http://english.people.com.cn/ http://english.people.com.cn/images/en/top_logo_e.gif People's Daily Online http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/ 7584939 2011-08-31 11:16:32 7584939 2011-08-31 11:16:32 7584727 2011-08-31 10:05:15 7584727 2011-08-31 10:05:15 7584398 2011-08-31 09:37:37 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense released the report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2011" on Aug. 24, which made irresponsible remarks on China’s normal military development and played up the "China threat theory." The move made by the United States is simply against both the objective facts and the trend of the times. The report has criticized China's normal defense and m ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense released the report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2011" on Aug. 24, which made irresponsible remarks on China’s normal military development and played up the "China threat theory." The move made by the United States is simply against both the objective facts and the trend of the times. The report has criticized China's normal defense and military despite stressing that the United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that contributes to international rules and norms and enhances security and peace around the world and also recognizing China's great contributions to global peacekeeping, humanitarian aids and the fight against pirates. For instance, the report has raised concerns that China's pursuit of a modern military will likely increase its "capabilities that could increase Beijing's options to use military force to gain diplomatic advantage, advance its interests or resolve military disputes in its favor," played up China's "military threat" to Taiwan and groundlessly questioned China's cyberspace and network security policies. In terms of the military transparency issue, the report said that China's military transparency has "continued to improve but progress is limited." Furthermore, the report has continued to make excuses for monitoring China through warships, aircraft and other means. According to the report, although China's growing military power can advance the cooperation between China and the United States on their common goals, it will increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation. Therefore, strengthening the military-to-military ties of the two countries has become a major part of the strategy of the United States to influence China. To support the strategy, the United States will continue to monitor the development and strategy of China's military and will keep on working with its allies to "maintain a stable security environment in East Asia." Obviously, the report has ignored the fundamental fact and trend of the times. Every country of the world invests money in its national defense construction, and it is completely reasonable for China to develop some armaments according to its own economic development. China completely has the right to do it, and the United States has no right to criticize it unreasonably. In addition, China's actions of upgrading the modernization level of its armed forces are completely within a proper self-defense scope and do not threaten any country, and compared to developed countries, China's armaments are still much less developed. Regarding the issue of military transparency, the efforts made by China in recent years can be seen by all the people of the world. In July of 2011, Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff visited China's army, navy, air force and Second Artillery Force, and he also went into the cockpit of a Su-27 fighter. Did it not reflect China’s sincere wish to strengthen its military transparency? During the visit, Mike Mullen said with a sigh that the development of China's military technologies was quite transparent and natural. In fact, for any country, it is possible to exhibit some of its weapons, but impossible to exhibit all of its weapons. Can the United States reveal all& ]]> 7584193 2011-08-31 10:46:53 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As the Libya crisis is entering its final stage, people are paying more attention to the future development path of Libya while showing concern for the country's sensitive issues in the transition of power. Certain Western people view the Libyan civil war as a part of the Arab Spring, but it should be noted that no spring lasts forever. Libya may directly enter "winter season" after the "spring," and its future cannot be accura ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As the Libya crisis is entering its final stage, people are paying more attention to the future development path of Libya while showing concern for the country's sensitive issues in the transition of power. Certain Western people view the Libyan civil war as a part of the Arab Spring, but it should be noted that no spring lasts forever. Libya may directly enter "winter season" after the "spring," and its future cannot be accurately predicted. This uncertainty comes from a real challenge facing most turbulent West Asian and North African countries: finding a development path suited to their own specific conditions. Development is a fundamental characteristic of the current times, and it is particularly manifested in West Asia and North Africa. It is worrying that the wave of unrest may lead to the resurgence of extremism in the region and provoke tribal conflicts. However, it is more important to find a practical development path that can meet the demands of the people, especially the young people, in the region. It is not easy to find a right development path. Along with the expansion of economic globalization, some countries are developing, some countries are stagnant, and some countries are regressing. The difference lies in whether they have taken a development path suited to their own conditions. At present, the top priority for certain West Asian and North African countries is to establish a suitable political system, and they cannot and should not simply copy Western systems. The West has never given up its scheme of dominating the development directions of West Asia and North Africa. The dominance is connected with economic interests naturally. Though the smoke of gunpowder has not fully dispersed in Libya, Western oil companies' fights for the oil have already started. Meanwhile, it should also be seen that the West is deliberately spreading its political ideas and directly interfering with the political system reconstructions of the countries of these regions. Some scholars believe that the changes that have appeared in West Asia and North Africa are the inevitable results of the West's geopolitics. In fact, they are more representative of the inertia of the West's long-term dominance in the global political and economic order. For many years, the power of the West not only could be reflected in the area of politics but also could be reflected in of area of ideas. Therefore, a lot of Western-style things have become universal and consequent, especially in the so-called "democratic system" area. Since the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is about to come, discussing the political system reconstructions of West Asia and North Africa has practical significance. During the last 10 years, many countries of the world have carried out political reforms, some of which were pushed forward by external forces, some were results of internal revolutions, and some were carried out under the combined pressure of both internal and external forces. Currently, the failed cases still outnumber the successful cases, and one of the reasons is that many countries, under the strong influence of the West, not only took the Western political ideas as their guidelines but also took the Western-style "democratic system" as the ultimate ]]> 7584193 2011-08-31 10:46:53 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As the Libya crisis is entering its final stage, people are paying more attention to the future development path of Libya while showing concern for the country's sensitive issues in the transition of power. Certain Western people view the Libyan civil war as a part of the Arab Spring, but it should be noted that no spring lasts forever. Libya may directly enter "winter season" after the "spring," and its future cannot be accura ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As the Libya crisis is entering its final stage, people are paying more attention to the future development path of Libya while showing concern for the country's sensitive issues in the transition of power. Certain Western people view the Libyan civil war as a part of the Arab Spring, but it should be noted that no spring lasts forever. Libya may directly enter "winter season" after the "spring," and its future cannot be accurately predicted. This uncertainty comes from a real challenge facing most turbulent West Asian and North African countries: finding a development path suited to their own specific conditions. Development is a fundamental characteristic of the current times, and it is particularly manifested in West Asia and North Africa. It is worrying that the wave of unrest may lead to the resurgence of extremism in the region and provoke tribal conflicts. However, it is more important to find a practical development path that can meet the demands of the people, especially the young people, in the region. It is not easy to find a right development path. Along with the expansion of economic globalization, some countries are developing, some countries are stagnant, and some countries are regressing. The difference lies in whether they have taken a development path suited to their own conditions. At present, the top priority for certain West Asian and North African countries is to establish a suitable political system, and they cannot and should not simply copy Western systems. The West has never given up its scheme of dominating the development directions of West Asia and North Africa. The dominance is connected with economic interests naturally. Though the smoke of gunpowder has not fully dispersed in Libya, Western oil companies' fights for the oil have already started. Meanwhile, it should also be seen that the West is deliberately spreading its political ideas and directly interfering with the political system reconstructions of the countries of these regions. Some scholars believe that the changes that have appeared in West Asia and North Africa are the inevitable results of the West's geopolitics. In fact, they are more representative of the inertia of the West's long-term dominance in the global political and economic order. For many years, the power of the West not only could be reflected in the area of politics but also could be reflected in of area of ideas. Therefore, a lot of Western-style things have become universal and consequent, especially in the so-called "democratic system" area. Since the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is about to come, discussing the political system reconstructions of West Asia and North Africa has practical significance. During the last 10 years, many countries of the world have carried out political reforms, some of which were pushed forward by external forces, some were results of internal revolutions, and some were carried out under the combined pressure of both internal and external forces. Currently, the failed cases still outnumber the successful cases, and one of the reasons is that many countries, under the strong influence of the West, not only took the Western political ideas as their guidelines but also took the Western-style "democratic system" as the ultimate ]]> 7584173 2011-08-30 17:00:58 &$Photo by Zhou Tao&$&$ THE world is in the midst of the greatest demographic upheaval in human history. Although the human race took perhaps 1 million years to reach 1 billion people (around the year 1800), we have been adding successive billions every 10-20 years since 1960. The world's population now stands at 7 billion and is projected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. In other words, between now and 205 ...]]> &$Photo by Zhou Tao&$&$ THE world is in the midst of the greatest demographic upheaval in human history. Although the human race took perhaps 1 million years to reach 1 billion people (around the year 1800), we have been adding successive billions every 10-20 years since 1960. The world's population now stands at 7 billion and is projected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. In other words, between now and 2050, the world is likely to add to its population almost as many people as populated the entire planet in 1950. Or think of it as adding another China and another India. Feeding, clothing, housing, and otherwise providing for this massive net addition to the global population is one of the main challenges facing humankind. If we use as our guide average material progress over the course of centuries, it might seem that necessity will again serve as the mother of invention, and that we will meet the population challenge, just as we have met previous challenges, through technological and institutional innovation. &$ 【1】 【2】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 7584173 2011-08-30 17:00:58 &$Photo by Zhou Tao&$&$ THE world is in the midst of the greatest demographic upheaval in human history. Although the human race took perhaps 1 million years to reach 1 billion people (around the year 1800), we have been adding successive billions every 10-20 years since 1960. The world's population now stands at 7 billion and is projected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. In other words, between now and 205 ...]]> &$Photo by Zhou Tao&$&$ THE world is in the midst of the greatest demographic upheaval in human history. Although the human race took perhaps 1 million years to reach 1 billion people (around the year 1800), we have been adding successive billions every 10-20 years since 1960. The world's population now stands at 7 billion and is projected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. In other words, between now and 2050, the world is likely to add to its population almost as many people as populated the entire planet in 1950. Or think of it as adding another China and another India. Feeding, clothing, housing, and otherwise providing for this massive net addition to the global population is one of the main challenges facing humankind. If we use as our guide average material progress over the course of centuries, it might seem that necessity will again serve as the mother of invention, and that we will meet the population challenge, just as we have met previous challenges, through technological and institutional innovation. &$ 【1】 【2】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 7584150 2011-08-31 14:10:43 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The Libya war situation recently underwent dramatic changes. French and British defense ministers stressed at the end of July that the Libyan opposition could not defeat the government forces or capture Tripoli, the capital of Libya, on its own. However, certain media outlets revealed in mid-August that the Libyan opposition was expected to capture the capital before the end of August, according to a NATO schedule. As it turned ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The Libya war situation recently underwent dramatic changes. French and British defense ministers stressed at the end of July that the Libyan opposition could not defeat the government forces or capture Tripoli, the capital of Libya, on its own. However, certain media outlets revealed in mid-August that the Libyan opposition was expected to capture the capital before the end of August, according to a NATO schedule. As it turned out, the opposition forces entered Tripoli on Aug. 21. There are two main reasons for the sudden victory of the opposition forces. First, Western countries not only launched air strikes and provided a large amount of weapons to the opposition forces but also sent ground troops to Libya. According to recent media reports, France, the United Kingdom and Italy had dispatched Special Forces to Libya to help the opposition troops finally win the ground war. Second, Western countries reportedly bought over almost all senior officials of the Qaddafi regime. In brief, Western countries planned and directed the opposition forces' capture of Tripoli. However, the NATO's victory in Libya is just a miserable victory. First, in order to reduce civilian casualties, the United Nations Security Council authorized NATO to establish a no-fly zone in Libya. However, the military operations of NATO have enlarged the civil war, led to tens of thousands of casualties of innocent civilians, made countless people homeless, and caused severe property damages and a huge humanitarian disaster. NATO’s arming of the Libyan Rebels and use of land forces in Libya both violated the Security Council's resolution, which prohibited both actions. In order to overthrow the Qadafi’s administration, foster a pro-West government and further control Libya, western countries will use any methods. Fair or foul, they do not care. Therefore, they have already failed in morality and justice. Second, several of the strongest Western countries joined forces, spent a lot of money and manpower, and bombed Libya for five months, but they ultimately still had to adopt illegal actions and commanded the Libyan Rebels to take the capital. It could fully reflect the rudeness, brutality and selfishness of the Western countries. In addition, their actions not only failed to demonstrate their powerful strengths but also revealed their weakness, fragility and incapacity. U.K.