Beijing's new mega airport opens today. Daxing International Airport is the second airport in the capital and will likely ease congestion at Beijing Capital International Airport
Building China’s $12BN Mega Airport
https://youtu.be/-aWJ5p3X-Yo
No stranger to record-breaking projects, China has now completed one of
the largest airports ever conceived - the USD $12BN Daxing International
in Beijing.
https://youtu.be/zSCFhgmLRLU
China opens new Beijing airport ahead of 70th PRC's anniversary
In this image made from CCTV video taken Sept. 17, 2019, an aerial view
is seen of the new Beijing Daxing International Airport. The Chinese
capital, Beijing, has opened a second international airport with a
terminal billed as the world’s biggest. (CCTV via AP)
BEIJING (AP) — President Xi Jinping on Wednesday inaugurated a second international airport for the Chinese capital with the world's biggest terminal ahead of celebrations of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Beijing Daxing International Airport is designed to handle 72 million passengers a year. Located on the capital's south side, it was built in less than five years at a cost of 120 billion yuan ($17 billion).
The airline's first commercial flight, a China Southern Airlines plane bound for the southern province of Guangdong, took off Wednesday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Six more flights took off later for Shanghai and other destinations.
The main Beijing airport, located in the city's northeast, is the world's second-busiest after Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and is nearing capacity.
Daxing, designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, includes a terminal billed as the world's biggest at 1 million square meters (11 million square feet).
Despite that, its builders say travelers will need to walk no more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) to reach any boarding gate.
The vast, star-shaped airport is about 45 kilometers (30 miles) south of downtown Beijing. It has four runways, with plans for as many as three more.
Carriers including British Airways and state-owned China Southern, the country's biggest airline by passengers, plan to move to Daxing from Beijing Capital International Airport.
The capital has a third airport, Nanyuan, for domestic flights, but the government says that will close once Daxing is in operation.
Live: National awards ceremony to celebrate PRC 70th anniversary国家勋章和国家荣誉称号颁授仪式
https://youtu.be/SWUn03X7Mwc
Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree on September
17 to award 42 Chinese and foreign individuals with national medals and
honorary titles. The awards come as the People's Republic of China
prepares to celebrate its 70th founding anniversary on October 1
Forty-two people were awarded national medals and honorary titles by
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
on September 29.
https://youtu.be/vS3_4gAAWtk
Thai princess speaks on behalf of China's Medal of Friendship recipients
Hong Kong's pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong testifies at a hearing of the US Congressional Executive Commission on China entitled "Hong Kong's Summer of Discontent and U.S. Policy."
https://youtu.be/ufVputv5ig4
https://youtu.be/fcwY120RQ2o
Hong Kong: Police crackdown on protest activist Joshua Wong
https://youtu.be/kDQj39B-jGM
Farce hearing shows US hypocrisy
Radical Hong Kong oppositionists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Denise Ho Wan-see on Tuesday were invited to testify at a US congressional hearing about the Hong Kong issues. Wong and Ho described Hong Kong as a city which has lost freedom under the suppression of the Communist Party of China. The hearing was full of biased information and lies.
The hearing itself humiliated US congressional hearing system. The US Congress invited only Hong Kong's radical opposition figures but ignored the opinion of Hongkongers who support both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's lawful measures and the Hong Kong police's efforts to counter riots in accordance with laws. The US Congress didn't even pretend to make the hearing look more credible.
US senators who proposed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 have never thought about getting comprehensive, objective and real information about Hong Kong. The hearing they held didn't aim at verifying the situation in Hong Kong, but intended to use biased information to back their bill that hurts Hongkongers' interests.
The SAR government has officially withdrawn the extradition bill, but the opposition has extended their demands to so-called real universal suffrage. A few rioters continued to wreck havoc in Hong Kong. In such a context, the US Congress not only sided with the opposition in Hong Kong but also offered support to the extreme rioters.
Although Hong Kong society is split in public opinion, only a minority of Hongkongers would support the passing of the act. The act requires an annual assessment of the special status of Hong Kong as a separate customs territory, which will severely threaten the stability of the city's financial environment, and thus hurt the interests of the majority of Hongkongers. This has nothing to do with the political appeals of Hong Kong citizens.
Neither Wong nor Ho can represent the majority of Hong Kong people. Oppositionists like them collude with a handful of US senators and forge a fake public opinion of Hongkongers. Such a fraud in the US political system will only stain the US Congress rather than bring it glory.
The farce of the congressional hearing showed that the Hong Kong act proposed by the US Congress cannot reflect the reality of the Chinese city. It is a perfect match between the US current strategy against China and the interests of the extreme opposition of Hong Kong. It aims at offering a new tool to contain China.
Some Hong Kong extremists are determined to take sides with the US and will not hesitate to betray their own city's interests.
The Hong Kong act could pass as some US political elites are promoting it, and some extreme Hong Kong opposition are collaborating from within. But the situation will not necessarily develop as the two forces wish. The future of Hong Kong is not in the hands of Washington, but in the hands of all the Chinese people, including Hongkongers.
