china fta coverage
Posted by wangbo in Chinese study, news on April 8, 2008
So I didn’t get time to finish all I wanted to do on this post this morning, and promised I’d get back to it this afternoon. Well, the day’s classes are over, the housework is done, and so here goes….
I found three articles on Xinhuanet this morning, one in English, and two in Chinese.
The first of the Chinese language articles is simply about the meeting between Wen Jiabao and Helen Clark.
free trade agreement
Posted by wangbo in Chinese study, news on April 8, 2008
Update: Although I appreciate the linklove from Danwei, it was a little too early, and the post where I finally explore all I wanted to explore on this issue can be found here.
And so the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement is signed. Being kinda curious as to how this would be presented in the Chinese media, I started looking around over breakfast. My favourite 新京报/The Beijing News had not updated since I checked last night, so nothing there. That, unfortunately, meant going straight to Xinhua. I have the English version bookmarked, and so the first article on the subject I found was this one, which leads with:
BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) — China and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement, the first such pact between China and a developed country, on Monday.
The deal was inked by Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his New Zealand counterpart Helen Clark attended the signing ceremony after over-one-hour bilateral talks.
But that’s for international consumption, and what I’m curious about is how it’s being presented to the domestic audience. And so I went over to the Chinese side of Xinhua‘s site, which is an absolute mess (there’s a bloody good reason why I like TBN so much, and it’s not the content), and after some searching, found a couple of articles.
The first was apparently not directly related to the FTA, but just looked like the usual “Crackpot dictator of Banana Republic X meets [insert high-ranking Chinese leader who had nothing better to do] and reaffirms all the usual policy points” article Xinhua is so good at. And is it just me, or does poor Wen Jiabao look rather daunted in that photo? Anyway:
温家宝与新西兰总理克拉克举行会谈
Wen Jiabao meets New Zealand Prime Minister Clark
新华网北京４月７日电（记者李诗佳）国务院总理温家宝７日在人民大会堂与新西兰总理克拉克举行会谈。双方一致同意，以两国签署自由贸易协定为契机，推动中新全面友好合作关系达到更高水平。
Xinhuanet Beijing April 7 (reporter Li Shijia) State Council Premier Wen Jiabao held a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Clark on the 7th in the Great Hall of the People. Both sides unanimously agreed to take the signing of the free trade agreement as a turning point and to push Sino-New Zealand all-round friendly and cooperative relations to higher levels.
Now, I’m sorry, but I have class at ten and I don’t have time to bang my head against the solid brick wall of Chinese political rhetoric. I’ll get back to this and the other article this afternoon, and I might even try seeing what China’s other media are doing about the FTA. Let’s just say that the article continues with Wen Jiabao’s thoughts and feelings on the FTA and Sino-New Zealand relations and the future development of friendly, cooperative ties between the two countries, and then moves on to Clark’s views. I hope, considering “education” is mentioned, that future Sino-New Zealand cooperation does not involve China offering New Zealand training in political rhetoric.
The second article, which seems to be more directly about the signing of the FTA, is headlined thusly:
中国与新西兰签署自由贸易区协定 四个”第一”引人注目
China and New Zealand sign free trade agreement. Eyecatching four “Firsts”
The four firsts are:
新西兰作为第一个完成中国入世双边谈判的国家、第一个承认中国完全市场经济地位的国家、第一个与中国展开自贸区谈判的发达国家、第一个与中国达成自贸协定的发达国家，其经贸史上四个与中国有关的“第一”格外引人注目。
New Zealand was the first country to complete bilateral negotiations for China’s entry into the WTO, the first country to recognise China’s status as a full market economy, the first developed country to open negotiations on a free trade zone with China, and the first developed country to complete a free trade agreement with China. These four “firsts” in the history of economic relations with China are especially eye-catching.