-based The Times reported that NATO is generally using the term "catastrophic success" to describe the opposition's victory. The relationship among various factions of Libya's opposition is indeed complicated. Although they have made collective actions to achieve the goal of overthrowing Qaddafi’s regime, it is very difficult for them to remain united in the post-Qaddafi era. Instead, they are very likely to divide and even cause new conflicts to arise. Furthermore, it is very difficult for Qaddafi's tribes to accept the cruel facts, including the losses of their dominant position, authority and interests. The international community is universally worried that Libya will likely become the second Iraq or Somalia, and some even forecasted that Libya would likely be divided into three parts. The war and the inevitable future chaos caused by war will make the Libyan People the biggest victim and affect the regional and global peace and stabilit ]]> 7584146 2011-08-31 14:11:08 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ I have annually made several business trips to African countries for surveys and research over recent years. Each time I went to Africa, I was impressed with changes there and the Chinese who had helped to make them. Talking about broad asphalt highways and grand buildings in Africa, African people would immediately tell me that they could only have been built with the help of Chinese. While Western countries are paying attent ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ I have annually made several business trips to African countries for surveys and research over recent years. Each time I went to Africa, I was impressed with changes there and the Chinese who had helped to make them. Talking about broad asphalt highways and grand buildings in Africa, African people would immediately tell me that they could only have been built with the help of Chinese. While Western countries are paying attention to the "software programs," such as "capability development," China has indeed prioritized its investments in the tangible "hardware programs," such as road and bridge construction and other infrastructure that can directly benefit local residents. China has already assisted Africa in building more than 2,000 kilometers of railways, 3,000 kilometers of road, more than 100 schools and 60 hospitals. China has also relieved them of more than 20 billion yuan of debt. Regarding China's contribution to Africa's infrastructure construction, the World Bank once issued a research report named "Building Bridges: China's Growing Role as Infrastructure Financier for Sub-Saharan Africa" in July of 2008. The report said that China had invested a lot of money and built a lot of bridges, railways and highways in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the natural conditions are extremely harsh, and its total investment had increased from less than 1 billion U.S. dollar per year before 2004 to more than 7 billion U.S. dollar in 2006. China has mainly invested in the hydropower station and railway construction in Africa. Currently, China has invested 3.3 billion yuan in 10 hydropower projects that can further supply more than 6 gigawatts of electricity for people in this area, an increase of 30 percent of the previous generating capacity. The report shows that the investments from China had greatly improved Africa's infrastructure and overall investment environment as well as promoted Africa's economic development. Thanks to investments from China and other emerging countries and increasing trade with China, countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa have had an average annual economic growth rate of 6 percent, making the area one of the regions with the highest rates of economic growth in the world. It is well known that infrastructure is the foundation for economic development and a sign to judge the level and potential of a country's economic development. Poor infrastructure is one large obstacle hindering Africa's economic development. The underdeveloped transportation industry and poor traffic conditions not only raise the cost of cross-border trade and domestic trade but also hinder foreign investments to Africa. The insufficient and unstable power supply is also common in many African countries. Due to the lack of power supply, many African countries are completely dark at night, so Africa is described as the "dark continent" by the Western media. Africa faces a shortage of at least 20 billion U.S. dollars every year to improve infrastructure, which calls for China's "Going global" strategy and competitive construction industry. Chinese workers have overcome unimaginable difficulties in building roads in many remote regions in Africa, but certain Western media outlets have ignored their efforts and contribution, claiming that China's assistance to Africa aims to exploit natural resources in Africa.& ]]> 7584126 2011-08-31 14:11:36 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Major General Luo Yuan, deputy secretary general of the China Society of Military Science, said the report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" issued by the U.S. Department of Defense recently showed U.S. worries about China's five military abilities. The United States is concerned about China's potential use of its military ability to strengthen its diplomatic advantages, to sol ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Major General Luo Yuan, deputy secretary general of the China Society of Military Science, said the report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" issued by the U.S. Department of Defense recently showed U.S. worries about China's five military abilities. The United States is concerned about China's potential use of its military ability to strengthen its diplomatic advantages, to solve disputes, to hold back "Taiwanese independence," to restrain U.S. support to Taiwan and the People's Liberation Army's ability to execute new concepts of military operations. Luo said that U.S. concerns are groundless. "In any country, military strength is the bulwark of the country's diplomatic activities and must have the ability to solve disputes. Otherwise, the existence of the armed forces is pointless," Luo said. The annual report by the U.S. Department of Defense evaluating China's military strength has almost always mentioned so-called military transparency. This year's report said that China's military strength has "continued to improve but progress is limited," and "uncertainty still remains on how China will use its rising defensive capability." Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen visited China's air force, army and navy as well as its Second Artillery Force last month, including the linchpins of China's military strategy: the ballistic missile force and submarine bases. He also entered and viewed the control cabin of China’s Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet. As the United States is still insatiable, Luo has decried the unreasonable demands from the United States as the "valley of greed that can never be filled." China has done its best to make its military transparent, including inviting then U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to visit China and welcoming Mullen to visit China's front line troops. Given China's efforts, the United States will go too far if it insists on urging China to make its military more transparent. Luo said that it is reasonable for China to "lift the veils" on some of its weapons, yet it is impossible to "show all of its cards." Neither China nor the United States can do so. The report has been the annual "disclosure" of China's military strength by the U.S. Department of Defense since 2000. The report for 2011 has added two new "special topics" on China's naval strategy and China’s foreign military contacts. The new report has also covered the development of China's aircraft carrier program, anti-ship ballistic missiles and fighter jets. Luo said in the interview that the U.S. Department of Defense has made three missteps in releasing the report at such a moment. First, the report is a product of the Cold War mentality and is not in line with the two characteristics of the times, namely peace and development. The United States used to release annual reports on the military power of the Soviet Union during the Cold War but has turned its attention to China after the Soviets crumbled. This report on China's military has reflected the resurgence of the Cold War mentality in the United States. Second, the report is not in line with the established principles of China-U.S. relations. China sticks to the fundamental principles of& ]]> 7583486 2011-08-30 12:45:51 7583411 2011-08-30 08:47:28 7583411 2011-08-30 08:47:28 7583142 2011-08-30 15:46:01 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense recently submitted a report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2011" to Congress and released it to the public on Aug. 24. The department wrote in the report that the United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that reinforces international rules and norms and enhances world security and peace. It also recognized China's growing ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense recently submitted a report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2011" to Congress and released it to the public on Aug. 24. The department wrote in the report that the United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that reinforces international rules and norms and enhances world security and peace. It also recognized China's growing involvement in international peacekeeping efforts, counter-piracy operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Regrettably, the department deliberately ignored China's defensive national defense policy, expressing unnecessary worries that "China's modernized military could be put to use in ways that increase China's ability to gain diplomatic advantage or resolve disputes in its favor." According to the 84-page report, relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have improved greatly since 2008. While acknowledging that there were no armed incidents in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait in 2010 and the overall situation remained stable, the Department of Defense played up the military threat from the Chinese mainland in a self-contradictory manner. The report alleged, "There remains uncertainty about how China will use its growing capabilities." The department believes that China's military has benefited from robust investments in modern hardware and technology over the past decade, and many modern systems have reached maturity. During the next decade, the People's Liberation Army will integrate many new and complex platforms and adopt modern operational concepts, including joint operations and network-centric warfare. Furthermore, the department paid special attention to China's space and cyberspace capabilities, claiming that the U.S. government's computer systems suffered cyber intrusions originating in China in 2010. The report is self-contradictory to a certain extent. For example, it said that although China's expanding military capabilities can facilitate cooperation between the two countries in pursuit of shared objectives, they can also increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation. It is groundless for the American side to play up China's military strength. Even U.S.-based the New York Times had to point out on Aug. 22 that the Pentagon's annual military spending is 500 billion U.S. dollars more than that of China, and its military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan is closer to 700 billion U.S. dollars a year. According to the newspaper, Chen Bingde, China's Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, said during his visit to the United States three months ago that China had no interest in challenging the American military. The report has highlighted the development of China's navy. This year's report has added two "special topics" of China's maritime strategy and foreign military contacts, claiming that China’s military is boldly entering into global waters that have long been dominated by the United States. The report has also included the information on China's aircraft program, anti-ship ballistic missiles and air fighters and provided considerable coverage of China's “territorial disputes” with its neighboring countries, asserting that China's stance on the South China Sea issue is the source of regional conflicts. Michael Schiffer, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, suggeste ]]> 7583142 2011-08-30 15:46:01 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense recently submitted a report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2011" to Congress and released it to the public on Aug. 24. The department wrote in the report that the United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that reinforces international rules and norms and enhances world security and peace. It also recognized China's growing ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The U.S. Department of Defense recently submitted a report titled "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2011" to Congress and released it to the public on Aug. 24. The department wrote in the report that the United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that reinforces international rules and norms and enhances world security and peace. It also recognized China's growing involvement in international peacekeeping efforts, counter-piracy operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Regrettably, the department deliberately ignored China's defensive national defense policy, expressing unnecessary worries that "China's modernized military could be put to use in ways that increase China's ability to gain diplomatic advantage or resolve disputes in its favor." According to the 84-page report, relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have improved greatly since 2008. While acknowledging that there were no armed incidents in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait in 2010 and the overall situation remained stable, the Department of Defense played up the military threat from the Chinese mainland in a self-contradictory manner. The report alleged, "There remains uncertainty about how China will use its growing capabilities." The department believes that China's military has benefited from robust investments in modern hardware and technology over the past decade, and many modern systems have reached maturity. During the next decade, the People's Liberation Army will integrate many new and complex platforms and adopt modern operational concepts, including joint operations and network-centric warfare. Furthermore, the department paid special attention to China's space and cyberspace capabilities, claiming that the U.S. government's computer systems suffered cyber intrusions originating in China in 2010. The report is self-contradictory to a certain extent. For example, it said that although China's expanding military capabilities can facilitate cooperation between the two countries in pursuit of shared objectives, they can also increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation. It is groundless for the American side to play up China's military strength. Even U.S.