Greeting the Fourth Industrial Revolution

China Economic Weekly Issue No.8， 2017

Even after three industrial revolutions， there are still 1.3 billion people （about 17 percent of the global population） without access to electricity and four billion people （over half the world） who are unable to access the Internet.

Now we have seen the arrival of a fourth industrial revolution， how many people will catch this forward-moving wave， and how many will be left behind？

It took 120 years to spread the achievements of the first industrial revolution – machinery and factory production – worldwide. The third revolution was closely linked to Internet technology and achieved global coverage in less than 10 years. With the explosive growth of new technologies such as artificial intelligence （AI）， robots， the Internet of Things， and the cyber-physical system （CPS）， the fourth revolution is developing at an unprecedented pace and has the most wide-reaching impact.

Large manufacturing countries have taken concrete action to embrace the new revolution， with Germany introducing its “Industry 4.0”strategy， the “Industrial Internet” strategy in the U.S. and the Chinese “Made in China 2025” plan. “Intelligent manufacturing” is definitely the theme of this new industrial revolution and countries around the world are focused on developing the industrial applications of software engineering.

In May 2016， the Chinese government issued a document entitled“Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Deepening the Integrated Development of the Manufacturing Industry and the Internet，” which highlighted the role of software engineering in manufacturing.

Industrial insiders have commented that Chinas progress in developing the industrial applications of software engineering will decide whether it will be able to dominate the global market during the fourth industrial revolution. Industrial giants around the globe are now racing to build an industrial android system. The Android system and iPhone OS System kickstarted a golden age of development for smart phones and the mobile Internet. It is clear， therefore， that such influential systems are also needed to facilitate the transition to intelligent manufacturing during this new industrial revolution.

Chinese Economy Warms Up

Caixin Weekly Issue No.9， 2017

As spring approaches， the Chinese economy， like the weather， has begun to warm up. Tentative signs of recovery are apparent in the following figures. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index（PMI）， published on March 1， rose to 51.7 on a seasonally adjusted basis（up from 51.0 in January）， highlighting the accelerated expansion of the manufacturing industry. This trend corroborates statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics， which confirmed that Chinas PMI in February was 51.6 percent.

Other high frequency data also suggest economic recovery. The yearon-year growth of coal consumption at the top six Chinese power generation groups has substantially improved. The utilization rate of blast furnaces and the volume of goods transported by rail remain relatively high. After Spring Festival， a series of infrastructure construction projects were launched. Sales of houses in middle-sized and small cities， around the periphery of major cities were also better than expected. Speculation about the recovery of the Chinese economic is rising.

Although showing signs of recovery， it remains to be seen whether Chinas economy has actually hit rock bottom. Efforts should be made to continue structural reform and control financial risk.

Chinas Middle Class Appetite for Marathons

New Weekly Issue No.5， 2017

People love marathons for various reasons： They think it is good for their health and helps them to de-stress. They also enjoy the feeling of freedom and the scenery along the route.

People hate marathons for various reasons too： They are leery of air pollution and fatigue. Some think todays marathons are too hyped up and commercial.

Some businesses take advantage of the marathon route， from shuttle buses to resting areas， to display advertisements wherever possible.

There were 328 marathons held in China in 2016， and the figure is likely to increase to 500 in 2017. Marathons are popular amongst the Chinese middle class， with growing numbers of people joining the races and sharing their experiences on WeChat.

However， marathon events are now overloaded with “tasks，” such as making a profit， promoting a certain city， and representing a social class， which have complicated them.

Bai Yansong， a senior news anchor and journalist， has enjoyed running in his free time for over 10 years， but he has never participated in a marathon. “I enjoy running and the feeling it gives me，” he said. “Running is just good for health.” So， no matter whether there are marathons or not， lets slip on our sneakers and run！

The Future of the Courier Industry

Xinmin Weekly Issue No.9， 2017

The number of parcels delivered in the logistics industry is usually considered as a measurement index for the vitality of a countrys economy. China is now the worlds biggest market for express delivery. It is no exaggeration to say that over one million highly-efficient delivery men prop up the countrys booming e-commerce.

Today， the huge capital inflow to the industry is revving up competition and forcing out minor players. After the listing of major players， including STO Express， YTO Express， ZTO Express， Shanghai Yunda Express and SF Express， vulnerable small businesses saw a reduction in profits and were under heavy subsistence pressure. The transformation of business models and technological progress has forced the courier industry to implement reshuffles and changes.

SF Express is one company which has accelerated its development on a global level. Its development， management， service and profitability all rank high in Chinas logistics industry. The exemplary development models of these courier companies demonstrate to other Chinese entrepreneurs that shortcuts to achieve quick growth come at a high price.

Building a Safer Nuclear Reactor

China Financial Weekly Issue No. 5， 2017

The Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant in Shandong Province， with a total investment exceeding RMB 100 billion， and the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station in Zhejiang Province， are both landmark projects for Chinas introduction and absorption of AP1000 technology. Via them China aims to achieve independent R&D in nuclear power development.

The AP1000 technology employed at the Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant features a passive safety system. The containment vessel has been designed with an improved ability to withstand plane crashes and is less vulnerable to power cuts. During a station blackout， or loss of electrical power， the power plants safety system shuts down the reactor automatically for up to 72 hours， and works only through simple human operation.

The experience of nuclear power stations around the globe has shown that human error can occur at any stage in the life of a nuclear facility. Therefore， a variety of methods must be used to detect and prevent this. The Shandong Nuclear Power Company Ltd. organizes special training sessions for its employees for this very reason.

In addition， a nuclear emergency command center has been installed near the reactors to cope with possible severe nuclear accidents.