Right, I’m already running late as it is, I’ll get back to the FTA this afternoon.
learning from mistakes…
So there’s been a new drug raid in Sanlitun (the China Daily article Beijing Boyce links to), and this time it seems the police got it right. I think it is worth highlighting one of Boyce’s paragraphs:
My overall impression is that: 1) this raid was much more coordinated that the one last October; 2) given the numerous photographers, it was meant to send a very public message; 3) now is not the time to be acting recklessly in Beijing; and 4) it’s a good idea to have your identification papers with you.
[my emphasis added]
Yes, this probably was meant to send a message. Boyce notes that there were photographers and videographers out in force with the police, and even “Patrons outside were told they could go in, which most of them did, at which point the photographers took pictures of them sitting in the bar.” Oh dear. I would like to see the resulting pictures and captions. But send a message to who? Was this intended for domestic consumption? Or are they killing a rooster to scare us foreign monkeys into behaving ourselves? I saw nothing in The Beijing News this morning- doesn’t mean it wasn’t there, though, so I’m having another look, as well as searching Baidu and Soso news. And in both cases the first result would seem to be the relevant one.
Well, given the wealth of articles those two searches have turned up, I think we can say the message was at least as much for a domestic audience as a foreign one. My next question is “What is the message?” Well, let’s have a look at the 新华报业网 report which tops the Soso results and is first on Baidu’s list of 20 related articles.
北京警方突查三里屯俩吸贩毒窝点抓获20余人
Beijing police raid two Sanlitun drug dens, arrest 20
昨晚，市公安局调集大批警力，突击检查了位于三里屯酒吧街的凤凰咖啡厅和清纯女孩酒吧，将涉嫌正在吸贩毒的20余人当场抓获，并收缴大量摇头丸、大麻、麻古等毒品。据了解，被抓的20余人中包括8名外籍人员。
Last night [Friday night], the Municipal Public Security Bureau assembled a large police force and raided Phoenix Cafe and Pure Girl Bar on Sanlitun Bar Street, arrested over 20 people suspected of using and dealing drugs at the scene and confiscated large amounts of drugs including ecstasy, marijuana and [Help! I’m not a junkie! What is 麻古? Is that the “Yaba tablets” China Daily refers to? If so, what the hell is it?]. Among the more than 20 people arrested were 8 foreigners.
近期，警方接到举报，称在三里屯的个别酒吧和咖啡厅里，重新出现了吸贩毒活动。市公安局立即成立专案组，经过仔细调查，证实这里的凤凰咖啡厅、清纯女孩酒吧两家娱乐场所是吸贩毒窝点，经常有人在此从事毒品交易。
Recently the police had received reports that bar and cafe in question had once again become places where drugs were sold and used. The municipal Public Security Bureau immediately set up a special investigation team, undertook careful investigations, and confirmed that the two entertainment establishments Phoenix Cafe and Pure Girl Bar were drug dens where drug deals were regularly carried out.
昨天晚上10时许，警方多个部门配合，在同一时间内突击检查凤凰咖啡厅和清纯女孩酒吧，在现场将涉嫌吸贩毒的20余名违法人员全部抓获。随后，警方及相关执法部门对此两家场所进行查封，并对涉嫌吸贩毒人员及两个场所的法人代表和经营者进行初步审查。(记者安然)
At 10 yesterday evening, several departments of the police coordinated to raid Phoenix Cafe and Pure Girl Bar simultaneously, and over 20 law-breakers suspected of using or dealing in drugs were all arrested. Soon afterwards the police and relevant law enforcement authorities seized the two establishments and conducted preliminary investigations into those suspected of using or dealing drugs as well as the legal representatives and management of the two establishments. (reporter: An Ran)
Alright, seems like a fairly normal and reasonably balanced report. I’m just wondering: Is that “Phoenix Cafe” the “A Little High” Boyce speaks of? Yeah, I don’t go to Sanlitun often.
