China
Photoshop Wizards Skewer Ham-Handed Local Government Propagandists
Huili County Government The photo in question. If there’s one tool the Chinese online mob has learned to use with devastating skill, it’s Adobe’s photo editing software Photoshop. The propaganda department of the Huili county government, on the other hand, could use another tutorial or two. On June 26, according to a recent report in the Southern Metropolis Daily ( in Chinese ), an Internet user posted a message to the popular online discussion board Tianya Forum claiming to have “almost coughed out a liter of blood” after visiting a the Huili county government website and coming upon a photo in which three local officials appeared to be floating above a newly paved road. “Even a rank amateur like myself can tell that this was a PS job,” the poster wrote. The story, according to the Southern Metropolis report (available in partial translation at East South West North ): Huili propaganda director Zhang Yongzhi and a number of other local officials went out to inspect a newly built road. A government employee photographed them making the inspection but then decided the background wasn’t impressive enough and so superimposed the image of the officials on a prettier stretch of asphalt. The local government in Huili, a remote county in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province, eventually apologized for the transparent fakery, but not before Chinese Internet users produced a flood of their own Photoshop jobs parodying the original. Tiexue.net Entrants in the informal competition to mock the officials placed them in locations as varied as an Afghanistan battlefield, a Jurassic lake and the arm of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. One image imagined the officials as targets in a first-person shooter video game, while another put them in the middle of what appears to be a porn set. Yet another incorporated them into the poster for the recently released (and widely panned) propaganda film the “Building of the Party.” In some cases, the Photoshoppers offered captions in imitation of the state-run press. “Unconcerned with their own safety, three Huili county leaders ‘personally attended’ a ‘site inspection’ at the match, discussing how to put a stop to injuries on the pitch and promote civilized soccer,” read the caption under an image showing the three officials examining Italian soccer player Marco Materazzi lying on the ground after being headbutted by French star Zinedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup. “Friendship first, competition second!” Tiexue.net Among the most skillful re-imaginings placed the officials in the White House with Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Robert Gates and others as they watched the assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad in May. “Today, three officials personally guided Obama in completing the mission to capture or kill terrorist big shot Bin Laden, making a new contribution to the re-establishment of world peace.” See more of the photos here – Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin
- Huili County Government
- The photo in question.
If there’s one tool the Chinese online mob has learned to use with devastating skill, it’s Adobe’s photo editing software Photoshop.
The propaganda department of the Huili county government, on the other hand, could use another tutorial or two.
On June 26, according to a recent report in the Southern Metropolis Daily (in Chinese), an Internet user posted a message to the popular online discussion board Tianya Forum claiming to have “almost coughed out a liter of blood” after visiting a the Huili county government website and coming upon a photo in which three local officials appeared to be floating above a newly paved road. “Even a rank amateur like myself can tell that this was a PS job,” the poster wrote.
The story, according to the Southern Metropolis report (available in partial translation at East South West North): Huili propaganda director Zhang Yongzhi and a number of other local officials went out to inspect a newly built road. A government employee photographed them making the inspection but then decided the background wasn’t impressive enough and so superimposed the image of the officials on a prettier stretch of asphalt.
The local government in Huili, a remote county in southwestern China’s Yunnan Province, eventually apologized for the transparent fakery, but not before Chinese Internet users produced a flood of their own Photoshop jobs parodying the original.
- Tiexue.net
Entrants in the informal competition to mock the officials placed them in locations as varied as an Afghanistan battlefield, a Jurassic lake and the arm of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. One image imagined the officials as targets in a first-person shooter video game, while another put them in the middle of what appears to be a porn set. Yet another incorporated them into the poster for the recently released (and widely panned) propaganda film the “Building of the Party.”
In some cases, the Photoshoppers offered captions in imitation of the state-run press. “Unconcerned with their own safety, three Huili county leaders ‘personally attended’ a ‘site inspection’ at the match, discussing how to put a stop to injuries on the pitch and promote civilized soccer,” read the caption under an image showing the three officials examining Italian soccer player Marco Materazzi lying on the ground after being headbutted by French star Zinedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup. “Friendship first, competition second!”
