Free Republic

Chinese aero manufacturers open up to engage export market By Reuben F Johnson 30 November 2009 Over the last month China's National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), the state-licensed aircraft export sales monopoly, along with its industrial partner, Aviation Industries of China, have both demonstrated an unusual degree of openness in displaying data on their products. This willingness of Chinese officials to speak at length on both of these areas seems to have coincided with the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) on 11 November. China's military aircraft industry has been steadily developing a line...

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China's manufacturing expanded for the eighth straight month in October and forward-looking indicators pointed to a further pick-up underway, according to a government index released Sunday.The data adds up to a picture of an economy that's on track for acceleration in the October-to-December period, marking the third-straight quarterly pick up. The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 55.2 in October from 54.3 in September, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said in a release. A gauge of export orders rose to 54.5 from 53.3, the sixth straight month of gains. General orders notched a similar...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – James and Maria Ivory's dreams of a relaxing retirement on Florida's Gulf Coast were put on hold when they discovered their new home had been built with Chinese drywall that emits sulfuric fumes and corrodes pipes. It got worse when they asked their insurer for help — and not only was their claim denied, but they've been told their entire policy won't be renewed. Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from the defective building materials are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And experts warn that cases like the Ivorys',...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—James and Maria Ivory's dreams of a relaxing retirement on Florida's Gulf Coast were put on hold when they discovered their new home had been built with Chinese drywall that emits sulfuric fumes and corrodes pipes. It got worse when they asked their insurer for help—and not only was their claim denied, but they've been told their entire policy won't be renewed. Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from the defective building materials are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And experts warn that cases like the Ivorys', in which insurers drop...

When Bill Morgan, a retired policeman, moved into his newly built dream home in Williamsburg, Va., three years ago, his hopes were quickly dashed. His wife and daughter suffered constant nosebleeds and headaches. A persistent foul odor filled the house. Every piece of metal indoors corroded or turned black. In short order, Mr. Morgan moved out. The headaches and nosebleeds stopped, but the ensuing financial problems pushed him into personal bankruptcy. “My house is not worth the land it’s built on,” said Mr. Morgan, who could not maintain the mortgage payments on his $383,000 home in a Williamsburg subdivision called...

The top of the frozen apple juice can was stamped with the date, then the word "China." I could not believe it. China? I live in the Shenandoah Valley, at one time the biggest apple producer in the world, and my apple juice comes from China? Maybe it's just this store brand, I thought. But a visit to another grocery store confirmed it. They stocked a name brand, the top of it stamped with the date and the words "from China." I googled "China and apples." Stories and reports came up confirming my ... yes, fear. I hadn't been paying...

Obama decides to impose tariffs on Chinese tire imports for 3 years WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has decided to slap punitive tariffs on all car and light truck tires entering the United States from China. Obama had until Sept. 17 -- next week -- to accept, reject or modify a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling that a rising tide of Chinese tires into the U.S. hurts American producers. A powerful union, United Steelworkers, blames the increase for the loss of thousands of American jobs. The federal trade panel recommended a 55 percent tariff in the first year, 45...

Energy Savings: Europe's ban on the incandescent light bulb began phasing in this month, and the U.S. will soon follow. Is Thomas Edison to blame for global warming? And why are we exporting green jobs?When the warm-mongers assemble in Copenhagen this December to hammer out a successor to the failed Kyoto Protocol, no doubt their work to save the earth from the carbon dioxide that gives it life will take place under the eerie light thrown off by compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) mandated by the European Union to fight climate change. The bulbs are more expensive, costing up to...

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - General Motors said on Sunday it has agreed to set up a light commercial vehicle production venture with major Chinese automaker FAW Group, with total investment of 2 billion yuan ($293 million).

GM to form China venture, invest $293 million Partnership with FAW Group will produce light-duty trucks and vans Aug 30, 2009 SHANGHAI - General Motors said on Sunday it has agreed to set up a light commercial vehicle production venture with major Chinese automaker FAW Group, with total investment of $293 million. The 50-50 joint venture, based in the northeast China city of Changchun in Jilin province, will make light-duty trucks and vans, GM said in a statement. "For us in China, this is an important complement to the rest of our portfolio," Kevin Wale, president and managing director for...

