Industrialization Finished in 2021

The composite index of China's industrialization level will reach 100 by 2021, at which point the nation will have realized complete industrialization, according to China's first Blue Paper for Industrialization unveiled by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

The composite index includes five main indicators, including the gross domestic product per capita, the gross product ratio among agriculture, industry, and service industries, the proportion of manufactured goods of all total consumer goods, the population urbanization rate, as well as the employment rate in agricultural, industrial and service industries.

Based on a couple years of research on China's industrialization process, the national academy concluded that the country has entered the later half of the intermediate industrialization phase.

Resume Anti-Dumping Duty

China's Ministry of Commerce on August 15 resumed its anti-dumping tax on dichloromethane imported from the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany and the Republic of Korea.

The measure will be in place for five years, said a ministry statement.

The ministry made the decision after it finished an investigation begun on August 15 last year into possible damage the imports could incur for domestic industries.

The investigation showed that imports from the named countries may hurt domestic enterprises, said the statement.

According to Chinese anti-dumping regulations, domestic industries can ask the Ministry of Commerce to re-investigate dichloromethane imports before the expiration date.

Non-Stop Beijing-Seattle Flights Planned

China's Hainan Airlines has applied to operate a non-stop flight between Beijing and Seattle in the United States starting next June, sources with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China confirmed recently.

After the application is approved, the airline will become the fourth Chinese carrier to offer flights between China and the United States, following Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

The application follows a recent agreement between China and the United States on doubling the number of passenger flights between the two countries by 2012. Hainan Airlines, China's fourth largest carrier, has applied to operate the Beijing-Seattle route using Airbus A330 planes.

Currently there are no non-stop flights between Seattle and Beijing.

Used Cars Getting Hot

After many years of booming new car sales, China's motorists are increasingly turning to used cars.

The number of second-hand cars sold totaled 1.9 million in 2006, according to the Ministry of Commerce, less than half that of new car sales. Compared with developed countries, where used car sales are double or triple new car sales, China's used car market has huge potential.

A survey by Sinotrust, a leading consulting company, showed China's new car owners keep their vehicles an average of 6.5 years, while 71.2 percent choose to purchase a new car after three to five years.

However the sector still faces problems, including dealer reliability, lack of industrial standards, and contract problems.