Now, I’m curious about the photographers and videographers Boyce mentions. For one thing, lzh loves all those law case programmes on TV, and she came back from Yanqing yesterday afternoon, so I’m half expecting to see it on TV soon. Secondly, that sentence of Boyce’s has me intrigued:
Patrons outside were told they could go in, which most of them did, at which point the photographers took pictures of them sitting in the bar.
Soso doesn’t seem to have any relevant pictures.
That article was attributed to 北京晚报. I wonder what I can find there. Hmm, that’s not a promising-looking page…. Try the main 京报网 page, too. Well, 晚报 has the article, but no photos. Odd.
I wonder about video…. Soso has nothing from this year.
Baidu’s even less helpful. What TV channel would be covering it?
Think I’ll try CCTV first. Nothing.
I give up.
Now, Boyce’s third point: “now is not the time to be acting recklessly in Beijing“. Absolutely, although some people still haven’t gotten the message yet. The days when foreigners got an easy ride just for being foreign are over. No passport is a “get out of jail free” card. Behave yourself, or suffer the consequences.
And his fourth point: “it’s a good idea to have your identification papers with you.” Good advice, just in case you do get caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I generally don’t bother to carry my passport when wandering around this neighbourhood, but then the only reason for foreigners to be down this part of town is BeiGongDa, so I feel pretty safe. But I’ve started carrying my passport when I go further afield, especially if I’m going somewhere with a large foreign population and especially if it’s somewhere like Sanlitun. I don’t go looking for trouble, and these days I stick to respectable establishments, but even so, entertainment districts like Sanlitun naturally attract the less savoury elements of society and innocent people do find themselves occasionally caught up in trouble they weren’t looking for.
And why did this grab my attention? Well, given the nature and history of Sanlitun and what happened last September, I couldn’t help but be curious to see what could be seen.
Update: And the headline of this article at CRI is the kind of bollocks part of me feared would emerge, given the events of last September:
Police Nab Eight Foreigners Suspected of Drug Trafficking
Yes, eight foreigners were arrested, and over a dozen Chinese, too. The article on their Chinese site takes the more neutral tone of those linked to above. I guess the English article was killing the rooster to scare the foreign monkeys, then.
you can’t search me
Posted by wangbo in Chinese study, news on April 6, 2008
Apparently it’s not legal for supermarkets to check shoppers’ dockets as they leave the supermarket. Funny, I don’t see that happening too often, mostly only at that Thai chain Lotus (at least, I think it’s a Thai chain, and I think it’s called Lotus….), although I’ve seen it at one or two other large supermarkets scattered around the country over the years. It always struck me as being utterly absurd- yeah, that’s right, I used my Bruce Lee kung fu powers to fly back over the cashiers and steal a whole bunch of stuff then back out to the exit without being noticed, and so you need to see if what’s printed on my docket matches what’s in the bags I’m carrying.
Although I not that the article says “不合法” and not “非法” or “犯法”. I don’t know how to interpret that properly: Is it not legal in that there’s no specific clause of any law permitting supermarkets to check dockets? Or is it actually illegal? I would like this to be cleared up, because the article also says it is not legal for supermarkets to search customers. Anyway, from 新京报/The Beijing News’ Jiang Yanxin:
“超市出口查小票不合法”
“Not legal to check dockets at supermarket exits”
市消协人士称超市怀疑消费者偷窃时无权搜身、罚款
City consumers’ association figure says supermarkets have no right to search people or impose fines when they suspect a consumer of theft
在怀疑消费者偷窃东西的时候，超市方也不能对消费者采取罚款或搜身等行为。昨日，北京市消费者协会投诉部主任郎丹科做客城市服务管理广播表示，超市方在出口处检查购物小票的行为，也是没有任何法律依据的。
When they suspect consumers of theft, supermarkets can’t impose fines on, physically search or carry out other actions against consumers. Yesterday, while a guest on Beijing Public Service Radio, director of the Complaints Department of the Beijing Municipal Consumers’ Association Liang Danke stated that the checking of dockets at supermarket exits also has no basis in law whatsoever.
