Author Archives: Chi-Han Ai

About Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

Carpooling endorsed and legalised in Beijing

In January 2014, Beijing issued the carpooling regulation for small vehicles, a lawful endorsement which officially legalised carpooling in Beijing.

However, there are illegal taxicabs, which are often called “black car”, in almost every city in China. These black cars do not have legitimate operating licenses from the transportation management department, but they provide transport services and make a profit in return. There are several types of black cars, such as motorcycles, tricycles buses, and even ambulances. Therefore, the aforementioned regulation the Beijing government announced raises questions. In order to clarify the doubts, a report from People’s Daily provided answers1.

Illegal taxicab in China, Ai Chi-Han

How to distinguish legal carpooling from black cars?

Carpooling needs to be built on long term cooperation between the owner of the car and the passengers; in short, people involved in carpooling know each other. Since the goal of carpooling is to reduce carbon emissions and the number of vehicles on the roads, most carpooling will be performed during commuting time. The price of carpooling

should not be expensive either.

Who is responsible in case an accident happens?

For carpooling, the driver and passengers should have an agreement, so it is recommended that the issue of liability for any possible accident should be stated clearly and that the insurance related to the carpooling should be arranged previously.

How much does carpooling cost?

Normally, the cost of a private vehicle for carpooling is half the price of a taxi for the same distance. Passengers can therefore calculate the fee with reference to the taxi fee and divide it by the number of the passengers.

The goal of Beijing’s legalisation of carpooling is to ease traffic congestion and conserve energy. Since the new regulation may enable black cars to earn more unjust profits, the challenge ahead for Beijing, the first city legalising carpooling, is for the government to enforce strict laws and distinguish legal carpooling from black cars.

  1. Beijing chutai zhidao yijian guifan xiao keche he cheng xingwei, http://right.workercn.cn/157/201401/03/140103114024450.shtml, accessed 18 February, 2014 []

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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To solve the ageing population problem, Chinese provinces implement two-child policy

 By the endChild in Chongqing, Ai Chi-Han of 2013, NPC Standing Committee [全国人大常委会] offered a resolution easing the one-child policy, requesting relevant local governments amend related regulations and carry out a two-child policy. It will allow married only-child couples to have two children in their new-built family. Currently, Zhejiang and Anhui have adopted this policy. Guangxi, Jiangsu, and Beijing will follow suit in the next few months1. It is expected that there will be a 1 to 2 million population increase in China within two years of launching of this policy2 .

One important reason for which the Chinese government implemented this reform on population policy is the ageing population problem. After 30 years of stringent birth control, the population of China had aged faster than those of other developing countries. However, the Chinese labor force began to decline. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2012, China’s labor force, workers between the ages of 15 and 59, dropped by 3,45 million. It’s the first time that China’s labor force declined since it reformed and opened up3.

Japan has the most serious ageing problem in the world: Japan’s older population (over 65 years old) exceeds 30 million, which is approximately 24.4% of the entire population4. According to UN statistics, in 2010, China’s older population accounted for 9.4% of total population. This number will increase to 13.6% by 2020, 18.7% by 2030, 26.8% by 2040 and it will reach 30.8% by 2050.5, which means that in less than 30 years, China will follow in Japan’s footsteps and encounter the same serious problem of an ageing society. Yet, Japan is different, as it first felt the effects of its ageing society in 1970, when their per capita income was around $ 2,0006. Seeing the start of an ageing society in 1999, with a per capita income of less than $ 1,000 at the time, China has since been regarded as a country experiencing ageing before affluence [未富先老].

At this stage, Chinese government’s deregulation of birth policy may be a solution to the structural population problem. However, Chinese government will now have to deal with the issue of how to implement medical services support, nursery schools, and other aspects of public services.

