Chuyên mục: China

China: Design for nuclear-powered ship unveiled

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By ZHAO LEI | China Daily | Updated: 2023-12-06 23:09

An illustration of the large nuclear-powered container ship, which can carry 24,000 standard containers. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China has unveiled a conceptual design for what could potentially become the world’s largest nuclear-powered container ship.

The vessel, which has yet to be named, will be powered by molten salt reactors and will have the capacity to carry 24,000 standard containers. In other words, it will be able to hold more than 1 billion boxes of Apple iPhones.

The conceptual design, made by China State Shipbuilding Corp’s Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, was published on Tuesday, as the four-day Marintec China 2023 exhibition opened in the city.

The ship’s design earned an Approval in Principle certificate from the DNV, one of the world’s leading classification societies, at an unveiling ceremony.

A senior researcher at Jiangnan Shipyard, who asked to be identified only as Hu, told China Daily on Wednesday that the idea for a nuclear-powered container ship was the result of the shipyard’s endeavor to seek clean energy solutions for its products.

“Shipbuilders around the world have been under huge pressure from shipping businesses, investors and environmentalists to find cleaner fuel solutions. It is only natural for us to take nuclear power into consideration,” he said.

According to industry statistics, shipping operations account for about 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The International Maritime Organization has repeatedly pledged to reduce the emissions caused by shipping businesses.

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Full Text: A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions

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2023-09-26 10:35

A Global Community of Shared Future:

China’s Proposals and Actions

The State Council Information Office of

the People’s Republic of China

September 2023

Contents

Preface

I. Humanity at a Crossroads

II. An Answer to the Call of the Times and a Blueprint for the Future

III. Deep Roots in History and Cultural Traditions

IV. Direction and Path

V. China’s Action and Contribution

Conclusion

Preface

In the universe there is only one Earth, the shared home of humanity. Unfortunately, this planet on which we rely for our subsistence is facing immense and unprecedented crises, both known and unknown, both foreseeable and unforeseeable. Whether human civilization can survive these has become an existential issue that must be squarely faced. More and more people have come to the realization that rather than amassing material wealth, the most pressing task is to find a guiding beacon for the sustainable development of human civilization, because we all care about our future.

Ten years ago President Xi Jinping propounded the idea of building a global community of shared future, answering a question raised by the world, by history, and by the times: “Where is humanity headed?” His proposal lights the path forward as the world fumbles for solutions, and represents China’s contribution to global efforts to protect our shared home and create a better future of prosperity for all.

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Cambodia scraps coal power project to build gas-fired plant, import LNG

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reuters.com By Sudarshan Varadhan

November 29, 202312:52 PM GMT+7Updated 5 days ago

Cambodia's national flags are seen as labourers work at a construction site in Phnom Penh

SINGAPORE, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Cambodia has abandoned plans to build a $1.5 billion 700 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power project in a protected reserve along the southwestern coast and will build an 800 MW natural-gas fired plant instead, its energy minister told Reuters.

As part of the project, Cambodia is exploring construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal to import the super-chilled fuel and re-gasify it for use in the power plant, Energy Minister Keo Rottanak told Reuters.

The planned LNG terminal, likely to be a fixed land-based facility, would be Cambodia’s first and would make it a new import market in Southeast Asia. Vietnam and the Philippines took their first shipments this year.

“The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will announce on Nov. 30 the cancellation of the 700 MW coal power plant project in Koh Kong and the plan to replace it with an 800 MW LNG to be commissioned after 2030,” Rottanak told Reuters.

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What’s behind China’s mysterious wave of childhood pneumonia?

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nature.com

Scientists expected a surge in respiratory disease, but what is happening in China is unusual.

Many adults and children, a lot of them wearing masks, in a hospital waiting room.
Parents wait for their children to be treated for respiratory disease in Chongqing, China.Credit: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty

China is grappling with a surge in respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that common winter infections — rather than any new pathogens — are behind the spike in hospitalizations. A surge of infections was expected in the country this winter, China’s first without COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began in 2020. What is unusual, say epidemiologists, is the high prevalence of pneumonia in China. When COVID-19 restrictions were eased in other countries, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) drove most spikes in illness.

