China Backs Workers In Tech Battle

 "HONG KONG -- China's communist state has made a show in recent months of supporting the lowest-level workers in the country's bare-knuckle tech industry, an emerging plank in leader Xi Jinping's campaign to shrink the country's wealth gap and usher in a new era of "common prosperity."

The moves also bolster a sweeping effort by Mr. Xi to exert more control over one of the nation's few strategic sectors that is dominated by private capital.

Last Friday, China's human resource ministry summoned 10 of the country's largest digital platform companies -- including internet behemoths Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., ride-hailing provider Didi Global Inc. and food-delivery giant Meituan -- pressing them to improve conditions for the tens of millions of contract workers who keep the country's consumer economy humming.

Officials in the meeting reminded tech executives of instructions Beijing issued in mid-July to improve gig workers' pay and benefits, and to adjust the algorithms used for managing workers to ease workloads and lessen punishment for late arrivals or deliveries.

Under Mr. Xi, the Chinese state has surprised analysts and unsettled markets by taking aggressive action against some of the country's biggest tech companies in recent months, accusing them of violating antitrust, data-security and labor rules.

Increasingly, Beijing has portrayed its actions as the prelude to a new stage in China's development, one in which the tremendous wealth generated in the country's boom years is more evenly distributed.

At least some companies have appeared responsive. The same day as the meeting, Meituan published its algorithm rules through social media and vowed to soften them, for example by designating a range for on-time deliveries instead of hard deadlines.

Meituan is also considering whether to set up a corporate-level umbrella trade union for its workers in addition to establishing more local trade-union branches across China, according to a person familiar with the matter. E-commerce company JD.com Inc. said it formed an umbrella trade union for its workers last month.

Meituan said it had set up a special working group to examine and address its current labor and tech practices. Alibaba and Didi didn't respond to requests for comment.

China's drive to confront labor challenges in the tech sector comes as governments around the world grapple with how to regulate the gig economy and allegations of widespread worker exploitation. In May, the Biden administration blocked a Trump-era regulation that would have made it easier for businesses to categorize U.S. gig workers and others as independent contractors. 

Earlier this year, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that drivers for Uber Technologies Inc. were entitled to benefits such as paid holiday and pensions.

Contract laborers working for China's digital platforms numbered 84 million in 2020 and make up a growing proportion of the urban workforce, according to a think tank affiliated with the country's central planning agency. Most are paid per delivery, work long hours with few benefits and are often docked pay for not meeting strict performance goals. Last winter, one Chinese gig worker died while on the job, and another attempted to suicide by self-immolation in protest of what he said were unpaid fees.

Last year, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang triggered a nationwide debate about social equality when he revealed that 600 million Chinese people earned a monthly income of 1000 yuan ($140) and that many of them suffered disproportionately during the Covid-19 lockdown." [1]

Well, witches who rule Lithuania, smoke marijuana, get nervous, change their hairstyles, wrap themselves in a cutting barbed wire, buy water cannons and do nothing good. They hope that no one will notice how stupid they are.

1. China Backs Workers In Tech Battle
Sha Hua.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 17 Sep 2021: B.1. 

Kaip veikia biotechnologijų verslas?

 „2018 m. biotechnologijų startuoliai užpatentavo beveik du trečdalius naujų vaistų, o pradiniame etape jie beveik visiškai priklauso nuo rizikos kapitalo. Vėliau jie dažnai bendradarbiauja, naudodami jų atradimus, su dideliais vaistų gamintojais arba licencijuoja juos dideliems vaistų gamintojams. Tik apie 15 proc. įeinančių į klinikinius tyrimus vaistų yra patvirtinami. Onkologijos terapijai šis rodiklis yra 3%. 

Mes įžengiame į puikių biotechnologijos atradimų erą. Itin sėkmingos mRNR „Covid“ vakcinos yra daugelio metų ir milijardų dolerių tyrimų rezultatas. „BioNTech“ iš pradžių ketino sukurti vakcinas nuo vėžio ir 2018 m. bendradarbiavo su „Pfizer“, kad sukurtų efektyvesnę vakciną nuo gripo. Biotechnologijų įmonės bando naudoti mRNR technologiją individualizuotoms vėžio vakcinoms, autoimuninių ligų gydymui ir genų terapijai." [1]

1. The Political Raid on Future Cures
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 17 Sep 2021: A.16.  

How does biotech work?

