A Kingdom for Rising Princeling Bo Xilai

New York? No... Chongqing, China!

A country in a single metropolis! Half of France stands within Chongqing!

Chongqing

Chongqing is the third most famous city and the first populated city in China. A July 2010 article from the official Xinhua news agency credited Chongqing with a population of 32.8 million! Under the thumb of powerful and one of the 10 rising stars of Chinese politics: Bo Xilai (薄熙来) since December 2007. Bo Xilai is the son of Bo Yibo, who was one of China's revolutionary "eight immortals". He survived the Mao era. Bo Xilai is now the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) chief for Chongqing. He is presented by his critics as adept of political struggle to make his way up the Party hierarchy...

Bo Xilai

Bo Yibo

Previously he had also handled the development of the region of Dalian (a famous soccer team!) in North East Liaoning province from 1994 to 2002 Mayor and then Liaoning Governor. Xilai was 16 during the Cultural revolution. Became minister of Commerce and is a top official of the Party since 2007.

Bo recent success was to counter attack the Chinese Triads mafia in a most popular court hearing that caught the eyes of Chinese citizens for months. Bo Xilai is rumored to be one of the future candidates to the top office of China president currently occupied by Hu Jintao.

His city Chongqing is referred to as "Yu", the "Mountain City", the "River City"; the "Foggy City"; the "Furnace City"; and the "Gateway to the West." I'd add that it is a humid cold awfully polluted city. The biggest in all meanings. It catches opportunists of all kinds eager to become millionaires in a year.

Chongqing is one one of the largest cities in the world and is the economic center; hub of waterways, land, and air transportation in Southwest China with busy rivers and highways radiating in all directions; and an inland river port with foreign trade in the west of China.

It is one of the People's Republic of China's four direct-controlled municipalities (the other three are Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin), and the only such municipality in western China.

History

"Chongqing is a port city situated in the Southeast of the Sichuan Basin between the famous Yangtze and the Jialing River. It is the largest and most densely populated municipality directly under the Chinese Central Government. It was constructed on mountain slopes."

A hotbed of development for the Middle Kingdom: Chongqing has a history of over 3,000 years and is the birthplace of Bayu culture. The oldest known artifacts discovered in the Chongqing area date back to approximately 20,000 years ago. In the Shang Dynasty (1600-1027 BC) and Zhou Dynasty (1027-221 BC) Ba people founded the Kingdom of Ba, and made Chongqing their capital.

In 1891 Chongqing became an open port, and in 1929 Chongqing was officially declared a city. During World War II, Chongqing was made an alternate capital after the fall of Nanjing, which was then the capital of the Kuomintang government. During this period Chongqing developed into the center of politics, economy, and culture in China.

Between 1627-1645, with the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Chongqing, together with Sichuan, were captured by the Revolts who overthrew the Ming Dynasty across the nation. Later during the Qing Dynasty, immigration to Chongqing and Sichuan took place with the support of Qing emperor.

In 1891, Chongqing became the first inland commerce port open to foreigners.

From 1929, Chongqing became a municipality of the Republic of China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), it was General Chiang Kai-shek's provisional capital. This is where France had her diplomatic mission during the war but was heavily bombed by the Japanese Air Force. Many factories and universities were moved from eastern China to Chongqing during WWII, transforming this city from inland port to a heavily industrialized city. In late November 1949 the Nationalist KMT government fled the city. Some to Shanghai, then to Taiwan.

Modern era

After the war and the revolution, in 1954, Chongqing became a city under the jurisdiction of the Sichuan Provincial Government.

Chongqing and the Yangtze

Chongqing is famous for its shopping. In Chongqing there are 4 main shopping regions. Jiefangbei is the heart of the city. Its pedestrian street contains clusters of modern shopping malls and exclusive shops. Banks, theaters, bookstores, hotels, and bars are quite easy to find. Chaotian Market is the largest market in Chongqing.

