Beijing, Fair Spurs Trade in Servtces

LAST year the imports and ex- ports of China＇s service indus- try reached US $470.58 billion, a steep rise from the US $66 billion in 2o00, and its global ranking leaped from the No. 12 to No. 3. It was in this context that the China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services was launched. As international cor- porations flock to the Chinese market lured by its tantalizingly large demand for quality services, they cannot over- look this event, which is emerging as a part of the structure and trendsetter of ChinKs service industry.     

Beijing Fair Spurs Trade in Services

LAST year the imports and exports of China’s service industry reached US $470.58 billion, a steep rise from the US $66 billion in 2000, and its global ranking leaped from the No. 12 to No. 3. It was in this context that the China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services was launched. As international corporations flock to the Chinese market lured by its tantalizingly large demand for quality services,     

Exchanges

China is the second largest source of international buyers of U.S. properties, next only to Canada, according to the National Association of Realtors 2013 Profile of International Home Buying Activity. During the year ending March 2013, Chinese purchasers spent US $12.3 billion on U.S. real estate, hey appear most interested in houses in the upper price range, of a median price of US $425,000 - almost double that within the States and 50 percent higher than the median price for international purchases. Even more astonishing is the fact that around 70 percent of Chinese buyers pay in full.     

Philips in China：Fishing with a Long Line

ROYAL Philips Electronics first entered China in 1920 and established the very first joint venture in 1985. With its accumulated investment worth in excess of US $2.6 billion, Philips owns 35 joint ventures and sole proprietorships in China. After seven quarters of losses, Philips began to profit in 2003. During this time, the Chinese market played an important role for Philips - its business in China maintained a good profit record. "China's economy has helped provide for speedy and stable growth," said Philips' president Gerard Kleisterlee on a 2003 visit to China. "It is a high point of the world economy and one of Philips' most important markets. We are confident about our business in China and the future of China's development."     

Off the Chinese Press

Repayment Ability StrongAccording to the State Administration ofForeign Exchange, China's foreign debts addedup to US $147.63 billion at the end of June.This figure represents a decrease of US $4.2billion, or 2.8 percent, from that of last year.The reduction is mainly attributable to thefluctuation of exchange rates in the international market. For example, the depreciation of theeuro and the Japanese yen has directly reducedChina's debts in these currencies whenexchanged for US dollars…     

Not Only for the Sake of Charity——A Chinese facility for protection of street urchins

In whatever country and for whatever period of human history, it is those lofty aspirations cherished by the human race that have motivated people to go in for charity. The Chinese culture that dates back to thousands of years ago has always called for charity. Numerous ancient maxims testify to this established fact—"extending the same care you give your own elders and children to others' elders and children," "helping a needy person on hand is worthier than worshipping a god in a faraway land,"     

China''''s Progress in Human Rights in 2004

Foreword The year 2004 is an important year for China in building a well-off society in an all-round way. It is also a year that saw all-round progress in China's human rights undertakings. In that year, China expressly stated in its Constitution that "the state respects and safeguards human rights," further manifesting the essential requirements of the socialist system. The Chinese government pressed forward on promoting administration according to law in an all-round way. It promulgated the document Outline of Full Implementation for Promoting Administration according to Law, which     

Festival of China

THIS October sees themonth-long "Festival ofChina," a collaborationbetween China's Ministryof Culture and the JohnF. Kennedy Center for the PerformingArts. As the festival's major sponsor,the JFK Center regards the "Festival ofChina 2005" as the biggest cultural cel-ebration in its history, as does China'sMinistry of Culture. About US $7 mil-lion is to be spent on the festival, RMB20 million (US $2.47 million) comingfrom Chinese side and the balance fromU.S. media giant Viacom.Ch…     

The Chinese Dream,Whose Dream？

正The Chinese Dream—What It Means for China and the Rest of the World Edited by Ren Xiaosi Paperback,RMB 98Published by New World Press in September 2013in BeijingWhen reviewing the events of2013,"the Chinese Dream"is undoubtedly one of the key phrases that come to mind.President Xi Jinping proposed the concept in late2012,and immediately prompted public discussion.Dreams,for the irst time,became a topic at the     

Should ‘I’m Sorry’ Let Officials off the Hook?

Saving face is something that is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and for over 5,000 years this con-cept has motivated and deter-mined the outcome of decisions and behavior across the spectrum of Chinese society. It was, therefore, particu-larly surprising when Tang Jie, Secretary General of the Municipal Government of Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province, made a vow to local lawmakers that, if his govern-ment did not perform well in terms of administration, the officials involved should apologize publicly for their misconduct. His     

A Harmonious World Begins in the Mind

May 5 equates to the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese Buddhists believe this is the birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. It is a day marked by Buddhists and non-Buddhists swarming to temples for big celebrations. Worshippers have a     

Focus

According to a joint investigation by a group of top world companies, China has for the first time surpassed the U.S. to become the most favored destination for direct foreign investment. The Financial Times reports that the September 11th incident has provoked worries about security in the U.S among foreign investors. According to UN statistics, nearly US $50 billion of direct foreign investment was channeled into China in 2001, and still more is on its way. Foreign investment in the United States, on the other hand, dropped from its 2000 level of US $301 billion to US $125 biinon.     

