IBM to close R&D centers in China, local media reports

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米ＩＢＭ、中国の研究開発拠点を閉鎖へ　地元メディア報道

2024.08.28 Wed posted at 17:00 JST

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香港（ＣＮＮ） 米ＩＢＭが中国にある研究開発拠点を閉鎖し、１０００人あまりの従業員を削減する方針であることがわかった。複数の中国メディアが伝えた。米中間の地政学的な緊張によって、グローバル企業の多くが世界２位の経済大国である中国での将来について再考するようになっている。

米中の関係は、人工知能（ＡＩ）やグリーンテクノロジーといった科学技術をめぐり、国の安全保障への懸念もあって悪化している。一部企業はひっそりと人材を削減したり、スタッフを異動させたりしている。

中国メディアの第一財経は２６日、ＩＢＭが中国全土で研究開発拠点を閉鎖すると報じた。この中には２５年前に開設された研究施設も含まれる。

ＩＢＭは２７日、ＣＮＮの取材に対し、声明で、顧客に対して最善のサービスを提供するために必要に応じて業務を調整しており、こうした変更は中華圏全体の顧客を支援する能力に影響しないと述べた。ただ、削減する人数や中国に研究用のスタッフを残すのかどうかについてはコメントしなかった。

別の中国メディアは、ＩＢＭ幹部が北京や上海、大連のスタッフが人員削減の影響を受けると発表したと伝えた。報道によれば、同幹部はスタッフに対し、ＩＢＭの中国でのインフラ事業は「下り坂」にあり、中国で行われている研究は他の研究所に移管されると伝えたという。

ＩＢＭの中国での歴史は長く、１９３４年には北京の病院に設備を納入していた。８４年には改革開放の動きにあわせ、大きな可能性を見いだして中国市場に再参入した。しかし、近年ではこうした熱気も冷めた。米中間の科学技術分野での競争は激しさを増し、米企業が中国市場で事業を行うことがだんだんと難しくなっている。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) IBM was planning to close its R&D centers in China and cut more than 1,000 employees, according to multiple Chinese media reports. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China were causing many global companies to rethink their future in China, the world's second-largest economy.

U.S.-China relations had worsened over science and technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology, as well as national security concerns. Some companies were quietly cutting staff or transferring staff.

Chinese media First Finance reported on the 26th that IBM would close its R&D centers across China, including a research facility that opened 25 years ago.

IBM said in a statement to CNN on the 27th that it was adjusting operations as necessary to best serve its customers, and that these changes would not affect its ability to support customers across Greater China. It did not comment on the number of staff cuts or whether it would retain research staff in China.

Another Chinese media outlet reported that an IBM executive announced that staff in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian would be affected by the cuts. The executive reportedly told staff that IBM's infrastructure business in China was "on the decline" and that research being conducted there would be transferred to other labs.

IBM had a long history in China, having supplied equipment to a hospital in Beijing in 1934. In 1984, with the reform and opening-up movement, it re-entered the Chinese market, seeing great potential. However, in recent years, this enthusiasm had cooled. Competition between the United States and China in the field of science and technology was intensifying, to do business in the Chinese market was increasingly difficult for American companies.

              So, IBM is planning to close its R&D centers in China and cut more than 1,000 employees. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are causing many global companies to rethink their future in China. Probably the moving out trend of overseas companies will continue unless the situation improves.

有研究表明，微小的塑膠碎片越來越多地滲入我們的大腦 (2/2)

Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says (2/2)

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2:50 PM EDT, Fri August 23, 2024

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In that report, the consortium determined plastics are associated with harms to human health at every single stage of the plastic lifecycle.

“Some microplastics are also airborne,” Landrigan said. “For example, when people are driving down the highway and their tires are abrading on the surface of the highway, a certain amount of microplastic particles are thrown into the air.

“If you live near the coast, some of the microplastic particles that are in the ocean get kicked into the air through wave action,” he said. “So ingestion is probably the dominant route, but inhalation is also an important route.”

Plastics with ties to cancer

Polyethylene, which is used in plastic bags, films and bottles and is not biodegradable, was the predominant type of plastic found in tissue samples. It was found in greater quantities in the brain than in the liver or kidney, according to the preprint.

Polyethylene was also the predominant type of polymer found in human and dog testicles, according to an August 2024 study by Campen and his team.

The production of various forms of polyethylene, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, are the biggest contributor to the release of the solvent 1,4-dioxane into the environment, according to industry data collected by Defend our Health, an environmental advocacy group.

The US National Toxicity Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers 1,4-dioxane to be possibly carcinogenic to humans. In 2023, the EPA released a draft report saying that the solvent poses an “unreasonable risk of injury to health” for plastics workers and community residents whose drinking water has been polluted by discharges from PET plastics factories.

“The biggest question is, ‘OK, what are these particles doing to us?’ Honestly there’s a lot we still don’t know,” Landrigan said. “What we do know with real certainty is that these microplastic particles are like Trojan horses — they carry with them all the thousands of chemicals that are in plastics and some are very bad actors.”

By invading individual cells and tissues in major organs, nanoplastics can potentially interrupt cellular processes and deposit endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, heavy metals and per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS.

Endocrine disruptors interfere with the human reproductive system, leading to genital and reproductive malformations as well as female infertility and a decline in sperm count, according to the Endocrine Society.

“We have some pretty good indications that microplastics and nanoplastics cause harm, even though we are a long way from knowing the full extent of that harm,” Landrigan said. “I would say we have enough information here that we need to start taking protective action.”

Learn to use less plastic

There are many steps individuals can take to reduce their exposure to plastics and their plastic footprint, experts say.

“It’s hard to avoid foods wrapped in plastic film but be sure to take the food out of the plastic wrapping before you cook it or put it in the microwave,” Landrigan said. “When you heat plastic, that accelerates the movement of the microplastics out of the wrapping into the food.