- Tiexue.net
Among the most skillful re-imaginings placed the officials in the White House with Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Robert Gates and others as they watched the assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad in May.
“Today, three officials personally guided Obama in completing the mission to capture or kill terrorist big shot Bin Laden, making a new contribution to the re-establishment of world peace.”
See more of the photos here
– Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin
Annual inflows of foreign direct investment rose to nearly $108 billion in 2008.
China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development.
The government has also focused on foreign trade as a major vehicle for economic growth.
The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978.
The disparities between the two sectors have combined to form an economic-cultural-social gap between the rural and urban areas, which is a major division in Chinese society.
The technological level and quality standards of its industry as a whole are still fairly low, notwithstanding a marked change since 2000, spurred in part by foreign investment.
China’s increasing integration with the international economy and its growing efforts to use market forces to govern the domestic allocation of goods have exacerbated this problem.
On top of this, foreign direct investment (FDI) this year was set to “surpass $100 billion”, compared to $90 billion last year, ministry officials predicted.
But “this is just a beginning.
China is aiming to be the world’s largest new energy vehicle market by 2020 with 5 million cars.
In large part as a result of economic liberalization policies, the GDP quadrupled between 1978 and 1998, and foreign investment soared during the 1990s.
Since the late 1970s, China has decollectivized agriculture, yielding tremendous gains in production.
China is the world’s largest producer of rice and wheat and a major producer of sweet potatoes, sorghum, millet, barley, peanuts, corn, soybeans, and potatoes.
Livestock raising on a large scale is confined to the border regions and provinces in the north and west; it is mainly of the nomadic pastoral type.
Oil fields discovered in the 1960s and after made China a net exporter, and by the early 1990s, China was the world’s fifth-ranked oil producer.
There are large deposits of uranium in the northwest, especially in Xinjiang; there are also mines in Jiangxi and Guangdong provs.
The largest completed project, Gezhouba Dam, on the Chang (Yangtze) River, opened in 1981; the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest engineering project, on the lower Chang, is scheduled for completion in 2009.
Beginning in the late 1970s, changes in economic policy, including decentralization of control and the creation of special economic zones to attract foreign investment, led to considerable industrial growth, especially in light industries that produce consumer goods.
In the northeast (Manchuria) are large cities and rail centers, notably Shenyang (Mukden), Harbin, and Changchun.
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Photoshop Wizards Skewer Ham-Handed Local Government Propagandists
China
Outlook on Bilateral Trade and Investment between China and United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE and China have a strong partnership, with the UAE being China’s top trade partner in the Arab world. Both countries collaborate on various sectors like logistics and technology, showcasing mutual commitment to economic growth and global cooperation. High-level trade and investments continue to drive their relationship.
The UAE and China share a robust partnership integral to both countries’ development and foreign policy goals, exemplifying a model of collaboration. Bilateral trade thrives, with the UAE as China’s top trade partner in the Arab world, while investments span key sectors like logistics and technology. This comprehensive strategic partnership continues to evolve, showcasing mutual commitment to economic growth and global cooperation.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) holds a significant position in China’s trade and commercial connections within the Middle East, particularly in the Arab Gulf region. This partnership is integral to China’s broader strategic initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which the UAE actively supports.
Additionally, the UAE plays a crucial role in advancing China’s foreign policy objectives, such as enhancing South-South cooperation, particularly in technical collaboration among developing nations and the Global South in areas like resources and technology.
In this article, we delve into the dynamics of bilateral trade and investment between the UAE and China, exploring the key factors driving their economic relationship and the opportunities it presents for mutual growth and prosperity.
China and the UAE first established their diplomatic relations in 1984. While China has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate general in Dubai, the UAE has a consulate general in Hong Kong and an embassy in Beijing. China and the UAE have long been close partners, collaborating extensively on economic, political, and cultural fronts.
