Is Loosened Land Transfer Possible?

Caijing Magazine
October 7

As the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the 18th Communist Party of China draws near, expectations are high that transfer of collectively owned rural land will be loosened.

However, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources, China's land management system won't undergo large reforms because on the one hand, transfer of collectively owned rural land will cause farmers to lose their land, leading to social unrest; on the other hand, local government opposes such reforms because free transfer of collectively owned rural land will weaken local government dominance of land sales.

Despite these obstacles to reform, land transfer experience in south China's Guangdong Province has provided insight into how land transfer might become possible. In the 30 years since China's reform and opening-up drive kicked off, land transfer in the Pearl River Delta area has provided not only buildings for Hong Kong and Taiwan factories, but also homes to workers swarming the region. It is this illegal land transfer market that pushed forward industrialization and urbanization in the area.

Digital Scrawl

Beijing Youth Daily
October 8

Starting from the National Day holiday on October 1, tourists can scrawl wantonly across a large digital screen inside the Yellow Crane Tower, a famous historical building situated on the Yangtze River bank in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province.

As is known, many Chinese tourists have a habit of writing on cultural vestiges. The Yellow Crane Tower has undergone its fair share of scrawling since ancient times, with famous Tang Dynasty poet and scholar Cui Hao (704-754) leaving a beautiful poem on its walls.

However, the situation has escalated in recent years, causing much damage. Though many scenic areas have made efforts to prohibit visitors from writing on walls, etc., the problem persists.

During the week-long holiday, the newly equipped digital screen has drawn a lot of attention, featuring a WiFi system that enables visitors to store and email their musings. It also includes an interactive map. Due to its positive impact, local authorities plan to equip more scenic spots around the city with similar devices.

Food Safety for Students

Yanzhao Evening News
September 27

Local authorities in Tongchuan City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, recently introduced new regulations that mandate school principals eat with their students in an attempt to guarantee food safety.

However, how should such an initiative be implemented?

For a long time, lack of supervision has been a key reason behind cases of food poisoning at schools. Without a proper management system in place, long-term progress will be limited.

In nature, the new regulations reveal a common reliance on leadership, and not an effective system, to resolve problems. However, who is to oppose school principals should they decide to ignore the law or take measures into their own hands?

Thus, the initiative will unlikely resolve food safety issues at school. What is needed is comprehensive supervision covering the purchase, processing and storage of school meals, alongside a third party observer, to ensure adequate transparency.

Chinese Investment Faced With Obstacles

Oriental Outlook
October 10

Although direct overseas investment in the world is declining due to the weakened global economy, China's overseas investment, especially that in the United States, is growing faster. In the first half of 2013, China's investment in the United States increased by 290 percent.

For example, Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., China's largest meat producer, offered to buy U.S. pork giant Smithfield Foods Inc., while China National Offshore Oil Corp. Ltd. acquired Canadian oil and gas company Nexen.

However, despite fast growing investment, Chinese investors are facing strict examination by the United States.

Oriental Outlook journalists have explored the system and functions of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an inter-agency committee authorized to review transactions that might jeopardize national security in the United States, to help Chinese companies better expand overseas.