dimanche 16 novembre 2014
China opens first leg of high-speed railway in Xinjiang
The 530 km (330 miles) stretch between Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, and Hami is the first stage of the 1,775 km (1,100 miles) Lanxin railway connecting Urumqi to Lanzhou, the capital of central western Gansu Province.
The official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday that the full length of the passenger railway is on schedule to open by the end of the year. Trains on the Urumqi-Hami leg could reach more than 200 kph (120 mph), halving the travel time between the two cities to three hours.
Xinjiang, a sprawling, resource-rich region that is home to China's Muslim Uighur minority, has been beset by worsening ethnic violence in recent years but remains a critical part of China's economic strategy.
Over the past year President Xi Jinping has spelled out ambitious plans to open China's west and build a "New Silk Road" network of intercontinental land routes and maritime lines that would connect China to its Central and Southeast Asian neighbours. He announced a $40 billion fund to invest in infrastructure projects earlier this month.
China has also been pouring money into Xinjiang's development in an effort to quell growing discontent among Uighurs, many of whom chafe at government restrictions on their cultural and religious practices as well as their lack of economic opportunity.
The government, which has warned of a growing threat of Islamist militants in the region, said in June it was confident of guaranteeing the railway's security despite a bomb attack at an Urumqi railway station in April that killed three people and wounded 79.
(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Paul Tait)
China's Xi - China economic growth to be sustainable, balanced: Xinhua
Xi also said China will provide more demand and investment opportunities for the globaleconomy as it undergoes structural reforms that foster opportunities for growth, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
China's economy grew in the third quarter at its slowest pace since the global financial crisis, sparking concern that the world's second largest economy is faltering as the government tries to make it more driven by domestic consumption and less by exports and investment.
Using his latest catchphrase, Xi said China's economy has entered a "new normal", there is plenty of growth momentum and development prospects are bright, Xinhua reported.
China will also adopt the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Special Data Dissemination Standards, Xi announced.
These standards are applied to the release of economic and financial data, aimed at increasing transparency and openness in order to guide countries "that have, or that might seek, access to international capital markets in the provision of their economic and financial data to the public," according to the IMF website.
China's provinces and regions frequently report economic growth much larger than national levels, causing doubts about the way data is compiled in China.
China's government has vowed to tackle false reporting of economic data at the local level, but the sheer size of the country and the large number of local authorities makes this a daunting task.
(Reporting by Paul Carsten; Additional reporting by Koh Gui Qing; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
China to cut 40 billion yuan a year in fees to spur business growth
100 Yuan notes are seen in this illustration picture in Beijing November 5, 2013.
CREDIT: REUTERS/JASON LEE
Starting January 2015, the government will scrap 42 administrative fees and 12 businessregistration fees, measures specifically tailored to relieve burdens on small businesses, according to the State Council, China's cabinet.
Businesses with monthly sales of less than 30,000 yuan will be exempt from five additional charges for the next three years, according to the State Council, which additionally said it would target pricing reforms to promote competition in the energy, transportation and environment sectors.
China's leaders have taken steps to steady growth levels as they confront mounting signs of a potentially sharp slowdown.
But calls for the government to ratchet up stimulus measures, including cutting interest rates, have intensified after official data showed third-quarter gross domestic product grew 7.3 percent, the slowest pace since the global financial crisis.
New data has also showed a drop in bank lending and money supply growth this month.
Speaking on Saturday at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Brisbane, Australia, President Xi Jinping sought to reassure global investors that his country would maintain "strong, sustainable and balanced growth."
(1 US dollar = 6.1290 Chinese yuan)
(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Mark Potter)
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)