General Motors has signed up to a 2bn yuan ($293m; £180m) joint venture with the Chinese state-owned carmaker FAW to make light trucks and vans. The vehicles will initially be sold in China under the FAW brand, but could in future be exported under the GM brand. They will be produced at existing FAW facilities in the cities of Changchun and Harbin. GM sold 818,442 vehicles in China in the first six months of 2009, compared with 1,094,561 in the whole of 2008. Demand was particularly strong for its minivans and other small vehicles. "For us in China, this...

Title only. No links allowed to Bloomberg. Here is the url: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=akQaZGWodMhY

China is on its way to surpassing the U.S. as the world's largest manufacturer far sooner than expected. The question is, does that matter? In terms of actual size, the answer is, no. But if size is a proxy for relative health of each nation's sector, the answer is yes. In 2007, the latest year for which data are available, the U.S. accounted for 20% of global manufacturing; China was 12%. The gap, though, is closing rapidly. According to IHS/Global Insight, an economic-forecasting firm in Lexington, Mass., China will produce more in terms of real value-added by 2015. Using...

Look at this image gallery of fake Chinese products. Some of these products have weird names!!!

NEW DELHI: China has admitted that its pharmaceutical companies were involved in shipping fake drugs labeled 'Made In India' to Nigeria. "The Chinese authorities have accepted this position (that its firms were involved in the case)," an official said. "The Indian government took up the matter with the Nigerian authorities and on further probe, it was found that the drugs had actually originated in China and not in India," he added. In June, Nigeria's drug regulatory authority National Agency for Food and Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) had reported about the detention of a large consignment of fake anti-malarial generic...

Wal-Mart has just changed the game with respect to environmental issues. Now it doesn't matter whether Congress' new cap-and-trade law meets all its promises, nor whether the G-8 leaders dithered rather than acted on environmental issues. Wal-Mart's unilateral decision to put its purchasing and communication power behind going green also shows that a single company using its unique clout can accelerate public action to reduce greenhouse gases and reverse climate change. By rolling out an environmental labelling program disclosing to consumers the environmental costs of making products sold at Wal-Mart, the $401 billion retail behemoth has transformed green standards from...

A newly built 13-storey residential building collapsed in Shanghai yesterday, killing one worker. The block of high-rise flats toppled onto its side in the muddy construction site raising concerns that building safety standards are being overlooked in favour of fast construction in China's rush to modernise. The building appeared to be almost complete with fitted windows and a finished, tiled facade. Other similar-looking blocks in the same property development were still standing nearby. Shoddy construction and the use of sub-standard materials is a concern in China's construction sector as the country scrambles to build out cities and finish massive infrastructure...

If you ever wondered how trade wars start, pay attention. We are in the early stages of saber-rattling on trade and if some adult supervision does not come along, it could get much worse. Here’s how. Politicians tries to curry favor with unions or the steel industry or the auto industry and they insert a “Buy American” clause into legislation. In this case, it was the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as President Obama’s economic stimulus plan. Then, politicians in other countries get the same ‘bright’ idea and they insert protectionist trade policies into legislation over...

The first Chinese-assembled A320 is set for delivery, symbolizing the importance of future demand in Asia. PARIS -- Will emerging markets make or break the aerospace industry? Though the airline industry is suffering across the world, executives from Boeing and Airbus talked up the prospect of future demand from China as one bright spot at this month’s Paris Air Show. And on Tuesday, Airbus will deliver its first China-assembled A320, part of a joint venture that could help the plane-maker take more market share from its American arch-rival. The Airbus A320, which was assembled at a plant in Tianjin that...

A plan to shift a greater proportion of the struggling car-maker's production overseas is still being negotiated with US politicians, who have already lent GM $15.4bn (£10.18bn) in order to keep it afloat and safeguard its 90,000 US workers. However, a spokesman for GM in Shanghai said it was "only a matter of time" before vehicles made in China are imported into the company's home market, in another blow to the US car industry.

SHANGHAI – General Motors Corp. plans to begin exports of vehicles made in China to the United States within two years, ramping up sales to more than 50,000 by 2014, reports said Wednesday. A spokeswoman for GM in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports, which were said to be based on a company recovery plan given to U.S. lawmakers. GM intends to sell 17,335 made-in-China passenger cars in the U.S. market by 2011, the Shanghai Securities News and other reports said. By 2014 exports would triple to more than 51,000, it said. The...