Invest in a zippered fabric bag and ask the dry cleaner to return your clothes in that instead of those thin sheets of plastic, suggested the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Bring a travel mug to the local coffee store for takeout and silverware to the office to cut back on plastic cups and utensils.

“Don’t use plastic bags when you go shopping. Use a cloth bag or a paper bag or a recycle bag. Try to avoid plastic water bottles, if you can possibly do so,” Landrigan said.

A March 2024 study found 1 liter of bottled water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters typically purchased by consumers — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics. Some 90% of those were nanoplastics.

“Use a metal or glass drinking cup instead of a plastic cup. Store your food in glass containers instead of in plastic ones,” Landrigan said. “Work in your local community to ban plastic bags, as many communities around the United States have now done. There is a lot you can do.”

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在該報告中，該聯盟確定塑膠在它的生命週期的每個階段都會對人類健康造成危害。

Landrigan說: 「有些微塑膠也會透過空氣傳播」。 「例如，當人們在高速公路上行駛時，輪胎在高速公路表面磨損，有一定量的微塑膠顆粒會被拋到空氣中」。

他說:「如果你住在海岸附近，海洋中的一些微塑膠顆粒會透過波浪作用被踢到空氣中」。 「因此飲食可能是主要途徑，但呼吸也是一個重要途徑」。

塑膠與癌症有關

聚乙烯用於塑膠袋、薄膜和瓶子，是不可生物降解，是人體組織樣本中發現的主要塑膠類型。根據預印本，大腦中發現的這種物質的含量比肝臟或腎臟中的含量要多。

根據 Campen 和他的團隊 2024 年 8 月的一項研究，聚乙烯也是人類和狗睪丸中發現的主要聚合物類型。

根據環保倡導組織「捍衛我們的健康」收集的行業數據，聚乙烯，例如聚對苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 (PET) 塑料，是溶劑 1,4-二噁烷釋放到環境中的最大提供者。

美國國家毒性計劃和國際癌症研究機構認為 1,4-二噁烷可能對人類致癌。 2023年，美國環保署發布了一份報告草案，稱這種溶劑,  因PET塑膠工廠的排放物所污染, 對塑膠工人和社區居民的飲用水構成「不合理的健康傷害風險」。

Landrigan說: 「最大的問題是，『好吧，這些粒子對我們做了什麼？』老實說，我們仍然不知道很多」。 「我們真正確定的是，這些微塑料顆粒就像特洛伊木馬 - 它們攜帶著塑料中的數千種化學物質，其中一些是非常糟糕的」。

透過侵入主要器官中的單一細胞和組織，奈米塑膠可能會干擾細胞運作, 並會積聚一些會干擾內分泌的化學物質，例如雙酚、鄰苯二甲酸鹽、阻燃劑、重金屬以及全氟和多氟物質（ PFAS）。

據內分泌學會稱，內分泌干擾物會影響人類生殖系統，導致生殖器和生殖畸形以及女性不孕和精子數量下降。

Landrigan說： “我們得知一些有用的觀察, 表明微塑料和奈米塑料會造成危害，儘管我們距離了解這種危害的全部程度還有很長的路要走”; “我想說，我們這裡有足夠的信息使我們需要開始採取保護行動。”

學會少用塑料

專家表示，個人可以採取許多措施來減少塑膠接觸和塑膠足跡。

Landrigan說：「很難避免用塑膠薄膜包裹的食物，但在烹飪或放入微波爐之前，請務必將食物從塑膠薄膜中取出」。 「當你加熱塑膠時，微塑膠會加速從包裝材料中移動到食物中」。

環保倡議組織自然資源保護委員會 建議，買一個有拉鍊的布袋，然後要求乾洗店把衣服放入去，而不是用那些薄薄的塑膠袋。帶一個旅行杯去當地的咖啡店買外賣，帶一些進食用的金屬刀叉到辦公室，以減少塑膠杯子和餐具的使用。

Landrigan說: 「購物時不要使用塑膠袋。使用布袋或紙袋或回收袋。如果可以的話，盡量避免使用塑膠水瓶」。

2024 年 3 月的一項研究發現，1 公升瓶裝水（相當於消費者通常購買的兩瓶標準瓶裝水）平均含有 24 萬個來自七種塑膠的塑膠顆粒。其中約 90% 是奈米塑膠。

Landrigan說: 「使用金屬或玻璃飲水杯而不是塑膠杯。將食物存放在玻璃容器中，而不是塑膠容器中」; 「在當地社區努力禁止使用塑膠袋，就像美國許多社區現在所做的那樣。你可以做很多事情」。

              So, human brain samples collected at autopsy contain more tiny plastic than samples collected eight years ago.  It is also noted that the percentage of plastics in the brain is higher compared with other organs. I am wondering when will know the long-term harmful effects of plastics to our health.

有研究表明，微小的塑膠碎片越來越多地滲入我們的大腦 (1/2)

Recently CNN News on-line reported the following:

Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says (1/2)

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2:50 PM EDT, Fri August 23, 2024

Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a study which has not yet been peer-reviewed and published in a journal.

“The concentrations we saw in the brain tissue of normal individuals, who had an average age of around 45 or 50 years old, were 4,800 micrograms per gram, or 0.5% by weight,” said lead study author Matthew Campen, a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

“Compared to autopsy brain samples from 2016, that’s about 50% higher,” Campen said. “That would mean that our brains today are 99.5% brain and the rest is plastic.”

That increase, however, only shows exposure and does not provide information about brain damage, said Phoebe Stapleton, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, who was not involved in the preprint.

“It is unclear if, in life, these particles are fluid, entering and leaving the brain, or if they collect in neurological tissues and promote disease,” she said in an email. “Further research is needed to understand how the particles may be interacting with the cells and if this has a toxicological consequence.”

