https://www.scmp.com/rss/266873/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Following the end of the second global conference on road safety in Brazil this week, China deserves praise for progress in cutting its death toll since 2001. However, it still has a way to go. Although Beijing has passed most of the critical legislation – covering drink-driving, motorcycle helmets and seat belts – to foster a culture of safety, the world’s biggest auto market still counts over 250,000 road deaths a year (nearly 25 per cent of all such fatalities worldwide), according to the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1880781/chinas-drive-better-road-safety-starting-pay-dividends-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1880781/chinas-drive-better-road-safety-starting-pay-dividends-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2015 03:47:29 +0000 Amid all the discussions at the UN about climate change efforts, Beijing has emerged as a trendsetter that has made great strides towards sustainability. The Asian giant is still the planet's largest carbon emitter, but it now stands out among its peers by offering a blueprint for environmentally friendly urbanisation and low-carbon growth. In particular, its sustainable cities - like Tianjin Eco-city, the world's largest - are innovative solutions to rapid industrialisation. Beijing was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1864515/china-shows-world-it-can-lead-battle-against-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1864515/china-shows-world-it-can-lead-battle-against-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2015 05:11:07 +0000 Greece seems to be following in Argentina's footsteps, after it missed its critical debt payment on June 30, shut down its banks and imposed capital controls a day earlier. The South American nation is still battling with its creditors over its 2001 default on a US$100 billion sovereign debt - the largest in history. It then plunged into crisis. Argentina implemented severe foreign currency controls to tackle haemorrhaging foreign reserves. Today, it is locked out of international financial... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1830568/greece-and-argentina-tale-two-debt-defaults?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1830568/greece-and-argentina-tale-two-debt-defaults?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2015 06:00:30 +0000 The visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Brazil last week has boosted bilateral trade but is likely to further worsen the reputation of Chinese companies for harming the fragile environment in Latin America. Li inked 35 trade and investment agreements with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff that will see Beijing invest billions in Brazil's decaying infrastructure. This will help build an ambitious 3,500km transcontinental railroad that will ease commodity exports to resource-starved China. The railway... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1808452/chinese-investment-flood-threat-brazils-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1808452/chinese-investment-flood-threat-brazils-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2015 08:45:45 +0000 China, the planet's largest tobacco consumer and producer, is the only nation where tobacco consumption does not fall when the government imposes higher taxes on these products, as incomes are rising faster than the tax hikes. This is creating a serious public health issue. In general, health pundits consider that taxing tobacco products is one of the most effective measures to control consumption. In high-income countries, if the state raises taxes on such products by 10 per cent, there is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1746957/china-needs-all-out-fight-curb-tobacco-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1746957/china-needs-all-out-fight-curb-tobacco-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2015 05:09:50 +0000 The two-day forum bringing together China and the 33 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in Beijing last week - the first of its kind - ushers in an era of bilateral cooperation in trade, political security and development. First, China is becoming a juggernaut in the region and is reaping the benefits of the United States' decreasing leverage in its own backyard. Beijing is deepening South-South cooperation and mutual trust with left-leaning heads of state in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1679024/china-makes-its-presence-felt-us-backyard-deepening-latin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1679024/china-makes-its-presence-felt-us-backyard-deepening-latin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2015 06:14:37 +0000 Despite mounting criticism as the world's largest polluting nation, China has implemented the most successful programme to adopt clean and safe cooking solutions for households, to improve people's livelihoods and ultimately reduce emissions. This proves Beijing can boost its economic growth, develop energy security and reduce pollution at the same time. Notwithstanding its current pollution levels, it should be remembered that China is also the largest investor in green energy. Emblematic of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1648583/chinas-clean-stoves-initiative-signals-its-green-commitment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1648583/chinas-clean-stoves-initiative-signals-its-green-commitment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2014 21:26:55 +0000 As the international community raised awareness of food security on World Food Day last week, 1.3 billion Chinese people are facing critical health risks due to imports of genetically modified soybeans, including those from Argentina, the third-largest producer and exporter of soybeans. Soybean oil is widely used in Chinese households and restaurants because it is cheap. In 2013, Beijing imported over 63 million tonnes of genetically modified soybeans from the US, Brazil and Argentina. About 98... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1621305/china-should-impose-tougher-checks-genetically-modified-soy-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1621305/china-should-impose-tougher-checks-genetically-modified-soy-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:45:45 +0000 President Xi Jinping's visit to Argentina over the weekend has further eased access to key commodities for China, to support its thriving economy, while strengthening its influence in Latin America. Xi and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner inked 19 agreements on finance, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, trade and cooperation. The most significant deals included a US$11 billion currency swap, a US$4.7 billion investment in hydroelectric dams in Patagonia and a US$2.1 billion project to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1556979/south-america-xi-eases-way-bilateral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1556979/south-america-xi-eases-way-bilateral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2014 09:00:45 +0000