Hong Kong's separate customs territory status is guaranteed by the Basic Law. The US move cannot represent the entire world. The impetus of the city's constant prosperity comes from within and from its close ties with the motherland.
The US economic crackdown has not shaken China, nor will it determine the future of Hong Kong. Anyone who misunderstands this misunderstands the era and the world.
Washington is now trying to stop the small countries,
which urgently need to integrate with globalization, from breaking
“diplomatic ties” with Taiwan and turning to the People's Republic of
China. If Washington performs such a publicity stunt, it would be a
tragedy for the US.
How China's Tech Sector is challenging the world by innovating faster, working harder, and going global
The
rise of China's tech companies and intense competition from the sector
is just beginning. This will present an ongoing management and strategy
challenge for companies for many years to come. Tech Titans of China is
the go-to-guide for companies (and those interested in competition from
China) seeking to understand China's grand tech ambitions, who the
players are and what their strategy is. Fannin, an expert on China, is
an internationally-recognized journalist, author and speaker. She hosts
12 live events annually for business leaders, venture capitalists,
start-up founders, and others impacted by or interested in cashing in on
the Chinese tech industry. In this illuminating book, she provides
readers with the ammunition they need to prepare and compete.
Featuring
detailed profiles of the Chinese tech companies making waves, the tech
sectors that matter most in China's grab for super power status, and
predictions for China's tech dominance in just 10 years.
Harking after a home: Officials have
acknowledged that the lack of affordable housing is one of the issues
that sparked the unrest in Hong Kong, which has been going on for
months. — AFP
Owning a house is the standard ambition of any individual, however, getting there is increasingly becoming not only a local, but global struggle.
THERE’S a lesson to be learnt from the protests in Hong Kong – politics is about selling hope. So if the young people living in a depressing environment feel they have no future, then the alarm bells should ring loudly.
In the case of Hong Kong, the leaders – mostly technocrats and government officials – didn’t see it coming, or maybe they were just indifferent.
Many young people in Hong Kong feel they stand no chance of becoming a homeowner in their lifetime, and officials have acknow-ledged that the issue is one of the causes that sparked off the unrest.
The controversial Extradition Bill, which allows a Hong Kong resident to be sent to mainland China to face trial, was merely a catalyst. Those protesters couldn’t all possibly believe they’d fall on the wrong side of the law and face the consequences, could they?
Last week, former Hong Kong chief executive Leong Chun-ying was in Kuala Lumpur for appointments with businessmen, opinion leaders and officials, to update them on developments on the island.
I was among the lucky Malaysians picked to hear his thoughts and views on Hong Kong, while he, too, listened to our concerns during the two-hour closed-door meeting.
My co-host and meeting organiser, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, and I both feel that of all the problems faced by any country in nation- building, none deserves greater priority than housing the people.
What expectation could be more basic than having a roof over our heads, and with it being a decent and affordable one at that? And when we talk about affordable, it should be truly attainable by the low-income people who form the bulk of the population in most countries.
Azman, the Bernama chairman, rightly outlined the consequences of the failure that stems from a lack of will in resolving the housing problem of the masses. And as he said, this could easily lead to people pouring into the streets protesting issues not even directly related to housing.
It’s a fact that many poor Hong Kong people live in a room less than 75sq ft, and millions live in deplorable conditions.
More recently, “nano” flats – tiny apartments less than 200sq ft – have fast become the norm in overcrowded Hong Kong.
According to a South China Morning Post report, the cost began at HK$2.85mil (RM1.52mil) for an apartment no bigger than an average Hong Kong car park space, but the lack of interest forced a rethink by the developer.
But what’s mind-boggling is that while there are plenty of poor people in Hong Kong, or many who feel poor, Hong Kong’s fiscal reserves stood at HK$1.16tril (RM620bil) as at the end of January.
In a report, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said there was a surplus of HK$86.8bil (RM46.2bil), bringing the cumulative year-to-date surplus up to HK$59bil (RM31bil).
All this wealth belongs to Hong Kong and not mainland China, so a lot can be done with that money for a population of just seven million people, especially low-cost housing!
In comparison, Malaysia’s official reserve assets amounted to US$102.03bil (RM425bil) as at end November 2018, while other foreign currency assets stood at US$51.6mil (RM215mil) for the same period, Bank Negara said. Malaysia has a population of 32 million.
It can’t be denied that Singapore has done well in housing its population, with over 90% of the seven million population reportedly living in homes of their own, and the home-ownership ratio is said to be the world’s highest.
The Singapore Housing Development Board (HDB) deserves global recognition for its feat in solving the housing problem of the people, especially the poor.
The middle-class and poor must be able to have a roof over their heads. That’s an essential human need. No country can have peace and stability if the poor are not able to own a home in their lifetime.
A prosperous and satisfied middle-class will lead to political stability. A huge middle class will also mean greater purchasing power, and this will lead to a better economy with spillover effects for everyone.