It deals mainly with garment wholesale. Here shoppers can find clothing and accessories at very reasonable prices. Paradise Street in JiangBei district has developed into another shopping and entertainment center. Nan Bin Road hosts a newly opened flower market that has become a leisure hotspot for locals and tourists alike. Over 100 flower shops, tea houses, and shops selling traditional arts and crafts like the street. It is a fantastic place to unwind day or night... Chongqing is famous for its hot and spicy Sichuan cuisine and world famous hot-pot dishes."

Monuments and history, one of the hearts of today's China.

But within this current presentation, needless to recall that here too history remains present in the mind of the people: "The Chongqing Municipal government is set to invest at least 2.8 billion yuan ($413 million) for the construction of an Anti-Japanese War Museum and a relative system of relic protection," according to a report of the Chongqing Evening News earlier this week!

One of numerous reasons why Japan and China watchers do not really concur with the Japanese officials saying that relations within Japan and China will definitely settle soon. "As long as the Diplomacy of Japan will be led by the Washington school after the destruction of the so called Russia and China school" within the Japanese foreign affairs ministry, as one scholar expert, often controversial, put it, Gregory Clark on recent and today's NBR Forum!

http://bit.ly/aYtyYc

Naoto Kan 3D: disappointments, doubts, despairs!

This diplomatic volatile shift is the price Tokyo has to pay after Naoto Kan destroyed Japan's reformist moves of an other Princeling... Yukio Hatoyama! "An opportunistic move", his harsh critics say of PM Kan who "contributed in the destabilization of East Asia Japan and China relationship" as seen in the Senkaku Daioyu territorial crisis, in spite of pledges made of a new diplomacy to Japanese voters in 2009. Pledges that gave DPJ the victory over a 50 years rule of the LDP! One of the pledges was to review diplomacy and regional security, including Japan Us security terms of alliance and development of a new synergy with East Asian nations. Kan did not convince Japanese citizens who gave the victory to the LDP at summer last Upper House election. A society harboring disappointments, doubts, and, despairs of the archipelago electorate, of young generations, of unemployed Japanese workers who apparently feel cheated by DPJ and flabbergasted by the collapse of Japanese political class and administration's morals, as Japanese media witness in numerous papers' columns.

Sources: Reporter's Notes, Xinhua, Global Times, Chinaex

The Arduous Making of North Korea Kim Jong Un System!

Kim Jong-Un, front row, second from left,

framed between 2 top army leaders

in Rodong Shimbun

When a severe regime enters into a period of uncertainty. A wake up call for neighbors always alarmed by North Korean dictatorship.

It was the talk of the world and an intriguing situation to report. Finally an official picture of the heir of the North Korean Dynasty is released today by the regime propaganda! When I called one of my sources on North Korea, 2 things appeared to be most pressing today, 1, we have a picture of him, but it is Xinhua press agency who had it first. We had to wait a couple of hours on this afternoon of September 30th to have it sent on the Internet. The second news is that if Kim Jong Un is said to be the successor of Kim Jong Il, why Jong Un's name is not mentioned in the country highest organ, the most powerful National Defense Commission of the North Korean regime?

Jong Un is just a leader in waiting, while a third generation of successors is announced such as Lee Young Ho, Chosun People’s Army (North Korea Army) Chief of Staff. No NDC list names was published by the KCNA (North Korea official press agency) therefore no explanations or reasons why Kim Jong Un is not yet part of the most powerful organ of North Korea. The National Defense Commission is made of 12 members and is de facto the North Korea's top organ of power, presided by Kim Jong Il.

"The army keeps on controlling the power and KJI certainly has to wait for the old guard to retire and this is what they do not want in a limited time" according to informed sources.

Kim Jong Un, front center, at the Chosun Workers’ Party Conference

Korean Central Television

In fact, the National Defense Commission of North Korea (NDC) is defined by the 1998 constitution as "the highest guiding organ of the military and the managing organ of military matters." The chairman of the NDC presently Kim Jong Il controls the armed forces and, in this state where the military pre-dominates, is the most powerful position in the country.

Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday that Kim Jong Un, 27, was elected as a Central Committee member at a conference of party delegates held Tuesday in Pyongyang and named a vice chairman of the party's Central Military Commission and NOT member of the National Defense Commission.

Eventually the new posts, together with being named a general in the Korean People's Army on Monday, makes Kim Jong Un able to succeed his 68-year-old father. This is the idea providing the old guard of military leaders will retire. Not that easy.

The old Generals...

If Jong Un carries on, new announcements always are possible prior to October 10th ceremonies of the regime, he would take the continuation of the Kim dynasty into a new generation, as Kim Jong Il took over leadership when his father and the nation's founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994.

Kim Jong Il had appointed his brother-in-law Jang Sung Taek to the all-powerful National Defense Commission. Jang, who is married to Kim's younger sister, is said to play a major role in guarding Kim's succession. As a vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, Jang Sung Taek became a "candidate" of the politburo and a member of the Central Military Commission at the Tuesday September 28th 2010 party conference.

On 09 April 2009 the First Session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK reelected Kim Jong Il to a fourth five-year term (2009 2013) as chairman of the National Defense Commission.

Let's quote here the Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) which released the results of the Chosun Workers’ Party Delegates’ Conference: While the most prominent move was Kim Jong Un’s becoming Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Party, there were widespread changes in the upper echelons of the Party. The Party regulations were also amended. According to KCNA, “The revised regulations redefine the structure, positions and roles of the Chosun Workers’ Party in a way appropriate to its characteristics as the highest leadership organ concentrated on Comrade Kim Jong Il, with high regard to reflecting having Comrade Kim Il Sung as the eternal Suryeong of the Party and revolution and the immortal achievements of Great Suryeong Comrade Kim Il Sung and Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il.”

Within the revised regulations, KCNA asserted the Party has “modified and added to the work of Party organs to meet the demands of the new era of the Juche revolution,” adding new provisions covering the “Party and the People’s Regime,” the latter known better as the Cabinet, the Party emblem and flag." End of Daily NK and KCNA quotes.

DPRK Party Who's who

Pyongyang, September 28, Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA)

Members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Party are as follows:

Kim Jong Il, Kim Young Nam, Choi Young Rim, Cho Myung Rok, Lee Young Ho, Kim Young Chun, Jeon Byung Ho, Kim Kuk Tae, Kim Ki Nam, Choi Tae Bok, Yang Hyeong Seop, Kang Sok Ju, Byeon Young Rip, Lee Yong Mu, Ju Sang Seong, Hong Seok Hyeong, Kim Kyung Hee

Candidates Members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Party are as follows:

Kim Yang Gun, Kim Young Il, Park Do Chun, Choi Ryong Hae, Jang Sung Taek, Ju Gyu Chang, Lee Tae Nam, Kim Rak Hee, Tae Jong Su, Kim Pyong Hae, Woo Dong Cheuk, Kim Jeong Gak, Park Jung Sun, Kim Chang Seop, Mun Kyeong Deok

Members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Party are as follows:

Kim Jong Il, Kim Young Nam, Choi Young Rim, Cho Myung Rok, Lee Young Ho

Kim Ki Nam, Jang Sung Taek, Kim Young Il, Kim Pyong Hae, Lee Young Su, Ju Gyu Chang, Hong Seok Hyeong, Kim Kyung Hee, Choi Hee Jeong, Oh Il Jeong, Kim Yang Gun, Kim Jeong Im, Chae Hee Jeong, Tae Jong Su have been appointed directors of the Central Committee of the Party

Kim Ki Ryong has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Rodong Shinmun, the publication of the Central Committee of the Party.

The article later lists the members of the Secretariat;

The following is the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party.

General Secretary of the Chosun Workers’ Party: Kim Jong Il

Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Party: Kim Ki Nam, Choi Tae Bok, Choi Ryong Hae, Mun Kyeong Deok, Park Do Chun, Kim Young Il, Kim Yang Gun, Kim Pyong Hae, Tae Jong Su, Hong Seok Hyeong.”

