Dong Feng 21D Exposed

The Dong Feng 21D, smarter, and vastly cheaper, could successfully attack a US carrier, or at least deter it from getting too close. The new 96166 Unit will be outfitted with Dong Feng 21C medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) and possibly the DF-21D ASBM, said Mark Stokes and Tiffany Ma.

U.S. naval planners are scrambling to deal with what analysts say is a game-changing weapon being developed by China — an unprecedented carrier-killing missile called the Dong Feng 21D that could be launched from land with enough, Dong feng 21d:Chinese missile. Nothing projects U.S. global air and sea power more vividly than supercarriers. Bristling with fighter jets that can reach deep into even landlocked trouble zones, America’s virtually invincible carrier. Let’s take a look at China’s Dong Feng 21D missile. This is the hot story in Pacific naval news. We’ll call this weapon the DF-21D for short. The Dong-Feng 21 (DF-21; NATO reporting name CSS-5 – Dong-Feng literally means … The latest DF-21D was said to be the world’s first and only anti-ship.

China Development Bank Loans Argentina $10 Billion for New Metro and Rail Construction

China seems to have a direct interest in Argentinian farmland, a good reason for it to help improve transportation to and from this farmland in a very cost-efficient way (through better rail lines).

“Thanks to talks between Presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Hu Jintao, Argentina will receive $4.35 billion to renovate three freight railroad lines, including $1.85 billion to improve conditions on the Belgrano Line, which links the country to Bolivia and is an important link for the nation’s agricultural producers,” Yonah Freemark of the TransportPolitic writes.

But $4 billion for improvement of the Buenos Aires Subway and creation of a 4-corridor Metro in Cordoba don’t seem to offer any direct economic benefit to China. Yonah conjectures that Argentina must have agreed to give China some preferential trade treatment for this.

The Argentinian government has also committed to give a 15% match to the loans they receive.

China to Fund High-Speed Rail in the United States?

It is clear that China is willing to invest good money in high-speed rail and transit projects in its own country and abroad. It must see such transportation as an important solution to 21st century challenges.

While the US has committed several billion dollars for high-speed rail across the nation, it is still far behind China and Europe in this field. And many wonder if private and public entities in the US will even be able to fund the projects President Obama put $8 billion towards earlier this year. One solution, if that is the case, might be to borrow money from China.

“If U.S. companies aren’t able to provide adequate private sector support for construction programs, and if neither the federal government nor states themselves are able to develop infrastructure banks to advance such funding, foreign aid could be a realistic possibility,” Yonah writes.

“This could be seen as a significant let-down for Americans used to thinking that we should be able to fund our infrastructure using our own funds. But the opportunity for expanded global trade could be an excellent opportunity for improvements in the U.S.; there’s no reason to be worried about direct investment from abroad if it makes possible the construction of resources that we couldn’t otherwise build.”

I think this is excellent commentary. It would be great if we could fund high-speed rail projects in the US with US money, but if US companies and government can’t get the job done, getting money for these critical infrastructure projects elsewhere is better than not. High-speed rail is a good public investment and I think it is very important for future economic vitality in the US.

Sculpture Exhibition Gets Laser Treatment

LASER alarm systems will be put in place to protect dozens of artworks by Chinese and overseas artists during a sculpture exhibition from September 1 in Jing'an District.

Some of the sculptures are reportedly worth more than 10 million yuan (US$1.47 million).

The exhibition, which will last two months, has attracted world famous artists like Arman Pierre Fernandez, who created the "Horse" sculpture in front of Shanghai Exhibition Center, Philippe Hiquily, and Arne Quinze.

Sixty-five pieces will be on display at 10 locations including Jing'an Sculpture Park, Moller Villa, Jing'an Villa and Plaza 66.

Insurance for each sculpture has been purchased.

Along with the laser alarm systems, security guards will patrol sculpture locations from time to time, according to Li Zhen, a Jing'an government official.

Ebru Painter Wins 'War' against Water

Murat Elhan demonstrates his painting skill at the Expo.

ARTIST Murat Elhan is demonstrating traditional Ebru painting every day at the Turkey Pavilion.

Ebru painting, also known as the art of water marbling, is a unique technique allowing artists to draw patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments on a pan of water or a viscous oily solution. It originated about 1,000 years ago.

He draws under the water surface to create patterns on a piece of paper.

"You have to gain control over the colors, or the water will draw the picture instead of you," said Elhan.

The 36 year old said he took delight in waging a "war" against water, and he always wins because he knows the key to success - finding the perfect density of pigments.

"It's all about density. You can feel the density with your own hands," Elhan said.

He said skillful Ebru artists should know when to add more water into the pan as the pigments will sink due to their high density, and they should also know when to add more pigments if their low density gives the water a chance to dissolve them.

"You gain control over the colors and you can draw anything, but if the situation is well out of hand, the water will dissolve the pigments into a free style," he said.

