Category: 读书文摘

欧亚纪行

昨晚拿起廖佳的欧亚纪行，一口气看到半夜，看得我是热血沸腾。第一次由青藏公路进藏的时候，时时望着通往天边，望不到尽头的公路，梦想着有一天我会背着包，开着车，驰骋在这样的路上。廖佳实现了她的梦想，用了三年，我呢？也许最终只是个梦想而已。

看别人的游记，常常会令我想起自己的经历，很有趣。看到廖佳在俄蒙边境折腾半天才通关，然后和一群”国际主义战士”一起合影的照片，让我想起在尼泊尔遇到的身高2米的瑞士巨人，Tobi。

Tobi和我相遇在靠近尼印边境的白哈瓦，我从lumbni往加德满都赶，他则是早上从孟买出发，一路风尘仆仆。当我坐上破旧不堪的巴士，心里是一阵轻松，因为这是今天最后一班发往加德满都的车。就在此时，旁边的玻璃窗外摊出一张脸，是个纯种白人。我以为他是扒在车身上，后来才发现，他的脚和地面保持亲密的接触而没有分离。这使我对他的身高产生了浓厚的兴趣，至少有2米之高，这么好的身材不打篮球，NBA错过了一个巨星。

在一番自我介绍后，我们聊了起来。Tobi从意大利出发，然后到土耳其、伊朗、印度，最后到尼泊尔。早上从孟买出发的时候，当地报纸报道了加德满都的爆炸事件。Tobi一路不安的讯问我尼泊尔是否安全，我已经是好几天不上网不看报纸了，听到这一消息也有点发毛。不过我还是试图让Tobi和我自己都感到放心，理由就是2周前我在加德满都的时候局势还非常平静，天天歌舞升平，夜夜笙歌的。

我们还谈到了Tibet问题，Tobi告诉我在瑞士有一个很强的”free tibet”运动，问我怎么看。这是一个非常有趣的问题，大家都有自己的看法，又无法说服对方。最后我建议Tobi可以自己去拉萨看看，透过自己的眼睛，也许能得到一个和以往不同的答案，Tobi耸耸肩，不置可否。

外资进入传媒

外资现在可以进入传媒发行领域，但不可以进入编辑领域。

Media sector opened wider
(January 23,2003 )(China Daily)

Publication management rules will be adjusted to allow more foreign and private capital into the book, newspaper and magazine distribution market, an official from the State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA) told China Daily Wednesday.

The new rules will remove the current restriction whereby only State-owned enterprises can enter China’s publications wholesale market, said Liu Bo, director of the administration’s distribution department.

“Overseas capital and privately owned businesses can both enter wholesale publications distribution in the form of joint ventures,” he said.

But State capital should hold a controlling stake in such joint ventures.

Liu said the rules are being revised in line with the promises China made when joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001.

He said China will accept and handle applications from overseas investors to invest in the book, newspaper and magazine distribution sector once the rules go into effect. The regulations could be published as early as the first quarter of this year.

More than 60 overseas companies have set up offices on the Chinese mainland with the intention of investing in the publications distribution business. They are likely to be the first to have their applications approved, according to some industry insiders.

But China will allow no overseas investment in the editing sector, and a few of the 140 WTO members have pledged only limited access to overseas investors in their respective editing sectors, said Liu Bingjie, deputy director of the SPPA.

In keeping with its WTO commitments, China should open its entire book, newspaper and magazine wholesale and retail sector to overseas investment during its third year of WTO membership. It should also lift all restrictions limiting the number of overseas- funded distribution companies, geographical locations and share-holding rights.

Deputy Director Liu said the books, newspapers and magazines involved will primarily be those published on the Chinese mainland.

Last year, China opened up the retail business in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province, Dalian in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Qingdao in East China’s Shandong Province and the country’s five special economic zones — Hainan, Shantou, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai.

This year, all mainland provincial capitals, together with Chongqing Municipality and Ningbo in East China’s Zhejiang Province, will allow foreign capital into their retail markets.

Although State capital will no longer be the sole player in the publications distribution market, senior managers of State-owned distribution companies have expressed confidence they can face the challenges.

“Despite the protection lost, the change in the distribution market will actually lift the pressure put on us by readers, who are demanding more and more books,” Ha Jiuru, president and general manager of the Shanghai Xinhua Distribution Group, told China Daily.

Ha’s group is one of the top distribution groups in the country.

He said competition for market share by non-State capital should encourage existing players to develop into stronger firms rather than going on the defensive.

“We will not be limited to wholesale and retail business. There is much more space in the distribution business for State-owned groups to get established and developed,” he said.

The Shanghai Xinhua Distribution Group established a publication trade centre late last year. Ha said this was an attempt to make a breakthrough in the traditional distribution business.

The centre is composed of a hall displaying new books, an online display and trade platform and a large bookstore. Ha said the centre lets buyers and sellers do both spot trading and forward business, which is new in China’s current distribution market.