中國正取代俄羅斯 - 制裁重劃了哈薩克斯坦的貿易 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China Edging Out Russia as Sanctions Redraw Kazakhstan Trade (1/2)

Nariman Gizitdinov

Tue, June 6, 2023 at 5:36 a.m. PDT

(Bloomberg) -- An economic seesaw between China and Russia in Central Asia is moving toward a new equilibrium for Kazakhstan, which expects its eastern neighbor to come out on top as international sanctions over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine transform commerce.

In the over three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia held on to its spot as the biggest trading partner for Kazakhstan even as China made inroads across much of the region that stretches from the Caspian to Manchuria.

But financial and economic sanctions that have sidelined Russia and diverted trade flows are creating an opening for China. Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and its minister of trade and integration, said it’s a matter of a few years before China overtakes Russia.

“The growth in trade is happening due to China,” he said in an interview in the capital, Astana. By 2030, Zhumangarin expects volumes with China to eclipse Kazakh trade with the 27-nation European Union as a whole.

For centuries a gateway for China’s trade with Europe and the Middle East, Central Asia is now at the nexus of competing interests spreading from Washington to Moscow and Beijing.

China’s President Xi Jinping last year chose Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for his first foreign trip since the coronavirus pandemic. The US and the EU have also stepped up their outreach.

But while countries from Italy to Australia rethink their ties with China, the pull of the world’s second-biggest economy may prove hard to resist for the nations of Central Asia, which also include Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Trade with China surged by about a third last year to approach $24 billion for Kazakhstan. It still lagged volumes with Russia — which added just over 6% in 2022 — by about $2 billion, according to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a Mandarin speaker who once worked as a diplomat in China, has refused to side with Russia over the invasion launched just weeks after he needed troops sent by President Vladimir Putin to crush deadly riots in early 2022.

But even as Kazakhstan has said it’s complying with the curbs imposed in punishment for the war, it opposes the US-led campaign of sanctions and has seen trade with Russia grow since the attack on Ukraine in February 2022. Along with countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan has been under scrutiny by western governments for facilitating shipments of restricted goods.

(to be continued)

Translation

（彭博社） - 中國和俄羅斯在中亞的經濟拉鋸正在朝著哈薩克斯坦的新平衡方向發展，哈薩克斯坦預計，隨著克里姆林宮入侵烏克蘭的國際制裁改變商業活動，其東部鄰國將脫穎而出。

在蘇聯解體後的三十多年裡，俄羅斯一直保持著哈薩克斯坦為最大貿易夥伴的地位，儘管中國在從裏海到滿洲的大部分地區取得了進展。

但使俄羅斯靠邊站並轉移貿易流量的金融和經濟制裁正在為中國創造機會。 哈薩克斯坦副總理兼貿易和一體化部長 Serik Zhumangarin 表示，中國超過俄羅斯會只是幾年的事情。

他在首都Astana 接受采訪時說: “貿易增長得益於中國”。 到 2030 年，Zhumangarin 預計哈薩克斯坦與中國的貿易量, 將超過哈薩克斯坦與整個 27 個歐盟國家的貿易量。

幾個世紀以來，中亞作為中國與歐洲和中東貿易的門戶，現在處於從華盛頓到莫斯科和北京的競爭利益的交匯點。

中國國家主席習近平去年選擇了哈薩克斯坦和烏茲別克斯坦作為自冠狀病毒大流行以來的首次出訪。 美國和歐盟也加強了外聯。

儘管從意大利到澳大利亞的國家正在重新考慮與中國的關係，但對於中亞國家來說, 世界第二大經濟體的拉動引力可能難以抗拒，其中還包括對土庫曼斯坦、塔吉克斯坦和吉爾吉斯斯坦。

去年，哈薩克斯坦與中國的貿易額激增了約三分之一，接近 240 億美元。 根據哈薩克斯坦國家統計局的數據，這仍然落後於與俄羅斯的貿易額 - 俄羅斯在 2022 年的增幅是略高於 6% - 即約 20 億美元。

總統 Kassym-Jomart Tokayev會說普通話，曾在中國擔任外交官，他拒絕站在俄羅斯一邊發動入侵，入侵幾週前, 他需要依靠總統普京派遣軍隊鎮壓 2022 年初的致命騷亂。

但是，儘管哈薩克斯坦表示它正在遵守為懲罰戰爭而實施的限制措施，但它反對以美國為首的制裁運動，並且自 2022 年 2 月烏克蘭遭到襲擊以來，它與俄羅斯的貿易有所增長。與土耳其和亞聯酋等國家一樣 , 哈薩克斯坦因協助受限貨物的運輸而受到西方政府的審視。

（待續）

太陽能電池板 - 即將發生的生態災難？ (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Solar panels - an eco-disaster waiting to happen? (2/2)

Daniel Gordon - The Climate Question podcast, BBC Sounds

Sat, June 3, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. PDT

(continue)

Recycling challenges

The reason there are so few facilities for recycling solar panels is because there has not been much waste to process and reuse until recently.

The first generation of domestic solar panels is only now coming to the end of its usable life. With those units now approaching retirement, experts say urgent action is needed.

"Now is the time to think about this," says Ms. Collier.

France is already a leader among European nations when it comes to processing photovoltaic waste, says Nicolas Defrenne. His organization, Soren, partners with ROSI and other firms, co-ordinating the decommissioning of solar panels all over France.

"The biggest one [we decommissioned] took three months," Mr Defrenne recalls.

His team at Soren has been experimenting with different ways of recycling what they collect: "We're throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks."

At ROSI's high-tech plant in Grenoble, the solar panels are painstakingly taken apart to recover the precious materials inside - such as copper, silicon and silver.

Each solar panel contains only tiny fragments of these precious materials and those fragments are so intertwined with other components that, until now, it has not been economically viable to separate them.

But because they are so valuable, extracting those precious materials efficiently could be a game-changer, says Mr Defrenne.

"Over 60% of the value is contained in 3% of the weight of the solar panels," he says.

The team at Soren are hopeful that, in the future, nearly three-quarters of the materials needed to make new solar panels - including silver - can be recovered from retired PV units and recycled - to help speed up production of new panels.

Currently there is not enough silver available to build the millions of solar panels which will be required in the the transition from fossil fuels, says Mr Defrenne: "You can see where you have a production bottleneck, it's silver."

Meanwhile British scientists have been trying to develop similar technology to ROSI.

Last year, researchers at the University of Leicester announced they had worked out how to extract silver from PV units using a form of saline.

But so far, ROSI is the only company in its field to have scaled up its operation to industrial levels.

