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Here are some of the most important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history

07/01/2015 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

Here are some of the most important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history

Stockholm, July 1 (Greenpost)–Volvo Cars is the inventer of seat belt in cars which is a tool that saved millions of lives around the world. The following are some more important milestones in Volvo Cars’ child safety history.

1964 First child seat prototype

Inspired by how astronauts travel rearwards, Bertil Aldman, medical doctor and subsequently Professor in Traffic Safety at Chalmers University of Technology, developed the very first child seat prototype. Volvo was closely involved in the development and testing was carried out in a PV544.

1967 Reversible front passenger seat with special child backrest

The first child seat to be sold to customers was created by turning the front passenger seat around. Adding a padded backrest with straps made sure that the rearward-facing child was kept in place. The solution was sold as an accessory for the recently introduced Volvo Amazon.

1972 Volvo’s first rearward-facing child seat

Rearward-facing child seats are designed to support the neck and help spread the force of a frontal impact over a larger area. Frontal impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact situation.

1976 The booster cushion – a world first from Volvo

Children from three to four years and up travel facing forwards using the standard safety belt with a beltpositioning booster cushion. Volvo Cars’ policy is that children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old. When using a booster cushion, the child runs an approximately 75 per cent lower risk of being injured compared to being unrestrained.

1990 World’s first integrated booster cushion

The first integrated booster cushion was an ingenious fold down and out version in the rear centre position in the Volvo 960. Double integrated pop-up booster cushions in the outer rear seats were introduced in the Volvo S40 in 1995.

1999 World’s first rearward-facing seat for ISOFIX

The world-first solution for the standardised, car-integrated ISOFIX fittings was actually two rearward-facing seats in one. Both seats – one for infants and one for toddlers up to four years of age – could be fitted in the same ISOFIX frame.

2007 World’s first two-stage integrated booster cushion

Two-stage integrated booster cushions were introduced in the Volvo V70 estate. The two-stage version, with two sitting heights, enables a better belt fit regardless of the child’s size. Child adapted safety belt load limiters were also fitted.

2014 Inflatable Child Seat Concept

The innovation, which is still in the development stage, is easy to install and can be tucked away in a small bag when not in use. This means that the child seat can be easily transferred between cars and the bag even fits in carry-on luggage when flying or travelling.

For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

Business, China, News, World News

Volvo XC90 Excellence offers customers distinct experience

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Volvo XC90 Excellence offers customers distinct experience

Stockholm, July 1, (Greenpost)–Volvo Cars has unveiled the most luxurious vehicle at the Shanghai International Automobile Show – an elegant and refined four-seat version of its recently launched XC90.

The XC90 Excellence has been crafted by Volvo’s designers and engineers to offer customers a distinct and individual automotive experience that incorporates the latest Scandinavian innovations in design, refinement, comfort and style.

The XC90 Excellence is based on Volvo’s all new XC90 sports utility vehicle, but the similarity ends there. The XC90 Excellence has just four seats compared to the original’s seven, creating an enormous amount of additional space for rear seat passengers that helps to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

This space is utilised to offer a First Class automotive experience that begins with broad, spacious individual reclining rear seats complete with massage, ventilation and increased leg room, as well as a retractable control touchscreen, folding tables, a refrigerator with bottle and glass holders, a heating/cooling cup holder and handmade crystal glasses from leading Swedish glass design company, Orrefors.

“This is our new flagship car,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President, Design. “We have created the ultimate luxury experience of Scandinavian design. Volvo has never launched a car like this before. This is the car that demonstrates what the name Volvo now means.”

The XC90 Excellence offers its passengers footrests, ambient lighting, illuminated storage and unique leather detailing in blond or charcoal, a luggage compartment dividing screen, additional sound insulation in the cabin and Pirelli Noise Cancelling System tyres (PNCS).

XC90 Excellence passengers will also enjoy a specially-augmented Bowers & Wilkins audio system that adds an extra speaker to its 19 speaker system, resulting in unrivalled high fidelity sound reproduction and surround effect in the rear seats.