-based the New York Times had to point out on Aug. 22 that the Pentagon's annual military spending is 500 billion U.S. dollars more than that of China, and its military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan is closer to 700 billion U.S. dollars a year. According to the newspaper, Chen Bingde, China's Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, said during his visit to the United States three months ago that China had no interest in challenging the American military. The report has highlighted the development of China's navy. This year's report has added two "special topics" of China's maritime strategy and foreign military contacts, claiming that China’s military is boldly entering into global waters that have long been dominated by the United States. The report has also included the information on China's aircraft program, anti-ship ballistic missiles and air fighters and provided considerable coverage of China's “territorial disputes” with its neighboring countries, asserting that China's stance on the South China Sea issue is the source of regional conflicts. Michael Schiffer, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, suggeste ]]> 7583131 2011-08-29 16:50:45 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to Chi ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to China is just a short working visit on his way to visiting France's overseas territory New Caledonia, but it has attracted a lot of attention. The main reason is that the economies of France, the euro zone and the whole world are all in a dire condition. The E.U. debt crisis is spreading, and meanwhile, the U.S. debt issue is intensifying, Japan's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded, economies of developed countries such as the United States, Japan and European countries continue to be gloomy, and the global financial and economic risks continue to mount. It is still possible that the financial market will heavily impact the euro zone and France. For example, France's AAA rating is being threatened and pressed, France's Credit Default Swap (CDS) has sharply risen in a short period and keeps setting new records, the euro zone is having a new divergence of views on providing aid to Greece, and every country is arguing whether they should require Greece to offer pledges in exchange for loans. The plans proposed during the France-Germany Summit, including the plan to establish an economic government for the euro zone, cannot solve the current urgent problems. All these things strengthened the wariness on the market over the ability of the euro zone to handle crisis. In order to cope with the sovereign debt crisis, France and Germany recently jointly proposed to increase the international financial transaction tax, which caused wide disputes. If the proposal cannot get the support of major countries such as China, it will hardly be practically implemented. Given such a situation, people have held high expectations for the 2011 G20 Cannes Summit, which is to be held in November. As France holds the rotating presidency of the G20, Sarkozy urgently seeks some breakthroughs regarding major topics of the summit, such as the reform of the international monetary system, global economic balance and commodity price stability, in order to show France's diplomatic coordination skills as well as his own and gain support in next year's presidential election. Sarkozy paid a special visit to China in March 2011 to participate in a high-level seminar on the reform of the international financial system, during which he held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Sarkozy's current visit to Beijing is aimed at reaching the maximum degree of consensus with China before the G20 summit. 　 France and China currently face issues of common concern. China has always participated in global affairs as a large responsible country, including adopting a large-scale economic stimulus package that has ensured stable and relatively rapid domestic growth and in turn effectively advanced global economic recovery and actively expanded domestic demand while stimulating consumption. 　 Hu stressed that China agrees with the core issues set for the&nb ]]> 7583131 2011-08-29 16:50:45 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to Chi ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to China is just a short working visit on his way to visiting France's overseas territory New Caledonia, but it has attracted a lot of attention. The main reason is that the economies of France, the euro zone and the whole world are all in a dire condition. The E.U. debt crisis is spreading, and meanwhile, the U.S. debt issue is intensifying, Japan's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded, economies of developed countries such as the United States, Japan and European countries continue to be gloomy, and the global financial and economic risks continue to mount. It is still possible that the financial market will heavily impact the euro zone and France. For example, France's AAA rating is being threatened and pressed, France's Credit Default Swap (CDS) has sharply risen in a short period and keeps setting new records, the euro zone is having a new divergence of views on providing aid to Greece, and every country is arguing whether they should require Greece to offer pledges in exchange for loans. The plans proposed during the France-Germany Summit, including the plan to establish an economic government for the euro zone, cannot solve the current urgent problems. All these things strengthened the wariness on the market over the ability of the euro zone to handle crisis. In order to cope with the sovereign debt crisis, France and Germany recently jointly proposed to increase the international financial transaction tax, which caused wide disputes. If the proposal cannot get the support of major countries such as China, it will hardly be practically implemented. Given such a situation, people have held high expectations for the 2011 G20 Cannes Summit, which is to be held in November. As France holds the rotating presidency of the G20, Sarkozy urgently seeks some breakthroughs regarding major topics of the summit, such as the reform of the international monetary system, global economic balance and commodity price stability, in order to show France's diplomatic coordination skills as well as his own and gain support in next year's presidential election. Sarkozy paid a special visit to China in March 2011 to participate in a high-level seminar on the reform of the international financial system, during which he held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Sarkozy's current visit to Beijing is aimed at reaching the maximum degree of consensus with China before the G20 summit. 　 France and China currently face issues of common concern. China has always participated in global affairs as a large responsible country, including adopting a large-scale economic stimulus package that has ensured stable and relatively rapid domestic growth and in turn effectively advanced global economic recovery and actively expanded domestic demand while stimulating consumption. 　 Hu stressed that China agrees with the core issues set for the&nb ]]> 7583131 2011-08-29 16:50:45 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to Chi ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On the afternoon of Aug. 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing and met Chinese President Hu Jintao, and they jointly attended the evening reception. The leaders of China and France deeply discussed and communicated with each other regarding such subjects as the current global economic situation, the European debt crisis, the agendas of the G20 summit and China-France relations. Sarkozy's current visit to China is just a short working visit on his way to visiting France's overseas territory New Caledonia, but it has attracted a lot of attention. The main reason is that the economies of France, the euro zone and the whole world are all in a dire condition. The E.U. debt crisis is spreading, and meanwhile, the U.S. debt issue is intensifying, Japan's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded, economies of developed countries such as the United States, Japan and European countries continue to be gloomy, and the global financial and economic risks continue to mount. It is still possible that the financial market will heavily impact the euro zone and France. For example, France's AAA rating is being threatened and pressed, France's Credit Default Swap (CDS) has sharply risen in a short period and keeps setting new records, the euro zone is having a new divergence of views on providing aid to Greece, and every country is arguing whether they should require Greece to offer pledges in exchange for loans. The plans proposed during the France-Germany Summit, including the plan to establish an economic government for the euro zone, cannot solve the current urgent problems. All these things strengthened the wariness on the market over the ability of the euro zone to handle crisis. In order to cope with the sovereign debt crisis, France and Germany recently jointly proposed to increase the international financial transaction tax, which caused wide disputes. If the proposal cannot get the support of major countries such as China, it will hardly be practically implemented. Given such a situation, people have held high expectations for the 2011 G20 Cannes Summit, which is to be held in November. As France holds the rotating presidency of the G20, Sarkozy urgently seeks some breakthroughs regarding major topics of the summit, such as the reform of the international monetary system, global economic balance and commodity price stability, in order to show France's diplomatic coordination skills as well as his own and gain support in next year's presidential election. Sarkozy paid a special visit to China in March 2011 to participate in a high-level seminar on the reform of the international financial system, during which he held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Sarkozy's current visit to Beijing is aimed at reaching the maximum degree of consensus with China before the G20 summit. 　 France and China currently face issues of common concern. China has always participated in global affairs as a large responsible country, including adopting a large-scale economic stimulus package that has ensured stable and relatively rapid domestic growth and in turn effectively advanced global economic recovery and actively expanded domestic demand while stimulating consumption. 　 Hu stressed that China agrees with the core issues set for the&nb ]]> 7583113 2011-08-30 10:48:29 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ A decisive change has taken place after Libya's war situation stagnated for more than five months, marking the abrupt arrival of the post-Qaddafi era in Libya. However, because Western countries have turned their attention to Syria, the regional situation in West Asia and North Africa has not stabilized. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently said in an interview with a Syrian state-owned TV station that the Syrian people's ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ A decisive change has taken place after Libya's war situation stagnated for more than five months, marking the abrupt arrival of the post-Qaddafi era in Libya. However, because Western countries have turned their attention to Syria, the regional situation in West Asia and North Africa has not stabilized. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently said in an interview with a Syrian state-owned TV station that the Syrian people's awareness has defended the country and shattered a conspiracy to overthrow the government during the last several weeks. Currently, people are particularly concerned about whether there will be new storms in West Asia and North Africa. The countries in West Asia and North Africa that were involved into the unrest face common problems, such as the serious imbalance in their economic and social development as well as the lagging pace of reforms and related institutional development. Many countries still maintain the economic and political structure of a tribal society after their independence, and their political systems involve both traditional and modern factors. The unrest since the start of 2011 shows that the people in these countries have expressed their urgent demand in an extreme manner for the political and social transformation of their countries, which can be regarded as a part of the historical process of their political and social development. Obviously, this process will continue despite the downfall of dictators and regime changes. Many political and social problems facing the countries in West Asia and North Africa can be traced to their history and traditional culture. Many deep-seated problems involved in the social transformation in these countries cannot be solved simply through overthrowing old regimes. The people of Tunisia and Egypt, who have just finished regime changes, are increasingly aware that regime changes do not necessarily ensure better lives or rapid economic growth, and it is more important to develop a social reform and economic development pattern that fits the specific conditions of one’s own country. In fact, the downfall of Hosni Mubarak has not stopped Egyptians from protesting. The difference is that protesters have made more specific demands this time, such as accelerating political and economic reforms and improving their living standards. Rebuilding a stable order in turbulent West Asia and North Africa requires a long period and is full of uncertainty. Can the public wait? Long-held frustration may renew discontent, and interest groups having gathered together to overthrow the old regime may split again in the process of interest redistribution. In the absence of powerful state institutions, there is a huge risk behind the reform in these countries. The political and social developing process in West Asia and North Africa has reached a new crossroads. The future development is a test for national leaders and people in the region, who are not fully prepared for the current upheaval. The large-scale and organized events in the turmoil were realized by using new technologies, and they are not a demonstration of a newly formed order. So far, a clear and constructive goal has not come into being, and authoritative leadership has not been formed in these countries, but to be sure, the region n ]]> 7583110 2011-08-30 10:57:17 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserv ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserve would launch a securities purchase plan of 600 billion U.S. dollars, which is known as the second round of quantitative easing measures or QE2 for short. The U.S. stock market immediately changed from a bear market to a bull market. In November 2010, QE2 was officially launched. The current U.S. economic situation is similar to what it was one year ago. The U.S. economy almost stopped growing in the first quarter, the shadow of economic depression showed in the second quarter, and then the European debt crisis started to spread and the global economy started to face an uncertainty. In the policy meeting held in the beginning of August, the Federal Reserve had markedly lower expectations for U.S. economic growth and opened the door for launching another quantitative easing policy. The historical similarity has led to speculative guesses in the market in the past weeks, with many believing that Bernanke will imply during the annual meeting that new stimulus policies, especially the securities purchase plan regarded as a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, will be launched in order to aid the ailing U.S. economy. Most economists believe that there are many factors to push Bernanke to put forward new easing policies. First is the potential threat of inflation. The biggest concern of the Federal Reserve in 2010 was whether the United States would suffer inflation, and in 2011, the already-rising inflation index worries the United States the most. Currently, although commodity prices are low, the prices of food, clothes and other goods on the U.S. market are growing because prices of goods from overseas are rising. QE3, once introduced, would certainly further prop up asset prices and generate inflation. Second, there is uncertainty about the prospects of the U.S. economy. Although recent employment and real estate statistics are frustrating, there are also good aspects in the economy. The U.S. Department of Commerce report on Aug. 24 showed that the orders for durable goods rose by 4 percent in July, the largest increase since March 2011. The growth has alleviated investors' concern that the US economy may fall into a second recession. Third, voices against QE3 can be heard within the Fed that question the stimulus effect of massive bond purchases on the U.S. economy. The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank president said in an interview that in the event of economic deterioration, the Fed might buy bonds, but now is not the right time. All these factors show that the background of the Federal Reserve's annual conference this year is very different from that of last year, which greatly reduces the possibility that Bernanke may put forward QE3. It is believed that Bernanke may propose several alternatives, and the most likely proposal&am ]]> 7583110 2011-08-30 10:57:17 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserv ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserve would launch a securities purchase plan of 600 billion U.S. dollars, which is known as the second round of quantitative easing measures or QE2 for short. The U.S. stock market immediately changed from a bear market to a bull market. In November 2010, QE2 was officially launched. The current U.S. economic situation is similar to what it was one year