One of the investment instruments is a Real Estate Investment Trust or REIT. One can control real estate through these. That is one does not have a large amount of money, he or she can still participate in the ownership of real estate through REITs. These can generate income and capital appreciation over a period of time.

Due to the ensuing Olympics in Beijing, China, there is an excellent opportunity to invest in China REITs for a short period and quick profits.

Till very recently China was quite a closed economy. Investment in Chinese real estate was possible only through Hong Kong companies. GZI REIT operating from Hong Kong was the first successful REIT to have established control over REITs in mainland China. Now others have followed.

There is a great demand for real estate in China and will be strong during coming years, more so during 2008. Moreover, China is opening up and its economy is booming. Chi8nese middle class is also on swelling. All this bodes well for real estate in China.

Two major areas where REITs are going to be lucrative are hotels and resorts. So investors may do well investing in these REITs. According to Beijing Tourism Bureau, there will be 110 new hotels coming up for accommodating about 550,000 guests during Beijing Olympics.

Beijing and Shanghai REITs may provide opportunities for quick bucks. One can do good even in the long run.

One needs to be clear about investment objectives in China REITs. For short run profits, Beijing Olympics provides a good outlet for excellent returns. These may continue to be so even in the long run though at a reduced rate.

While investing in Chinese markets, one has to be careful about certain conditions which are specific to China only. For example it is still not considered a transparent country. Its laws are obscure and complex. There are many language and cultural barriers. In view of these problems, it may be advisable to invest in Hong Kong or Singapore REITs which have a stake in real estate of mainland China. These are more open and subject to international law.

International investing provides a mechanism for diversification and a hedge against US recession. Therefore, China and other Asian countries need to be given serious attention.
All of these markets need to be researched and explored.

There are mainly 3 schools of theories about the birth hour use in Chinese Astrology – Four Pillars of Destiny.

First school, local watch hour to be used.

Second school, the birth hour must be converted to Beijing time.

Third school, the birth hour is not important, whatever birth hour is given just use it.

Each of the school has their own explanation. The followings are the general ideas of each school's point.
The first school's reason is that it is the time for a particular place. wherever you are born you bond or connect with that place. So that the local time to be used.

The second school's theory is that the Chinese Astrology – Four Pillars of Destiny was invented in China. So that, where you were born, the birth hour must be converted to Beijing time. For example, a person was born in Sydney at noon. By converting to Beijing time, we need to deducted 2 hours, (at present no Daylight saving), Sydney is 2 hours ahead of Beijing, to the birth time. As a result, the birth time should be 10am in the morning (Beijing Time) to be used in the Four Pillars Natal Chart.

The third school's argument is that Chinese Astrology is just a Metaphysics. Metaphysics does not base on the physical evidences. For Metaphysics, just anything grabs from the air can be used. So whatever time is given, just use it.

In my practice, I found that in Chinese Astrology – Four Pillars of Destiny and Zi wei Dau Shu, the birth time is very important in relation to calculate the luck, especially when calculating the pregnant for a female since the Hour Pillar is the Children's House .

The birth time I use in my readings are different from all of the above three schools.
I use Solar Time in my reading.

The birth hour is known as Time. And Solar Time should be used in Chinese Astrology – Four Pillars of Destiny.
In Chinese Astrology there is a saying: "If the birthday hour is faked, the destiny or luck justified is incorrect."
Time in Chinese character written as "", It is formed by three different Chinese characters.

1. The Sun. ()
2. The earth or land. ()
3. the inch. ()

Imagine the picture gives to "Time" in Chinese Characters are the Sun, the Land and the Inch. So that Time which has a meaning of: "The Sun shines on every inch of the land".

The word Solar come from the word Sun. It exemplifies the Solar Time.

In my practice, I use Local Solar Time for my Natal Chart. It is much more accurate to use Local Solar Time.
What is Solar time?

As the SUN and The Earth is rotating. The Time is changing. However for administrative purpose, the day and night are divided into 24 hours. Each hour has 15 degree of longitudes. 1 degree equal 4 minutes.

To work out the Local Solar Time, we need to know what longitude we are using for a place. For example, Sydney and Melbourne time are both using 150E longitude. Both Cities using the same watch time (GMT + 10). However the Local Solar Time for the two cities are not the same. Sydney is fall on longitude 151 "E and Melbourne is on longitude 144.58" E.

In the morning from 9am – 11am is Snake hour. From 11am – 1pm is Horse hour. If a person was born in Melbourne at 11:10 am in the morning, it is the Horse hour. However, we need to work out the Local Solar Time for Four Pillars Natal Chart.

We need to take 20 minutes {(150-145) x 4min = 20minutes} away from the watch time he was born. As a result, 11:10 am – 20 min = 10:50 am in the morning. It becomes the Snake hour.

copyright 2009 Edgar Lok Tin Yung

Europe and the United States are probably still a year away from licensing gene therapy, however, there are currently at least two clinical trials testing gene therapy for mesothelioma. They include the University of Pennsylvania and the Louisiana State University. Unfortunately, gene therapy research took a big blow in 1999 when teenager Jesse Gelsinger died during a gene therapy clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania.

