A helicopter landing on China’s “Marine Oil 981” drilling platform in the south China Sea. The drill is 320 km southeast of Hong Kong and the well is 1,500 meters deep.
　　According to China National Offshore Oil Corp., the “Marine Oil 981” is the sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling platform. It will begin operations in September.
　　This is the first deepwater oil and gas drilling platform designed and constructed independently by a Chinese oil company, a big step forward of China’s oil industry in deepwater operation.
　　“It is clear that the Philippine side does not realize it is making
　　serious mistakes by stepping up efforts to escalate tensions.
　　Therefore, it is hard for us to be optimistic about the situation.
　　We hope that the Philippine Government will not misjudge the disagreement or escalate tensions without considering the consequences. The Chinese Government has made all preparations to respond to any escalation by the Philippine side.”
　　China’s Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying, meeting with Alex Chua, Charge D’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in China, on May 7“China’s population accounts for 19 percent of the global population while its current trade volume is only 10.4 percent, so it will be totally fine for China’s trade to be 15 percent of the global share.”
　　Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, at an economic meeting held in east China’s Jiangsu Province on May 7“The elections weren’t easy and there were many difficulties. Such elections in such way will not make a real parliament and would further enrage the crisis. Syria’s electoral system should be radically changed.”
　　Qadri Jamil, head of the National Front for Change and Liberation of Syria and a parliament candidate, at a press conference held in Damascus on May 9, saying that there have been numerous violations in the polls held two days before“The government is right to place deficit reduction and economic stability at the forefront of its program.”
　　Simon Walker, Director General of the Representative Association for Business Leaders of Britain, on British Government’s legislative plans for the coming year which focuses on economic recovery
　　 Water Usage Measures
　　 China will continue to carry out strict management measures to cope with water shortages, said Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, on May 8.
　　He said that the measures include strengthening water resources protection and promoting the restoration of aquatic ecosystems.
　　China sees a 50-billion-cubic meter water shortage annually, with two thirds of its cities having trouble accessing water. The country’s annual water consumption now exceeds 600 billion cubic meters, accounting for 74 percent of the country’s exploitable water resources.
　　China’s water consumption should be controlled below 700 billion cubic meters by 2030, and its efficiency of water usage will reach advanced levels, the Chinese Government said in a document issued in January.
　　The country aims to reduce water consumption per 10,000 yuan ($1,597) of industrial value-added output to less than 40 cubic meters by 2030, raise the effective water use coefficient of farmland irrigation water to above 0.6 and improve water quality, according to the document.
　　 More Social Workers
　　 The Chinese Government has formulated a plan to train 1.45 million social workers by 2020.
　　“By the end of 2015, licensed social workers will total 500,000, and another 950,000 will be added during 2016-20,”Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo told Xinhua News Agency on May 9, citing the long-term plan (2011-20) for developing a national social work system.
　　China currently has 320 colleges with undergraduate programs in social work and 60 colleges and academies offer master’s degrees in social work. At present only 20,000 social workers graduate every year.
　　More than 600 private social work institutions are operating in China, providing services in fields concerning people’s livelihoods, national unity, community services and criminal rectification, figures from the China Association of Social Workers show.
　　According to the plan, social serviceoriented communities and government organizations should first consider qualified social workers when recruiting staff. They will also be given preference when applying for public servant posts with governments at all levels.
　　 Actress Honored
　　Chinese actress Zhao Tao won the best actress prize at Italy’s David di Donatello 2012 Awards on May 4. Zhao received the award for her leading role in Io Sono Li, a movie co-produced by China and Italy, becoming the first Asian to win the prestigious Italian award.
　　“The movie was a perfect example of joint cinematic efforts by Italians and Chinese,” said Zhao. “I think the movie has succeeded in showing how people from two different cultures learn from each other at a profound level.”
　　Directed by Andrea Segre from Italy, Io Sono Li is a love story between a Chinese immigrant who works as a barmaid in the Venice lagoon town of Chioggia, and a local fisherman nicknamed The Poet. In 2011, the movie was screened in the Venice Days section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival.
　　Zhao, 34, was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. She enrolled in the folk dance department at Beijing Dance Academy in 1996. After graduation, she became a dance teacher in Taiyuan Normal University. She gained instant fame for her performance in Chinese director Jia Zhangke’s movie Platform. Her most famous films include Unknown Pleasures, The World, and Still Life.
　　