ago. The U.S. economy almost stopped growing in the first quarter, the shadow of economic depression showed in the second quarter, and then the European debt crisis started to spread and the global economy started to face an uncertainty. In the policy meeting held in the beginning of August, the Federal Reserve had markedly lower expectations for U.S. economic growth and opened the door for launching another quantitative easing policy. The historical similarity has led to speculative guesses in the market in the past weeks, with many believing that Bernanke will imply during the annual meeting that new stimulus policies, especially the securities purchase plan regarded as a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, will be launched in order to aid the ailing U.S. economy. Most economists believe that there are many factors to push Bernanke to put forward new easing policies. First is the potential threat of inflation. The biggest concern of the Federal Reserve in 2010 was whether the United States would suffer inflation, and in 2011, the already-rising inflation index worries the United States the most. Currently, although commodity prices are low, the prices of food, clothes and other goods on the U.S. market are growing because prices of goods from overseas are rising. QE3, once introduced, would certainly further prop up asset prices and generate inflation. Second, there is uncertainty about the prospects of the U.S. economy. Although recent employment and real estate statistics are frustrating, there are also good aspects in the economy. The U.S. Department of Commerce report on Aug. 24 showed that the orders for durable goods rose by 4 percent in July, the largest increase since March 2011. The growth has alleviated investors' concern that the US economy may fall into a second recession. Third, voices against QE3 can be heard within the Fed that question the stimulus effect of massive bond purchases on the U.S. economy. The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank president said in an interview that in the event of economic deterioration, the Fed might buy bonds, but now is not the right time. All these factors show that the background of the Federal Reserve's annual conference this year is very different from that of last year, which greatly reduces the possibility that Bernanke may put forward QE3. It is believed that Bernanke may propose several alternatives, and the most likely proposal&am ]]> 7583086 2011-08-30 10:49:09 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Although the world economy has been dragged down by the European and U.S. debt crises, China's exports reached a record 175.1 billion U.S. dollars in July, with an increase of 20 percent from a year earlier, after dropping four consecutive months. The exports of India and some other countries have also increased significantly, and even Japan is showing signs of recovery. The substantial increases in the exports of certain count ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Although the world economy has been dragged down by the European and U.S. debt crises, China's exports reached a record 175.1 billion U.S. dollars in July, with an increase of 20 percent from a year earlier, after dropping four consecutive months. The exports of India and some other countries have also increased significantly, and even Japan is showing signs of recovery. The substantial increases in the exports of certain countries despite the global trend showed that global economic demand was higher in July than in June, which was encouraging news for investors worldwide. Asia maintains great momentum for economic growth Due to the ongoing European and U.S. debt crises, there have been growing worries among investors that the United States and developed European economies may suffer a double-dip recession, which has caused major turmoil in the global financial markets. The stock markets in the United States, Europe and Asia have suffered severe declines over the past two weeks. The economies in some Asian countries and regions are increasingly affected by the debt crisis, sparking greater panic among investors. "Economic globalization and the U.S. and European debt crises have also made it impossible for Asian countries not to get embroiled," Sun Fei, a famous financial investor and economist, said. The U.S. and European debt crises, economic slowdowns in developed economies and a new round of quantitative easing policy will in many ways pose challenges to emerging economies, such as the inflows of "hot money" and the sharp appreciations of their own currencies. Furthermore, if the stock market continues to plunge, the U.S. administration will likely adopt the third round of quantitative easing policy or continuously keep interest rates super-low, putting more pressure on emerging economies. According to the data from the International Monetary Fund, the GDP of developed countries was up by 3 percent on average in 2010, and that of emerging markets and developing countries was up more than 7 percent during the same period. Although this year's average GDP growth of emerging markets and developing countries is expected to drop, it will be up to 7 percent. Mei Xinyu, a senior researcher from the Research Institute under the Ministry of Commerce, said that as some emerging countries in Asia have contributed to a majority of the world’s GDP growth over recent years, Asian countries' real economies have showed a sustainable development momentum amid the debt crises. Real economy forms safe haven Mei believes that the U.S. and European debts will affect Asia's emerging countries mainly through two channels: the trade and capital flows. The impact on the financial market has spoken for itself. Regarding the trade, North America and Europe are the largest export markets of Asia’s emerging countries, and therefore, if the U.S. and European debt crises make the real economies of North America and Europe decline severely, the decreasing demands from them will affect the exports of Asian countries. In addition, the investments from countries of North America and Europe will also decrease, and that will affect Asia's industries in which a lot of foreign capitals have flowed, such as the manufacturing and real estate industry. In fact, the i ]]> 7583077 2011-08-30 10:50:23 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserve ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ On Aug. 26, the annual meeting of the Federal Reserve was held in a small city in the U.S. state of Wyoming named Jackson Hole. According to U.S. public opinion, the theme speech made by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke would be one of the most important news items this week. In August 2010, at the same site and the same meeting, Bernanke signaled that if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, the Federal Reserve would launch a securities purchase plan of 600 billion U.S. dollars, which is known as the second round of quantitative easing measures or QE2 for short. The U.S. stock market immediately changed from a bear market to a bull market. In November 2010, QE2 was officially launched. The current U.S. economic situation is similar to what it was one year ago. The U.S. economy almost stopped growing in the first quarter, the shadow of economic depression showed in the second quarter, and then the European debt crisis started to spread and the global economy started to face an uncertainty. In the policy meeting held in the beginning of August, the Federal Reserve had markedly lower expectations for U.S. economic growth and opened the door for launching another quantitative easing policy. The historical similarity has led to speculative guesses in the market in the past weeks, with many believing that Bernanke will imply during the annual meeting that new stimulus policies, especially the securities purchase plan regarded as a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, will be launched in order to aid the ailing U.S. economy. Most economists believe that there are many factors to push Bernanke to put forward new easing policies. First is the potential threat of inflation. The biggest concern of the Federal Reserve in 2010 was whether the United States would suffer inflation, and in 2011, the already-rising inflation index worries the United States the most. Currently, although commodity prices are low, the prices of food, clothes and other goods on the U.S. market are growing because prices of goods from overseas are rising. QE3, once introduced, would certainly further prop up asset prices and generate inflation. Second, there is uncertainty about the prospects of the U.S. economy. Although recent employment and real estate statistics are frustrating, there are also good aspects in the economy. The U.S. Department of Commerce report on Aug. 24 showed that the orders for durable goods rose by 4 percent in July, the largest increase since March 2011. The growth has alleviated investors' concern that the US economy may fall into a second recession. Third, voices against QE3 can be heard within the Fed that question the stimulus effect of massive bond purchases on the U.S. economy. The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank president said in an interview that in the event of economic deterioration, the Fed might buy bonds, but now is not the right time. All these factors show that the background of the Federal Reserve's annual conference this year is very different from that of last year, which greatly reduces the possibility that Bernanke may put forward QE3. It is believed that Bernanke may propose several alternatives, and the most likely proposal wou ]]> 7582304 2011-08-29 17:24:47 7582304 2011-08-29 17:24:47 7582296 2011-08-29 08:52:13 7582242 2011-08-29 08:40:59 &$ Tian Xi has his freedom back and is renewing his fight against those he holds responsible for infecting him with HIV. He likens his chances of seeing justice done to the likelihood he'll live a long life; about zero. Emaciated but in good spirit, the 24-year-old AIDS patient, activist and petitioner was released from prison on August 18 after serving a year's sentence for smashing up the hospital he says is ...]]> &$ Tian Xi has his freedom back and is renewing his fight against those he holds responsible for infecting him with HIV. He likens his chances of seeing justice done to the likelihood he'll live a long life; about zero. Emaciated but in good spirit, the 24-year-old AIDS patient, activist and petitioner was released from prison on August 18 after serving a year's sentence for smashing up the hospital he says is responsible for infecting him. The stubborn young man from Xincai county, Henan Province has been seeking both justice and compensation since he tested positive HIV/AIDS in 2004. He believes he was infected at a local hospital in 1996 when he was just 9 years old. Throughout his late teens and early 20s he petitioned incessantly, finally becoming indignant with hospital officials who refused to take responsibility or show any sympathy. Last August, he lost it and smashed some of the hospital's office equipment. He was promptly arrested. "I won't stop seeking compensation, I have to live," said Tian, who has never been unable to find a job since graduating from college. Tian's is far from an isolated case. It's estimated there are tens of thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS who were infected when they gave blood donation, received transfusions or used contaminated blood products in the 1980s, when the dodgy, private blood trade peaked. Not only are they living with deteriorating health, psychological pain and societal stigma, they're also ignored, silenced and even punished by local authorities when they try to seek help. More than 10 years have elapsed since the private blood trade has been cleaned up, but authorities have yet to compensate those infected by what experts and patients believe was medical malpractice. Once the scale of the tainted blood scandal became apparent earlier last decade, local governments in Hebei, Hunan and Shandong provinces, started testing those who had donated or received blood more than a decade ago. Only then did Tian, who had been having constant fevers and coughs, discover he had AIDS. He also tested positive for hepatitis B and C. &$ &$【1】 &$&$【2】 &$&$【3】 &$ &$ &$&$ ]]> 7582148 2011-08-29 08:21:58 &$(Photo from Shanghai Daily)&$&$ "APRIL is the cruelest month," wrote T.S. Eliot at the beginning of his great poem, "The Waste Land." But, if Eliot had been a professional investor who had observed European financial markets over the last few years, I am quite certain that his choice would have been August. In August 2007, the decision by BNP Paribas to close two of its hedge funds exposed to the sub-pr ...]]> &$(Photo from Shanghai Daily)&$&$ "APRIL is the cruelest month," wrote T.S. Eliot at the beginning of his great poem, "The Waste Land." But, if Eliot had been a professional investor who had observed European financial markets over the last few years, I am quite certain that his choice would have been August. In August 2007, the decision by BNP Paribas to close two of its hedge funds exposed to the sub-prime sector precipitated a liquidity crisis for all European banks during that summer. This year, BNP's great rival, Societe Generale, has been in the spotlight. Its stock fell by more than 14 percent in one day in mid-August, plumbing depths not seen for two and a half years. Rumors have swirled about a possible downgrade of France's sovereign debt, accompanied by speculation about the consequences for French banks. Since the French, of all continental Europeans, most respect the convention that no useful work should be done in the month of August, this is harsh treatment for their bankers. They have not been slow to claim that they are being singled out unfairly. They have a point. France is not the epicenter of the eurozone crisis. There is much - too much - competition for that position. Greece was an early favorite in the race to claim it, but faced a stiff challenge for a time from Ireland. Portugal made a sprint towards the front, but is now falling back a little, with Spain and Italy moving up. France likes to think that it is at the back of the field, strolling leisurely in lockstep with Germany. The evolution of the crisis has, however, thrown European banks' balance sheets into sharp focus. Eurozone governments have proven unwilling, or unable, to produce a solution that persuades markets that they are on top of the problem. It seems inevitable now that either the eurozone will have to contract, with parts of the uncompetitive periphery dropping out, at least for a time, or that member countries' debts will have to be collectively guaranteed, which implies some form of fiscal union. The political problem is that the second solution cannot yet be sold to German voters, let alone to France's National Front and Finland's True Finns. Perhaps it will be possible to persuade the Germans if the alternative is eurozone collapse, which would put the Deutschemark, or a Northern Euro, in the uncomfortable position that the Swiss franc occupies today - too strong for its own good. But things might have to get worse before the political mood swings.