Africa).From France to Europe as a Whole Lenovo divides its target market into     

Warm Chinese Diplomacy in Cold Winter

正WINTER was once the low season for China’s diplomatic activities–it’s a different story now.The first week of December 2013 witnessed visits to the country by British Prime Minister David Cameron,French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault,and U.S.Vice President Joe Biden.Just two months earlier,the regular meeting of China-EU leaders,the meeting of Chinese and Central and Eastern European     

Chinese-funded Banks Enter the City of London–A Win-win Choice

正ON the back of China’s extraordinary economic growth,Chinese-funded banks have brought the country closer to its ultimate goal to"go global."The breakout and spread of the international fi nancial crisis challenged Chinese-funded banks,but at the same time brought unprecedented opportunities.The U.K.’s trade in the realm of fi nancial services–second only to the U.S.–gives it a clear competitive edge.     

The Birth and Growth of a Magazine （Part 1）

NOW in its 60th year of publication,China Today debuted as an English-language bimonthly under the name China Reconstructs at the beginning of 1952 (It adopted its current monthly format in 1955). The magazine’s founder,Sun Yat-sen’s wife Soong Ching Ling,was personally involved in every detail of the magazine’s creation,and regarded it as one of her major tasks after the founding of the People’s Republic.     

Bosom Friend

TO commemorate the centenary of Israel Epstein’s birth,in 2014 the Shanghai-based Oriental Publishing Center published Epstein and Soong Ching Ling’s Biography,a Chinese-language account of the profound friendship between the late renowned international journalist and the late,internationally esteemed Madame Soong Ching Ling,widow of Sun Yat-sen and Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China.It begins by recounting how Epstein was entrusted with writing