New CNNIC Report Now Available (in Chinese)

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the 22nd Report on the State of the Chinese Internet in Beijing today. As of the end of June 2008, Chinese internet users numbered 253 mln, more than any other country in the world. China added 91 mln new internet users since this time last year, a period-on-period increase of 56.2%. Internet penetration reached 19.1%, with broadband internet access now reaching 214 mln subscribers - the second most of any country. As of July 22, there were nearly 12.2 mln .CN domain names registered. Nearly 23.8 mln internet users use online payment services, up 71.7% from half a year ago. 28.9% of internet users have used their mobile phones to go online within the last six months; mobile internet users now number more than 73 mln.

http://digitalwatch.ogilvy.com.cn/en/?p=299

China Copyright Infringement Survey

China Copyright Infringement Survey

Nearly 71.3 percent of Chinese were aware of copyright, according to a new survey released on Wednesday. The figure was 10.7 percent higher than two years ago.

In the fifth national reading survey conducted by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science (CIPS) last August, the findings also revealed the purchase rate of pirate publications was declining, down 3.6 percent from 45.5 percent in 2005.

http://www.chinahearsay.com/?p=710

China Telecom Sets Up IPTV Lab In Shanghai

China Telecom Sets Up IPTV Lab In Shanghai
China Tech News brings us the message that China Telecom has set up an IPTV
technology research and development laboratory in its Shanghai research
institute. In the article, it is also mentioned that the number of IPTV
users in China is now estimated at 1 million, in commercial trial runs
spread over 17 Chinese cities, starting 2005. The service is basically a
China Telecom service. Quote the article: "At present, the Chinese
government has not issued any IPTV licenses to telecommunication operators
directly. Instead, all IPTV services are jointly managed by IPTV
broadcasting corporations and telecommunication operators."

http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/07/11/6988-china-telecom-sets-up-iptv-lab-
in-shanghai/

First experiences with Chinese "FOIA"

David Bandurski of the China Media Project (http://cmp.hku.hk/) has published an overview over the Chinese Access to Government Information Regulation developments (http://cmp.hku.hk/2008/07/03/1086/). He shows not just how often there was reference to the new regulation in the Chinese Media, but also how usage of the information request right developed over the initial months since the regulation came into effect on May 1st, 2008.

Very interesting to see that on the one side, prototypical information requests were made such as:

"On May 4, Beijing resident Chen Yuhua (陈育华) made a request to the Beijing Public Security Bureau demanding to know how management fees levied by the city since 2003 on dog owners had been used."

On the other hand, very open requests were filed that surely posed a challenge to even the best-intentioned administration:

"Shanghai lawyer Yan Yiming (严义明) filed requests with both the Anhui Provincial Health Department and the Fuyang (阜阳) city government wanting them to make public the reasons why they had not issued information on the outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in a timely manner."

New China E-Commerce Taxation regulation from August 1st

From August 1st, "for-profit online stores" in China are required to register for a license with the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce (BAIC). This also implies that the time of tax exemption for those commercial e-commerce providers is over. "individuals who sell or exchange items for personal use" are not obliged to register, and the debate will now start on what the exact definition of the "for profit" and "for personal use" may be. 

See the story here
http://www.danwei.org/media_regulation/forprofit_online_store_must_be.php
And here
http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2008/07/03/china-to-tax-online-business.html