After that, China is now the only country in the world that has already approved gene therapy. On October 16, 2003, the drug named Gendicine was approved by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. Gendicine had more than 5 years of clinical trials before it was approved. They have currently used this therapy on over 4500 patients and have followed their patient's progress for over 6 years. Now, hundreds of cancer patients from around the world are traveling to Beijing to receive this leading edge treatment.

The clinical trials of Gendicine included 135 patients and results showed that 64% of patients showed tumor regression after 8 weekly injections in combination with radiation therapy. According to the clinical trial results, using Gendicine with chemotherapy and radiation therapy can improve the efficiency by 3 times. The only side effect of Gendicine is a typical overnight fever.

Since there are no other approved gene therapy treatments in the world, many desperate patients from North America and Europe are traveling to Beijing, China to receive treatment of Gendicine.

Richard Weissenborn from Texas, USA, had tongue cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and was given two months to live in July of 2006. He was treated with Gendicine and chemotherapy by Dr. Li Dinggang at the Haidan Hospital in Beijing at a cost of about $ 30,000 US

After two cycles of treatments, over two months, a pet scan showed that he was cancer free. The controversy around this story is that even though Richard's cancer was gone there are some doubts as to whether the chemotherapy or Gendicine cured it. Dr. Mark Persky, a cancer specialist noted that "According to my review, there's really no way of telling whether one or the other caused tumor regression."

In a healthy cell, there is a gene called the p53 gene, which can repair DNA, arrest cell growth, and initiate a cellular self destruction if the cell damage is too great as in the case of cancer. However, in a study by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine in Beijing, they found that there was a high incidence of p53 gene damage in asbestos related cancers such as mesothelioma.

Gendicine works by reactivating the p53 gene, which acts as tumor suppressant but is shut off in a cancer cell because it may become deactivated by mutagens such as asbestos, chemicals and radiation. Gendicine treatment uses a virus as a medium to carry the p53 gene into the cancerous cells and causes the p53 gene to reactive and initiate self destruction (apoptosis) of the cancer cell.

The Shi Du (Ten Ferry) scenic spot is the most typical canyon full of karst, ridges and peaks and is the closest to the capital city, unique in the northern part, and the largest in Huabei region. The canyon features 12 wonderful geological sites such as natural "Stone Buddha", "Flied over Stone", "One Line Sky", "Buddha" character of the dragon mountain, "Water Flowing Up", "Stone in the Stone" and so forth. It has enjoyed the fine reputation of being the "green mountain and wild ferry, decorated corridors of hundred miles" for years. The Juma river is just like a piece of jade ribbon winding circuitously, passing through the mountains, complementing each other with the peaks and forests. The scenery has North China's imposing character, it also carries the elegance of South of Yangtzi River. In 1986, Shi Du was evaluated as one of the new 16 sceneries of Beijing, and it was included in Beijing's first batch of scenic spots in 1999.

Service facility:

10 scenic spots: Orphaned Mountain Village, Immortal Peak Valley, Ten-Thousand Scenery Immortal Ditch, Big Canyon of South, Pu Du Mountain Village, Martyrs' Cemetery of PingXi Resistance Against Japan, Immortal Dwelled Cave, Mountain of Pond in the Sky, West Lake Ferry, and Five-Star Gorge.

Entertainment spots: JuMa Paradise, Nine-Ferry Drifting, Eight-Ferry Boat Paddling, Six-Ferry Boat Paddling, and Qingjiang Nine-Dragon Deep Pond and so on. They provide extreme jumps, cliff parachuting, ropeway, crag climbing, sky gliding, drifting, boat pedaling, canoeing, vehicle surfing, motorboating, sand beach bathing, swimming, horse riding and many other programs.

Hotels: Including Shanguang Guesthouse, Buddha Gazing Mountain Villa, YanAn Training Center, Pen Holder Mountain Villa, the Bureau of Finance Training Center, and other middle scale or upscale guesthouses. There are also 11 travel focused villas such as Xizhuang Folk Custom village, Western River Fish Culture & Angling village and others that offer 5600 berths, provide coordinated services like travel, accommodations, food, shopping, and entertainment.

Riding route:

1. Go directly to Shi Du via bus 917 at Tian Qiao;
2. touring bus 10 is available during the official holidays and weekends at Qianmen, Fuchengmen, Xuanwumen;
3. Take train 7 from Beijing's South Station and get off at Shi Du;
4. There are mini buses and carriages inside the scenic area.

Contact phone: 61349871

Touring guides:

Spring:

• Time: April 15th – May 30th
• Activities: Sightseeing, living in the peasant families, eat local specialty foods, enjoy the natural beauty.

Shi Du Scenery Festival:

• Time: June 1st – October 10th
• Activities: Juma river bathing tour that features water diving bathing, sun bathing, boat drifting, angling, sand beach volleyball; summer cultural square activities that features singing, bonfire party, national dances, folk performances, as well as barbecue event that features savoring delicacies of every kind.

