The numbers making news around China during the week of November 12th, 2012
37 percent
Proportion of international graduate students in the US who are from China. Wall Street Journal
11.6 percent
The rise in China’s exports in October. The highest rise since May. CNN
$96 billion
Amount China plans to spend building railway infrastructure next year, with 60 percent going to high-speed projects. Reuters
$3.5 billion
Estimated losses by US companies to piracy in China in 2009. Microsoft and other members of the Business Software Alliance in the United States complain that nearly 80 percent of the software installed on personal computers in China is pirated. Tian Lipu, head of China's State Intellectual Property Office, hit back saying China is the world's largest payer for patent rights, for trademark rights, for royalties, and one of the largest for buying real software. Reuters
29 percent
Jump in China’s box office revenue from 2010 to 2011, totaling $2.1 billion. Foreign film companies claim Chinese regulators are purposely throwing up obstacles to reduce ticket sales to foreign movies. Tian Jin, Vice Minister of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, denies this charge. Wall Street Journal
$3.1 billion
Amount e-commerce giant Ali Baba estimates was spent online during the 11/11 “singles day” unofficial holiday. Wall Street Journal
8.9 billion tons
Expected global demand for coal by 2016. Demand was 7.9 billion tons this year. The bulk of new demand – about 700 million tons – will come from China. New York Times
13 percent
Proportion of China’s 63,500 people with assets of over 100 million yuan who intend to purchase a private aircraft, according to the Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer White Paper 2012. China Daily
$34,400
Average amount spent on weddings in Hong Kong last year, up 9.5 percent from the previous year. Wall Street Journal
$54.3 Million
Amount spent on campaign ads in the US that focused on China this election season. Wall Street Journal