Moreover, the technology is expensive. In Europe, importers or producers of solar panels are responsible for disposing of them when they become expendable. And many favour crushing or shredding the waste - which is far cheaper.

Mr Defrenne acknowledges that intensive recycling of solar panels is still in its infancy. Soren and its partners recycled just under 4,000 tonnes of French solar panels last year.

But there is potential to do a lot more. And he's making that his mission.

"The weight of all the new solar panels sold last year in France was 232,000 tonnes - so, by the time those wear out in 20 years, that's how much I'll need to collect every year.

"When that happens, my personal goal is to ensure France will be the technological leader of the world."

Translation

（繼續）

回收的挑戰

回收太陽能電池板的設施如此之少的原因是直到最近, 需要處理和再利用的廢物不多。

第一代家庭用太陽能電池板的使用壽命到現在才完結。 隨著這些電池板即將退役，專家表示需要採取緊急行動。

Collier女士說: “現在是考慮這個問題的時候了” 。

Nicolas Defrenne 說，在處理光伏廢料方面，法國已經在歐洲國家中處於領先地位。 他的組織 Soren 與 ROSI 和其他公司合作，協調法國各地太陽能電池板的回收。

Defrenne 先生回憶道: “[我們回收]最大的一個花了三個月時間” 。

他在 Soren 的團隊一直在試驗不同的方法來處理回收回來的東西： “我們把所有東西都扔向牆上，看看有什麼能粘住。”

在 ROSI 位於 Grenoble 的高科技工廠，太陽能電池板經過精心拆解，以回收其中的珍貴材料，例如銅、矽和銀。

每個太陽能電池板只有含小量這些細微碎小的珍貴材料，而且這些碎片與其他組件交織在一起，直到現在，將它們分離在經濟上都不實際可行。

Defrenne 先生說, 由於它們非常有價值，如能有效地提取這些珍貴材料可能會改變遊戲規則。

他說: “太陽能電池板超過 60% 的價值包含在3% 的重量中” 。

Soren 的團隊希望，在未來，製造新太陽能電池板所需的近四分之三的材料（包括銀）可以從退役的光伏裝置中回收並再利用，以幫助加快新電池板的生產。

Defrenne 先生說，白銀是從化石燃料轉化出來, 目前沒有足夠的白銀製造出數百萬塊太陽能電池板： “你可以看到生產製頸位在哪裡，那就是白銀。”

與此同時，英國科學家一直在嘗試開發與 ROSI 類似的技術。

去年，萊斯特大學的研究人員宣布他們已經研究出如何使用一種鹽水從光伏裝置中提取銀。

但到目前為止，ROSI 是該領域唯一的一家將運營規模擴大到工業水平的公司。

此外，該技術是昂貴的。 在歐洲，太陽能電池板的進口商或生產商有責任在它們變得無用時對其進行處理。 許多人讚成粉碎或切碎廢物 - 這是便宜得多。

Defrenne 先生承認，太陽能電池板的密集回收仍處於起步階段。 Soren 及其合作夥伴去年回收了將近 4,000 噸的法國太陽能電池板。

但還有潛力做更的多事情。 他正在以此為使命。

“去年在法國銷售的所有新太陽能電池板的重量為 232,000 噸 - 因此，當這些電池板在 20 年內耗盡時，這就是我每年需要收集的數量。”

“當這種情況發生時，我個人的目標是確保法國成為世界技術領導者。”

So, many solar units in use now will become relatively uneconomical before reaching the end of their designed lifespan. New, more efficient units are going into the market and they will be cheaper to replace solar panels now currently in use that are only 10 or 15 years old. By 2050, we could end up with more than 200 million tonnes of solar units to be recycled globally. The de-commissioning of solar units will be a big business soon.

太陽能電池板 - 即將發生的生態災難？ (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Solar panels - an eco-disaster waiting to happen? (1/2)

Daniel Gordon - The Climate Question podcast, BBC Sounds

Sat, June 3, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. PDT

While they are being promoted around the world as a crucial weapon in reducing carbon emissions, solar panels only have a lifespan of up to 25 years.

Experts say billions of panels will eventually all need to be disposed of and replaced.

"The world has installed more than one terawatt of solar capacity. Ordinary solar panels have a capacity of about 400W, so if you count both rooftops and solar farms, there could be as many as 2.5 billion solar panels.," says Dr Rong Deng, an expert in solar panel recycling at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

According to the British government, there are tens of millions of solar panels in the UK. But the specialist infrastructure to scrap and recycle them is lacking.

Energy experts are calling for urgent government action to prevent a looming global environmental disaster.

"It's going to be a waste mountain by 2050, unless we get recycling chains going now," says Ute Collier, deputy director of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

"We're producing more and more solar panels - which is great - but how are we going to deal with the waste?" she asks.

It is hoped a major step will be taken at the end of June, when the world's first factory dedicated to fully recycling solar panels officially opens in France.

ROSI, the specialist solar recycling company which owns the facility, in the Alpine city of Grenoble, hopes eventually to be able to extract and re-use 99% of a unit's components.

As well as recycling the glass fronts and aluminium frames, the new factory can recover nearly all of the precious materials contained within the panels, such as silver and copper, which are typically some of the hardest materials to extract.

These rare materials can subsequently be recycled and reused to make new, more powerful, solar units.

Conventional methods of recycling solar panels recover most of the aluminium and glass - but ROSI says the glass, in particular, is of relatively low-quality.

The glass recovered using those methods can be used to create tiles, or in sandblasting - it can also be mixed with other materials to make asphalt - but it cannot be used in applications where high-grade glass is required, such as the production of new solar panels.

Boom period

The new ROSI plant will open during a boom period for solar panel installations.

The world's solar energy generation capacity grew by 22% in 2021. Around 13,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are fitted in the UK every month - most of them on the roofs of private houses.

In many cases, solar units become relatively uneconomical before they reach the end of their expected lifespan. New, more efficient designs evolve at regular intervals, meaning it can prove cheaper to replace solar panels that are only 10 or 15 years old with updated versions.

If current growth trends are sustained, Ms. Collier says, the volume of scrap solar panels could be huge.

"By 2030, we think we're going to have four million tonnes [of scrap] - which is still manageable - but by 2050, we could end up with more than 200 million tonnes globally."

To put that into perspective, the world currently produces a total of 400 million tonnes of plastic every year.

