Saturday 27 July 2013
Thursday 25 July 2013
Abe's New Japan/ABC News Australia
The Japanese Prime Minister celebrates an election victory and the Nikkei likes the result
Posted
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is celebrating a resounding win in the weekend's upper house elections giving it control of both houses of parliament.While investors at first cheered the result there are concerns Prime Minister Abe's confrontational style could lead to troubles with the rest of the world.
Graduation Time in China 2013
Hats off, it's graduation time for 7 million
June is graduation season for nearly 7 million Chinese graduates. It's a time to say goodbye to their schools, teachers and friends. But it is also a formal occasion with a ceremony filled with joy, nostalgia, high expectations as well as confusion and anxiety for the future.
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| Graduation ceremony | ||
Graduation is one of the most important ceremonies for every college student which marks the moment when they will finally receive an academic degree after years of hard study, and bid farewell to their school, teachers and friends.
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| Job | ||
Job hunting is the most frequent and distressing topic for college graduates. The harsh reality engendered by China's economic slowdown has exerted huge pressure on graduates and resulted in a low rate of job satisfaction.
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| Friends | ||
University is not only a place to achieve professional knowledge and skills, but also a place where students will harvest friendships for life.
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| She and He | ||
In addition to knowledge, skills and friendship, some also found time to find their true love during the past four years. After graduation, some will go on to wedding but others have to be part from each other for various reasons.
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| Dorm | ||
The cramped dormitory of China's universities is usually a single room shared by four to eight students. Although simple and crude, the dormitory offers them a warm home during their time in school.
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| Luggage | ||
No matter when school started or it is time to leave, luggage is always as heavy as the student's heart.
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| Dream | ||
Students started their university life four years ago full of dreams and four years later, they will leave with dreams to work, to contribute and to be a good person.
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Chinese VP to Visit North Korea
Chinese vice president to visit DPRK
Updated: 2013-07-24 10:54
BEIJING - Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao will head a Chinese delegation to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from July 25 to 28 at the invitation of the DPRK side.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the announcement here Wednesday.
According to the spokesman , during the visit, Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, will attend activities in commemoration of the 60th anniversary for the truce of the Korea War.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the announcement here Wednesday.
According to the spokesman , during the visit, Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, will attend activities in commemoration of the 60th anniversary for the truce of the Korea War.
Chinese Hospital Ship PEACE ARK helping Asia
Special: Hospital ship Peace Ark
2013-07-03 08:37
By (chinadaily.com.cn)
On June 10, Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark embarked on a 118-day voyage to deliver medical assistance to residents of neighboring countries and take part in joint operations and exercises with fellow members of ASEAN. China Daily reporter Peng Yining will provide updates for our readers from onboard the ship.
You can also ask questions by commenting on this page, and Peng will be ready to help whenever Internet access is available. This page will keep updating.
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| Latest Stories | |
Peace Ark lends a helping hand | Hospital ship stops in Maldives |
From China with love and care |
Brunei was the first stop on the 2013 Peace Ark mission. The hospital ship will visit eight countries across Asia to provide free medical services during the voyage.
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Photos
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Du Kan, a Chinese pediatrician, examines a child in Maldives, July 3, 2013. [Photo by Zhang Hao/Asianewsphoto]
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Nurse Zheng Lu communicates with a young patient in Maldives, July 3, 2013. [Photo by Zhang Hao/Asianewsphoto]
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Fewer Chinese biting the iApple
Fewer Chinese consumers picking Apple's iPhone
Updated: 2013-07-25 00:36
Shoppers shift focus to cheaper smartphones
Chinese consumers may be having second thoughts about buying Apple Inc's iPhone.
The devices are becoming so common in China these days that many people lost their once strong desire to own one. Also, iPhones are considered too expensive, and many consumers are opting for cheaper phones with similar capabilities.
And the Chinese market's hesitation has showed in Apple's latest quarterly financial report. Even though the California-based company delivered better-than-expected global iPhone shipments of 31.2 million units during the quarter ended June 29, its performance in Greater China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, was sluggish in the period.
Apple said on Tuesday that its revenue from China fell 14 percent year-on-year to $4.6 billion in the quarter ended June 29. The figure, which represents a 43 percent decline from the previous quarter, marked the first time that revenue decreased in the region.
Overall, Apple's quarterly global revenue remained flat at $35.3 billion.
Apple said its growth in the Chinese market had slowed, particularly due to economic headwinds. China's GDP growth eased to 7.6 percent in the first half, compared with 7.8 percent a year earlier.
Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook said that he wasn't discouraged by the numbers from just one 90-day period.
"I continue to believe that in the arc of time here, China is a huge opportunity for Apple," Cook said on an earnings call on Tuesday.
However, analysts believe that fiercer competition, together with other factors, played a much bigger role in Apple's lackluster performance in China than the macro-economic effects.
"The iPhone 5 was less popular than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S, in China during the first 100 days after they hit the market," said James Yan, an analyst with research firm IDC. IPhone 5 handsets also saw stronger competition from brands such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and HTC Corp, as well as some local brands like Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Xiaomi Corp, Yan said.
Meanwhile, Chinese telecom operators have cut their subsidies for iPhone 5 devices.
"Consumers and industry partners adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the iPhone 5," Yan said. On the consumer side, they started to look for other high-quality smartphones with lower prices, or they are planning to buy the upcoming iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6, which seem to be more innovative products, he added.
