For GD's Economic Recovery, Structural Adjustment is Key
The Guangdong Government held a meeting to analyze the province's economic situation in the first half of the year. The authorities indicated that although there were signs the economy is recovering, major issues such as the economy's structural adjustment as well as the immediate pressure to reduce waste emissions do threaten growth and predictions show that the recovery will slow down in the 2nd half of the year. Our journalist Li Hui has more:
In the first half of the year Guangdong realized a GDP of nearly 2 trillion Yuan, up 12.7% year on year. Despite that, the province's export trade isn't going as smoothly as before. Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua pointed out:
"In the first half of this year, we have seen sales in the domestic market grow by 29.3% year on year. This part also made up a substantial 68.3% of all industrial products sold, and that's a 17% increase from last year. This demonstrates that our domestic market is still rather potential."

Passenger Volume & Vehicle Speeds Increase due to Vehicle Limitation Measure
Yesterday (19th) was the first working day since the vehicle limitation measures was put in place in Guangzhou for a four-day test period. As of noon yesterday, the city's buses had recorded a 9.8% growth in passenger volume, according to the Guangzhou Communications Commission. Because there were fewer vehicles running on the roads, buses also recorded much faster speeds, at 20.3 km/hr, 35% faster than before. Today (20th) will be the last day of the test.

Authorities: GZ's Not Weakening Status of Cantonese
In light of the heated debate that says Guangzhou could be promoting Chinese Mandarin too much and that the Cantonese language's status is weakening, the vice Secretary of the city's CPC Committee, Su Zhijia, denied such accusations yesterday (19th). He added that Mandarin is being promoted in Guangzhou because the city's striving to become a "national central city" but continues to promote its Lingnan Culture to the rest of the nation. In response to a bill from the city's CPPCC committee to broadcast programs in Mandarin on Guangzhou tv channels, the tv station said this will not be considering this option in the near future.