Page 12 of 31

Is China Still Developing?

China has officially surpassed Japan to become the second largest economy of the world. No major world actions are taken without China taking part in the process. But still the tag of a developing country is used to describe China. Till when is a country considered to be Developing? Does the sheer size of the country’s population give it the unfair advantage of a developing nation forever? China has become the manufacturing hot spot for automobiles, toys, electronic goods, cell phones, laptops, etc. Apart from that, now thousands of Americans are going to China for jobs. The postcards that are being sent by these people do not say anything about the developing status of China. In fact it can be called as a developed country with problems associated with over explosion of population.

Recently China at the G77 developing nations conference suggested moves to curb climate change by forcing developed countries to give assistance to developing countries like China. The Chinese received a stern reply form United States who completely deny China still being a developing country. The United States have agreed to pay every other developing country except China, rightly so. Instead United States is urging China to invest in carbon caps in other developing nations.

China has one of the worlds largest GDP, but the same can not be said about its annual per capita income, which is around $2,500. This is 4 percent of what the GDP per capita is in United States. Hence the line between developed and developing country is badly drawn. Although million have been successfully lifted from poverty, still millions are left in the same hole. It can be termed as a process of non-trivial wealth. Hence unless the problem of developed or developing country is not solved, there seems to be no solution to the climate change agreements.

Visiting China

Even if you have to take out payday loans to pay for a trip, visiting China should be on everyone’s list of places to visit before they die. China is brimming with beautiful cultural and historical locations that simply cannot be passed up, many of which have been around for more than 1,000 years.

The most obvious historical place to visit is the Great Wall of China. You can’t honestly say that you are going to travel all the way to China without taking the time to go see the famous Great Wall. The 5,500 mile wall stretches from Shanhaiguan to Lop Nur and was originally built to defend the Chinese Empire’s northern border from various attackers. It’s well known that the Great Wall can even be see from space. Something this spectacular simply can’t be missed.

Another cultural attraction that cannot be skipped is the Forbidden City located in the heart of Beijing. This gigantic complex, consisting of approximately 980 buildings, served as the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming to the Qing Dynasties. There is also a lot of symbolism throughout the design of the complex. For example, the color of the tiles on the roof of each building represents something different. Yellow is the color of the Emperor, so many of the buildings have a yellow tiled roof.

Another place you can visit to learn more about the Chinese culture is Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army. These magnificent soldiers were made and placed around Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb so he would have an army to use in the afterlife. The tomb consists of over 8,000 figures, including horses, chariots, warriors, generals, and even acrobats and musicians. It’s simply breathtaking!

No matter where you decide to visit in China, you will be immersed in the magnificent culture and history of this ancient country.

Chinese Tax Breakdown

Every country has its own tax breakdown. China’s tax breakdown is a little different from the rest of the world, but it is still interesting to see how it is broken down for the second largest economy in the world.

An individual’s income tax is dependent on their level of income, and it ranges from 5% to 45%. Individuals are also responsible for a 20% tax on the interest or gain on investment they receive. This 20% is actually different from some other major countries where your tax bracket includes your income and your earnings on investment. You often end up paying one specific percentage.

The standard tax rate for both domestic and foreign companies stands at 25%. However, smaller companies and the small business sector can pay a 20% tax, depending on their industry. Some of the high tech companies actually pay a lesser rate of 15%, but again, that is based on the industry the company falls under.
Income from a business is not taxed the same way as income from a salary. Personal business income is taxed between 5% and 35%, depending on both the industry of business and the profit generated from the business.

Real estate is taxed at a much lower rate of 20% after deducting the purchase cost from the sale price.
These are just some of the tax breakdowns. With the proper accountant and proper paperwork, you stand to pay a better rate on both your income and your profit. Either way, this is quite different from several other countries that put tax rates at the same or similar percentage, regardless of profit and salary. These are a few of the tax laws to keep in mind when operating or working in China. The savings potential can be great, as long as you have the right tools and proper knowledge.

Summers can’t get Chinese to budge on currency . . . at least not in public

Chief of the National Economic Council Larry Summers listens in as U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the media after meeting with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on June 29, 2010.  UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg Photo via Newscom

The United States is losing patience with China as the Chinese move slowly on their currency policy. Many in the US believe correctly that the Chinese are propping up their exports, and hurting US imports, by undervaluing their currency. Larry Summers visited China but no progress has been made . . . at least in public statements.

China rejected pressure over currency Tuesday amid a visit by two high-level U.S. envoys, saying Beijing will set the pace of exchange rate reforms.

Currency has re-emerged as an irritant in U.S.-Chinese relations as American leaders face pressure to create jobs ahead of November elections. Lawmakers who want possible trade sanctions on China set aside complaints as the two governments worked together to end the global crisis but are renewing their demands.

“Exchange rate reform can’t be pressed ahead under external pressure,” said Jiang Yu, a foreign ministry spokesman.

The Chinese don’t want to ;look like they are bowing to pressure, so we all need to go through this diplomatic song and dance. Eventually, a change has to be made.

Profile of TV host Yang Lan

SHANGHAI, CHINA - JULY 5: (CHINA OUT) TV host Yang Lan attends the opening ceremony of the LAN Club Shanghai on July 5, 2008 in Shanghai, China. The club, occupying a four-storey classical building at the Bund, is the second in a series launched by the South Beauty Group, a luxury club service provider in China. The club boasts its grand lobby, Chinese lounge, bars, and the exhibition hall. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

Fast Company has a cool profile of TV host Yang Lan. She is one of China’s biggest celebrities and she’s aiming to become a media mogul.

She has sought to turn that fame into a full-fledged business empire. Yang has created new programming for TV — including one of the first shows targeting women — and set up sites on the burgeoning Chinese-language Web. She has bought print publications; she sells credit cards; she’s even hawking a co-branded jewelry line with Celine Dion. She and her husband, Bruno Wu, are one of China’s richest couples; Forbes has estimated their wealth at about $300 million. All of which has led the foreign press — and her own handlers — to rarely miss an opportunity to call her the Oprah of China.

It’s not a fair comparison: The clapping session is an apt metaphor for the ways in which the Chinese-media marketplace — and Yang herself — is fundamentally more constrained than the American. There are the constantly changing government regulations; television, says Jeremy Goldkorn of the Beijing media blog Danwei.com, “is the most tightly controlled of all Chinese media because it remains the one truly mass media. There are a huge variety of rules and restrictions on TV content, and they change regularly.” And there is her generation’s own worldview; China’s fortysomethings entered adulthood as their nation simultaneously opened up (under Deng Xiaoping, to get rich was seen as progressively more glorious) and closed down (Tiananmen Square in 1989 imprinted on their young minds that breaking the rules was not the path to glory).

Yang Lan, 42, has done wonders to achieve what she has so far, being careful to maintain her above-the-fray image while morphing with the fast-shifting landscape. “You do what you can do,” she says with a sigh in lightly accented, fluent English. Some of her ventures have succeeded — her interview show has been one of the past decade’s megahits — while others, including her Sun TV network, have been huge flops. Through it all, she has held on to her biggest asset: her fame. Liu Yingqi, vice president of China Life Insurance Co., which sponsors New Girl in the Office, says, “She’s the audience’s Yang Lan, society’s Yang Lan.” But the same country that has embraced her and elevated her to such success has also kept her from being the woman she wants to be — Yang Lan’s Yang Lan.

Good luck to her!

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 China Blitz

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