The brain samples contained 7% to 30% more tiny shards of plastic than samples from the cadavers’ kidneys and liver, according to the preprint.

“Studies have found these plastics in the human heart, the great blood vessels, the lungs, the liver, the testes, the gastrointestinal tract and the placenta,” said pediatrician and biology professor Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College.

“It’s important not to scare the hell out of people, because the science in this space is still evolving, and nobody in the year 2024 is going to live without plastic,” said Landrigan, who was not involved with the preprint.

“I say to people, ‘Listen, there are some plastics that you can’t escape. You’re not going to get a cell phone or a computer that doesn’t contain plastic.’ But do try to minimize your exposure to the plastic that you can avoid, such as plastic bags and bottles.”

CNN reached out to the American Chemistry Council, an industry association, but did not hear back before publication.

Nanoplastics ‘hijack’ their way into the brain

For the study, researchers examined brain, kidney and liver tissues from 92 people who underwent a forensic autopsy to verify cause of death in both 2016 and 2024. Brain tissue samples were gathered from the frontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with thinking and reasoning, and which is most affected by frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and later stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Based on our observations, we think the brain is pulling in the very smallest nanostructures, like 100 to 200 nanometers in length, whereas some of the larger particles that are a micrometer to five micrometers go into the liver and kidneys,” Campen said.

Microplastics are fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) or about the size of a pencil eraser, to 1 nanometer. A strand of human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Anything smaller is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter.

Nanoplastics are the most worrisome plastics for human health, experts say, because the minuscule pieces can take up residence inside individual cells.

“Somehow these nanoplastics hijack their way through the body and get to the brain, crossing the blood-brain barrier,” Campen said. “Plastics love fats, or lipids, so one theory is that plastics are hijacking their way with the fats we eat which are then delivered to the organs that really like lipids — the brain is top among those.”

The human brain is about 60% fat by weight, far more than any other organ.  Essential fatty acids, such as omega 3s, are key to the strength and performance of the brain’s cells. Since the human body can’t produce essential fatty acids on its own, they must come from food or supplements.

Diet is the main route of exposure for micro- and nanoplastics, said Landrigan, who is the lead author of a March 2023 report from the Minderoo – Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health, a global consortium of scientists, health-care workers and policy analysts charged with following plastics from creation to final product.

Translation

根據 5 月發佈在網路上的預印本，2024 年初在檢屍時收集的人類大腦樣本中含有的微小塑膠碎片比八年前收集的樣本更多。預印本是尚未經過同行評審並在期刊上發表的研究。

該研究的主要作者、Albuquerque的新墨西哥大學的製藥科學攝政教授Matthew Campen 說:「我們在平均年齡約為45 歲或50 歲的正常人的腦組織中看到的濃度為每克4,800 微克，即重量的0.5%」。

Campen 說：「與 2016 年屍檢大腦樣本相比，這個數字高出約 50%」; 「這意味著我們今天的大腦 99.5% 是腦，其餘的是塑膠」。

然而，沒有參與預印本的新澤西州皮斯卡塔韋Rutgers大學的藥理學和毒理學副教授Phoebe Stapleton表示，這種增加僅顯示了暴露程度，並沒有提供有關腦損傷的資訊.

她在一封電子郵件中說：“目前尚不清楚，在生活中，這些顆粒是否液體，可以進出大腦，或者它們是否聚集在神經組織中並助長疾病” ;“需要進一步的研究來了解這些顆粒如何與細胞互動，以及這是否會產生毒理後果。”

根據預印本，大腦樣本中的微小塑膠碎片比屍體腎臟和肝臟樣本中的塑膠碎片多 7% 至 30%。

兒科醫生、生物學教授、波士頓學院全球公共衛生和共同利益計劃以及全球行星健康觀測站主任Philip Landrigan博士說:「研究發現，這些塑膠存在於人類心臟、大血管、肺、肝臟、睪丸、胃腸道和胎盤中」。

沒有參與預印本的Landrigan說:「重要的是不要把人們嚇壞了，因為這個領域的科學仍在不斷發展，到 2024 年，沒有人會在沒有塑膠的情況下生活」。

「我對人們說:『聽著，有些塑膠是你無法逃脫的。你不會得到不含塑料的手機或電腦』。但請盡量減少接觸可以避免的塑料，例如膠袋和膠瓶」。

CNN聯繫了這行業的協會, 即美國化學理事會，但在發表這之前沒有收到回應。

奈米塑膠「劫持」進入大腦

在這項研究中，研究人員檢查了92 名在2016 年和2024 年接受法醫屍檢的人的腎臟和肝臟組織，以核實死因。腦組織樣本是從額葉皮質採集的，額葉皮質是大腦中與思考和推理相關的區域，也是受額顳葉失智症 (FTD) 和晚期阿茲海默症影響最嚴重的區域。

Campen 說： “根據我們的觀察，我們認為大腦正在吸入最小的奈米結構，例如長度為 100 到 200 奈米，而一些較大的顆粒（1 微米到 5 微米）會進入肝臟和腎臟。”

微塑膠的尺寸是從小於 0.2 英吋（5 毫米）或大約鉛筆橡皮擦大小到 1 奈米的碎片。根據美國環保署的數據，一根人類頭髮的寬度約為 80,000 奈米。任何更小的東西就是奈米塑膠，必須以十億分之一米為單位進行測量。

專家表示，奈米塑膠是對人類健康最令人擔憂的塑料，因為這些微小的碎片可以駐留在單一細胞內。

Campen說： 「這些奈米塑料以某種劫持方式穿過血腦屏障到達大腦」; 「塑膠喜歡脂肪或脂質，因此一種理論認為，塑膠正在劫持着我們所吃進的脂肪，然後將它輸送到真正喜歡脂質的器官 - 大腦是其中最主要的器官」。