Now, the second section seems to be about beauty products and cosmetics and consumers’ rights to return goods and get refunds, but I’m not interested in any of that. And besides, it’s all very obvious: If your hair turns a different colour from what you expected, but there’s no issue with the quality of the product, you’re stuck with funny-coloured hair. If you’re hair turns a lurid, radioactive neon green because the product was of substandard quality, you’re entitled to return the product and get a refund. Or something like that. Should all be very obvious, shouldn’t it?
[Tangent: Yes, should be obvious, but I know a woman who demanded a refund on her shoes because she spilt oil on them. Idiot.]
Anyway, back to the checking of dockets:
被超市搜身可要求道歉
Those searched by supermarkets can demand an apology
有市民在节目中反映说，自己去超市购物，有物品遗落未付款，被超市便衣诬蔑为小偷，这种情况如何处理？对此郎丹科 称，超市如果称消费者偷窃东西，必须要提供摄像头记录的资料，证明消费者的盗窃行为。无论在何种情况下，超市对消费者进行罚款或搜身等行为，都是不允许 的。如果消费者遭遇搜身、当众侮辱或罚款等行为，可以要求经营者赔礼道歉。
During the programme, some city residents responded saying that while shopping at the supermarket, they’d left things behind without paying and had been branded thieves by the supermarket’s plainclothes detectives- how can this kind of situation be handled? To this Liang Danke said that if the supermarket accuses a consumer of theft, it must supply recordings from a camera and prove that the consumer had committed theft. Regardless of the situation, the supermarket is not allowed to fine or search the consumer. If the consumer is searched, publicly insulted or fined, they can demand that a manager politely apologise.
此外，超市在出门时强行检查购物小票的行为，也是不合法的。作为消费者而言，和超市之间的交易行为截止时间是将东西给收银员、收银员收款后给消费者小票时。这之后无论是商品还是小票，所有权都是消费者，超市不具备在出口处查看小票的权限。
Also, it is not legal for the supermarkets to forcibly check dockets at the exit. As far as consumers are concerned, the transaction with the supermarket is completed once, the items having been handed to the cashier and the cashier having accepted payment, the cashier has given the consumer the docket. From that moment on, regardless of whether its the commodities or the docket, and the supermarket has no right to check the docket at the exit.
So there you go, once you’ve paid and you have your docket and your purchases in your hand, you can refuse to allow your docket to be checked or to be searched. But what happens then? In refusing, you bring more suspicion on yourself….
Still, I think this could be seen as an example of the greater emphasis on individual rights and the weakening of over-arching bureaucratic power. Maybe.
Whatever, it would be good to see this in action. Trouble is, apart from Lotus, I can’t think of too many supermarkets which do forcibly check dockets, and I’ve never seen supermarket staff insist on searching anyone here. But it would be interesting to see if a consumer was able to stand up and demand, and get, an apology from a supermarket for unlawful checking of dockets or searches.
out wandering
Posted by wangbo in life in Beijing on April 5, 2008
So I did it, I went out and wandered round a bit.
Well, first I took bus 34 round to the east gate of the Temple of Heaven, then the subway Line 5 up to Dongdan, then transferred to an incredibly crowded Line 1 and rode that out to Nanlishi Lu. From there I wandered in a vaguely southwestwards direction, looking for 白云观/Baiyunguan. Found it, too.
For a moment, though, I thought I’d found a different temple. There were two Buddhist monks sitting on a bench just inside the gate. Buddhists look completely different. Daoists don’t shave either their heads or faces. These two guys were definitely Buddhist. Still, Tianningsi is only a short distance to the south.
