China to stop organizing the most popular English exams 不再承办

China to stop organizing the most popular English exams

China's Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday that it decided to stop organizing the Main Suite Exams (MSE), a worldwide recognized English qualification designed by Cambridge Assessment English, a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. 

Cambridge Assessment English said that it will adopt new measures to serve test applicants in an announcement released on Wednesday. It also confirmed that there will be testing this year. 

The fact that the Ministry of Education is no longer organizing the MSE may be a sign from the Chinese government to discourage students and their parents from giving too much importance to off-campus examinations, according to some education experts.

The MSE has been widely recognized in higher education institutions around the world and is dubbed as the "little IELTS" in China. It includes five levels of exams, from basic English skills to full proficiency.

Among them, the Cambridge Key English Test (KET) and the Cambridge Preliminary English Test (PET) are especially popular in China and have attracted numerous young learners, particularly Chinese primary and secondary school students. Many students and parents view the tests as a useful proof on English proficiency and a stepping stone for primary school students to enter junior high school.

However, Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute in Beijing, noted that KET and PET tests, though very popular among Chinese primary and secondary school students, actually have little to do with students' performance to enter a higher school.

"Chinese laws and regulations ban public schools from hooking up scores of off-campus examinations or competitions to candidates' performances," Xiong said. 

一位难求的剑桥英语考试要凉？教育部不再承办KET/PET考试

3月31日，教育部直属单位、教育部考试中心官网中国教育考试网发布公告称，从即日起，教育部考试中心不再承办剑桥通用英语五级考试（MSE），家长们熟悉的KET/PET考试正是MSE的初级考试系列。随后，“剑桥英语官方平台”微信公众号也发布消息称，在疫情防控常态化的形势下，经与中国教育部考试中心友好协商，剑桥通用英语五级考试将采取新的服务模式，为广大剑桥通用英语五级考生提供服务。

教育专家表示，曾经“一位难求”的剑桥通用英语考试停止合作，能让日趋功利化、拔苗助长的英语学习“降温”，也有利于给孩子“减负”。

China Allows More Investment Outflows to Ease Pressure on Yuan

China last year reported the first annual deficit on the financial account in its balance of payments in four years as regulators allowed more money to flow out of the country to ease appreciation pressure on the yuan stemming from rising foreign investment in the country’s capital markets.

The 2020 deficit, excluding reserve assets held by the central bank, amounted to $77.8 billion, although that’s down from an initial estimate of $175.9 billion given in February, according to revised figures for the balance of payments released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) on Friday. It’s the first shortfall since 2016 when the country had a financial account deficit for the year, excluding reserve assets, of $416.1 billion. The financial account includes domestic ownership of foreign assets –– such as deposits, loans, securities, commodities and direct investment –– and foreign ownership of domestic assets.

“The deficit on the financial account excluding reserve assets shows that the accumulation of overseas assets by China’s private sector is continuing,” the administration said in a report accompanying the data. “First, domestic residents have increased their investment in overseas securities, which shows that demand to diversify assets (in investment portfolios) is strong. Second, outbound direct investment has been rational and orderly. Third, banks have increased their deposits and loans overseas, as the current account surplus has provided relatively abundant foreign currency liquidity.”

HONG KONG: Notice on Visa Facilitation for Applicants Inoculated with COVID-19 Vaccines Produced in China

In view of resuming people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries in an orderly manner, starting from 15 March 2021, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR will provide the following facilitation for visa applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and obtained the vaccination certificate:

1. Foreign nationals and their family members visiting the mainland for resuming work and production in various fields need only to provide the documents required before the COVID-19 pandemic when applying for a visa. The Invitation Letter (PU), Invitation Letter (TE) or Invitation Verification Notice issued by the foreign affairs offices or the departments of commerce of the provincial (including autonomous regions and municipalities) governments or the headquarters of central state-owned enterprises are no longer required.

2. The scope of applicants eligible for applying for a visa out of emer    gency humanitarian needs will be expanded as appropriate. Foreign family members of Chinese citizens or permanent residents of China, including spouse, parents, children and other close relatives living together (referring to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren), may submit visa applications for the purposes of reuniting with family, taking care of the elderly, visiting relatives, attending funerals or visiting critically ill relatives. 

3. Holders of valid APEC business travel cards may apply for the M visa by presenting the original valid APEC business travel card and the invitation letter issued by the inviting party in the mainland.

Please be noted that the above-mentioned visa facilitation applies only to applicants who have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China (either having received two doses of Chinese-made vaccines with the stipulated gap in between, or having received a single-dose Chinese-made vaccine at least 14 days prior to the application) and obtained the vaccination certificate. A proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result and the Health and Travel Record Declaration Form for Visa Application are no longer required. 

Other applicants should still follow the visa procedure as stated in the Notice on Updated Requirements for Chinese Visa Application During Covid-19 Pandemic issued on 9 February 2021, and 26 Q&As about Applying for Chinese Visa in Hong Kong SAR During the COVID-19 Pandemic posted on the official website of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR.

对接种中国生产新冠肺炎疫苗人员来华提供签证便利的通知

为有序恢复中外人员往来，自2021年3月15日起，中国外交部驻香港特别行政区特派员公署将对已经接种中国生产的新冠肺炎疫苗，并持疫苗接种证明材料的以下签证申请人提供便利：

（一）赴华从事各领域复工复产活动的外籍人员及其家属，可按照新冠疫情前的要求准备材料并递交申请，即无需提供省级外事、商务部门或央企的《邀请函（PU）》、《邀请函（TE）》及《邀请核实单》。

（二）适度扩大因“紧急人道主义需要”赴华人员签证审发范围。适用人群：中国公民或永久居民的外籍家庭成员，包括配偶、父母、子女和其他共同生活的近亲属（指兄弟姐妹、祖父母、外祖父母、孙子女、外孙子女）。赴华事由：家庭团聚、赡养、探亲、来华奔丧或探望危重病亲属。符合上述条件者，可递交签证申请。

（三）持有效APEC商务旅行卡人员，可凭有效APEC商务旅行卡及中国内地邀请单位出具的邀请函，申请办理商贸类签证。

请注意，以上相关便利仅适用于已经接种中国生产的新冠肺炎疫苗（接种中国生产的疫苗并按规定时间间隔打完2针或接种中国生产单针疫苗后满14天），并持疫苗接种证明材料的签证申请人，在递交申请时不再需要提供核酸检测阴性证明和《过去14天旅行轨迹和健康申报表》。其他申请人仍需按外交部驻香港特别行政区特派员公署2021年2月9日更新发布的《外交部驻香港公署疫情期间签证申办须知》及《疫情期间在香港申请中国签证您可能关心的26个问题》执行。

更多精彩，请访问我们的网站www.businesstianjin.com或关注我们的微信公众号：business_tianjin

2021 LATEST EDITIONS

2021 LATEST EDITIONS

Editor's Picks