以重量計算，人腦的脂肪含量約為 60%，遠多於任何其他器官。 必需脂肪酸，例如歐米伽 3，是大腦細胞力量和能力的關鍵。由於人體無法自行產生必需脂肪酸，因此必須從食物或補充劑中取得。

Landrigan說，飲食是接觸微塑膠和奈米塑膠的主要途徑。他是摩納哥明德魯塑膠與人類健康委員會 (Minderoo – Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health) 2023 年 3 月報告的主要作者, 這是一個由科學家、衛生保健工作者和政策分析師組成的全球聯盟，負責追蹤塑膠從生產到最終產品的整個過程。

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Note:

1. Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, (必需脂肪酸) are fatty acids that are required by humans and other animals for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the body. As they are not synthesized in the body, the essential fatty acids must be obtained from food or from a dietary supplement. Essential fatty acids are needed for various cellular metabolic processes and for the maintenance and function of tissues and organs. (Wikipedia)

2. The goals of the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics’ impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations—the poor, minorities, and the world’s children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10038118/)

「爛尾娃」：中國青年失業率上升催生新工人階級 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

'Rotten-tail kids': China's rising youth unemployment breeds new working class (2/2)

Reuters - Ryan Woo, Ethan Wang

Tue, August 20, 2024 at 6:04 p.m. PDT·4 min read

(continue)

Amada Chen, a recent graduate from Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, quit her sales job at a state-owned enterprise last week after just one month.

She blamed her decision on the toxic work culture and her boss's unrealistic expectations. For the first 15 days of her probation, she was also getting just 60 yuan ($8.40) a day despite having to work 12 hours daily.

"I cried every day for a week," she said.

Chen had wanted to become a quality inspector or a researcher, jobs she thought would match her skills as a traditional Chinese medicine major.

But over 130 job application letters later, she was offered mostly sales or e-commerce related positions.

Chen said she was reconsidering her career path altogether and might turn to modelling.

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

Joblessness among college graduates is not without precedent.

In 1999, China dramatically expanded the enrolment capacity of universities in a bid to produce a better educated workforce to drive its fast-growing economy.

But the supply of graduates had kept exceeding jobs, with authorities expressing concern in 2007 over job availability, an issue that receded but never fully faded as more youth armed with degrees entered the market.

The outlook is uncertain even when a student's major aligns with market needs.

Shou Chen finished her third year at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications this year majoring in artificial intelligence.

However, Chen has yet to secure an internship after more than a dozen applications, and remains pessimistic about the job market.

"It may be worse," she said. "After all, there will be more and more people (in this field)."

Supply of tertiary students will exceed demand from 2024 through 2037, after which the effects of falling fertility rates will kick in and sharply narrow the gap, according to a study published in June by China Higher Education Research, a journal under the education ministry.

New college graduates will likely peak at around 18 million in 2034, it said.

 Translation

（繼續）

剛從湖北中醫藥大學畢業的Amada Chen在一家國企的銷售工作 一個月後, 於上週辭了。

她將自己的決定歸咎於有毒的工作文化和老闆不切實際的期望。在試用期的前 15 天，儘管每天要工作 12 小時，她每天的薪水只有 60 元（8.40 美元）。

她說:「一週以來我每天都哭」。

Chen曾想成為一名質檢員或研究員，她認為這些工作與她中醫藥專業的技能相符。

但在作出 130 多封求職信後，她收到的職位大多是與銷售或電子商務相關。

Chen說她正在重新考慮自己的職業道路，並可能轉向模特兒行業。

前景不明朗

大學畢業生失業現象並非沒有先例。

1999年，中國大幅擴大了大學的招生規模，以培養受過更好教育的勞動力來推動其快速成長的經濟。

但畢業生的供應量一直超過就業崗位，當局在 2007 年對就業機會表示擔憂，這一問題曾有所緩解, 但隨著更多擁有學位的年輕人進入市場，問題從未完全消失。

即使學生的專業符合市場需求，前景也不確定。

Shou Chen今年畢業於北京郵電大學人工智能專業三年級。

然而，Chen在十幾次申請後仍未獲得實習機會，對就業市場仍持悲觀態度。

她說:“情況可能會更糟”;“畢竟（這個領域的）人會越來越多。”

教育部屬下期刊《中國高等教育研究》6月發表的一項研究顯示，2024年至2037年，受過高等教育學生的供應將超過需求，此後，生育率下降的影響將顯現，差距將急劇縮小。

報告稱，到 2034 年，應屆大學畢業生可能會達到 1,800 萬左右的高峰。

              So, rising unemployment in China is pushing millions of college graduates into a tough bargain, with some forced to accept low-paying work or even subsist on their parents' pensions, a plight that has created a new working class of "rotten-tail kids". I am wondering how this change in employment situation will impact the society as the economy is edging towards deflation.

Note:

1. The Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学) is a public university in Beijing founded in 1955. The university is affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. (Wikipedia)

「爛尾娃」：中國青年失業率上升催生新工人階級 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

'Rotten-tail kids': China's rising youth unemployment breeds new working class (1/2)

Ryan Woo, Ethan Wang

Tue, August 20, 2024 at 6:04 p.m. PDT·4 min read

BEIJING (Reuters) -Rising unemployment in China is pushing millions of college graduates into a tough bargain, with some forced to accept low-paying work or even subsist on their parents' pensions, a plight that has created a new working class of "rotten-tail kids".

The phrase has become a social media buzzword this year, drawing parallels to the catchword "rotten-tail buildings" for the tens of millions of unfinished homes that have plagued China's economy since 2021.

A record number of college graduates this year are hunting for jobs in a labour market depressed by COVID-19-induced disruptions as well as regulatory crack-downs on the country's finance, tech and education sectors.

