China completes first mission to moon and back

BEIJING - China completed its first return mission to the moon early Saturday with the successful re-entry and landing of an unmanned probe, state media reported, in the latest step forward for Beijing's ambitious space programme.

The probe landed safely in northern China's Inner Mongolia region, state news agency Xinhua said, citing the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

Xinhua said the probe took "some incredible pictures" of the Earth and the moon.

Prior to re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, the unnamed probe was travelling at 11.2 kilometres per second (25,000 miles per hour), a speed that can generate temperatures of more than 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,700 degrees Fahrenheit), the news agency reported.

To slow it down, scientists let the craft "bounce" off Earth's atmosphere before re-entering again and landing.

The probe's mission was to travel to the moon, fly around it and head back to Earth, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) said in a statement at its launch eight days ago.

The module would have been 413,000 kilometres from Earth at its furthest point on the mission, SASTIND said at the time.

The mission was launched to test technology to be used in the Chang'e-5, China's fourth lunar probe, which aims to gather samples from the moon's surface and will be launched around 2017, SASTIND previously said.

Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a marker of its rising global stature and mounting technical expertise.

The military-run space project, which has plans for a permanent orbiting station by 2020 and eventually to send a human to the moon, is also seen as evidence of the ruling Communist Party's success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

China currently has a rover on the surface of the moon.

The craft, called the Jade Rabbit and launched as part of the Chang'e-3 lunar mission late last year, has been declared a success by Chinese authorities, although it has been beset by mechanical troubles.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Beijing banned Halloween costumes on subway

BEIJING - Beijing police have warned people they face arrest for wearing Halloween fancy dress on the subway as it may cause crowds to gather and create "trouble", a state-run newspaper said on Friday, unveiling a list of APEC summit-related restrictions.

Next month's meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders is being billed as the Chinese capital's highest-profile international event since the 2008 Olympics.

Aside from widespread traffic controls and road closures, starting from Saturday and running until Nov. 12, the city is massively ramping up security, which is what appears to have prompted the Halloween warning.

With Halloween's arrival, the wearing of fancy dress or scary make-up on the city's extensive subway network could cause "panic", the Beijing News noted.

"Public transport police point out, please do not wear strange outfits in subway stations or in train carriages, which could easily cause a crowd to gather and create trouble," it said.

Police had the power to arrest those who "upset order", the paper said.

"If the chaos is serious and causes a stampede or other public safety incident, the police will deal with it severely in accordance with the law."

Halloween is not widely celebrated in China, where the government officially frowns on "superstition", though Western festival and holidays like Christmas are increasingly marked by the middle class, though usually with no religious connotations.

The run-up to the Beijing Olympics was also marked by similar strange rules, including a ban on eating outdoors, in a bid to present a "civilised" image to the outside world and prevent any hint of social disturbance.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Tears and cries as all MH370 hopes extinguished

BEIJING - Tears and cries of inconsolable pain and loss echoed from a Beijing hotel ballroom on Monday as the relatives of MH370 passengers learned the news: their loved ones were dead.

Some clung on to other family members for crumbs of comfort as they left the room where they were told the Malaysia Airlines flight had ended, incontestably, in the remote southern Indian Ocean.

Paramedics carrying stretchers rushed into the ballroom at the Lido hotel in Beijing, where relatives of many of the 153 Chinese passengers on board the aircraft had been waiting for more than two weeks.

Even the possibility of a hijack had meant there was still a chance their loved ones were still alive.

After the announcement, they realized there was no hope for survival. There was no hope at all.

Some burst out the room crying uncontrollably, being held by other family members, while others wiped tears from their eyes as left the briefing.

Others simply covered their heads, hiding their emotions.

Inside, the wails of the bereaved echoed.

Relatives at the hotel appeared in no mood to speak, one who talked to AFP by telephone said: "We know we have no hope left now."

Malaysia Airlines to keep searching for jet

This, as Malaysia Airlines on Monday told relatives of the 239 people on board a missing passenger jet that "we have to assume" the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean, but vowed the search for the jet would continue.

