Turbulent 2008 sees failing confidence

Christmas lights on London's Regent Street

The number “eight” usually means good fortune and luck in Chinese culture. But reflecting on the events of 2008, many people are doubting the good omen the number brings.

China has experienced a turbulent year, from snow storms, floods, earthquakes, milk powder contamination to recent business collapses due to global economic downturn.

The success of the 2008 Olympics and the election of Barack Obama have stood out to be the few inspiring and encouraging events of the year.

Globally speaking, 2008 has turned out to be a year of gloom and doom. It was exemplified by the global impact brought around by the Wall Street financial crisis, and the latest Middle East bloodshed which has left nearly 400 Palestinians dead.

Failing businesses and confidence have spoiled the year-end festival mood in the West, especially in the UK.

Economic recession in Britain is biting its retailers so hard that they are collapsing at a speed nearly as fast as the falling of a decommissioned building after the explosive is detonated.

Latest big British retail brands which have been affected by the downturn include children’s wear retailer Adams and music, DVD and games seller Zavvi.

Zavvi became the 3rd victim within 48 hours following the fall of menswear retailer The Officers Club and tea and coffee specialist Whittard last week.

Some 350 British retail companies have reportedly folded during the 3rd quarter of 2008, according to a UK insolvency service. The figure is 39% higher than a year ago. And 15 more big British relaters are predicted to meet the same fate by mid January.

Zavvi's demise is a domino effect of the closedown of the general store Woolworths, a subsidiary of which was supplying Zavvi.

Woolworths was due to celebrate its 100th birthday next year, but the ill-fated company has failed to survive the downturn and will be consigned to history by January 5.

Woolworths is clearing out all its high street stores across the UK. Its store window notice announcing "last five days" reflects well the declining British economy and creates a psychological blow to anyone passing by.

Losing in competition to online retailers and supermarkets is one reason why many high street sales are plunging. The loss of sales is why some of them have been forced into administration.

Offering Christmas sales had become the only option left for UK high street retailers to make the last-ditch profits of the year. If retailers fail to make money during the Christmas, there is a slim chance they will make it through the upcoming year.

For those who are in secure employment such as teachers and doctors, this Christmas offers a unique chance for them to enjoy a shopping spree. However, it has turned out to be the most depressing Christmas for those who have lost their jobs or are feeling uncertain about their future.

This misery was touched upon by Queen Elizabeth II as she started her annual Christmas speech. "Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more sombre occasion for many," she said.

Many people are enjoying shopping in the West End of London. For some, it is also a nice day out to feel the festival atmosphere. "I made a trip a few days ago to London, I have to say the Christmas lights on Regent Street this year are not as good as before, also only high-end stores were well decorated," said a resident from the outskirts of London.

The media in the UK does not help the gloomy situation at all. Job cuts and failing businesses are breaking the news and making the headlines nearly every day, painting a bleaker picture and sinking consumer's confidence to an all-time low.

British people have been warned of an economic slump deeper than expected. As a result, thousands of people have lost their jobs; an average 1,600 people will become jobless every day in 2009; house prices are predicted to fall 10 percent in 2009; more people are expected to claim social benefits. Even animal sanctuaries in the country have been inundated with dogs and cats as their owners discard them due to financial difficulties.

Church leaders in the UK have attempted to lift people's spirit during these dark times. Some have urged people not to base their happiness upon materialistic gains and try to see the light of hope at the end of the tunnel.

But their religious epithets will do little to comfort those with bills to pay.


Copyright Dongying Wang,

Visa bars poor nations from UN climate talks

Visa problems have prevented representatives of some of the world's poorest countries from attending the 12-day UN climate change conference, which is to be concluded on Friday in Poznan, Poland.

This has compromised the global event’s role as a half-way stage for the formation of a new climate framework next year in Copenhagen to replace the outgoing Kyoto Protocol in 2012.

It reflects badly on the worldwide determination to tackle climate change, which poses the biggest threat to poor countries.

This occurred despite the host country and the Schengen region having a full year to prepare its consulates, according to a latest news release by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED ).

There are only three Polish Embassies in sub-Saharan Africa; in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. This means that most African delegates have to travel to these countries to obtain their visa or fly into another European country before heading to Poland with a Schengen visa. A Malawian government representative was denied entry on arrival in Europe and had to return to Africa.

Delegates from many of the world’s least developed countries and small island developing states had also faced similar problems in obtaining visas. One Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) journalist in Pakistan was denied a visa outright.

However, the IIED news release failed to offer an exact number of delegates whose travel plans had been affected. It also did not give any reasons as to why Poland and other Shengen nations delayed or rejected visa applications.

"We feel very frustrated, and think the delay for our delegation to attend the fourteenth session of the UN Climate Change Summit will gravely affect us," said Ben Donnie, head of Liberia's five-man delegation which was held up in Nigeria for a week before the Polish Embassy there granted them visas.

"Surely, this will affect our representation. We want to be there ourselves for all the sessions. Although, as head of the delegation, I have been receiving e-mails about what is happening in Poznan from the summit secretariat, this is not enough. We should have been there from the beginning to make our input and meet with colleagues."

