China Chronicles December 21, 2012
- State Council appoints new officials
THE State Council, China's Cabinet, today announced the appointment of several new officials of institutions.
Li Wufeng, Wang Xiujun and Peng Bo were appointed full-time deputy directors of the State Internet Information Office; Shen Haixiong was appointed deputy chief editor of Xinhua News Agency; Xu Yongsheng was appointed deputy director of the National Energy Administration.
Zhao Xiaoguang and Liu Jun were named deputy directors of the State Post Bureau. Xu Jianzhou was removed from his post as deputy director of the bureau.
Meanwhile, the State Council decided that Pei Gang will continue to serve as president of the Shanghai-based Tongji University.
Li Zhiyong was removed from the post of vice minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
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- Zhejiang: Street: 浙江：桐鄉路上
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Camera: Leica M4
Lens: Summicron 35mm f2
Film: Kodak Tmax 100
Developing: Ilford LC29
Scan: Epson V600 - Mekong River gang in court
Officers put headphones on Nam Kham (left) and five others during the second instance trial in a court in Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Nam Kham and three others were sentenced to death in November for an attack on the Mekong River last year that resulted in the deaths of 13 Chinese sailors. The chief judge announced an adjournment yesterday, saying the court would pronounce sentence later following the collegiate bench panel's appraisal.
- Slowdown in growth of nation's wealthiest
THE scale of China's private wealth and the number of its rich people grew at a slower pace this year amid the nation's economic downturn, especially in traditionally affluent areas, according to a survey released yesterday.
The 2012 China Wealth Market Survey of nearly 2,000 millionaires, in terms of US dollar, across China found that the total value of private investable assets in the country is estimated to reach 73 trillion yuan (US$11.7 trillion) this year with a 14 percent annual increase. The average growth rate from 2009 to 2011 was 24 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of China's high-net-worth households with investable assets worth more than 6 million yuan rose 17 percent to 1.74 million, a dramatic slowdown from the average 38 percent increase over the past three years.
With a high density of high-net-worth households already, rich provinces and cities along the eastern coasts, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, are underperforming the national average growth "due to a contraction of business owners' wealth as a result of the economic downside," the survey by Boston Consulting Group and China Construction Bank Corp said.
In contrast, underdeveloped inland provinces, such as Anhui and Hunan, report a 30 percent increase in wealthy families.
The "economic growth engine in China will shift to central-western inland regions," the report said. "Provinces with large populations and sizable private wealth will represent significant growth potential, such as Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Shandong and Shaanxi."
Household savings in wealthy families have slowed, accounting for only 51 percent of their investable asset portfolio this year, which is the lowest proportion so far and a 4 percent decrease from last year. Instead, the wealth is flowing to high-yielding finance programs. The amount of money held in wealth management products by banks has almost doubled each year to make up a fifth of the investable asset pool. Wealthy Chinese are steadily moving their m! oney abroad, the report said.
A quarter of respondents yet to establish overseas businesses said they "would definitely or probably use offshore financial services in the upcoming three years."
- Low-budget comedy sets records in China
A LOW-BUDGET comedy has set new box office records on China's mainland, attracting moviegoers with its simple style and hilarious performances.
"Lost in Thailand," which was made with a budget of less than US$5 million, earned US$50 million in its first five days after debuting on December 12.
Its first day saw earnings of US$5.9 million, the biggest opening in the history of Chinese film, according to statistics from entertainment research group EntGroup Inc.
Its weekly box office is estimated to have reached US$72 million as of Wednesday, also the highest for a Chinese film.
The film, a sequel to the 2010 movie "Lost on Journey," is expected to gross more than US$100 million during its run, a feat achieved by few Chinese movies.
Lead actor and director Xu Zheng said he did not expect such a great market response.
Wang Changtian, head of Enlight Media, which distributed the film, attributed the film's success to Xu and the performances of his fellow stars, Wang Baoqiang, Huang Bo and Tao Hong.