The jobless rate for the roughly 100 million Chinese youth aged 16-24 crept above 20% for the first time in April last year. When it hit an all-time high of 21.3% in June 2023, officials abruptly suspended the data series to reassess how numbers were compiled.

One year on, youth unemployment remains a headache, with the reconfigured jobless rate spiking to a 2024 high of 17.1% in July, as 11.79 million college students graduated this summer in an economy still weighed down by its real estate crisis.

President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that finding jobs for young people remains a top priority. The government has called for more channels for the youth to access potential employers, such as job fairs, and has rolled out supportive business policies to help boost hiring.

"For many Chinese college graduates, better job prospects, upward social mobility, a sunnier life outlook - all things once promised by a college degree - have increasingly become elusive," said Yun Zhou, assistant professor of sociology, University of Michigan.

Some jobless young people have returned to their hometown to be "full-time children", relying on their parents' retirement pensions and savings.

Even those with post-graduate degrees haven't been spared.

After spending years climbing China's ultra-competitive academic ladder, "rotten-tail kids" are discovering that their qualifications are failing to secure them jobs in a bleak economy.

Their options are limited. Either they cut their expectations for top-paying jobs or find any job to make ends meet. Some have also turned to crime.

Zephyr Cao obtained a master's degree from the prestigious China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing last year.

Now 27, and back in his home province of Hebei, Cao has stopped seeking full-time work after lower-than-expected wages made him question the value of his education.

"If I worked for three or four years after my undergraduate studies, my salary would probably be similar to what I get now with a master's degree," Cao said.

Cao said he was considering pursuing a PhD in hopes his prospects would improve in a few years.

(to be continued)

Translation

北京（路透社） - 中國不斷上升的失業率正迫使數百萬大學畢業生陷入艱難的討價還價，其中一些人被迫接受低薪工作，甚至靠父母的養老金維持生計，這種困境催生了一個新的「爛尾娃」。

這句話今年已成為社群媒體流行語，與自 2021 年以來困擾中國經濟的數千萬未完工房屋的流行語「爛尾樓」類似。

今年，在因 COVID-19 引發的幹擾以及對該國金融、科技和教育行業的監管打壓而低迷的勞動力市場中尋找工作的大學畢業生數量創下了歷史新高。

去年4月，約1億中國16-24歲青年的失業率首次攀升至20%以上。當 2023 年 6 月觸及 21.3% 的歷史新高時，官員們突然暫停了該數據系列，以重新評估數據的編制方式。

一年過去了，青年失業率仍然是一個令人頭痛的問題，今年夏天有1,179 萬名大學生畢業，而經濟仍然受到房地產危機的拖累，7 月重新配置的失業率飆升至2024 年的高點17.1 %。

習近平主席多次強調，青年就業仍是首要任務。政府呼籲為年輕人提供更多管道接觸潛在雇主，例如招聘會，並推出支持性商業政策以幫助促進就業。

Michigan大學社會學助理教授Yun Zhou表示：「對許多中國大學畢業生來說，更好的就業前景、向上的社會流動性、更陽光的生活觀 - 所有曾經由大學學位所承諾的一切 - 現在變得越來越難以實現。

一些失業的年輕人回到家鄉當“全職子女”，靠父母的退休金和積蓄生活。

即使是那些擁有研究生學位的人也未能倖免。

在花了數年時間攀登中國競爭異常激烈的學術階梯後，「爛尾娃」發現，他們的學歷無法在經濟不景氣的情況下為他們找到工作。

他們的選擇是有限的。他們要么降低對高薪工作的期望，要么找到任何工作來維持生計。有些人還轉向犯罪。

Zephyr Cao去年從著名的北京外交學院獲得碩士學位。

現年 27 歲的Cao回到家鄉河北省後，由於低於預期的工資讓他質疑自己的教育價值，因此不再尋找全職工作。

Cao說: 「如果我本科畢業後工作三、四年，我的薪水可能和我現在讀碩士的薪水差不多」。

Cao說，他正在考慮攻讀博士學位，希望幾年後他的前景會有所改善。

（待續）

美5部門更新香港營商警示 8方面因23條風險增加

Recently European News (International)(歐洲動態(國際)) reported the following:

9/07/2024 04:45:00 上午

美國5個政府部門 星期五聯合發出更新版香港營商警示 ，警告美國企業和個人，由於國安法、23條以及香港的自治減少了，在香港做生意的話，在8方面的風險增加，一些以往只在內地才會出現的風險，現時同樣在香港存在。

美國5個政府部門星期五聯合發出更新版香港營商警示，警告美國企業和個人，由於國安法、23條以及香港的自治減少了，在香港做生意的話，在8方面的風險增加，一些以往只在內地才會出現的風險，現時同樣在香港存在。

國務院的聲明特別提及，華府認為以下4個範疇增加了風險：

1、國安法和23條的條款廣泛而含糊

2、國安法和23條有域外效力，這些法例同時影響美企在香港以外地區的生意和人員

3、美企可能面對國安法和23條的執法，將令在港業務面對潛在法律、合規、營運、財務和聲譽風險

4、在香港做生意，可能跟在其他司法管轄區的制裁要求有衝突，提醒美國公司，如果因為符合香港法律而不遵守美國的制裁法規，將令公司面對美國法律的民事和刑事懲罰

 至於16頁紙的最新警示全文，還提及以下4個風險增加了：

1、在港期間遭監視及截取數據的風險增加，因為只要涉及國安案件，毋須經法院，只要獲行政長官同意，就可監聽

2、自由表達和獲取資訊的風險增

3、「反起底法」令網絡平台公司在香港的員工被拘捕的風險增加

4、香港當局勒令銀行凍結個人和組織的風險

 華府對上一次發出香港營商警示是2021年7月，即國安法生效後一年，當時國務院、商務、國土安全和財政4個部門發出，今次多了農業部聯合發出。

跟2021年比較，最新警示涉及3個大環境的轉變。

首先，過去3年多了涉及國安的案件，包括並非以國安法或煽動法之類的類似英殖時期法例檢控的案例，令大家更清楚國安法和23條法案是如何執行。

警示以《蘋果日報》及母企壹傳媒為例子，警告美國公司和個人，香港當局可能以23條廣泛定義的犯罪，起訴正常商業行為，例如：游說政府決策、利用香港數據進行市場分析、盡職審查、會計核數、以及公開發佈分析和評論，只要香港當局認為可能威脅國安，都有可能被檢控。