(to be continued)

Translation

雖然太陽能電池板在世界範圍內被推廣為減少碳排放的重要武器，但它們的使用壽命最多只有 25 年。

專家表示，數十億塊面板最終都需要處理和更換。

澳大利亞新南威爾士大學太陽能電池板回收專家 Dr Rong Deng 說: “全世界已經安裝了超過 1 太瓦的太陽能容量。普通太陽能電池板的容量約為 400 瓦，因此，如果算上屋頂和太陽能收集場，可能有多達 25 億塊太陽能電池板。”

據英國政府稱，英國有數千萬塊太陽能電池板。 但缺乏報廢和回收它們的專業基礎設施。

能源專家呼籲政府採取緊急行動，以防止迫在眉睫的全球環境災難。

國際可再生能源機構副主任 Ute Collier 說： “除非我們現在就啟動回收鏈, 到 2050 年，它們將變成一座廢物山。”

她問: “我們正在生產越來越多的太陽能電池板 - 這很好 - 但我們將如何做廢物處理？”

重要一步有望在 6 月底邁出，屆時世界上第一家致力於完全回收太陽能電池板的工廠將在法國正式開業。

位於阿爾卑斯山Grenoble市, 擁有該設施的專業太陽能回收公司 ROSI希望最終能夠提取和再利用 99% 的裝置組件。

除了回收玻璃面板和鋁框外，新工廠還可以回收面板中幾乎所有的貴重材料，例如銀和銅，這些材料通常是最難提取出的物料。

這些稀有材料隨後可以回收和再利用，以製造新的、更強大的太陽能裝置。

傳統的回收太陽能電池板方法會回收大部分鋁和玻璃 - 但 ROSI 表示，其質量相對較低,尤其是玻璃。

使用這些方法回收的玻璃可用於製造瓷磚或噴砂 - 它也可以與其他材料混合製成瀝青 - 但它不能用於需要高檔玻璃的應用，例如生產新的 太陽能板。

繁榮期

新的 ROSI 工廠將在太陽能電池板安裝的繁榮時期開業。

全球太陽能發電量在2021 年增長了 22%。英國每月安裝約 13,000 塊光伏 (PV) 太陽能電池板，其中大部分安裝在私人住宅的屋頂上。

在許多情況下，太陽能裝置在未達到預期使用壽命之前就變得相對無經濟效益。 新的、更高效的設計會定期發展，這意味著用更新版本替換只有 10 或 15 年歷史的太陽能電池板可以證明更便宜。

Collier 女士說，如果目前的增長趨勢持續下去，報廢太陽能電池板的數量可能會非常龐大。

“到 2030 年，我們認為我們將擁有 400 萬噸 [廢料] - 這仍然是可控的 - 但到 2050 年，我們最終可能在全球擁有超過 2 億噸。”

從這個角度來看，世界目前每年生產總計 4 億噸塑料。

（待續）

14 million global jobs will disappear in the next five years - World Economic Forum forecast

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

世界の雇用１４００万人分、今後５年で消滅か　世界経済フォーラム予想

2023.05.01 Mon posted at 15:00 JST

ロンドン（ＣＮＮ） 世界経済フォーラム（ＷＥＦ）は４月３０日に発表した報告書で、景気後退や人工知能（ＡＩ）のような技術の普及に伴い、今後５年のうちに世界で１４００万の雇用が消滅すると予想した。

ＷＥＦは８００社以上を対象に実施した調査をもとに、２０２７年までに６９００万の新規雇用が創出され、８３００万の雇用が失われると予想。実質的に、現在の雇用の２％に当たる１４００万の雇用が失われるとした。

この間は再生可能エネルギーへの切り替えが雇用創出の大きな原動力となる一方で、経済成長の減速やインフレが雇用喪失を引き起こす。

一方で、ＡＩの急速な普及は肯定的な側面と負の側面の両方を伴う。

企業はＡＩツールの導入と管理のために新しい人材を採用する必要が生じ、データアナリストやデータサイエンティスト、機械学習やサイバーセキュリティー専門家の雇用は２７年までに平均で３０％の増加が見込まれる。

半面、ＡＩが普及すれば職種によってはマシンが人に入れ替わるようになり、記録管理職や事務職は２７年までに２６００万人減る可能性があるとＷＥＦは予想。データ入力担当者や役員秘書は最も大きな減少が予想されるとした。

ただ、「チャットＧＰＴ」のようなＡＩツールがセンセーションを巻き起こす中でも、自動化はそれほど急速には普及していない。ＷＥＦが調査対象とした組織では、ビジネス関連の業務のうち現時点でマシンが担っているのは推定３４％にとどまり、２０年からの伸びはごくわずかだった。

今後の普及ペースについても、２０年の時点で経営者は業務の４７％が２５年までに自動化されると見込んでいたが、今回調査では２７年までに見込まれる自動化は４２％と下方修正された。

Translation

London (CNN) - The World Economic Forum (WEF) said in a report released on April 30 that 14 million jobs were expected to disappear globally in the next five years as the economy slowed down and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) became more prevalent.

Based on a survey of more than 800 companies, the WEF forecasted that by 2027 69 million new jobs would be created and 83 million jobs would be lost. In effect, 14 million jobs, or 2% of current jobs, would be lost.

During this time, the switch to renewable energy could be a major driver of job creation, while slowing economic growth and inflation could cause job losses.

On the other hand, the rapid spread of AI has both positive and negative aspects.

Companies would need to hire new talent to deploy and manage AI tools, and the hiring of data analysts, data scientists, machine learning and cybersecurity specialists could be expected to grow by an average of 30% by 2027.

On the contrary, the spread of AI could lead to machines replacing humans in some occupations, and the number of record keeping and clerical jobs could decrease by 26 million by 2027, according to the WEF. Data entry clerks and executive secretaries were expected to see the biggest reduction.

But while AI tools like Chat GPT had become a sensation, automation had not caught on as quickly. At the organizations surveyed by the WEF, only an estimated 34% of business-related tasks were currently handled by machines, an extremely small increase from 2020.

As for the pace of future adoption, while executives in 2020 had expected 47% of operations would be automated by 2025, in the latest survey, the expected automation by 2027 was revised downward to 42%.

              So, WEF says that 14 million jobs are expected to disappear globally in the next five years as the economy slows down and technologies such as AI becomes more prevalent. I do not think such a prediction has too much meaning.  While AI may increase efficiency and thus save some man power, the designing of new AI also creates more jobs. Also, who can predict the global economy five years from now as the world is full of uncertainty in these days.

