1、1Plans to Turn Tianjin Blasts Site into Eco Park Mocked on Chinese Social MediaPlans to Turn Tianjin Blasts Site into Eco Park Mocked on Chinese Social Media Chinese social media users are reacting with scorn at a Tianjin government idea to turn the site where twin explosions rocked the port city in
2、 August into an “eco park”. Tianjin authorities proposed the idea to build the 24-hectare park and have called for input from the public. The Binhua new area planning and land resources administration said a monument in memory of those who lost their lives would be “given pride of place” in the park
3、， according to state media outlet Xinhua. There are also plans to build primary schools and kindergartens in the area. But the news has been met with derision online， with netizens questioning the priorities of the local authorities and the feasibility of the plan. “This is disgusting. Theyve just s
4、kipped over the time for accountability and gone straight to the spin， ” one user 2wrote on Weibo， Chinas Twitter. An artists impression of the proposed eco park on the Binhai government Weibo features a large lake that appears to be made out of the enormous crater made by the explosion. “Using the
5、crater means they wont have to waste their effort digging a lake”said one Weibo user. “No amount of money could create such a perfect effect for a park as that explosion did， ” said another. Ninety-five firefighters were among the 161 people killed when the explosions occurred， but there is speculat
6、ion that the actual numbers are higher. According to the Chinese Earthquake Administration， the first blast gen- erated shocks equivalent to three metric tons of TNT and the second blast equivalent to 21 metric tons， leaving a gaping crater.“Theyre just trying to cover up the scars， erase all traces
7、 of damage and memories， ” said one Weibo user. “Theyd be better off making a few gravestones for the people responsible for this accident” said another. The blasts occurred in a warehouse where 700 tons of sodium cyanide ?C a toxic chemical that can form combustible substances on contact with water
8、 ?C was being stored in amounts 3that violated safety rules. Following the deadly explosions， residents have raised concerns that water and air around the site have been contaminated. “They should call it a chemical parknot eco park， ” said one Weibo user. Many netizens suspect the site will remain
9、a toxic mess for years. “Who would dare to go there？” said another Weibo user. “How could it possibly be ecological or environmental friendly？”said another. China to Face Tough Economic Conditions for up to 10 Years In Sep， Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei told his Group of 20 counterparts that th
10、e countrys economy is likely to face tough conditions for up to 10 years. The Chinese government said Lou told the finance chiefs that the next five years would be painful for the Chinese economy， and would include a difficult process of structural adjustment. His remark at a G-20 session in Sep ind
11、icates the worlds second-largest economy is preparing for a prolonged slowdown， with global financial markets facing instability as a result. At previous G-20 meetings， China had often presented an 4optimistic outlook， but apparently decided to offer a more realistic view amid international criticis
12、m of Beijings economic policy. At the G-20 meeting， Japan and some other countries urged China to carry out structural reforms after its move to devalue the yuan in Aug led to plunges in global stocks. In Chinas explanation of stock plunges， Zhou said a bubble had seemingly burst. Under the concept
13、of “a new normal， ” China said it had begun pursuing stable growth led by domestic demand rather than boosting investment and exports. Amid the slowing growth， the emerging economy is expected to present such structural reforms in its 13th fiveyear plan from 2016. The G-20 groups Argentina， Australi
14、a， Brazil， Britain， Canada， China， France， Germany， India， Indonesia， Italy， Japan， Mexico， Russia， Saudi Arabia， South Africa， South Korea， Turkey， the United States and the European Union. China Will Close 150 Factories to Make Sure Shanghai Disneyland has Blue Skies What will Disneyland with Chin
15、ese characteristics look like？ Potentially bleak and gray， thanks to the air pollution 5that plagues Shanghai， where mainland Chinas first Disneyland is slated to open in the first half of next year. That could make a day at the park not so picture-perfect， which will be bad publicity for both Disne
16、y and China. Not to fear. Authorities plan to move or close down （link in Chinese） more than 150 factories to clear the air. Though Beijing gets more attention for its foul air， Shanghai has experienced days of off-the-chart pollution levels in recent years. Air pollution causes nearly one in five d