　　WELCOME TO
　　XINJIANG Local people perform
　　at the opening
　　ceremony of the
　　Second Altay
　　Folk Culture and Tourism Festival in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur
　　Autonomous
　　Region on May 8
　　


　　COLLEGE DANCERS Contestants perform ballroom dance at a competition in the University
　　of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, on May 6
　　 Traditional Medicine
　　 The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the Chinese Medicine Division(CMD) of the Health Department in Hong Kong as the Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine (CCTM) on May 9.
　　It is the first such center of its kind in the world and will focus on assisting the WHO to formulate policies and strategies as well as setting regulatory standards for traditional medicine.
　　The CMD of the Health Department, founded in 1997, is a designated division tasked with regulating, promoting and improving the safety, quality and efficacy of Chinese medicine.
　　At the center’s opening ceremony, Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, York Chow, said, “Traditional medicine is no doubt a precious resource which has much to offer in complementing conventional medicine.”
　　Following the ceremony, a three-day meeting of global experts was held to develop the next WHO traditional medicine strategy. The new global strategy will take into account various countries’ progress and new challenges in the field with an ultimate goal of supporting member states in integrating traditional medicine into their respective national health systems.
　　


　　BEAUTY IN FLOWERS A model shows off headware made of flowers at the Hong
　　Kong Flower Fashion Show on May 8
　　


　　MAPPING SATELLITE A Long March 2D carrier rocket carrying the Tianhui I-02 mapping satellite blasts off
　　from the launch pad at the Jiuquan
　　Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gansu Province on May 6
　　 Anti-trust Rules
　　 China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) published on May 8 a judicial interpretation on civil lawsuits filed against monopolistic acts, the first of its kind, in a bid to smooth such claims and promote fair competition.
　　According to the interpretation, an individual, company or organization may bring a civil anti-trust lawsuit directly to the court without having to obtain a government determination on a certain monopolistic act.
　　Moreover, the new rules have reduced the plaintiff’s burden of proof in such cases.
　　The plaintiff need not prove the existence of monopoly hazard in typical monopoly cases with evident and serious threats to the market, such as the acts of illegal price or market segmentation collusion, said Kong Xiangjun, Chief Judge with the Third Tribunal for Civil Trials of the SPC.
　　 Antibiotics Regulation
　　 An inspection of more than 430 major hospitals across China showed that the prescription of antibiotics accounted for 15 percent of the total prescriptions in hospitals in 2011, down from 27.8 percent in 2006, according to the Ministry of Health.
　　Antibiotics were applied in about 58 percent of surgeries involving open wounds in 2011, down from 99 percent in 2006, and were applied on less than 30 percent of hospitalized patients, down from 51.5 percent, said Wang Yu, a senior official with the ministry.
　　The country launched the campaign last April to curb the prevailing abuse of antibiotics.
　　In addition, a new regulation on the medical application of antibiotics will take effect on August 1, which upgrades the management on the purchase and applications of antibiotics in hospitals and interference in abuse.
　　 Rural Diabetes Doctors
　　 China will train 8,000 doctors in rural areas to prevent and treat diabetes, covering 279 counties in nine provinces, the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) under the Chinese Medical Association said on May 4.
　　The year-long program will allow doctors to receive both face-to-face and remote online training in the provinces of Jiangsu, Hebei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shandong and Henan, the CDS said.
　　A CDS survey indicated that China has more than 40 million diabetes patients in rural areas, similar to the number found in urban areas.
　　However, nearly 70 percent of rural patients are not even aware that they have the disease because of the poor quality of rural medical care.
　　Ji Linong, Director of the CDS, said the training program is aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of rural doctors for the purpose of standardizing diabetes prevention and treatment.
　　Diabetes specialists from the CDS will train the counties’ most highly qualified doctors, who will then pass on their knowledge to clinical doctors through training courses and seminars, Ji said.
　　