Kevin Wang, an analyst with IHS iSuppli, said that Apple's pricing strategy also discouraged some first-time smartphone buyers and low-end customers. A 16 GB iPhone 5 costs at least 5,000 yuan ($809.80), more than the average monthly salary of people working in Beijing.
"The situation will only change when Apple introduces a less-expensive version of the iPhone, then we'll see a new sales surge in the country," Wang said.
For instance, Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei, which in recent years expanded to the smartphone market, launched its P6 model in June, targeting high-end users but selling at a mere 2,688 yuan.
Huawei said on Wednesday that its first-half revenue was 113.8 billion yuan, up 10.8 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the Beijing-based Xiaomi is selling high-quality smartphones at extremely low prices, usually below 2,000 yuan. Xiaomi said it sold more than 7 million smartphones in the first half.
But Apple still has ways to protect its status as a major player in China, said Xiang Ligang, a telecom industry insider.
Xiang said that Apple will likely quicken the pace of its collaboration talks with China Mobile Ltd, the nation's biggest telecom operator, to boost iPhone sales.
China Mobile and Apple have been in talks for years, but the two have yet to reach an agreement. Some industry sources said that the two companies will likely start cooperating soon, since all the preliminary work is done.
Chinese consumers may be having second thoughts about buying Apple Inc's iPhone.
The devices are becoming so common in China these days that many people lost their once strong desire to own one. Also, iPhones are considered too expensive, and many consumers are opting for cheaper phones with similar capabilities.
 |
Apple said on Tuesday that its revenue from China fell 14 percent year-on-year to $4.6 billion in the quarter ended June 29.Provided to China Daily
|
And the Chinese market's hesitation has showed in Apple's latest quarterly financial report. Even though the California-based company delivered better-than-expected global iPhone shipments of 31.2 million units during the quarter ended June 29, its performance in Greater China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, was sluggish in the period.
Apple said on Tuesday that its revenue from China fell 14 percent year-on-year to $4.6 billion in the quarter ended June 29. The figure, which represents a 43 percent decline from the previous quarter, marked the first time that revenue decreased in the region.
Overall, Apple's quarterly global revenue remained flat at $35.3 billion.
Apple said its growth in the Chinese market had slowed, particularly due to economic headwinds. China's GDP growth eased to 7.6 percent in the first half, compared with 7.8 percent a year earlier.
Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook said that he wasn't discouraged by the numbers from just one 90-day period.
"I continue to believe that in the arc of time here, China is a huge opportunity for Apple," Cook said on an earnings call on Tuesday.
However, analysts believe that fiercer competition, together with other factors, played a much bigger role in Apple's lackluster performance in China than the macro-economic effects.
"The iPhone 5 was less popular than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S, in China during the first 100 days after they hit the market," said James Yan, an analyst with research firm IDC. IPhone 5 handsets also saw stronger competition from brands such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and HTC Corp, as well as some local brands like Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Xiaomi Corp, Yan said.
Meanwhile, Chinese telecom operators have cut their subsidies for iPhone 5 devices.
"Consumers and industry partners adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the iPhone 5," Yan said. On the consumer side, they started to look for other high-quality smartphones with lower prices, or they are planning to buy the upcoming iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6, which seem to be more innovative products, he added.
Kevin Wang, an analyst with IHS iSuppli, said that Apple's pricing strategy also discouraged some first-time smartphone buyers and low-end customers. A 16 GB iPhone 5 costs at least 5,000 yuan ($809.80), more than the average monthly salary of people working in Beijing.
"The situation will only change when Apple introduces a less-expensive version of the iPhone, then we'll see a new sales surge in the country," Wang said.
For instance, Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei, which in recent years expanded to the smartphone market, launched its P6 model in June, targeting high-end users but selling at a mere 2,688 yuan.
Huawei said on Wednesday that its first-half revenue was 113.8 billion yuan, up 10.8 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the Beijing-based Xiaomi is selling high-quality smartphones at extremely low prices, usually below 2,000 yuan. Xiaomi said it sold more than 7 million smartphones in the first half.
But Apple still has ways to protect its status as a major player in China, said Xiang Ligang, a telecom industry insider.
Xiang said that Apple will likely quicken the pace of its collaboration talks with China Mobile Ltd, the nation's biggest telecom operator, to boost iPhone sales.
China Mobile and Apple have been in talks for years, but the two have yet to reach an agreement. Some industry sources said that the two companies will likely start cooperating soon, since all the preliminary work is done.
China Peacekeepers return from Southern Sudan/China Daily report
Chinese peacekeeping force returns from S Sudan
Updated: 2013-07-25 12:00
BEIJING - A peacekeeping team returned to China from South Sudan on Thursday after an eight-month UN mission.
The team was made up of military engineers and medical staff from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Jinan Military Area Command and PLA Logistics Department.
The team successfully completed a number of tasks, including building new roads and buildings, providing medical care and escorting.
Another peacekeeping team from the PLA Jinan Military Area Command arrived in South Sudan on Wednesday to take over where the previous team left off.
The team was made up of military engineers and medical staff from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Jinan Military Area Command and PLA Logistics Department.
The team successfully completed a number of tasks, including building new roads and buildings, providing medical care and escorting.
Another peacekeeping team from the PLA Jinan Military Area Command arrived in South Sudan on Wednesday to take over where the previous team left off.
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