GD to be Hit by Two Typhoons
Guangdong will be hit by two typhoons one after another between tonight (August 4) and tomorrow. A tropical cyclone in the South China Sea has developed into the 7th typhoon of this year and has taken on the name "GONI", or "Tian'e" in Chinese. It should reach the coast line between Doumen and Huilai around midnight tonight. Simultaneously the 8th typhoon of the year, called MORAKOT, is also gathering strength, and should sweep over Shenzhen or Yangjiang tomorrow. Heavy rain is forecast in the west of the PRD which is likely to help the mercury drop down from the high-thirties where it got stuck for the past week. 

photo from people.com.cn

Guangzhou International Financial Center Invites Business 
The Guangzhou International Financial Center, more commonly known as West Tower, held a promotional event this afternoon (August 4) in Dongfang Hotel. The new skyscraper towers above Zhujiang New City with its 103 floors and its 432 meters in height and will become Guangzhou's tallest building upon completion this October. It will be the 2nd tallest skyscraper on Chinese mainland, ranking only after Shanghai's Global Financial Center. Complying with government policies aimed at transforming Guangzhou into a financial hub for China and even Asia, globally renowned companies and large domestic enterprises have been invited to set up their headquarters in the building, as well as fast growing companies in sectors related to finance, insurance, consultancy, information and modern services.

Domestic Private Economy Growing in Guangdong
In the first half of this year, around 344,000 private companies and individual business were registered in Guangdong, with a total capital of 61.6 billion yuan, the highest amount over the last five years. The Guangdong Industrial and Commercial Bureau announced the figure this morning (August 4), noting that in spite of the economic downturn, the domestic economy is showing strong momentum and gradually heating up. By the end of June, Guangdong has 3.92 million private companies, accounting for over 90% of the province's total economy.

Guangzhou to Upgrade 40,000 Old Elevators to Save Energy
Guangzhou will start upgrading old elevators throughout the city beginning September 1st, in an effort to save 20% of energy on each elevator. Our journalist Liang Chunmei has the story: According to Liang Jiachi, the Director of the Quality and Technology Supervision Bureau in Guangzhou, there are now over 60,000 elevators operating in the city, requiring over 1.3 billion yuan of energy every year. He said there is huge room for energy saving: 
" if we can reduce energy consumption by 20% on each elevator, Guangzhou will save 364 million kilowatts of electricity every year. "
Liang added that although it costs 30,000 yuan to renovate an old elevator, the government will work with energy management companies to find ways to avoid citizens having to pay the bill.