Saleemul Huq, IIED’s climate change head, said: "The first week of the conference includes several strands of important negotiations and the absence of media, NGO and government representatives from the countries most vulnerable to climate change has meant that their concerns have been slipping from the agenda."

"We have lost count of the number of people from such nations that have been unable to attend the full two week conference because of the excessive time taken to process their visa applications,” Huq said, adding that “if this happens again at next year's meeting in Copenhagen, it will be a serious impediment to getting a deal that is fair and equitable."

As a response, Thomas Becker, Denmark's chief negotiator said that: "There are some things we are not in control of but at least the visa we can handle. There won't be any barriers for that. I hope no-one will be sitting back at home because of visa or travel barriers."

There was another ironic scenario. A recent protest by climate change activists forced the closure of London's Stansted airport and left some delegates heading to the Poznan conference stranded.

Jeremy Hinton was due to travel from Stansted to the UN conference, but his flight was cancelled. "It's easy to sympathise with what they're trying to achieve, but [I have] no sympathy with the way they're going about achieving it," he told the BBC.

A BBC environment correspondent, Richard Black was also delayed by the protest and was unable to report from Poland until the following day.


Copyright Dongying Wang

Read the Chinese version of this article on Global News Watch

Low-carbon economy calls for greater scientific input

Facing global economic downturn and the urgency to deal with the climate crisis, many countries have realised that to become stronger in science and technology remains of key importance.

The UK took a remarkable step recently to earmark £250 million ($US367 million) for training more scientists and engineers.

The country's funding body for science and engineering, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), announced that the huge spending will be used to set up 44 new training centres across the country to train over 2,000 PhD students over the next five years.

The efforts are sought to find solutions to public concerns such as climate change and energy issues. Each research centre will concentrate on a specific area, such as security, biomedical engineering and sustainable environment, and 17 of the centres will be working closely with businesses to train industrial doctorates.

British Minister of State for Science and Innovation Paul Drayson said that Britain “needs scientists and engineers with the right skills to find answers to challenges of an ageing population, economic recession and the effects of global warming, build a strong economy and keep us globally competitive.”

China is another country which has also embarked on recently new initiatives to promote sustainable development.

Based on its 22-year-old experiment with sustainability practices, the country designated last week 13 areas in 10 municipalities and provinces to pioneer and trial innovative notions and mechanisms leading to a low-carbon economy.

Chinese Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang said these demonstration zones will explore how to integrate efforts to cut emissions and increase energy efficiency into the strategies outlined for local development. Doing so, the National Climate Change Programme could be put into practice locally, he said.

By 2006, there were more than 21.7 million Chinese scientists and technical professionals, the largest number for any individual country.

Read the Chinese version of this article on Global News Watch

Copyright Dongying Wang

World News Review launches Chinese version

World News Review today launched its Chinese version site by joining efforts with another English blogger tvnewswatch. The Chinese site will highlight news and information on the two English blogs which is not available but maybe of interest to readers in China.

The joint initiative, titled Global News Watch (GNW) , is a further manifestation of news having no national boundaries. It aims not only to increase cross-language information exchange, but also bridge communication between Chinese and English-speaking journalists, bloggers, Internet users, and language learners.

There will be a link added to the bottom of any news which is chosen from the two blogs to be translated into Chinese. Meanwhile, readers of the Chinese news will also be directed by a link to the original English version of the story.

GNW is inviting like-minded bloggers, newspeople, readers and linguists to join the scheme. Please get in touch if you can assist in translation, proofreading, editing and e-marketing.

World News Review concentrates on sustainable development issues, blogs what's happening today with further analysis and research, and draws distinctive conclusions to inspire debate and discussion. It reports China to Western readers with information not available in Western media and also looks into China's situation with an international perspective to represent a big picture.

tvnewswatch is a cutting-edge news blog. In some cases, it even beats big names like CNN and BBC in terms of posting of breaking news.

It keeps an eye on broadcast and print media and reports news events by comparing different coverage. In this aspect, it provides a unique insight into bias and different reporting styles. tvnewswatch is unparalleled and stands out as an irreplaceable source of media and journalism research.

Objectivity and timeliness are the two key criteria of good journalism shared by the two bloggers. This has inspired the creation of the joint Chinese site.

Can solar car world trip motivate leaders?

Solar taxi in Beijing

It's easy for anyone not attending the ongoing Poland UN Climate Change Conference to imagine the excitement of those watching Louis Palmer driving his solar-powered car to the venue.

His arrival on Thursday marked the completion of the first global trip by this innovative mode of transport.

Since July 2007, Palmer has driven the zero-emission car 52,000 km through 38 countries in a little over 17 months. It runs at a maximum speed of 90km per hour, and consumes 8 kWh of electricity per 100 km. This means it only uses one fifteenth of the equivalent energy needed by an average 4X4 vehicle.

Palmer's trip made an astonishing story in media across the world. Surely, it is not only a live demonstration of the practicality of solar energy, but also a strong manifestation of the urgency and importance of the increased application of clean energy.

The Poznan meeting is a half-way stage for next year's formation of a new global climate change roadmap to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012. The effectiveness of the new mechanism is down to the determination and courage of those attending the meeting.