  1. Zhongguo fang kai dandu er tai, http://news.sina.com.cn/c/z/jszctz/, accessed on 11 February, 2014 []
  2. Ge shengfen “dandu er hai” jinzhan bu yi quanmian fang kai shang wu shijian biao, http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-01/18/c_126023868.htm, accessed on 11 February, 2014 []
  3. Guojia tongji ju fabu 2012 nian hongguan jingji shuju, http://big5.ce.cn/gate/big5/www.ce.cn/ztpd/xwzt/zhibo/tjj2012/index.shtml, , accessed on 11 February, 2014 []
  4. Zhongguo wei fu xian lao quanqiu weiyi, http://udn.com/NEWS/MAINLAND/MAI3/8464199.shtml, accessed on 11 February, 2014 []
  5. Cai Fang (2012), “Ageing before Affluence”and China’s Sustainable Economic Growth, International Economic Review, 2012, 1, pp. 82-95 []
  6. Japan – GDP per capita, http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/japan/gdp-per-capita, accessed on 11 February, 2014 []

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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The 2014 Spring Festival migration map in China

On 26 January 2014, Baidu (www.baidu.com) launched the “Baidu Migration (百度迁徙; qianxi.baidu.com) service map”, based on global positioning system; the service enables users to observe the population movement (both in and out) during Chinese Spring Festival.

China migration

The map shows that on New Year’s Eve, Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing are the three cities which have the biggest migration moving out. As for move-in cities, Beijing, Chongqing, and Shanghai are also the winners. In addition to viewing the entire migration dynamics, users can observe the in-out movement of a single city. For example, on New Year’s Eve, people mostly move out from Shanghai to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

Shanghai migration

The “Baidu Migration” service started for the Spring Festival and will end on 28th February. This service can be applied to other major festivals and events in China.

 

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Workshop on regional, urban, and spatial economics in China

“International workshop on regional, urban, and spatial economics in China” will be held at Fudan University in Shanghai. This workshop is organised by China Center for Economic Studies, Fudan University.

The workshop will include the following topics:

  • Investment and regional development
  • Labor market and inter-regional, rural-urban migration
  • Urbanisation and urban development
  • Regional disparities and coordinated development
  • Agglomeration and New Economic Geography
  • Sprawl and environmental issues
  • Environmental and sustainable development

Draft or abstract submissions (paper draft preferred) should be sent in English to ccesconference@fudan.edu.cn.

The workshop will be held on June 6 and 7 2014 (Friday/Saturday), Shanghai Fudan University, China.

  • Abstract submissions deadline: 1 March 2014.
  • Notification of acceptance: 1 April 2014.
  • Complete paper submissions deadline: 15 May 2014.

For more information: 中国区域经济研究网

 

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Thirty one provinces in China signed the “Objective responsibility deal for air pollution control”

The Minister of Environment Protection of the People’s Republic of China inked the “Objective Responsibility Deal for Air Pollution Control (大气污染防治目标责任书)” with 31 China provinces. The Deal establishes assessment measures for improving air quality in China. Among the objectives set, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei have promised to decrease PM2.5 level by 25%, Shanxi, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang by 20%, and Guangdong, and Chongqing by 10%. This Deal can be viewed as a practical measure of environmental protection for local governments.

News Video:

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Beijing to fully implement zero-emission buses in 2017

At the end of 2013, Beijing launched its first dual-mode trolleybus line, an executive action in the Beijing Clean Air Action Plan (2013-2017). Within the five-year time-frame, this Plan aims to fulfill the promise that there will only be zero-emission buses in the Beijing city center within the Beijing 5 Ring Road. The total number of electric vehicles is expected to reach 47001

trollybus

Source of image: You gai dian gongjiao che beijing shanglu, http://society.people.com.cn/n/2013/1220/c1008-23894059.html, access on 14, January 2014.

In fact, since 2001, there have been 15 traditional trolleybus lines in Beijing; the traditional system depends only on electricity wire. If there is a malfunction in the grid, buses would have to stop in the middle of roads, causing traffic congestion. The new dual-mode trolleybus system is different from the old traditional one in that the buses are equipped with a battery; the electricity grid connected to the buses will continue to run them, and at the same time charge the battery. Therefore, if an error occurs in the electricity supply, the dual-mode trolley buses can be “off-line” and still be able to function2. This will increase the mobility of the buses, which will no longer be shut down easily from grid problems.