警示也提醒，其他商業行為也有可能違反國安法或23條，包括經濟及商業分析、信貸評級、需要日常諮詢外國政府官員及部門等；外國的傳媒、研究及學術機構、智庫、銀行等組織，發表分析或評論時可能被指發表「失實及誤導」言論而違法。

華府又說，雖然香港仍未有廣泛干擾互聯網，但警方已開始動用國安法，要求封鎖某些網站。

另一個大環境轉變是23條立法在今年3月完成，警示尤其提及當中4項罪名可能令美國企業中招，包括：非法獲取、管有和披露國家秘密；危害國家安全的境外干預；煽動意圖的相關罪行；以及危害國家安全的破壞活動。

第3個轉變是俄烏戰爭。警示再度提醒，一些香港人遭美國制裁，跟這些人有交易可能違反美國制裁，並同時大篇幅提及，一些在港人士，或者在香港註冊的組織，涉及協助俄羅斯和伊朗繞過美國制裁及出口禁令，以及協助製作並向美國輸出芬太尼等毒品。警示提醒，在香港做生意接觸到被美國制裁人士和公司的機會上升。

(Article source: https://europechinese.blogspot.com/2024/09/5-823.html)

              So, this article says that five U.S. government departments have jointly issued an updated version of the Hong Kong Business Alert recently, warning U.S. companies and individuals that due to the factors such as the National Security Law, Article 23 in Hong Kong, and the reduction of Hong Kong’s autonomy, risks in doing business in Hong Kong will increase. The article also suggests that risks that only appear in the Mainland China now also exist in Hong Kong. As the article, in simply words, records the points covered in the updated version of the Hong Kong Business Alert, I reprint it here for record purpose.

Inappropriate remarks made on NHK radio international broadcasts etc. and on issues about Senkaku Islands

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

NHK ラジオ国際放送などで不適切発言 尖閣諸島などで

2024年8月19日 21時51分

19日午後、NHKのラジオ国際放送などの中国語ニュースの中で、原稿を読んでいた中国籍の外部スタッフが、沖縄県の尖閣諸島などについて、原稿にはない不適切な発言を行いました。NHKは、このスタッフと業務委託契約を結んでいる関連団体を通じて本人に厳重に抗議しました。また関連団体は、本人との契約を解除する方針です。

19日午後1時すぎから、NHKの短波ラジオなどの国際放送とラジオ第2放送で伝えた中国語のニュースの中で、日本語の原稿を翻訳して読んでいた外部スタッフが、ニュースを伝えたあとに、沖縄県の尖閣諸島について、中国の領土であると述べるなど、原稿にはない不適切な発言を行いました。

このスタッフは、NHKの関連団体が業務委託契約を結んでいる中国籍の40代の男性で、日本語の原稿を中国語に翻訳してラジオで読み上げる業務を担当しています。

NHKは関連団体を通じて本人に厳重に抗議しました。

また関連団体は本人との契約を解除する方針です。

NHKは「ニュースとは無関係の発言が放送されたことは不適切であり、深くお詫び申し上げます。再発防止策を徹底します」とコメントしています。

Translation

On the afternoon of the 19th, during Chinese news on NHK radio international broadcasts, etc., a Chinese external staff member who was reading the script made inappropriate remarks about the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, etc., that were not in the script. NHK had strongly protested to this staff through the related organization the contract for outsourcing. This related organization also planned to terminate the contract with this staff member.

From just after 1:00 p.m. on the 19th, during Chinese news broadcasts on NHK's international broadcasts such as shortwave radio and Radio 2, an external staff member who translated and read the Japanese script made inappropriate remarks that were not in this script, such as stating that the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture were Chinese territory, after reporting the news.

This staff member was a Chinese man in his 40s with whom an NHK related organization had an outsourcing contract, and was responsible for translating Japanese scripts into Chinese and reading them on the radio.

NHK had strongly protested to this staff through the related organization.

Additionally, this related organizations planned to terminate the contracts with the person in question.

NHK commented, "It was inappropriate to broadcast remarks that were unrelated to the news, and we deeply apologize. We will take thorough measures to prevent recurrence."

              So, a Chinese contract staff who was responsible to translate and read the Japanese script for NHK radio broadcasting, made some politically incorrect remarks after reporting the news. This is an interesting incident and I am wondering what has motived this Chinese employee to do this, may be out of patriotism?

China to impose export restrictions on rare metal antimony-related items from September

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

中国 希少金属アンチモン関連品目 9月から輸出規制へ

2024年8月15日 22時14分

中国政府は、半導体の材料などとして使われる希少金属、アンチモンの関連品目について、9月から輸出を規制すると発表しました。半導体などの輸出規制を強めるアメリカなどをけん制するねらいもあるとみられます。

中国商務省と税関総署は15日に「輸出管理法」などに基づいて、希少金属のアンチモンの関連品目について、輸出規制を実施すると発表しました。

それによりますと、対象となる品目を輸出する企業に対して、最終的な利用者や用途を示すなどしたうえで、政府の審査を受けて許可を得ることを義務づけるとしています。

違反した場合には処罰するとしていて、9月15日から規制を実施するとしています。

アンチモンは半導体の材料や、製品を燃えにくくする難燃剤などに使われる希少金属で、中国が世界的に高いシェアを占めています。

今回の措置について中国政府は、国家の安全と利益を守るためだとしていて、半導体などの輸出規制を強めるアメリカなどをけん制するねらいもあるとみられます。

 中国政府は、

▽去年8月から、半導体の材料などに使われるガリウムとゲルマニウムの関連品目について輸出規制を実施しているほか

▽去年12月からは、リチウムイオン電池の材料として使われる黒鉛の関連品目でも輸出規制を始めています。

Translation

The Chinese government announced that it would impose export restrictions on items related to antimony, a rare metal used as a material for semiconductors, starting from September. It was believed that the aim was also to check the United States and other countries that were strengthening export restrictions on semiconductors and other products.

