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Sat, Apr 5, 1997
While Leaders Plant Trees, Others Flock To Pay Respects
also: drilling rig still operating in 'PRC's waters'; report on petroleum production; a look at the Asia Car; story on industrial espionage; and more . . .Please read the statement of purpose.
Society: today was tree-planting day in the PRC and in Beijing in particular. In the capital the top leadership came out early this morning to plant trees with the youth of the city (Chinese BIG 5) , reports Takung Pao.
Today is also Qingming, the traditional grave-sweeping day when people tend to their ancestors' graves, and so while Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji and others planted trees and proclaimed their happiness in hearing that so many have been planted over the thirteen years of the annual activity, others flocked to Deng Xiaoping's home village (Chinese BIG 5) to pay respects to their great leader. Deng's body was cremated and his ashes dispersed on the sea, but the old timers came not to sweep graves but to sing songs and proclaim their heart felt and profound gratitude to a man who devoted himself to the party and its causes, reports the Takung Pao. "In the minds of us commoners there is no doubt that Deng Xiaoping was a great person and he will live eternally in our minds," the paper quotes one visitor to Deng's village.
The government regards Qingming as a "feudal" holiday and its practices as superstitious, although thousands flocked to nearby temples, reports the Takung Pao (Chinese BIG 5). Authorities have banned the burning of paper money and other "superstitious" rituals.
Vietnam: an update from yesterday's report that the drilling rig has moved out from Vietnam's waters ahead of schedule. A high official with the China National Offshore Oil Corp now denies this and says the rig is "carrying out normal activities in Chinese waters," reports the South China Morning Post.
Energy: in what appears to be particularly apt timing the China Daily reports: "China Offshore Oil Nan Hai East Corp (CONHE), produced 3.51 million tons of crude oil in the South China Sea in the first quarter of this year." That amounts to 33 percent of the company's 11.03 million ton target for 1997, reports the paper. COHNE is a subsidiary of the China National Offshore Oil Corp.
The article lists the names of foreign oil corporations in joint ventures to tap into various oil reserves in Xinjiang and Huizhou. The paper also writes, "Liuhua 11-1, a field opened on March 29, 1996, is China's largest offshore oil field. It is expected to produce 2.5 million tons of oil annually during its peak years. The Liuhua oil field, run with US partners and 190 miles southeast of Hong Kong, is estimated to contain more than 200 million tons of oil."
Development: according to the Sing Tao (Chinese BIG 5) newspaper, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced a number of changes and developments yesterday:
"The Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday decided that scientists aged 65 and older will not be permitted any more to assume responsibility for important scientific research projects. At the same time the academy has decided to experiment with a new Chief Scientist system for areas involving basic research. In other news,the Chinese Academy of Science revealed last night that China will invest RMB 2 billion in the final years of the century to construct a new state of the art scientific research institute."
The paper notes, these new plans are part of an effort to move decision making powers into a younger generation of scientists and to ensure chief scientists have the authority to implement projects and have authority over their budgets.
Business: "The Asia Car: Ready to Rev" is an Asia Inc story on the developments in the automobile industry across Asia, including China's market. Everyone seems to be getting into the game. But as the magazine reports, "11 Japanese automakers captured 90 percent of the 1.41 million vehicles sold in five member-states of ASEAN in 1995, and more than half of all units in a larger area that includes China and India."
According to the magazine, we can expect an "oversupply of 6.3 million vehicles by 2005" in Asia. And who can tell what will happen to the air quality from city to city?
Business: Asia Inc has a couple stories on industrial espionage in Asia. It says China and Russia have reoriented their cold-war practices to collecting economic and industrial secrets. But espionage activities need not be perpetrated by national governments, as more and more businesses are turning to such tactics to attain a competitive edge.
"How Snoopers Work and How To Beat Them" offers executives tips on thwarting Spying Toms.
Hong Kong: a photograph---two from the Black Watch practising on the bagpipes at the place of the final lowering of the British flag. A special lament is being composed, Cantonese style, for the occasion. Story is here.
Hong Kong: daily deliveries of the South China Morning Post hit an all time high for the second half of last year, reports the paper. "Daily sales of the newspaper averaged 116,992 between July and December last year."