In 30 countries around the world, 9% of adults identify themselves as LGBTQ - Research company

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

世界３０カ国の成人の９％がＬＧＢＴＱを自認　調査会社

2023.06.03 Sat posted at 13:00 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 世界３０カ国の成人のうち約９％が性的少数者（ＬＧＢＴＱ）としてのアイデンティティーを持っていることが調査会社イプソスの新たな調査で明らかになった。

１日に公表された調査結果が示唆するところによると、ミレニアル世代（今回の調査では１９８１～９６年生まれと定義）やＺ世代（９７年以降に生まれた世代と定義）は、それ以前の世代よりも自分をこれらの性的少数者と考える傾向が強い。

回答者には３０カ国に住む７５歳以下の成人２万２５１４人以上が含まれる。調査は今年の２月１７日から３月３日にかけて、オンラインで実施された。

イプソスで調査とコミュニケーションを担当する上級副社長のニコラス・ボジョン氏は、ＣＮＮの取材に答え、今回の調査について、各国に共通した結果がいくつか見られたと述べた。具体的には性的少数者の権利を尊重する動きの広がりなどで、これはより多くの人々が当事者らに接していることが要因だという。

同氏によれば、２年前と比較して親類や友人、職場の同僚に性的少数者がいるとする人々の割合は世界的に増加している。

調査対象の３０カ国の中で、回答者の５６％は同性カップルによる結婚を法律上認めるべきだと答えた。これに対し１６％は何らかの法的承認が与えられるべきだとしつつ、結婚を認めることには否定的な見方を示した。女性は男性よりも同性婚を支持する傾向がかなり強いことも分かった。

２６カ国では回答者の過半数が同性カップルについて、異性同士の両親と同様の適切な子育てが期待できると答えた。

ボジョン氏は予想外の結果として、タイやイタリア、スペインといった国々ではトランスジェンダーを支援する傾向が米国や東欧諸国、英国と比較して高かったと明らかにした。

米国は全般的に、トランスジェンダーの権利を守る措置に対する支持が他の多くの国々を下回ったという。例えば公共の施設において、当事者の自認する性別に沿った使用を認める措置などがこれに当たる。

Translation

(CNN) About 9 percent of adults in 30 countries identified themselves as LGBTQ, according to a new survey by a research firm Ipsos.

According to survey results released on the first, Millennials (defined in the survey as those born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (defined as those born after 1997), were more likely to identify themselves as one of these sexual minorities when compared to older generations.

Respondents included more than 22,514 adults under the age of 75 in 30 countries. The survey was conducted online from February 17th to March 3rd of this year.

Nicolas Boyon, senior vice president of research and communications at Ipsos, told CNN that the survey had some common findings across countries. Specifically, there was a growing movement to respect the rights of sexual minorities, this was because more people were interacting with them.

According to him, compared to two years ago, globally the percentage of people who had a sexual minority relative, friend or work colleague had increased

Among the 30 countries surveyed, 56% of respondents said that same-sex couples should be legally allowed to marry. By contrast, 16% said some legal recognition should be given, but were negative about allowing marriage. Women were also significantly more likely than men to support same-sex marriage.

Most respondents in 26 countries said same-sex couples could be expected to raise their children as well as heterosexual parents.

An unexpected result, Boyon said, was that countries like Thailand, Italy and Spain were more likely to support transgender people than the US, Eastern European countries, and the UK.

Overall, the United States fell behind many other countries in supporting measures to protect transgender rights. For example, in public facilities, arrangements that allowed usage according to the self-identified gender of the person concerned belonged to this category.

              So, about 9 percent of adults in 30 countries identify themselves as LGBTQ, according to a new survey. This figure is much higher than I have expected.

Note:

Ipsos Group S.A. is a multinational market research and consulting firm with headquarters in Paris, France. The company was founded in 1975 by Didier Truchot, Chairman of the company, and has been publicly traded on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1 July 1999. (Wikipedia)

隨著與美國的緊張局勢飆升，中國科技企業家熱衷於“去中國化” (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Chinese tech entrepreneurs keen to 'de-China' as tensions with US soar (2/2)

Tue, May 30, 2023 at 4:03 p.m. PDT

By David Kirton

(continue)

BECOMING LESS CHINESE

But even if expanding into the United States has become that much harder, it is still the end goal for most of the entrepreneurs Reuters spoke to. Focusing on the domestic market is hardly an attractive option despite its size, they added.

A two-year regulatory crackdown on China's once-freewheeling technology sector from late 2020 - which overlapped with draconian zero-COVID curbs during the pandemic - has led to their disillusionment with China under Xi Jinping.

"Everything changed during the pandemic," said entrepreneur Wilson, who began looking for ways to move his software startup abroad after Xi won an unprecedented third term last year.

He said that while it was not impossible to do business from China, distrust between Washington and Beijing had become such that "it's easier for my employees, for my shareholders, if I'm out."

China's State Council of Information Office (SCIO) and foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on efforts by some entrepreneurs to move abroad or their expressions of disillusionment with China.

Firms looking to rebase offshore and even "de-China" in terms of company identity have become a trend, said Shenzhen-based Chris Pereira, who runs business consulting firm North American Ecosystem Institute.

Companies that have visibly de-emphasised their Chinese identity include online fast-fashion retailer Shein which has made a Singapore firm its de facto holding company. In early May, e-commerce firm PDD Holdings moved its headquarters from Shanghai to Dublin.

Shein declined to comment and PDD did not respond to a request for comment.

So far this year, Pereira's firm has had around 100 inquiries from mainland companies seeking help to expand abroad. Pereira said he advises many on how to effectively localise overseas and become part of a community as opposed to just masking their Chinese identity.

The entrepreneurs said they were unconvinced by Beijing's expressions of support for private business owners and were worried about the loss of civic freedoms. Being ambitious in China also often entails cultivating ties with the Chinese Communist Party - a step they are reluctant to take, some of them also said.

Tommy, another entrepreneur, has moved abroad from China, dispirited after government censorship requests concerning his product became too frequent and intrusive, leading him to shut down the business.

The SCIO did not respond to a request for comment on how censorship affects businesses in China.