Motown may be moving east. Far east. The latest twist in Detroit’s do-over has General Motors becoming the first automaker to import Chinese-built cars into the United States, according to Automotive News. Citing a leaked document shown to lawmakers who are overseeing the restructuring of the auto giant, the newspaper reports that GM is planning to market made in China cars to American consumers as early as 2011, the same year the company’s heralded Chevrolet Volt electric car goes on sale.

The latest twist in Detroit’s do-over has General Motors becoming the first automaker to import Chinese-built cars into the United States, according to Automotive News. Citing a leaked document shown to lawmakers who are overseeing the restructuring of the auto giant, the newspaper reports that GM is planning to market made in China cars to American consumers as early as 2011, the same year the company’s heralded Chevrolet Volt electric car goes on sale. General Motors is currently the best-selling foreign automaker in China, and Buick is number one brand overall, part of the reason that the nameplate was saved...

WHEN British consumers are compelled to buy energy-efficient lightbulbs from 2012, they will save up to 5m tons of carbon dioxide a year from being pumped into the atmosphere. In China, however, a heavy environmental price is being paid for the production of “green” lightbulbs in cost-cutting factories. Large numbers of Chinese workers have been poisoned by mercury, which forms part of the compact fluorescent lightbulbs. A surge in foreign demand, set off by a European Union directive making these bulbs compulsory within three years, has also led to the reopening of mercury mines that have ruined the environment. Doctors,...

I'm posting this because a lot of people may not be aware of this when you go to get an oil change for your car.

Reoblan Footwear, a manufacturer based in the Sichuan province, is working overtime to churn out the high-heeled Bandolino Berry, which she has been photographed wearing this year. Orders for the shoe have soared on the back of the seal of approval given by the trendsetting wife of US President Barack Obama, a company official said.Bandolino Berry: Orders for the shoe have soared on the back of the seal of approval given by the trendsetting wife of US President Barack Obama, "Sales of Bandolino shoes increased rapidly after the US first lady wore them," said Chen Xiang, Reoblan export manager. "Our...

It used to be called the "Freedom Tower," built by Americans in memory of 9/11, but the building planned to be constructed at Ground Zero has had its name changed to One World Trade Center, and according to a Pennsylvania newspaper's editorial, should now be stamped "Made in China." The editorial board at Harrisburg's Patriot-News made the charge after learning that the tower's first 20 stories, designed to be clad in blast-resistant glass in case of future terrorist ambitions, will now be shielded by glass manufactured … in Beijing. "Despite the fact that three American glass manufacturers, including Pittsburgh-headquartered PPG...

The crowning memorial at Ground Zero was supposed to be the "Freedom Tower," a glass tower stretching into the heavens and restoring New York's skyline and America's pride. Freedom Tower model by architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. Last month the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey changed the name from Freedom Tower to "One World Trade Center." The explanation from Port Authority chairman Anthony Coscia was all about business, "As we market the building, we will insure that it is presented in the best possible way -- 1 World Trade Center is the address that we're using."...

A growing consequence of the drastic slowdown in global container trade is a massive stockpiling of empty containers in exporting countries. In Shanghai, some 200,000 containers are piled up and the situation is similar in other China ports that in normal times funnel the products of the nation's export machine to consumer markets around the world. But with trade drying up — the Drewry research and consulting firm now predicts global container trade will shrink by 5.3 percent this year —- containers are idled by the millions, and they must be put somewhere. Shenzhen, another, major port for China's exports,...

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Gov. Charlie Crist isn't declaring a state of emergency over the use of Chinese drywall in Florida just yet, but he is asking for federal help to study the controversial building material. The drywall, imported from China during the building boom of 2002 to 2006, has been blamed for foul odors, corroded copper pipes and wires, and respiratory problems. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D- Boca Raton, asked Crist to make the emergency declaration for Florida, where thousands of homes may have been impacted by the material, so residents could get funds from the Federal Emergency...