I took a rather zig-zaggy route from the subway through what was mostly older apartment blocks- about 50-odd years old, by the looks- but with a few newer buildings sprinkled among them. It was nice, pleasant, it had the comfortable feel of an established neighbourhood. I eventually popped out into a park along the north bank of the canal that runs behind Baiyunguan and walked through that to Baiyun Lu, across the canal, past the construction site that neighbours Baiyunguan, and up to the front gate of the temple. I checked the time, and decided it’d probably be best to find a restaurant and get some lunch first, it being just after midday.
After lunch I went back to Baiyunguan and wandered through the temple.
There, finally, I’ve done it. In all these years in China I’ve been to churches both Protestant and Catholic, I’ve been to Buddhist temples, I’ve even poked around a mosque or two- although of course I haven’t gone into the inner sanctum- but up until today I’d never set foot inside a Taoist temple. It’s silly, really, considering when I lived in Changsha I walked past the Taoist temple on Yuelushan on a very regular basis, and yet never went inside. And all these years I’ve been in Beijing, Baiyunguan has been sitting there, and I’ve been meaning to visit, but I never got around to it. Until today.
Well, actually, I did go there once before, several years ago, but it was closed. For some reason I didn’t get back there until today.
I was surprised to see the narrow lane I remember from several years ago had become a fair bit wider, and was paved with some quite decent, and new, looking paving stones, and there was plenty of space for cars to park. And tour buses. Tour buses are never a good sign, and there were several parked outside. Nevertheless, I went looking for the ticket office, and discovered that it was one of those cheap-looking aluminium kiosks that are supposedly for security guards to sit in and… I dunno, guard stuff. And it had those still grills you roll down over shop doors stuck on each side. Not a good look. Still, they sold me a ticket which, at ten yuan, was quite reasonably priced, I thought. I mean, it could be cheaper, but then again, there were tour buses outside.
I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the tour buses lined up outside, I didn’t see any tour groups at all. In fact, for the longest time it looked like I was the only tourist there. Everybody else either worked there or had come to worship, which is good, because too many of the famous temples have more the air of a tourist circus than a place of worship about them, which, regardless of whether you believe or not, is just plain wrong.
What’s worst, though, are those temples which are little more than museums. Jinci and the Twin Pagoda temples in Taiyuan were like that, and they were cold and depressing.
But no, Baiyunguan felt like just a regular temple used mostly by worshippers. No tourist circus, no cold, dead museum. It was quiet, calm, peaceful, and warm and inviting, just the way such a place should be.
Of course, Baiyunguan isn’t just a regular Taoist temple. It’s also the headquarters of the China Taoist Association, the China Taoism Institute and Taoist Culture Research Institute, etc, etc… So it’s a pretty important place. And that means that the temple is very well looked after, and not just by “museum staff”, but by people who have an interest in seeing it flourish. The buildings, the art work, the decoration, the statues, the carvings, the furniture, are all magnificent, beautiful. You could easily spend hours absorbed in the beauty of the place.
The temple management have also taken great pains to make visiting the temple an educational experience- at least for those who can read Chinese. Apart from the usual bilingual signs giving a brief introduction to each building and altar (and the English wasn’t perfect, but not too bad), there were posters up explaining the relationship of Taoism to art, music, history, medicine, and many other aspects of Chinese culture, and even some posters of famous people from throughout history commenting on Taoism. Sima Tan, Hegel, Heidegger, Mao Zedong, Jiang Zemin and many, many others were quoted.
And actually, I’m surprised by how old Baiyunguan is. According to the brief introduction on the back of the gate ticket, it was founded as “Tianchangguan” in the 29th year of the Emperor Kaiyuan of the Tang Dynasty- 741 AD, in other words. This site, though, dates it back to Kaiyuan’s 10th year, or AD 722. I think I’ll trust the China Taoist Association over some Hong Kong organisation. I mean, they live in Baiyunguan, after all.
And it was interesting wandering around the temple, although I think I should’ve slowed down and taken more advantage of the educational opportunities it offered. Anyway, I can always go back if the fancy takes me.
