People In the Know

Streamlining the government, transforming its functions -- these are the consensus at a time when China is determined to continue on the path of market-oriented reform.  But wait a second, how can China make sure these promises are more than just lip services? My colleague Ding Heng talks with Dr. Mei Ciqi, Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy & Management, Tsinghua University in Beijing. Good, a small government. But more importantly, a small and high-quality government. So what are the necessary measures the government should take to improve its quality and efficiency? And what is it as in the case of China, Now?  Ding Heng then talks to Dr. Wang Zhengxu, Associate Professor of Contemporary Chinese Studies and Politics, at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

Yet another area of deep reform and again, it affects the quality of life and pockets of all citizens. Yes, we do have various national policies already, as we've done a lot and achieved a lot during the past three decades or more, but they only cater for lower level, basic needs. Things turn critical when dealing with the needs of urban and rural poor, the massive number of inter-provincial migrants seeking better jobs, better income, better education and better health care. As the government has promised to alleviate poverty for the last 70 million people within five years in its endeavor to build a moderately prosperous society, a unified social safety network is a must - bottom line - against all odds. For this and more, my colleague Nick Lanigan speaks to Prof. XIONG Yuegen, Director of the Center for Social Policy Research in the Department of Sociology, Peking University. Different choices with different implications. That needs a balanced approach, to calculate the pros and cons, especially when the country is at a critical turning point in terms of population dividend - quick aging, meaning getting old long before getting rich, and a very low reproduction birth rate. Delaying the retirement age to increase productivity may be of help, but it's limited.  Easing birth restrictions to increase the labor force? It will take time, and young couples are reluctant to have a second child.  What's at stake for social security is pensions for today and tomorrow. With this and more in mind, Nick Lanigan is now joined by Dr. Jennifer Holdaway, Program Director of the China Environment and Health Initiative at the Social Science Research Council.

Tax income is a barometer of the macro-economy. True, but partly true. The tax system also means incentives for economic transformation and industrial restructuring and for social development, depending on who pays what, and pays more. To look ahead at what changes are needed, we first look back at what's already been done in the past five years. That way we may know more precisely the reform measures needed in the two-tiered administrative mechanism, so that tax is more compatible with the national economy now, and with its development tendency. For this and more, my colleague Jingnan talks with Professor Yan Xu, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law, and Director of the Center for Financial Regulation and Economic Development, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Despite all odds lying ahead, each small step gained in the tax reform helps. But what does it mean to individuals, who may earn a low income, own a property or a small enterprise when they hear top leaders promise to ease their burden and encourage development? Jingnan next talks with Andrew Zhu, Tax managing partner for Deloitte Northern China.

They are still the backbone of the economy. Yet some are losing out in market completion, or failing to cater for public needs. They have undergone reforms. But this time, reforms must go deeper. Welcome to People In the Know. I'm Lin Shaowen, with the second installment of our reform series. China is now mulling over a new round of SOE reforms. Measures include introducing more private capital in areas traditionally dominated by the state sector, and securing state assets so that the market can play a greater role. President Xi Jinping has held several meetings on the future direction of SOE reforms, and stressed the importance of avoiding the erosion of state assets and increasing their value in public service.So what hurdles lie ahead for SOE reforms? How can the private sector forge greater synergy with SOEs in these reforms?  Zheng Chenguang speaks to Dr. Edward Tse, founder and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory Company, based in Hong Kong; and Professor Yao Shujie, Head of School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham in the UK.

Yes it's facing downward pressure both at home and globally. So the five-year blueprint highlights a shift from investment-driven to consumption-led growth, slowing down a bit, but more sustainable and healthier.But what exactly should China do to adjust the traditional relationship of exports, investment and domestic consumption, to make consumption the real pillar of the economy and investment, consumption-driven. My colleague Zeng Liang talks to Dr. Zhao Ping, Research Fellow of Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. As Dr. Zhao explains, changes have actually started, but there's a lot more to do.So invest more to uplift supplies and boost domestic consumption. But what can China learn from the rest of the world and what does that transformation mean globally? Zeng Liang next talks to Rodger Tooze, former professor of London School of Economics, and now a consultant.

After decades of China opening up to the outside world, the country's public has become familiar with numerous acronyms, and SDR is the latest one.A couple of days ago, the International Monetary Fund announced that the Chinese currency the Yuan is eligible to join the Special Drawing Rights, or SDR, basket.Starting from October next year, the Chinese Yuan will take up a 10.92 percent share in the basket, the third largest among the five currencies.The IMF's SDR basket is a type of international reserve asset that IMF members can turn to in times of need. The basket currently consists of the US dollar, the euro, the British Pound and the Japanese Yen.So, what does this change of structure in the SDR basket mean for China and the world? And what is the next step for the internationalization of China's currency? PIK speaks to Victor Gao, Chairman of China energy security Institute, Liu Baocheng, Professor from the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, and Michael Pettis, Professor of Finance at the Guanghua School of Management, Peking University.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting South Africa this week, where he'll lead the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Johannesburg. The meeting will be accompanied by statistics about trade and investment between China and Africa, but what are the stories behind the numbers? PIK speaks with entrepreneurs from both China and Africa: Changbin Xu, the director of the China Mall Group; Grant Horsfield, a South African entrepreneur and founder of the naked Group here in China, and Afua Osei, a co-founder of She Leads Africa.

At the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference in Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured world leaders that China has the confidence and resolve to fulfill its climate commitments.President Xi also urged developed countries to cooperate on financing and the transfer of technology to combat climate change.Xi Jinping reiterated China's pledge made in June to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The pledge also included increasing non-fossil fuel sources in primary energy consumption to about 20 percent and peaking carbon emissions by the same date.So what are the major changes in China's attitude compared with Copenhagen? And what are the possibilities for concrete results coming out of this conference? PIK speaks with Sze Ping Lo, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund China, and Prof. Jiang Kejun, of the Energy Research Institute under the National Reform and Development Commission.

Expectations are high in African nations for the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg on December 4th and 5th.As Africa's biggest trading partner and a major sponsor of projects throughout the continent, China is to continue assistance and cooperation. The action is under the name and principle of "Teaching one to fish is better than giving him fish".For now, Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Zimbabwe on the first stop of his Africa tour, which will later take him to South Africa.So what's the significance of this visit? And where do Sino-African relations stand now? PIK talks with He wenping, African studies expert, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Dr David Dorward, former Associate Professor and Director of the African Research Institute at La Trobe University, Australia.

Representatives from almost 200 countries are gathering in Paris from 30th November to 11th December. They are taking part in the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP21. The high-profile meeting in the French capital aims to give nations from across the world the opportunity to agree on an international strategy for tackling climate change. Many governments have published their own, national pledges to combat climate change ahead of time, keen to avoid the disappointment of previous climate summits such as the Copenhagen conference of 2009. So, are climate experts optimistic that there will finally be a significant international agreement? What measures will need to be taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions? And what role does China play when it comes to the global climate? PIK speaks with Professor Tim Flannery, Chief Councillor of the Climate Council, an independent, non-profit organization based in Australia, Dr. Qi Ye, Director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center and a leading expert on China's environmental policy.