&$ 【1】 【2】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 7581372 2011-08-29 10:22:22 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Foreign investors will be able to make direct investments in China with RMB obtained legally from overseas, according to the draft guidelines on RMB foreign direct investment (FDI) recently issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry is currently soliciting public feedback on the new rules. This regulatory framework for cross-border RMB FDI will be officially launched contingent on smooth pilot runs. Some insiders believe ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Foreign investors will be able to make direct investments in China with RMB obtained legally from overseas, according to the draft guidelines on RMB foreign direct investment (FDI) recently issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry is currently soliciting public feedback on the new rules. This regulatory framework for cross-border RMB FDI will be officially launched contingent on smooth pilot runs. Some insiders believe that this guideline will provide specific rules to follow in the backflow of RMB raised overseas, which will be another major step for the country's efforts to internationalize the RMB and open its capital market. RMB internationalization to be accelerated This move shows the central government's determination to accelerate the internationalization of the RMB. "China launched the pilot FDI in RMB mainly for two purposes. The first purpose is to promote RMB internationalization, and the other is to coordinate with cross-border RMB trade settlements and the issuance of offshore RMB-denominated bonds and shares," said Dong Dengxin, professor in Wuhan Science and Technology University. "This will make it easier for foreign-funded enterprises in China to remit RMB-denominated profits, transfer shares, reduce capital investment, liquidate assets and recoup capital investment, thereby reducing the currency risks facing them." Experts believe that expanding the scope of cross-border RMB settlements will improve and perfect the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism. The significance is that once a RMB reflowing mechanism is established, it will expand channels for overseas-acquired RMB funds to flow back into the country. It is a great progress in the course of RMB internationalization and will lay the foundation for the full convertibility of RMB capital accounts. Paying special attention to "hot money" risks China should urgently accelerate the process of interest rate marketization and RMB internationalization. Dong believes that the route to realizing interest rate marketization is: one, establishing a multi-layer capital market and developing the direct financing; two, establishing a bank deposit insurance system and allowing banks to go bankrupt like enterprises. The route to realizing the RMB internationalization is: first, adopting the cross-border RMB settlement, then, issuing overseas RMB bonds and stocks, and finally realizing the direct cross-border RMB investment. In other words, the RMB will change from a regional cross-border settlement currency to a regional cross-border investment currency. It is the essential route for the RMB to go from the current account convertibility to capital account convertibility and also an essential route for the RMB to change from a regional cross-border currency to a global cross-border currency ultimately. Insiders notably reminded that China should be particularly alert to the "hot money" risk when opening the capital account. As China is committed to promoting RMB Internationalization, the eased capital account regulation in certain areas will likely lower the costs of the inflows of short-term international capital into China. Following the gradual opening of the capital account, "hot money" is more likely to flow into China through capital channels than trade channels in the future. Experts said that what an open economy fears is not the inflows and outflows of capital but the uncertainties in its inf ]]> 7580672 2011-08-30 10:46:59 Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$ &$From self-confidence to frustration&$ After Americans succeeded in emerging from the "Great Depression" by adopting Keynesianism in the 1930s, the U.S. economy had been robust despite the impact of the oil crisis and the competition from Japan. Thus, Americans dubbed European society "Old Europe." Although Americans did not take pleasure in Japan's "lost decade," they were convinced that Japan could only get out of the tr ...]]> Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$ &$From self-confidence to frustration&$ After Americans succeeded in emerging from the "Great Depression" by adopting Keynesianism in the 1930s, the U.S. economy had been robust despite the impact of the oil crisis and the competition from Japan. Thus, Americans dubbed European society "Old Europe." Although Americans did not take pleasure in Japan's "lost decade," they were convinced that Japan could only get out of the trouble by adopting the U.S.-style capitalism. However, the international financial crisis since 2008 has exposed the fundamental shortcomings in U.S.-style capitalism: being overconfident in the market economy, extremely inflated public greed and a debt-based consumer society. Americans were so confident in their economic system that they were hesitant and even unwilling to find its shortcomings. When the bubble burst, many people lost both their homes and their lifetime savings and dreams because the savings should have been used as their children’s college tuitions and a guarantee of their comfortable lives after retirement. Economist Joseph Stiglitz said that the income of the U.S. middle class has stagnated for a decade. There is increasingly serious inequality in society, and poor Americans have fewer chances to move from the bottom to the top than Europeans. In a sense, most Americans were living in a state of delusion. &$What is the cause of the "American illness?"&$ From Ronald Reagan to George Bush and from Alan Greenspan to Ben Bernanke, the U.S. decision-makers of the past 30 years are all believers of the New Classical Economics and Market Fundamentalism, and they shared the same belief as Adam Smith, which is that the pursuit of individuals’ personal desires can fully realize the common good. According to this logic, since the foundation of the U.S. capitalist system is to pursue maximized personal interests, why do they blame only the bubble economy that was brought by financial derivatives created by bankers of the Wall Street? Facing the financial crisis, Joseph Stiglitz said that they must clearly know whom to blame and at least know what is not right. Stiglitz found that the economic crisis cannot be ascribed to any individual behaviors under the U.S. capitalist system, and the problem is the system itself. He said that the U.S. economy has been based on an unsustainable bubble, and if this bubble is gone, the total demand will greatly decrease. He also said that the widening income gap is making incomes flow from the people who are willing to consume to the people who are unwilling to consume. And that will further reduce the demand. As long as the production is larger than the consumption and the supply is larger than the demand, the U.S. and global economies will not be able to get out of the difficult position. However, the capital giants never support technical innovations or enterprise development actively, and they always favor the bankers who make fortunes quickly by using financial leverage. With the improper stimuli and irresponsible ratings added in, the disease of the U.S. capitalism is worsening to no end. &$End of American dream&$ It used to be a common wish of countless people in developing countries to live as good lives as Americans ]]> 7580316 2011-08-29 10:20:42 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ In the context of economics, the "lost decade" refers to the Japanese economy's stagnation throughout the 1990s after rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Technically speaking, Japan has experienced two "lost decades." Certain scholars and media outlets recently made bold predictions that China could face a Japanese-style lost decade. Prominent U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for his critical economic views, made ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ In the context of economics, the "lost decade" refers to the Japanese economy's stagnation throughout the 1990s after rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Technically speaking, Japan has experienced two "lost decades." Certain scholars and media outlets recently made bold predictions that China could face a Japanese-style lost decade. Prominent U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for his critical economic views, made a more specific prediction when he said that China's economy will suffer a hard landing in 2013. There are four main reasons why certain people think China will face a lost decade. First, China is facing a serious asset bubble, and its current regulation of real estate markets is like squeezing the bubble. Once the bubble completely bursts, the country's economy will slow down sharply and fall into complete stagnation. Second, China's economic growth has long been driven by exports. Due to the continuous appreciation of the yuan as well as the United States’ shift of focus to the real economy and import reductions after the global financial crisis, international demand is bound to fall, which will cause a sharp slowdown in China's economic growth. Third, China does not have a solid microeconomic foundation, and the financial performances of many Chinese companies are somewhat disappointing. Remarkable macroeconomic progress has covered the country's weak microeconomic foundation, which is bound to cause major problems. Fourth, China is facing growing social contradictions. Extremely unbalanced development and increasing conflict of social interests have caused many non-economic issues, making it difficult for China to continue to focus on economic growth. These arguments seem academically plausible, but the scholars and media outlets have in fact exaggerated the negative effects of existing problems on China's economic growth. Due to lack of understanding of the country's specific conditions, they have linked China's economic development to a Japanese-style lost decade in a far-fetched manner. China indeed faces the asset bubble issue, yet the issue is not serious enough to lead to a "lost decade." Two decades ago, Japan's asset speculation went so far that Tokyo's housing market value was as much as that of the entire United States, which squeezed the investments in the real economy and ultimately led to the catastrophic consequences for the economy. Furthermore, in addition to the impact of the asset bubbles on Japan's entering into a "lost decade," the United States forced yen to drastically appreciate through the Plaza Accord, undermining the competitiveness of Japan’s manufacturing industry, where Japan's competitive edge mainly lied. As one of the "three major driving forces" behind economic growth, exports have made great contributions to China's economy. However, the contributions have been "misinterpreted." Around half of China's export trade is processing trade. This means that China must import a large amount of raw materials and semi-finished products before exporting finished goods, with the added value left in china accounting for only a very small portion of the export value. For instance, an Apple iPad is priced around 600 U.S. dollars and is first assembled in China with core components imported from the United States, Japan or South Korea and then is ]]> 7580316 2011-08-29 10:20:42 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ In the context of economics, the "lost decade" refers to the Japanese economy's stagnation throughout the 1990s after rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Technically speaking, Japan has experienced two "lost decades." Certain scholars and media outlets recently made bold predictions that China could face a Japanese-style lost decade. Prominent U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for his critical economic views, made ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ In the context of economics, the "lost decade" refers to the Japanese economy's stagnation throughout the 1990s after rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Technically speaking, Japan has experienced two "lost decades." Certain scholars and media outlets recently made bold predictions that China could face a Japanese-style lost decade. Prominent U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for his critical economic views, made a more specific prediction when he said that China's economy will suffer a hard landing in 2013. There are four main reasons why certain people think China will face a lost decade. First, China is facing a serious asset bubble, and its current regulation of real estate markets is like squeezing the bubble. Once the bubble completely bursts, the country's economy will slow down sharply and fall into complete stagnation. Second, China's economic growth has long been driven by exports. Due to the continuous appreciation of the yuan as well as the United States’ shift of focus to the real economy and import reductions after the global financial crisis, international demand is bound to fall, which will cause a sharp slowdown in China's economic growth. Third, China does not have a solid microeconomic foundation, and the financial performances of many Chinese companies are somewhat disappointing. Remarkable macroeconomic progress has covered the country's weak microeconomic foundation, which is bound to cause major problems. Fourth, China is facing growing social contradictions. Extremely unbalanced development and increasing conflict of social interests have caused many non-economic issues, making it difficult for China to continue to focus on economic growth. These arguments seem academically plausible, but the scholars and media outlets have in fact exaggerated the negative effects of existing problems on China's economic growth. Due to lack of understanding of the country's specific conditions, they have linked China's economic development to a Japanese-style lost decade in a far-fetched manner. China indeed faces the asset bubble issue, yet the issue is not serious enough to lead to a "lost decade." Two decades ago, Japan's asset speculation went so far that Tokyo's housing market value was as much as that of the entire United States, which squeezed the investments in the real economy and ultimately led to the catastrophic consequences for the economy. Furthermore, in addition to the impact of the asset bubbles on Japan's entering into a "lost decade," the United States forced yen to drastically appreciate through the Plaza Accord, undermining the competitiveness of Japan’s manufacturing industry, where Japan's competitive edge mainly lied. As one of the "three major driving forces" behind economic growth, exports have made great contributions to China's economy. However, the contributions have been "misinterpreted." Around half of China's export trade is processing trade. This means that China must import a large amount of raw materials and semi-finished products before exporting finished goods, with the added value left in china accounting for only a very small portion of the export value. For instance, an Apple iPad is priced around 600 U.S. dollars and is first assembled in China with core components imported from the United States, Japan or South Korea and then is ]]> 7580138 2011-08-30 17:30:46 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The civil war in Libya will come to an end now that the opposition forces have entered into Libya's capital Tripoli. However, the five-month regional war will pose a long-term impact on the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The direct consequence of the war is the arrival of the "post-Qaddafi era." Muammar al-Qaddafi has always been trapped in mire of tribal politics during his rein. He once assigned many posts in key go ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The civil war in Libya will come to an end now that the opposition forces have entered into Libya's capital Tripoli. However, the five-month regional war will pose a long-term impact on the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The direct consequence of the war is the arrival of the "post-Qaddafi era." Muammar al-Qaddafi has always been trapped in mire of tribal politics during his rein. He once assigned many posts in key government departments such as military and security to the members of his own Qaddafi tribe while purging members from the tribes in the Cyrenaica and Fezzan regions, leading to deteriorating relations among various tribes. The unexpected civil war cannot just be viewed as the democratic fight against tyranny and the suppression of freedom but a resistance against the unfair distribution of political and economic interests within the context of a "tribal war." Tribal wars are characterized by their winner-take-all nature. As the opposition forces have incited deep hatred of Qaddafi's tribes during the war, whether or not they can properly treat the pro-Qaddafi tribes after coming into power is still unknown. Some Western countries that have participated in the military operations against Qaddafi have also shown their concerns. The end of the war does not necessarily mean that Libya will enter into a new era of democracy and freedom. Afterward, the country will face a very difficult test of how to avoid tribal retaliations and internal rivalries among opposition forces. Furthermore, the issues such as restoring the infrastructure damaged by the war and dealing with the increasing number of refugees cannot be addressed without strong external support. History never repeats itself in a linear way, and it is still uncertain what is next in Libya's next round of political changes. The Libyan war forcibly changed many factors influencing the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The turmoil in West Asia and North Africa at the beginning of this year was mainly caused by internal factors: people there seek democracy and improvement of people's livelihood as well as oppose dictatorship and unfair distribution. The war cannot fully meet the demands of the Libyan people with Western interference, and the opposition is nothing more than a bargaining chip picked up by the Western countries to achieve their own strategic goals. For a considerably long period of time, NATO has had no idea of the constitution and political views of the rebels that they support, which