China Has More Internet Monitors Than Soldiers

China Has More Internet Monitors Than Soldiers:

Lily Kuo for Quartz

China has 2 million people working as online monitors, according to a report last week by state news publication Beijing News — a new estimate that reveals the breadth of the country’s massive online censorship and surveillance systems. The monitors, who scour online comments and compile reports for officials or private businesses, outnumber even China’s 1.5 million active military personnel.

There is now an entire industry and profession dedicated to controlling — or attempting to control — China’s fast-moving social media world, where comments quickly go viral among the country’s 500 million Internet users. The People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese communist party, is holding a four-day seminar this month where successful students can be certified as “public opinion analysts,” according to a Beijing Times report. Once certified, they’re eligible for jobs with China’s propaganda department, commercial companies, news websites or public relation firms.

Social media monitoring, a measure whose ostensible goal is social stability, has been turned into a “money-making machine for local governments [and] firms,” said Guobin Yang, a professor of sociology and communications at the University of Southern California, in comments on Twitter on Monday. The People’s Daily charges up to 4,000 renminbi ($650) for four days of training to become an analyst, Yang noted.

And for businesses or officials who need more than just monitoring, “black public relations” firms offers services like wiping negative articles from the Internet or blocking certain search terms. These cost at least 10,000 renminbi and and up to 1 million renminbi, respectively, according to a February report by Century Weekly.

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EZ-Link rolls out world’s first dual-currency transit card | TODAYonline

EZ-Link rolls out world’s first dual-currency transit card | TODAYonline:

SINO Visitor Pass developed with Guangdong Lingnan Pass; Transport Minister Lui also oversees eight project signings involving Singapore companies, organisations

2013 Aug 21

GUANGZHOU — Singapore company EZ-Link unveiled the world’s first dual-currency transit card that can be used across international borders at the fifth Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) meeting in Guangzhou today (Aug 21).

The SINO Visitor Pass, developed jointly with Guangdong Lingnan Pass, will be issued by both companies in Singapore and Guangdong and will carry two currencies — the Singapore dollar and renminbi (RMB) — which can be used at all points that accept either EZ-Link cards or Lingnan Pass.

The card is expected to be officially launched in both markets in the first half of next year, enabling SINO Visitor Pass users to make payments at over 100,000 retail and transit points.

In the second phase of development, EZ-Link and Guangdong Lingnan Pass intend to extend usage of the card to payment for a wider range of items including goods, services and tickets of tourist attractions and performances. There are also plans to widen the card usage to other parts of China.

The unveiling in Guangzhou was witnessed by SGCC co-Chairmen, Singapore’s Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew and Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang.

“We have a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with Guangdong. As Singapore companies contribute to Guangdong’s economic transformation, Singapore is also seeing strong number of Guangdong tourists and businesses here,” Mr Lui in his closing address.

“Last year, we received 266,000 Guangdong tourists; this is about 15 per cent of total Chinese visitors to Singapore. In the same year, 12 Guangdong companies with a combined investment of US$240 million (S$306.4 million) set up presence here. We are pleased with these positive developments and hope to do more with Guangdong.”

Guangdong was one of the earliest Chinese provinces to embrace reforms and has led China’s provinces in GDP growth for 24 consecutive years.

Following the meeting, Mr Lui and Mr Zhao witnessed eight project signings involving Singapore-based companies and organisations.

The SGCC, which is into its fifth year, is also set to explore business opportunities in three pilot zones in Guangdong province: Hengqin, Nansha and Qianhai.

The Council’s secretariats are International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office.