It would be spellbinding to see how they actually respond to Palmer's enterprise. Would they just be thrilled and exhilarated? Or can they be stimulated and even encouraged to enforce reforms in policies and businesses in their own countries to embark on a low-carbon economy?

Energy has become the top issue facing all countries, whether it is about pollution caused by burning fossil fuels as seen in China, a key element in the national security as highlighted in the US, or an essential concern in people's everyday life due to its critical shortage in Africa.

Along with solar power, other clean alternatives, such as wind, biomass and geothermal heat, are instrumental to solving these issues detailed above. The question now is, how far each country is willing to take them?

So as said by Palmer, "Admittedly, as a regular citizen I cannot change the world, but I can demonstrate to the world just how dire the global climate situation has become and how many sophisticated solutions to lower the greenhouse gases already exist, which bring with them many other advantages. "

Copyright Dongying Wang

China counts on rural markets to boost economy

China kicked off Monday a four-year scheme to subsidize the selling of household appliances to its massive rural market, as part of its effort to shore up domestic demand and ease the impact of global economic depression.

The stimulus plan, called "electronic products go down to villagers", is targeting more than 200 million rural households, and expected to generate 920 billion yuan in sales (US$131 billion) over four years.

This initiative has been on trial since late 2007 in the populous Shandong, Henan and Sichuan Provinces as well as Qingdao city. The 20% subsidies offered by the government have prompted a rise of 40% in sales in these areas. China plans to roll out the successful scheme in every rural area by February 2009, bringing with it a lower subsidised rate of 13%.

China's three decades of reform and opening-up has dramatically improved the lives of villagers. As a result, an average of 8 million impoverished people in China shook off the poverty annually from 1978 to 2007.

Purchasing power in rural China has gradually risen. Nowadays it is commonplace to see villagers using mobile phones and computers, and even driving cars. These luxurious goods were not at the top of their priority during the 1990s. What available cash they had was used to purchase color TVs, fridges and washing machines. The symbols of wealth among rural families in the 1980s were bicycles, sewing machine and watches.

Televisions have played a far more important role than other consumer white goods as it helps rural China get to know the outside world. When the first televisions arrived in rural parts of China in the mid 1970s, they created great excitement. Often, they were communal television sets, bringing audiences of excited villagers together to share a completely new experience. At that time, there was only one television set available for every 1,600 people in rural China.

Today, 95% of rural families possess a television. This contrasts with urban families, a third of which own more than one television; Urban ownership of fridges is three times that of rural communities; and the proportion of washing machine users is double.

The four-year national plan aims to increase the use of household appliances in rural China to the 2000 level in urban areas.

China-brand manufacturers have actively engaged in the plan. Foreign brands like Siemens, Panasonic, Nokia and LG also set to join their Chinese counterparts and explore the vast business opportunities in China's rural areas.

The knock-down effect of the financial crisis has taken a toll on China's economy, which relies heavily on exports of a large amount of household appliances. In one example, growth of its colour TV exports alone during the 3rd quarter of this year were pulled back by 11% from a year earlier.

The national export prospects for the last quarter of 2008 are looking bleak, as demands in the West are not thought to be as strong this Christmas.

Some 60% China’s exports are destined for the United States, the EU and Japan, all of which are suffering from serious economic recession.

China forecasts that its 2008 foreign trade will rise by 20% from the 2007 level, reaching US$2.6 trillion. However, the country lowers down its foreign trade growth expectation for 2009 to 8.5%.

The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2009 report has warned of the biggest contraction of global economy in 2009 ever since the 1930s.

It also highlights that the globalization has left developing countries to face higher borrowing costs and lower export growth from a crisis started in the developed world.


The photo is from A partial history of television in China

Copyright Dongying Wang

For reproduction of this article, please email: wdy21century@gmail.com

Media to help China NGOs aim higher

China issued on Tuesday its first ever handbook to guide its NGOs on how to ally with the media in achieving their objectives.

The 200-page guide, entitled "Media Handbook for Grassroots NGOs" is expected to give an impetus to the country's NGOs, and even its fledgling civil society.

It is also a significant step indicating that media could play an increasing surveillance role in China's national development.

The guidance was jointly developed by the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO ) and Germany's Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is affiliated with the German Green Party and works for similar goals as CANGO to promote international understanding, civil society and sustainable development.

The book uses 20 cases to demonstrate the failures and successes in NGOs' media work; lists nearly 80 media which have been actively reporting social welfare issues in China, and highlights nearly 500 NGO websites and blogs.

NGO staff across the country will get free copies of the handbook, whose online version is also free for Internet users to download.

CANGO Secretary General Haoming Huang said: "It is an important approach to enhance NGOs' capacity by building an interactive partnership with the media. The media could also act as a supervisor for NGOs' growth."

International NGOs hold media communications as a core component of their activities and have already developed mature systems to cooperate with the media, the Heinrich Böll Foundation says on its site.

"However, in China, both NGOs and the media are undergoing a process of maturing. Especially for local grassroots NGOs, there is a lack of knowhow and facilities for how to work together with the media," it adds.

A paper carried by China's official Xinhua News Agency points out that the Internet, as a communication platform, has helped China's civil society identify the issues of general concern, though at the same time it does not help build a strong civil society due to its users' anonymity and exchange of irrational content.