A Master at Work Qi Baishi’s Landscape Painting Compilation

QI Baishi (1864-1957) is regarded as one of the most renowned Chinese painters of the 20th century. His work Landscape Painting Compilation recently fetched RMB 194 million (US $30.55 million) at the China Guardian 2011 Autumn Auction, the highest priced work at that event. Record-breaking feats are nothing new for this particular work - in 1994 it set a price record for an auctioned Chinese artwork at RMB 5.17 million (US $810,000). Qi Baishi completed Landscape Painting Compilation in the fall of 1931 and presented it as a gift     

Views on the ‘Four Comprehensives’

<正>The"Four Comprehensives"may constitute the main pillars for the next phase of the Chinese social and economic transformation.The general direction of these principles is,however,not new.It has been widely recognized that China needs ongoing reforms for more sustainable and socially inclusive growth.Otherwise,imbalances will increase,posing higher risks to the Chinese and world economy.Being principles,they are rather vague and leave much room for interpretation and adjustment.Concrete targets on the social and economic transformation have not been set.The need for reforms is urgent in many areas,and it is a challenging task to keep the balance.Development priorities Future GDP growth should become more sustainable and should not harm the environment.Eco-friendly growth can be supported if the service sector accounts for a higher share of the economy.The service sector is also less productive on average,implying that high employment can be realized even at     

“Harmony”Concept and China''''s Human Rights

What is summarized as"harmony is of paramount importance" is a most prominent philosophical approach embraced by China's Confucian culture. This is an extension of the approach summarized as "the people are of paramount importance." It calls for harmonious human relations, obliging one to respect others' rights and interests while protecting the rights and interests of one's own. Harmony as a philosophical approach manifests itself, in many ways, in the realm of human rights in China today. To name just a few: the country's political system of multi-party cooperation under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, harmony that prevails between different religions in the country, and the country's call for international dialogue and cooperation to promote the human rights cause. As a fine Chinese tradition, this philosophical approach is being carried forward.     

Connoisseur

Market Value: At the China Guardian 2004 Autumn Auction, this item sold for 4.29 million yuan (US $520,000) - five times its 1995 price of 880,000 yuan. Features: This Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) piece is regarded as a jewel in the crown of antique Chinese furniture. Most extant antique sandalwood and rosewood furniture was created during this period of Chinese history, as pieces made with this material are virtually impossible to find today. Smooth, hard, glossy rosewood was widely used to make furniture in the Ming and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The color of scented rosewood ranges from light yellow to maroon. It has a robust feel and a delicate scent Another kind is narra, a yellowish-brown wood that is less valuable than the scented variety. During the Ming Dynasty rosewood was used to make chairs, tables, chests and beds. To preserve the wood's natural beauty, carvings were kept to a minimum and pieces would be adorned with just a few engravings.     

CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin Heads 7th Say It As It Is Delegation to the U.S.

In interpersonal communication, to "tell it like it is", and listen to others sincerely, is simple yet most admired.This is also applicable to the State-level diplomatic intercourse. The project of Say It As It Is came into being as the times required, and has gradually developed into a brand-project in people-to-people diplomacy with the United States. It has helped build a bridge of communication between the Chinese people from all walks of life and US congressmen     

In Memory of Jordan M. Phillips——China’s Bethune from the U.S.

In the vocabularies used by the Chinese today, "Bethune" is the ultimate synonym for the noble figure. It came from the period of anti-Japanese war when a Canadian physician Norman Bethune came to the frontiers of heavy gun fire to treat the great many Chinese wounded soldiers and eventually died in the anti-fascist battlefield himself due to exhaustion and surgical contraction. "What kind of spirit is this",     

Swimming Upstream

Wang Ziyi, a 14-year-old middle school student who lives in Yichang,central China's Hubei Province, can hardly conceal his excitement at laying his hand on the forehead of a Chinese sturgeon in a large temporary plastic fi shpond. "It is the first time that I have seen a Chinese sturgeon, and they are gentler and meeker than I originally imagined," said Wang. In spite of his fondness for animals,Wang's parents have consistently refused his appeals to keep one at home due to his tight study schedule.     

Teaching at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary

On a back lane in the bustling Xinjiekou District of the city center of Nanjing is a quiet almost hidden "oasis", the campus of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. This is temporary home to nearly two hundred students preparing for leadership and teaching for the Chinese Protestant Church. Union Theological Seminary (UTS) Nanjing is the national seminary of the China Christian Council. It has 27 fulltime Chinese teaching staff. The addition of a few foreign teachers is a new experiment. The hope seems to be that the foreign teachers will bring different experiences, perspectives and teaching methodologies into the faculty mix. The first two foreign faculty members taught at UTS in the 2001-02 year.