Tommy is now setting up a new startup and eventually would like to move to the United States - that's despite having been questioned at length by U.S. customs officials as to why he had a U.S. bank account when on a recent business trip there.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency did not respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by David Kirton; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing and Casey Hall in Shanghai; Editing by Brenda Goh and Edwina Gibbs)

(continue)

減低中國化

但即使向美國擴張變得更加困難，這仍然是路透社採訪的大多數企業家的最終目標。 他們補充說，儘管國內市場規模龐大，但專注於國內市場並不是一個有吸引力的選擇。

從 2020 年末開始，對中國一度自由發揮的科技行業進行了為期兩年的監管打擊 - 與大流行期間嚴厲的零 COVID 遏制措施重疊 - 導致他們對習近平領導下的中國幻想破滅。

企業家 Wilson 說: “在病毒大流行期間一切都變了”,  他在習近平去年贏得史無前例的第三個任期後，開始尋找將他的軟件初創公司轉移到國外的方法。

他說，雖然從中國做生意並非不可能，但華盛頓和北京之間的不信任已經變得如此嚴重，以至於“如果我不在，對我的員工、對我的股東來說會更好做事”。

中國國務院新聞辦公室（SCIO）和外交部沒有回應就一些企業家的出國努力,或對中國失望的表達發表評論的請求。

常駐深圳以經營諮詢公司北美生態系統研究所 的 Chris Pereira  說, 尋求在公司離岸重新定位, 甚至“去中國化”已成為一種趨勢。

晰清地不再強調其中國身份的公司包括在線快時尚零售商 Shein，該公司已將一家新加坡公司作為其實質上的控股公司。 5 月初，電子商務公司 PDD Holdings 將其總部從上海遷至都柏林。

Shein 拒絕置評，PDD 也沒有回應置評請求。

今年到目前為止，Pereira 的公司已經收到了大約 100 份來自大陸公司的諮詢，希望幫助他們向海外擴張。 Pereira's說，他建議許多人如何有效地在海外本地化, 並成為社區的一部分，而不是僅僅掩蓋他們的中國身份。

這些企業家表示，他們不相信北京對私營企業擁有者的支持，並擔心公民自由的喪失。 在中國要雄心勃勃，往往還需要培養與中國共產黨的關係 - 他們中的一些人還表示，這不是他們願意採取的步驟。

另一位企業家Tommy已經從中國移居國外，因為政府對其產品的審查請求變得過於頻繁和侵擾，導致他關閉了公司，因此感到沮喪。

SCIO 沒有回應就審查制度如何影響中國企業發表評論的請求。

Tommy現在正在建立一家新的初創公司，並最終想搬到美國 - 儘管美國海關官員對他最近在美國出差時為何擁有美國銀行賬戶進行了長時間的質詢。

美國海關和邊境保護局沒有回應置評請求。

So, some entrepreneurs in China were unconvinced by Beijing's expressions of support for private business owners and were worried about the loss of civic freedoms. Some firms were looking to rebase offshore and even to "de-China" in terms of company identity. I am wondering how this trend will affect the business environment in China.

隨著與美國的緊張局勢飆升，中國科技企業家熱衷於 “去中國化” (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Chinese tech entrepreneurs keen to 'de-China' as tensions with US soar (1/2)

Tue, May 30, 2023 at 4:03 p.m. PDT

By David Kirton

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - For the ambitious Chinese tech entrepreneur, expanding into the U.S. just keeps getting harder.

Before 2019, there were few major impediments to having a Chinese company that did business in the U.S. from China. But amid escalating U.S.-Sino trade tensions, particularly after Washington slapped sanctions on telecom giant Huawei, some Chinese firms began setting up headquarters overseas - moves that could help them draw less U.S. government attention.

Now, some mainland China tech business owners say they need to go further and gain permanent residency or citizenship abroad to avoid the curbs on and the biases against Chinese companies in the United States.

Shenzhen-based Ryan, who declined to give his family name due to fear of reprisals in China, says his three-year-old software startup has reached the point where it would be natural to expand in the U.S. - the world's biggest economy. His firm already has a million users in East Asia and a strong base in North America.

But he's dismayed by the U.S.-China trade spats and the restrictions on a growing number of Chinese companies that have been imposed, or are being proposed, by U.S. lawmakers.

"It's very unfair," he said, lamenting that competitors from other countries did not face similar issues when trying to expand into the United States.

"We feel a lot like the filling sandwiched in the middle of a biscuit."

His solution? He's trying to gain permanent residency in another Asian country.

Reuters spoke to seven tech entrepreneurs from mainland China, most of them educated overseas, who would like to expand their businesses in the United States. All are trying to gain permanent residency or citizenship elsewhere, with most exploring a range of options including Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, the United States and Singapore.

Of the seven entrepreneurs, three agreed to be identified by their English first names only while the others requested complete anonymity, all citing concerns about repercussions within China. They also asked that their businesses not be described in detail.

COLDER SHOULDERS

While U.S.-China tensions may have been given new impetus under the Trump administration which levied tariffs broadly and imposed sanctions on Huawei, the friction has continued unabated under President Joe Biden as both countries vie for global tech pre-eminence.

Major flashpoints include U.S. export curbs on chips and data security concerns that have seen ByteDance-owned TikTok banned on U.S. government devices and altogether by the state of Montana. For its part, China recently blocked key industries from using Micron Technology products and has sought to rein in foreign consultancies and due diligence firms.

Geopolitical tensions have meant a far less friendly atmosphere for mainland Chinese companies wanting to operate or gain funding in the United States, the entrepreneurs and consultants say.

"The political narrative in Washington DC and in many state capitals is based on the misconception that all Chinese companies are intertwined with and taking direction from the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party," says James McGregor, chairman for Greater China at U.S. communications consultancy APCO Worldwide.

The U.S. Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment on attitudes towards Chinese companies within the United States.

China's foreign ministry said in a statement that some Western countries want to "politicize technology, putting up obstacles to regular technology and trade cooperation, which benefits neither side, and adversely affects global technological advancement and economic growth."

(to be continued)

中國深圳（路透社）- 對於雄心勃勃的中國科技企業家來說，向美國擴張的難度越來越大。

在 2019 年之前，中國公司在美國開展業務幾乎沒有重大障礙。 但在美中貿易緊張局勢升級的情況下，尤其是在華盛頓對電信巨頭華為實施制裁之後，一些中國公司開始在海外設立總部 - 此舉可能有助於它們減少會引起美國政府的留意。

現在，一些中國大陸的科技企業的所有者表示，他們需要更進一步，獲得海外永久居留權或公民身份，以避免在美國對中國公司的限制和偏見。

由於擔心在中國遭到報復，總部位於深圳的 Ryan 拒絕透露自己的姓氏說，他成立三年的軟件初創公司已經達到了很自然地在美國 - 世界上最大的經濟體 - 擴張的地步。 他的公司已經在東亞擁有一百萬用戶，並在北美擁有強大的基礎。

但他對美中貿易爭端以及美國立法者已經,或正在提議對越來越多的中國公司施加限制感到失望。

他說: “這是非常不公平的,” 感歎其他國家的競爭對手在試圖向美國擴張時沒有遇到類似的問題 

“我們感覺很像夾在餅乾中間的餡料。”

