(February 20, 2006) Nine months into his tenure as president of the World Bank, Paul
Wolfowitz has made headlines mainly by provoking a staff backlash.
Western Companies Sell Their Souls for the Massive Chinese Market
(February 20, 2006) Even with the full weight of the Communist regime behind it, the censorship effort would have been futile without equipment and know-how supplied by Western vendors like Cisco Systems Inc., SunMicrosystems Inc. and Nortel Networks Corp. And with the world’s three dominant Internet companies – Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft – in a blind rush for a piece of China’s spectacular wealth, Beijing has found all the willing accomplices it needs to strip the Internet of its anonymity, its freedom, and to turn it into yet another tool of repression.
China begins construction of controversial Mekong power plant
(February 18, 2006) Over the objections of its neighbours, China has begun building a dam on its portion of the Mekong River, which will be second in size only to the Three Gorges project, Agence France-Presse reports.
Three Gorges Corp. braces for impending power glut
(February 16, 2006) China’s power-plant construction spree means heavy state losses, analysts tell 21st Century Economic Report.
Ertan’s market failure and the World Bank’s outlook for China’s power sector
(February 22, 2006) The World Bank has given China’s second-largest hydropower project a satisfactory rating on its financial performance, despite its failure to meet the Bank’s financial targets and its near-bankruptcy in the first five years of operation.
Noisy scenes over Lavalin
(February 16, 2006)The State Assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the SNC Lavalin issue as Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed replied to allegations made by Opposition members.
Relics fear death by water
The money Beijing has earmarked to excavate historic sites and relics before they are inundated by the Three Gorges reservoir can save just one-tenth of what’s there, says Yu Weichao, curator of the Museum of Chinese History.
Ready to face any inquiry into SNC Lavalin deal, says CPI (M)
(February 15, 2006) Party State secretariat accuses ruling front of having falsified facts.
Export credit agencies’ graft crackdown stalls
(February 15, 2006) New international anti-bribery guidelines for export credit agencies were due to be agreed in principle early next month. Opposition from Berlin and Tokyo, plus several smaller countries, means the decision will now be delayed by months, if not years, according to officials close to the negotiations, which are taking place in the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Export bribery rules challenged
(February 15, 2006) Tough new guidelinesGermany and Japan have challenged new draft global anti-corruption guidelines for exporting companies, according to documents seen by the BBC. The countries say that rules aimed at improving the transparency of export credit agencies are too bureaucratic.
CAG finds lapses in deal with SNC Lavalin
(February 14, 2006) The KSEB signed an MoU with Lavalin in August 1995. Under the provisions of the MoU, the funds for the renovation were to be arranged by SNC Lavalin from the Export Development Corporation (EDC), Canada, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The Board did
so, ignoring the CEA’s recommendation that immediate replacement of the generating units at the allivasal power station was not called for as the plant was in fairly good condition.
Gorges official slaps tour scare stories
Tourists do not need to hurry to visit the Three Gorges dam area because “the rising water level will only add to the beauty of that section of the river,” Xinhua news agency quotes a tourism official as saying.
China’s power-sector reform plans fail to impress
(February 14, 2006) Beijing is banking on new foreign money to help the domestic power industry become more market-oriented, but only a few foreign players remain interested in China.
China sets overall plan for Yangtze water resources
People’s Daily reports on a new, ‘more feasible and efficient’ program to manage water resources in the Yangtze River valley.
CAG report finds major lapses in deal with SNC Lavalin
(February 13, 2006) The supply of goods and services were actually made by other firms at much higher costs leading to ‘extra avoidable payments.’ Quality of renovation work executed by the contractor in the absence of technology transfer and training could not be ensured.
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