did not stop NATO providing various kinds of assistances for the war-torn country. The external causes of the Libyan war have made the instability in West Asia and North Africa even more complicated. The spillover effect of this war is more negative than positive. The proper operation of the international community needs all countries to abide by basic game rules, and the bottom-line rule refers to basic norms of international law. The Libyan war started under the banner of U.N. Resolution 1973, but whether NATO's air strike has exceeded the power granted by the resolution has long been questioned by all parties. The war seems to be a conflict between Libyan rebels and the governmental forces but is actually manipulated by& ]]> 7580138 2011-08-30 17:30:46 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The civil war in Libya will come to an end now that the opposition forces have entered into Libya's capital Tripoli. However, the five-month regional war will pose a long-term impact on the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The direct consequence of the war is the arrival of the "post-Qaddafi era." Muammar al-Qaddafi has always been trapped in mire of tribal politics during his rein. He once assigned many posts in key go ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The civil war in Libya will come to an end now that the opposition forces have entered into Libya's capital Tripoli. However, the five-month regional war will pose a long-term impact on the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The direct consequence of the war is the arrival of the "post-Qaddafi era." Muammar al-Qaddafi has always been trapped in mire of tribal politics during his rein. He once assigned many posts in key government departments such as military and security to the members of his own Qaddafi tribe while purging members from the tribes in the Cyrenaica and Fezzan regions, leading to deteriorating relations among various tribes. The unexpected civil war cannot just be viewed as the democratic fight against tyranny and the suppression of freedom but a resistance against the unfair distribution of political and economic interests within the context of a "tribal war." Tribal wars are characterized by their winner-take-all nature. As the opposition forces have incited deep hatred of Qaddafi's tribes during the war, whether or not they can properly treat the pro-Qaddafi tribes after coming into power is still unknown. Some Western countries that have participated in the military operations against Qaddafi have also shown their concerns. The end of the war does not necessarily mean that Libya will enter into a new era of democracy and freedom. Afterward, the country will face a very difficult test of how to avoid tribal retaliations and internal rivalries among opposition forces. Furthermore, the issues such as restoring the infrastructure damaged by the war and dealing with the increasing number of refugees cannot be addressed without strong external support. History never repeats itself in a linear way, and it is still uncertain what is next in Libya's next round of political changes. The Libyan war forcibly changed many factors influencing the situation in West Asia and North Africa. The turmoil in West Asia and North Africa at the beginning of this year was mainly caused by internal factors: people there seek democracy and improvement of people's livelihood as well as oppose dictatorship and unfair distribution. The war cannot fully meet the demands of the Libyan people with Western interference, and the opposition is nothing more than a bargaining chip picked up by the Western countries to achieve their own strategic goals. For a considerably long period of time, NATO has had no idea of the constitution and political views of the rebels that they support, which did not stop NATO providing various kinds of assistances for the war-torn country. The external causes of the Libyan war have made the instability in West Asia and North Africa even more complicated. The spillover effect of this war is more negative than positive. The proper operation of the international community needs all countries to abide by basic game rules, and the bottom-line rule refers to basic norms of international law. The Libyan war started under the banner of U.N. Resolution 1973, but whether NATO's air strike has exceeded the power granted by the resolution has long been questioned by all parties. The war seems to be a conflict between Libyan rebels and the governmental forces but is actually manipulated by& ]]> 7578994 2011-08-30 17:32:28 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ After the trial voyage of China's first aircraft carrier, some countries showed complicated emotions and expressed or implied that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. Their complicated emotions are understandable, but it is just their imagination or terrible illusion that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. However, this kind of imagination or illusion must not be underestimated. Some have indeed made a conclusion based on th ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ After the trial voyage of China's first aircraft carrier, some countries showed complicated emotions and expressed or implied that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. Their complicated emotions are understandable, but it is just their imagination or terrible illusion that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. However, this kind of imagination or illusion must not be underestimated. Some have indeed made a conclusion based on the history of the first and second world wars that if a country expands its armaments, it will pursue hegemony. At least, since China already has the aircraft carrier, Western media will have more ears to listen to its "China Threat theory" and will be able to make more conclusions of various types. The sea trial of China's aircraft carrier is simply a fact, and China has reiterated that it needs to own aircraft carriers. China's path of peaceful development has time and again refuted the "China military threat theory." The entire low-profile sea trial process of China's aircraft carrier has in a sense belied the "China military threat theory" again because some countries have always urged China to increase its military transparency over recent years, and they still doubt China's motives after China improved its military transparency. This shows that they have yet to understand China, how deep their bias toward China is and how firmly they hold to the illusion of "evil China." They do not understand China's behaviors for a lack of understanding of China's thoughts. Some countries’ historical vision is so narrow that they claim that the expansion of military strength is just aimed at securing hegemony; peace refers only to "hegemonic stability" in their dictionary. A powerful China has a greater desire to seek peace. China has never had a powerful navy. The world’s most powerful fleet led by Zheng He during China's Ming Dynasty had never imposed any threat to any other country. Instead, the fleet combated pirates, sent signals of peace to many countries and advanced the friendship between China and many remote countries. In contrast, Western explorers' fleets that were vulnerable to the Ming fleets had slaughtered and plundered many countries. Therefore, whether or not a country's military threatens peace does not depend on whether its strength is weak or strong but rather some more fundamental factors regarding the country, the most important of which is perhaps its culture and ideals. The two virtues of "He" and "Ren" are the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture. "He" means harmony and peace, and "Ren" means humanity and benevolence. Both the upper and lower classes in China admire the two virtues. Foreigners who know a certain amount of Chinese characters may find that the signboards of many Chinese restaurants and stores contain the two characters of "He" and "Ren," just like Americans who often talk of democracy. The two virtues have been extolled and preached by countless Chinese people over the past few thousand years. The pursuit of peace does not mean China will give up its right of national defense. Like the country’s other military projects, the aircraft carrier project is defensive in nature and is aimed at safeguarding national security rather than seeking hegemony. Certain Western&am ]]> 7578994 2011-08-30 17:32:28 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ After the trial voyage of China's first aircraft carrier, some countries showed complicated emotions and expressed or implied that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. Their complicated emotions are understandable, but it is just their imagination or terrible illusion that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. However, this kind of imagination or illusion must not be underestimated. Some have indeed made a conclusion based on th ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ After the trial voyage of China's first aircraft carrier, some countries showed complicated emotions and expressed or implied that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. Their complicated emotions are understandable, but it is just their imagination or terrible illusion that China is pursuing maritime hegemony. However, this kind of imagination or illusion must not be underestimated. Some have indeed made a conclusion based on the history of the first and second world wars that if a country expands its armaments, it will pursue hegemony. At least, since China already has the aircraft carrier, Western media will have more ears to listen to its "China Threat theory" and will be able to make more conclusions of various types. The sea trial of China's aircraft carrier is simply a fact, and China has reiterated that it needs to own aircraft carriers. China's path of peaceful development has time and again refuted the "China military threat theory." The entire low-profile sea trial process of China's aircraft carrier has in a sense belied the "China military threat theory" again because some countries have always urged China to increase its military transparency over recent years, and they still doubt China's motives after China improved its military transparency. This shows that they have yet to understand China, how deep their bias toward China is and how firmly they hold to the illusion of "evil China." They do not understand China's behaviors for a lack of understanding of China's thoughts. Some countries’ historical vision is so narrow that they claim that the expansion of military strength is just aimed at securing hegemony; peace refers only to "hegemonic stability" in their dictionary. A powerful China has a greater desire to seek peace. China has never had a powerful navy. The world’s most powerful fleet led by Zheng He during China's Ming Dynasty had never imposed any threat to any other country. Instead, the fleet combated pirates, sent signals of peace to many countries and advanced the friendship between China and many remote countries. In contrast, Western explorers' fleets that were vulnerable to the Ming fleets had slaughtered and plundered many countries. Therefore, whether or not a country's military threatens peace does not depend on whether its strength is weak or strong but rather some more fundamental factors regarding the country, the most important of which is perhaps its culture and ideals. The two virtues of "He" and "Ren" are the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture. "He" means harmony and peace, and "Ren" means humanity and benevolence. Both the upper and lower classes in China admire the two virtues. Foreigners who know a certain amount of Chinese characters may find that the signboards of many Chinese restaurants and stores contain the two characters of "He" and "Ren," just like Americans who often talk of democracy. The two virtues have been extolled and preached by countless Chinese people over the past few thousand years. The pursuit of peace does not mean China will give up its right of national defense. Like the country’s other military projects, the aircraft carrier project is defensive in nature and is aimed at safeguarding national security rather than seeking hegemony. Certain Western&am ]]> 7574975 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The recent London riots have again brought harsh criticism of social media. British police believe that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and smartphones, like the Blackberry, have made it too easy for rioters to incite violence and coordinate looting. The riots have generated heated discussions among Western people as to whether social media should stick to certain basic principles for freedom of speech on ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The recent London riots have again brought harsh criticism of social media. British police believe that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and smartphones, like the Blackberry, have made it too easy for rioters to incite violence and coordinate looting. The riots have generated heated discussions among Western people as to whether social media should stick to certain basic principles for freedom of speech online, whether the supervision and regulation over new media should be enhanced and how the public can develop a scientific and rational attitude toward the use of new media. New media like the Internet are influencing public opinion, social climate and the transfer of political power at an unprecedented depth and speed. During the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, social media spread related information at lightning speed and produced a profound influence far beyond imagination. They have become a catalyst for movements and campaigns worldwide. During the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, certain Western media outlets and political forces spread the word via various social media, and the U.S. government even asked Twitter to delay a planned maintenance outage because of its use as a communications tool by Iranians for protests on the streets of Tehran, the country's capital. After the recent terrorist attacks in Norway, a German youth protection website has found that certain groups are increasingly disseminating far-right ideologies via micro-blogs, Internet chat rooms, video-sharing websites and other services. The German website said that there were about 190 videos promoting far-right ideologies on YouTube. These videos received a total of more than 170,000 views and were designed to encourage people to attend gatherings of far-right groups. In the era of new media, the "fence of news" has been widened and the public has joined in information dissemination. People not only consume news and information but also share, add and create information and opinions. They also shift from online to offline and change society by expressing views. During the U.K. riots, there were not only rioters and young people who conspired through social networks and looted targeted stores in a very short time but also hundreds of volunteers who acted as network flashers and gathered together quickly to clean the streets. A British scientist marveled at the charm of new media and said that the Butterfly Effect of Twitter is fascinating and exciting and has magically expanded people's channels to learn information, which increases work and life efficiency and even changes the modern people's senses of time and space. New media is a complex web of contradictions, however, because it is full of hope as well as disappointment. The virtual elements and accessibility of the technical platform, anonymity of netizens, as well as the weakening of the "gatekeeper" mechanism have generalized the limits of speech freedom. Moreover, false online information, personal attacks, infringements and illegal acts, negative words and deeds to incite riots have been emerging all the time. Under the new rules of faster spreading in a shorter time, information dissemination has shown a new trend: displaying the hottest and acutest facts within limited time and space has become a&a ]]> 7574975 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The recent London riots have again brought harsh criticism of social media. British police believe that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and smartphones, like the Blackberry, have made it too easy for rioters to incite violence and coordinate looting. The riots have generated heated discussions among Western people as to whether social media should stick to certain basic principles for freedom of speech on ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ The recent London riots have again brought harsh criticism of social media. British police believe that social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and smartphones, like the Blackberry, have made it too easy for rioters to incite violence and coordinate looting. The riots