他的解決方案？ 他正試圖在另一個亞洲國家獲得永久居留權。

路透社採訪了七位來自中國大陸的科技企業家，他們中的大多數人在海外接受教育，他們希望在美國拓展業務。 所有人都試圖在其他地方獲得永久居留權或公民身份，其中大多數都在探索一系列選擇，包括香港、加拿大、日本、美國和新加坡。

在這七位企業家中，三位同意只透露他們的英文名字，而其他人則要求完全匿名，理由都是擔心在中國境內的反響。 他們還要求不要詳細描述他們的業務。

更不友善的態度

雖然特朗普政府的廣泛徵收關稅並對華為實施制裁，已使美中緊張局勢可能得到新的推動，在拜登總統的領導下，兩國都在爭奪全球科技主導地位，更令摩擦繼續有增無減。

主要的爆發點包括美國對芯片的出口限制和數據安全問題，這些問題已經導致字節跳動旗下的 TikTok 在美國政府設備上被禁止，並被蒙大拿州完全禁止。 就中國本身而言，它最近禁止關鍵行業使用美光科技的產品，並試圖控制外國諮詢公司和盡職調查公司。

這些企業家和顧問表示，地緣政治緊張局勢意味著對於希望在美國經營或獲得資金的中國大陸公司來說，氣氛是不太友善。

U.S. communications consultancy APCO Worldwide 大中華區主席 James McGregor 表示： “華盛頓特區和許多州首府的政治敘事是基於這樣一種誤解，即所有中國公司都與中國政府和中國共產黨交織在一起，並聽命於中國政府和中國共產黨。”

美國商務部沒有回應對於美國國內對待中國公司的態度發表評論的請求。

中國外交部在一份聲明中表示，一些西方國家希望 “將技術政治化，為正常的技術和貿易合作設置障礙，這對雙方都沒有好處，也對全球技術進步和經濟增長產生不利影響。”

（待續）

Note:

APCO Worldwide, according to Wikipedia, is an independent global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy. With 680 employees in 35 worldwide locations, it is also the fifth largest independently owned PR firm in the United States. According to its website, having entered the China market as one of the first consultancies in 1989, APCO has helped a wide range of organizations succeed in China. APCO believes that they are keenly sensitive to changes in the political, regulatory, and business landscape across China and advise business, government and non-profit organizations on issues critical to their success through its offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. (https://apcoworldwide.com/region/greater-china/)

武漢因金融危機公開點名數百名借債人

Recently Yahoo News reported the following:

Wuhan Publicly Names Hundreds of Debtors Amid Financial Woes

Bloomberg News

Mon, May 29, 2023 at 2:53 a.m. PDT

(Bloomberg) -- Wuhan, a city in central China, publicly named hundreds of debtors in a local newspaper article demanding payment, a rare move underscoring the fiscal problems facing provincial governments.

The city’s local finance bureau printed a list of 259 entities with outstanding payments dating back to December 2018 in the Yangtze River Daily — the official mouthpiece of the Wuhan government — on Friday. The debts listed totaled more than 300 million yuan ($42.4 million). While the Wuhan municipal government’s revenue hit 50.77 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, that marked a 8.5% decline on the same period last year.

The Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Finance said in the page-long article that attempts to collect the money by writing to debtors had failed, and urged those named to “immediately perform the relevant statutory debt repayment obligations.”

The biggest debtor to the Wuhan finance bureau was a car manufacturer that owed the government 23.5 million yuan. A number of district financial bureaus were also on the list.

Several state-affiliated publications, including the Securities Times, reported on the Wuhan government’s public notice over the weekend, and reprinted the list. The page in question wasn’t available on Yangtze River Daily’s official website.

Shi Zhengwen, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said provinces rarely attempt to collect debt through public notices. Wuhan’s actions “reflect the current challenges for local government finances, as debt collection is not as urgent when funds are abundant,” said Shi.

He added that China’s finance ministry has been stressing financial discipline recently and a public call for debt collection is one way for a local government to show it’s taking that push seriously.

China is facing a local government debt problem that threatens to drag on the world’s second-largest economy for years to come. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates China’s total government debt is about $23 trillion, a figure that includes the hidden borrowing of thousands of financing companies set up by provinces and cities.

The majority of China’s 31 provincial authorities have already exceeded a threshold set by Beijing to signify disproportionately high debt risks. While it’s unlikely any of the regional governments will default, the high debt levels may force some to scale back spending.

Translation

（彭博社）- 中國中部城市武漢在當地報紙的一篇文章中公開點名數百名借債人去要求償還債務，此罕見的舉動舉凸顯了省級政府面臨的財政問題。

週五，武漢市地方財政局在武漢市政府官方喉舌《長江日報》上公佈了一份包含 259 家拖欠款項的實體名單，拖欠可追溯至 2018 年 12 月。 列出的債務總額超過 3 億元人民幣（4,240 萬美元）。 武漢市首季度財政收入507.7億元，同比下降8.5%。

武漢市財政局在長達一頁文章中表示，試圖通過寫信給借債人的方式催收未果，並敦促被點名的人“立即履行相關法定的債務清償義務”。

武漢市財政局最大的債務人是一家汽車製造商，欠政府 2,350 萬元。 多個區財政局也在名單上。

包括《證券時報》在內的多家官方刊物週末報導了武漢市政府的公告，並轉載了這份名單。 長江日報官方網站上沒有相關頁面。

中國政法大學教授 Shi Zhengwen 表示，各省很少嘗試通過公示方式催收債務。 Shi 說，武漢的行動 “反映了當前地方政府財政面臨的挑戰，因為在資金充裕的情況下，收債並不那麼急需” 。

他補充說，中國財政部最近一直在強調財政紀律，公開呼籲追債是地方政府去表明其認真對待這一舉措的一種方式。

中國正面臨地方政府債務問題，可能會在未來幾年拖累這個世界第二大經濟體。 高盛集團估計，中國的政府債務總額約為 23 萬億美元，這一數字包括各省市設立的數千家金融公司的隱性借款。

中國 31 個省級政府中的大多數已經超過北京設定用於表明債務風險過高的門檻指標。 雖然任何地方政府都不太可能違約，但高債務水平可能會迫使一些地方政府縮減開支。

So, in Wuhan the government publicly named hundreds of debtors in a local newspaper article demanding payment. While it is unlikely that any of the regional governments will default, the high debt levels may force some local governments to scale back spending which could affect the quality of  public service provided to the general public.

韓國力爭成為世界最大軍火商

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

S. Korea aims to become world's largest arms dealer

Reuters Business

Mon, May 29, 2023 at 1:52 a.m. PDT

STORY: South Korea is racing to become a major player in the world’s market for weapons, eager to tap into Europe’s hunger for arms.

