G'Day China is next for Australia

Prime Minister Julia Gillard with China's President Xi Jinping. Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIA will use big-name celebrities to lure Chinese tourists Down Under to create jobs and cash in on Asia's economic boom.

In Shanghai today, Prime Minister Julia Gillard will announce a "G'Day China" tourism campaign based on the successful "G'Day USA" scheme.

Ms Gillard is targetting tourism as a massive way for Australia to benefit from the Asian Century.

G'Day US has featured big name Australian and American celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton John, Paul Hogan, Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and John Travolta.

A record 625,000 Chinese visited Australia last year, but the market is set to soar. China's President Xi Jinping yesterday predicted 400 million Chinese would travel abroad in the next five years.

Ms Gillard held formal talks with President Xi while First Bloke Tim Mathieson scored an audience with China's First Lady, Madame Peng Liyuan.

Madame Peng requested the meeting to discuss Mr Mathieson's work promoting men's health and her campaign to cut smoking rates in China.

Australia and China will strike a landmark currency agreement today.

The Australian dollar will be the third major currency after the US dollar and Japanese yen to be directly traded in China with the yuan.

The PM says this will boost Australia's banks, super funds and the financial services sector.

The $1.75 million G'Day China campaign will begin next year and aim to boost tourism, trade,  investment and Australia’s reputation as a world leading destination.

The Chinese event will be a week of cultural activities showcasing contemporary performing and visual arts and a gala dinner in Shanghai.

Ms Gillard, who is on a five-day visit leading the most senior Australian political delegation to ever visit China, is seeking to deepen the relationship with Australia's biggest trading partner.

In a speech in Shanghai today she will pay tribute to China's "vast and vibrant society" and confidence.

"This is the China which I believe can embrace and manage future change," she said.

The PM will praise China's network of high-speed rail to connect growing cities, its running of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its space program.

Ms Gillard yesterday spoke at the Bo'ao business pow-wow attended by Mr Xi,  Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former PM Bob Hawke and hundreds of business and political leaders.

She warned that rising economic growth in Asia "will keep changing the strategic order of our region".

Mr Xi told the forum he was pro-growth and investment and China needed to "abolish outdated mindsets and unleash all potential for development".

He did not name North Korea or its recent nuclear threats but he talked about "regional hot spots" and said China called for world peace through "dialogue and negotiations".

Billionaire mining boss Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, whose company Fortescue was a top sponsor of the Bo'ao forum, said "we salute the china dream".

View the original article here

G'Day China is next for Australia

Prime Minister Julia Gillard with China's President Xi Jinping. Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIA will use big-name celebrities to lure Chinese tourists Down Under to create jobs and cash in on Asia's economic boom.

In Shanghai today, Prime Minister Julia Gillard will announce a "G'Day China" tourism campaign based on the successful "G'Day USA" scheme.

Ms Gillard is targetting tourism as a massive way for Australia to benefit from the Asian Century.

G'Day US has featured big name Australian and American celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton John, Paul Hogan, Miranda Kerr, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and John Travolta.

A record 625,000 Chinese visited Australia last year, but the market is set to soar. China's President Xi Jinping yesterday predicted 400 million Chinese would travel abroad in the next five years.

Ms Gillard held formal talks with President Xi while First Bloke Tim Mathieson scored an audience with China's First Lady, Madame Peng Liyuan.

Madame Peng requested the meeting to discuss Mr Mathieson's work promoting men's health and her campaign to cut smoking rates in China.

Australia and China will strike a landmark currency agreement today.

The Australian dollar will be the third major currency after the US dollar and Japanese yen to be directly traded in China with the yuan.

The PM says this will boost Australia's banks, super funds and the financial services sector.

The $1.75 million G'Day China campaign will begin next year and aim to boost tourism, trade,  investment and Australia’s reputation as a world leading destination.

The Chinese event will be a week of cultural activities showcasing contemporary performing and visual arts and a gala dinner in Shanghai.

Ms Gillard, who is on a five-day visit leading the most senior Australian political delegation to ever visit China, is seeking to deepen the relationship with Australia's biggest trading partner.

In a speech in Shanghai today she will pay tribute to China's "vast and vibrant society" and confidence.

"This is the China which I believe can embrace and manage future change," she said.

The PM will praise China's network of high-speed rail to connect growing cities, its running of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its space program.

Ms Gillard yesterday spoke at the Bo'ao business pow-wow attended by Mr Xi,  Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former PM Bob Hawke and hundreds of business and political leaders.

She warned that rising economic growth in Asia "will keep changing the strategic order of our region".

Mr Xi told the forum he was pro-growth and investment and China needed to "abolish outdated mindsets and unleash all potential for development".

He did not name North Korea or its recent nuclear threats but he talked about "regional hot spots" and said China called for world peace through "dialogue and negotiations".