17、eaths in Chinaand over 4，000 per dayaccording to Berkeley Earth， a nonprofit that studies climate change and related issues. A Chinese documentary about the problem was banned by authorities after it started to become a viral sensation. Even two years ago observers were wondering if the upcoming par
18、k was destined to be Disneys most polluted. Authorities have not yet released the names of the affected companies， but many of them have been ordered to cease operations in the area （link in Chinese） by the end of next year. A government web page describes them as highpollution， high-energy-consumpt
19、ion， low-efficiency operations. Firms involved in textiles， chemicals， and steel production are among them （link in Chinese）. 6The upcoming “industrial relocation” might have happened even without Disneylands presence， according to regional analyst Liu Xinwei （ link in Chinese）. But it would certain
20、ly be hard to convince visitors that they were in the Magic Kingdom when all they could see was gray. Infamous Chinese Social Media Celebrity Guo Meimei Sentenced One of Chinas most high-profile social media celebrities was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 50，000 yuan （$7，800） for run
21、ning an illegal gambling den. Guo Meimei， 24， gained notoriety in 2011 after flaunting a extravagant lifestyle online - complete with luxury cars and flashy boyfriends - all while claiming to work for a company affiliated with the Red Cross. In reality， Guo was illicitly operating casinos out of pri
22、vate apartments in Beijing， a court said. Guo pleaded not guilty to that charge at the trial， although she admitted to participating in gambling， according to Chinas state news agency Xinhua. “I shouldnt have participated in gambling， but I dont think my actions constituted （a） crime， ” she said in
23、her final statement. 7“I know I have made mistakes， and Im truly regretful， ” she added， while arguing she deserved leniency because she lacked “legal knowledge” when the crimes occurred. Zhao Xiaolai， another suspect involved in the case received a two-year sentence and a fine of 20，000 yuan（$3，125
24、）. Guos attorney Wu Junqiang told state media Beijing Morning Post that Guo has not yet decided whether to appeal. By then， her Weibo microblog account - which featured pictures of her riding a jet ski in a bikini， and another posing behind the wheel of a Lamborghini - had nearly two million followe
25、rs. It was her careless posts to followers that tipped off police about her illicit activities. Her ostentatious photos had sparked widespread outrage about how a supposed charity worker could sustain such a lavish lifestyle， leading to a drop off in donations to Chinas Red Cross the following year，
26、 even though the organization denied any connection with Guo. Chinas Island Airstrips to Heighten South China Sea Underwater Rivalry Chinas apparent construction of a third airstrip on its man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea could fill a 8gap in Beijings anti-submarine defenses， complic
27、ating operations for the U.S. Navy and its allies， Chinese and Western experts said. While most attention has been on the power projection China would get from its new islands in the Spratly archipelago， China could also use them to hunt rival submarines in and beyond the strategic waterway， they sa
28、id. Possessing three airstrips more than 1，400 km （870 miles） from the Chinese mainland would enable Beijing to extend the reach of Y-9 surveillance planes and Ka-28 helicopters that are being reequipped to track submarines， the experts added. A Pentagon report in May noted China lacked a robust ant
29、i-submarine warfare capability off its coastline and in deep water. Strengthened anti-submarine capabilities could also help China protect the movements of its Jin-class submarines， capable of carrying nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and which are at the core of Chinas nuclear deterrence strategy，
30、said Zhang Baohui， a mainland security specialist at Hong Kongs Lingnan University. China， increasingly confident about its military 9firepower， has repeatedly stressed it has “indisputable sovereignty”over the entire Spratlys， saying the islands would be used for civilian and undefined military purposes. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said“necessary” construction work would improve conditions on the islands. Satellite photographs show construction is almost finished on a 3，000-metrelong （10，000-foot） airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef.