In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping went on a state visit to the UAE, making history as the first Chinese head of state to visit the country in the previous 29 years. The visit was instrumental in lifting bilateral relations to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’.
High-level trade has always been the foundation of bilateral ties. Bilateral commerce between China and the UAE reached new heights in 2021, surpassing US$75.6 billion. Additionally, as of 2022, about 6,000 Chinese businesses operate in the UAE, with a sizable Chinese population working primarily in the infrastructure and energy sectors. The UAE is also China’s second-largest economic partner in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
2024 Tax Incentives for Manufacturing Companies in China
China offers various tax incentives to boost the manufacturing industry. The Ministry of Finance and State Tax Administration provide guidelines on eligibility and policies. VAT exemptions and refunds are available for companies producing specific goods or services, with a monthly refund option for deferred taxes.
China implements a wide range of preferential tax policies to encourage the development of the country’s manufacturing industry. We summarize some of the main manufacturing tax incentives in China and explain the basic eligibility requirements that companies must meet to enjoy them.
China’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) and State Tax Administration (STA) have released guidelines on the main preferential tax and fee policies available to the manufacturing industry in China. The guidelines consolidate the main preferential policies currently in force and explain the main eligibility requirements to enjoy them.
To further assist companies in identifying the preferential policies available to them, we have outlined some of the main policies currently available in the manufacturing industry, including links to further resources.
For instance, VAT is exempted for:
Companies providing the following products and services can enjoy immediate VAT refunds:
Companies in the manufacturing industry that meet the conditions for deferring tax refunds can enjoy a VAT credit refund policy. The policy allows companies to receive the accumulated deferred tax amount every month and the remaining deferred tax amount in a lump sum.
The policy is not exclusive to the manufacturing industry and is also available to companies in scientific research and technical services, utilities production and supply, software and IT services, and many more.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
Exploring the Revamped China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) Program: Potential Benefits for International Businesses
Companies in China must navigate compliance, trading, and reporting within the CCER framework, impacting operations and strategic objectives. The program focuses on afforestation, solar, wind power, and mangrove creation, offering opportunities for innovation and revenue streams while ensuring transparency and accuracy. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment oversees the program.
As companies navigate the complexities of compliance, trading, and reporting within the CCER framework, they must also contend with the broader implications for their operations, finances, and strategic objectives.
This article explores the multifaceted impact of the CCER program on companies operating in China, examining both the opportunities for innovation and growth, as well as the potential risks and compliance considerations.
Initially, the CCER will focus on four sectors: afforestation, solar thermal power, offshore wind power, and mangrove vegetation creation. Companies operating within these sectors can register their accredited carbon reduction credits in the CCER system for trading purposes. These sectors were chosen due to their reliance on carbon credit sales for profitability. For instance, offshore wind power generation, as more costly than onshore alternatives, stands to benefit from additional revenue streams facilitated by CCER transactions.
Currently, primary buyers are expected to be high-emission enterprises seeking to offset their excess emissions and companies aiming to demonstrate corporate social responsibility by contributing to environmental conservation. Eventually, the program aims to allow individuals to purchase credits to offset their carbon footprints. Unlike the mandatory national ETS, the revamped CCER scheme permits any enterprise to buy carbon credits, thereby expanding the market scope.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) oversees the CCER program, having assumed responsibility for climate change initiatives from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in 2018. Verification agencies and project operators are mandated to ensure transparency and accuracy in disclosing project details and carbon reduction practices.
On the second day after the launch on January 23, the first transaction in China’s voluntary carbon market saw the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the country’s largest offshore oil and gas producer, purchase 250,000 tons of carbon credits to offset its emissions.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
- Outlook on Bilateral Trade and Investment between China and United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- 2024 Tax Incentives for Manufacturing Companies in China
- Exploring the Revamped China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) Program: Potential Benefits for International Businesses
- China Implements New Policies to Boost Foreign Investment in Science and Technology Companies
- Q1 2024 Brief on Transfer Pricing in Asia
- New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
