Battered British auto industry sends out SOS

Unsold cars built up at Ford Dagenham in SE England

Sharply declining market demand has hit British manufacturing severely. The car industry, in particular, has come under the spotlight, as it seeks government support to curb its dwindling output and further its green production.

Climbing the green ladder is an important goal, but returning the industry's production to normal has become more urgent, as the plunging output has led to significant job losses, shorter working hours and factory closures since the economic downturn started to bite in October.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in February 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

Green approach seen as economy rescue remedy

Green deals designed to more efficiently use natural resources and better control pollution have been high on the global agenda as they are perceived as solutions to the worsening economic crisis engulfing the world.

Leading greenhouse gas emitters and emerging economies, in particular, are under big pressure to set their own agenda and lead the global green movement. To do so, they need to make a balance between the cost and output of green initiatives to get through the downturn.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in February 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

Photo by phatcontroller

Britain safeguards research as it sinks deeper into recession

Wax work of physicist Sir Isaac Newton at London Madame Tussauds

Scientific research is among few sectors in Britain which have won support in facing off the recession, as the country attempts to remain a global leader in innovation and science.

Unlike commercial businesses and manufacturing, research activities have not yet seen specific impacts brought about by the economic downturn.

However, many experts have warned that though many researchers have secured funding for the time being, the new funding situation would not be as positive as now, as Britain is sliding deeper into recession.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in February 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

Education in Britain faces test as recession bites harder

Figures have shown that the number of people applying for undergraduate courses at UK universities this autumn has risen by 8% from last year’s level, but it is not yet clear what effect the economic crisis will have in the coming months.

The sharp depreciation of pound has encouraged the influx of overseas students to Britain. The number of applicants from EU countries has risen by 12 percent overall, with applicants from outside the EU rising by 10 percent.

However, going to university is not an easy option for all, especially part-time students.

Figures by the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that the number of part-time enrolments at Britain’s higher education institutions has fallen by 3 percent over the 2007/2008 period, compared to the year before.

Some 35 percent of part-time enrolments in 2007/2008 were in science subjects, a decrease of 3 percent on a yearly basis

British media has warned that the tighter job market will force more part-time students out of schools. As Britain is sinking deeper into recession, the education situation will be further affected. As a result, the government’s vision to expand education by recruiting more part-time students might be compromised.

Britain warned of a further gloomy 2009

On Monday, Britain’s leading business group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), refreshed the forecast for Britain’s 2009 GDP growth, with a further pessimistic note.

The CBI has revised down the growth rate, saying the economy will shrink by 3.3 percent, nearly double the contraction of 1.7 percent foreseen in November last year. The CBI also predicted a growth in unemployment to nearly 3 million by the end of 2009.

Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, said: “The outlook remains extremely uncertain so forecasting remains especially difficult. Ultimately the severity of this recession will depend on the speedy implementation of the government’s measures to unblock the credit markets and the success of various global stimuli packages in repairing business and consumer confidence.”

Britain has injected billions of pounds in banking bailout, which has so far failed to re-activate the credit market or kick-start the national economy.

There is no doubt that research and education in Britain will be affected by the continuing financial crisis, especially if the country’s stimulus packages fail to take effect in the coming months.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Anger grows in Britain as recession deepens

As the recession bites harder in Britain, concerns are growing amongst the unemployed as to how they are going to pay their bills or find another job. There is rising anger directed towards the government and more recently top bankers.

The public has complained that politicians' daily rhetoric is not solving Britain's economic problems. Many see government actions as only bailing out the banks and financial institutions rather than helping the ever increasing number of jobless and falling businesses.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in February 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

"Smiling is not a natural thing for Chinese men"

Dominant, reserved and humble are among the most used words to describe Chinese men by their opposite sex in China. What impressions have male Chinese given to westerners? Dongying Wang asks people from other cultures to give their opinions and personal experiences of Chinese men.

Is there anything Chinese men could do to improve their image as compared to their Western equal?

In reply to this stereotypical question often raised by people in China, Dave Feickert confirmed twice his answer, saying "no”.

An energy and coal mine safety expert, Feickert, in his early 60s, has been working in China for about four years on projects in cooperation with government organisations and universities.

Feickert, who holds both British and New Zealand citizenship, talked about Chinese males in a global perspective as he has been in contact with Chinese people throughout his career in five continents.

"Chinese men are much more relaxing than their peers from some hierarchical societies, such as Japan and the UK," says Feickert.

"Compared to fellows from other cultures, especially Japan and Germany, Chinese men are more open-minded, practical and efficient in solutions," he says, "I find it easier to work with Chinese men than British."

To make his point, Feickert gave his preference to New Zealanders as colleague choice, over Australians, Europeans and Americans.

"Europeans and Americans are carrying a bag of preconceptions and not practical in solving problems, " he details, adding that "I would like to see Chinese colleagues the same as New Zealanders."

Chinese people, in general, are well brought up, he said, "Even my Chinese driver did not go to university, he has a good sense of humour."

As for Chinese females, Feickert thinks that they are more modest than western women. After the ice breaking, Chinese women often display a better sense of humour than western peers.