“What we have designed is amongst the best rear seat experiences available in a luxury car,” said Mr Ingenlath. “The result is a superlative environment for relaxed comfort or doing business.”

Reinforcing the Swedish love of fresh air, the XC90 Excellence also comes with an integrated ionic air cleaner in the CleanZone climate system. The ionic air cleaner works by positively charging electrons in airborne particles (dust or smoke for example) so they are removed from suspension in the cabin environment.

The XC90 Excellence also offers a leather instrument panel with contrasting thread, while the headliner of the cabin is colour coordinated pure Nubuck textile. Exterior styling differentiators including an Excellence rank mark, chrome B- and C-pillar cappings and lower door mouldings.

Volvo’s all new XC90, launched in August 2014, is proving to be extremely popular with customers seeking a luxury SUV. Over 24,000 have been ordered before it has even reached Volvo showrooms. This accounts for approximately half of Volvo’s expected volume for the car in 2015.

The XC90 Excellence incorporates all the features that underpin the XC90’s ongoing success, such as world leading safety features, new powertrain technologies and an unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency.

The XC90 Excellence will be available globally later this year and via digital commerce in selected markets.

Business, News, Opinion, World News

Safety for the pregnant driver and her unborn child

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Safety for the pregnant driver and her unborn child

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost) –If a pregnant woman uses her safety belt correctly, the foetal injury risk is reduced significantly. This knowledge stems from Volvo Cars’ research on car safety for unborn babies and their mothers. Volvo Cars has developed a virtual crash test dummy to simulate frontal impacts during pregnancy.

Car safety for unborn children is an area that is not well documented, since foetal injury and death often do not show in statistics. For the baby to remain unharmed in a car crash it is important with safety measures for the pregnant woman. The first thing to do is to always wear a safety belt, said Lotta Jacobsson, Volvo Cars’ child safety specialist while presenting the information to a group of journalists from China, Sweden, Germany and other countries.

Virtual pregnant crash test dummy

Volvo Cars contributes to an increased awareness of safety for pregnant drivers and knowledge of how to protect their unborn babies. One innovation in this field is a virtual pregnant crash test dummy. The model can be used to simulate how a pregnant woman moves in a crash and how the foetus moves inside her. Her proportions correspond to those of an average sized woman in the final stage of pregnancy, approximately week 36.

The virtual crash test dummy is used to simulate impact tests in frontal collisions.

“The computer model makes it possible to study in detail how the occupant moves and how the safety belt and airbag affect the woman and the foetus, including surrounding structures, “says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars.

This means that the engineers can simulate the impact on mother and unborn baby in collisions at different speeds, and use the model to test for example safety belt designs under development.

Pregnant women should always wear a safety belt

It is always better to wear a safety belt than not to, and pregnant women like everyone else should make sure to always buckle up correctly. Do like this:

– Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt can be placed as close to the body as possible.

– Pull the lap belt over the thighs, lying flat under the belly.

– Make sure the torso belt is positioned between the breasts.

– Pull tight.

The positioning of the safety belt is important so that the occupant is restrained over the body’s stronger areas – like the upper torso and pelvis – thus protecting the weaker parts of the body, such as the soft abdomen containing the fragile foetus. Studies on the virtual pregnant crash test dummy show that the driver airbag offers protection for both the mother and the foetus.

Common injuries for unborn babies and their mothers

Injuries unique to pregnant occupants involved in crashes include placental abruption, uterine rupture or laceration and direct foetal injury. The most common type of injury is a separated placenta. The placenta then becomes partially or completely detached, meaning that the baby can not get enough oxygen and nutrients, which can be fatal for the baby.

“Our research shows that the best protection for pregnant women and their unborn babies is for the mother to wear her three-point safety belt, and to wear it properly. This reduces the foetal injury risk significantly”, says Lotta Jakobsson.