 

  1. You gai dian gongjiao che beijing shanglu, http://society.people.com.cn/n/2013/1220/c1008-23894059.html, accessed on 14 January 2014. []
  2. Beijing jiang piliang zhihuan shuang yuan diandong gongjiao che bi chun diandong che pianyi 20 duo wan, http://big5.ce.cn/gate/big5/wap.ce.cn/cy/201312/13/t20131213_1915572.html, accessed on 14 January 2014. []

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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A third of Chinese graduates choose to go to second- or third-tier cities

Working in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou has been the goal for many Chinese graduates for a long time. However, in recent years, with an increasing number of graduates, employment has been decreasing correspondingly. In 2004, the number of college graduates in China was around 2.8 million; it is expected that in 2014 this number will rise to 7.27 million, while three hundred thousand students who studied abroad will also return to China to find a job. China Central Television recently did a survey on the graduates’ preference for employment and found that more and more students are willing to work in second- and third-tier cities. This shift shows that the rising cost of living and the limit of hukou in big cities have been pushing graduates to move to second- and third-tier cities. This mobility of talent may on one hand reduce the pressure of graduates who are eager to find a job and start a career, while on the other hand it may boost the urbanisation process of the second- and third-tier cities in China.

mobility of talent

More information about this survey: http://www.crtv.org.cn/a/crtv/sz/jrgz20140106732.html

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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2013 Green book of climate change

001e4f9daa8713e544e23aThe 2013 Annual report on actions to address climate change, published in November by the Social Sciences Academic Press, was compiled by Wang Weiguang and Zheng Guoguang. The main theme of this year’s report is  “Focus on low-carbon urbanisation”.

2013年《气候变化绿皮书:应对气候变化报告(2013)》11月出刊,由王伟光、郑国光撰寫,該绿皮书的主题是“聚焦低碳城镇化”,由社会科学文献出版社出版。

More information: http://www.cma.gov.cn/2011xwzx/2011xqxxw/2011xqxyw/201311/t20131104_230600.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Urbachina European partner meeting

During another session, coordinators for each sub-project presented the results of their research, while sharing their views on the future of China’s urbanisation. Ms. Cristina Marcuzzo of the European Commission also participated. She explained what reports and procedural documents the Urbachina project should submit for the supervision of the EU.

The 4th Urbachina International Conference will be held in Chongqing from 28 May to 30 May , 2014. Partners from the EU and China will be invited to participate in the discussion.

「城镇化中国」项目于2013年12月9日在巴黎召开欧洲伙伴会议。欧盟委员会(European Commission)的Cristina Marcuzzo小姐说明了城镇化中国在欧盟体系监督下,应缴交的报告程序。席间,「城镇化中国」项目计划中的每位专题主持人,皆介绍了他们的调研成果与发现,同时分享了他们对未来中国城镇化的看法。

城镇化中国项目的国际年度会议将于2014年5月28日至5月30日在重庆召开,会议将邀请欧盟与中国项目伙伴出席,共同参与讨论。

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Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Jinqin high-speed rail started operation

未命名Jin (Tianjin) qin (Qinhuangdao) high-speed rail has started operation since December 1st.  This high-speed rail line runs 287 km, from the Tianjinxi Station to the  Qinhuangdao Station. With a maximum speed of 350km, the initial operating speed is 300 km/per hour. The fastest traveling time from Tianjin to Qinhuangdao has hence been reduced to  1 hour 11 minutes, and from Tianjin to Harbin, it now only takes seven hours.

 

 

 

 

 

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Urbachina participated in the 2013 EU-China Urbanisation Partnership forum.

The 2013 EU-China Urbanisation Partnership Forum was held on 21 November in Beijing. During the morning session, François Gipouloux, coordinator of Urbachina, introduced the Urbachina project and gave examples of European smart cities, green cities and compact cities in the Creativity City sub-forum.

The afternoon session was held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang of the People’s Republic of China, President Herman Van Rompuy of the European Council, and President José Manuel Barroso of the European Commission attended the signing ceremonies of a series of cooperative documents under the EU/China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Considering the enormous business opportunities brought about by China’s new urbanisation, Li Keqiang said, in the forum, that industry-academia cooperation is required. Furthermore, European technology and the Chinese market together can boost China’s urban development. Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso stated that cooperation on urbanisation is an essential part of China-EU relations; it can improve the living standards of people on both sides, promote sustainable development, and achieve common prosperity. Overall, the China-EU cooperation will provide huge benefits.

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Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Lixiang lake village in Chongqing

UrbaChina, coordinated by Professor Gipouloux, visited Chongqing Lixiang lake village, with the help of Professor Pu Yongjian (蒲勇健), deputy director at the Institute for sustainable development of Chongqing University. The mayor of Lixiang Lake Village, Yuan Gui-sheng (袁桂生), enthusiastically explained how farmers are gathered together and moved into Lixiang lake village by using the land ticket system. He also showed the current living conditions in the village to UrbaChina.

