Roundup - 11/01/2010

• China has overtaken Germany as the worlds largest export economy. A 13 month decrease in Chinese exports was ended in December when a sudden jump of 17.7% year on year sent Chinese exports over US$1.2 trillion.
  
  China's imports also soared in December, showing a 50% year on year increase. This was largely due to an increase in minerals such as iron ore for steel production and crude oil to meet China's energy needs. In December China imported an average of over 5 million barrels of oil a day for the first time.
  
  In spite of China's rapid recovery from the global economic crisis the government plans to keep its stimulus package in place throughout 2010. Finance Minister Xie Xuren said that ending the stimulus too early could damage the economy and could undo many of the gains China has made over the last year.
  
  However, Mr. Xie did say that the stimulus package would now 'give greater emphasis to expanding domestic demand.' Many analysts predict that China will overtake Japan as the worlds second largest economy by the end of 2010.
  
  
  
• Hong Kong police have announced that a man arrested on a rooftop after an acid attack that injured about 30 people had nothing to do with the crime. The attack, the latest in a series of attacks over the last year, occurred on Saturday night at the popular Temple Street night market. Large bottles of acid were hurled from a rooftop onto the crowd below.
  
  The 39-year-old man was initially reported to have been arrested in connection with the attack. However, police now say that he was simply arrested for missing a court date. Some have suggested that he was simply on the roof to hide from the police.
  
  Over the last 15 months there have been at least six attacks leaving more than 100 injured. So far nobody has been charged in connection with the attacks.
  
  
  
• A Chinese investigation into Australian Rio Tinto Ltd has been sent to prosecutors in Shanghai according to a statement by Australia's Department of Foreign affairs and Trade. Three Rio Tinto employees, including Stern Hu, an Australian citizen, have been detained since July on suspicion of illegally obtaining commercial secrets. It is now up to the Shanghai People's Procuratorate to decide whether or not to bring the case to trial.
  
  The case has caused tensions amid negotiations between China and a number of iron ore producers in Australia. China produced more than half of the world's steel last year and demand for Australian iron ore pushed bilateral trade to US%56 billion last year. A boom in Australian mining has helped Australia to recover from the economic crisis much faster than most Western countries.
  
  
  
• According to state media as many as 4,000 officials have fled China with more than US$50 billion in government funds over the last 30 years. In 2009 103 cases were investigated including that of Yang Xianghong, an official from Wenzhou, who fled to France and attempted to launder US$2.9 million. Officials are believed to use local criminal gangs in their destination country, usually Australia or the US, to arrange travel and to launder public funds.
  
  
  
• Local press in Taiwan reports that Taiwan is planning on buying 8 second-hand frigates from the US. The Perry-class frigates were designed in the 1970s but plans to equip them with the Aegis Combat System would turn them into a powerful force against China's air and missile forces. The report comes only a week after the US confirmed that it would go ahead with a controversial deal to sell Patriot missile equipment to Taiwan.
  
  
  
• A report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has suggested that as many as 24 million men of marrying age will be unable to find a spouse by 2020. The report blames gender specific abortions, the traditional Chinese preference for boys and young people's unwillingness to have children for the problem. Across China 119 boys are born for every 100 girls, in some provinces the figures rise to as much as 130 boys for every 100 girls. The gender imbalance has been blamed for many social ills including forced prostitution and human trafficking which researcher say has become 'rampant' in some parts of the country.
  
  
  
• The contestants of the first Mr. Gay China Pageant have been unveiled. One of the eight contestants will go on to compete in the Worldwide Mr Gay Pageant in Oslo, Norway late this year. Mainstream Chinese language media have not bee invited to the event, due to take place this Friday, amid fears of police interference.
  
  Harassment of China's gay community is still widespread. Homosexuality was illegal until 1997 and considered a mental illness until 2001. However, there are some signs of change. A government funded gay bar opened in Yunnan in December for example.
  

Roundup - 08/12/2009

• Seven boys and a girl, aged between, 11 and 14, have died in a stampede at a school in Hunan province. The accident occurred at about 9.10pm in Yucai Middle School in Xiangxian city, a private school considered one of the city's best. 26 other pupils were injured. The crush occurred as approximately 400 of the schools 3,500 pupils were leaving their evening lessons via a stairwell. Xinhua reports that the crush began when one student tripped on the stairs, toppling several others. However, some Chinese media has reported that the crush was due to a group of boys blocking the exit. An unidentified official told Associated Press that the Education Ministry had taken over the running of the school and was investigating the headmaster and chair of the board of governors.
  
  
  
• With the Climate summit in Copenhagen now underway, Chinese officials have been making statements emphasising China's contribution the the fight against climate change. Xie Zhenhua, Vice-Minister in charge of China's National Development and Reform Commission has claimed that China's recent announcement of cuts in carbon intensity has been a major boost to the summit. Mr Xie also reiterated the Chinese position that responsibility fell mainly on the developed world to combat climate change.
  
  Meanwhile, at the conference itself, it was the Sudanese delegation, as head of the G77, which did most of the talking. Ambassador Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim maintained that the Kyoto Protocol's differentiate responsibility should be continued at least until 2020.
  
  
  
• Taiwans opposition Democratic Progressive Party is pushing hard after its success in local elections at the weekend. It claims that a trade pact with China planned by President Ma Yingjiu will cost Taiwan 1.6 million jobs and up to 4 million may see their 'employment opportunities influenced.'
  
  President Ma is also being fined NT$500,000 for siting a voter survey before ahead of the elections.
  
  
  
• The Guardian(UK) has an article on Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese dissident. It says that his wife, Liu Xia, is losing hope for his release. He was detained in 2008 a day before the publication of Charter 08, a document calling for democratic reforms which Liu co-authored. In June he was formally arrested for inciting the subversion of state power, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
  
  Human Rights Watch has said that Beijing is currently weighing up its options and that this may be a case where international pressure could have an effect. The US House of Representatives and internationally famous writers such as Umberto Eco and Margaret Atwood have led the calls for his release.
  
  Charter 08 was the most publicised dissident statement in recent years. Thousands had signed their name to it before all mention of it was removed from China's online community.
  
  
  
• Figures show that China has overtaken Britain and New Zealand as Australia's biggest source of migrants. 6,350 arrived in Australia in four months leading to October compared with 5,800 from Britain and 4,740 from New Zealand.