"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean," the airline said in a statement to the families, citing new analysis of satellite data.

"On behalf of all of us at Malaysia Airlines and all Malaysians, our prayers go out to all the loved ones (of those on board) at this enormously painful time," the statement continued.

"We know there are no words that we or anyone else can say which can ease your pain. We will continue to provide assistance and support to you."

The airline vowed in its statement that the ongoing search for the plane and an intensive investigation into its fate "will continue, as we seek answers to the questions which remain".

The statement echoed the words of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who -- also citing satellite data -- told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur late Monday: "It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean."

MH370 vanished without warning on March 8 while flying over the South China Sea en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board.

Malaysia believes the plane was deliberately diverted by someone on board. But the absence of firm evidence has fueled intense speculation and conspiracy theories, and tormented the families of the missing for 16 days.

The search swung deep into the Indian Ocean last week after initial satellite images depicted large floating objects there, and further sightings of possible debris in the area energized the massive, multinational operation.

It has not yet been confirmed that the debris spotted in the area is from MH370, and officials have voiced caution. It is also still unclear why the plane ended up so far off course over the southern Indian Ocean.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino, 4 others killed in Tiananmen car blast

A Filipino and 4 other people were killed while dozens were injured on Monday, the government said, when a car ploughed into pedestrians and caught fire in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the site of 1989 pro-democracy protests bloodily suppressed by the military.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked whether the government believed the incident was a terror attack, said she did not know the specifics of the case and declined further comment.

Police said on their official microblog that the car veered off the road at the north of the square, a major tourist attraction, crossed the barriers and caught fire.

The three people in the car died, they said.

The Beijing city government said on one of its official news websites that a female tourist from the Philippines and a male tourist from southern Guangdong province had also died.

Of the 38 injured, three were tourists from the Philippines and one from Japan, it added.

The central and Beijing governments held a meeting after the incident to speedily investigate what happened and "ensure the security and stability of the capital", it said.

The car crashed almost directly in front of the main entrance of the Forbidden City, where there hangs a huge portrait of the founder of Communist China, Mao Zedong.

Tiananmen Square is always under heavy security due to its proximity to the Zhongnanhai compound of the central leadership and due to the Great Hall of the People which overlooks the square. It is also the site of Mao's mausoleum.

But the square is still a magnet for protesters, especially around the June 4 anniversary of the crushing of the student-led demonstrations in 1989, though they are normally swiftly bundled away by police.

A Reuters witness said he saw fire engines, an ambulance and numerous police cars heading in the direction of the fire, which sent a plume of black smoke into the sky.

The main road through the square was briefly closed. Police also evacuated the main part of the square.

A foreign tourist who was on the square and asked not to be identified said she heard an explosion followed by a fire.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How China's fast food firms are beating McDonald's, KFC

SHANGHAI - Bearing rice burgers and lotus roots, an army of Chinese fast food firms is cooking up a challenge to McDonald's Corp and Yum Brands Inc, tempting cost-conscious diners with healthy, homegrown fare and causing a drag on growth for the U.S. chains in the country's $174 billion fast food market.

McDonald's said last week it was thinking of slowing expansion in China as diners are tempted by local rivals. KFC-parent Yum warned this month economic weakness in China would drag on a recovery in sales dented by a food safety scare at the end of last year. (Full Story) (Full Story)

Meanwhile, local firms such as chicken chain Dicos, Country Style Cooking, and Kung Fu Catering have been nibbling away at the dominance of their U.S. rivals.

"I'm a bit sick of Western fast food. There's too much oil, and you hear things like chickens having six legs," said student Tang Mei, 25, as she dined at Taiwanese-owned fast food outlet Dicos. "Health concerns have really made people worried."

McDonald's and Yum are still the largest fast food chains in China but, despite heavy investment, McDonald's has seen its market share by value stagnate at 2.3 percent since 2007, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor.