At this factory on its southern coast, automated robots and workers are churning out artillery vehicles destined for Poland.

It's all run by Hanwha Aerospace, already the globe’s top maker of howitzers.

The company is a big part of the $14 billion-dollar arms deal that the South Korean government struck with Poland last year - as Western countries scrambled to arm Ukraine and tensions spike in areas from North Korea to the South China Sea.

Reuters spoke to more than a dozen executives and officials who say the deal will pave the way for Seoul’s ambitions to be a world-class weapons supplier.

Hanwha Aerospace director Oh Kyeahwan:

"The Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and others were thinking of buying defense products only in Europe, but now it is more well known that you can buy at a low price and have it delivered quickly from South Korean companies too."

The deal was the country’s biggest-ever of its kind, and it promised hundreds of domestically designed rocket launchers, the howitzers, tanks and fighter jets.

All of which are designed to be compatible with U.S. and NATO systems.

Polish officials say South Korea’s offer to make weapons faster than almost anyone was a key consideration.

Constant tensions with North Korea mean the South’s arms production is always up and running and continuously being upgraded.

Oskar Pietrewicz, an analyst in Poland, contrasts that with Germany, another major arms supplier.

“Countries' interest in South Korea's offer may only grow considering the limited production capacity of Germany's defence industry, which is major arms supplier in the region. And for example, in 2018 Hungary has ordered 44 Leopard tanks from Germany and so far, none has been delivered."

South Korean officials told Reuters they have pitched Warsaw in producing their weapons within Poland for easier delivery.

However, Poland's Ministry of National Defense did not respond to a written request for comment.

Last month, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-Yeol told Reuters that his country may extend support to Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under wide-scale civilian attack.

Since then, his government has approved use of at least some South Korean weapons components in Ukraine.

Translation

故事：韓國正競相成為世界武器市場的主要參與者，渴望駁入歐洲對武器的渴求。

在這家位於南部海岸的工廠，自動化機器人和工人正在大量生產運往波蘭的火砲車輛。

這一切都是由已經是全球頂級榴彈砲製造商 Hanwha Aerospace 運營。

該公司是韓國政府去年與波蘭達成的價值 140 億美元的武器交易的重要組成部分 - 由於當時西方國家爭先恐後地向烏克蘭提供武器，以及從朝鮮到南中國海等地區的緊張局勢加劇。

路透社採訪了十幾位高管和官員，他們表示這筆交易將令首爾成為世界級武器供應商的雄心鋪平道路。

Hanwha Aerospace 董事 Oh Kyeahwan說道：

“捷克共和國、羅馬尼亞、斯洛伐克、芬蘭、愛沙尼亞、拉脫維亞、立陶宛和其他國家曾考慮只在歐洲購買國防產品，但現在更廣為人知的是，您也可以從韓國公司低價購買並是快速交貨。”

這筆交易是該國同類交易中規模最大的一筆，它承諾提供數以百計的產國設計火箭發射器、榴彈砲、坦克和戰鬥機。

所有這些有與美國和北約系統兼容的設計。

波蘭官員表示，韓國提出以比較差不多任何國家都快的速度製造武器是一個關鍵考慮因素。

韓國與朝鮮有持續緊張關係, 意味著的武器生產始終經常運行並不斷升級。

波蘭分析師 Oskar Pietrewicz 將此與另一個主要武器供應國德國進行了對比。

“考慮到德國國防工業作為地區性主要武器供應國的有限生產能力，各國對韓國提議供應的興趣可能只會增加。 例如，匈牙利在 2018 年從德國訂購了 44 輛豹式坦克，但到目前為止還沒有任何交付。”

韓國官員告訴路透社，他們已建議華沙在波蘭境內生產武器，以便於交付。

不過，波蘭國防部沒有回應書面置評請求。

上個月，韓國總統 Yoon Suk-Yeol 告訴路透社，如果烏克蘭受到大規模的平民攻擊，韓國可能會在人道主義和經濟援助之外向烏克蘭提供支持。

從那以後，他的政府已經批准在烏克蘭使用至少一些韓國武器部件。

       So, South Korean government has an agreement to supply weapon to Poland. The deal is the country’s biggest-ever of its kind. Unexpectedly, South Korea’s weapon making industry is benefiting from the war in Ukraine.

New York City sinks under the weight of buildings - Experts warn of flooding threats

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ニューヨーク、ビル群の重さで沈む　洪水の脅威に専門家警鐘

2023.05.24 Wed posted at 12:45 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 米ニューヨーク市はビル群の重さで徐々に地盤沈下が進んでいるという研究結果を、米地質調査所などの研究チームが学術誌に発表した。

ニューヨーク市周辺の海面は世界の２倍を超すペースで上昇しており、２０５０年までにはさらに約２０～７６センチ上昇すると予想している。

しかも気候変動の影響で、ハリケーンなど豪雨をもたらす災害は一層頻度を増す見通しだ。

論文を執筆した米地質調査所のトム・パーソンズ氏は「海が入り込んでくるのはまだずっと先のことだ」としながらも、「ニューヨークを襲ったサンディやアイダのような大型ハリケーンでは、豪雨によって市街地が浸水し、都市化の影響で水の侵入を許した」と指摘した。

この論文は、海岸や河川、湖の沿岸部の高層ビルが将来的な洪水の原因になり得ることを示し、被害を食い止めるための対策の必要性を示す目的で発表された。

研究チームはニューヨーク市の５区にあるビル１０８万４９５４棟（当時）の重量を計算し、合計でおよそ７６２０億キロと算定した。これは満員のボーイング７４７―４００型機約１９０万機分に相当する。

このシミュレーション結果を使って、建物の重さが地面に及ぼす影響を、実際の地表の地質状況を示す衛星データと比較しながら計算した。その結果、平均で年間約１～２ミリ沈下し、場所によっては最大４．５ミリに達する場所もあったという。

２０２２年９月の別の調査では、人口の多い沿岸部の４８都市のうち４４都市で、海面上昇を上回るペースで地盤沈下が進む区域があることが判明。今回の調査ではニューヨーク市のビル群の重さに着目し、その重さが地盤沈下にどう影響しているかを調べた。

ただし地盤沈下を引き起こしているのは建物ばかりとは限らない。パーソンズ氏は「非常に柔らかい土壌や人工的な埋め立て地で建設が行われている場所では何らかの関係がみられる」と指摘する一方、「地盤沈下の説明が難しい場所もある。原因は氷河期の後に起きた氷河の融解や、地下水のくみ上げなどさまざまだ」と解説する。

マンハッタン南部やブルックリン、クイーンズなど、平均を上回るペースで沈下が進んでいる場所もあった。「一部は建設プロジェクトの進行と関係があると思われる」「しかしスタテン島の北部にも地盤沈下がみられる。これについては説明がつかず、あらゆる要因を検討したが、依然として謎は解けていない」（パーソンズ氏）

地盤沈下は洪水の原因となる恐れがあり、「これは世界的な問題だ」とパーソンズ氏は言う。ロードアイランド大学の研究チームが世界９９都市について行った調査では、大多数が地盤沈下の問題を抱えていたという。インドネシアでは首都ジャカルタで急速に地盤沈下が進んでいることから、政府が首都を移転させる計画を打ち出した。

Translation

(CNN) New York City was slowly sinking due to the weight of its buildings according to a study result of a research team, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, which was published in an academic journal.