Anyway, then I wandered back up to the Nanlishilu subway station, got back on the absurdly crowded Line 1, and rode the train over to Dawang Lu. I did a little necessary shopping, then grabbed a coffee in O’Farrells. Shouldn’t have done that, I don’t drink coffee that much anymore, and it hit me a bit hard. But then came the day’s second mission: Dongjiao Market.
See, a couple of weeks ago lzh stopped in Dongjiao Market for some malatang on the way home from work. While she was there, she overheard a snippet of conversation about finding a new place to work from, as if the market were in some kind of danger. Since then I’ve been past three times and seen big notices up at the market gates, but each time I’ve been stuck on a bus and haven’t been able to find out what the deal is. Then a few days ago lzh got home and said something about the market closing down and all the vendors leaving. So today, after my coffee, I walked south from Soho, across the Tonghui canal, and past the market.
Indeed, it was closed, or at least, the western half was. The market was still going, just as busy as always, and in no sign of any danger over on the eastern side of the road. But the western half was closed, all the vendors were gone, all the stalls and shops were shut and firmly locked up. No sign of any demolition, though. In fact, the only sign of any work being done in the western half of the market was three cement trucks driving out to the back of it.
Wait…. cement trucks? Hmmm…..
Unfortunately, the notices that had been posted at the gate had all been taken down. And I’ve seen nothing about Dongjiao Market in the news- although that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any reports. So I still have no idea what’s going on there. So far, though, there’s no sign of it being torn down, which is good.
I’ve always wondered, though, no, more worried about how long Dongjiao Market would last. With the eastern end of the CBD- Soho, Blue Castle, Huamao, etc- immediately to the north, and all those fancy developments along Xidawang Lu from Baiziwan south almost as far as Pingleyuan, the Dongjiao Market and the few remaining “rough” areas at Baiziwan look like prime targets for developers. I’m just hoping that the canal, East Railway Station and its associated railway lines and railyards and the long-distance bus station are enough to keep the market safe.
So, yes, I should’ve been studying for the HSK, but I needed to get out and wander around, and, whether it was well spent or not, it was a good day.
home alone
lzh is up in Yanqing, I’m home alone, it’s a dreary, damp, overcast day and rain is forecast. I know I should be studying, but I think I’ll go out and wander round for a bit.
uh oh
Posted by wangbo in Chinese study, news on April 3, 2008
It’s not the sky that’s falling, it’s the earth. 新京报/The Beijing News reports:
蓟门桥西辅路塌陷三米深坑
Three metre deep hole opens in the side road west of Jimen Bridge
Now, let’s see if I can get their picture in here:
Looks ok… Now the text:
工作人员下坑查看情况。昨晚9时许，北三环入口蓟门桥西段的辅路中央，塌陷出约3米深坑，其周围20平方米左右的 路面为后修补路面。交警封闭辅路交通，将车辆疏导到主路行驶。抢修车刨开路面连夜抢修。现场路政抢修工作人员分析，可能是自来水管线泄漏致路面塌陷，具体 原因仍需调查。
Workers went into the hole to examine the situation. At about 9 last night, in the centre of the on-ramp from the side road on to the North Third Ring Road west of Jimen Bridge, an approximately three metre deep hole opened and approximately 20 square metres of surrounding road surface will need to be repaired. Traffic police closed the side road to traffic and opened a way for vehicles to enter the main road. Repair vehicles worked into the night to
repair the road. According to the analysis of road repair workers on the scene, the collapse may have been caused by leaking water mains, but the specific reason still needs to be investigated.
good news
I dunno why, I just decided to put up a few links to some good news:
First up, via Erica’s Responsible China, the Green Beat has a video looking at wind power in China, and the Guanting wind farm in particular.
Actually, I posted about that wind farm back in July last year. They had some trouble installing turbines because the wind was too high- a good sign for a wind farm, surely.