The WHO requested information, including laboratory results and data on recent trends in the spread of respiratory illnesses, from China’s health authorities last week. This followed reports from the media and the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases — a publicly available system run by the International Society for Infectious Diseases — about clusters of “undiagnosed pneumonia”.

In a 23 November statement, the WHO said that China’s health authorities have attributed the rise in hospitalizations since October to known pathogens, such as adenoviruses, influenza virus and RSV, which tends to cause only mild, cold-like symptoms. However, an increase in children being admitted to hospital since May, particularly in northern cities such as Beijing, is mainly due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterium that infects the lungs. It is a common cause of ‘walking pneumonia’, a form of the disease that is usually relatively mild and doesn’t require bed rest or hospitalization, but that is hitting children hard this year.

Benjamin Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, is not surprised by the wave of illness. “This is a typical ‘winter surge’ in acute respiratory infections,” he says. “It is happening slightly earlier this year, perhaps because of increased population susceptibility to respiratory infections resulting from three years of COVID measures.”

A familiar pattern

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Trung Quốc: Chính quyền địa phương, bất động sản và shadow banking

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

TS. Phạm Sỹ Thành (*) – Chủ Nhật, 27/08/2023

(KTSG) – Tốc độ tăng giá nhà luôn gần như gấp đôi tốc độ tăng trưởng thu nhập bình quân đầu người của Trung Quốc trong vòng 20 năm qua, nó cũng tăng gấp tám lần mức độ tăng trưởng của đô thị hóa. Nhưng khi các chính sách siết chặt tài chính với tên gọi “ba lằn ranh đỏ” được công bố vào năm 2021, cộng với thời gian dài phong tỏa để thực hiện chính sách zero-Covid, các trục trặc đã xuất hiện. Rất nhanh chóng, phản ứng domino xảy ra giữa các công ty bất động sản và lan sang ngân hàng bóng mờ (shadow banking).

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Chinese celebrity chef vows to never cook egg fried rice again after nationalist backlash

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
Nectar Gan

By Nectar Gan, CNN

Updated 7:45 AM EST, Thu November 30, 2023

Fried Rice - stock photo

A delicious dish that’s more controversial in some months than others.Ray Kachatorian/Stone RF/Getty Images

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, which explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world.Hong Kong CNN — 

Light, tasty and simple to make, egg fried rice has long been a beloved dish in China and one of most recognizable icons of Chinese cuisine around the world.

But in recent years, the popular stir-fry has become a highly sensitive subject for China’s online nationalists, especially around the months of October and November.

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Dự án kênh đào Phù Nam Techo: Đường ra biển của Campuchia

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NGUYỄN THÀNH TRUNG – 26/11/2023 12:03 GMT+7

TTCT – Tham vọng tiến ra biển của Campuchia đã có người giúp, đó là Trung Quốc, với một dự án cực kỳ tham vọng.

Hôm 17-10, tại thủ đô Phnom Penh của Campuchia, Ủy ban liên bộ Campuchia do Phó thủ tướng Sun Chanthol đứng đầu đã ký kết thỏa thuận với đại diện Tổng công ty Cầu đường Trung Quốc (CRBC) về dự thảo khung xây dựng kênh đào nối ra biển Phù Nam Techo.

Thỏa thuận này sẽ cho phép CRBC tiến hành nghiên cứu chuyên sâu về tất cả các khía cạnh của dự án trong vòng 8 tháng. Dự án kênh đào Phù Nam Techo ước tính sẽ tiêu tốn khoảng 1,7 tỉ USD và mất 4 năm để hoàn thành. 

Đây là dự án cơ sở hạ tầng lớn đầu tiên của Campuchia kết nối sông Mekong với đường biển, nhằm mở rộng tiềm năng vận tải biển của đất nước chùa tháp.