Yum, which held 6.5 percent last year, is up slightly over the same period, but has seen same-store sales hit after a food scare last year and a local outbreak of avian flu. Yum has 5,600 KFC and Pizza Hut China stores, to McDonald's has 1,800 local outlets.

Brands like Ting Hsin International-owned Dicos, the third largest fast food brand in China, have taken note. The firm, which plans to triple its store count to around 3,700 by 2020, says it aims to "break the traditional Western fast food mould".

While conceived in the image of KFC - its name is a play on "Texas" in Chinese - Dicos now also pushes its Chinese roots. Its website displays an ornate blue ceramic bowl steaming with traditional herbal tea, while rice cake burgers and soybean milk flank the chain's more traditional nuggets and crispy wings.

"After all, since ancient times rice has been the key staple of the Chinese people," explained Zhuang Weitang, a spokesman for Ting Hsin International, adding the brand was planning to up its drive towards healthier, Chinese-style cooking.

"It's the mix (of traditional chicken) with new, health-focused Chinese specialities that has helped us create a niche in the fiercely-competitive Chinese fast-food market."

EATING THE COLONEL'S LUNCH

In a slowing economy, many consumers are trading down to cheaper alternatives or simply dining at home, said analysts, which has contributed to the growth rate in the wider fast food market halving over the last 5 years to 8 percent this year.

Lunch at Dicos costs less than 17 yuan ($2.80) compared with a similar offering from KFC, which costs 25 yuan ($4.11), according to Mintel.

"Local establishments generally also do a better job catering to local tastes," said Karla Wang, associate research director at market research firm TNS China. "These familiar 'comfort foods' often go a long way in soothing frazzled consumers during times of uncertainty."

Diners have even started to question international chains' quality, traditionally a strong point after scandals ranging from the use of recycled "gutter oil" for cooking to industrial chemical-laced milk made consumers wary of local products.

But a number of scares over the last year, including reports that some chicken purchased by KFC and McDonald's had been fed excess antibiotics, seems to have altered consumer views. Only one-in-four Chinese thought Western fast food was healthier and better quality than Chinese alternatives, said a recent report from research firm Mintel.

McDonald's and Yum have taken note.

"We address food quality and food safety in all aspects of our communication; most recently, we launched a Moms' Trust campaign... and we will be doing more in this area," said Jessica Lee, a Shanghai-based spokeswoman for McDonald's.

Yum officials were not immediately available for comment.

The company has trimmed its local supply chain and plans to launch a new China quality assurance campaign in November that will feature KFC employees, suppliers and poultry farmers.

"We still have work to do, but we know we are doing the right things to regain consumer trust and we remain confident that our best days for KFC in China are yet to come," Chief Executive David Novak said in an analysts call on Oct. 9.

HOME STYLE

As trust of domestic brands grows, diners are being increasingly drawn to local dishes, perceived as healthier due to a wider variety of ingredients, while there is mounting interest in traditional Chinese food and dining culture.

Last year a documentary called "A Bite of China" aired on local television drawing more than 100 million viewers, making it the most successful documentary in China since the 1990s.

Chinese heritage has become a key selling point.

Kung Fu Catering, which sports an emblem of martial artist Bruce Lee, underscores its local credentials by playing up the natural ingredients for its Chinese-style food against backgrounds of Chinese mountains, wispy clouds and bamboo.

Others such as Country Style Cooking, CNHLS and Gll Wonton, owned by Shanghai Shihao Catering, all offer fast food with a Chinese flavour. Though some way behind Yum and McDonald's in terms of size, all are taking market share from the huge independent sector of single shops and stalls.

Local brands also perform strongly in regions away from the saturated east coast market, catering to local tastes in areas seen as the China's next drivers for growth.

"Country Style Cooking is really strong in western China, while Kung Fu Catering is from Shenzhen and does well with more rice-based Chinese set meals, which fit the trend towards less oily and healthier food," said James Roy, Shanghai-based senior analyst at China Market Research Group.