Beijing, the capital of China has many luxury hotels that are a class apart. It is a city full of tourist attractions and therefore, the hotels are flooded with guests from all over the world. These five star hotels have set themselves unparalleled heights of luxury and amenities that make the tourists revisit the city just for a stay in the hotels!

Grand Hyatt bears the prestige of being a five star hotel and each suite and room is like a personal haven to the guests. The guests are provided with all the modern amenities and convenience that makes their stay in this hotel a grand experience. The real highlight of this hotel is in the special touches given to the décor that makes it very sophisticated. At the same time it unfolds a luxury unparalleled in the history of hotels!

Shangri-La hotel stands with royal pride and offers its guests a serene and calm garden retreat which is doubly complimented by the attentive staff and their service. Its suites are a combination of comfort, luxury and unbridled beauty. All the 528 guest suites of the Garden Wing are designed and furnished by traditional Chinese décor and it offers spectacular views of the enchanting hotel gardens and the city attractions. The deluxe Wing suites which have 142 suites have bay windows, wall-to wall wardrobes, and LCD televisions.

The JW Marriott Hotel offers its guests a cornucopia of amenities that makes them spellbound. Their restaurants and bars are worth reckoning and the hotel suites are a pinnacle of luxury. They offer their guests facilities like an indoor swimming pool, steam room, spa and a 24 hour gym with all the modern amenities.Their lounges and restaurants are a perfect place for the guests to unwind and catch up with friends and family after a busy day out.

Kempinski Hotel is a five star hotel in Beijing designed to offer you a homely and hospitable feel; it has 525 rooms which are equipped with television, tea and coffee makers, high speed internet, telephone service, laundry service and a mini bar where you can entertain yourself. The staffs are on a 24 hour service and they are well trained in room service, customer service and the best chefs who prepare world class cuisines from Chinese dishes, Italian to American you will be spoilt for choice on what to take. The hotels also have a gym for exercise and a swimming pool.

There are still many hotels like the Ascott Raffles, The Grand Millennium, The Grand Plaza, etc… in Beijing which makes you wonder if you should ever need to leave the hotels!

The Olympic Games 2008 will be held in Beijing, China. I am an American and a Beijing resident. I have prepared a little primer to acclimate visitors to the traffic situation in Beijing.

Drivers in China and especially in Beijing drive aggressively. Cutting off other vehicles is common. There is not much courtesy on the roads. Drivers in China seem to be at ease with this kind of driving. They seem to expect it from others and most engage in this type of aggressive driving.

Beijing drivers tend to pay scant attention to green crosswalk signs. You should not presume you can cross the road just because you have a pedestrian crosswalk green light. Most drivers expect pedestrians to get out of their way, even when the pedestrians have the legal right-of-way. The safest way to cross a road is by pedestrian flyover (overhead) bridge, but if there are none around and you have to cross a road, you should wait until a group of other pedestrians are crossing the road and stay in the middle of the group and you will be fairly safe. You will not be safe at all if you merely rely on the legal right-of-way as indicated by the pedestrian crosswalk green light.

Horns are used extensively. Drivers honk their horns when entering an intersection to alert other drivers, especially if the intersection is not regulated. Running red lights is common too, and when a driver runs a red light he often blows his horn to warn other drivers that he is not stopping for the red light. Drivers all over China seem to be a bit “horn happy.” They commonly use their horns to try to get other vehicles to move out of their way. Even when the car or cars in front of them are blocked in and cannot move, the drivers still honk their horns excessively. Fortunately this does not seem to incite road rage in China.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don’t get any fancy ideas that your traffic courtesy will catch on in China. You are not going the change the habits of a nation by trying to set a good example. In fact, you will cause more trouble and be more likely to get into an accident by trying to use American style traffic courtesy in China.

It took me a while to get used to the way things are over here. But now I am getting into the swing of things more and more. For example, traffic is chaotic but there is some order in the chaos.

Let me explain. At first I was riding my bicycle dangerously because I was being cautious and considerate of other bicycle riders, pedestrians, and motor vehicle traffic. But then I began to notice that when I rode using common road courtesy (not extremely aggressively as is the standard way here) that other people did not know how to react and in fact I was creating a dangerous condition by being polite and considerate because it caught others off-guard. Nobody would expect you to let the other guy go first. Nobody would expect you to give anybody a break of any kind. If anyone does drive or ride showing common courtesy to others, you will almost certainly cause an accident because nobody will be expecting it and their actions will anticipate you not showing any courtesy. For example, if you stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk, you will be rear-ended because nobody would expect you to stop for a pedestrian. Pedestrians can jump out of the way when you honk your horn. It is far safer to ride and drive like everybody else.

The key points are worth reiteration:

Never show any consideration for any other person, whether on foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle. Never give the other guy a break. At any and every opportunity you should root your vehicle nose in and cut the others off and never feel even slightly bad about cutting anyone off, or causing them to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting you. Ride, walk, drive aggressively at all times. Everybody else reacts as if they know you will also drive, ride, or walk like the average person does in China. Any deviation from completely selfish driving, walking, or riding is likely to cause an accident because others will misinterpret your intent. Now that I have started riding my bicycle Chinese style, I get places much quicker and it is far safer too.