Feickert said that he would like to rely on Chinese female co-workers more than westerners, as the former are better organized and adept at multi-tasking.

He has noticed that men and women in China are treated more equally than in many Western countries, including the UK and Australia. As such, he thinks that China is comparable to Scandinavian countries and New Zealand, which was the world’s first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893.

Women in both Scandinavia and New Zealand are well presented in top jobs and can often been seen running their organisations, he said, “China shares similar equalities, but this fails when it comes to top positions.”

Even so, Feickert believes both sexes in China stand as good ambassadors for their country.

Unlike Feickert, Arthur Tuffee, a retired minister of a Baptist church in Dorset in southwest England, has only been to China twice with his wife Gill. They flew to China as tourists in 1996, and sailed on a missionary ship to Shanghai the following year.

The Bournemouth couple have come to know many Chinese students after they became involved in a “hospitality” scheme in 2000. The scheme encourages British families to host international students attending Bournemouth University and help them better understand British culture.

There are about 20 such families in Bournemouth, a town with a population of just under 170,000.

"We have officially hosted seven Chinese students so far, plus more than a dozen others who were introduced by them,” says Mr. Tuffee.

The Tuffee's have chosen to host only Chinese students. "We love China, we love Chinese," they explain. Their connection with China began more than 30 years ago when the couple adopted a half-Chinese boy.

Chinese students they have hosted were often invited for British cuisine and many local activities, including introductory Bible classes.

Talking about Chinese males, the couple both think they are reserved and less open than westerners.

"It is difficult to know them at the first contact," says Mr. Tuffee, "They do not make an initial step to get known, and you have to work hard to know them."

The couple also think many hide their emotions. “They do not smile, and smiling is not a natural thing for them," says Mr. Tuffee.

He pointed out that many differences are not issues of race but of culture. By learning other cultures he suggests people would respond better to different peoples.

Nowadays, people from the Chinese mainland are becoming more westernised, but those from Hong Kong often communicate better as they have already adapted to a western way of life, he said.

Chinese men and women generally stick to their gender roles. Women often play a supporting role as mother and wife, while men adopt their role as bread winner. But, he said that this has a positive effect in Chinese society though he feels that equality between the sexes should not be abandoned.

Women often tend to focus on social and family duties when it comes to commenting on men.

Professor S.C. Lenny Koh, in her mid 30s, at Sheffield University came from Malaysia, and has lived in the UK for 14 years.

Professor Koh has much experience of Chinese culture, the country and its people. She is married to a Chinese man, has tutored a number of Chinese students and conducted business with many Chinese partners.

"Chinese men are dominant," she says, "They want to be respected and yet they have a strong ego of wanting to be leaders."

However, a growing number of women are becoming independent and family bread winners. This has posed a threat to men's social and family dominant positions, she said.

This shift of balance is a global phenomenon, not something unique to China, she added.

Koh analysed several of her friends' cross-cultural marriages and concluded that any family would be happier if it values efficiency, contribution and happiness rather than material wealth.

Chinese men's thinking process is complex, as against the straightforward style of westerners, so “sometimes you do not understand what they want”, she said.

However, Chinese husbands usually provide a more secure family feeling because they are from a saving-oriented society. This is a big difference from western husbands who tend to enjoy their life by spending first, then paying back later, Koh added.

Editor of ClimateChangeCorp.com Zara Maung, in her late 20s, has seen a trend of more Chinese women marrying white men, but few cases the other way round.

Maung went to China in 2000 to teach English for eight months in a vocational school in Hangzhou, a few hours’ drive from Shanghai.

Western women are often taller than Chinese males. This maybe one reason for Chinese men not marrying westerners, Maung explained.

She would marry a Chinese if he is Mr. Right, Maung said, though her intention to go to China was not to seek Chinese bondage.

Western women's individualism is intimidating for Chinese men, as their independent manner is not what Chinese men are used to, she said.

Maung attributed Chinese males' misconception of gender roles to their being frightened and threatened by the thoughts and behaviour of western females.

Western women usually see individualism as a manifestation of equality, she added.

Maung described Chinese men as “friendly and welcoming”. But she depicted Chinese boys and even teenagers as "childish and naive", especially those who hold each other’s hands and walk with their arms about each other's shoulders.

Maung recognized that there is a cultural difference to this type of behaviour. In the West it is generally only gay men who would be seen walking hand in hand or displaying strong affections towards each other.

However, she expressed the opinion that young Chinese people were far more disciplined than their western counterparts.

Academic qualifications and good jobs are often seen as a symbol of adulthood in China, Maung said. But there is no such expectation in the West.

It will benefit China's social development if more powerful women are to represent the country on the international stage, she said.

Opinions about Chinese men are open to question as there is often a gap in cross-cultural understanding. However, if Jackie Chan’s advice is followed, this gap may be bridged. The Hollywood Kung Fu actor has urged westerners to marry Chinese ladies in order to ease global ignorance about Asian culture.

In 2005, he said that foreigners should wed Chinese women, so “their children will be able to speak Chinese and spread Chinese culture far and wide.”