The article then outlines changes to Party regulations, before moving on to outline personnel changes in the Central Military Commission of the Party.

The Central Military Commission is as follows:

Chairman: Kim Jong Il

Vice Chairman: Kim Jong Eun, Lee Young Ho

Members: Kim Young Chun, Kim Jeong Gak, Kim Myeong Kuk, Kim Kyung Ok, Kim Won Hong, Jeong Myeong Do, Lee Byeong Cheol, Choi Bu Il, Kim Young Cheol, Yun Jeong Rin, Ju Gyu Chang, Choi Sang Ryeo, Choi Kyeong Seong, Woo Dong Cheuk, Choi Ryong Hae, Jang Sung Taek

Regime propaganda

Sources: Kcna, Xinhua, Afp, Bloomberg, Yonhap, Reporter's Notes

The General Kim Jong-Un's New Clothes

A 27 years old four stars General in waiting for power in the most secretive dictatorial communist regime.

This is not a Dynastic Succession made in Hollywood but the perpetual embodiment of a "military regime" through the figure of an unknown "General". If today's announcement of the new leadership in Pyongyang is not exactly made of awards and trumpets, it is, like in an Army parade, constructed with an awfully serious and solemn procession. A strong announcement has been made by a more than sober "she" TV presenter in her Hanbok and she basically says in 3 directives what took months of conjectures and analysis by experts.

1 It is the first official announcement that Kim Jong-Un will be the next leader of North Korea but we do not where he is, maybe will appear at a military parade on the 65th anniversary of the Korean Workers Party's founding October 10th, the 'Party Foundation Day'.

2 Kim Jong-il, is now an old and sick powerful dictator worried about his health and KJI knows he doesn’t have a lot of time left. We heard about it from some French doctors who treated his stroke in 2008.

3 No transfer of power, just naming a potential successor-heir strengthening the family grip on North Korea politics. With the promotion of the 64-year-old sister of KJI, Madame Kim Kyoung-Hui, who will also have a look at economic development of the country with her husband Jang Song-Thaek, member of the National Defense Commission, she and he are the de facto "Regent" of Jong-Un. A survival of the Comrade Jong-Un entirely depends on the support of the Army leadership. The armed forces are to swear loyalty and obedience to the Communist party. But will the real Generals and Soldiers of the DPRK be happy with such a parody? It will have to be the sole choice of the corps commanders of the Korean People's Army and nothing guarantees they will swallow the "succession" and the "Reform Pill".

How retro! Still makes its way on DPRK's television

Indeed Kim Kyong-Hui and Kim Jong-Un are Generals who never served in the armed forces. While Kim Kyong-Hui's job was to take care of North Korean households, the elected son has spent much of his life in schools abroad in a rich and protected Europe. A top responsibility for Kim Jong-Un shoulders. As planned KJU in addition has been named a member of the Korean Worker's Party's central committee and the vice-chairman of its central military commission.

What was to expect? Nuclear unpredictable and secretive DPRK is not exactly a democracy. Yet in between gatherings and parades prep' and among announcements that will operate until mid October in DPRK the road ahead is paved with the so called "Power Reorganization". This is the crucial element.

According to the KCNA, Kim Jong Il issued order No. 0051 that Kim Kyong-Hui, Kim Jong-Un and four others are promoted to general, the military rank of Ryu Kyong to colonel general, the military ranks of Ro Hung Se and Ri Tu Song and four others to lieutenant general and Jo Kyong Jun, Jang To Yong and Mun Jong Chol and 24 others to major general. Ri Yong Ho, chief of KPA General Staff, was awarded the military marshal of the KPA, according to the Decision of No. 07 of the DPRK National Defense Commission issued on Sept. 27.