On the 15th, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs announced that they would impose export restrictions on items related to the rare metal antimony based on the "Export Control Law" and other laws.

According to the law, companies that exported the targeted items would be required to obtain permission after indicating the final user and used for what purpose, and to be reviewed by the government.

Violations could be punished, and the restrictions would be implemented starting from September 15th.

Antimony was a rare metal used in semiconductor materials and flame retardants that could make products less flammable, and China had a large share of the global market.

The Chinese government claimed that the measures this time aimed at protecting national security and interests, and were also thought to be aimed at deterring countries such as the United States, which were tightening export controls on semiconductors and other products.

 The Chinese government had

▽implemented export controls on items related to gallium and germanium, which could be used in semiconductor materials, since August last year,

▽and since December last year also began to impose export controls on items related to graphite, which could be used as a material in lithium-ion batteries.

              So, China announces that it will impose export restrictions on items related to antimony from September. It is believed that one intention is to check the United States and other countries that are strengthening export restrictions on semiconductors and other products. I am wondering how this restriction will affect the global market for antimony.

Note:

Antimony (銻) is a chemical element. Antimony compounds have been known since ancient times and were powdered for use as medicine and cosmetics, often known by the Arabic name kohl. China is the largest producer of antimony and its compounds. The largest use of metallic antimony is in alloys with lead and tin, and lead-antimony alloy is used in lead-acid batteries. Antimony is also needed in emerging microelectronics technologies. (Wikipedia)

外國投資者從中國撤資創歷史新高

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Foreign Investors Pull Record Amount of Money from China

Bloomberg News

Sun, August 11, 2024 at 10:08 p.m. PDT·3 min read

(Bloomberg) -- Foreign investors pulled a record amount of money from China last quarter, likely reflecting deep pessimism about the world’s second-largest economy.

China’s direct investment liabilities in its balance of payments dropped almost $15 billion in the April-June period, marking only the second time this figure has turned negative, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange released Friday. It was down about $5 billion for the first six months.

Should the decline continue for the rest of the year, it would be the first annual net outflow since at least 1990, when comparable data begins.

Foreign investment into China has slumped in recent years after hitting a record $344 billion in 2021. The slowdown in the economy and rising geopolitical tensions has led some companies to reduce their exposure, and the rapid shift to electric vehicles in China also caught foreign car firms off guard, prompting some to withdraw or scale back their investments.

The fall comes despite Beijing’s growing efforts to attract and retain foreign investment, following the smallest increase on record last year. The government wants to show it remains open and attractive to foreign businesses, in the hope that companies will bring advanced technologies and resist pressure from the US and elsewhere to decouple from China.

SAFE’s data, which tracks net flows, can reflect trends in foreign company profits, as well as changes in the size of their operations in China. Multinationals have more reason to keep cash abroad rather than in China, as advanced economies have been raising interest rates while Beijing is lowering them to stimulate the economy.

Earlier figures from the Ministry of Commerce showed that new foreign direct investment into China during the first half of the year was the lowest since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Rising Outbound Investment

Chinese outbound investment also hit a record, with firms sending $71 billion overseas in the second quarter, up more than 80% from the $39 billion in the same period last year.

Chinese firms have been rapidly stepping up investment, with money going into projects such as electric vehicle and battery factories.

The data also showed that the anomaly in the measurement of China’s trade surplus continue to grow, hitting a record $87 billion in the second quarter and taking it to almost $150 billion for the first half of the year. That gap was highlighted by the US Treasury earlier this year in a report that called on China to clarify why the numbers were so different.

According to a recent report from the International Monetary Fund, this discrepancy “seems to be mainly caused by the different methodologies used to record exports and imports of goods.”

The gap has grown after a switch two years ago in what data the Chinese authorities were using, and was also boosted by a recent increase in production in bonded zones by foreign firms.

Translation

（彭博）—上季外國投資者從中國撤資創歷史新高，這可能反映出人們對世界第二大經濟體的深刻悲觀情緒。

中國國家外匯管理局週五公佈的數據顯示，4月至6月期間，中國國際收支中的直接投資負債減少近150億美元，這是該數字第二次出現負值。前六個月減少了約 50 億美元。

如果今年剩餘時間這種下降持續下去，這將是至少自 1990 年, 即開始有比較數據以來的首次年度淨流出。

中國的外國投資在2021 年達到創紀錄的3,440 億美元後，近年來大幅下滑。經濟放緩和地緣政治緊張局勢的加劇, 導致一些公司減風險敞口，而中國向電動汽車的快速轉變都給外國汽車公司措手不及，促使一些公司撤回或縮減投資。

在去年創下有史以來的最小增幅後，儘管北京加大力度吸引和留住外國投資，但還是出現了下降。政府希望表明對外國企業仍然開放和有吸引力，希望企業能帶來先進技術，去抗衡來自美國和其他地方與中國脫鉤的壓力。

國家外匯管理局追蹤淨流量的數據可以反映外國公司利潤的趨勢，以及它們在中國業務規模的變化。跨國公司更有理由將現金保留在國外而不是國內，因為已開發經濟體一直在提高利率，而北京方面則在降低利率以刺激經濟。

