Advertisement Spending Soars in China
According to Nielsen Media Research, ad spending in 166 cities in China reached ¥143 billion ($17.3 billion) for the first half of 2005, marking 20 percent year-on-year growth. About 78 percent—or ¥112 billion ($13.5 billion)—was spent on television, the most popular medium. Newspapers and magazines had roughly 19 and 2 percent shares, respectively, of the total. Pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and retail companies were the top three spenders, all recording double-digit growth. Interestingly, advertising for men's cosmetics and men's fashion soared 64 and 75 percent, respectively, year-on-year, while ad spending for women's fashion fell 51 percent year-on-year. According to analysts, with ad spending amounting to 3 percent of GDP in the United States and Japan, China's 1 percent means much room for future growth.
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Pollution Costing Shanghai
Air pollution in Shanghai is costing the city more than ¥8 billion ($1 billion) in healthcare expenditures annually, according to a report from Fudan University's School of Public Health. While emissions of particulates and sulfur dioxide dropped over the last decade, nitrogen dioxide—which is mainly released by cars—jumped by 50 percent. The findings are consistent with figures released elsewhere. In a study by the Shanghai Environmental Sciences Institute, 16 of 18 road intersections tested in the city had "excessive" levels of nitrogen dioxide, and Shanghai city government statistics indicate that the level of nitrogen dioxide rose to 0.062 mg/m3 in 2004 from 0.057 mg/m3 in 2003. Analysts note that rapid economic growth has boosted the demand for cars and electricity, thereby worsening air pollution.
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NPC Holds First Public Hearing
The National People's Congress (NPC) held its first ever public hearing in September. Twenty pre-selected citizens spoke at a session that considered whether China should raise its individual income tax threshold from ¥800 ($99) per month to ¥1,500 ($185) per month. Chosen from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants who were required to submit an outline of their views on the topic, the participants included migrant workers, civil servants, and teachers. Eight came from China's eastern provinces, with the remainder from China's central and western regions. According to Xinhua News Agency, the NPC Standing Committee will treat the opinions voiced by the participants at the session as an "important reference and basis" for its deliberations.
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