Sea levels around New York City were rising more than twice as fast as the rest of the world and were projected to rise another 20 to 76 centimeters by 2050.

Moreover, due to the impact of climate change, disasters such as hurricanes that brought heavy rains were expected to increase in frequency.

Author of the paper Tom Parsons of the U.S. Geological Survey said "We're still a long way off from seeing the ocean coming in," and pointed out that “In major hurricanes like Sandy and Ida that hit New York, urban areas were flooded by heavy rains, allowing water to enter due to the effects of urbanization."

The paper aimed to show that for high-rise buildings along coastlines, rivers and lakes could be a potential source of future flooding, and to highlight the need for measures to limit the damage.

The research team calculated the weight of 1,084,954 (at that time) buildings in New York City's 5^th district had a total of approximately 762 billion kilograms. That was the equivalent of about 1.9 million fully loaded Boeing 747-400s.

Using the results of this simulation, the effect of the weight of the building on the ground was calculated by comparing it with satellite data that showed the geological conditions of the actual ground surface. As a result, the sinking was about 1 to 2 mm per year on average, and in some places, it reached up to 4.5 mm.

Another study in September 2022 found that 44 of the 48 most populous coastal cities had areas where land subsidence would outpace sea-level rise. The study this time focused on the weight of buildings in New York City and investigated how the weight would affect land subsidence.

However, buildings were not the only cause of land subsidence. Parsons said “There's something to do with very soft soils and where construction is being done on man-made landfills”; and explained that “Land subsidence is difficult to explain in some places. There are various issues such as the melting of glaciers and the pumping up of groundwater."

Some places, like lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, were sinking at a faster-than-average rate. "We believe some of it has to do with construction projects going on," he said. "But we're also seeing land subsidence in the north of Staten Island. We can't explain it, and we've looked at all the factors, but it's still a mystery."  (Mr. Parsons)

Parsons said, land subsidence could cause flooding, and "it's a global problem." A study of 99 cities around the world by a research team at the University of Rhode Island found that the majority had problems with land subsidence. Indonesia's capital Jakarta was rapidly subsiding, so the government had come up with a plan to relocate the capital.

So, New York City is slowly sinking due to the weight of its buildings according to research results. It seems that many coastal cities will face relocation problems in the coming decades as sea level is rising due to global warming.

 

中國規劃 “京津冀” 世界級產業集群

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China plans for 'Jing-Jin-Ji' world-class industrial cluster

Tue, May 23, 2023 at 1:47 p.m. GMT+1

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to build world-class advanced factory clusters in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region focused on products such as electric vehicles and robots, it said on Tuesday, as the country seeks to confirm its global competitiveness.

As tensions have mounted with the United States, Chinese leaders have pledged to build a modern industrial system and achieve technological breakthroughs to win the "strategic initiative".

Over the last decade, China has sought to integrate the economies of the cities of Beijing and Tianjin and the surrounding Hebei province, known as Jing-Jin-Ji, which could also reduce income gaps in the region and curb pollution.

"Faced with new situations, new tasks, and new requirements, as an important industrial development highland in China, the task of promoting coordinated industrial development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is even more urgent," the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said the region's development will focus on sectors such as integrated circuits, network security and power equipment and biopharmaceutical industry.

It will also develop industries in new energy vehicles, intelligent connected vehicles, biomedicine, hydrogen energy, robots, as well as research on artificial intelligence, life sciences, and aerospace technology, the ministry said.

In 2017, President Xi Jinping announced plans to build the Xiongan New Area as part of a state-driven campaign to integrate the economy of the Jing-Jin-Ji region and ease congestion and pollution pressures in the Chinese capital.

Earlier this month, Xi, during a high-profile visit to Xiongan - about 100 km (60 miles) southwest of the capital - pledged to move more state firms and other institutions from Beijing to the flagship city.

Beijing has already moved some its universities, government departments and industrial firms to Xiongan, which is tasked with taking on some of Beijing's "non-capital" functions.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao; editing by Barbara Lewis)

Translation

北京（路透社）- 週二，中國計劃在京津冀地區建設世界級先進工廠集群，重點是電動汽車和機器人等產品，以鞏固其全球競爭力。

隨著與美國的緊張關係加劇，中國領導人承諾建立現代工業體係並實現技術突破，以贏得 “戰略主動權” 。

在過去的十年裡，中國一直在尋求整合北京市,天津市和河北省周邊地帶（稱之京津冀）的經濟，這也可以縮小該地區的收入差距並遏制污染。

週二工業和信息化部的一份聲明: “面對新形勢、新任務、新要求，作為我國重要的產業發展高地，促進京津冀產業協同發展的任務更加緊迫。”

它說，該地區的發展將集中在集成電路、網絡安全和電力設備以及生物製藥等行業。

該部表示，還將發展新能源汽車、智能網聯汽車、生物醫藥、氫能、機器人等產業，以及人工智能、生命科學和航天技術研究。

2017 年，國家主席習近平宣布了建設雄安新區的計劃，這是國家推動京津冀地區經濟一體化和緩解中國首都擁堵和污染壓力的舉措的一部分。

本月早些時候，習近平在高調訪問位於首都西南約 100 公里（60 英里）的雄安時承諾將更多國有企業和其他機構從北京遷至這座旗艦城市。

北京已經將一些大學、政府部門和工業企業遷往雄安，其任務是承擔北京的一些 “非首都” 功能。

       So, China will build factory clusters in Jing-Jin-Ji region focused on products such as electric vehicles and robots, in addition to a plan to build the Xiongan New Area so as to integrate the economy of the Jing-Jin-Ji region and ease congestion and pollution pressures on Beijing. It seems that the central government has a lot of money to spend when compared to the local governments.