How to fasten the safety belt when you are pregnant

First adjust the seat so you can reach the pedals comfortably with as much distance between your belly and the steering wheel as possible.
Pull the lap belt over your thighs, buckle it in and pull tight. Make sure the lap belt does not run across the belly, but lies as flat as possible under the curve.
Position the torso belt across your chest, between the breasts to the side of the belly and pull tight.
Never tuck the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back – that can hurt both you and the baby.

The virtual pregnant crash test dummy

– The finite element model known as the virtual pregnant crash test dummy was developed by Volvo Cars, the first of its kind.

– The model contains layer upon layer with detailed information about the uterus, placenta, amniotic fluid and foetus in approximately the 36th week of pregnancy.

– The dummy can be positioned in any car model and simulate collisions at different speeds.

– This has brought Volvo Cars to the important conclusion that pregnant women must always wear the safety belt and make sure to wear it correctly.

– Volvo Cars has also concluded that pregnant women are better protected in frontal impacts with an airbag in the steering wheel than without.

Business, News, Opinion, World News

It’s safer for children to travel rearward: Volvo Cars

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Children should travel rearward facing until they are three-four years

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost)–Small children should travel in rearward facing child restraints for as long as possible, at least until they are three to four years old, recommended Volvo Cars expert.

“Older children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and at least ten years old. This is Volvo Cars’ firm recommendation. The knowledge is based on real life accidents, together with advanced research at Volvo Cars’ state-of-the-art crash laboratorym,” said Lotta Jacobsson, Volvo Cars’ child safety specialist.

Over 50 years of child safety development

Since the early days Volvo Cars has introduced numerous world firsts, such as the three-point safety belt in 1959. This life-saving safety belt is now integrated in all car models in the world.

Volvo Cars started researching child safety in the early 1960’s. This was a time when space journeys were hot news. On the black and white TV screen you could see the astronauts lying on their backs to even out the forces during take-off and landing. Using the entire back to spread the forces was incorporated in the first child restraint prototype, which was tested in 1964. Since then, Volvo Cars has been setting the standard in child safety.

“Our first rearward facing child restraint was launched back in 1972, says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. Volvo Cars has also been a driving force in international co-operations such as the making of the ISOFIX standard. ISOFIX is a standardised anchoring system that makes it easier to fit a child restraint correctly in any car equipped with the system.

Based on accident research

In 1970 the Volvo Traffic Accident Research Team was established to study car crashes in Sweden involving newer Volvo models. Since then the team has studied approximately 2,500 traffic accidents down to the smallest detail, and the knowledge they gain is used in developing new safety technologies. Information from more than 43,000 accidents is stored in a statistical database. For example, SIPS (Side-Impact Protection System) and WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) are direct results of this accident research.

” Our engineers identify interesting areas, develop solutions and incorporate them in the oncoming Volvo model”, says Lotta Jakobsson. When that model is out on the streets, the research of real life car crashes continues to help decide which areas to focus on in next generation. It is a continuous process.

The statistical database at Volvo Cars includes more than 4,500 children. The accidents have been studied carefully and reveal the following:

A child in a rearward facing child seat is approximately 90% less likely to be injured in an accident compared to an unrestrained child.
Using a booster cushion the child runs an approximately 75% lower risk of being injured compared to being unrestrained.

Advanced safety centre

Volvo Cars Safety Centre is the world’s most advanced crash laboratory, where real life collisions can be reconstructed and studied. For example crash tests can be run with two moving cars in different angles, creating different forms of impact. Volvo Cars uses this research together with accident data from real life to enhance road safety for various road users: the driver, the passengers and people outside the car – pedestrians as well as people in other vehicles.

– All children must always be restrained properly. They should travel facing the rear until at least the age of three-four and use restraints for older children up to 10-12 years of age, says Lotta Jakobsson.

Volvo Car Group in 2014

As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing, and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Volvo Cars’ head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

Business, China, Indepth, News, Opinion, World News

Volvo Cars: children are not small versions of adults

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Children are not small versions of adults and need special restraints

Gothenburg, June 30(Greenpost)– Lotta Jacobsson, child safety specialist in Volvo Cars stressed that children are not small version of adults and needs special restraints.