The only laws that are consistently adhered to on the roads in China are the immutable laws of physics. A vehicle moving at a uniform rate in a straight line will remain in that state until some force is applied. Newton’s third law is the law that seems to rule the road in China. Newton’s third law as applied to the rules of the road, means that the bigger and heavier vehicle has the right-of-way. If you are on foot and someone on a bicycle is headed straight at you, the combination of the bicycle and rider’s weight plus the vehicle’s speed = you had better jump out of the way. Conversely if you are riding a bicycle and you think you have the right-of-way because you have a green traffic signal, but a faster and heavier vehicle challenges your right-of-way, then you should yield.

You should not think you will hit the lawsuit lotto jackpot in China if you are hit by a vehicle. If you are very lucky, your medical bills may be paid by the person who is found to be at fault, but do not expect any monetary award above the actual medical bills and/or repair bills. Medical costs are pretty cheap in China. If you are seriously injured you may be awarded $50 or so in damages, depending on actual amount of the ambulance and hospital bills. There is no such thing as compensation for pain and suffering.

There have been some recent policy changes and incentives to motivate more people to use the public transportation system in Beijing, but these actions have not remedied the traffic jams.

The fastest and smoothest way to get around is by electric powered bicycle. Almost every road in and around Beijing has bike paths (bicycle lanes).

Legal Rules of the Road for riding bicycles in China

1. Pedestrians have the right-of-way over all vehicular traffic when the pedestrians are in a designated pedestrian pathway or within a crosswalk with the green light to cross the road. Most roads have sidewalks on both sides that are off-limits to bicycles and are for the exclusive use of pedestrians.

2. Bicycle lanes are clearly marked and well defined. Only pedal powered and electric bicycles are permitted in the bike lanes. Mopeds and all other vehicles with internal combustion engines are not permitted on bike paths.

3. Cars may cross the bike paths when exiting or entering the roadway, but are forbidden to travel in the bike lanes.

4. Motorcycles may use to the same roadways as cars and other motor vehicles. Motorcycles are forbidden from using the bicycle lanes.

Reality of the Road in China, and especially Beijing

1. Pedestrians have plenty of room to walk on the sidewalks but many seem to prefer to walk on the bike paths, and often two or three abreast which usually impedes bicycle traffic. About 20% of the people seem to be walking on the bike paths while about 80% seem to obey the law. The 20% who do walk on the bike paths manage to slow down bicycle traffic considerably.

2. When there is a traffic jam, which is pretty much 24-7, occasionally some bold automobile drivers run on the bike paths for long distances. Police often will stop cars and ticket the driver if they see this transgression. It is a different story with motorcycles and motor scooters. All motorized vehicles with the exception of clearly marked vehicles for the disabled, are prohibited from running in the bicycle lanes. But more often than not motorcyclists and scooter riders will run on the highway when traffic is faster there, but frequently jump over to the bike paths when traffic on the highway is slower than the traffic on the bike path. Motorcycle riders also seem to run most traffic lights with impunity.

These motorized vehicle riders throw their heads back and act like they are king of the road on the bike paths. They continuously honk their horns and act like they own the bike paths. Their attitudes seem to be: “How dare you mere bicycles get in my way! I am a rich man who can afford a motorcycle and you poor peasants on cheap little bicycles are in my way! You had better scatter like chickens when the king of the road comes barreling down this motorcycle lane.” Police rarely enforce the laws prohibiting motorcycles and motor scooters from using the bike lanes.

Bicycle lanes are almost always one-way. If bicyclists want to go in the opposite direction, they should cross the street and get on the bike path going in the direction desired. In practice most people do go the right way on one way bike paths. However, about 1% of all cyclists ride against the flow of traffic, going in the opposite direction from the other 99%. There are so many bicycles in China that the 1% or so of riders who ride the wrong way on one-way bike paths equals a lot of bicycles. The bottom line is that you are unlikely to make it even one city block without meeting a cyclist who is going in the wrong direction.

My first bicycle in China had a high-tech lightweight aluminum alloy frame, with an intelligent assist electric motor, and a six speed transmission, disc brakes, and a lightweight lithium battery. It was the best and lightest state-of-the-art electric bicycle available in Beijing at that time. After two collisions with other cyclists who were going in the wrong direction on one-way bike paths, I traded my fancy bicycle in for a different kind of bicycle. I traded for size and power. I got the electric bicycle that was the biggest, strongest, heaviest, and had the most powerful motor. My new bicycle is built like an M1A1 Abrams battle tank. Now I just blast my horn and gun it when I see someone going in the wrong direction and headed straight for me. They will get out of the way.

Having said all that, electric bicycling is still the fastest legal way to get around in Beijing. If you come for the Olympic Games or for any reason, I welcome you to Beijing.

