The Chinese government has released the calendar for public holidays in 2012. The Spring Festival falls on January 23 in 2012, with the public holiday running from January 22 to 28. The annual travel period is to begin on January 8, with at least 3.2 billion journeys expected over the 40-day period.

Source: Shanghai Daily

• Shenzhen’s population has surpassed 15 million people, but more than 80% of them don’t have residency. Officials say the rising population strains the city’s management and housing supply. The number of cars has also risen 10% a year over the past three years, to 2.3 million vehicles – second only to Beijing nationally.

• Workers of the Singaporean-owned Hi-P International electronics plant went on strike in protest at plans to relocate the factory to the outskirts of Shanghai. Some 200 workers who are unwilling to move are demanding compensation. In Taicang, Jiangsu province, there is a strike at an electronics plant of KOA Electronics, a Japanese firm. The strike occurred after a Japanese manager had allegedly abused a Chinese worker verbally late last month. In Shekou, an industrial zone in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen, more than 1,000 assembly workers are already on strike for one week.

• Matthew Ng, a former Executive for the travel services group Et-China with Australian nationality, received a 13-year jail sentence in Guangzhou for bribery and embezzlement of CNY100,000 in company funds. As the Chief Executive of London- listed Et-China, Ng became embroiled in a row over control of GZL with one of its local partners, Guangzhou Lingnan International Enterprises, a state-owned firm that operates Guangzhou hotels.

• China is seeking the extradition of up to 80 private entrepreneurs who have fled abroad after defaulting on billions of yuan owed to state banks and loan sharks. Airports and border crossings have received lists containing the names of heavily indebted company bosses who are not permitted to leave the country.

• The Chinese government says it has received assurances from Libya’s transitional government that it will uphold all contracts and agreements signed with China. China formally recognized the National Transitional Council (NTC) as Libya’s “ruling authority” on September 12 as the last one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. A commentary issued by Xinhua said the recognition of the NTC came simply because “conditions are ripe”.

• Chen Guanghui, former General Manager of China Southern Airlines, was sentenced in Guangzhou to ten and a half years in prison for taking CNY1.7 million in bribes from a Zhenjiang company from 2008 to 2009.

• Sinopec has discovered a natural gas field with nearly 160 billion cubic meters of proven reserves deposited close to 7 kilometers underground. The Yuanba gas field in Sichuan province is the deepest gas field in marine strata found in China. Planned annual output will be 3.4 billion cu m by 2015, the company said. Taking forecast reserves into account, total reserves at Yuanba could reach 828.6 billion cu m.

• French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe visited Beijing for talks ahead of the G20 summit in France in November. “We (the eurozone countries) will continue to strengthen the euro, and we are happy to see China’s confidence,” Juppe said. Premier Wen Jiabao, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi all met Juppe.

• Torrential rains have pounded much of the drought-plagued regions along the Yangtze river last week, bringing much-needed relief but also devastating floods. Poyang lake and Hong lake, which saw their water levels drop last month to the lowest points in nearly six decades, were boosted after the rains.

• Hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese suspects have been arrested in Asian countries, including China, Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia, over a scam involving fake fines. The suspects contacted people in China and Taiwan and extorted money from them by claiming one of their family members had been charged in court for an offense and should pay a fee or fines.

FCCC Newsletter No 227, June 14, 2011 Page 13• The new UK Bribery Act will come into force in Britain on July 1. It will introduce a new corporate offense and extend enforcement to companies based outside Britain with severe penalties. Executives who participate in or have knowledge of bribery may be personally liable, and can face up to 10 years in prison for each offense. Bribery committed by Chinese companies in China, but which are also doing business in the UK, may fall within the jurisdiction of the British authorities. Legal experts said there was no excuse that “this is how business is done” unless it is legal under local law.

• Chinese nuclear power stations are implementing measures to raise safety standards in a bid to fix loopholes exposed in an ongoing national inspection of nuclear facilities. As part of the effort, the China National Nuclear Corp has begun to raise dykes around reactors at its Qinshan plant in Zhejiang province. New reactors will be built at least 25 meters above sea level, compared to 10 meters under the existing standards.

• The Guangzhou city government awarded contracts for key public service projects to companies, dating back to at least 2008, without holding public hearings or consultations, a report by the Outlook Weekly said. The infrastructure projects involved transport, water works, the subway system, energy, urban solid-waste processing, urban building and the operating rights of the Asian Games Town.

• The Chinese government wants to take a more market-oriented approach to health care, allowing expanded private investment in medical institutions and permitting doctors to practice in multiple hospitals. At present, doctors must register with only one hospital and practice only there. In the future they would be allowed to work at several institutions at the same time, including at private clinics, which they could set up themselves.
• U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next Ambassador to China subject to approval by the U.S. Senate. The fact that a cabinet Minister is taking up the ambassadorial post shows the importance the U.S. attaches to its relations with China. Locke is the first cabinet-level official to be tapped for the post and the first Chinese-American to serve as Washington’s envoy to China.
• Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said that the approved construction budget for the first stage of the Disney Theme Park is CNY24.5 billion. He said he hoped construction would start soon. The park is to be Disney’s first on the mainland and the third in Asia, after those in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The CNY24.5 billion phase 1 will cover 3.9 square kilometers, while the rest of the 7 sq km area is listed as reserved land for future development.
• The number of Chinese billionaires has nearly doubled to 115, according to the annual Forbes list of the world’s richest people. Robin Li, the man behind the popular search engine Baidu, is topping the list with an estimated wealth of USD9.4 billion. The real number of billionaires could be a lot higher, due to the reticence of some to reveal the true extent of their wealth.