Cao tốc Phnom Penh – Sihanouvkville. Ảnh: Twitter

Trước đây, dự án này mang tên Hệ thống giao thông và hậu cần sông Bassac (BRNLS). Tại phiên họp toàn thể lần thứ 6 của Quốc hội Campuchia ngày 19-5-2023, dự án được đặt tên lại là “Kênh đào Phù Nam Techo”. 

Đây cũng là tên chính thức của kênh đào đến nay. Ngày 7-6, thủ tướng sắp mãn nhiệm Hun Sen thành lập ủy ban liên bộ nghiên cứu và thực hiện dự án gồm 37 thành viên để xem xét và tư vấn về thủ tục, khung pháp lý và đánh giá hiệu quả kinh tế nhằm thúc đẩy sự phát triển của ngành vận tải đường thủy và đường biển của Campuchia.

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The Rise of Chinese Capital: Impact on ASEAN’s Manufacturing Landscape

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vietnam-briefing.com November 21, 2023

Amid evolving dynamics in Asia’s supply chain and labor markets, extensive discussions have unfolded regarding the notable shift of manufacturing operations to Southeast Asian countries. While much of this discourse has traditionally centered around foreign companies relocating from China in pursuit of cost-effective alternatives, a compelling aspect often overlooked is the surge in such endeavors by Chinese corporations themselves.

Driven in part by rising domestic wages and operational costs, Chinese companies have increasingly directed their investments towards the manufacturing sector in ASEAN countries. What was once a less pronounced trend has rapidly transformed, reflecting a strategic recalibration of Chinese business interests and a major shift in where the majority of global manufacturing takes place.

The significance of Chinese investment in ASEAN’s manufacturing landscape is underscored by the fact that China holds the position of ASEAN’s largest trade partner, and is fast becoming one of the most important sources of investment in the region.

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China’s ‘Predatory’ Trawler Fleet and the Fishing Industry’s Dirty Secret

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Nov 17, 2023 at 6:04 AM EST00:46 Newsweek

China’s ‘Predatory’ Trawler Fleet And The Fishing Industry’s Dirty Secret

By Micah McCartney

Freelance China News Reporter

China’s alleged abuse of the world’s oceans was examined in recent studies into its vast fishing fleet, which is accused of destroying maritime ecosystems far from its shores and perpetuating the industry’s forced labor practices.

China-flagged ships on the high seas were involved in “theft on a grand scale, unrestricted warfare on natural resources,” said a report by the SeaLight project, which says it uses “commercially available technology to shed light on the maritime ‘gray zone.'”

Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing by Chinese vessels was happening throughout the Asia-Pacific, including within other countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ), according to SeaLight, which is under Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation.

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Tracking China’s Control of Overseas Ports

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cfr.org

This interactive map tracks China’s growing maritime influence through investments in strategic overseas ports. Users can plot the location of each port and view satellite images alongside detailed information on the share of Chinese ownership, the total amount of Chinese investment, and the port’s suitability for use by the Chinese military.

The new container ship, OOCL Piraeus, docks at the Port of Piraeus in Greece in 2023.

The new container ship, OOCL Piraeus, docks at the Port of Piraeus in Greece in 2023. Xinhua via Getty Images

The China Overseas Ports interactive visualizes degrees of China’s overseas port ownership by types of investment across regions and time. It also evaluates the dual-use (commercial and military) potential of ports owned, constructed, or operated by Chinese entities. The database supporting this interactive includes 101 port projects of which Chinese entities have acquired varied equity ownership or operational stakes. China operates or has ownership in at least one port in every continent except Antarctica. Of the 101 projects, 92 are active, whereas the remaining 9 port projects have become inactive due to cancellation or suspension by the end of September 2023. Reasons for cancellation or suspension include environmental concerns, souring of political relations, financial problems, and security issues raised domestically and internationally. Suspended projects, such as China’s construction of the Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates, could resume construction.