“The differences in anatomy between children and adults are considered in Volvo Cars’ child safety development – of inbuilt features as well as accessories. Children are not small versions of adults, which is why children need special restraints when travelling in cars,” said Jacobsson in a presentation in Gothenburg’s Volvo Design center.

She said a child’s neck is under development and not as strong as an adult’s neck. Also the head is proportionally bigger than that of an adult. Children therefore need special restraints, facing the rear for as long as possible until at least three-four years of age. When travelling facing the rear the crash forces are spread over the back and head, which reduces the load on the neck in frontal impacts.

” A child’s head weighs a lot more in proportion to the body, and the neck is weak. That is why we strongly believe that children should travel in rearward facing child restraints until they are three-four years old”, says Lotta Jakobsson, Child Safety Specialist at Volvo Cars.

Rearward facing child restraints are designed to support the neck and help spread the forces over a larger area in frontal impacts. Frontal impacts are the most frequent and usually the most severe impact situation.
– In a frontal impact a rearward facing child’s whole body is supported, which minimises relative movements between the head and torso, says Lotta Jakobsson.

Since more than 35 years, Volvo Cars is doing extensive research based on real life accidents. These studies show beyond doubt that the safest way for small children to travel in cars is facing the rear.

Physical evidence why children should travel facing the rear

The head of a newborn baby makes up half the total body weight, where an adult’s head weighs only about six percent of the total. This oversized head – in combination with not fully developed neck vertebrae, muscles and ligaments – makes the baby’s neck a weak point.

Forward facing in a frontal impact, the body is restrained by the safety belt while the head moves forward and puts load on the neck. Depending on crash severity and size of the child, this load can be injurious.

– In one severe frontal impact in central Europe two girls were sitting forward facing in the rear seat. The five-year-old sustained a broken leg and spent two weeks in hospital. Her little sister, just ten months old, died from neck injuries. This is a clear example that it is much too early for a ten month old child to travel forward facing, says Lotta Jakobsson.

When the child has outgrown its rearward facing seat

Rearward facing is the safest way for children to travel in cars until they have outgrown the seat and have reached an age of three-four years. Then the neck has become stronger and the child can be turned to face forward, using the standard safety belt in combination with a belt-positioning booster cushion. The booster cushion guides the lap belt across the pelvis, as low as possible towards the thighs and not over the soft belly. The torso belt runs diagonally across the chest. Pull the safety belt tight, as close to the body as possible. It does not affect the safety if the torso belt rests on the child’s neck, but if the safety belt is tucked under the arm or behind the back, the child is not as protected in an accident.

Volvo Cars’ policy is that children should use a booster cushion until they are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old. Booster cushions come in different models and sizes, with or without a backrest. Some cars can be equipped with an integrated booster cushion.

– An integrated booster cushion is always available and can not be accidentally left behind, says Lotta Jakobsson. It makes it easier to position the safety belt correctly and blends in with the car interior, which can make older children more interested in using a booster. It is important to fit the child restraint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most importantly, children must never be placed in the passenger seat if the airbag is active.

Myths and truths about travelling facing the rear

There are a number of myths that can stop parents from choosing the safer rearward facing child restraint for their children. Lotta Jakobsson at Volvo Cars Safety Centre responds to a few of them:

Myth: Children do not want to travel rearwards.

Truth: Small children are usually as happy facing any direction in the car.

Advice: If the child restraint is fitted in the back seat, place a mirror so that the child can see you. This will help the child feel safe and you can check on it easily with a glance in the interior mirror.

Myth: The child restraint will not fit.

Truth: All child restraints are not suitable for all cars.

Advice: Read up on child restraints to see which one would meet your needs. Also get a staff member to teach you how to fit it properly before purchase.

Myth: There are no rearward facing child restraints available.

Truth: It can still be difficult to find rearward facing child restraints on some markets. In the Nordic countries they are readily available, and more countries join in the recommendation that small children should travel facing the rear.

Advice: Check with your national road safety organisation. They should be able to give you further information or refer you to someone who can.