have generated heated discussions among Western people as to whether social media should stick to certain basic principles for freedom of speech online, whether the supervision and regulation over new media should be enhanced and how the public can develop a scientific and rational attitude toward the use of new media. New media like the Internet are influencing public opinion, social climate and the transfer of political power at an unprecedented depth and speed. During the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, social media spread related information at lightning speed and produced a profound influence far beyond imagination. They have become a catalyst for movements and campaigns worldwide. During the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, certain Western media outlets and political forces spread the word via various social media, and the U.S. government even asked Twitter to delay a planned maintenance outage because of its use as a communications tool by Iranians for protests on the streets of Tehran, the country's capital. After the recent terrorist attacks in Norway, a German youth protection website has found that certain groups are increasingly disseminating far-right ideologies via micro-blogs, Internet chat rooms, video-sharing websites and other services. The German website said that there were about 190 videos promoting far-right ideologies on YouTube. These videos received a total of more than 170,000 views and were designed to encourage people to attend gatherings of far-right groups. In the era of new media, the "fence of news" has been widened and the public has joined in information dissemination. People not only consume news and information but also share, add and create information and opinions. They also shift from online to offline and change society by expressing views. During the U.K. riots, there were not only rioters and young people who conspired through social networks and looted targeted stores in a very short time but also hundreds of volunteers who acted as network flashers and gathered together quickly to clean the streets. A British scientist marveled at the charm of new media and said that the Butterfly Effect of Twitter is fascinating and exciting and has magically expanded people's channels to learn information, which increases work and life efficiency and even changes the modern people's senses of time and space. New media is a complex web of contradictions, however, because it is full of hope as well as disappointment. The virtual elements and accessibility of the technical platform, anonymity of netizens, as well as the weakening of the "gatekeeper" mechanism have generalized the limits of speech freedom. Moreover, false online information, personal attacks, infringements and illegal acts, negative words and deeds to incite riots have been emerging all the time. Under the new rules of faster spreading in a shorter time, information dissemination has shown a new trend: displaying the hottest and acutest facts within limited time and space has become a&a ]]> 7574929 2011-08-29 10:30:41 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ Investors snapped up 24 billion U.S. dollars worth of 10-year notes issued by the U.S. Treasury at a record-low yield of slightly more than 2 percent on Aug. 10. According to statistics released by the U.S. Treasury on Aug. 15, China purchased another 5.7 billion U.S. dollars worth of Treasury bonds in June, increasing its total U.S. debt holdings to nearly 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars, which remain the largest in the world. This was ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ Investors snapped up 24 billion U.S. dollars worth of 10-year notes issued by the U.S. Treasury at a record-low yield of slightly more than 2 percent on Aug. 10. According to statistics released by the U.S. Treasury on Aug. 15, China purchased another 5.7 billion U.S. dollars worth of Treasury bonds in June, increasing its total U.S. debt holdings to nearly 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars, which remain the largest in the world. This was the third consecutive monthly increase by China since April. The country increased its holdings of U.S. debt by 20.6 billion U.S. dollars from early April to late June. Due to the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor's, the prices of various assets have dropped sharply worldwide over the past two weeks, and global stock markets have also suffered severe declines. However, the prices of gold and U.S. bonds have risen against the global downward trend. The downgrade of the U.S. credit rating was meant to warn investors of the high risk of U.S. debt, and the United States was supposed to raise yields in order to sell its bonds. Then why are the market reactions so counterintuitive? Generally speaking, when the entire world is facing serious financial risks, investors will attach much greater importance to the safety of their assets than to investment returns. More specifically, their top priority will be to safeguard, not to increase, the value of their assets. Hoarding gold can certainly minimize risks, but the amount of gold in the world is limited compared to the massive funds that need a safe haven. In fact, physical commodities, including gold, oil and bulk commodities have only a limited capacity to absorb funds. They have been financialized and become almost the same as general financial assets in nature, so it is also highly risky to hold these assets. Therefore, when it is possible that a global or local financial crisis will break out, the fast-flowing "hot money" of between 16 trillion and 17 trillion U.S. dollars will flow to the strongest currencies or national debts. The most important standards used for measuring the currency of a country include the country's national strengths — education, science, technology and political system — and the internationalization level of the currency. If we measure currencies using these standards, the U.S. dollar is obviously the strongest. Although the U.S. dollar keeps depreciating, it is still unmatchable compared to currencies of any other countries. In addition, the reason for U.S. dollar depreciation is only that the United States is trying to solve its domestic economic problem by using its dominance in international currency. Therefore, compared to other financial assets, U.S. treasury securities are less risky, and when certain financial risk appears in the world, the fast-flowing assets will flow to the U.S. national debt to resist the risk. That's why the higher the global market risk is, the more assets will flow to the U.S. national debt. In this situation, if China does not hold U.S. treasury securities for its foreign reserve, what else can China hold? Therefore, although China was unwilling to do it, China has continued to buy U.S. treasury securities for three successive months.& ]]> 7574915 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As technology and hardware have been upgraded to "version 2.0," the public requirements for transparency in government affairs have also been upgraded to "version 2.0." The Chinese government can make great achievements only by following the trend of the times, actively responding to social needs and making practical efforts to increase government transparency. It should be a general principle to give out necessary information, ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As technology and hardware have been upgraded to "version 2.0," the public requirements for transparency in government affairs have also been upgraded to "version 2.0." The Chinese government can make great achievements only by following the trend of the times, actively responding to social needs and making practical efforts to increase government transparency. It should be a general principle to give out necessary information, though some exceptions are allowed. This principle has been increasingly popular among government bodies, and the publicity of government information has become an irreversible trend in China since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, especially since the introduction of the "Regulations on Government Information Openness." The formation of such an irreversible trend should be attributed to the determined efforts of both the central and local governments and also to the growing social demand for transparency. In the information age, only when government agencies increase transparency, can they adapt to the profound changes in social ecosystem. With a stronger desire than ever to participate in and supervise state affairs, the Chinese people are increasingly demanding transparency from the government. According to rough statistics, there had been more than 2,000 reports from traditional media from July 1 to Aug. 15 about the disclosure of central government agencies' expenses for official receptions, vehicles and overseas trips, which were reposted online about 16,600 times during this period. Meanwhile, there were more than 200,000 related micro-blog posts and about 11,100 related forum posts, reflecting strong public demand for openness and transparency. In an era when technical measures and hardware equipment have been upgraded to "edition 2.0," there will be larger platforms and more ways for realizing government transparency. With modern information technologies, government departments will have more advantages in such aspects as meeting social demands, improving their services, making their decisions public and accepting social supervision, and they could become more productive. One year ago, the public security department of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province opened its micro-blog. And now, the number of its fans has exceeded 10 million, the number of the pieces of information published on it has exceeded 5,600, the number of comments made by netizens and pieces of information re-published by netizens has exceeded 100,000, the number of replies and answers has exceeded 13,000, and the blog has solved more than 1,118 practical problems for netizens. From it, we could see the tremendous vigor of the "governmental affairs microblogging." It must also be noticed that the social focus on government transparency has changed from quantity to quality. It has shifted from appreciating the gestures to pursuing the practical effects, and from asking for "being timely, precise, comprehensive and specific" to asking for "being understandable and useful." Therefore, for governmental departments, the advanced technical measures have become a "double-edged sword." Used properly, they will bring transparency and public confidence to the government. Used improperly, it will make the government transparency nothing but empty words, and the public credit will be damaged. Viewing it from the angle of changing times and progressing soc ]]> 7574915 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As technology and hardware have been upgraded to "version 2.0," the public requirements for transparency in government affairs have also been upgraded to "version 2.0." The Chinese government can make great achievements only by following the trend of the times, actively responding to social needs and making practical efforts to increase government transparency. It should be a general principle to give out necessary information, ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ As technology and hardware have been upgraded to "version 2.0," the public requirements for transparency in government affairs have also been upgraded to "version 2.0." The Chinese government can make great achievements only by following the trend of the times, actively responding to social needs and making practical efforts to increase government transparency. It should be a general principle to give out necessary information, though some exceptions are allowed. This principle has been increasingly popular among government bodies, and the publicity of government information has become an irreversible trend in China since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, especially since the introduction of the "Regulations on Government Information Openness." The formation of such an irreversible trend should be attributed to the determined efforts of both the central and local governments and also to the growing social demand for transparency. In the information age, only when government agencies increase transparency, can they adapt to the profound changes in social ecosystem. With a stronger desire than ever to participate in and supervise state affairs, the Chinese people are increasingly demanding transparency from the government. According to rough statistics, there had been more than 2,000 reports from traditional media from July 1 to Aug. 15 about the disclosure of central government agencies' expenses for official receptions, vehicles and overseas trips, which were reposted online about 16,600 times during this period. Meanwhile, there were more than 200,000 related micro-blog posts and about 11,100 related forum posts, reflecting strong public demand for openness and transparency. In an era when technical measures and hardware equipment have been upgraded to "edition 2.0," there will be larger platforms and more ways for realizing government transparency. With modern information technologies, government departments will have more advantages in such aspects as meeting social demands, improving their services, making their decisions public and accepting social supervision, and they could become more productive. One year ago, the public security department of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province opened its micro-blog. And now, the number of its fans has exceeded 10 million, the number of the pieces of information published on it has exceeded 5,600, the number of comments made by netizens and pieces of information re-published by netizens has exceeded 100,000, the number of replies and answers has exceeded 13,000, and the blog has solved more than 1,118 practical problems for netizens. From it, we could see the tremendous vigor of the "governmental affairs microblogging." It must also be noticed that the social focus on government transparency has changed from quantity to quality. It has shifted from appreciating the gestures to pursuing the practical effects, and from asking for "being timely, precise, comprehensive and specific" to asking for "being understandable and useful." Therefore, for governmental departments, the advanced technical measures have become a "double-edged sword." Used properly, they will bring transparency and public confidence to the government. Used improperly, it will make the government transparency nothing but empty words, and the public credit will be damaged. Viewing it from the angle of changing times and progressing soc ]]> 7574907 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Vice Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang's three-day visit in Hong Kong has evoked many comments. Regarding issues of how Hong Kong and the mainland regard each other and Hong Kong's "new orientation," the debates are fierce. What kind of "big packages of gifts" has Vice Premier Li Keqiang brought to Hong Kong? Regarding this question, the expectations and reflections on the expectations are also various. Hong Kong is the p ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Vice Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang's three-day visit in Hong Kong has evoked many comments. Regarding issues of how Hong Kong and the mainland regard each other and Hong Kong's "new orientation," the debates are fierce. What kind of "big packages of gifts" has Vice Premier Li Keqiang brought to Hong Kong? Regarding this question, the expectations and reflections on the expectations are also various. Hong Kong is the pride of all the Chinese people and also an important demonstration site of Asia's vitality. In the past more than 10 years, every time Kong Hong’s prosperity was affected, it was the result of global economic turbulence. However, Hong Kong was not the "most miserable one" every time. The rise of the Chinese mainland has lowered the economic statuses of many places of the world, including Hong Kong, but Hong Kong is the one that has received most power and support from the Chinese mainland in the world. It belongs to the first batch of places that has benefited from China's economic prosperity. It seems that the transition of global economic environment is changing the destinies of some places, but Hong Kong is definitely on the "list of winners." The orientation of the relations between Hong Kong and the mainland keeps adjusting, and it is caused pretty much by the "trend" rather than people's wills. The intense exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland and new views on each other are completely beyond the wildest predictions of 14 years ago and are also not results of political enforcements. The concept of "One Country, Two Systems" has been constantly enriched with new elements since its introduction. Both local residents and the people on the Chinese mainland, who cherish the special administrative region, hope Hong Kong will maintain its uniqueness. There is no "anti-Hong Kong" force in China, and very few Chinese are jealous of the region's success. This is the public opinion foundation for the central government's policy toward Hong Kong. The region is and will be governed in strict compliance with the "Hong Kong Basic Law," and the common interests and wishes of Hong Kong residents will steadily boost the relations between the region and the Chinese mainland. Certain Hong Kong residents are worried that if the region enjoys excessive economic preferential policies by the mainland, it will lose the motivation to explore the outside world and eventually become an ordinary Chinese city. Such worries are not groundless, but it should be noted that the Chinese mainland has never thought of "mainlandizing" Hong Kong. The mainstream current in Chinese society is willing to see the diversified development of various regions, and hopes that Tibet, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong can all maintain their uniqueness. Hong Kong has retained prosperity after its return to Chinese sovereignty, which has boosted China's political confidence and has proven the country’s great economic strength. The central government, the people on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong residents have an equally strong desire to promote the region's development, so mainland residents tend to "feel bad" when certain Hong Kong residents and media outlets accuse the Chinese mainland of ulterior political motives. A minority declares& ]]> 7574907 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Vice Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang's three-day visit in Hong Kong has evoked many comments. Regarding issues of how Hong Kong and the mainland regard each other and Hong Kong's "new orientation," the debates are fierce. What kind of "big packages of gifts" has Vice Premier Li Keqiang brought to Hong Kong? Regarding this question, the expectations and reflections on the expectations are also various. Hong Kong is the p ...]]