NGOs are mushrooming in China and engage in a wide range of areas. There are at least 3 million NGOs across China, and they are playing an increasingly important role between the government and markets, says CANGO.

However, NGOs in China still have a long way to go, to build themselves to be pressure groups and become more involved in national development. Inexperience in planning and management, and shortage of financial and expertise support are the key factors impeding their expansion.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Africa pivoted to setting its own agenda

Edward Bickham of Anglo American attributes China’s success to infrastructure and economic zones.

China's growing engagement in Africa has intensified the global rivalry for the continent's markets and resources. Investors from the West have perceived increased competition, and have been forced to adjust their African strategies, which in turn has increased tension between China and the West.

Following the EU and the US, China has become the 3rd largest trade partner with Africa. The China-Africa trade rose by 62% on a yearly basis to US$73.9 billion from January to August this year, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

It is often said that "when two sides contend, it's always the third party that benefits." Has Africa been aware of these possibilities and taken advantage of them to develop the continent further？

This issue was highlighted last Friday [21/11/2008] during a London conference entitled "Going for growth: can commodities transform development in Africa and China?"

The China phenomenon in Africa has continued to draw attention, especially as the globe experiences economic uncertainty; and China is foreseen to become the world's second-largest economy within two decades.

China can help increase Africa's leverage to get a better deal offered by different investors, said William M. Gumede, who authored the bestselling Thabo Mbeki and the battle for the Soul of the ANC. and was a deputy editor of The Sowetan in Johannesburg.

Gumede also saw China as a business partner for Africa, and help them negotiate for fairer global trade and financial systems. However, he pointed out that China should open wider its markets for the continent.

Africa should look at China's anti-poverty model instead of its political model, and give top priority to infrastructure construction and education to enable the continent to grow, especially in terms of jobs, he said.

China is celebrating its breathtaking achievements through three-decades reform and opening-up drive. As a result, China now shares 5% of the global GDP, up from 1% in 1978; and its destitute population has plummeted from 250 million to 15 million.

While China has alleviated poverty dramatically, the global trend has continued with the impoverished population rising by around 10 million per year since the turn of the century, according to the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

The London meeting reached a consensus that foreign investors should not be expected to act as the agency for Africa's development and the continent needs to develop its own agenda.

“Africa does not need necessarily to follow the western development models,” said Graham Zebedee, Deputy Head of the African Department of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Meanwhile, he urged Chinese businesses in Africa to create a win-win rather than win-lose approach.

Edward Bickham, Group Head of Anglo American in External Relations, attributed China’s success in Africa to its model of opening up areas through infrastructure and building special economic zones. Anglo American is one of the world’s largest mining groups with a large foothold in countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania.

By the end of 2007, China had directly invested US$4.46 billion in 48 nations across Africa. Over the next 10 years, Africa is estimated to need US$250 billion in investment for its infrastructure construction. This creates massive opportunities for overseas investors, especially Chinese companies.

However, Bickham underlined the downside of China’s involvement in Africa. He said that Western “conditionality” and leverage was much reduced, affecting the handling social and environmental challenges, in which China has less experience. In addition, Chinese companies are tied to the use of their own labour and facilities rather than local sources.

Bickham gave a detailed presentation on how China is leading to a growing demand in metal consumption, and the country’s expanded activities in seeking out natural resources in Africa. His speech painted China as a consumer devouring African resources and a powerful competitor for Western investors there.

However, Rouben Indjikian, Deputy Head of the Special Unit on Commodities with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD ), predicted that China’s efforts in improving energy and commodity efficiency will help slow down the global growth of consumption.

He also pointed out that the huge economic stimulus package China launched recently to speed up its infrastructure construction means increased business opportunities for Africa.

UNCTAD is working on an energy paper to help meet global energy needs, Indjikian said, adding that energy tapping and use, especially renewable sources, within Africa is of great significance for the continent to shake off its poverty. And China is expected to play a role in this regard.

The African continent makes up 13% of the world population but only 35% of the people have access to commercial energy produced from coal, gas, uranium and petroleum. Less than 10% have access to electricity, according to UNCTAD.

Tapping African resources exponentially to fuel its economic growth, China also foresees business difficulties, as the US and EU are adjusting their African policies to secure sufficient energy supply from the continent, according to a recent report by the China Customs.

The China-Africa trade is expected to top US$100 billion this year. The figure comes three years ahead of China’s own projection. However, its sustained growth is uncertain, due to Africa’s limited capacity to cope with regional and international crises, said the report.

The report also suggested that China learn from Germany and Japan to target individual African nations with different business focuses, meanwhile further promote its favourable policies across the continent.

This opinion was shared by James Keeley, senior researcher with the UK International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED ), when he spoke of China’s involvement in African agriculture. “China needs to understand users’ needs, and to link its African operations to other initiatives, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

Days are gone when Africa had to accept whatever deals were on the table. Today, the changing economic reality has offered the continent the golden chance to make its own choice among offers from different countries.

It is time for Africans to formulate their own economic policies and set up their own development agenda; to make a sustainable choice and enable the continent to prosper.

Read other China-Africa articles:

China in Zambia: from comrades to capitalists?