With China’s emerging strong presence in the international world today, Beijing plays an important role in this transformation. In so doing it is inevitable that visitors to Beijing may feel swept up in the hustle and bustle of the city.

What is needed at such a point is a getaway option that is not too far nor too close to the city, wherein the visitor could sit back and relax.

Xiangshui Lake and the scenic area that surrounds it is such an ideal getaway option. Located approximately 78 kilometres from Beijing, Xiangshui Lake is situated in the Huairou District, in Bohai Town. Encompassing roughly 4448 acres, the Xiangshui Lake area is a picturesque and tranquil location.

The reason for the name ‘Xiangshui’ comes from the fact that, though the lake is no more than a slash of water derived from the tip of a spring, the sound of running water can be heard very clearly from far off. Because of its source from the spring, the lake water is refreshingly cool and pleasant.

Steep mountains and sheer cliffs on either side provide a natural shelter for the lake and the Great Wall can be seen rising and falling with the mountains giving it the appearance of a heaving dragon. The Xiangshui Lake area opens out to the Moshikou Pass of the Great Wall. The pass area also offers more for the historically interested visitor by way of the Totem Pavilion, Lianyun Cave and the famous Moya inscription.

An even more stunning spectacle to be enjoyed in this area is the grand waterfall. Falling down 50 meters, this overflow of water is 24 meters wide. In fact during the freezing winter months the waterfall hangs as an ‘ice curtain’ over the cave.

Other not to miss attractions in Beijing would be a the sight of the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden Temple, the Great Wall, Jingshan Park and the picture perfect Xiangshui Lake. 

Visitors can make use of the service areas close by which are fully functional and offer many activities and fabulous food. The luxurious amenities and convenient location that the hotel offers makes it one of Beijing’s distinguished addresses.

Potential health impact of smog could be much greater than SARS, expert says.

A type of lung cancer reported to be increasing in Beijing has been linked to worsening air quality, with an expert warning that the potential health impact could be much greater than the SARS epidemic in 2003.

"The proportion of lung adenocarcinoma cases is increasing," said Wang Ning, deputy director of the Beijing Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, adding that there has been a drop in the proportion of squamous cell lung cancer cases in the capital.

Adenocarcinoma of the lung is a common histological form of lung cancer that contains certain distinct malignant tissue, while the other type is a form of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Medical experts believe that smoking is more likely to cause squamous cell lung cancer, while exposure to air pollution, such as exhaust gases and secondhand smoking, is more likely to cause adenocarcinoma of the lung, Wang said.

Zhong Nanshan, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said that without timely intervention, pollution could have a potential health impact much greater than that of the SARS epidemic.

Zhong also said that severe pollution could result in low birth weight and premature births.

He said there has been an increasing number of studies on the relationship between air quality and health, and he referred to one linking exposure to air pollution and traffic fumes to low birth weight.

This study found that for every 10-microgram increase in PM2.5 per cubic meter, the incidences of premature birth increased by 3 to 5 percent, while average birth weights were lowered by 8.9 grams.

PM2.5 particles are air pollutants with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, small enough to invade the smallest airways.

Some public health experts have forecast that in five to seven years, China will see a substantial increase in diseases including lung cancer and cardiovascular conditions, Zhong said.

Wang’s findings on cancer resulted from a study she led that was published in the Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine in March 2011. Wang and her co-workers examined cases of lung cancer diagnosed at Beijing hospitals from 1998 to 2007.

"Of the city’s lung cancer cases that were histologically diagnosed, the proportion of squamous cell lung cancer decreased yearly from 30.41 percent in 1998 to 24.16 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion of lung adenocarcinoma increased from 42.83 percent to 46.80 percent," the study found.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, under the World Health Organization, has also linked lung cancer to air pollution.

In October 2013, the IARC said that outdoor air pollution was a leading environmental cause of cancer.

"After thoroughly reviewing the latest available scientific literature, the world’s leading experts, convened by the IARC, said there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer," the agency said.

Beijing hospitals have reported a rise in patients seeking treatment for respiratory problems since smog descended on the capital seven days ago.

Zhao Hongmei, a respiratory medicine doctor at Beijing Bo’ai Hospital, said her department has been overwhelmed by patients.

"Usually, a doctor in my department sees 40 to 50 patients every morning. Now, the number has risen to 70," she said. "We have been working at full capacity since Spring Festival."

She said the number of patients in their 30s and 40s has increased markedly since the smog arrived.

"Most showed symptoms such as coughing and discomfort in the throat, but X-rays showed their lungs were not infected.”

Zhou Jipu, a doctor in the respiratory department at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said he has seen an increase in elderly patients with underlying diseases in his department since Spring Festival, and smog has worsened their conditions.

Currently, environmentally friendly form of grim. So, what’s the solution to that? More and more people are beginning to realize the urgent need of fighting the air pollution. However, air pollution control is a long task for human beings. Now the only thing we could do is that try to reduce emission.

Green Travel is a good way to solve this problem, engine carbon cleaning can also take effective measures. Presently, many countries around the world use an HHO Carbon Clean Machine to remove carbon from an engine to meet energy-efficiency.