China's influential netizens also suggest the U.S. firms are struggling to remain the flavour of the month. Chatter about the two brands on China's Twitter-like Weibo fell to an almost two-year low in September, according to analysis by Reuters.

As one microblogger wrote: "I won't choose anything but Chinese fast food. We've got crab meat dumplings to Hunan-style cooking, fragrant Xinjiang breads and lamb kebabs... What do brands like Pizza Hut and McDonald's possibly have to offer?"

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Beijing restaurant bans Pinoys and dogs

MANILA, Philippines – A restaurant in the Chinese tourist district of Houhai in Beijing refuses to serve Filipino, Japanese and Vietnamese customers – as well as dogs.

A photo from Agence France-Presse showed a cook working for an unidentified Houhai restaurant bearing the sign: "This shop does not receive the Japanese, the Philippines, the Vietnamese, and dog."

Website Beijing Cream identified the shop as "Beijing Snacks," and noted that it was a "bizarre example(s) of unhealthy nationalism" in light of the territorial disputes among China and the three other countries.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam are embroiled in a territorial dispute about the West Philippine Sea, while Japan is contesting ownership of islands in the East China Sea.

"This kind of sign would result in a hefty fine in most places and instant removal," said Johan U of Beijing Cream.

"But here, it's more likely that a restaurant gets in trouble for 'hurting the feelings of Chinese people' by referring to sensitive history," he added.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

China pledges $20 billion in credit to Africa

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday pledged African governments $20 billion in credit over the next three years and called for more China-Africa coordination in international affairs to defend against the "bullying" of richer powers.

Hu made the lending pledge during the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing. The credit line is double the amount offered in 2009 at the last forum held in Egypt.

Hu promised more Chinese help for African countries in building agricultural technology centers, training medical and other personnel, and digging wells to expand access to clean water. China will encourage investment and assistance in infrastructure that facilitates trade within Africa, he said.

China has emerged as Africa's main trading partner and a major source of investment for infrastructure, pouring billions of dollars into roads and developing the energy sector across the continent.

Trade between the two sides hit a record $166 billion last year, a three-fold increase since 2006.

But China's presence in Africa has also sparked concerns about labor abuses and corruption. Some observers see Chinese investment in Africa as an unequal partnership between an emerging economic giant and the world's poorest continent and accuse Beijing of offering no-strings-attached investment for repressive regimes.

In his remarks, Hu stressed China's status as a still-developing nation and noted Africa is the region with the world's largest number of developing countries. He said both should jointly work to defend their interests in global forums such as the United Nations.

"China and Africa should increase coordination and cooperation in international affairs," Hu said. "We should oppose the practices of the big bullying the small the strong domineering over the weak and the rich oppressing the poor."

source: philstar.com

Earthquake in Southwest China

Earthquake in Southwest China leaves two dead, around 100 injured according to the state news agency Xinhua.

Chinese firm seeks halt of iPad sales in Shanghai

SHANGHAI — A Chinese technology firm sought to halt the sale of Apple Inc’s iPads across the affluent city of Shanghai, arguing at a local court hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. firm had infringed on its trademark.

Previous court rulings in favor of Proview Technology (Shenzhen) have covered specific retailers in smaller cities, but a Shanghai order, if imposed, would eat into one of Apple’s biggest markets in China.

Proview lawyers argued, at times emotionally, that an immediate halt of iPad sales be implemented in China’s commercial hub, which is the home to three of the country’s five Apple stores.

Apple defended its right to use the trademark in China and said Proview had no ability to produce or sell its own device under the same name.

“Proview has no product, no markets, no customers and no suppliers. It has nothing,” Hu Jinnan, a partner at Guangdong Shendadi law firm, which is representing Apple in the case, told the court.

“Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China’s national interest.”

The Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court has not said when it will issue its decision, but Roger Xie, a partner at Grandall Legal Group representing Proview, said it was likely to be soon. Apple would in any case have the option to appeal should it lose.

