Visa vs Union Pay: win China or win the world

We live on credit cards. Or debit cards. We hold one or more those plastic keys to deal with our daily transactions. Going overseas? No problem. The multinational credit card organisations can settle all the currency issues for you, with only 1% - 2% currency conversion fees of course. The logos on the right bottom of your card gurantee everything, no matter it's Visa or MaterCard. Easy. Quick. Safe.

While I was talking about how the major international credit organastaions deal with foreign exchange, there is a domestic credic card organisation in China called UnionPay, or 银联 in Chinese. This generous organisation does not charge a cent for foreign exchange commission. Isn't that sweet? However this organisation only issues cards in China and a limited number of international banks. This is a strategy of its global expansion, especially most of the transcation systems around the world is controlled by Visa and MasterCard. (Yeah they don't even accept American Express and JCB!)

Domestic credit card transcation with China is a different story. Foreign card organisations are not permitted to issue credit cards in China by themselves. They have to affiliate with UnionPay, which is the only legal transcation system in China. Therefore, most credit cards issued in China, if not issued by UnionPay alone, are co-branded card with two logos on.

The only exemption is the 2008 Olympics credit cards issued by Bank of China, which had only the logo of Visa on them. It was because UnionPay was not spousor of International Olympics Committee, whose logo then is not permitted to be printed on commercial products with the five circles.

(Images from the website of Bank of China. Copyright remains to BOC and other parties)
So both Visa and MasterCard, (Yes I did try to include JCB and American Express) issued a lot of those kinds of credit cards in China. Holders need to pay through UnionPay system if it is a domestic transaction in China. They could choose whether to use UnionPay or the other system when they were making an international payment.

Not anymore.

June 2010, Visa International regulated the international transcation for Chinese co-branded cards. It told the banks and merchants to use the Visa system (VisaNet) rather than UnionPay system in the transaction. Failure to do so will result a fine of $50,000 for the first violation and $25,000/ month for further violations.

The spokesperson of Visa China denied their attempt of banning UnionPay international transaction. They say every card starting with 4 is the property of Visa Inc. and they are not banning the usage of credit cards starting with 62, which are solo-branded cards from UnionPay. 'We are concerned about the safety of our customers.' They said.

Observers pointed out that the aim of Visa is to seek for a more open Chinese card market. Therefore they are threatening UnionPay and Chinese authority behind it. MasterCard and JCB will not follow on.

Nanjing: Compulsory Pay Rise

If you hava a business in Nanjing, the ex-capital city of China, you now have to increase your employees' salary by at least 6% annually. If you are not, you are faced with a fine from ￥1,000 to ￥10,000!

Let's first look at how strict the new regulation is. Wow you will be fined if you don't do so! So how much is ￥1,000?

Well, as an average indicator, 1 AUD = 6 RMB.

So, if I have a business, I will pay the fine rather pay more to my employees. Who cares!

You know, as Chinese Consitution indicates, everyone is equal, including working class and peasant farmers. Their rights do not need to be protected because it is THEIR country. Who would offend? What the Chinese law did say is, somebody is more equal than others. Every enterprise is owned by the PEOPLE. Why would we have laws against our own enterprises? We need to become rich to liberate the whole world.

So the union of workers, which is a compulsory organisation in each enterprise, stands for the interest of the PEOPLE, I mean, PEOPLE who own them. Salary negotiation? WHY? Don't be selfish comrades.

Goodbye Connex Party

Melbourne Uni Post
Originally uploaded by shangyuan

Do they really think MTR is better than this one?

I love to see changes.

Last year I was a commuter from a nothern suburb (Preston). Everyday I took a train to uni and a train back. What annoyed me was that there was 20 min between to trains. I can remember the moments of seeing the gates of the train shutting with a bee-bee in front of my eyes while I was on the out side... Then I have to press the button again and agian hoping the next train is coming a little bit earlier which they never did....

And I also remember the days of track maintenance when we had to take a bus as a replacement. The bus was good when it was express to Bell station. Other than that, I don't like standing in the dark outside of Victoria Park Station with wind blowing under my pants, esp when I was alone.

But I don't think the new operator will prevent the aformentioned scenarios. Frankly, it's not connex fault. ( I am not sure to put a 's here or not)

However, if u hate connex performance and expect to 'give some colour' to the new operator. Or u simply just want to do it. Please clickk the following link for details.

www.resistance.org.au

-----------------------------------------
GOODBYE CONNEX PARTY!