Start-ups. Fast-following. China and the Internet. These were just some of the buzzwords shared and discussed in our first installment of conversation between interviewees Richard Min of SeoulSpace and Kai Lukoff of TechRice. The two technology pundits shared insights about the environments where they operate, and discovered some uncanny parallels between the tech scenes of Seoul and Beijing. There was also talk of the impressive rise of the consumer Internet in both countries.

As the interview progressed, there was a glimmer of optimism about the opening up of Asian markets, as well as general enthusiasm about the prospects that were emerging for both interviewees. Min and Lukoff confirmed that their bridge bars served to provide valuable insights. In their separate spheres, they give the insider scoop on emerging entrepreneurs and behind-the-scene stories of Silicon Valley companies competitiveness in the Asia markets. Both believe there are lessons to be learned from the failures and successes of companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

The conversation even took a philosophical turn. With increasing localization in Asian technology, we could expect a more Asian touch to computers? Is the copying and cloning of iPhones in China, or a Twitter knock-off in South Korea a temporary phenomenon? We discussed this and much more in this exciting conversation that bridged the best of Beijing, Seoul and Silicon Valley initiative.

(Editor's Note: The interview took place over the course of two to three days, and some of the more salient highlights are provided in the transcript below. -and-forth of insights and new ideas, for which you can tune in at the bottom of the transcript.)

AsianTalks: Richard, you describe Korea Traditionally as a "walled garden" and Kai, perhaps you've experienced a similar attitude in China to outside influence in the tech field. Yet in both countries there's overwhelming evidence of emulation and second-mover advantage. Why the copying and the cloning of Silicon Valley, is it something that's ingoing, or just symptoms of an industry trying to find its way to better innovation?

Richard: (Laughs) Well interestingly, it depends how you want to look at that. The implication here is, again now, are we talking about being good business, being good start-up, or being good innovators. Korea is criticized a lot on the innovation front, and even Samsung admits to being a fast-follower. And they do it proudly. So if you want to say that their ability to fast-follow is better than anyone else, in that sense, it's a very good thing. So when you're talking emulation, copying, or why is there so much of it, it's because you can, and a lot of the forces that reach globally do not hit Korea, and so then if they're able to copy and do it better, then more power to them.

But at the same time I guess the underlying tone is here how we release the walled garden of actual innovation, so that it's not just fast following in a more expansive, rapid rate, but actually being an inspiration for new innovations in Asia. The first step is to lower barriers to entry, both in and out, which is very much what is happening right now. Korea has been the hermit nation forever, right? It's been historically protectionist, which is a great way to be a Galapagos Island. It's an independent evolution, where you see very unique things happening but no one really realizes it unless you're here. But now with social networks and iPhones acting as Trojan horses in both directions, there's no way to stop the leaks from coming out, and you're just going to see more innovations. Plus Koreans are just innovators of cool technologies, which is why you're going to see the beginnings of a renaissance of Korean start-ups in IT.

Kai: (In China) there's a lot of copying and cloning, no doubt about it. There's a whole word for it, Shanzhai, which is equivalent to a 'mountain fortress,' basically a secluded area where they copy lots of foreign innovations, or innovations of other companies. And the entire market in Shenzhen is built around building the "Hi-Phone" or the "Apple Phone," just countless versions of the iPhone or the iPad, and every other product that one can imagine. I think the reason why is one, because the opportunities are there. There's just so much low hanging fruit in the Chinese market, that both entrepreneurs and venture capitalists ask themselves "Why should I experiment or come up with a new business model, a new product, when I can simply copy one that's proven to work in the US, and will probably work here too? " So I think that's the story of the growth of a lot of businesses in China.

The second part of it I do think is somewhat cultural. In the US, in the Silicon Valley, if you came out with a clone, or an exact copy of the UI of another website, you'll get hammered! You'll be all over TechCrunch for all the wrong reasons. And you would really like the black sheep in the industry. But in China the responses will range from, like, "Wow, how are you able to copy that so well," to some consumers who believe they have the real thing, or never even hear of the US version, to some people frowning on it. But I think to some extinction there's an engraving of the Shanzhai culture.

AsianTalks: You've both built a web presence that addresses the interests and concerns of American and other business people interested in your markets. What is your most popular content, what do your readers like or demand the most, based on feedback?

Richard: It's interesting. Feedback is always different than analytics. Feedback can sometimes be the loud minority. So on some things feedback has been more on controversial issues, whereas analytics would say something like Kakao Talk or the clone apps similar to the ones in the US. But other big stories like TicketMonster selling to LivingSocial, stuff with connections to the Valley that people feel they can relate to, those have hit big analytics. But what's really interesting is, the stories that get the most engagement, are the insider's insights into the market, like, how to actually do advertising on Naver, which is the number one search engine in Korea. It's always a great anecdote to say that Google, which is dominant everywhere, has only a two percent market share in Korea, after ten years. That's kind of a shocker for a lot of people, and reframes the conversation as to what's going on. These kinds of things have been touch points and taglines of interest for many, so we're really trying to focus on a good variety of just reporting on what's going on. (Korea) is such a mystery that if you report on anything here, people are fascinated by it.