How children of different ages should travel in cars

A newborn baby should use an infant seat. Do not let it sit upright for too long, take frequent breaks and pick up the baby for a while or let it rest lying flat while the car is parked.

An infant or toddler should be fastened in a rearward facing infant seat or a larger rearward facing child restraint until the child has outgrown the larger seat and is three-four years old. The neck is weak and needs all the support it can get in the event of an accident. It does not matter if the child has to bend its legs or touches the back rest with its feet. Take breaks often to let the child stretch and play.

An older child who has outgrown the rearward facing seat but is shorter than 140 centimetres and has not reached the age of ten, should use a booster cushion. The booster gives the child an increased height and directs the safety belt over the stronger parts of the body during a crash. The lap belt should be placed tightly across the pelvis, as low as possible towards the thighs and not over the soft tissue of the abdomen. The torso belt should run across the chest and also be pulled tight. It does not matter if the belt touches the neck. Never place the torso belt under the arm or behind the back.

Do’s & Don’ts for children in cars – six simple rules that can save lives

Always make sure the child is properly restrained – during short trips as well.
Choose a child restraint that is suitable for your child and car model.
Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt is tight and the child does not get too hot.

Don’t

Never drive with an unrestrained child in the car.
Never place a child in the passenger seat with the airbag active.
Never fasten a child shorter than 140 centimetres with just the standard safety belt. It must be used in combination with a booster cushion and only by children who have outgrown their child seats.

Children in car crashes

– A heavy head and weak neck structure make small children extremely vulnerable in frontal impacts when facing forward.

– Head, abdomen, extremities, chest and spine injuries are the most common to children.

– Prevention is better than treatment. Use a child restraint that is recommended for your child’s age and use it properly.

– A rearward facing child seat provides firm support behind the child’s head and back.

– Older children should use a booster cushion to allow proper positioning of the safety belt.

Important

Never fit a child restraint in the passenger seat with an active airbag.
Remove bulky clothes so that the safety belt can be pulled tight as close to the body as possible.
Remove or unzip warm clothing if necessary to prevent overheating and subsequent dehydration.

Business, China, Indepth

China Focus: Factory slowdown shows signs of stabilizing

06/29/2015 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

China Focus: Factory slowdown shows signs of stabilizing

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — China’s factories did better last month, a preliminary HSBC survey showed on Tuesday, though overall manufacturing activity still contracted slightly.

The HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) recovered to 49.6 in June from May’s final reading of 49.2, beating market forecast of 49.4.

The figure is a notch below the 50 point level that separates growth in activity from contraction indicating that manufacturers remain pessimistic, but those hoping for signs of stabilization in China’s flagging economy may find some relief in Tuesday’s report.

A breakdown of the survey results showed the sub-indices of output, new orders and quantity of purchases all improved in June. The index of new orders rose above the 50-point mark for the first time in four months.

The sub-index of employment, however, showed manufacturers continuing to cut their staff, with the latest reduction the sharpest in over six years, indicating relatively muted growth expectations as demand both at home and abroad remains subdued, Markit economist Annabel Fiddes said.

“The data adds to evidence that the sector has lost growth momentum in the second quarter as a whole, and suggests that the authorities may step up their efforts to stimulate growth and job creation in the second half of the year,” Fiddes said.

Tuesday’s reading is not the only one to suggest that authorities may open their tool box again; much recent data has missed market expectations.

Weighed by unsteady global demand, stuttering domestic investment and a weak property sector, China’s economic growth fell in the first quarter to 7 percent, its lowest level in six years.

The central bank has cut benchmark interest rates three times since November and lowered banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) twice since February.

“Interest rate and RRR cuts to date could lift real fixed asset investment by around 2.4 percentage points, but this is not enough to stabilize growth at around 7 percent,” Qu Hongbin, chief China economist at HSBC said in a Tuesday report.

Qu expects a 50 basis point interest rate cut and a 250 basis point cut in the RRR in the rest of the year, with intensified fiscal support, more municipal bond issues and mobilization of fiscal funds. As the effects of these easing policy filter through, growth could pick up in coming months, he said.