　　MAIDEN VOYAGE The launching ceremony for the large container vessel New Qinzhou is held at the port of Qinzhou Bonded Area in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on May 9
　　 Iron Ore Trading
　　 China’s first iron ore spot trading platform made its debut on May 8 as the country, the world’s largest consumer of the commodity, strives to up its pricing power. First-day transactions totaled 242,000 tons.
　　The platform was jointly launched by China Beijing International Mining Exchange, China Iron and Steel Association and China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals& Chemicals Importers and Exporters.
　　The benchmark trading price will be set based on the average prices on the previous trading day, while the daily trading band is set at 10 percent.
　　So far, the platform has 152 members, including major Chinese steelmakers such as Baosteel, Anshan Iron and Steel Group and Hebei Iron and Steel Group, as well as top foreign miners BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.
　　 Subsidy Program Flop
　　 A nationwide subsidy program for rural consumers failed to spur home appliance sales in rural China amid the economic slowdown in the first four months of this year, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce(MOFCOM).
　　Home appliance sales in China’s countryside fell 6.7 percent year on year to reach 61.68 billion yuan ($9.8 billion) during the January-April period.
　　The volume of appliances sold during this period dropped 16.4 percent to hit 23.34 million units.
　　As of the end of April, China had subsidized 241 million units of home appliances valued at 567.49 billion yuan ($90.08 billion) over the past two-and-a-half years since the subsidy program began.
　　Initiated in 2009 to stimulate rural consumption and buoy the nation’s economic growth amid the global economic downturn, the subsidy program will be effective until January 2013.
　　Under the program, farmers can receive subsidies equal to 13 percent of the price of the home appliances they buy.
　　 Anti-dumping Probe
　　 The MOFCOM said on May 8 it found that the European Union and Japan have been dumping certain high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes into the Chinese market.
　　Investigations showed the dumping has substantially harmed Chinese producers, and importers of those products will have to pay antidumping deposits to China’s customs authorities starting from May 9, the MOFCOM said in a preliminary ruling released on its website.
　　The deposits will be charged in accordance with the dumping margins of different producers, at rates ranging from 9.7 percent to 39.2 percent of the customs value of the imported goods.
　　 Boosting Equipment Sector
　　 China is looking to triple the sales revenue of its high-end equipment manufacturing industry to 6 trillion yuan ($951 billion) by 2015, according to the sector’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on May 7.
　　Sales of high-end equipment will account for 15 percent of the overall revenue of the equipment manufacturing industry in three years, compared with 8 percent in 2010, and will also have a larger share of the global market.
　　The industry mainly includes aviation equipment, satellite and applications, railway transportation equipment, marine engineering equipment, and smart manufacturing equipment.
　　Aircraft manufacturing will be one of the key growth areas. China will also continue to invest in high-speed railway innovation and the exploration of global markets to establish its railway transport industry as the world leader.
　　


　　 Trial OTC Market
　　 China’s securities regulator will allow retail investors to trade unlisted shares in a new national over-the-counter (OTC) market currently in the planning phase.
　　“When the trial OTC market goes nationwide in the future, we plan to let investors enter the market but they must meet certain requirements such as investment experience,”said Yao Gang, Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC).
　　Guo Shuqing, Chairman of CSRC, said last month that preparations for the new OTC board, similar to the OTC Bulletin Board in the United States, were under way.
　　 Government Debt Surge
　　 Bonds issued by China’s local government financing vehicles surged in the first quarter of this year as urban construction continued to boost government demand for funding, the Shanghai Securities News reported.
　　These financing vehicles or companies set up by local governments to raise funds and bypass restrictions on direct government financing, floated 71 bonds in the first quarter, up from 54 during the same period last year.
　　A total of 84.5 billion yuan ($13.5 billion) was raised through the bond issuance, up 35 percent year on year, according to figures from the Shenzhen-based Pengyuan Credit Rating Co. Ltd.
　　Bond financing through local government financing vehicles will stay at a high level this year, Zhou Yuanfan, Vice President of the company.
　　Chinese laws stipulate that local governments are forbidden borrowing directly from banks and have only allowed four developed regions, including Shanghai and Guangdong, to issue bonds directly on a trial basis last year.
　　But due to a lack of direct financing channel, local governments circumvent the rules by setting up thousands of financing vehicles to raise funds.
　　 Prominent Fashion Designer
　　Famous designer Guo Pei released her latest creations in Beijing on May 6. The fashion show is named Story of a Dragon and had been in the works for three years.
　　Guo, 45, started her designer career when she was 19. In 1986, she graduated from college and became one of the first professional designers in China. She is now regarded as China’s top haute couture and high-end dress designer.
　　Guo’s designs carry strong Chinese style, from embroidery to traditional patterns. But the traditional elements merge perfectly with modern influences. She also combines oriental flavor with Western cutting styles perfectly.
　　She has designed gowns for hostesses of China Central Television’s annual Spring Festival Gala for several years. She was also the designer of the beautiful ceremonial dresses used in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. As chief designer and founder of the Rose Studio Haute Couture, Guo designed gowns for A-list stars, such as Zhang Ziyi and Song Zuying, for their biggest appearances.
　　 Numbers
　　 1.65 trillion yuan
　　Sales of the top 100 chain stores in China totaled 1.65 trillion yuan ($238.63 billion) last year, according to the China Chain Store and Franchise Association
　　$35.12 billion
　　Trade between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan in the first quarter totaled $35.12 billion, down 6.7 percent from the same period last year, said the Ministry of Commerce
　　 7.56 trillion yuan
　　China’s credit card transactions totaled 7.56 trillion yuan ($1.2 billion) in 2011, up 47.95 percent from a year earlier,according to the China Banking Association
　　 758.3 billion yuan
　　China’s online third-party payment market reached 758.3 billion yuan ($120.49 billion) in the first quarter of 2012, soaring 90.9 percent year on year, according to Analysys International, a Beijing-based Internet information provider.