Kai: I think, in terms of feedback, I really only hear, or hear mostly – surely – from the visitors from China, just because that's where I'm located. So maybe that skews the particular feedback that I get. The posts that tend to be the most popular are analysis pieces about the Chinese start-up environment, or pieces about foreign Internet companies trying to operate in China. So we wrote one particularly popular series on "Why Facebook Would Have Won If China Were a Free Market." They're blocked by the great firewall as is. And that did very well, as well as a piece on why MySpace failed in China, and questions about, you know, whether Facebook was going to come here via a partnership with Baidu. Also the analytics on (TechRice) is 40 percent visits from China, 40 percent visitors from the US, and 20 percent the rest of the world.

On the side of local Chinese start-ups, some of the more culturally oriented coverage tends to do quite well. So telling the story of individual Chinese entrepreneurs, we wrote one piece called "The Story of W & L: China's Great Internet Divide," a translation of an original Chinese piece, but it portraits one entrepreneur, W, who caters to high-end, white -collar, urbanite Chinese, and another, L, who sells simple games for feature phones, for Chinese migrant workers and factory workers in third-tier cities. The article compares and contrasts those two worlds.

I also get really passionate about telling the story of individual Chinese entrepreneurs, because a lot of them have a hell of a story, like Jack Xu of Diandian, for instance, who got to university and had never seen a computer before. He realized he had to figure out how to type, so he drew up a keyboard on a piece of paper, and because he did not have computer access all the time, he used that in his dorm room to practice typing. He was CTO at RenRen, the Chinese social network, kind of similar to Facebook, and now he is leading his own light blogging start-up Diandian, that's similar to Tumblr in the US.

1. INTRODUCTION

For all of us (foreign) 'locals' in Beijing, we have seen the massive growth in foreign-owned restaurants over the past several years. Not only are such establishments popular (and very profitable), they are adding to the international cuisine and outlook of the nation's capital. In this article, we outline the various procedures required to establish a restaurant. (There are alternatives in establishing a management office first, then a restaurant as a branch of the office; however, we will discuss this in later articles.)

2. BUSINESS ENTITY

In order to establish a restaurant, the owner must decide what type of entity will own and operate the establishment. In China, this is much more difficult than in other markets such as the US, where individuals can own and operate businesses. Fortunately, the restaurant industry is quite open and the operating entity may be either a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) (owned by a company or individual) or a Joint Venture (JV) (if partnering up with a Chinese national), though it is not possible for a foreigner to own the restaurant business directly as a sole proprietorship. Further, to open a restaurant, there are additional licenses and approvals that are necessary in addition to the traditional requirements of a limited liability company. However, once the company is set up with the proper business scope and registered capital, it can be used to open additional branches, though, of course, each branch will require certain approvals for that specific location (see below Health and Hygiene, Environmental Impact , etc.)
Unless there are compiling reasons otherwise, such as locating and trusting a suitable Chinese partner, the WFOE, a limited liability company wholly owned by the investor, is the likely choice for foreigners, as it offers the most autonomy. Although previously quite common and unfortunately still prevalent, for the sake of simplicity, many foreigners opt to allow Chinese partners to open the restaurant as a domestic (Chinese) company. In this case, the Chinese partner (s) will be sole shareholder (s) of the company, leaving the foreign investor with no legal ownership rights. (Given the often very large upfront personal investment, we caution investors to consider the appropriateness of such an ownership structure.)

3. INITIAL PROCEDURES (UNIQUE TO RESTAURANTS)

In chronological order, the following procedures must take place prior to establishment of the business entity, itself:
i) Apply and obtain company name approval notification with the Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce (BAIC)
The name (in Chinese) will be in composed of, and in the following order:
Part 1 – City of WFOE: In this case it would be: Beijing; Part 2 – Company name (ie Bill's BBQ); Part 3 – Business type (ie Restaurant); Part 4 – Form of organization (ie Limited Liability Company).
All together, the Registered Chinese name would read: Beijing Bill's BBQ Restaurant Co., Ltd.
It is advisable that the applicable changes at least three names to be checked for availability. The company name should be consistent with the actual business type, and should not explicitly or implicitely step beyond the scope of business.

ii) Selecting a Restaurant Location

The location of the restaurant is obviously important from a business standpoint, but based on the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau's (BMEPB) regulations if the restaurant is located near residential areas (within 50 meters), the residents will need to approve. At this point there are no regulations defining "approval by the residents", and, currently, the BMEPB has found the following to be sufficient (depending on the circumstances): survey or completed questionnaire of residents, and approval letter by the local residents association .

iii) Apply and Obtain Health and Food Hygiene License with the Municipal Health Bureau

