An overarching government agency has been set up to take charge of the country's energy policy for better coordination in formulating strategy and planning development.

Premier Wen Jiabao will head the agency, called the National Energy Commission (NEC), and Vice-Premier Li Keqiang will be the deputy, the State Council, or the Cabinet, announced yesterday.

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-01/28/content_9389253.htm

In breakdown, China's exports in 2009 stood at 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars, down 16 percent from in 2008, and imports reached 1.01 trillion U.S. dollars, down 11.2 percent from a year earlier, said the GAC.

For more reading: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/10/content_12784996.htm

"Why need a shopping mall if you have Taobao? I am a Taobaoer," says Shi, 28, a freelance writer in Beijing.

Taobao, China's largest online shopping site has become an indispensable part of Shi Fang' s life. She spends half of her monthly salary to Taobao, logging onto the website every day, even when she doesn't need anything, simply to "stay updated to the latest items".

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-01/09/content_9293225.htm

The domestic sales of cars, sports-utility vehicles (SUV), minivans and multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) hit 10.26 million units last year, surging from 6.4 million units in 2008, said Rao Da, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association on Friday.

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-01/09/content_9292112.htm

The State Council recently announced the approval of the "Development Plan of an Efficient Eco-Economic Zone at Yellow River Delta" proposed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/02/content_9104033.htm

2nd Call for Proposals for Joint Industrial R&D projects
The government of Jiangsu province, The People's Republic of China and the government of the state of Israel have signed a bilateral agreement on 2008, to form Jiangsu – Israel program for Industrial R&D with a primary aim to support joint industrial R&D projects aimed at development of products or processes leading to commercialization in the global market.  
Within the context of the bilateral framework, funding mechanisms have been created, through which industry, may seek support for joint bilateral research and development (R&D) projects, involving at least one Jiangsu and one Israeli company.
The bi-lateral framework is jointly implemented by Jiangsu Science and Technology Department in Jiangsu province and MATIMOP, Israeli Industry Centre for R&D, on behalf of the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) in Israel.

This call is open to all projects based on merit that include science and technology (S&T) development leading to commercial success, social good and benefit to both countries.

1. Common Requirements

The criteria to be followed in order to apply to the program call are:

a) At least two science and technology companies from the respective countries should express a desire to cooperate in the research and development of a new product or a new process.

b) The project may involve more than one company from each side; academic /research entities are eligible to join as sub-contractors only.

c) The product should be highly innovative with significant commercial potential. The joint industrial R&D project should aim at development of products / processes leading to commercialisation in the global market

d) The project partners should agree in advance on the IP rights and on the commercialisation strategy of the product or process.

Note: For the submission phase, only a LOI, a preliminary agreement or draft MoU is required, however the final agreement has to be presented to the funding authorities.

e) The project should demonstrate the contribution of the participants from both countries

f) The project must be balanced between participants and significant to both partners.

Any partner whose cooperative R&D project is consistent with the aforesaid criteria can
apply to the present Call for Proposal in accordance with the national Laws, Rules, Regulations and Procedures in effect.

2. Eligibility

In Jiangsu

Eligible applicants will be R&D performing Jiangsu registered companies operates in Jiangsu.

In Israel

Eligible applicants will be R&D performing Israeli registered companies operates in Israel. .

3. Size of Investments and Matching Funds

1. Funding support will be given to each partner by its own Implementing Organisations (Jiangsu Science and Technology Department in Jiangsu province and MATIMOP/OCS in Israel) in accordance with the National Laws, Rules, Regulations and procedures in effect.

2. The total grant from the Government of Jiangsu under the Jiangsu-Israel R&D program financial support will not exceed 1.5 million US dollars each year. The government gives the support to subsidize the R&D expenditure of the project and will decide the amount of support for each project taking consideration of the total number of the approved projects and the available fund for the program each year. 

3. The total funding from the Government of Israel via the OCS, under the Jiangsu-Israel R&D program financial support, will not exceed 50% of the eligible and approved costs of the R&D, in accordance with the national laws and regulations.

