A file photo shows air polllution in Beijing. [Photo/VCG] Environmental authorities across China have inspected more than 1,100 companies as part of a campaign to halt the illegal production and use of ozone-depleting substances, or ODS. Several companies were found to have materials that could contain CFC-11, a banned refrigerant, according to Liu Youbin, spokesman for the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. All suspect materials and products were sealed and taken away for further testing, he said. The ministry will organize more inspections of key areas and enterprises based on the work of local environmental authorities to trace the source of illegal ODS. It will resolutely crack down on manufacture and sale of ODS, he said in Beijing on Friday. China launched the national campaign in July after international media reports raised concerns that some companies may still be producing and using CFC-11, which the country banned in 2010. CFC-11 damages the ozone layer, which shields the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Even though it has been banned, levels in the atmosphere are significantly higher than expected, according to research published in May by the Nature scientific journal. Scientists concluded that new, illegal production and use of CFC-11 is occurring in East Asia. Some media then reported that Chinese companies were using the banned substance. Since China joined the Montreal Protocol in 1991, the country's reduction of ODS has accounted for about half the total reduction by developing countries, Liu said at an earlier news conference. China always earnestly fulfills its obligations to international environmental conventions, he said. It's illegal in China to produce or use substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. These activities have always been a key target for China's supervision and law enforcement work. what are the thick rubber bracelets calledsilicone allergy braceletwholesale rubber braceletsdesign rubber braceletssilicone medical alert bracelet diabetes
Night view of Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan. [Photo/VCG] TAIPEI -- An increasing number of companies in Taiwan consider the Chinese mainland the most important market for their growth in 2019, according to the results of a survey released Wednesday by PwC Taiwan. Three-quarters of surveyed CEOs of Taiwan enterprises said the Chinese mainland remains the most important market in 2019, up from 72 percent last year, revealed PwC Taiwan. As part of PwC's annual global CEO survey of 1,378 CEOs, the PwC Taiwan conducted interviews with 245 CEOs from sectors of technology, telecom, consumption, manufacturing, industrial, health, energy and public resources, and finance services during October-December 2018. Among the interviewed chief executives of Taiwan enterprises, 52 percent viewed the United States as the most important market for growth this year, down from 59 percent in 2018, while 23 percent, 18 percent and 14 percent of Taiwan CEOs considered Japan, Vietnam and Germany, respectively, as their most important market. When asked about the global economic outlook this year, Taiwan CEOs were the most pessimistic among their peers from major economies, as 47 percent of respondents in Taiwan predicted a decline in global economic growth, compared with 8 percent last year. The proportion marked the highest level since 2013 in Taiwan, well above the 29 percent shared among global CEOs. Only 27 percent of Taiwan CEOs projected higher global economic growth in 2019, compared with 42 percent globally. In terms of revenue growth for their own companies this year, only 19 percent of Taiwan CEOs said they are very confident, compared with 35 percent of global CEOs. The proportion touched the lowest revenue confidence level since 2016, according to the PwC survey. This sends a very bad signal, said PwC Taiwan CEO Chou Chien-hung, who led the survey. For Taiwan CEOs, 2019 will be the most stressful year with the fiercest competition. According to the survey results, Taiwan CEOs viewed trade conflicts, geopolitical uncertainty and policy uncertainty as the potential threats they are most worried about, while other CEOs considered unstable exchange rates, protectionism and uncertainty in economic growth to be the most prominent threats. About 40 percent of the surveyed CEOs were from companies with an annual business turnover between 100 million U.S. dollars to 999 million U.S. dollars, while 39 percent represented those with annual revenues below 100 million U.S. dollars.