Pyongyang's Parades

A crumbling economy immersed in a cult of hero worship

Last, I noticed this interesting comment in the Korea Times: "How Jong-Un’s succession will proceed remains unpredictable at the moment as the North Korean Workers' Party renamed Kim Jong-il as the party's top boss [Secretary General with all power on the military]. But given the elder Kim’s poor health, this heir apparent may not have that luxury. After all, Kim Jong-Il himself served a 20-year apprenticeship before taking power, during which he consolidated his power among party and military ranks."

Now draconian reforms are to be imposed from supportive outsiders. Hu Jintao, China’s president, reportedly insisted on economic reforms before to give his 'imprimatur' to the succession, a few reasons good enough to expect ferocious political battles in Pyongyang and neighboring countries with one sole successor victim to come and this is, as always, the Hermit People of North Korea!

Freedom, reunification and development: A bridge too far away for Pyongyangers?

Sources: Reporter's Notes.

Festive Dynasty show to kick off in Pyongyang!

The thickest military controlled border ever, still there is not a soul to forbid any picture of DPRK or stroll around the Yalu near the Friendship bridge!

The cellular phone works and so do the emails... but what the hell is going on beyond the river in the Stalinian North Korea?

Tomorrow maybe the beginning of an answer. Dealing with constant obstacles created by agitation born from ignorance and propaganda on both side of the west and the east tend to resemble to a classic tragedy, or for the least to provoke a serious case of apophenia especially to politicians and military personal...

Kim Jong-Il depicted by foreign western media as a dictator,which probably he is. But it is without taking into consideration the system where he and such rulers of undemocratic nations have to make their daily lives. The higher you climb and the most repressive the political regime is, the more your options as a political leader are reduced. Is KJI, a Nero alike who tries to put fire to his capital and his peninsula and beyond, or has he just been a tool in a Machiavellian mechanic that was created by his regime and the strong men behind, as much as the democratic regimes he is facing with shared responsibility?

Murders, attacks, repression, killings, kidnappings, but also misery, isolation, poverty, ignorance. DPRK today has an option get out of a middle age archaic state and move on to the path of progress. But no mistakes should be made with those who will inherit his power which, it is rare enough to be noticeable, will be displayed Tuesday in a relatively smooth atmosphere where the only gunfire, if ever, will be shot in a spirit of fiesta and celebrations of a possible new era.

Now what we heard without being able to confirm 100% because DPRK does not trust its own people and 'a fortiori' foreigners is as follow. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), will hold a major conference on Tuesday to elect the party's highest leading body. The conference, the first of its kind in 44 years, is to be of great influence to the country's future. North Korea's state media has provided no information about the details of the conference. But sources said that the army had elected Kim Jong-Un, the youngest son of the North's ruler, as a delegate to the meeting while Kim Jong Il promoted Kim Jong-Un to the rank of general in the Korean People's Army with 6 other high ranking officials including KJI sister, Kim Kyong-Hui.

These sources said Kim Jung-Un, Kim Jong-Il’s youngest son, oversees the celebrations and meetings as a powerful Delegate that the army had elected. It means that all the preparations for the meeting, including personnel affairs, gifts for delegates and accommodation as well as the selection of actors, commercials, finances and so on are under is mandate. "Jang Sung-Taek, senior official of the National Defense Committee and the head of administration, assists Kim Jung-Un only in security affairs." These are North Korean sources.

Delegates to WPK Conference Arrive Here

Pyongyang, September 26 (KCNA) -- Delegates to the conference of the Workers' Party of Korea arrived here on Sunday. They were greeted by the officials of the preparatory committee of the WPK conference.

Then, sources continue, the party is expected to elect members of the Central Committee first, and then a plenary session of the Central Committee will elect members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Military Committee. The source speculated that Kim Jon-Un will be elected to the Central Committee and then given a key post such as a member of the Presidium of the Politburo or party secretary, provided he makes an appearance at all. The source added, "It may be possible for the North to hold a plenary session of the party Central Committee separately later," so Kim Jong-Un's election to a key post could also be delayed.