"Biotech startups patented nearly two-thirds of new drugs in 2018, and in their early stages they rely almost entirely on venture capital. Later they often cooperate with or license their discoveries to large drug makers. Only about 15% of drugs and vaccines that enter clinical trials are approved. The rate for oncology therapies is 3%. 

We enter an era of great biotech discovery. The hugely successful mRNA Covid vaccines are the result of years and billions of dollars in research. BioNTech initially set out to create cancer vaccines and linked up with Pfizer in 2018 to work on a more effective flu vaccine. Biotech firms are trying to use mRNA technology for personalized cancer vaccines, autoimmune treatments and gene therapies." [1]

1. The Political Raid on Future Cures
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 17 Sep 2021: A.16.  

Search for lawyers

 

“Websites like Angie's List (now Angi) and Yelp, as well as social media platforms, inform consumers about the quality, reputation, and performance of service providers, such as plumbers, electricians and landscapers. Similar websites, such as Avvo and Martindale-Hubbell, let consumers search for lawyers.” [1]

1. Lower the Bar for Legal Eagles Who Don't Go to Law School

Winston, Clifford.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 16 Sep 2021: A.19.

Thanks to Gabrielius Landsbergis, relations with China are fading: For all the shops of Queen Martha, from whom all Landsbergiai live, China is irrelevant

 A shabby relationship 

Due to Lithuania's growing ties with Taipei, relations between Vilnius and Beijing have recently deteriorated. China sees Taiwan as a rebel province. Lithuania's relations with China deteriorated especially after the Landsbergis' decision to open a Taiwanese trade representative office in Vilnius. As a result, Beijing recalled its ambassador for consultations in August and instructed Lithuania to do the same. The country's Ambassador to China Diana Mickevičienė returned to Vilnius for consultations in early September. 

China has also recently taken steps to stop freight trains to Lithuania, stop issue food export permits, lower credit limits for Lithuanian companies and raise prices. "Lithuanian companies are stuck in the supply of components" - Ričardas Sartatavičius, the head of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, says that grain processing companies are already experiencing problems with the supply of raw materials from China, and timber companies are facing similar challenges. "There is a problem with the supply of raw materials in the grain sector, their sales to China in 2020 amounted to about 70 million Eur, 90% of the products purchased by Lithuanian companies from China are raw materials for feed production. There may be problems with that,” - R. Sartatavičius told BNS. "The wood also gets stuck, the Chinese refuse to buy our products there and in general they remove our goods from the shelves, there are such problems," - he said. According to R. Sartatavičius, grain farmers are also afraid of unfulfilled contracts - the value of some of which exceeded 30 million Eur, and Chinese partners refuse to start trading with Lithuanian companies. 

In addition, there were transportation problems, as trains did not run, transportation time was extended, and the transportation of goods in containers became more expensive. According to the head of the confederation, the dairy industry also sees threats. Its sales to China last year amounted to about 6.5 million Eur. Meat companies are also afraid of disruption, as the harmonization of certificates in this country alone took several years. The sector's sales to China last year amounted to 2 million Eur. Nevertheless, R. Sartatavičius emphasizes that the biggest problems currently arise due to the supply of components. "China is almost the only producer of some components, starting with metal products, equipment that is imported to Lithuania a lot, ending with microcomponents and chips," - he said. "Supply time from China increased from 32 to 70 days, and the price of containers increased 6 times, for Lithuania increased transit prices by 2,000 Eur last week. So far, neither Estonians nor Latvians are subject to such financial sanctions,” - said the head of the confederation. 

He pointed out that changing suppliers of components takes time and also requires working capital. According to R. Sartatavičius, in talks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is being considered how to compensate part of the losses using the Taiwanese market. He did not name what kind of help the companies are requesting from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but, according to him, it is likely that the companies want to secure working capital. "We have suggestions that maybe funds should be used, for example, the fund of the State Investment Management Agency could allocate funds. Not to subsidize, but to allocate a working capital of between half a billion and a billion, if there were a possibility to have such funding. We would borrow, of course, but with a reasonable percentage," - he said." 

Gabrieliaus Landsbergio dėka pašliję santykiai su Kinija: visiems striuka, o karalienės Mortos versliukams, iš kurių gyvena Landsbergiai, Kinija yra nesvarbi

 Pašliję santykiai
 

Dėl stiprėjančių Lietuvos ryšių su Taibėjumi pastaruoju metu ėmė blogėti Vilniaus ir Pekino santykiai. Kinija Taivaną laiko maištaujančia savo provincija.