92 Port projects total (port projects outside China with Chinese investment)

13 Port projects with majority Chinese ownership

10 Port projects with majority Chinese ownership where there is physical potential for naval use

Excludes cancelled port projectsChineseownership0–12.5%12.5–25%25–37.5%37.5–50%Over 50%The share of the port project that is owned by the Chinese government or Chinese companiesPhysicalpotential for naval useWhether the port project is located at a port that includes berths with enough depth for a naval vesselYesNoData is as of September 2023.

Icon Description

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Laos is spiraling toward a debt crisis as China looms large

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>> Inflation and Debt Weigh Down Lao PDR Economic Recovery

CNBC.com Nyshka Chandran

KEY POINTS

  • Laos borrowed billions from President Xi Jinping’s administration to finance railways, highways and hydroelectric dams, which has ballooned public debt to over 100% of GDP.
  • Combined with a currency crisis and soaring inflation, Laos is on the brink of economic collapse.
  • Without a clear-cut debt reduction deal with China, Laos’ financial hardships are unlikely to ease, analysts warn. But it remains to be seen if Beijing will agree to long-term concessions.
A pedestrians at a bus station in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

A pedestrians at a bus station in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Valeria Mongelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images

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How the threat of China was made in the USA

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

AJ+ – 27-1-2022

China is bad. At least, that’s what even a glance of U.S. reporting on China tells us. It’s a way of reporting that follows a long history of constructing the Chinese — in news, popular culture and the halls of DC — as a threat. In the first episode of Backspace, a new media critique series from AJ+, Sana Saeed explores what China and the Chinese have looked like in the American imagination, how that impacts and is impacted by U.S. immigration and foreign policies, and ways we can retell that story.

After a Decade of Fossil Fuel Investing, Can China Fulfill Its Promise of a “Green” Belt and Road Initiative?

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wri.org October 24, 2023 By Lihuan Zhou and Ziyi Ma Cover Image by: xiaoke chen/iStock

A decade ago, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an ambitious effort to finance infrastructure around the world. Since then, Chinese investments made through the BRI have become an integral part of the global infrastructure landscape — particularly in developing countries — with estimates of $1 trillion or more invested across 152 countries.

Unfortunately, the first 10 years of the BRI were dominated by fossil fuel investment, with $52 billion invested in coal power alone according to the China Overseas Finance Inventory.

But the next decade could look very different: At the 2021 UN General Assembly, China announced it would cease building new coal plants abroad and instead step up investment in renewable energy, a commitment reiterated by President Xi Jinping at the latest BRI summit in October 2023.

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When titans clash 2 (3 parts)

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US-China: Is A New NATO Emerging In Asia? | When Titans Clash 2 – Part 1/3 | CNA Documentary

CNA Insider – 29-4-2022

As the Ukraine crisis unfolds, China accuses the US of creating an Indo-Pacific version of NATO, and warns of a “Ukraine style tragedy” for Asia. On the other hand, countries like Japan, Philippines, India, Australia and South Korea, seek closer ties to the US as concerns emerge over China’s actions. Could Asia witness a war in the years ahead? Tiếp tục đọc “When titans clash 2 (3 parts)” →

Hong Kong’s teachers are leaving. Is the National Security Law behind it? 

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

CNA Insider – 26-9-2023

Teachers in Hong Kong are leaving in record numbers. About 6,550 resigned or retired in the last academic year, almost twice the average prior to 2021. One possible reason? The National Security Law. Changes to the curriculum and limits on what can be discussed have left liberal-minded educators feeling stifled. Teachers are also worried that they risk censure should class discussions run afoul of the law. At the same time, thousands of students have also dropped out of Hong Kong schools, as the emigration wave continues. Some classrooms now sit empty. How will Hong Kong schools emerge from this shake up, and what will they look like after?

00:00 Introduction
01:35 Hong Kong teachers are quitting in record numbers
05:06 The National Security Law and how it affected education
14:47 Teachers under pressure
19:42 Recent changes to school curriculum
24:01 Heightened scrutiny in classrooms
27:04 The emigration wave and falling student enrolment
38:15 More mainland students entering Hong Kong
42:49 Future of Hong Kong’s education sector