Saturday, March 6, 2010

CHINAsia Update 12

CHINAsia Update 12 is out and can be downloaded here:
http://sites.google.com/site/chinasiaupdate/magazine/issue-12

Our focus for this issue is Global Energy Demands.

Some key articles are:
- Energy problems looming for ever-growing China
- U.S. Nuclear Power: A dying industry or growing powerhouse?
- Solar energy expo seeks lighting solution to rural India
- Iran pursuing plan of 20% uranium enrichment, still ready for fuel swap

Nepal in Power Crisis


Nepal by Candlelight. By Flickr user Ron Layters,
Creative Commons

Finally, amidst mounting power crisis, the government of Himalaya country has declared a status of nation-wide electricity crisis and has adopted various measures to tackle the problem. Unveiling the government’s National Power Crisis Action Plan, the government has banned the use of electricity on hoarding boards. The government has also launched an awareness campaign for the use of compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) -- power-saving lamps -- to save power. The government has planned to increase the load-shedding period from Sunday up to 12 to 14 hours a day from the current 10 hours. Nepal’s electricity authority has announced that the power cut will increase for 18 hours on March. Negligence towards electricity consumption and maintenance of equipments has led country to the dark situation by which all of the sectors are directly affected.

- Mukunda Nepal / Ground Report / Creative Commons 3.0




Images from Asia February


The Tori Passage at the Fushimi Shrine in Kyoto, Japan .The columns
symbolize Inari the god of wealth. Each passage has been donated by
a Japanese business. Photo: FlickR User Stéfan / Creative Commons.




Dhaka (Bangladesh) traffic has been called one of the 7 wonders of
the modern world. To be fair, this is a street adjacent to New Mar-
ket and isn’t really a normal traffic road. For example, rickshaws
are prohibited. Bangladesh has been promoting the use of natural
gas (CNG) for over a decade resulting in significant reduction in
smog. Photo & Text: FlickR User: joiseyshowaa / Creative Com-
mons.



Two Babas at Bashantapur, Kathmandu waiting for tourists to bestow a blessing onto them. Locals call these Babas commercial Babas as they only approach foreigners for a blessing. Many have left their jobs as they can make more money putting on the garment of a Baba every day posing for photographs with tourists and giving flowers. These two have been depicted in multiple travel guides as their career has been spanning over a decade. Photo: FlickR User ilkerender / Creative Commons


Citizens walk in the blossoming river bank park in Chengdu,
capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Feb. 25, 2010.
Flowers bloom as the temperature rises in Chengdu.(Xinhua/
Jiang Hongjing)

For more images visit our monthly e-magazine at:
http://sites.google.com/site/chinasiaupdate/

Photo Editor: Ingmar Zahorsky





China power consumption in January grows by 40pct

Xinhua quoted the National Energy Administration said in a statement that China electricity consumption in January 2010 grew 40.14% YoY to 353.1 billion kilowatt hours.

The NEA said the electricity con- sumption volume was 2.7% higher than that in December 2009. Con- sumption in the primary industry sector topped 7 billion kWhs last month up by 23.5%YoY.

Secondary industry consumption rose 45.99% to 262.4 billion kWhs and the tertiary sector demand was up 25.61% to 39.8 billion kWhs.

According to the statement resi- dential power use rose 25.9% to 44 billion kWhs. - Xinhua

Reception held on occasion of Chinese Spring Festival in Nepal

A grand dinner reception was hosted by Nepal's Araniko Society in the Nepali capital Kathmandu on Thursday to mark the Chinese Spring Festival.

The program was attended by Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Vice-Chairman of the Nepali Constituent Assembly Purna Kumari Subedi, Minister for Education Ram Chandra Kuswaha, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong, among others.

Speaking at the program, Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said, "Like in Nepal, various festivals are celebrated and observed in China. New Year celebration is one of them."

"Each year the whole Chinese people whether they live inside or outside China, celebrate this festival as a first traditional holiday of the year," he added, wishing the warmth of New Year to all Chinese people.

According to Chinese lunar calendar, there are 12 animals to symbolize the year in which a person is born, and the coming year is Tiger year.

"I was told that there is a tradition and belief that those who born in Tiger Year are true friends, wary of strangers, fighting spirits, quite decisive, sensitive and deep thinking, courageous and troublesome temper," M.K. Nepal added.

Highlighting bilateral relation between the two nations, Nepal said, "Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, we have been enjoying close relations based on five principles of peaceful co-existence. From the first day of establishment of our bilateral diplomatic relations, Nepal and China have continuously enjoyed cordial and satisfactory bilateral relations."


Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal (R) draws prize for
participants during a grand dinner reception hosted by Nepal’s
Araniko Society to mark the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival in
Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, Feb. 11, 2010.(Xinhua/He Xianfeng)


Lauding the role played by China in the process of Nepal's development, M.K. Nepal said that during the last five decades of bilateral diplomatic relations, China has extended generous supports to Nepal in areas like infrastructural development, education, health, hydropower, industrial development.

"China has made tremendous progress in the fields of economy, social and technology in the last 30 years. The Nepali people take China's such remarkable achievements positively and seek to take advantage from it to for our economic development and social advancement," he said.

He said that Nepal expects China's support particularly in the areas of infrastructural development, hydropower generation, tourism and human resource development would be very important for laying down basic foundations to achieve our aims of rapid economic growth and social transformation in Nepal.

Chinese ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong said, "The year 2010 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China. The Chinese side is ready to make joint efforts with the Nepalese side to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, strengthen the neighborly friendship, and further promote the mutual benefit cooperation and enhance the comprehensive relationship of cooperation."

"At the juncture point of bidding farewell to year of Ox and embracing the new year of Tiger, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and best wishes to those Nepalese people who are engaged in promoting the friendship between the two countries for many years, " Qiu added.

Likewise, President of the Araniko Society Harish Chandra Shah Shah said that every year Nepal marks Chinese New Year by organizing various programs with the leadership of Araniko Society. "Araniko Society is the alumni organization of Nepalese individuals who studied in China and can speak Chinese language.

According to Shah, Araniko Society aims to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and promote various level of exchange programs in education, health and cultural sectors.

During the program, Nepalese students studying Chinese performed cultural instance of both countries.

Source:Xinhua