Highlighting the strong interest in the case, some 100 reporters gathered around the court building while the hearing was taking place. Some local residents took the opportunity of the media attention to voice their own grievances over local authorities, holding up banners in front of the assembled TV cameras.

Series of court battles

Proview says it owns the iPad trademark in China and a Shenzhen court ruled in its favor last December.

Apple disputes Proview’s ownership of the trademark, saying it bought the rights to the name in China from Proview in 2009. The firm has appealed against the Shenzhen judgment, with a higher court hearing set for February 29 in China’s southern province of Guangdong.

Following the Shenzhen case, Proview has launched a multi-pronged approach to get Apple’s iPads off the shelves in the world’s second-biggest economy, with mixed success.

Xie reiterated that Proview is open to settle the case out of court with Apple.

“Both sides have willingness to negotiate,” Xie told reporters outside the court.

“Official negotiation hasn’t started yet, and both sides will submit their plans before the talks. A settlement outside the court is quite possible.”

Apple’s iPad has a huge lead over rival tablet PCs in China, with a 76 percent market share. It has three Apple retail stores in Shanghai, with the two other flagship stores in Beijing.

But it is not only the consumer market in China that is important for Apple because the country is also a major production base for the iPad and other Apple products.

Proview, a financially troubled technology company, has already petitioned Chinese customs to stop shipments of the iPad in and out of China, although authorities have indicated such a ban would be difficult to impose.

Over the past week, Proview’s efforts have borne fruit as local media reported that some cities have started enforcing Proview’s request to remove iPads.

Proview’s lawyers said last week it had won a lawsuit in the southern city of Huizhou against a retailer selling Apple’s iPads, possibly boding well for its case in Shanghai.

Proview’s parent, Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings Ltd, was the first Taiwanese technology company to list in Hong Kong and by the end of the 1990s numbered itself among the top five computer monitor makers.

In 1999 it partnered with U.S. chip maker National Semiconductor to launch the I-PAD, a stripped-down desktop computer whose main selling points were its Internet connectivity and ease of use.

Proview continued to grow, shifting from computer monitors to become the world’s third-largest OEM manufacturer of flat panel TVs. But by August 2009, when Apple began trademark talks through a proxy, Proview had been badly hammered by the financial crisis.

Trading of its stock was suspended in Hong Kong in August 2010 after creditors in China went to court to recover assets. The company faces delisting in June if it cannot provide the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a viable rescue plan.

source: interaksyon.com

China says Europe debt crisis is now 'critical'

BEIJING -- Europe's debt crisis has reached a "critical juncture", Beijing said on Monday, a day ahead of talks between Chinese leaders and European Union officials.

The crisis, which has triggered violent unrest in Greece, will top the agenda at the EU-China summit this week as Europe's leaders try to persuade Beijing to help resolve the continent's financial woes.

"China is concerned over it. The debt issue is at a critical juncture," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a press briefing in response to a question about the crisis.

"We believe that as China's largest trading partner and the largest economy in the world (collectively), it is important for the European Union to resolve this issue.

"Apart from contingency measures, they should also push forward... structural and long-term reforms."

European leaders have previously called on China, which has the world's largest foreign exchange reserves, to invest in a bailout fund to rescue debt-stricken countries.

Beijing has so far made no firm commitment to provide financial assistance, but Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said last month it was considering offering assistance through the International Monetary Fund or bailout funds.

Wen will hold talks in Beijing on Tuesday with EU president Herman van Rompuy and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso which are expected to focus on the crisis, following a wave of credit-rating downgrades and as Greece teeters on the brink of bankruptcy.

Barroso and Van Rumpuy will also meet with China's President Hu Jintao during the two-day summit, which takes place after lawmakers in Greece agreed late Sunday on a set of drastic austerity measures.

The agreement on the measures, which triggered street battles between police and protesters that left dozens injured, cheered markets and led the euro to rise in Asian trade.

