U.S. Commercial Service - American Embassy, Beijing
Vol. 2 No. 164
To subscribe to the China Commercial Brief, please go visit the following webpage http://list.xianzai.net/xz/uscommercialservice/default.htm.
For additional CS China news and events including past issues of the China Commercial Brief, visit our News & Events Archives.
Editor:Matthew Gettman
Contributors: CS Chengdu, Mei Baochun, Wang Yi, Cai Hongying, Wang Jianhong
News Briefs
In addition to the article summaries provided by CS Beijing, our four China branch offices - Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang - submit summaries of commercial articles from their local press to the CCB on a rotating schedule. This week we are pleased to feature a contribution from our Chengdu post.
1.Chongqing to Invest USD 48 million (RMB 397 Million) in a Power-Saving Project
Changan Ford to Offer Auto Financing Service
2.China approves building of new nuclear power plant
3.Water prices raised in Beijing
4.Beijing Starts Collecting Mascot Designs for 2008 Olympic Games
5.USDOC and MII to sponsor a seminar on ICT Standards and Conformity Assessment
6.Province streamlines investment projects
1.Chongqing to Invest USD 48 million (RMB 397 Million) in a Power-Saving Project
According to Chongqing Economic Commission, the Chongqing Municipality will invest USD48 million (RMB 397 million) on the technical renovation on the 18 largest electric power consumers including the Southwest Computer Co., Ltd., Chongqing Dajiang Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd., Southwest Aluminum (Group) Co., Ltd., and Changan Automobile (Group) Co., Ltd. The 18 renovation projects are expected to complete by the end of 2004 upon which the annual electricity consumption will be reduced by over 100 million kilowatt-hours making the enterprise's profit an increase significantly.
(Source: Chongqing Economic Daily, 08/04/2004- Translated by FCS Chengdu)
Changan Ford to Offer Auto Financing Service
According to Ron Tyack, President & CEO of Changan Ford Automobile Co., Ltd., the firm expects to start its car financing business in China in early 2005, which should help boost its sales in the fast-growing Chinese market. Changan Ford has received initial approval to provide auto financing in China from the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the country's banking authority. Changan Ford plans to invest an initial USD 60 million (RMB 500 million) for capital requirements and other needs. Its new established auto credit company will offer financing to consumers and to the more than 100 Ford dealers in China in early 2005.
(Source: Chongqing Economic Daily, 08/04/2004 - Translated by FCS Chengdu)
2.China approves building of new nuclear power plant
Until now, there were four nuclear power plants in China. They are Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, located in Haiyan County of Zhejiang Province, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, and Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province.
China’s State Council recently approved construction of the next nuclear plant, Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant, in east China's Zhejiang Province. It will be the second nuclear plant in the province, which is one of the economic powerhouses on China's eastern coast. China Nuclear Industry Group and Zhejiang Provincial Government will jointly develop the nuclear plant. It will have six 1-million-kw generating units. Upon completion, this nuclear plant will have a combined installed capacity of 12 gigawatts.
For the first-phase construction, which will cost about USD 3 billion (RMB 25 billion), two 1-million-kw pressurized water reactors will be installed. The Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant will put into operation in 2010, then the electricity generated by the new plant will be sent to east China power grid.
Zhejiang has become one of the power-deficient regions in east China. As power supply is available for only four days per week, many factories in the province have been operating below capacity. To meet the power demand, many local enterprises have bought diesel-fueled mobile generators. It is estimated that diesel engines with a combined capacity of 7.2 gigawatts are used for power generation throughout the province.
(Source: China Electric Power News, 07/25/2004 - Translated by Baochun Mei)
3.Water prices raised in Beijing
Effective on August 1, Beijing will raise residential water price by USD 0.1 (RMB .8) which includes USD 0.1 (RMB .5) for tap water supply and USD 0.1 (RMB .3) for sewage treatment. As a result, water price for residential use will rise to USD .45 (RMB 3.7) from the original USD 0.35 (RMB 2.9), about a 30% increase.
Additionally, price of water for industrial use and environmental use will also be raised, but the price of water for rural life and agricultural production will remain unchanged.
Serious water shortages in Beijing are the direct cause for the rise of water prices. At present, water resources in Beijing are no more than 4 billion m3. Spread over the 14 million population in Beijing, water resources per capita are less than 300 m3 /person, which is only 1/8 of the national average and 1/30 of the world average, far lower than the recognized lowest level 1000m3.
(Source: Beijing Youth Daily, 08/01/2004, - Translated by Wang Yi)
4.Beijing Starts Collecting Mascot Designs for 2008 Olympic Games
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) launched a contest on May 5, 2004 to collect designs of the mascots for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. BOCOG announced at press conference held in Beijing Thursday that it will make public the results of the contest on June 1, 2005 and will develop the Olympic Mascots on the basis of the final winner designs.
The contest is open to professional designing institutes and individual designers from all over the world. BOCOG will issue an official “Invitation for the design competition of the mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games” by mail to the participants. The participants can also download the information about the contest from the BOCOG official website at www.beijing-2008.org. All recipients of the invitation letter will automatically become qualified for the contest after submitting their work as required by the invitation.
BOCOG has put forward strict requirements for the design of the Olympic mascots. According to the document on collecting the mascot designs, the Olympic mascots should show the characteristics of the Chinese culture, be cute and favored by children and widely accepted by people of different cultural background, genders and age. The Olympic mascots should also possess inherent commercial value, being conducive to merchandising and adaptable across all Olympic-endorsed products (including T-shirts, bags, cups, stationery). They should possess the ability to be represented in both two and three dimensions across all varieties of media (including TV, Internet, CD, cell phones), as well as being aesthetically sensitive and adaptable to the landscape of Olympic venues and infrastructure.