His uncle, Jang Song-Taek, who has been presented as "a regent" figure will handle Kim Jong-Un (with his wife Kim Kyong-Hui, sister of Kim Jong-Il) through his early years in power if his father dies, following complicated medical issues after a stroke in summer 2008, and, since then has been treated by French and Chinese doctors.

Technically speaking, sources add that the WPK conference can debate and make decisions on urgent issues such as the party's lines, policies, strategy, personnel changes and tactics. Previously, the DPRK has held two such conferences, one on March 3 to March 7, 1958 and the other on Oct. 5 to Oct. 10, 1966. The WPK conference's role is to elect its highest leading body, which is a timely move to reinforce and improve its function and mechanism. Domestically, the WPK faced heavy tasks in building "a great prosperous and powerful nation," which required a strong and vigorous leading body. Recently, the DPRK media repeatedly underlined that the country would resolve economic issues on its own.

Kim Jong Il, top leader of the DPRK, paid unofficial visits to China twice this year, respectively in May and August, during which he said the DPRK was working hard in developing its economy and improving people's living conditions... Sources also said he was accompanied by his son to be presented as the Youngest Leader who will implement the reforms that should allow the nation to modernize as her neighbor, China, did 30 years ago.

Down south in China seas, the South Korean and the US are flexing muscles and holding military exercise, mostly anti-submarine drills aimed at showing strength against North Korea during the succession celebrations. Ten ships and 1,700 troops from both nations were taking part in the five-day maneuvers off South Korea's west coast, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The United States Forces Korea said the war exercise, while defensive in nature, was "to enhance inter-operability and designed to send a clear message of deterrence to North Korea."

North Koreans are dangerously experts at Tae-Kwon Do martial art, here is a KCNA picture of the DPRK (North Korea) Pyongyang Bureau of Information and Communication staff...

State-run media in North Korea said the drills were a military provocation. The exercise was originally scheduled for early September but postponed because of a typhoon and now has begun a day before this September 28th 2010 biggest meeting of the North's ruling Workers Party in decades! And it happens exactly where the ROK Cheonan ship sank after an unexplained explosion that triggered lots of anger and vociferous accusations from Washington Seoul Tokyo and harsh answers from Pyongyang and Beijing...

The North Korean regime also has a show of his own to be presented with a possible presentation of missiles including its long-range Taepodong missiles,able to reach with a nuke payload Hawaii, Alaska, or even the US West coast.

Update: October 4th 2010

Asian Gazette September 28th 2010 exclusive informations were published thanks to contacts and sources that have to remain anonymous prior to media agencies dispatches on the issue of Kim Jong Un visit to China with his father Kim Jong Il according to a telex of the Afp quotes of a Yonhap information, today October 4th 2010:

"SEOUL — North Korea's young heir apparent accompanied his father Kim Jong-Il on two visits to China this year in preparation for an eventual power transfer, a report said Monday.

The leader's youngest son behaved like a bodyguard to his ailing father during the trips in May and August and travelled under an assumed name, Yonhap news agency quoted sources on the North as saying.

Kim Jong-Un, believed aged about 27, apparently cemented his position as heir when he was appointed four-star general and given key party posts during last week's rare communist party meeting.

His official photo was published in state media for the first time.

Analysts had speculated that Kim Jong-Il's visit in August was aimed at garnering support for the hereditary power succession from China, the impoverished North's sole major ally and economic lifeline.

"Jong-Un, dressed in a suit, acted as if he was a bodyguard and accompanied Kim Jong-Il closely," Yonhap quoted a source as saying, adding the trip would be used to showcase his loyalty to his father.

But the young protege did not attend key meetings with senior Beijing officials such as the meetings in May and August between Kim Jong-Il and Chinese President Hu Jintao, said the source.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said it could not confirm the report."

Sources: Agencies, Kcna, Reporters' notes and quotes.