And the day before yesterday via a Facebook message I was directed to news of what the Library Project has been doing over March. Follow that link, read, and check out the photos- they’re amazing. These guys are doing great work getting books into remote schools in poor areas, and anything that boosts the educational opportunities available to these kids has got to be good.
There you go, some good news.
moving 150,000 people?
Posted by wangbo in Chinese study, news on April 3, 2008
Well, last night I said I’d do this, and now that I’m breakfasted and have a reasonable amount of Longjing in me (oops, need a refill…), I’ll get stuck in.
Trouble with finding an interesting-looking article at 7:15 is that lzh and I go to a colleague’s place for a study-session at 7:30. lzh tutors him, I do my own study (usually HSK practice tests, but last night it was a page and a half from 《活着》). Anyway, as promised, here it is, from 新京报/The Beijing News’ Li Liqiang:
东城15万居民拟外迁朝阳区
150,000 Dongcheng residents plan to move out to Chaoyang District
以便保护旧城，改善居住条件；胡同外将建立体停车场
To protect the old city and improve residential conditions; 3D carparks will be built outside the hutongs.
昨日，东城区副区长岳鹏做客北京城市服务管理广播时透露，东城今年力争在旧城改造的居民外迁上有所突破，目前已初步确定在朝阳区建设新城，安置老旧平房院的住房困难居民，预计有15万左右居民外迁。此外，东城区的胡同外将建立体停车场，缓解停车难的问题。
Yesterday, Dongcheng District Vice District Mayor Yue Peng, while a guest of Beijing Public Service Radio, revealed that Dongcheng would this year strive to achieve a breakthrough in the relocation of residents in the transformation of the Old City. At present, a preliminary decision has been made to build a new city in Chaoyang District to settle poor residents of old courtyard houses. It is estimated roughly 150,000 residents would be moved out. Also, a carpark would be built outside Dongcheng’s hutongs to relieve the car parking problems.
元朝古运河不会注水
Yuan Dynasty canal will not be flooded
岳鹏在访谈中介绍，东城区正在恢复古运河遗迹，整个运河的项目占地14.08公顷，项目主要恢复元朝运河的河道遗 迹，把两边的危旧房进行改造，保护历史风貌。曾有市民建议东城增加有水的景观，对此，岳鹏表示，古运河不会注水，而只会将河道的遗迹展现给市民，这也是专 家的意见。
During the interview, Yue Peng said Dongcheng District was in the process of restoring the remains of an ancient canal and the entire canal project covered an area of 14.08 hectares. The main points of the project was the restoration of the remains of a course of a Yuan Dynasty canal, the renovation of the endangered old houses on both banks, and the protection of the historic scene. Some residents have proposed adding landscapes with water to Dongcheng, but to this Yue Peng said the ancient canal would not be flooded, only the remains of the water course would be opened up to show the residents, and this was expert opinion.
胡同口将建地下停车场
Underground carparks to be built at hutong entrances
旧城胡同的停车难、行车难是老问题，岳鹏表示，将采取相应管制措施规范胡同停车，在有条件的胡同建地下或立体停车场。例如原来可以两边停车的胡同将限制单边停车，在有条件的胡同口建设立体停车场、地下停车场，缓解胡同交通拥挤。
Parking is difficult in the Old City’s hutongs, and traffic circulation is a long-standing problem, Yue Peng stated that relevant standards for the supervision of hutong parking would be adopted, and underground or 3D carparks built at hutong entrances meeting the right conditions, for example, in hutongs where parking was originally allowed on both sides, parking will be limited to one side of the road, and at hutong entrances meeting the right conditions, 3D or underground carparks will be built to ease traffic congestion in the hutongs.