China in Africa: a catalyst for change

Copyright Dongying Wang

For reproduction of the articles, please email: wdy21century@gmail.com

China seesaws between economy & environment

The highly globalized world is witnessing a spillover of the US financial crisis into Europe, Asia and elsewhere. The UK has been warned against a more severe and deeper economic downturn than expected; and Japan has also entered its first depression since 2001.

Job-cutting news is making headlines across the media, and a rising number of businesses are at the risk of collapse, painting a bleak picture.

China fails to escape the donimo effect. Its year-on-year GDP growth for the first three quarters of 2008 displays a falling tendency from 10.7% through 10.1% to 9%. With an 11.9% GDP rise in 2007, China needs its economy to grow by 8%, in order to guarantee jobs and avoid sliding into the depths of a recession, said economy expert Ye Hang.

Official figures show that south China's Guangdong Province saw more than 7,100 enterprises shut down between January and September this year. The majority of them operated in the Pearl River Delta, a key manufacturing base in China's export market. Price rises in raw materials, appreciation in the Chinese currency (RMB) and fund-raising difficulties are the top reasons behind the closure of many companies, local authorities have said.

It is forecast that 1/3 of export-oriented factories in Guangdong will meet the same fate in the next three years. This will result in restructuring the industrial mix locally, and even reshaping the global supply chain.

In response, adoption of economic stimulus measures becomes unavoidably the only remedy, though it is not a panacea for all problems.

Following US' $700 billion banking bailout in October, China recently launched its own economic stimulus package, in which it intends to spend 4 trillion yuan (US$586 billion dollars) over the next two years. Rural infrastructure, water and rubbish treatment are among the 10 major industries which China will invest in heavily. Concerns are growing over whether sustainable conceptions and practices will be incorporated in this large-scale industrial expansion.

The environmental consideration is often the first to be given up when an economy faces difficulties, said Wang Jinnan, Vice President of the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

His concerns are also expressed by environmental groups. Hannah Griffiths, corporates campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said that her organisation had always argued that regulation was needed because when the crunch came, profits would come first. "We always felt that companies do not take CSR as seriously as they claim to and voluntary action does not work."

Wang added that the closure of businesses in Guangdong is helpful, in short term, for regional pollution control. However, he strongly suggested the government implement green practices in the vast national investment, to make the country achieve green GDP growth.

Shen Xiaoyue, Director of the Regulation Office of the Policy Research Centre for Environment and Economy of the MEP, said that there will be an urgent and heavy workload in the assessment of the environmental impact of new projects which are to be launched under the incentive plan.

Opinions are also split when it comes to the impact of the economic crisis upon China's companies involved in green industries.

The global crisis will present more opportunities than challenges for China's green industries, said Shen, which she believes will become a key strength for economic growth in China. She also highlighted that the middle and small-sized green companies should learn from overseas counterparts, and the government should grant them more favourable policies, especially in fund raising, to enable them to fly higher.

Companies, such as those involved in clean energy, wind power and solar photovoltaic industries will slow down as a result of the economic crisis, said Wen Yibo , Chairman of the Board of Beijing-based Sound Group, one of China's largest private green companies specialising in water and waste treatment.

Economic stimulus can only serve as a supplementary solution under such special circumstances, and it won't solve the fundamental problems. On top of funding, support of policies and the public is critical for green industries' development, Wen pointed out.

Over the five years up to 2011, China's investment in environmental protection is expect to reach 1.53 trillion yuan (US$225 billion), accounting for 1.36% of its GDP, a proportion believed to be amongst the highest in the developing world.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Women rising in American politics

The 2008 US election has wrapped up, seeing Barak Obama elected as the 44th President of the United States, but its fascination and uniqueness are still lingering.

The enduring attraction of the political campaign is partly due to the involvement of three women: New York Senator Hilary Clinton, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Illinois Senator Barak Obama's wife Michelle.

Their engagement, which resulted in losses or gains, has perfectly displayed a changing face of American politics, a rising voice of female politicians, a mix of criticism and sarcasm of Western media, and deciding qualities to be a national leader in today's America.

All three of the women are charismatic in different capacities. Their participation has enhanced the interest of the electorate in the lengthy and weary campaigns.

As to political careers, Clinton, 61, is superior to Palin and Michelle, both 44. The First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, Clinton was elected as senator for New York State in 2000, becoming the first First Lady running for public office in American history.

This year's Democratic presidential nomination race saw Clinton win more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but she lost to Obama in the long and tight campaign.

Though playing the card to compete for the first ever female president helped Clinton win voters, her over-ambitious performance, and especially her personal attacks on Obama spoiled her image and set the tone for her losing out.

It turned to be a surprising and sad result for Clinton, who has appeared to be more determined than her husband in her political ambitions. She has been viewed as having a bright political future, ever since her work in the impeachment inquiry during the 1974 Watergate scandal, which culminated in the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Except for Eleanor Roosevelt, Clinton is regarded as the most openly empowered presidential wife in American history.

Going through investigations including the Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal, Clinton has appeared to be a tough fighter in both career and family. However, her return to the presidential campaign in four years seems to be open to question, especially with regards to her tenacity, her potential to win, and challenges she may face from such candidates as Sarah Palin.