Billionaire mining boss Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, whose company Fortescue was a top sponsor of the Bo'ao forum, said "we salute the china dream".

View the original article here

The great haul of China

Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE Kangaroo Route is about to become the Dragon Route.

And with yum cha, Chinese tea and bok choy on the menu, travelling to Europe will have a different taste after China's largest airline confirmed flights to the region up to 50 per cent cheaper than their locally owned rivals.

As national carrier Qantas seeks to shore up its Australasian routes through its recent tie-up with Emirates, China Southern Airlines has offered stand-alone flights from Sydney to London at a discount.

Once dubbed the "Kangaroo Route", the Chinese airline's cheapest economy-class return fare between Sydney and London, with a three-hour stopover in Guangzhou, for a two-week trip starting early May was $1442.

A Qantas spokesman last night confirmed a comparable return fare on Qantas to London started at $2207.

Henry He, China Southern's managing director for Australia, last night told The Daily Telegraph the region was "vitally important" going forward, particularly given the strong "visiting friends and relatives" factor.

"Our research has shown a strong Cantonese population in both Sydney and Melbourne dating back to the gold rush in the 1850s," Mr He said.

From April 1, the Guangzhou-based airline will also operate more flights to Europe than Qantas - in a bid to lure traffic from Singapore and Hong Kong.

The move is the first push in an ever-increasing aviation war, with China Southern recently signalling their intentions by recruiting more Australians as cabin crews and setting up a local school for "elite stewards".

The airline has leased one of Sydney Airport's most expensive billboards for three years.

China Southern has 42 weekly flights out of Australia, while Qantas will reduce its service to 28 a week as part of the Emirates alliance.

Chinese tourists, who spent $105 billion overseas in 2012, are forecast to make 94 million trips this year, almost double the level in 2009, statistics from the China Tourism Academy have shown.

Qantas last night acknowledged the increased competition on the route, but cited its "evolving service", which matched what its customers wanted.

"We've been flying Australians to London for more than 50 years and we've always evolved our services to match what customers have told us they want," a spokesman said.

"A comfortable seat, friendly and familiar service, plenty of in-flight entertainment options, good food and wine - these are important things that make a big difference when you're on an aircraft for 20 hours."

Aviation analyst Oliver Lamb last night said the rise of Chinese airlines would soon pose an "enormous challenge" for Virgin and Qantas.

"They're an enormous market and China Southern is the third-biggest airline in the world," Mr Lamb said.

"Their margins on transferring customers to London via Guangzhou will be lower than their rivals.

"So it's going to be very competitive going forward."

View the original article here

The great haul of China

Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE Kangaroo Route is about to become the Dragon Route.

And with yum cha, Chinese tea and bok choy on the menu, travelling to Europe will have a different taste after China's largest airline confirmed flights to the region up to 50 per cent cheaper than their locally owned rivals.

As national carrier Qantas seeks to shore up its Australasian routes through its recent tie-up with Emirates, China Southern Airlines has offered stand-alone flights from Sydney to London at a discount.

Once dubbed the "Kangaroo Route", the Chinese airline's cheapest economy-class return fare between Sydney and London, with a three-hour stopover in Guangzhou, for a two-week trip starting early May was $1442.

A Qantas spokesman last night confirmed a comparable return fare on Qantas to London started at $2207.

Henry He, China Southern's managing director for Australia, last night told The Daily Telegraph the region was "vitally important" going forward, particularly given the strong "visiting friends and relatives" factor.

"Our research has shown a strong Cantonese population in both Sydney and Melbourne dating back to the gold rush in the 1850s," Mr He said.

From April 1, the Guangzhou-based airline will also operate more flights to Europe than Qantas - in a bid to lure traffic from Singapore and Hong Kong.

The move is the first push in an ever-increasing aviation war, with China Southern recently signalling their intentions by recruiting more Australians as cabin crews and setting up a local school for "elite stewards".

The airline has leased one of Sydney Airport's most expensive billboards for three years.

China Southern has 42 weekly flights out of Australia, while Qantas will reduce its service to 28 a week as part of the Emirates alliance.

Chinese tourists, who spent $105 billion overseas in 2012, are forecast to make 94 million trips this year, almost double the level in 2009, statistics from the China Tourism Academy have shown.

Qantas last night acknowledged the increased competition on the route, but cited its "evolving service", which matched what its customers wanted.

"We've been flying Australians to London for more than 50 years and we've always evolved our services to match what customers have told us they want," a spokesman said.

"A comfortable seat, friendly and familiar service, plenty of in-flight entertainment options, good food and wine - these are important things that make a big difference when you're on an aircraft for 20 hours."

Aviation analyst Oliver Lamb last night said the rise of Chinese airlines would soon pose an "enormous challenge" for Virgin and Qantas.

