Thread: The View, from China

I wonder how the UK fares these days?


(Australians are now the richest people in the world
The Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report found that the median personal wealth per Australian adult was a massive $409,055 (US$273,900) - making Aussies the richest people on the planet.)

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/australians-are-now-the-richest-people-in-the-world-001758078.html


Mean/ Median/ Mode. Do your homework. Look up Gini co-efficient too.

In part five of the China series, we're exploring the massive Xiangyun International (祥云国际) project.
The 1800 acre abandoned residential and commercial development is located in the heart of Shijiazhuang, a city 5 hours southwest of Beijing with a population of 11 million.

According to local news, Xiangyun International was meant to be known as the "Venice of the Orient".
Expansive plans called for theme parks, luxury hotels, high-end business offices, tourism exhibitions, leisure and entertainment, and environmentally-friendly residences.
Investors poured 17 billion yuan into the development – an equivalent today of $3 billion US. However, construction was stopped in 2014 due to investment issues and eventual bankruptcy.

The other 5 parts explore more of the same ...

Some more acorns being planted:

China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan sign document of cooperation on joint railway project: NDRC

By Global Times Published: Sep 24, 2022 12:10 AM

"Officials from China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a document of cooperation on a railway project during the 2022 annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), marking "phased progress" with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, according to a statement published by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on its official WeChat account on Friday.

According to work plans discussed by the three sides, the feasibility study for the railway project is underway. Relevant work formally started on August 2, 2022 and was implemented by more than 180 technical experts from China Railway First Survey and Design Institute.

So far, workers have finished the route survey and mapping work for key plans, while geological exploration and other work is being carried out in an orderly manner according to the established work plan, the NDRC disclosed.

If the project progresses smoothly, it is expected that the field survey can be completed by the end of the year, and all the feasibility studies will be completed by the end of June 2023 as planned.

The railroad has made positive progress this year thanks to efforts launched by the three countries. Recently, Chinese experts arrived in Kyrgyzstan to do survey work for the railroad, the NDRC revealed earlier.

Under the initial plan, the railway will be the shortest route to transport goods from China to Europe and the Middle East, cutting the journey by 900 kilometers and saving seven to eight days of travel time."

China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan sign document of cooperation on joint railway project: NDRC - Global Times

Microsoft, other US firms expand in China, defying decoupling push

By Qi Xijia Published: Sep 22, 2022 08:07 PM

"US technology giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday plans to expand recruitment and upgrade its campuses in China, following a series of recent moves and plans of major US businesses, including chipmaker Nvidia, to expand their presence in the Chinese market, despite the US decoupling push.

Microsoft said that it will expand its recruitment in China next year to bring the total number of employees to over 10,000, according to a notice on the website of the company. Microsoft already has more than 9,000 full-time employees in China, and 80 percent of them are research and development specialists and engineering technicians.

On the basis of expanding recruitment, Microsoft plans to upgrade its campuses in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province over the next three to five years.

Microsoft said that since it entered China 30 years ago, it has witnessed and participated in the rapid development of China's information industry.

"We will continue to strengthen our confidence and determination to develop in the Chinese market and expand investment in human resources, campuses, education and the local ecosystem to find new opportunities in China, boosted by China's accelerated development of the digital economy," said Hou Yang, chairman and CEO, Microsoft Greater China.

The move by Microsoft signals that the US business community still sees China as an ideal market and is willing to expand its operations and cooperation in China despite the US' intension to decouple from China, Liu Dingding, a veteran analyst in the technology industry, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The announcement by Microsoft, one of the first technology enterprises to enter China, has injected confidence in the industry, which rebutted foreign media reports that foreign investors are leaving China as a result of the US' decoupling push, Liu said.

"Decoupling is not likely to happen as the industries in both countries have long been closely intertwined," Liu added.

Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Jensen Huang said on Wednesday that he continues to see a large market for Nvidia's data center chips in China, despite US restrictions on exports of two of its top chips to the country, Reuters reported.

He said that the rules leave "a large space for us" in the Chinese market.

"So our expectation is that for the US and also for China, we will have a large number of products that are architecturally compatible, that are within the limits and that require no license at all."

US carmarker Tesla also optimized a production line at its Shanghai Gigafactory on September 1, BJNEWS reported. With an investment of 1.2 billion yuan ($169 million), the expanded line will add 4,000 jobs, taking the total staff at the factory to 19,000, according to the report."

Microsoft, other US firms expand in China, defying decoupling push - Global Times

Chinese companies form JV, to explore rare-earth resource in Laos

By Global Times Published: Sep 23, 2022 01:29 PM

"Xiamen Tungsten Corporation (XTC), China's largest producer of Tungsten products, announced that it has signed an agreement to form a joint venture (JV) with rare and precious metal manufacturer Chifengjilong Gold Mining Co (Chifeng Gold), and the JV will focus on rare-earth resource exploration in Laos.

Industry observers said the move represents Chinese companies' fresh diversification effort in sourcing rare-earth minerals - the bulk of which isreliant onimports from countries such as Myanmar - amid supply chain disruption, skyrocketing bulk commodity price and other rising global uncertainties. Participating in the resource exploration of foreign countries will drive up their local rare-earth industrial chains, while ensuring the security of the strategic resources supply and giving a boost to China's competitive industrial advantage in global sphere, analysts said.

The new JV has a registered capital of 60 million yuan ($8.45 million), with XTC accounting for 49 percent of the investment and Chifeng Gold accounting for the remaining 51 percent, according to an announcement XTC sent to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday.

Under the agreement, XTC will be responsible for providing support to rare-earth exploration in Laos and assist the JV's access to domestic policy support, and Chifeng Gold should provide assistance inacquiring an exploration license in Laos and applying for local preferential policies. Rare earth is an indispensable element in the production of high-end technology such as smartphones, computers, military equipment, satellite and aerospace technology.

The set-up of the JV will make full use of the two companies' advantages, and is conducive to optimizing XTC's rare-earth industry plan, strengthening the source of supply of rare earth and improving its core competitiveness, XTC said. The other company Chifeng Gold has acquired several mineral resources in Africa and Laos, according to media reports."

Chinese companies form JV, to explore rare-earth resource in Laos - Global Times