What's news

Direct currency trading begins

China and New Zealand announced a landmark deal on March 18 that allows the direct trading of the two countries' currencies.

The deal, which takes effect on March 19, ends the need for companies and currency traders to convert Chinese yuan or New Zealand dollars into a third currency, usually US dollars, when making or receiving payments.

The move will cut the costs of conversion while boosting cooperation in trade and finance, Premier Li Keqiang said during a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Li called for New Zealand to continue supporting China's financial organizations as they set up branches there and recommended that its enterprises use Chinese currency.

The agreement will make doing business with China easier, Key said, adding that New Zealand looks at the deal as an opportunity to expand cooperation with China in a variety of fields including trade, finance, education and tourism.

Dutch PM points way for ties with Beijing

High-tech, agriculture and water management are among the industries that offer great opportunities for cooperation between China and the Netherlands, according to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

China is an example of the peaceful use of nuclear materials and energy, Rutte said in an interview with China Daily ahead of the third Nuclear Security Summit, to be held in The Hague on March 24 and 25.

He also said bilateral relations will "undoubtedly" grow stronger with President Xi Jinping's visit to the Netherlands. It is the first European country Xi will have visited since taking the presidency one year ago.

Rutte will meet Xi for the third time, following their meetings in Beijing in November and in Sochi, Russia, for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony last month.

Africans 'happy with Chinese investment'

Most Africans are happy with massive Chinese investment in the continent, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by the Ethics Institute of South Africa with the aid of the Global Compact Network Kenya, part of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, said Africans felt that Chinese businesses were reliable and were contributing to create jobs in the continent.

The survey was carried out in 15 African countries last year, and the largest number of respondents were in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Of the respondents in those three countries, those in Kenya had the most positive evaluations of Chinese businesses, 75 percent saying that investment by Chinese companies had a positive impact on developing their country.

Judicial reformersweigh their options

With expectations that the central government will soon issue its long-awaited outline of broad judicial reforms, deputies at the National People's Congress in Beijing tried to pinpoint what measures to take to implement the plan.

In November, the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China discussed the key areas of judicial reform it wanted to tackle at the third plenary session, including making prosecutors more responsible for their cases, imposing harsher punishments for prosecutors or courts that break the law and creating a unified system to manage court employees.

Textiles fuel push for jobs in Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region plans to develop the textile industry vigorously this year to create more jobs and help maintain stability, according to local officials.

A plan has been drafted to expand the industry to raise employment capacity to 1 million people by 2020 from the current 200,000. More than 52 percent of China's commercial cotton is harvested in Xinjiang.

"Textiles is a labor-intensive industry with a long production chain. The best option is to create a large number of jobs in southern Xinjiang," said Liang Yong, deputy director of the region's Commission of Economy and Informatization.

A top leader has also said that developing labor-intensive industry should be given prominence because it could help to solve the employment situation in southern Xinjiang.

There is also the need to maintain social stability in Xinjiang, said Yu Zhengsheng, China's top political adviser.

Alibaba opts for IPO in US

Internet giant Alibaba Group's decision to seek a listing in the United States will help rekindle global investors' confidence in Chinese companies, experts said.

China's top e-commerce company confirmed on March 16 that it will start the long-awaited initial public offering procedure.

The proposed IPO marks the latest wave of Chinese companies flocking to the US, drawn by surging valuations for tech startups and optimism over Chinese stocks, said Hong Bo, founder of IT consultancy company IT5.

Experts urge banon tobacco ads

Public health and legal experts are urging that a comprehensive ban on tobacco-related advertising and promotion be included in an amended law aimed at curbing smoking, particularly among youths.

Public comment on the law has begun online and will continue until March 24, the State Council's legislative affairs website said.

"Compared with the current version, it has been improved, but it still lags behind the World Health Organization's standards," said Xu Guihua, deputy director of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control.

Advertising is a critically important issue because it is known to increase tobacco use, particularly among young people, Xu said, which is why the WHO has taken a hard line.

Creative boost forcountry's image

The State Council has made public its plans to promote the integration of cultural, creative and design services in related industries in an effort to change "made in China" to "designed in China".

The proposals are aimed at fostering economic growth, as well as improving soft power and industrial competitiveness.

Industries highlighted by the plan include equipment and consumer goods manufacturing, construction, information technology, tourism, agriculture and sports.

To create fresh advantages, the country's manufacturing base will need to develop new technologies, facilities and materials, the plan says.

Place of servitudeto be preserved

Officials in the city of Nanjing plan to classify a seven-building complex where Japanese troops sexually abused women during World War II as a historic site that needs government protection, Modern Express reported.

The Japanese military forced girls and women into sexual slavery in military brothels throughout China during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

Inquiry ordered into Nikon products

Industrial and commercial authorities have begun an investigation of Nikon China after China Central Television accused it of selling defective products.

Many consumers have complained of dust buildup on the image sensor of the Nikon D600 camera, CCTV said on its annual 3/15 Gala news program on March 15.

The program exposes business misconduct and defends consumer rights. It has been broadcast annually by CCTV since 1991 on World Consumer Rights Day.

European universitiesdraw more Chinese

Universities in the United States remain the most popular destinations for Chinese students who want to study overseas, but universities in Europe that teach in a language other than English are becoming increasingly popular.

The 19th China International Education Exhibition Tour held its first stop over the weekend of March 15-16 in Beijing, with more than 400 universities from 20 countries and regions taking part. About 100 were from non-English-speaking countries.

Cleanup of gamblingin mobile apps

A more family-friendly app market is expected in China after the top cultural authority cracked down recently on gambling-related content.

Late last year the Ministry of Culture told as many as 27 mobile game publishing platforms and app store operators, including Baidu App and Android Market, to rectify games that contain information advocating gambling or that allow lottery-style in-app purchases. Their deadline was the end of last year.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/21/2014 page2)