The Shanghai-based NGS supermarket Group withdrew Johnson & Johnson's infant bath products from its 3,500 supermarkets and convenience stores in East China, after these were alleged to contain carcinogens on Monday. "Although no official test results were shown, we made such a move for the sake of our customers' health, especially that of kids," a staff at Shanghai Changning district's NGS supermarket, who called herself Xu, told China Daily yesterday. "We are waiting for the test results from the authorities to decide when to put them back on the shelves," she said. The company's baby shampoo was found to contain...

(CNN) -- Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. ... The drywall is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to homeowners' complaints, the sulfur-based gases smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail. ...

(BEIJING) - China said on Monday food security remains "grim" after a series of health scandals, the most recent being last year's tainted milk formula which killed at least six toddlers and made almost 300,000 sick. A new food-safety law, approved on Saturday in an accelerated process since the milk scandal came to light in September, attempts to fix a fragmentary regulatory system which officials blame for recurring problems. "At present, China's food-security situation remains grim with high risks and contradictions," the Ministry of Health said in documents handed to reporters on Monday. The food-safety law, which takes effect on...

Boy Killed Anally When Office Chair Explodes By Adam Frucci, 2:44 PM on Fri Feb 20 2009, 334,213 views Well, stories don't get much worse than this. A 14-year-old boy in China was killed when his chair exploded, sending chunks of metal into his rectum. The bleeding this caused killed him. The alleged explosion came from the gas cylinder that was in the base of the chair, the part that allowed the user to adjust the seat up and down. The canister gets compressed when you sit on it, but can it actually create enough energy to make the seat...

IN China, a fourteen-year-old boy was killed when chair he was sitting on exploded.Parts of the chair entered the boy’s rectum. The result was extensive bleeding. And it killed him.The killer chair is a gas cylinder type, of the type seen at computer work stations. In blue.The height is altered by an adjustable cylinder containing highly pressurised gas. It is this that exploded.In 2007 another chair exploded, propelling a 20cm part into the backside of a 68-year-old man. He lived.Made in China. Buyer beware… Source

Chinese exports dropped 17.5 per cent in January compared with the same month the year before, the biggest decline in more than a decade as the impact on the economy from the global slump gathered pace. Imports to China declined by a dramatic 43.1 per cent in a further indication of sharply lower demand in the Chinese economy over the last few months which has caused unemployment to soar. January was the third month in a row that Chinese exports fell although the pace of decline was much faster than the 2.8 per cent drop in December. The decline in...

<p>One of the principle issues that the Chinese Navy has been experiencing in the development of their many new classes of warships is the ability to defend them adequately, particularly close-in.</p> <p>They have developed verticle launch systms (VLS) for medium and long range engagements, they have developed Phased Array Radars (PARS) and the acquisition and guidance systems for them. They have developed gatling gun Close in Weapons Systems (CIWS), but to date, they had not developed a strong, short range but effective close in weapon missile system that compares with the west.</p>

The Food and Drug Administration continues to caution consumers about a potential connection between dogs becoming ill and the consumption of chicken jerky products (also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats) imported from China. The FDA issued a warning in September 2007 but does not have the authority to demand a recall. At least one firm in Australia has recalled its chicken jerky product, and the recall notification said the chicken jerky product was made in China. Symptoms include decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood) and increased water consumption and urination. Although most dogs seem to recover, some...

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The "Mengshi (Warriors)" off-road military vehicle produced by Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor surpasses U.S. Humvee in 12 out of 15 major battlefield performance indices, chief designer Huang Song has said. Use by the Chinese military force has proven that "Mengshi" overtakes Humvee in 12 indices, including the loading capacity andoil consumption, and are well-matched with Humvee in three other indices, Huang was quoted as saying by Monday's Economic Information Daily, a Xinhua publication. It took Dongfeng six years to develop the vehicle, which had undergone more than 200,000 hours of factory tests and more than...

The Chinese rockets have a range of 40 kilometers. They are very similar to the 122 mm Soviet-made Katyusha that was used extensively by Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War and are slightly more sophisticated than an Iranian-made Grad-model Katyusha that is also in Hamas's arsenal.

Home Front Command's deputy chief says the rocket that struck the school in Beersheba was manufactured in China, is heavier than the Qassam and can "potentially cause much greater damage." He said the rocket contains metal pallets that can spread out across a radius of up to 100 meters (about 328 feet) from the point of impact.