Participants in the competition should note that each entry must consist one essential design of one or a number (two or more) of cartoon images, and representation of this essential design in various symbols of five Olympic sports, namely equestrian, swimming, running, cycling and rhythmic gymnastics. The participants may also submit designs for other individual sports.
BOCOG do not accept entries of design on the Internet. All works must be sent by mail to the office of mascot design collection. The collection process will be closed at Beijing Time 17: 30 pm December 1, 2004 and BOCOG will receive no entries after the deadline. From December 1, 2004 to May 1, 2005, BOCOG will set up an appraisal committee to assess, select, modify and approve the best designs. It will also register the copy right of the final designs according to law.
In order to ensure the fair, open, justice and transparent nature of the contest, the whole process of collecting and selecting the Olympic mascot designs will come under the supervision of auditing and notary authorities according to law. The selection of the mascots of both the 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be conducted by a signal appraisal committee, in line with the same standards and rules.
(Source: http://www.beijing-olympic.org.cn,- Edited by Hongying Cai)
5.USDOC and MII to sponsor a seminar on ICT Standards and Conformity Assessment
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and China Ministry of Information Industry (MII) will co-host a seminar on Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Standards, Regulations, and Conformity Assessment in Beijing on August 23, 2004.
This seminar is part of the 2004 work plan signed between DOC and MII. Seminar participants from the Chinese side will include government officials from MII (Science and Technology Department, Radio Regulatory Department and Telecom Administration Bureau); officials from AQSIQ, (Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA), Chinese telecom operators and manufacturers. U.S. DOC and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), U.S. Information Technology Office (USITO) and U.S. technology firms will also participate.
Seminar participants will discuss ICT standards development, conformity assessment and their impact on international trade.
To take a look at the draft agenda of the seminar, please click
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/fcs/doc/0812ict_agenda.doc
To sign up for the event, please contact Michael Wang, Senior Commercial Specialist at USFCS Beijing at email: jianhong.wang@mail.doc.gov
(Source: USFCS Beijing, August 13, 2004-Translated by Wang Jianhong)
6.Province streamlines investment projects
Around 90 major projects will be stopped and 151 others suspended in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province in efforts to curb runaway construction, triggering concerns over jobs and growth.
The decision was made after the inspection of more than 4,000 projects, valued at USD 38.7 billion (RMB 320 billion), which may make the province the one taking the harshest measures to curb investment.
The local government has stopped a number of fixed asset projects in order to implement the central government’s macroeconomic control measures, which are designed to prevent the economy from overheating.
"From early this year till the end of June, we had made an overall inspection of the province’s investment projects on fixed assets, including both those that were under construction and those to be built, and stopped 86 projects with a total investment of USD 361 million (RMB 3 billion),"said Zhang Xiaosong, an official of the Shaanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
Twenty-four projects, with USD 49.4 million (RMB 410 million) of investment, were already ordered to stop and 62 others, with USD 310.8 million (RMB 2.58 billion), were cancelled.
"Some of these stopped or cancelled projects are not in keeping with the State industrial policies and regulations concerned, some do not have proper approval for land use, and some do not conform with the requirements of environmental protection or urban planning,"Zhang said.
Out of the 86 stopped and cancelled projects, 37 were the office buildings constructed or due to be built, the construction of which is strictly limited by the central government, the official said.
And others are shopping malls, and small iron and cement factories, the official said.
The official added that 151 projects were stopped temporarily to allow them to obtain necessary administrative approval.
At the same time, Shaanxi also closed a number of factories that did harm to the environment.
(Source: China Daily, 08/09/2004)
Consulate News: Chengdu
In keeping with our goal of making the CCB a more integrated publication, our four China branch offices - Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang - submit consulate news to the CCB on a rotating schedule. This week, we are pleased to feature a contribution from CS Chengdu.
Staffdel Szymanski's Successful Visit to Chongqing:
The Congressional Staff Delegation headed by Mr. Matthew Szymanski, Chief of Staff/Chief Counsel of the Small Business Committee of the House of Representatives, visited Chongqing, July 27-29. The purpose of the visit was to review the status of China's manufacturing sector and the speed of industrial change in the central western region (Chongqing).
On July 28, the 20-member Staffdel, accompanied by DSCO Denny Barnes and CA Chen Ling, visited Changan Ford Automobile Company to gain an understanding of the U.S. multi-national company's operation and success in China. Later the same day, they toured the Carrefour Supermarket to assess China's consumer behavior. The Staffdel met with Mr. Shui Zhengkuan, Vice Chairman of Chongqing NPC, and officials from Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office, Chongqing Commodity Commission and Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Commission. On July 29, the Staffdel visited Chongqing Dajiang Industrial Group (SOE) and toured its tool and mold plant. The delegation also visited the Stilwell Museum and was very impressed by General Stilwells' contribution to US-China friendship during China's Anti-Japanese War. During the visit, the Staffdel also had a city tour to learn more about the economic and social development of this typical west China city. The Staffdel expressed appreciation to DSCO Denny Barnes, as the Control Officer, and CA Chen Ling for coordination and logistics assistance, which ensured a smooth and successful visit.
For more information on CS Chengdu and the Chengdu consular region, visit our website at http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/Chengdu.html
DISCLAIMER: CS China does not guarantee the veracity of the original sources of our news summaries. While we do our best to report accurate and timely articles and news sources, you should always check the source for further information.
The China Commercial Brief is a free newsletter published by the U.S. Embassy- Beijing.
****************************************************
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT, U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2004. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.