Various documentation must be furnished, including but not limited to the location and site map of the restaurant and the restaurant's internal health and safety rules. Within 10 days of the documents submission, the Health Bureau will notify applicable and arrange the on-site inspection. The primary areas of inspection will include the hygiene and safety of; 1) raw foods preparation area; 2) kitchen area; 3) employee changing area; 4) faucet and sink area; and 5) waste disposal area. Inspectors should provide an on-the-spot list of non-compliance and recommendations to remedy the situation. For certain minor problems, a submission of a photo by the applicable of the modified area should suffice, so as to not require a second visit by the inspector. Notification of approval, assuming all areas of inspection do not require repeat visits, should be within 20 days.

iv) Alcohol Permit Registration

Although the registration of Alcohol Permit will not be completed until after issuance of the business license, Tax Registration Permit, and Health and Food Hygiene License, the applicant will need to reflect its intent to sell alcohol in the Health and Hygiene application. The Health and Food Hygiene License application will need to include the approved word in the business scope to note that it will sell alcohol.

v) Environmental Protection (EP) Examination and Approval (District Level)

Restaurant applications do not require a separate EP Impact Report. The two forms required include: 1) Environmental Impact Application form – to be completed by the applicant; and 2) Environmental Impact Report Form – to be completed and stamped by an authorized environmental assessment entity.
The Report Form shall primarily examine, among others, the following: an environmental assessment of the indoor and outdoor environments and near by building, an environmental analysis of the site, potential and future environmental impact of the surroundings, and recommendations for environmental protection. The primary focus of the environmental impact application is to assess potential and actual noise and water pollution, fire protection, and waste disposal of the site.
In selecting a restaurant location (see above) it is important to note that the outdoor smoke ventilation exhaust fixture will be located at least 20 meters from any residence or above any residential area.

vi) No Tobacco Permits

As of March 2007, the laws state that foreign commercial enterprises are not allowed to sell tobacco related products. Those foreign enterprises currently selling tobacco will not be allowed to sell these products after their permits expire in late 2008.

4. ESTABLISHING THE ENTITY: WFOE OR JV

i) Apply for Approval Certificate
Once all the above approvals are obtained, they shall be submitted with the articles of incorporation, and feasibility report (along with supporting documentation) in order to obtain the Letter of Approval with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

ii) Registered Capital
The registered capital is the stated amount of capital that will be invested in the business. The registered capital will be reflected in the company's articles of association, and registered with the relevant government authorities. Since the entire amount of the registered capital must be invested (subject to cancellation), it is a very important legal and business decision.
Although the minimum amount of registered capital, based on the Company Law, may be as low as RMB 30,000, this will definitely not be applicable for restaurant companies.
Note that the investor is allowed to contribute non-monetary registered capital, among other things, in the form of technology / intellectual property rights. Cash contribution to registered capital may not be less than 30%.

iii) Capital Contribution

Capital contribution may be made through a lump sum payment or by installments. The lump sum shall be paid within 90 days from the issue of the temporary business license. If paying by installments, a minimum 20% will be paid within 90 days. The total amount will be paid off within 1 year from the date of the establishment of the company.

iv) Apply and Obtain Temporary Business License with Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce

With the Certificate of Approval, the applicant may apply and obtain the temporary business license. The restaurant can not begin operations at this point.

v) Additional Certificates to obtain Permanent business License

Once the temporary business license is issued, the applicant may apply for the various approval certificates and the injection of capital. Before the permanent business license the applicant must obtain the following certificates, reports, and take care of the following banking issues:
· Organization Code Registration Certificate with the Organization Code Bureau;
· Tax Registration Certificate with the Taxation Bureau;
· Statistics Registration Certificate with the Statistics Bureau;
· Foreign Exchange Registration Certificate with the Foreign Exchange Supervision Bureau;
· Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Bureau registration
· Open RMB Basic Bank Account with the Designated Bank;
· Open Foreign Currency Capital Bank Account with a Designated Bank;
· Inject capital after the opening of Foreign exchange capital bank account by the client; and
· Capital Verification Report with a Chinese CPA firm.

vi) Permanent Business License with the BAIC

With the permanent business license issued the restaurant will be legally established and can fully operate within the business scope.

5. OTHER ISSUES

i) Logo / Trademark Registration

As China is a first-to-file jurisdiction, the general rule is to register any trademarks as soon as possible, basically meaning whoever files first is presumed to be the trademark holder. The company logo, and the Chinese and English names can be registered with the China Trademark Office.

ii) Carve Company Chop (seal), and other related chops

Once the business license is issued, and the company has registered with the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Bureau, the applicant can apply for the chops of the company, the legal representative and other related chops with the Public Security Bureau. They will designate an authorized carving seal agent to carve the chops.

iii) Other Applications and Registration
· Register business license with the district Administration for Industry and Commerce and with the district Municipal Bureau of Commerce
· Finance Registration Certificate with the Finance Bureau
· Customs Registration Certificate with the Customs Bureau

6. CONCLUSION

All foreign investors setting up a business in China will be presented with many obstacles. Establishing a restaurant will add many other variables to the issues involved. Proper planning, professional advice and set-up can reduce and avoid unnecessary delays and risks, so that the business can begin to operate and generate income.