To win the little "war" against water, Elhan said he has created a group of elite "soldiers," a term he uses to refer to his own handmade pigments, brushes, pan and sticks.

Elhan is also a well-known teacher of Ebru painting in Turkey. He has taught hundreds of students how to control the colors, passing the graceful art to younger generations.

He learned at the age of 10, simply by watching his father, who supported the family by selling his Ebru paintings.

Elhan draws everything from flowers and water waves to abstract lines and patterns. It sometimes takes six hours to finish a piece.

"The art is very open to minds, it requires so much concentration that you forget about time," he said.

Elhan will be at the Turkey Pavilion's exit from 11am to 7pm every day until the Expo ends on October 31. If you don't see him, look around for a crowd of people. He will likely be the guy in the middle of the big crowd.

Cool Tips for Hot Times

Visitors enjoy a cool moment while queuing to enter the Saudi Arabia Pavilion yesterday. The area has been equipped with sprays and covered with sunshades. The spraying system can cool the temperature by around 5 degrees Celsius and is in large demand among pavilions now that the city has entered "sanfu," the hottest time of the year.

PEOPLE can make their visit to the World Expo more comfortable during the hottest period of the summer by choosing cool pavilions, finding shady areas to rest and following the instructions of doctors.

The organizer yesterday began giving out 500,000 free fans to visitors every day at the entrance gates. A total of 25 million fans will be handed out during the summer.

The weather forecast will be broadcast on large screens across the site.

Free cooling oil and sunstroke medicine are available at the 56 Visitors Service Centers across the site. Visitors can ask volunteers for the oil and medicine.

To avoid the blistering sun, visitors can enter pavilions and restaurants or go to the second underground level of Expo Boulevard.

The joint pavilions and Theme Pavilions are good places to hide from the sun as they usually have much shorter queues.

Visitors can also go to the skating rink in the Expo Culture Center. It costs 30 yuan (US$4.43) to rent a pair of skates.

Cool pavilions

Norway Pavilion in Zone C has a mist wall to isolate itself from the hot weather outside. A popular exhibit in the pavilion features a bear paw print in the snow, which visitors can touch.

MeteoWorld Pavilion in Zone B sprays mist every 10 seconds to cool people off. The temperature around could be lowered by 6 degrees Celsius.

The Air Tree in the Madrid Pavilion in the Urban Best Practices Area can reduce the temperature beneath it by 8 to 10 degrees.

The tree is like a massive umbrella, with 100 square meters of panels able to change orientation to achieve the desired conditions. It is covered in solar panels to drive a fan to circulate air beneath.

The temperature in the Iceland Pavilion is 21 degrees, lower than the 27 degrees at other pavilions, to imitate the country's summer weather.

The cubic-shaped pavilion even looks like an ice block.

Doctor's Suggestions

Foreign visitors, especially those new to Shanghai, were suggested to rest for at least a day after arriving in Shanghai before going to the Expo. This will help them acclimatize to the weather and avoid getting sick, doctor Zhao Enhao said at a medical service station at the Expo site.

The city's health authority yesterday reminded visitors to drink more water, especially salt water when visiting the Expo in hot weather.

Also, wear light, loose clothing, a hat and sunglasses. Sun creams are also recommended.

Buildings Shake as Earthquake Strikes City

A SMALL earthquake in neighboring Jiangsu Province shook Shanghai yesterday morning.

Some people living in high-rises in Baoshan, Putuo, Yangpu districts and the Pudong New Area felt their building shake and called media outlets.

According to the Shanghai Seismological Bureau, the inshore area of Rudong County in Jiangsu's Nantong City had a 3.8-magnitude earthquake at 11:06am yesterday. The depth of the earthquake was 5,000 meters and the epicenter was 132 kilometers from downtown Shanghai.

A 4.0-magnitude quake with a depth of 12 kilometers hit the same place on July 9.

Officials said the earthquakes won't have any effect on Shanghai.

"The two earthquakes were very small," said Shou Haitao from the Shanghai Seismological Bureau. "There is no connection between them."

Prepare for Challenges of Census Now: Official

SHANGHAI faces many challenges to carry out a population census but the city will endeavor to overcome them because a successful census is crucial to making good policies for the next decade, Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong said yesterday.

"China's census could be the most difficult in the world," Yang said. "Shanghai should prepare because the city is home to roughly 19 million permanent residents, numerous people living here temporarily, and many foreigners. That's a lot of people to count."

Worldwide, more than 50 countries are carrying out or plan to conduct a census this year. The United States reported its population has surpassed 309 million and India 1.1 billion. China is expected to remain the world's most populous country.

The census is an important overview of the city's social and economic conditions, Yang said. It could provide information and guidance for future urban planning, resources development, population management and policies involving health care, traffic and social insurance.

The sixth national census starts on November 1.

For the first time, the census will also include foreigners and people from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.