Copyright Dongying Wang
For reproduction of this article, please contact: wdy21century@gmail.com

Read the Chinese version of this article: "微笑对中国男人来说不是天生自然的事"

Recession, capitalism or IT to blame for media cutbacks?

NUJ Stand Up for Journalism campaign logo

From retail to manufacturing and from trade to investment, the economic crisis has taken its toll in Britain. Now, the impact has expanded to the media industry across the country, resulting in cutbacks and redundancies.

However, rather than accepting the forced redundancies, journalists and their unions have come together to fight against the job cuts, which they say are “unjustifiable”.

The industry has failed to adapt quickly enough to advances in modern technology, especially since the advent of the Internet. And media companies’ appetite for excessive profits, building up huge debts and reckless management are regarded as the biggest threats to British journalism.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in January 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

Forceful measures urged to starve off recession

In face of the first and worse recession since 1991, Britain has been urged to stand firm to fend off any further slump, and dig its economy out of the downturn with more powerful measures.

Britain has officially fallen into recession after having undergone negative economic growth over the second half of 2008. The confirmation of recession in the country came on Friday as figures showed its GDP fell by 1.5 percent in the final quarter of 2008, following a 0.6 percent drop in the third quarter.

The Office of National Statistics said that the increased rate of decline in GDP resulted mainly from weaker services and production industries output.

Services output weakened by 0.5 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, in the third and fourth quarter of last year. Meanwhile, the decline in total production was 1.4 percent and 3.9 percent over the two quarters. Manufacturing output made the largest contribution to the slowdown, falling by 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with a 1.6 percent decrease in the previous quarter.

"These numbers are much worse than expected and this is the sharpest contraction in the economy since 1980," said John Cridland, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry.

"The intensity and speed of falling demand combined with the global credit crunch mean this recession is going to be more painful than the early nineties, and sadly one consequence of this will be much higher unemployment."

Cridland expressed hope that the impact of interest rate cuts, falling inflation, the fiscal stimulus, and the government's recent measures to kick-start lending will have a stabilising effect later this year.

His view was shared by David Kern, economic adviser to the British Chambers of Commerce.

He said the sharp decline in GDP also makes it critical for the country to persevere with forceful and corrective measures, while expressing hope that the huge stimulus package that the new U.S. administration plans to introduce could have beneficial global consequences.

In October 2008, Kern called the British policy makers to focus on alleviating the worst consequences of the downturn. At the same time, he urged not to exaggerate the gloom, saying Britain was not in a severe slump and could still avoid the worst.
However, Britain has been battered more severely than expected. The country has been warned of seeing a decline of 2.4 percent in GDP for 2009.

"While the short-term outlook is dire, it is important not to drift into excessive despondency. The government and MPC (the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England) still have important weapons at their disposal, which they will undoubtedly deploy, " Kern added.

Brendan Barber, the Trades Union Congress general secretary, echoes the views of David Kern, saying "This recession is not bad luck or an inevitable swing of the pendulum."

"Its cause is irresponsible behaviour by banks and financial institutions taking advantage of the deregulation started by Mrs Thatcher and President Reagan, and continued to a greater or lesser extent ever since, " Barber added.

Barber also urged the British government to strain every sinew to make the recession "as short and shallow as possible", meanwhile to set up a tough public inquiry into what went wrong and why.

The spill over of the U. S. financial crisis has taken its toll of economies across the world. Over the last few weeks, the global economic crisis has intensified, resulting in more companies falling into trouble, declining production and rising job cuts.

Britain is among the few EU countries most affected by the global downturn. In order to stimulate the economy, Britain has introduced many measures, from interest rates and VAT cuts, job rescue plans to two banking bailout packages.

However, many have suggested that the country should adopt a range of more effective and brave measures, such as cutting the interest rates to zero, to support lending, help businesses and protect jobs.

Obviously, Britain is facing a tough test to prevent its economy sliding deeper into recession and avoiding further collapse.

Copyright Dongying Wang

Falling demand slows British manufacturing

Aerial veiw of CNH, a world leading tractor maker in England

Together with a tight credit market, falling market demand has given a damaging blow to British manufacturing, pushing the country's economy further to the edge of collapse.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that prospects for the next few months will become even more gloomy, as business orders continue to fall.

The manufacturing industry accounts for 13 percent of Britain's GDP and half of its exports, and is only second to the United States in terms of attracting foreign direct investment.

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in January 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.

Are Britain's hopes to join the euro dashed?

The worst case scenario for Britain not joining the euro would manifest itself if countries like India and China increase their foreign currency reserves in the euro, an economist and peer of the House of the Lords has warned.

Euro membership has returned to British agenda. It comes on the 10th anniversary of the launch of the European single currency, which has been adopted by 16 of the 27 European Union member states.

However, the chances for Britain to join the euro may be dashed, since the eurozone may not want a sinking economy to enter their fold. Investment guru Jim Rogers has this week warned against investing in Britain and said that the pound is "finished".

For the full story, by Dongying Wang, published by Xinhua News Agency in January 2009, please click here. Also please return to the blog to post your comment.