When there are angry citizens protesting everything from the escalating food prices to housing, then even the elite (including politicians and businessmen) will not feel safe. In South Africa, the rich live in houses with high walls and electric fences to protect themselves, but that’s not the best way to live. It’s living dangerously.
Malaysian politicians who still wield the race and religion card will realise that at some point, these will be “dead issues”.
With well-documented shrinking numbers, the Chinese and Indian population will no longer be the proverbial bogeymen in the future. Instead, it is class stratification that will be a matter of concern.
Last year, it was reported that the gap in income between the rich, middle class and poor in Malaysia had widened since 2008, according to a study by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI).
In its “The State of Households 2018” report, the research outfit of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd noted that the gap in the real average income between the top 20% households (T20) and the middle 40% (M40) and bottom 40% (B40) households had almost doubled, compared to two decades ago.
The report, titled Different Realities, pointed out that while previous economic crises, in 1987 and the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis, saw a reduction in the income gap between the T20 and B40/M40, post-2008/09 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), those disparities had not reduced.
But the Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality in the country, had declined from 0.513 in 1970 to 0.399 in 2016, denoting improvement in income inequality in Malaysia over the past 46 years.
Explaining the phenomenon, Allen Ng, who is the lead author of the KRI report, said income of the T20 households had continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace than that of the M40 and B40 since 2010.
“However, because they (the T20) started at a higher base, the income gap between the T20 and M40/B40 had continued to grow despite the fact that the relative (income growth) is actually narrowing post-GFC, ” Ng explained at a press conference after the launch of the report yesterday.
In his bestselling book The Colour Of Inequality: Ethnicity, Class, Income And Wealth In Malaysia (2014), economist Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid wrote that “the future does not look rosy for Malaysia; the current policies are encouraging wealth disparity between rich and poor, and between ethnicities.
“Unless bold and drastic actions are taken urgently, a harmonious future for Malaysia is uncertain. There must be an urgency to give every Malaysian economic security, a better and sustainable future.”
Muhammed, the managing director of the research and consulting firm DM Analytics Malaysia, said last year that contrary to popular belief, most Chinese (70%) are wage-earners, as are most Malays (72%). In fact, the poverty gap between races has dropped compared to 40 years ago, though the disparity remains.
And what about Malaysia? We have a disastrous, if not scandalous, record, particularly the pathetic business activities, dealings and performance of the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme’s (PR1MA) set up to build affordable homes.
More than RM8bil has gone up in smoke because PR1MA’s management failed to meet its targets, despite all the assistance and facilities accorded to their projects by the previous federal government and most state governments.
PR1MA reportedly built only 11,000 homes, compared with its target of half a million residential units to be delivered by the end of 2018. That’s less than 5% of the original plan.
PR1MA Malaysia was set up to plan, develop, construct and maintain high-quality housing with lifestyle concepts for middle-income households in key urban centres. Its homes are priced between RM100,000 and RM400,000.
PR1MA is open to all Malaysians with a monthly household income of RM2,500 to RM15,000.
A total of 1.42 million people registered for PR1MA, a promise of one million homes by 2020, but only 16,682 units, or 1.6%, of the target, were completed between 2013 and 2018, costing the government billions in public funds.
Poor management, exorbitant land acquisition costs and unsuitable sites have turned the people’s housing project into a major financial flop. PR1MA’s failure, which could cost the new government billions, is apparently already saddled with ballooning debts, rendering the loss-making company untenable.
It’s the responsibility of the government to build affordable homes – not the private developers. Private developers, especially those who helm public listed companies, have profits and dividends to answer for to shareholders. They are in the business of making money, and with the expensive land bank they have acquired, they need to build expensive homes, too.
Even if there are requirements with the obligated mixed homes for social housing needs, it still won’t resolve the problems.
Our politicians shouldn’t pass their responsibilities to them. They just need to have qualified and competent professionals with integrity to run a set-up like HDB. Obviously, the people who ran PR1MA didn’t do their jobs. We can help Malaysians own homes, or at least rent them at affordable rates, if we’re truly committed. The question is, are we?
As for Hong Kong, there is another lesson the young protesters need to learn: a full democracy doesn’t guarantee you a home and a decent job. Just ask the homeless in the United States and Britain.
How China's Tech Sector is challenging the world by innovating faster, working harder, and going global
The
rise of China's tech companies and intense competition from the sector
is just beginning. This will present an ongoing management and strategy
challenge for companies for many years to come. Tech Titans of China is
the go-to-guide for companies (and those interested in competition from
China) seeking to understand China's grand tech ambitions, who the
players are and what their strategy is. Fannin, an expert on China, is
an internationally-recognized journalist, author and speaker. She hosts
12 live events annually for business leaders, venture capitalists,
start-up founders, and others impacted by or interested in cashing in on
the Chinese tech industry. In this illuminating book, she provides
readers with the ammunition they need to prepare and compete.
Featuring
detailed profiles of the Chinese tech companies making waves, the tech
sectors that matter most in China's grab for super power status, and
predictions for China's tech dominance in just 10 years.