Let's put public transport in public hands!

From December 1, Connex will no longer run Melbourne's trains
Here's our chance to say goodbye once and for all!
It's also an opportunity to put the new company on notice that we’re not giving up the fight for better public transport.

Theme: affordable, accessible, reliable, frequent public transport
Featuring: guest speakers, party food, bands and a giant goodbye card
Where: Flinders st station steps
When: Thursday December 3, 4pm (Connex apologises in advance for any possible delays)
BYO – public transport horror story!
RSVP: goodbyeconnex@gmail.com or call Resistance 9639 8622

(the above information is a result of Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. The arthor is not responsible for any consequences.)

Fwd: Your order has been shipped!

This is an email I received from Better World Books, a us-based
website selling seconed hand books to all over the world. I must say
when I first read this email on my N95 I was so suprised and happy.

Acturally the following email is from my second order. As I supposed,
the email didn't change except for the names of the books ( which have
been hidden by me for unknown reasons).

I'd appreciate it if the website has three or four different version
of order confirmation letter and send them randomly. (Maybe it is
exactly what they are doing and I, for some reason, just received the
same version twice.)

Anyway shopping online is not exciting except for when you think about
the gap between retail price and on-line price. What's more, a score
of book stores may offer u a better bargain.

One thing I want to complain about is the high price of Australian
books and CDs. They are so expensive, if you compare with their
'counterpart' in US.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Better World Books <help@betterworldbooks.com>
Date: 2009/11/19
Subject: Your order has been shipped!
To: ---------------

Hello Chen,

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note - it seemed unusual,
but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It's me... it's me! I can't believe it is actually me!
You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me!
I've got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need
a dust jacket? I can't believe I'm leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already
- the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge - so
many memories. I don't have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but
it's time to see the world!

I can't wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person.
Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don't mean
to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months
sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of
Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that
stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol' brewmaster
have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but
after the close calls I've had, I'm ready for anything (besides, some
of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I
thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn't take me with
her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World
Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping,
I've found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are
helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

But hey, enough about me, I've been asked to brief you on a few
things:

We sent your order to the following address:

hidden for security reason

Order #: -----------
Item Titles:

We provide quick shipping service to all our customers. You chose
International Mail shipping, your book should arrive within 10 - 21
business days. Some shipments may take slightly longer to arrive.

At this time, we are not able to offer tracking on our International
Mail shipments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email my friends in
Customer Care at help@betterworldbooks.com. If you could please
include your order number (---------) that would be very helpful.

Eagerly awaiting our meeting,

Do they NEED a job?

Today a guest speaker gave out a speech over the issues related to how government would deal with unemployment. He made comments about how the current policies and programs work and what improvements there would be. As usual, he started with why government needs to take unemployment seriously. He said unemployed people are more likely to suffer from un-well-being.

This is true perhaps. And for me, who have experienced a phase of jobless and desperately job hunting, I understand the feeling of being abandoned.

But as the speech went on, when he talked about the economical benefits and costs of government by implementing such programs, like when they were talking about health insurance, obesity, smoking and other policies, I suddenly wondered, why are you pushing people to have a job?

I read a book yesterday which has a very interesting statement. It said in modern society, working class are people who have boring jobs in order to pay their debts, and middle class are people who have boring jobs in order to pay their bigger debts. This is so true.

He said the basic concept of capitalism is to induce materialism, to encourage people consume the goods they do no really need. So people work hard just to buy the products being most advertised and overpriced. The sad thing is THINGS are born imperfect. This imperfect attracts people to consume more.

So if we wouldn’t have such desires toward THINGS, we could live happier and work less.

While I have to confess I am already becoming a victim of the massive capitalism brainwashing. I have to give up my favourite courses because they are ‘less profitable’ and have less possibility to afford my bills of my ‘dreamed life’. I am doing a job to get money to buy things which I don’t really need or which have cheaper substitutions.

And I am not likely to go back.

But some people can stay where they are and we should respect them.

I remembered a scene from Trainspotting in which the angry young lad was so annoyed of intensive mandatory job interviews that he ended up with attacking the interviewer. I would never do this. But I can feel his anger, in some way.

I know it seems childish to publish a blog like this but this is really what I think. Help people but respect their choices.