Huang first became known to Chinese audiences with his 2006 film "Crazy Stone," a film that helped clear the way for other low-budget films to achieve market success.
The strong performance of "Lost in Thailand" also pulled up domestic films' share of 2012's total ticket sales.
Domestic films accounted for about 54 percent of total ticket sales last year, but accounted for only 35 percent in the first six months of this year, as the government allowed an extra 14 US films to enter cinemas.
Noted playwright Ning Caishen said the film's plot, cast and publicity have made it the year's greatest "dark horse."
"Simple funny comedies are really too rare in the film market. Audiences are too hungry," said Zhengban Xiaodong, head of public relations at Sohu Video. He thought that the film is not so good as it is advertised.
"Lost in Thailand" tells the story of two company managers scrambling to obtain contract authorization from the company's! biggest shareholder. Hilarity ensues when the duo travels to Thailand to search for the secluded shareholder.
"I want to watch the movie again. I'd rather laugh to death than wait to die on the so-called doomsday," an Internet user named "Ranx" joked on Weibo.
The Chinese film market is entering its busiest season, with dozens of competitive films heading to big screen, including "The Flying Guillotines," "The Last Tycoon" and Jackie Chan starring in "Chinese Zodiac 12."
- Former police chief accused of selling jobs
A FORMER police official under investigation in north China's Shanxi Province has been accused of selling police jobs in cooperation with his son and abused his power in promoting officers dozens of times during his time in office, local media have reported.
Li Yali has been removed from both of his positions as the Taiyuan City police chief and the provincial deputy police chief.
The action comes amid allegations of a cover-up after his son was filmed in a confrontation with police when stopped for drunk driving, according to media reports.
Video posted online showed Li Yali's son assaulting police.
Li, head of Taiyuan police less than a year, awarded jobs and promotions to over 100 people during that time without following required procedures in most cases, Xinmin Weekly reported.
It was the son, Li Zhengyuan, who asked his father to reserve places for his close friends, the magazine reported.
Liu Bo, head of Yingze police station, and one of Li Zhengyuan's buddies, told Xinmin Weekly he paid the father and son millions of yuan for his job. Liu, a former hooligan who said he considered the price a bargain, also said he was a middleman who helped more than 20 people buy their police jobs, the magazine reported.
The magazine said the father, then deputy police chief in Jinzhong City, abused his power to give his son a job in police in 2008.
Li Yali has been placed under "double designation," a procedure in which Party members are asked to confess or explain wrongdoings at a designated time and in a designated place. Officials are investigating.
- Prison for 2 in poisoning that sickened 84, killed 1
TWO people who used the wrong additive in a popular snack in May, poisoning 85 diners, one of whom died, received prison terms in a court in central China's Hunan Province, Xiao Xiang Morning Herald reported yesterday.
Zhang Lumiao mistook a pack of sodium nitrite - used in small amounts to preserve meat - as MSG or monosodium glutamate, a common flavor enhancer, officials said.
She passed it to her boyfriend, Fan Zhizhen, who didn't check it and added it to liangpi, a noodle-like snack, the Longhui County People's Court heard.
Of the 85 poisoned, 80 were students of the Longhui No. 2 High School, including the one who died.
Sodium nitrite can be toxic in larger amounts and is banned in most foods.
Zhang was sentenced to eight months behind bars and Fan was sentenced to four years. The pair was also ordered to pay 580,000 yuan (US$93,548) as compensation, the paper said.
Fan, a street vender, had sodium nitrite on hand because he had been adding small amounts, illegally, to milk tea, thinking it would act as a preservative. While there were no known acute poisoning cases from the milk tea, the additive became deadly when used in larger amounts on the liangpi, officials said.
The pair said they accepted the judgment and would not appeal.
Hu Minyu, a nutrition and food hygiene professor with Central South University, said sodium nitrite cannot make milk tea fresh, and it will only cause harm if used that way.
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______________________________ - Night flight from 37000 feet over Shanghai, China. Taken by iPhone 5. Japan Airline Boeing 777-200.
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