China’s central bank economists are cautiously optimistic, expecting a modest recovery in sequential growth in the second half of the year. The economists lowered their growth forecast to 7 percent for 2015, from previous 7.1 percent, reflecting the headwinds faced by the economy. Endite

Business, China, News

China Focus: New consumption mode, new growth engine

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China Focus: New consumption mode, new growth engine

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — Against the headwinds towards China’s economy, new ways of consumption empowered by development of Internet Plus is likely to become the country’s new growth engine.

China’s economic growth slowed to a six-year low at 7 percent in the first quarter of 2015 while it has been seeking ways to shift its growth away from a dependence on investment and export to domestic consumption.

The latest data showed that China’s retail sales growth accelerated in May, indicating that its pro-consumption policies launched recently have begun to take effect.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported that retail sales in May grew 10.1 percent year on year to 2.42 trillion yuan, a tad up from the 10 percent growth recorded in April.

More importantly, online shopping took a larger share in total consumption. In the first five months, online sales rose 39.3 percent year on year to reach 1.34 trillion yuan.

Internet Plus is an idea that combines mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, modern manufacturing industries, e-commerce, industrial Internet and Internet finance.

Besides buying consumer goods and ordering food, Internet Plus has also penetrated in all aspects of life, such as transportation, traveling, medical care, entertainment and education, and the new consuming experience has stimulated the potential of consumer spending.

In a bid to further spur demand from middle and low-income earners, the State Council, China’s cabinet, said on June 10 that private capital, foreign and domestic banks and Internet companies will be allowed to set up “consumer credit” firms, which can offer small loans to the public.

Compared to traditional loans offered by banks, loans designed specifically to fund retail purchases are generally small and without the need of guarantees. Such loans are especially handy for people who are either denied of credit cards by banks or whose cards have low credit lines

The move is widely expected to effectively expand domestic consumption and help China’s economy shift to a consumption-driven economy as “borrow to consume” are now more acceptable to Chinese consumers and China’s credit information system is further completed.

China’s e-commerce giants such as Alibaba, JD.com and Suning have already launched similar services, which give consumers access to loans to buy goods on their online shopping sites and the money could be repaid in installments.

Moreover, China has slashed import duties on consumer goods by an average of 50 percent, starting from June 1, which is another move to encourage domestic spending. The duty on cosmetics was reduced to 2 percent from 5 percent.

China’s State Council has also released a guideline on June 20 saying the customs administrator will streamline customs procedures for e-commerce exports and imports to make the processes simpler and quicker, while the quality supervision authorities will allow collective declaration, examination and release of goods.

The government will keep export taxes low while formulating import tax policies. It will also encourage domestic banks and institutions to launch cross-border electronic payment businesses and advance pilot overseas payments in foreign currencies.

However, experts note that some of the policies and regulations in China have fallen behind the development of the new consumption mode and they suggest the government should continue to improve consuming environment, upgrade consuming infrastructure, strengthen regulation and further open domestic market. Enditem

Business, China, News, World News

China Southern Airlines launches Guangzhou-Paris-Vienna cargo route

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China Southern Airlines launches Guangzhou-Paris-Vienna cargo route

PARIS, June 23 (Xinhua) — China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd., one of China’s leading airlines based in south China city of Guangzhou, has launched Guangzhou-Paris-Vienna cargo route in a bid to further expand its cargo transport network in Asia-Europe region.

At present, two flights are arranged for the new route each week and the number of the flights will be raised to three each week starting from July 1, said Zhu Jinliang, general manager of the Pairs office of China Southern Airlines. Enditem

Business, China

Alibaba to sell U.S.-based 11 Main for 37.6 pct stake in OpenSky: report

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Alibaba to sell U.S.-based 11 Main for 37.6 pct stake in OpenSky: report

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA.NYSE) planned to sell its US-based E-commerce business unit – 11 Main to exchange for a 37.6 percent stake in online marketplace – OpenSky, reported Xinhua-run cnstock.com Tuesday.