In comparison, Palin seemed to be a better player in campaigning for the first American Vice President. She took centre stage as the second woman to run on a major US party ticket, after Geraldine Ferraro, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1984 in the run with Walter Mondale.

British commentator Ian Hislop once said: "She (Palin) is the first good-looking woman politician for a long time" on the BBC TV programme Question Time. Her being young, attractive, energetic and enthusiastic gave hope to the Republican Party and enlivened the election in the beginning, but this magic failed to last longer enough to help John McCain fulfill his goal.

Palin claims to be an expert in energy issues, but her inexperince in foreign and domestic affairs hampered her in making further strides in this political campaign. This is also one of the reasons former Secretary of State General Colin Powell granted his endorsement to Obama.

Palin's poor performance also motivated media to produce several TV parodies in which she became the subject of ridicule. She was also pranked by Canada's CKOI Radio . During a phone call she was duped into believing that she was having a conversation with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Palin has become a laughing stock for her interviews and non-sensical dialogue. However, besides her shortfalls, Palin has become a household name. She has pledged to be more than willing and capable to offer assistance to Obama in energy solutions during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room .
The 2008 election might mean a full-stop for Hillary Clinton's presidential ambition, but a comma for Palin. It was expected that Palin might replace McCain as Commander in Chief, if only by the untimely demise of her senior.
The only woman who eventually made gains in this election was Michelle, Barack Obama's wife. Michelle will become the first African American First Lady of the United States in two months. Aside of being in the same law profession as Clinton, Michelle has revealled another side to her persona; she is an avid hula hooper.She has a reputation as a cool operator, and even her husband has praised her highly saying: "If I ever had to run against her for public office, she would beat me without too much difficulty".

During her speech at a democratic national convention, Michelle sought to portray herself and her family as the embodiment of the American Dream, saying she and her husband believed "that (if) you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, and you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."

Before becoming the First Lady in January, Michelle has already stolen the show of the current First Lady Laura Bush during their first meeting in White House. In contrast to Laura's dowdy brown outfit, Michelle shone in her bright red dress.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Photos (left and right ones) by kris kros & rachel_bunting

How big is the gap between green politics and politicians?

US president-elect Barack Obama made history, as he will be the first ever African American to lead the most powerful nation on this planet. Obama made his way towards the throne by defeating heavyweight politicians Hilary Clinton and John McCain.

His victory marks a pivotal point in American history. Many people might also re-evaluate what they expect from the American Dream. As Madonna states in her song American Life, "I'm just living out the American Dream and I just realized that nothing is what it seems."

High on Obama's agenda are determinations to pull his country out of the mire of economic crisis, and pledges to take actions to combat climate change. However, today's politicians are judged not only by the way they deal with the environment, but also by their personal carbon footprint.

Both of the main US presidential candidates, Obama or McCain, have conducted a high-emissions political campaign.

They both failed to pioneer the use of modern electronic approaches to minimize their carbon footprint when wooing green supporters of their low-carbon visions.

Statistics by StandardCarbon show that the flights alone, by Obama and McCain and their entourage, had burned more than 757,000 litres of jet fuel, resulting in more than 2,000 tonnes of emissions. Travel accounted for more than half of their carbon footprint during the campaign.

Around 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide were produced during their campaign activities, including travel, postage, shipping, use of utilities, food and fundraising events. The Obama group alone is blamed for 59.9% of the emissions.

To offset the emissions, the Obama group would have needed to plant more than 1.8 million trees, as against the 1.36 million by McCain, a small forest by anyone's standards.

In an era with modern communications facilities at hand, unnecessary emissions can be avoided in transportation and fundraising, by means of teleconferences, emails, and even online virtual communities such as Second Life.

Those conducting such campaigns need courage to embrace these modern initiatives, to embark upon a revolution of political performance. However, most politicians see this technology as the stuff of science fiction.

In reality, there are often double standards applied by the decision makers, who set the rules for others to follow, but rarely abide by them themselves. The public sees this hypocricy, but is unable to effect a change.

Former US Vice President Al Gore has been called "hypocritical" as he advocates environmental protection, while at the same time living a life in which he consumes large amount of energy and resources. In respose to this criticism, he has claimed to have made offsetting efforts.

The air travel by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) resulted in 1,755 tonnes of carbon emissions during the 2005/2006 period, accounting for 63.16% of their total emissions.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been criticized recently for having a carbon footprint equivalent to 1,000 of his citizens. His global travels in his presidential jet during the past 11 months produced 7,061 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the magazine Terra Economica reported .

The UK broadsheet Independent revealed in early 2007 that Tony Blair's personal carbon emissions were 700 times of the average Briton and his air travel alone contributed as much carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as a medium-sized business. When we look at the issue from a global perspective, travel by officials needs addressing by governments of each country, so that civil servants may set good examples of green practices for their electorate to follow.

Copyright Dongying Wang

"To be or not to be": disclosure leads to low carbon?

Facing climate change, companies have no choice "to be or not to be" involved, but acknowledge and act to lessen their environmental footprint.

The majority of global companies are acting to reduce their emissions, says a 2008 report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a London-based independent organisation challenging the world's largest companies to measure and report their carbon emissions since 2000.