Beijing has watched with increasing concern as the crisis has deepened, repeatedly urging EU leaders to get a grip on the situation and put their house in order.

The IMF warned earlier this month that an escalation of Europe's debt crisis could slash China's economic growth in half this year, and urged Beijing to prepare stimulus measures in response.

On Monday, the head of China's sovereign wealth fund said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had asked the country's investors to buy Italian and Spanish debt during a recent official visit to China.

Lou Jiwei, chairman of the China Investment Corporation, said more reform of those two countries was needed before China would invest in them, in comments reported by the Dow Jones news agency.

But he said the fund saw opportunities to invest in infrastructure and industrial projects in Europe.

Chinese companies and funds have ramped up their investment in Europe, buying up utilities, energy firms and even luxury yacht makers, in a move welcomed by some but eyed with concern by others.

The Chinese government has sought to calm concerns in Europe that a wave of investment by Chinese companies and government-backed funds will give Beijing too much influence over struggling European economies.

On Monday, the People's Daily, mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party, said in a front-page commentary that the country was not seeking to "buy out Europe".

source: interaksyon.com

China coal mine explosion kills 11

BEIJING - A gas explosion in a southwest China coal mine Friday killed 11 workers and injured six others, state press said in the latest accident to hit the nation's dangerous mining industry.

One worker remained missing after the explosion ripped through the Diaoyutai coal mine in Sichuan province Friday afternoon, Xinhua news agency reported.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

Calls to the local government's work safety administration, which oversees mining, went unanswered late Friday.

The injured workers were being treated in a local hospital as rescue work continued into the night, Xinhua said.

In 2010, 2,433 people died in coal mining accidents in China, according to official statistics -- a rate of more than six workers per day -- but labor rights groups say the true figure may be much higher as mine companies cover up accidents to avoid fines and costly mine closures.

source: interaksyon.com

Global Times: China should punish Philippines over US offer

BEIJING — China should impose "sanctions" against the Philippines after it offered to allow more US troops on its soil, state media said Sunday, amid growing tensions over disputed waters in the South China Sea [West Philippine Sea].

Manila said Friday it planned to hold more joint exercises and to let more US troops rotate through the Southeast Asian country – an offer welcomed by the United States as it seeks to expand its military power in Asia.

China has not yet officially responded to the announcement, which was made during the country's week-long holiday for the Lunar New Year. The foreign ministry on Sunday did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

But an editorial in the Global Times, known for its nationalistic stance, said Beijing "must respond" to the move by using its "leverage to cut economic activities" between the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.

China also should consider "cooling down" business links with its smaller neighbor, according to the editorial published in the Chinese and English versions of the newspaper.

"It should show China's neighboring areas that balancing China by siding with the US is not a good choice," it said.

"Well-measured sanctions against the Philippines will make it ponder the choice of losing a friend such as China and being a vain partner with the US."

China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, have rival claims to parts of the South China Sea, home to some of the world's most important shipping lanes and believed to hold vast deposits of fossil fuels.

Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia also have claims in the South China Sea.

Manila and Hanoi complained repeatedly last year of what they said were increasingly aggressive acts by China in the decades-long rift.

The alleged acts, which included a Chinese naval ship reportedly firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen, fueled fears among some nations in the region about China as its military and political strength grows.

The US has been looking to increase its military presence across the Asia Pacific in a strategic shift that has angered China.

US President Barack Obama said in November the United States would deploy up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia. The following month a US admiral wrote that the US expected to station several combat ships in Singapore.

China not motivation in PHL-US strategic talks

Meanwhile, a Malacañang spokesperson on Sunday insisted a territorial dispute with China over the Spratly Islands was not the Philippines’ main motivation in its second Bilateral Strategic Dialogue with the United States over the weekend.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Philippines needs a credible defense posture that can address terrorism and help patrol the country’s winding coastline.

She said this defensive capability includes efforts against terrorism and patrolling the long Philippine coastline.