On Chinese High Speed Train

North Korea's neighbor, China, already has the world’s longest high-speed rail (HSR) network with about 6,920 km of routes in service as of July 2010, including 1,995 km of rail lines with top speeds of 350 km/h. According to "China's railway and long-term railway network plan 2020," China will build 12,000 kilometers of passengers railway lines, with the establishment of provincial capital cities and between cities fast "passengers corridor", and with the formation of "five vertical and four horizontal" rail rapid passenger access. In the north-east of China, Liaoning is one of the five longitudinal important nodes. From each corner of China, "railways bloom like flowers in Spring" a source said.

For instance China started on Sunday to build an extension to the world's highest rail link, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, to Xigaze, the second largest city in the southwestern Tibet autonomous region. With a 253-km extension from Tibet's capital Lhasa to Xigaze the railway will pass through five counties and over the 90-km long Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. The construction will take about four years. It is the first extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that opened in July 2006.

Tomorrow, it will be easy traveling in the Northeast China

riding the Chinese inter city high-speed train from Dalian or Dandong

through Shenyang to Beijing (Beijing to Harbin in less than 4 hours)

at the speed of 350km/h.

Liaoning Province. Its nominal GDP for 2009 was 1.51 trillion yuan making it the 7th largest in China. Its per capita GDP was 34,193 yuan. Among the three provinces of Northeast China, Liaoning is the largest in terms of GDP.

2012: Opening of the Pyongyang Sinuiju Highway road

October 4th 2009 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was given a gala welcome to Pyongyang by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, during this state visit Wen and Kim Jong-Il discussed economical construction. Most of the western media were just told it was a try to resolve DPRK nuclear weapons issue and were mostly kept uninformed of the real content of discussions by Chinese and Korean officials.

As a major part of China DPRK economical relation to Pyongyangers, a decision was reached to start the construction of the Pyongyang - Sinuiju highway (the border with China Dandong city). Highway construction completion deadline is April 2012, two years a total cost of 2.5 billion CN Yuan in China so (about US$ 370 million).

North Korea Highways are completely paved and are deemed to be roads along which it is possible to travel at high speeds. The construction of highways began in the 1970s. With regard to road linkages with China, there are 11 routes linking the two countries by bridge across the Yalu and Tumen Rivers. The volume of traffic is highest on the Sinuiju–Dandong, Namyang–Tumen, and Wonjong–Quanhe routes. With regard to road linkages with Russia, the Friendship Bridge across the Tumen River is also used by cars.

One future Asian main highway: the Number 1

It is the Chinese Route which will link South East Asia to North East Asia starting at the border of Viet Nam (to Hanoi) then – Hong Kong, China – Changsha – Zhengzhou - Beijing – Shenyang – Dandong, border of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Sinuiju.

This route is an extension of the existing Asian Highway route A-1 from Hanoi, the capital of Viet Nam to Beijing, the capital of China, and extends to Pyongyang and Seoul. The stretch between Hong Kong, China to Changsha is the existing Asian Highway route A-82 and the stretch between Changsha, Zhengzhou and Beijing is the existing Asian Highway route A-3.

Riding the CRH from the South of China

Click the arrow to watch

On a "CRH", the Chinese TGV, Shinkansen, this is the China Railway High speed train, from Guangzhou at 335 km/h. September 2010

UPDATE

Following is a report from Radio Chine Internationale broadcasted October 3rd 2010 --French and foreign languages departments--

"The length of operating railway high speed has exceeded 7055 km in China. That is the figure that was announced Saturday, Oct. 2, when the day the flag of Chinese Railways, the Shanghai World Expo.

The high-speed trains that can travel at 380 km / h, were developed and manufactured in large quantities. Several high-speed rail lines are currently under construction: Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, Shanghai-Chengdu-Hankou or Shanghai-Kunming.

A number of projects shows that China Launches Innovative railway lines at high speed, and it is now at the forefront of this global industry."

URL: http://french.cri.cn/781/2010/10/03/141s229290.htm

Sources: Data research center, Reporter's notes