4. Submission of the project proposals

A two stage application process will be followed; first the bi-lateral cooperation form. Only those applications meeting all basic criteria of the Call for Proposals will be invited to submit full project proposals in the National Format. The Common bi-lateral cooperation form must be submitted to both the Implementing Organisation simultaneously within the deadline of the particular call period. For approved applications, full project proposal in the program National Format should be submitted to the respective Implementing Organisations.

The present Call is launched on October 12th, 2009 and invites applications in Common Application Format till February 12th, 2010. The eligibility of each application will be analysed by Jiangsu Science and Technology Department and MATIMOP. Acknowledgement and the results of project consideration will be notified to all the applicants by respective Implementing Organisations latest by February 26th, day, 2010. 

Partners meeting all eligibility criteria of will be invited to submit the National funding application using the procedures and according to the national rules that apply in Jiangsu Science and Technology Department and OCS in Israel respectively no later than March 31, 2010

Applications submitted after the deadline of call period would be considered eligible for the next call period.

The complete joint project application (bi-lateral application form) must be sent in softcopy simultaneously to Jiangsu Science and Technology Department in Jiangsu province and MATIMOP in Israel in an appropriate official language (preferably in English) before the deadline of each call.

The proposal (bi-lateral application form) must be signed by both Chinese and Israeli partners.

The Israeli partner is required to submit the National Application form in accordance with the OCS regulations, through an online system www.moital.gov.il/madan/tfasim following these guidelines .
A signed copy of the Common Application Format is required to be uploaded as well.
The application in the prescribed format should be submitted to MATIMOP as well at the coordinates provided at the end of the document.

The Chinese partner will be required to submit the National Application Form in accordance with JSTD regulations, through an online system upon further notice by JSTD.

Bi-lateral form Common Application Format 

Application Guidelines & National Format – Israel 

5. Evaluation and selection of the projects

Jiangsu Science and Technology Department in Jiangsu province and OCS/MATIMOP in Israel will carry out an independent evaluation of the joint R&D application and will select the eligible project to be financially supported in accordance with their National Laws and Regulations. The successful projects will be jointly selected by the two implementing organizations based on the project criteria and requirements specified in the application form.

6. Repayments

In Israel
When a project results in sales of a product, service or process, the financial support must be repaid to the respective organisations/agencies from where funding has been availed as per their individual regulations. 

In Jiangsu
According to the existing rules and practices of Jiangsu province in supporting R&D activities of companies, currently the support for Jiangsu-Israel projects is in the form of grant without repayment.

7. Publication of the Results

The Israeli and Chinese partners whose projects have been selected will be informed of
the result and the amount of funding for the successful projects by their respective
implementing organization possibly by July 2010.

8. Pre-Implementation Requirements

After the award of the project, project leaders on both the sides would be advised
by their respective Implementation Organizations to complete necessary administrative
and legal instruments before the fund release.

For further information contact:

Jiangsu ( China)
Ms. Guo Hong
 Program Coordinator for Jiangsu-Israel Program
International Cooperation Division
Jiangsu Science and Technology Department
Tel: +86-25-57713559
Mobile: +86-13512526206
Fax: +86-25-57714182
guoh_kj@js.gov.cn
39 Beijing Road East, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (P. O. Box 210008)

Israel
Merav Tapiero
Programme Manager – Asia – Pacific Desk
MATIMOP – Israeli Industry Center for R&D
www.matimop.org.il
Tel: +972 3 5118169
Fax: +972 3 5177655
merav@matimop.org.il
Tel-Aviv 61500, Israel 29 Hamered St.
(P. O. Box 50364)

The money will be spent in building wastewater treatment plants, water distribution systems and facilities to collect and recycle rain water in a bid to expand the nation's sewage treatment capability, he said in Beijing on Monday.

For more reading: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-12/02/content_9097368.htm

Lenovo Mobile Communication Technology, which was sold at $1 billion in January 2008, will be repurchased for $2 billion, said a statement released late Friday by Lenovo, China's leading PC maker.

For more reading: http://www.cn-c114.net/583/a463317.html

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