“Our defense capability should include patrolling our seas. Our existing ships are in need of an upgrade,” she said. — AFP with a report from GMA News Online

source:gmanetwork.com

Dell and Baidu team up for tablets, mobiles

SHANGHAI - Dell Inc and China's top search engine Baidu Inc plan to jointly develop tablet computers and mobile phones, targeting the Chinese market dominated by Apple Inc and Lenovo.

China is one of the fastest growing markets for tablets and is home to more than 900 million mobile phone subscribers, but analysts were skeptical that the partnership would unseat Apple as the dominant force in the market.

"I suspect this is just Dell, who has a lot of problems on the mobile and tablet front, grasping at straws to get any kind of publicity that it can to make its product more attractive," said Michael Clendenin, managing director of technology consultancy RedTech Advisors.

"Ultimately in China, I still think it is Apple's game, still for the iPad and iPhone."

Dell declined to give a timeline for the launch of the devices, but local media reported on Tuesday, quoting sources, that it may be as early as November.

Baidu launched a new mobile application platform last week and offered a glimpse of its upcoming mobile operating system, which it hopes will serve a growing number of users accessing the Internet from smartphones and tablet computers.

The company said it already had partnerships with Dell and other device makers and declined to comment on the new tie-up. Dell said the partnership with Baidu involved the company's new mobile platform.

Baidu has built on its dominance of China's search market significantly since Google's high-profile exit last year citing hacking and censorship concerns.

Baidu's Nasdaq-listed shares are up nearly 50 percent so far this year, giving it a market value of around $50 billion.

BUSY SPACE

A Dell-Baidu tie-up would be the latest in a series of developments reshaping the mobile devices market.

Last month, Google said it would buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for $12.5 billion, putting Google into a lower-margin manufacturing business and pitting it against as many as 38 other handset companies that use Google's Android software.

"Dell has got nothing to lose. They don't have a big mobile presence, so by partnering Baidu, they will probably get some momentum for their mobile products," said Sandy Shen, a research director with Gartner.

Dell has chosen China to launch new products before. In June, Dell said it had chosen to launch its new 10-inch Android tablet in China this summer, passing up on a U.S. and European launch, in a sign of the market's growing importance to the company.

Dell's China sales grew 22 percent in the first quarter while its retail presence in China exceeds 10,000 sales points.

In 2009, Dell announced it will enter the smartphone market starting in China before moving into Brazil. -- Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

Biggest Phl warship on patrol in Spratlys

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines – The Philippine Navy is sending its biggest warship BRP Rajah Humabon for patrol operations around Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The deployment of the Humabon came after China dispatched its largest maritime patrol ship into the area in a move likely to raise tensions with neighbors staking rival claims to waters believed to hold vast reserves of oil and gas.

Chinese state media reports yesterday said the Haixun-31 left Wednesday and will stay in Singapore for two weeks of exchanges on search and rescue, anti-piracy and port management operations.

The ship is passing the Paracel and Spratly island groups at the heart of disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and other nation claimants around the region.

The Chinese media reports appeared to stress the deployment of its biggest patrol ship in the region.

“Our country’s biggest maritime patrol ship patrols the South China Sea,” said the headline in the official Beijing Daily.

Such type of ships has been accused of harassing foreign shipping in the South China Sea, including a US Navy surveillance vessel.

China, Vietnam and the Philippines have traded diplomatic barbs recently over maritime claims to the resource-rich island groups. Vietnam’s navy conducted live fire exercises on Monday after accusing Chinese boats of disrupting oil and gas exploration in its waters.

Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama gave assurance that no provocative actions would be made in the West Philippine Sea.

He said the Navy would implement pro-active defense measures all within its territorial waters in the area.

The Humabon, which has 68 crewmembers and eight officers, was docked Thursday at the Poro Point seaport here before sailing to the Scarborough Shoal.

“We will observe and check if there are security threats in the area and also to inspect if there are illegal poachers taking advantage in our jurisdiction,” said the ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Celestino Abalayan.