Lietuvos santykiai su Kinija ypač suprastėjo, nutarus Vilniuje atidaryti Taivano prekybos atstovybę.

Pekinas dėl to rugpjūtį konsultacijoms atšaukė savo ambasadorių ir nurodė tą patį padaryti Lietuvai. Šalies ambasadorė Kinijoje Diana Mickevičienė į Vilnių konsultacijoms grįžo rugsėjo pradžioje.

Kinija pastaruoju metu taip pat ėmėsi stabdyti krovininius traukinius į Lietuvą, maisto eksporto leidimų išdavimą, sumažino Lietuvos įmonėms kredito limitus ir pakėlė kainas."

 Lietuvos įmonėms stringa žaliavų tiekimas
 

"Lietuvos pramonininkų konfederacijos vadovas Ričardas Sartatavičius sako, kad grūdų perdirbimo įmonės jau patiria žaliavų tiekimo iš Kinijos problemų, panašūs iššūkiai kamuoja ir medienos įmones.

„Grūdų sektoriuje yra žaliavų tiekimo problema, jų pardavimai į Kiniją 2020 metais siekė apie 70 mln. Eur, 90% Lietuvos įmonių perkamos produkcijos iš Kinijos sudaro žaliavos pašarų gamybai. Dėl to gali būti problemų“, – BNS sakė R. Sartatavičius.

„Mediena irgi stringa, ten atsisako mūsų produkcijos kinai pirkti ir apskritai mūsų prekes nuo lentynų išiminėja, yra tokių problemų“, – kalbėjo jis.

Pasak R. Sartatavičiaus, grūdininkai baiminasi ir neįvykdytų kontraktų – kai kurių vertė viršijo ir 30 mln. Eur, o partneriai iš Kinijos atsisako pradėti prekybą su lietuviškomis įmonėmis. Be to, atsirado ir transportavimo problemų, nes traukiniai nevažiuoja, ilgėja gabenimo laikas, pabrango prekių vežimas  konteineriais.

Anot konfederacijos vadovo, grėsmių mato ir pieno pramonė. Jos pardavimai į Kiniją pernai siekė apie 6,5 mln. Eur. Mėsos įmonės taip pat baiminasi trikdžių, kadangi vien sertifikatų derinimas į šią šalį užtruko keletą metų. Šio sektoriaus pardavimai į Kiniją pernai siekė 2 mln. Eur.

Visgi R. Sartatavičius pabrėžia, kad didžiausios problemos šiuo metu kyla dėl žaliavų tiekimo.

„Kinija yra vos ne vienintelė kai kurių žaliavų gamintoja, pradedant metalų gaminiais, įranga, kurios į Lietuvą importuojama daug, baigiant mikrokomponentais, lustais“, – sakė jis.

„Tiekimas pailgėjo iš Kinijos nuo 32 iki 70 dienų, o konteinerių kaina išaugo 6 kartus, Lietuvai pastarąją savaitę padidino kainas 2.000 Eur. Nei estams, nei latviams tokių finansinių sankcijų kol kas jie netaiko“, – kalbėjo konfederacijos vadovas.

Jis atkreipė dėmesį, kad pakeisti žaliavų tiekėjus užtrunka, be to, tam reikia ir apyvartinių lėšų. Pasak R. Sartatavičiaus, kalbamasi su URM, svarstoma, kaip būtų galima dalį praradimų kompensuoti Taivano rinkoje.

Jis neįvardijo, kokios pagalbos įmonės prašo iš URM, tačiau, anot jo, tikėtina, kad įmonės nori užsitikrinti apyvartines lėšas.

„Turime siūlymus, kad gal reikia naudotis fondais, pavyzdžiui, Valstybės investicijų valdymo agentūros fondas galėtų skirti lėšas. Ne subsidijuoti, o skirti apyvartinėms lėšoms nuo kokio pusės milijardo iki milijardo, jei būtų galimybė turėti tokį finansavimą. Skolintų, aišku, bet su protingais procentais“, – kalbėjo jis. "

Ląstelių inžinerijos tyrimai

 "Ląstelių inžinerijos tyrimų sritis vis dar daugiausia yra rankų darbas. Praėjusiais metais universitetai, vyriausybių laboratorijos, biotechnologijų įmonės ir didelės korporacijos ląstelių inžinerijos tyrimams visame pasaulyje išleido 33 milijardus dolerių. Daugiau nei 60 proc. nuėjo apmokėti rankų darbą, o visa likusi pinigų suma - įrangai, reagentams ir kitoms medžiagoms“.