ADB, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise to focus on Kunming projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kunming municipal government on Monday to cooperate on infrastructure improvements in Kunming, according to Singapore media reports.

Focusing on building 'commercially viable infrastructure projects', ADB and SCE will advise the Kunming government on how to attract investment in areas such as water supply, wastewater management and transport management. SCE's involvement suggests that more Singaporean firms are likely to take an interest in investment projects in Kunming.

Yunnan coffee to be sold at Starbucks outside of China
Starbucks announced that it will market coffee drinks made with beans grown in Yunnan in markets outside of China, the first time that Chinese-grown beans will get major exposure beyond the mainland.

"We are proud to offer our customers the opportunity to experience a truly world-class coffee from China," Starbucks Coffee International president Martin Coles, said in a statement on the company's website.

The while business in markets including the US is suffering, Starbucks is enjoying the beginning of what is expected to be a prolonged period of expansion in mainland China, where it currently operates 350 outlets.

The Yunnan blend – no international launch date has been given so far – will be marketed as 'South of the Clouds Blend', and will incorporate beans from Latin American and Asia Pacific farms. It will be available on a trial basis in Greater Chinese Starbucks locations from January 11 to February 19 of this year.

Despite enjoying a generally positive domestic reputation, Yunnan beans will face a major challenge in overcoming international concerns about the safety of food products sourced in China. Starbucks said it intends to work closely with farmers from Baoshan to meet company sourcing standards and eventually develop a 'superpremium' Yunnan blend.

Kunming government outlines 2009 goals
Kunming mayor Zhang Zulin (张祖林) announced the municipal government's short-term goals on Tuesday at the fifth session of the 12th Kunming People's Congress, according to local media reports.

According to government plans, economic development will be the primary goal, with emphasis on expanding demand via growth in investment and consumption. Improving the city's traffic infrastructure is near the top of the list, followed by several social programs including strengthening social security, improving the city's medical and education hardware and software and encouraging new hiring through preferential policies.

On September 27 a group of high-profile names from different circles in Chinese society were named 'outstanding contributors to China's reform' during the China Reform and Development Summit in Beijing.

Before an audience of high-level central officials, national media and well-connected intellectuals, the accomplishments of economist Li Yining, environmental minister Pan Yue, 'father of hybrid rice' Yuan Longping, Olympic official He Zhenliang, SARS hero Dr Zhong Nanshan and China's first astronaut Yang Liwei were praised as major contributions to the PRC's 30 years of "reform and open" (改革开放).

Slightly out of place, the seventh VIP of the evening was Kunming Municipal Party Secretary Qiu He (仇和), one of the most ambitious, controversial and visible party chiefs Kunming has seen to date.

After becoming Kunming's party secretary in December 2007 – his previous job was vice governor of wealthy Jiangsu province – Qiu made waves immediately by publishing the name, job responsibilities and office phone number of every Kunming official in local Kunming newspapers – including his own. The attempt at increasing official accountability and government transparency was applauded by media throughout the country.

Since then, things have been changing in Kunming much faster than usual. Thousands of surveillance cameras have been installed citywide, dozens of large 'urban villages' (城中村; older, poorly built neighborhoods surrounded by modern city) have been slated for demolition by the end of the year, a large 'turtleback flyover' was built at Xiao Ximen, trees have been planted virtually everywhere they can be fit, a plan to privatize the city's hospitals has been unveiled and major education reforms are also underway.

Anyone familiar with Qiu He's record in Jiangsu would not be surprised at what has happened to Kunming under Qiu's leadership. During his tenure as party secretary of northern Jiangsu's Muyang County in the late 1990s and vice mayor/vice party secretary/party secretary of the city of Suqian, Qiu gained a reputation for taking a heavyhanded approach to government focusing on improving education, health services, transportation and environmental conditions and rooting out local corruption all with an eye on attracting investment.

Qiu's cult of personality and a no-nonsense, 'my way or the highway' style similar to that of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji have earned the Jiangsu native plenty of media scrutiny and citizen complaints. That said, he seems to eventually win over many of his critics in the long-term and has a track record of success that has won him the respect of some officials at the highest levels of China's central government.

After initially rocking the boat in Muyang, Qiu was able to let his accomplishments speak for themselves, despite many complaints regarding his way of getting things done, which has been called 'autocratic' by his detractors. The website China Elections and Governance notes that in the end, Qiu had put up some solid numbers:



In Kunming, Qiu has what may be his biggest challenge: a massive, sprawling city with an inefficient and underdeveloped economy, severe traffic problems and major environmental disasters that plans to nearly double in size and add several million residents in the coming few years, during which time it is supposed to become the main trade and transport gateway between China and Southeast Asia.

Despite the daunting task given him, it seems that Qiu He is not only up for the challenge, but has just been given a good report card by Beijing.

Qiu He image: clzg.cn

Kunming's government is continuing to move toward increased transparency with the recent announcement that a new online platform dubbed the Kunming Information Hub (KIH) will be developed this year, according to a China Daily report.

The project was made public at a conference in Beijing on Monday, during which Kunming mayor Zhang Zulin (张祖林) presented the blueprint for KIH, which will integrate more than 100 municipal government and news websites. Administrative information such as municipal budgets and expenditures plus government procurement costs will be featured on the site.

In addition to making local government more transparent, KIH will serve as a platform for Kunming residents to register complaints and provide feedback to different governmental departments and offices. Aside from serving resident needs, KIH also aims to facilitate investment in Kunming and local business development.

The project blueprint, which has already been ratified, includes teams which will handle online complaints and petitions. Government departments will reportedly be issued yellow or red warning cards if they are slow to respond to complaints from Kunming residents and offices will be "graded by the public on a feedback sheet" as part of a new administrative accountability system.

China Daily will also assist Kunming in building a basic English-language version of KIH in order to increase the Kunming government's transparency in the eyes of current and potential foreign investors, the report said.

The announcement of the pending launch of KIH comes several months after Kunming media released a list of all municipal government officials including contact information and their work responsibilities.