Abalayan was quick to clarify that their mission has nothing to do with the issue on the Spratlys. He said they were just on routine patrol.

Scarborough Shoal is situated in the West Philippine Sea, 198 kilometers west of Subic Bay with an estimated area of 150 square kilometers. The Shoal, which is rich in maritime resources, is also being claimed by China.

Pama also said the Navy, along with other military units committed to secure the country’s territorial waters in Palawan, will maintain its presence within the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the island group of the Spratlys occupied by the Philippines.

“We will strictly adhere to our rules of engagement and if a shooting war breaks out (among contending forces in the Spratlys) in the area, it will not start or come from us first,” Pama said.

Pama though stressed the mandate of the troops to stand down against possible armed hostilities.

“We are not to going start (the shooting) but it is also within our right to defend ourselves. We could not just scamper away or simply watch them (foreign forces) shooting at us,” Pama said.

Pama brushed aside suggestions that the Philippine Navy should also take an aggressive stance and take the cue from Vietnam conducting live fire exercises in the region.

“We are doing our own. We have our own strategy. We have our own (military) plahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn,” Pama said but declined to elaborate.

The Philippine Navy has taken the aggressive measure of dismantling the markers presumably placed by China on some of the islands and reefs that are within the country’s territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea.

Pama said removal of the markers would continue with the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard.

“We are doing these operations if only to emphasize that these markers are within the country’s exclusive economic zone,” Pama said. – With Jaime Laude, AP

Article Source: philstar.com

Oil hovers above $75 amid tepid US economy

SINGAPORE (AP) – Oil prices hovered above $75 a barrel Thursday in Asia amid investor concerns US economic growth will slow in the second half and stymie demand for crude.

Benchmark crude for September delivery rose 10 cents to $75.52 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost 35 cents to settle at $75.42 on Wednesday.

Oil has traded around $75 a barrel for most of the last year. Price jumps above $80, such as the one last week, have so far been dragged down by worries global economic growth isn't strong enough to justify a sustained rally.

"While mounting economic worries have kept a lid on prices, they have nonetheless found a floor around $75," Barclays Capital said in a report.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said Wednesday that crude supplies fell less than expected last week as demand remained sluggish.

Analysts are closely watching how a reduction of US stimulus spending in the second half and next year could undermine economic growth. China, which has seen energy demand soar this year, may move to tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation and asset price bubbles.

"US fiscal policy looks set to shift from a boost to a drag on economic growth," Goldman Sachs said in a report. "The anticipated tightening of Chinese economic policy is having an impact on Chinese oil demand."



"The path of future economic growth is becoming more dependent on economic policy in both China and the United States," Goldman said.

In other Nymex trading in September contracts, heating oil was steady at $2.0258 a gallon, gasoline fell 0.39 cent to $1.9573 a gallon and natural gas held at $4.234 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent crude fell 22 cents to $76.25 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.




(philstar.com)

Flooding death toll rises to 175 in southern China

BEIJING — Widespread flooding in southern China has caused 175 deaths, with 107 more people missing and more storms expected, the government said Monday.

Thousands of houses have been destroyed and economic losses have topped 14 billion yuan ($2.05 billion), according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The toll was up from 132 on Sunday.

Flooding has affected more than 10 million residents since torrential rains began June 13, said a report posted on the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters website. The number included people injured, stranded or who had suffered property damage.

The report called on emergency response teams to step up evacuation efforts of those still stranded in their homes.

More thunderstorms were forecast through Tuesday morning, the China Meteorological Administration said.

China sustains major flooding annually along the mighty Yangtze and other major rivers, but this year's floods have been especially heavy, spreading across nine provinces and regions in the south and along the eastern coast.

The flooding follows the worst drought in a century for the southern provinces and regions of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. It left millions without drinking water and destroyed more than 12 million acres (5 million hectares) of crops. — AP

Source: gmanews.tv