Representing 385 investors with assets of $57 trillion, CDP received feedback from 90% of FTSE 100 companies this year, its highest sample rate to date; 74% of the Global 500 respondents reported their emissions-cutting targets.

"A business can only manage what it measures," said Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP. The project intends to help businesses identify the risks and opportunities from climate change and turn awareness into action.

Toyota said: “We are convinced that only those automakers that successfully solve social problems in environment, congestion and accidents will be allowed to continue existing in society.”

With renewable energy purchases rising 24% in 2006-2007, IBM pledges a 7% global emissions cut in 2005-2010.

News Corporation aims to achieve a 10% emissions cut in 2006-2012 by reducing its use of non-renewable energy sources.

Siemens is promoting Netmeeting software as an alternative tool to travelling.

Wal-Mart is a typical case of carbon disclosure entailing changing corporate behaviour. It only came to realise its refrigerators emit more than its delivery trucks after completing the CDP questionnaire. Carrefour and Tesco have joined Wal-Mart to incorporate their supply chain emissions into their overall strategy.

Funded in 2000, CDP collects key climate change data from more than 1550 major corporations around the globe and has assembled the largest corporate greenhouse gas emissions database in the world. The first data was collected in 2003 and 2008 therefore represents the sixth year of corporate reporting to CDP.

Copyright Dongying Wang

China in Zambia: from comrades to capitalists?

Zambians seek work at the NFC African Mining PLC

It was a scorching day in March 2008. Job seeker Glorence Kandeke, 24, waited anxiously outside a Chinese copper mining company in Chambishi, northern Zambia, in a slim hope of obtaining employment at the NFC African Mining PLC (NFCA).

“I have been travelling about 45km everyday over the past three months for a possible job with the NFCA,” said Kandeke. He said his parents had funded his $5 daily fare to come here. The cost amounts to 15% of the minimum monthly wage for Zambians which stands at 268,800 Kwacha, or $77.

“I don’t know when I will get a job from the NFCA, nor how long my family can support me by paying my fare everyday,” sighed Kandeke.

Kandeke is joined by nearly 75 others everyday who vie for a position in the Chinese company.

“The Chinese said they offer 5 new jobs every day, but nothing lucky has happened to me in the past few months,” Kandeke said.

There are thousands of workers like Kandeke who seek employment in the special economic zone in the Copperbelt. But for those who obtain jobs within Chinese companies, there is an increasing concern that their safety is being compromised and they are being financially exploited.

Chinese investment in Zambia is dwarfed by those of US and European countries, and even some Asian countries. However, China is hailed as an increasingly important investor in this southern African country; a nation which has an unemployment rate as high as 70%.

“Chinese investment in the Zambian mining sector is showing very positive trends,” said Mr. Lennard Nkhata, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

Instead of responding directly to criticism by the West over China’s negligence of labor laws, poor environmental record and lack of contribution to the communities of Africa, Mr. Nkhata spoke more positively of China’s role in his country.

“Chinese compliance to health and safety regulations has improved tremendously over the years and the environmental performance of the companies is acceptable so far,” he said. However, he mentioned no specific figures.

The Chambishi NFCA mine, which is running on Chinese technology, is the only large-scale underground mine which has not recorded a fatal accident since October 2006. Mr. Nkahat cited this as an example to show the safety record in Chinese facilities.

Zambia has placed the battle against poverty at the top of its agenda and expects to achieve an economic boom through the mining industry. A new tax regime, it believes, will help achieve this. This measure is due to take effect from April 1, with the Loyalty Tax rising to 3% and the company tax up to 30%.

“Thanks to the huge demand for copper in both China and India, Zambia is enjoying a booming mineral industry,” Mr. Nkahat said.

In 2007, Sino-Zambian bilateral trade stood at $595 million, up nearly 60% from 2006. The figure included $397 million of exports to China from Zambia, most of which were copper.

The permanent secretary said that the increased output resulting from Chinese investment had the potential to bring about an economic boom in Zambia.

It has been widely acknowledged that Chinese investment in Zambia is highly protected by the government.

Zambia’s Environmental Council Senior Communication officer Justin Mukosa said: “We do not want to separate Chinese investment from other investment, and we judge overseas investors by performance.”

And he criticized those who talked down China, saying: “singling out Chinese companies is a political issue more than an environmental one. ”

The Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE), Zambia’s largest environmental NGO based in Kitwe, confirmed that there are no more citizen complaints about Chinese mining companies than other investors.

In fact, there have been serious environmental incidents caused by other countries’ mining firms. Earlier this year, the Mopani Copper Mine, partly owned by a Swiss company, was blamed for polluting water supplies in Mufulira town.

The Zambian Development Agency will soon issue a list of industries into which overseas investment is sought, in a bid to boost national development, the agency’s Investment Promotion Manager Jessica Mwiinga Chombo said. Mining and hydro-electric industries are included on the list, but Ms Chombo failed to elaborate further.

“No discrimination exists between local and foreign investors,” she said, but added that “Zambia expects investors to create jobs and transfer technology and skills for the locals.”