"They're an enormous market and China Southern is the third-biggest airline in the world," Mr Lamb said.

"Their margins on transferring customers to London via Guangzhou will be lower than their rivals.

"So it's going to be very competitive going forward."

View the original article here

The great haul of China

Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE Kangaroo Route is about to become the Dragon Route.

And with yum cha, Chinese tea and bok choy on the menu, travelling to Europe will have a different taste after China's largest airline confirmed flights to the region up to 50 per cent cheaper than their locally owned rivals.

As national carrier Qantas seeks to shore up its Australasian routes through its recent tie-up with Emirates, China Southern Airlines has offered stand-alone flights from Sydney to London at a discount.

Once dubbed the "Kangaroo Route", the Chinese airline's cheapest economy-class return fare between Sydney and London, with a three-hour stopover in Guangzhou, for a two-week trip starting early May was $1442.

A Qantas spokesman last night confirmed a comparable return fare on Qantas to London started at $2207.

Henry He, China Southern's managing director for Australia, last night told The Daily Telegraph the region was "vitally important" going forward, particularly given the strong "visiting friends and relatives" factor.

"Our research has shown a strong Cantonese population in both Sydney and Melbourne dating back to the gold rush in the 1850s," Mr He said.

From April 1, the Guangzhou-based airline will also operate more flights to Europe than Qantas - in a bid to lure traffic from Singapore and Hong Kong.

The move is the first push in an ever-increasing aviation war, with China Southern recently signalling their intentions by recruiting more Australians as cabin crews and setting up a local school for "elite stewards".

The airline has leased one of Sydney Airport's most expensive billboards for three years.

China Southern has 42 weekly flights out of Australia, while Qantas will reduce its service to 28 a week as part of the Emirates alliance.

Chinese tourists, who spent $105 billion overseas in 2012, are forecast to make 94 million trips this year, almost double the level in 2009, statistics from the China Tourism Academy have shown.

Qantas last night acknowledged the increased competition on the route, but cited its "evolving service", which matched what its customers wanted.

"We've been flying Australians to London for more than 50 years and we've always evolved our services to match what customers have told us they want," a spokesman said.

"A comfortable seat, friendly and familiar service, plenty of in-flight entertainment options, good food and wine - these are important things that make a big difference when you're on an aircraft for 20 hours."

Aviation analyst Oliver Lamb last night said the rise of Chinese airlines would soon pose an "enormous challenge" for Virgin and Qantas.

"They're an enormous market and China Southern is the third-biggest airline in the world," Mr Lamb said.

"Their margins on transferring customers to London via Guangzhou will be lower than their rivals.

"So it's going to be very competitive going forward."

View the original article here

Did China dye the grass green?

A photo uploaded to blog China Smack shows council workers spraying a green substance onto the grass. Picture: China Smack

THEY say it's "fertiliser". Green fertiliser. But residents say Chinese officials have actually spray painted this grass to make it look green.

Residents of Chengdu city said they were shocked when they saw council workers using a green spray on parkland.

"Two workers were spraying the grass, turning the yellow grass into green. Were they painting the grass?" He Tao told the China Daily. "Wouldn't spray painting the grass green pollute the environment?"

Photos uploaded by Netizens show the council workers spraying a green substance onto the grass.

The council's response?

Chengdu city Landscaping Department said the spray wasn't "green paint" but a "greening agent".

"What the landscaping workers were spraying was a greening agent," staff from the Landscaping Department of the Urban and Rural Construction Bureau of Longquanyi District told MSN.

They claim it was a coloured "nutrient fluid that contains trace amounts of fertiliser that can improve the grass's frost-resistance and appearance".

According to the council the nutrition deficiency makes the grass turn yellow in winter and if not treated the grass will die by summer.

View the original article here

Did China dye the grass green?

A photo uploaded to blog China Smack shows council workers spraying a green substance onto the grass. Picture: China Smack

THEY say it's "fertiliser". Green fertiliser. But residents say Chinese officials have actually spray painted this grass to make it look green.

Residents of Chengdu city said they were shocked when they saw council workers using a green spray on parkland.

"Two workers were spraying the grass, turning the yellow grass into green. Were they painting the grass?" He Tao told the China Daily. "Wouldn't spray painting the grass green pollute the environment?"

Photos uploaded by Netizens show the council workers spraying a green substance onto the grass.

The council's response?

Chengdu city Landscaping Department said the spray wasn't "green paint" but a "greening agent".

"What the landscaping workers were spraying was a greening agent," staff from the Landscaping Department of the Urban and Rural Construction Bureau of Longquanyi District told MSN.

They claim it was a coloured "nutrient fluid that contains trace amounts of fertiliser that can improve the grass's frost-resistance and appearance".

According to the council the nutrition deficiency makes the grass turn yellow in winter and if not treated the grass will die by summer.

View the original article here