他表示，新建停车场不可能大拆大建，原则是因地制宜，方便居民，便于管理。对于居民停车如何收费，岳鹏说，无论是采取政府补贴还是市场运作模式，收费都会很低。
He stated that “big destruction, big building” would not be allowed in the building of new carparks, the principle was suiting measures to local conditions, the convenience of the citizens, and convenient management. As for how residents would pay parking fees, Yue Peng said, regardless of whether government subsidy or market rate systems would be adopted, the fees would be very low.
15万旧城居民可能外迁
150,000 residents of the Old City could be moved out
在今年东城区的两会上，区长杨艺文曾透露，东城计划外迁旧城居民，以便保护旧城，改善居民居住条件。昨日岳鹏也透露，东城区将外迁约15万人，地点定在朝阳区，至于具体的地方则需要规划部门和市政部门进一步确定。
At this year’s Dongcheng District Two Meetings [People’s Congress and People’s Political Consultative Congress], the district mayor Yang Yiwen revealed that Dongcheng was planning to move residents out of the Old City in order to protect the Old City and improve residents’ housing conditions. Yesterday Yue Peng also revealed that around 150,000 people would be moved, Chaoyang District had been chosen as the destination, but the specifics of the location still needed to be confirmed by the planning and municipal administration departments.
对于安置区域住房数量，岳鹏表示，目前正在进行规划。新城所盖住房包括经适房、两限房、廉租房等保障性住房，根据居民各自的情况，符合哪个标准就享受哪个照顾。目前正在启动新区的建设和规划，积极筹集资金，力争今年迈出实质性步伐。
Regarding the number of houses in the resettlement area, Yue Peng stated that that was currently being planned. The houses built in the new city would include affordable housing, low-cost housing, subsidised-rental housing, and other kinds of guaranteed housing, and residents would enjoy the appropriate level of care in accordance with the appropriate standards and their own specific circumstances. Currently construction and planning are being started, capital is actively being sought, and this year substantive steps towards moving out are being striven towards.
Done, but this one was not easy, as you can see from the number of links I felt needed to be added to my translation:
- Just what is a “3D carpark” (立体停车场) and how is that more correctly described in English? The strongest thread in the google and baidu image searches seems to be various methods for stacking cars.
- And those three different kinds of housing (经适房、两限房、廉租房)? Sorry, had to make up my own English names for them. The names, translated more literally, are “economically suitable housing”; “two limits housing” and “limited rental housing”, aimed at middle- to low-income families; low-income families
(the “two limits” are limits on the price of the house and the price of the land) and families so destitute they’re one short step from sleeping on the street. - I decided to check whether 北京城市服务管理广播 had an official English name instead of just giving it my own translation, and I had to squint really hard (I really could’ve used a magnifying glass), but there on the logo was “Beijing Public Service Radio”.
Oh, and I’m not at all surprised, but still irritated, that I have to use Explorer to listen to Beijing radio online. When will China end its ridiculous Microsoft addiction? Anyway, call me all the names you want (masochist would be the first that springs to mind), but while I’ve been doing this translation, I’ve been happily listening to their 戏曲曲艺 (Chinese opera and folk arts) channel. They were playing various kinds of opera and similar tunes before, but now they’ve changed to story-telling, which is really difficult to enjoy while you’re writing and reading other stuff, and besides, we’re charged by data transferred, not by time, and listening to the radio is going to burn through my internet money pretty quick, so I guess I better stop it now.
oh?
Posted by wangbo in Uncategorized on April 2, 2008
I don’t have time right now for this, but just a quick note before lzh and I head off for a study session with one of my colleagues: The headline says:
东城15万居民拟外迁朝阳区
150,000 Dongcheng residents plan to move out to Chaoyang District
Which naturally leaves me asking: “How?” The “why”, judging by the subtitle, is the preservation of the Old City and the raising of living standards. And a carpark will be built outside the hutongs (no, I don’t know what that’s about either).
Anyway, hopefully I’ll remember to look this up and read and maybe even translate the whole thing tomorrow. I mean, moving 150,000 people seems pretty damn momentous to me.