Scottish Affairs Team Beijing - October 2013 Bulletin

1. Bulletin for October 2013
Chinese top leaders attend National Day reception in Beijing
Chinese top leaders Xi Jinping (C), Li Keqiang (3rd L), Zhang Dejiang (3rd R), Yu
Zhengsheng (2nd L), Liu Yunshan (2nd R), Wang Qishan (1st L) and Zhang Gaoli (1st R)
attend a reception marking the 64th anniversary of the founding of the People's
Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, . Sept. 30, 2013. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Mortar shell hits Chinese Embassy in Syria, one Syrian
employee injured: DAMASCUS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A mortar shell fell
into the compound of the Chinese Embassy in Damascus on Monday, slightly
injuring a Syrian employee, according to an official from the embassy. It was
the first time that the Chinese Embassy was hit since the Syrian conflict broke
out two and a half years ago. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-
09/30/c_132765564.htm
HK Chief Executive to attend APEC meeting: HONG KONG - Hong
Kong Chief Executive CY Leung will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-
operation (APEC) 2013 Leaders' Week in Bali from October 5 to 8, according
to a release by the city's Information Service Department. The theme of this
year's APEC meeting is "Resilient Asia- Pacific, Engine of Global Growth"
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/news/2013-9/30/content_15090590.html
China Focus: Bo Xilai sentenced to life in prison for bribery,
embezzlement, power abuse. JINAN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bo Xilai,
former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) and a former member of the CPC Central Committee
Political Bureau, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Sunday for bribery,
embezzlement and abuse of power. He was deprived of political rights for
life, and his personal assets were also confiscated.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-09/22/c_132740484.htm
News for Scotland
Scottish First Minister launches Aberdeen Confucius Institute.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond on Friday launched the Confucius Institute at the University of Aberdeen in northeast Scotland and expected strengthened
bonds between Scotland and the Chinese side. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/814649.shtml
Scotland, Migration and the Referendum: Data and Analysis for an Informed Debate
Two major projects analysing migration to and from Scotland have been launched today by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of its
Future of the UK and Scotland activities to inform the referendum debate. The projects bring together the expertise of academics from the Centre for
Population Change (CPC) and the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford and together will provide the most comprehensive look at internal and
international migration between Scotland, the UK and the rest of the world in recent times. The work undertaken by CPC considers how Scotland differs from
the rest of the UK in terms of migration patterns, and in public attitudes towards immigration. Results so far have shown that migration is a stronger
determinant of future population change in Scotland than the rest of the UK and that the general public in Scotland has a more tolerant view of migration.
Within this, the work examines the potential economic effects of constitutional change, particularly for the income of Scottish Higher Education Institutions,
finding that changes to immigration laws could severely affect funding. http://www.esrc.ac.uk/scotland

2. China in Numbers Culture space – 黄金周
The word National Day, appeared in Chinese
language as early as in the Western Jin
Dynasty (265 - 316 AD). In ancient China, it
usually fell on the day when the emperor
ascended the throne or was born. Nowadays, it
is celebrated on October 1st every year to
commemorate the founding of People’s
Republic of China. On that day, lots of large-
scaled activities are held nationwide. Besides,
the seven-day holiday from Oct. 1st to 7th is
the so-called "Golden Week”, during which
more and more Chinese people go travelling
around the country. Three days of paid
holiday are given, and the surrounding
weekends are re-arranged so that workers in
Chinese companies always have seven
continuous days of holiday.
Scottish Affairs Office
Calendar (Oct).
 Scottish University
Beijing reps meeting.
JS/AW
 Meeting with Scotland-
China Chamber of
Commerce. JS/AW
 Meeting with Hanban
JS/AW
 Meeting with Embassy
health leads. JS
 Stakeholder meetings
re H/C 2014. JS
 McKinsey reckon that China's economic transformation is happening at
100 times the scale of the first country to urbanise - the UK - and at 10
times the speed. By 2030, they predict that there will be 221 cities in
China with a population of more than 1 million, compared with 35
such cities in Europe today (and 120 in China today).
 Over 18,000 British residents are registered as living in China, an
increase of 11.5% on 2012 (and up 43.16 since 2009). Over a third of
these (6,136) live in Shanghai and there are 2 British residents registered
in Tibet. There are no registered British residents in Guizhou – we are not
yet able to estimate the Scottish diaspora in mainland China
 Between 1949 and 1979, a total of 280,000 Chinese travelled abroad. In
2012, Chinese citizens made 83 million journeys abroad. According
to the United Nations, Chinese tourists spent $102bn on foreign
travel in 2012, 41 percent more than they spent in 2011.
Political Update Contact Details
John Somers
John.Somers@fco.gov.uk
Anjing Wang
Wang.Anjing@fco.gov.uk
Iris Fu
Iris.Fu@fco.gov.uk
“The world's biggest
mall is in China... but it
has been 99% empty
since 2005”
By 2025, China will build
enough skyscrapers to
fill TEN New York-sized
cities”
 General Secretary Xi Jinping took his campaign to ‘rectify’ the Party on the road in September. Xi has instructed
regional officials to "promote self-criticism and criticism" to eliminate ‘formality, bureaucracy, hedonism and
extravagance’ among rank-and-file cadres.
 China’s Premier Li Keqiang gave a keynote speech at the Annual “Summer Davos” meeting in Tianjin on 11 September.
Li restated the leadership’s commitment to deliver economic reform. He said the key to economic reform was letting “the
market do what the market should do, society do what society should do, and the government do what the government
should do”.
 Shanghai inaugurated a new Free Trade Zone (FTZ) on 29 September. The FTZ will pilot economic reforms, including
simplified processes for foreign investment, support for service sector development, and financial opening. Domestic and
international media have compared it to the launch of the Special Economic Zone in Shenzhen. But according to a “negative
list” published at the inauguration, foreign investment will initially be precluded in 18 sensitive service sectors ranging
from agriculture to finance. It will also be banned from golf courses, internet bars, lotteries and pornography.
 Analysts of Chinese social media said online discussion of sensitive topics has become more muted in recent weeks as
authorities increased pressure on online celebrities to toe the Party line. Official publications attacked social media’s
capacity to create ‘lop-sided public opinion’ and propagate.