The $220 million Chambishi Copper Smelter （CCS）Ltd, which is under construction in Kitwe, stands as a good example to show how China is fulfilling its commitment in assisting local development.

The smelter is scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year, with an output of 150,000 tonnes of crude copper per year.

Copper ore, as it is extracted from the ground, has a very small copper content. After the first industrial processes, concentration copper is produced with a copper content of around 40%. Smelters turn this into crude copper which is 99% pure.

Building smelters not only reduces outsourcing but also helps increase Zambia’s exports of added-value products, so says Deng Yun, vice director of the smelter’s Administration Department. New smelters will also help create new job opportunities.

“All the crude copper from the new Chambishi smelter will be shipped to China,” Deng Yun said. The smelter is expected to boost Zambia’s exports by $450 million.

“The company will also provide over 1,500 jobs for local people,” said Yun, “There are now about 400 working Chinese and 600 Zambians to build the smelter, and after it goes operational, the number of Chinese workers will decrease to 100,” he explained.

However, Chinese investors are expected to contribute more to Zambia’s society and meet ever higher expectations of Zambians.

John Lungu, economics professor at the Copperbelt University in Kitwe, has called for increased local partnership of Chinese businesses in Zambia to ensure a fairer deal. He also argued that the Sino-Zambian Economic Zone, where both the NFCA and CCS are located, should create not only jobs, but also well-paid jobs.

Professor Lungu’s view is echoed by that of union leaders and miners who often complain about unethical treatment and low wages in Chinese mining companies.

Chilufya Mukuka, head of the Safety Department of the India-funded Chambishi Metals Plc, said that miners working for Chinese companies receive about $70 per month. This is much less than an average of $400 paid by companies from other countries, said Mr Mukuka, who also represents a mine community in Chambishi.

However, Jingtao Liang, an engineer with the NFCA, dismissed the allegation, saying that pay for Zambians averages at $400, with the highest exceeding $3,000.

Though miners’ union leaders fail to give satisfactory explanation of this conflicting information, it is generally agreed that pay varies amongst different categories of jobs.

Standing outside the NFCA, job seeker Kandeke said: “Though the Chinese company pays less, it is better than nothing.”

Kandeke and his countrymen prefer to be employed by the NFCA rather than other foreign companies. They say they would rather work the 8 hours demanded of them by the NFCA than the 12 hours which is commonplace in other foreign companies.

Commenting on the low wages paid out by Chinese companies, Professor Lunga concludes that Chinese investors have transformed from “comrades” to “capitalists” in less than half a century.

His opinion forms a striking contrast to the position of his government which calls China a “genuine and all-weather friend” who is ready to help without preconditions.

Zambia established a diplomatic relationship with China within a week after its independence in 1964, becoming the first country in southern Africa to do so.

The Sino-Zambian friendship culminated in the building of the Tazara Railway which links landlocked Zambia with neighboring Tanzania in the 1970s. It had been the largest foreign-aid project ever undertaken by China. Since then, China has gradually increased its investment within the country. By 2007, China’s direct investment in Zambia had reached nearly $290 million.

However, China represents only a small portion of overseas investment, which Zambia relies on to transform its economy.

Zambia faces the challenge of balancing the interests of foreign investors with the welfare of its people. And solving the problems relating to Chinese companies are only the beginning, as Zambia tests its ability to achieve a balance.

Whilst trying to build up its economy, Zambia needs to introduce effective measures to help protect the well-being of its people and the environment.

Read other China-Africa articles:

Africa pivoted to setting its own agenda

China in Africa: a catalyst for change

Copyright World News Review 2008

For reproduction of the articles, please email: wdy21century@gmail.com

Financial crisis batters global markets despite bailout law

Last Friday's signing of the US historical economic rescue package into law has failed to prevent global stock markets from diving much deeper beyond expectation.

Those who have hoped to see a rise in stock markets this weak were shocked by the extent of the market plunge on Monday. The Dow Jones plummeted 569.8 to 9755.5, penetrating the psychologically important 10,000 mark for the first time since 2004, with the S&P 500 off 64.2 at 1035.0.

Confidence of global investors has been heavily pounded and is unlikely to be restored in the short term. A global economic recession is looming large.

Along with the US $700B bailout package, European nations have sought to close ranks to avert the financial epidemic from the Unites States. However, no tangible progress has been made.

Do you think it is too late for the governments to offer an effective remedy? If not, what do you think they should do?

Europe seeks to coordinate banking system clean-up

Four big European nations have pledged to coordinate efforts for a new regional financial system with improved regulation, supervision and morality, in a response to the credit crunch crisis spreading from the US.

The consensus came after a meeting of heads of state of France, the UK, Germany and Italy as well as senior officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the Eurogroup. Britain, France, Germany and Italy are Europe's representatives on the G8.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who convenced the gathering on Saturday, stressed that entrepreneurial capitalism instead of speculation is needed. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said ethics should be brought back to banking systems.

British Premier Gorden Browns said his country will do whatever is necessary to stabilise the financial market, citing the bail out of Northern Rock and other actions. Liquidity will be ensured to preserve confidence, said Mr. Brown, adding that the participants have agreed to ask the European Investment Bank for 25-billion-pound loans for small businesses, clean up the financial system and set up a college of regulators.