商務部先前數據顯示，上半年新增對華直接投資創2020年疫情爆發以來最低水準。

 對外投資不斷增加

中國對外投資也創下歷史新高，第二季企業海外投資達710億美元，比去年同期的390億美元成長了80%以上。

中國企業一直在迅速加大投資，資金投入電動車和電池工廠等項目。

數據也顯示，中國衡量貿易順差的異常現像持續擴大，第二季達到創紀錄的870億美元，上半年則達到近1,500億美元。美國財政部今年稍早在一份報告中強調了這一差異，呼籲中國澄清數字為何如此不同。

根據國際貨幣基金組織最近的一份報告，這種差異「似乎主要是由於記錄貨物進出口的方法不同所造成的」。

兩年前中國當局所使用的數據發生變化後，這一差距進一步擴大，而且最近外國公司保稅區產量的增加也加劇了這一差距。

              So, foreign investors pull a record amount of money from China last quarter, likely reflecting deep pessimism about the world’s second-largest economy. Probably, multinationals have more reason to keep cash abroad rather than in China, one reason is that advanced economies have been raising interest rates while Beijing is lowering them to stimulate the economy. Meanwhile Chinese outbound investments also hit a record. I am wondering which direction will the Chinese economy go in the coming years.

Note:

1. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) (國家外匯管理局) of the People's Republic of China is an administrative agency under the State Council tasked with drafting rules and regulations governing foreign exchange market activities, and managing the state foreign-exchange reserves. (Wikipedia)

2. A bonded zone (保稅區) is an area within a country where there are special trade terms or policies. Generally, arrangements for customs duties, import/export duties will differ from normal import/export procedures. For example, foreign goods can enter the region without paying duties and be kept bonded. The manufacturing and trade inside the zone can be exempted from value added and sales taxes. (https://zhenhub.com/blog/china-bonded-zones-cross-border-ecommerce/)

Atlantic Ocean Circulation May Stop as Early as the Late 2030s: New Study

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

大西洋の海洋循環、早ければ２０３０年代後半にも停止か　新研究

2024.08.05 Mon posted at 17:29 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 大西洋の海水が表層で北上して深層で南下する南北循環（ＡＭＯＣ）が、早ければ２０３０年代後半にも停止する恐れがあるとの研究結果が新たに報告された。

ＡＭＯＣは地球規模のベルトコンベアーのように、南半球の暖かい海水と塩分を北大西洋に運ぶ。北大西洋で冷えた海水は深層に沈み込み、再び南下する。この循環は、南半球の一部が極端に暑くなることを防ぐほか、北半球の一部が極端に寒くなることを防ぎつつ、海洋の生態系に命を維持するための栄養素を分配する。

ここ数年の複数の研究では、ＡＭＯＣが、海水温の上昇と人為的な気候変動による塩分濃度の乱れによって弱まり、崩壊に向かっている可能性が示唆されてきた。

今回の新しい研究では、最先端のモデルを使用してＡＭＯＣが崩壊する時期を推定しており、これによれば３７年から６４年の間にＡＭＯＣが停止する恐れがあることが示された。今回の研究は査読中で、まだ学術誌には掲載されていない。

今回の研究では、５０年までにはＡＭＯＣが停止する可能性が高いことが示されている。

オランダのユトレヒト大学の海洋大気の研究者で研究の共同執筆者のレネ・バン・ウェステン氏は今回の研究結果について「非常に心配だ」と述べた。同氏はＣＮＮの取材に対し、人為的な気候変動による負の副作用はすべて、さらなる熱波や干ばつ、洪水として続いていくとし、これに加えてＡＭＯＣが崩壊すれば、気候はさらにゆがんだものになると語った。

ＡＭＯＣの停止から数十年後には北極の氷が南下し始めて、１００年後には、英イングランドの南海岸まで到達することになる。欧州をはじめ、米国の一部を含む北米大陸の平均気温は低下する。アマゾンの熱帯雨林では季節が完全に逆転し、現在の乾期が雨期に、雨期が乾期になる。

Translation

(CNN)  A new study reported that the Atlantic Ocean Meridional Overturning Centrifugal Force (AMOC), in which ocean water in the Atlantic Ocean moved north at the surface and south at the depths, might stop as early as the late 2030s.

Like a global scale conveyor belt, the AMOC carried warm ocean water and salt from the Southern Hemisphere to the North Atlantic. The cooled ocean water in the North Atlantic sank into the deep layers and moved south again. This circulation distributed life-sustaining nutrients to marine ecosystems while preventing parts of the Southern Hemisphere from becoming too hot and parts of the Northern Hemisphere from becoming too cold.

Several studies in recent years had suggested that the AMOC might be weakening and heading toward collapse due to the fluctuation of salinity caused by the rising ocean temperatures and by human caused climate change.

This new study used cutting-edge models to estimate when AMOC would break down, suggesting that it could shut down between 37 and 64 years. The study was currently under peer review and had not yet been published in a journal.

The study suggested that AMOC could likely be shut down by 2050.

Rene van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and co-author of the study, called the findings "very worrying." He told CNN that all the negative side effects of man-made climate change would continue in the form of more heat waves, droughts and floods, and that if AMOC were to break down, the climate would become even more distorted.

Arctic ice would begin to move south a few decades after AMOC's shutdown, reaching the south coast of England in 100 years. Starting from Europe then North America, including parts of the United States the average temperature would drop. The Amazon rainforest would see a complete reversal of seasons, with the current dry season becoming a wet season and the wet season becoming a dry season.

 So, a new study reports that the AMOC may stop as early as in the late 2030s. Arctic ice then will begin to move south and cause the average temperature to drop starting from Europe then North America, including parts of the United States. The Amazon rainforest will see a complete reversal of seasons. I am wondering what these substantial climate changes will impact human's future.