According to the Chinese E-commerce giant, 11 Main’s management staff will join OpenSky but the former will still keep its own website after the deal, whose financial terms are not disclosed yet.

Alibaba launched 11 Main in June 2014. However, the website failed to attract wide attention and attain sufficient support from Alibaba Group, said the report citing a source saying 11 Main might only be Alibaba’s one attempt to test the US market.

Alibaba finished its initial public offering (IPO) in the US in 2014. Currently, most of its revenue comes from domestic B2C E-commerce platforms – Taobao.com and Tmall.com.

Previously, an executive of Alibaba said the company’s overseas strategies would focus on helping foreign merchants and brand operators to sell their goods to Chinese consumers.

Apart from 11 Main, Alibaba invested a lot in the United States. In March, it invested 200 million US dollars in US photo messaging application – Snapchat. Enditem

Business, China, News

Moody’s: Global RMB penetration improves

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Moody’s: Global RMB penetration improve

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — Offshore RMB-denominated bonds are likely to see the offering scale grow moderately in 2015, though offshore issues declined year on year in the first quarter due to the drop of onshore interest rates, a Moody’s report said on Tuesday.

China’s “Belt and Road” initiative and the establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) further strengthened the role of RMB it played in cross-border transactions and investment, said Ivan Chung, a Moody’s senior vice president.

“Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund’s impending decision on whether to include RMB in the special drawing rights (SDR) basket will be a milestone to the internationalization of RMB and will help increase investors’ allocations of RMB-denominated assets,” added Chung.

In terms of China’s onshore bond market, Moody’s pointed out in its report that the first public bond default in March 2014 and the three default cases in May and June of 2015 showed the Chinese regulators had increased their tolerance on default and would make market play a decisive role in debt restructuring in the future. Enditem

Business, China, Energy, Environment, Green-tech, News

hina’s electric car production grows three-fold in May

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China’s electric car production grows three-fold in May

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese manufacturers produced three times more new energy vehicles this May than they did last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday.

Production of pure electric passenger cars rose 300 percent to 9,922, with hybrids rising nearly 400 percent to 4,923. Production of pure electric and hybrid commercial vehicles rose by 700 percent and 36 percent, respectively. A total of 19,100 such vehicles rolled of the production line May.

In the first five months, Chinese automakers produced 53,600 new energy vehicles; again nearly a threefold increase over 2014.

The government has been working hard to put more new energy vehicles on road, saving energy and reducing pollution. In March, the Ministry of Transport set a target of 300,000 new energy commercial vehicles on China’s roads by 2020: 200,000 new energy buses and 100,000 new energy taxis and delivery vehicles.

The Ministry of Commerce also announced earlier this year that China will continue to build charging facilities in cities and allow tax exemptions and subsidies on vehicle purchases. Enditem

Business, China, News

Cabinet stresses “Internet Plus” strategy

06/29/2015 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

Cabinet stresses “Internet Plus” strategy

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China will put more momentum behind its “Internet Plus” drive, which aims to integrate the Internet and industry while encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, the cabinet vowed on Wednesday.

The campaign is very important in creating a new engine for economic growth, said a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, who proposed Internet Plus in March.

An Internet Plus guideline was approved at the meeting. It maps development targets and supportive measures for sectors which the government hopes can establish new industrial modes, including agriculture, energy, finance, public services, logistics, e-commerce, traffic, biology and artificial intelligence.

Unreasonable regulations and policies which hinder Internet Plus will be cleared and market accesses will be lowered for integrated products and services, according to the guideline.

China will launch hardware projects to support Internet Plus, build more next-generation infrastructure, develop more core chips and high-end servers, and better apply cloud computing and big data, it said.

Based on Internet Plus, open and shared platforms will be built to improve public services and share public data, it added. Enditem

Business, China, News, World News

China mulls cyber security law

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China mulls cyber security law

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China’s top legislature is considering a cyber security law, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The draft law was submitted to lawmakers for its first reading at the bimonthly session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee which runs from Wednesday to July 1.