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For more information about land ticket transactions: http://urbachina.hypotheses.org/2923

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Annual report on the development of small- and medium-sized cities in China

20131015012449P

Edited by the Committee for Economic Development of Small and Medium Sized Cities of the China Society of Urban Economy and published by Social Sciences Academic Press (中国城市经济学会中小城市经济发展委员会), the Annual Report on the Development of Small- and Medium-sized Cities in China employs certain criteria – such as a city’s level of being “smart” and being “green”, as well as its level of carbon emission – to evaluate the development of small and medium sized cities in China. Panyu District (Guangzhou), Shunde District (Foshan), Baiyun District (Guangzhou), and Lucheng District (Wenzhou) are deemed as new “green” cities and are ranked among the top 10.

More information: http://www.china.com.cn/zhibo/2013-10/21/content_30312416.htm?show=t

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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France full electric car-sharing service program expands from Paris to Lyon

2011年10月,巴黎实施出租电动车计划,以零污染、低噪音的环保电动车供驾驶人士平价租用,2012年5月时,订户数量原仅有1万5千名;但是到2013年2月,订户数量已达到6万3千个,预计2014年时达到10万1。出租电动车计划在巴黎推广的成功经验,让经营出租电动车的Bolloré公司将其推广到法国人口第三多的城市-里昂,从2013年10开始,130辆Bluely环保电动车,配置51个出租站将在里昂营运,预计至2014年,将增加至250辆电动车与近百个出租站可被使用2

Source: La ville inaugure le service d’autopartage bluely la bluecar va électriser Lyon. http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/direct-matin/numero-1364-10-oct-2013/page-12-13-texte-integral

巴黎社会党市长德拉诺埃 (Bertrand Delanoe) 在2007年为了鼓励大众使用脚踏车来减少空气污染与交通壅塞问题,从自行车租用计划Velib (Velos en libre-service pour tous; 简称为Velib) 推行后,把自行车租用的成功经验推广至电动车,让人们将「购买」车与「使用」车的概念分开,透过自助租车服务的100%电动车,以零噪音,零异味、零二氧化碳排放,来减少可以减少巴黎市内私家车的使用,同时也可以减低寻找车位的烦恼。

出租电动车计划的租用费用分为一年、一个月与一星期,巴黎与里昂略有差别,对于新实施的里昂市来说,一年签约金为99欧元 (巴黎为144欧元),约人民币830元,一个月签约金为19,90欧元 (巴黎为15欧元),约人民币167元。

法国出租电动车计划现阶段已从巴黎延伸至里昂,下一步是将它推广到其它大城市如波尔多、马赛。对于广大市民来说,电动车抺去惯见的烟尘与与噪音,除了有环保意义之外,也让市民享受到便利与城市交通创新的新体验。

  1. 巴黎Autolib’电动车共享订户突破10万http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/13/9/15/n3964739.htm []
  2. La ville inaugure le service d’autopartage bluely la bluecar va électriser Lyon. http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/direct-matin/numero-1364-10-oct-2013/page-12-13-texte-integral []

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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Barcelona launched public electric scooter service

2013年5月,西班牙巴塞罗那推出公共电动车Motit,该服务是由西班牙专门代理电动车的Going Green公司提供。现阶段,该公司仅在巴塞罗那市区提供50辆电动车供人租用,预计在2013年底之前增加至300辆。

公共电动车Motit的特点在于每台Motit内建GPS与租用系统,租用者可以透过智慧手机在网上寻找离自己最近的Motit停靠点,再透过该系统进行租借。

  • 租用者的资格 : 年满21岁以上,需具备驾照
  • 计费方式 : 一小时5欧元或每公里40分欧元
  • 电动车最高速度: 65km/h
  • 最高限速: 40至60公里
  • 巴塞罗那租用点总数: 7个
  • 电动车Motit的配备: GPS系统、安全帽、电池

 

Motit

参考网站: http://www.asso-scooter.org/Motit-Barcelone-scooters-en-libre

Chi-Han Ai

Ph.D. candidate of EHESS ( École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris) focusing on regional economic development in China and Taiwan.

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