> &$Edited and translated by People's Daily Online&$&$ Vice Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang's three-day visit in Hong Kong has evoked many comments. Regarding issues of how Hong Kong and the mainland regard each other and Hong Kong's "new orientation," the debates are fierce. What kind of "big packages of gifts" has Vice Premier Li Keqiang brought to Hong Kong? Regarding this question, the expectations and reflections on the expectations are also various. Hong Kong is the pride of all the Chinese people and also an important demonstration site of Asia's vitality. In the past more than 10 years, every time Kong Hong’s prosperity was affected, it was the result of global economic turbulence. However, Hong Kong was not the "most miserable one" every time. The rise of the Chinese mainland has lowered the economic statuses of many places of the world, including Hong Kong, but Hong Kong is the one that has received most power and support from the Chinese mainland in the world. It belongs to the first batch of places that has benefited from China's economic prosperity. It seems that the transition of global economic environment is changing the destinies of some places, but Hong Kong is definitely on the "list of winners." The orientation of the relations between Hong Kong and the mainland keeps adjusting, and it is caused pretty much by the "trend" rather than people's wills. The intense exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland and new views on each other are completely beyond the wildest predictions of 14 years ago and are also not results of political enforcements. The concept of "One Country, Two Systems" has been constantly enriched with new elements since its introduction. Both local residents and the people on the Chinese mainland, who cherish the special administrative region, hope Hong Kong will maintain its uniqueness. There is no "anti-Hong Kong" force in China, and very few Chinese are jealous of the region's success. This is the public opinion foundation for the central government's policy toward Hong Kong. The region is and will be governed in strict compliance with the "Hong Kong Basic Law," and the common interests and wishes of Hong Kong residents will steadily boost the relations between the region and the Chinese mainland. Certain Hong Kong residents are worried that if the region enjoys excessive economic preferential policies by the mainland, it will lose the motivation to explore the outside world and eventually become an ordinary Chinese city. Such worries are not groundless, but it should be noted that the Chinese mainland has never thought of "mainlandizing" Hong Kong. The mainstream current in Chinese society is willing to see the diversified development of various regions, and hopes that Tibet, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong can all maintain their uniqueness. Hong Kong has retained prosperity after its return to Chinese sovereignty, which has boosted China's political confidence and has proven the country’s great economic strength. The central government, the people on the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong residents have an equally strong desire to promote the region's development, so mainland residents tend to "feel bad" when certain Hong Kong residents and media outlets accuse the Chinese mainland of ulterior political motives. A minority declares& ]]> 7574710 2011-08-28 15:38:03 7574072 2011-08-28 15:38:03 【1】 【2】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 7574009 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ According to data on every country's gold reserves recently issued by World Gold Council (WGC), the United States’ gold reserves are 8,133.5 tons, accounting for 26.49 percent of the world’s total, and the Untied States is still the largest gold reserve country. China’s gold reserves are a little more than 1,054 tons, ranking sixth in the world. Although China's gold reserve is not less in quantity, it accounts for only ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ According to data on every country's gold reserves recently issued by World Gold Council (WGC), the United States’ gold reserves are 8,133.5 tons, accounting for 26.49 percent of the world’s total, and the Untied States is still the largest gold reserve country. China’s gold reserves are a little more than 1,054 tons, ranking sixth in the world. Although China's gold reserve is not less in quantity, it accounts for only 1.6 percent of China's total foreign reserves. In comparison, the Untied States' gold reserves account for 74 percent of its foreign reserve, and even emerging countries including Russia and India have gold reserves accounting for more than 5 percent of their foreign reserves. Insiders said that it is good for emerging economies to hold more gold reserves. It is the trend that the Central Bank of China will hold greater gold reserves. The gold purchased by every country in 2011 is three times as much as the gold they purchased in 2010 In fact, before Standard and Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating, the central bank of every country already started to gradually increase their gold reserves because of the European and U.S. debt crises and the declining confidence in the U.S. dollar and Euro. People have noticed that the countries that dumped gold in the past 20 years actually turned into net gold purchaser in 2010 because they want to realize foreign reserve diversification and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar. According to data issued by the WGC, governments of all the countries have purchased a little more than 203 tons of gold in 2011, three times as much as the gold they purchased in 2010. It indicates that every country is more and more regarding the gold as a tool for resisting the depreciation of paper money and global economic turbulence. Currently, China's foreign reserves are definitely the largest in the world, but China’s gold reserves are still far less than the global average level. Jing Naiquan, head of the China Gold Investment Research Institute, said that the major role of gold is its stable value amid crisis. Holding gold can reduce the shrinkage of wealth and avoid the exchange rate risk in the foreign exchange market. Furthermore, state governments will likely face debt crisis after the international financial crisis. Thus, if a state government holds a certain proportion of gold reserves, it can use them to pay back debt. Therefore, gold is of great significance to preserve a country's financial security. The United States holds about 8,100 tons of gold reserves; Germany, 3,400 tons, and France and Italy each, 2,500 tons. These countries have paid high costs for their gold reserves, showing that they have drawn particular attention to the strategic importance of gold reserves. Gold reserves support national credit Although it is necessary for China to raise the relatively low proportion of gold reserves, many experts said that now is not the right time to do it. China can buy gold after market corrections. Many other people have also made suggestions about investing more foreign exchange reserves in gold. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange recently responded that the commodities such as gold, silver, oil and m ]]> 7574009 2011-08-28 15:38:03 &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ According to data on every country's gold reserves recently issued by World Gold Council (WGC), the United States’ gold reserves are 8,133.5 tons, accounting for 26.49 percent of the world’s total, and the Untied States is still the largest gold reserve country. China’s gold reserves are a little more than 1,054 tons, ranking sixth in the world. Although China's gold reserve is not less in quantity, it accounts for only ...]]> &$Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online &$&$ According to data on every country's gold reserves recently issued by World Gold Council (WGC), the United States’ gold reserves are 8,133.5 tons, accounting for 26.49 percent of the world’s total, and the Untied States is still the largest gold reserve country. China’s gold reserves are a little more than 1,054 tons, ranking sixth in the world. Although China's gold reserve is not less in quantity, it accounts for only 1.6 percent of China's total foreign reserves. In comparison, the Untied States' gold reserves account for 74 percent of its foreign reserve, and even emerging countries including Russia and India have gold reserves accounting for more than 5 percent of their foreign reserves. Insiders said that it is good for emerging economies to hold more gold reserves. It is the trend that the Central Bank of China will hold greater gold reserves. The gold purchased by every country in 2011 is three times as much as the gold they purchased in 2010 In fact, before Standard and Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating, the central bank of every country already started to gradually increase their gold reserves because of the European and U.S. debt crises and the declining confidence in the U.S. dollar and Euro. People have noticed that the countries that dumped gold in the past 20 years actually turned into net gold purchaser in 2010 because they want to realize foreign reserve diversification and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar. According to data issued by the WGC, governments of all the countries have purchased a little more than 203 tons of gold in 2011, three times as much as the gold they purchased in 2010. It indicates that every country is more and more regarding the gold as a tool for resisting the depreciation of paper money and global economic turbulence. Currently, China's foreign reserves are definitely the largest in the world, but China’s gold reserves are still far less than the global average level. Jing Naiquan, head of the China Gold Investment Research Institute, said that the major role of gold is its stable value amid crisis. Holding gold can reduce the shrinkage of wealth and avoid the exchange rate risk in the foreign exchange market. Furthermore, state governments will likely face debt crisis after the international financial crisis. Thus, if a state government holds a certain proportion of gold reserves, it can use them to pay back debt. Therefore, gold is of great significance to preserve a country's financial security. The United States holds about 8,100 tons of gold reserves; Germany, 3,400 tons, and France and Italy each, 2,500 tons. These countries have paid high costs for their gold reserves, showing that they have drawn particular attention to the strategic importance of gold reserves. Gold reserves support national credit Although it is necessary for China to raise the relatively low proportion of gold reserves, many experts said that now is not the right time to do it. China can buy gold after market corrections. Many other people have also made suggestions about investing more foreign exchange reserves in gold. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange recently responded that the commodities such as gold, silver, oil and m ]]> 7564946 2011-08-29 10:31:55 &$Taiwan card losing effectiveness &$&$ Arms sales to Taiwan have been a "trump card" of the United States to exert pressure on China since the early 1990s. China has repeatedly expressed protest against the persistent moves of the United States to sell arms to the island, but such protests seldom work. Then why did it refuse Taiwan's arms request this time? The key lies in the superpower's new Asia strategy. Taiwan has long been a "trump card" of the United States to manage relations with China. However, the card has started to lose effectiveness due to the progress made in cross-strait relations. Furthermore, the United States is unwilling to sell arms to the island at the expense of its positive relations with China. In fact, the United States has always wanted more "trump cards" to contain China. As the Taiwan card is increasingly losing effectiveness, it is making active efforts to use new "trump cards," such as the disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea to contain China. It can give a partial explanation but does not essentially explain why the United States is so humble regarding the issue of selling weapons to the Taiwan Province of China. The fundamental reason is actually that the great progress of the Chinese mainland's national defense technologies has made the United States' action of selling weapons to Taiwan more or less meaningless. Twenty years ago, the Untied States could obtain a several-birds-with-one-stone effect by selling weapons to Taiwan. Since it could obtain strategic, diplomatic and economic benefits by doing it, its willingness to promote arms sales to Taiwan was extremely high. At that time, Taiwan was also willing to purchase the weapons to obtain the so-called "feeling of safety." And that's an important reason why Taiwan always actively asked for the Untied States ]]> 7564946 2011-08-29 10:31:55 &$Taiwan card losing effectiveness &$&$ Arms sales to Taiwan have been a "trump card" of the United States to exert pressure on China since the early 1990s. China has repeatedly expressed protest against the persistent moves of the United States to sell arms to the island, but such protests seldom work. Then why did it refuse Taiwan's arms request this time? The key lies in the superpower's new Asia strategy. Taiwan has long been a "trump card" of the United States to manage relations with China. However, the card has started to lose effectiveness due to the progress made in cross-strait relations. Furthermore, the United States is unwilling to sell arms to the island at the expense of its positive relations with China. In fact, the United States has always wanted more "trump cards" to contain China. As the Taiwan card is increasingly losing effectiveness, it is making active efforts to use new "trump cards," such as the disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea to contain China. It can give a partial explanation but does not essentially explain why the United States is so humble regarding the issue of selling weapons to the Taiwan Province of China. The fundamental reason is actually that the great progress of the Chinese mainland's national defense technologies has made the United States' action of selling weapons to Taiwan more or less meaningless. Twenty years ago, the Untied States could obtain a several-birds-with-one-stone effect by selling weapons to Taiwan. Since it could obtain strategic, diplomatic and economic benefits by doing it, its willingness to promote arms sales to Taiwan was extremely high. At that time, Taiwan was also willing to purchase the weapons to obtain the so-called "feeling of safety." And that's an important reason why Taiwan always actively asked for the Untied States ]]>