The law aims at “safeguarding cyberspace sovereignty and national security,” according to the draft.

Cyber security has become an important issue concerning national security and development as well as public interests, said Lang Sheng, deputy head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, at the session.

The 68-article draft law suggests mechanisms to guarantee the safety of Internet products and services, operation, network data, as well as information.

The draft also highlights “development,” prescribing national strategies for cyber security and supportive measures to promote cyber security, Lang said.

Key information-related infrastructure will be put under protection, according to the draft.

The draft also stresses protecting citizens’ personal information from being stolen, leaked or used illegally.

State Council departments related with cyber security will establish systems for cyber security monitoring, warning and reporting. An emergency response mechanism will also be set up, according to the draft. Enditem

Business, China, News

China’s top legislature reviews BRICS bank agreement

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China’s top legislature reviews BRICS bank agreement

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — China’s top legislature started reviewing an agreement on the founding of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), intended to fund infrastructure in the BRICS bloc and other developing economies, on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by five of the bloc’s members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — on July 15 last year during the sixth BRICS summit.

It will enter force only when all BRICS countries have deposited instruments of acceptance, ratification or approval.

The agreement over the Shanghai-based bank had been ratified in India and Russia by April 27, said Vice Finance Minister Shi Yaobin while elaborating on the deal at the bimonthly session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The NDB will have initial authorized capital of 100 billion U.S. dollars, and its initial subscribed capital of 50 billion U.S. dollars will be equally shared among founding members, under the agreement.

It will stipulate a three-tier governance structure — a board of governors, a board of directors and management led by the president.

As agreed by the five countries, the first chair of the Board of Governors will be nominated by Russia, the first chair of the Board of Directors by Brazil, and the first president of the bank by India, Shi said.

They also agreed to set up an African regional center of the NDB in South Africa.

The establishment of the bank will be a milestone in financial cooperation among BRICS members, according to Shi.

Aside from its main funding function, it will help enhance the bloc’s role in the international arena and promote reform of global economic governance, he said.

The agreement will initially not be applied in the Hong

Kong Special Administrative Region after the foreign ministry consulted with the regional government.

Once the agreement is approve by the NPC Standing Committee, the Chinese government will subscribe 10 billion U.S. dollars on time as prescribed, Shi said.

He also noted that the NDB, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund would operate independently although all three were financed by the government. Enditem

Business, China, 人物专访, 北欧体育

Chinese billionaire ambitious in world’s sports industry

06/29/2015 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

Chinese billionaire ambitious in world’s sports industry

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — Bold plans unveiled by the Chinese government to develop the sports industry have fueled hunger and ambitions among Chinese investors.

Besides manufacturing sport wear and gear, Chinese investors have started to buy stakes in European soccer clubs and sports-related international companies.

Billionaire Wang Jianlin said one of his goals is to turn his Wanda Group into a leader in the world’s sports industry.

“We are going to merge at least three sports-related enterprises by the end of the year, a move expected to give Wanda a leading position in the world’s sports industry,” Wang told Xinhua on Tuesday.

The Chinese real estate and entertainment giant bought Swiss sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media three weeks after it purchased stakes of 2014 Spanish La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in January. The two deals cost Wang about 1.25 billion U.S. dollars.

Wang admitted that his group, well known for real estate projects, cinemas and plazas, is a “green hand” in the sports industry but ample budget ensured his group’s rapid rise in the sector.

“What we are doing is merging, which paved our way to the industry,” he said.

Wang took Infront as an example.

“Infront is a company with many resources, controlling sports events’ broadcast rights and marketing rights,” he said. “With Infront, we now stand at the upstream of the industry.”

China has unveiled plans to raise sports sector into a 5-trillion-yuan (817 billion U.S. dollars) industry by 2025.

Under a sweeping reform plan, private investment will be encouraged, new sports facilities will be built and the government will support the sector by increasingly buying its services.

Encouraged by the plans and later a reform agenda to revive Chinese soccer, many enterprises including Wanda have started to invest heavily in sports, especially soccer. Enditem