'Honey laundering' beats US tariffs on Chinese food products Chris Ayres in Los Angeles As scientists race to investigate the sudden and inexplicable collapse of bee colonies in America and Europe, international smugglers are coming up with new and imaginative ways to get Winnie the Pooh’s favourite snack into breakfast cereals and onto supermarket shelves. ‘Honey laundering,’ the authorities call it. As the name suggests, honey laundering involves disguising drums of the sticky stuff from China by selling it to a third party—usually a distributor in another part of the world—then re-packaging it and re-exporting it, so that its source...

Appeals may delay payments in pet food case By GEOFF MULVIHILL | Associated Press Writer 2:56 PM EST, December 30, 2008 MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - More than 23,000 pet owners in the United States have asked for money from a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.

China, fighting a health scandal over melamine found in milk and other food products, now says it is investigating melamine tableware, following reports it might be harmful to health when hot. Quality inspectors told Xinhua news agency they were organising tests of melamine tableware "following reports that some products contained poisonous ingredients." Melamine is an industrial compound used in making plastic chairs, countertops, tableware, flame retardants and even concrete. It was added by unscrupulous manufacturers to food to cheat nutrition tests due to its high nitrogen content. The melamine scandal has battered faith in China-made products, after a series of...

PORT ST. LUCIE — Martin and St. Lucie counties are two of nearly a dozen counties where complaints of possible exposure to the contaminated drywall in new homes have arisen. The problem may have been sparked by drywall imported during the local construction boom of 2004 and 2005. Some common symptoms are irritated eyes, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, and symptoms similar to bronchitis and asthma. The contaminated Chinese drywall may be emitting one of several sulfur compounds including sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. While exposure to fumes from sulfur dioxide can create irritation and breathing disorders, exposure to hydrogen sulfide...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration again is cautioning pet owners about feeding their dogs chicken jerky treats manufactured in China, as the agency continues to receive reports of kidney-related disorders in animals that ate these products. The FDA has received 151 complaints about dogs falling sick after eating chicken jerky products since September 2007, when the agency issued its warning. Twenty-six of those pets died...

Industry experts and businesspeople in China say that the industrial chemical has been routinely added to fish and animal feed to artificially boost protein readings. Reporting from Los Angeles and Shanghai--Melamine in Chinese-produced milk powder has sickened hundreds of thousands of children and added to a growing list of made-in-China foods banned across the globe.Now, some scientists and consumer advocates are raising concerns that fish from China may also be contaminated with the industrial chemical. China is the world's largest producer of farm-raised seafood, exporting billions of dollars worth of shrimp, catfish, tilapia, salmon and other fish.The U.S. imported about...

HONG KONG, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The People's Republic of China is increasingly challenging Russia in the African arms trade, offering lower prices on weapons that, ironically, are often made in China with Russian technologies. Chinese products are less expensive than Russian and Western systems. They are similar to the Russian systems that many African countries are familiar with, and they are also easy to maintain and easy to use in training. Many countries in Africa are therefore switching allegiance to the People's Republic of China for their weapons purchases. A typical example is Sudan. At a 2007 military parade,...

"Made in China" label battered by product scandals By Ben Blanchard Mon Dec 8, 8:18 am ET BEIJING (Reuters) – Milk, toothpaste, cough syrup, pet food, eels, blood thinner, car parts, pork, eggs, honey, chicken, dumplings, cooking oil and rice -- if you can fake it or taint it, you can almost guarantee it's happened in China. A string of product safety scandals, including contaminated infant formula that is believed to have killed six babies and sickened thousands of others, have rocked the faith of shoppers, making them wary of buying products made in China despite the often cheaper price...

Public health groups, consumer advocates and members of Congress blasted the Food and Drug Administration yesterday for failing to act after discovering trace amounts of the industrial chemical melamine in baby formula sold in the United States. "This FDA, this Bush administration, instead of protecting the public health, is protecting industry," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FDA budget. In an interview, DeLauro said she wants the agency to disclose its findings and to develop a plan to remove melamine from formula. "We're talking about babies, about the most vulnerable. This really makes...