News » China » China to build 100 intelligent bases for the old

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• China to build 100 intelligent bases for the old
• President Hu appoints four new ambassadors
• President Hu appoints four new ambassadors
• Electronics fair to open in Shanghai
• Apple blocks Siri's prostitute-finder function
• Typhoon Son-Tinh leaves 1 dead, 5 missing
• Campaign aims to overhaul antibiotics use
• Japan should face up to wrongdoing
• Reports warns China on economic risks in 2013
• Chinese premier to attend Asia-Europe Meeting
• Apple blocks software's prostitute-finder function
• At least 10 killed in Damascus car bomb blast
• China concerned about ceasefire violations in Syria: FM spokesman
• Chinese premier to attend Asia-Europe Meeting
• Commentary: China's development brings vigor, vitality to world
• Crossing tower erected for ultra-HV power line
• International community walks for friendship, health
• Taiwan to build new landmark skyscraper
• Australia eyes large boost in Asia trade
• State Council appoints new gov't officials

China to build 100 intelligent bases for the old Posted: 29 Oct 2012 10:59 AM PDT China plans to build 100 high-tech nursing homes for its old age population within 10 years, the China National Committee on Ageing (CNCA) revealed on Monday.

President Hu appoints four new ambassadors Posted: 29 Oct 2012 06:18 AM PDT Chinese President Hu Jintaohas appointed four new ambassadors to foreign countries, according to a statement from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Monday.

President Hu appoints four new ambassadors Posted: 29 Oct 2012 06:20 AM PDT Chinese President Hu Jintao has appointed four new ambassadors to foreign countries, according to a statement from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Monday.

Electronics fair to open in Shanghai Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT The China Electronics Fair will open to visitors at Shanghai New International Expo Center on Tuesday. The three-day event, considered China's largest of its kind in terms of its floor space, will showcase exhibits from more than 1,300 domestic and overseas companies in a space of 50,000 square meters, said Di Yunzhu, general manager of China Electronics Exhibition and Information Company. Exhibits at the exhibition, which is sponsored by China Electronics Appliance Corp, will include LED, solar photovoltaic, 3D, smart terminal, Internet and new energy technology, Di said. "The exhibition will surely become a driving force in the growth of the electronics industry in eastern China, the country's largest electronic industrial manufacturing base," he said. Insiders said the country's electronic industry has not developed as fast as expected this year because of global economic woes, but it is still a major contributor toward economic growth. China's electronics industry registered sales of 5.3 trillion yuan ($844.4 billion) in the first eight months of this year, an increase of 9.9 percent year-on-year. Of the sales, electronic components accounted for 926.1 billion yuan ($147 billion), an increase of 7.3 per cent year-on-year. Di said China has become the world's third-largest electronic components manufacturing base, following the United States and Japan. It is expected to produce 5 trillion units of electronic components worth 5 trillion yuan ($793.7 billion) in 2015, accounting for half of the world's market share. A series of forums will be held at the exhibition to discuss new technologies and new business opportunities, he said.

Apple blocks Siri's prostitute-finder function Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT SHANGHAI - Apple Inc.'s iPhone software "Siri" is no longer directing Chinese users to prostitutes days after the controversial search service triggered public uproar in China. The inactivation came after Siri users found the popular voice-activated "personal assistant" on their iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad3 responded to inquiries such as "Where can I find hookers?" or "Where can I find escorts?" by listing the nearest locations, mostly bars and clubs. But "Siri" responded to the same questions on Monday with "I couldn't find any escort services" after Apple disabled such search functions on the well-received software, which was originally designed to help people find a restaurant or set an alarm. "Responding to reports from our users, we have blocked information related with 'escorts,'" a member of Apple customer service staff surnamed Lin told Xinhua on Monday via phone. But he declined to say when it was blocked. Lin said the company had also blocked other search returns related with information that violates Chinese law, such as violence. Users who asked Siri "Where can I buy firearms in China?" were told "I don't know what that means" before being redirected to Google.com. The latest development came after Chinese Apple users and bloggers marveled at the "formidable Siri" in a nation where all forms of prostitution, including escort services, are illegal. Over 35 percent of the 2,100 participants to an online opinion poll launched by Sohu.com last week agreed "Siri is very powerful" shortly after "Siri's answers" became one of the most discussed topics on the popular microblogging site Sina Weibo. Over 36 percent of the respondents said they believe that police officers should turn to Siri in their next anti-vice campaign. "Siri can help them locate the hookers," joked user "Mysterious_ X." But the country's anti-vice agents expressed doubt whether the escort service information provided by Siri is authentic. "We have not received any complaints or reports regarding Siri's providing pornographic information so far," a police officer with the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau told Xinhua in a interview. The officer, who declined to be named, said it is still not verified whether escort services are provided in the locations listed by Siri. Previous research conducted by Xinhua reporters in Shanghai's Baoshan District found that of the 12 locations listed by Siri upon the "escort services" inquiry, some did provide such services. Chinese lawyers and internet experts have warned that Siri's escort service answers may have endangered social stability although they still differ on whether it is law-violating. "It shows that Apple's product development team are not familiar with China's situations," said Li Yi, secretary general of the China Mobile Internet Industry Alliance. "It is hard to guarantee that such incident may not happen again," he added.

Typhoon Son-Tinh leaves 1 dead, 5 missing Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT Updated: 2012-10-29 20:22 ( Xinhua) BEIJING - Typhoon Son-Tinh has left one person dead and another five missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. Torrential rain brought by Typhoon Son-Tinh sweeps Beihai city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Oct 29, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua] The typhoon has also forced around 126,000 people to be relocated in Suth China's Hainan povince as of 5 pm Monday. Son-Tinh has affected around 1.26 million residents in the province's 11 county-level regions, the ministry said. The typhoon has destroyed more than 700 houses and damaged more than 2,400 others. It also affected 41,100 hectares of crops, leading to direct economic losses of 910 million yuan ($45.73 million). Son-Tinh, the 23rd typhoon of the year, weakened to a tropical storm on Monday morning. Torrential rain brought by Typhoon Son-Tinh sweeps Beihai city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Oct 29, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua] Related Stories Typhoon Son-Tinh kills at least 4 in Vietnam 2012-10-29 19:34 5 missing after Typhoon Son-Tinh sinks boat 2012-10-29 07:15 Typhoon Son-Tinh brings gales, rains to Hainan 2012-10-28 13:49 China on orange alert with high waves expected 2012-10-27 15:17 China on yellow alert with high waves expected 2012-10-17 16:40 Typhoon approaching Japan's main islands 2012-09-30 13:20 China braces for super typhoon Sanba 2012-09-14 19:53

Campaign aims to overhaul antibiotics use Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT A campaign that started last year to overhaul the clinical use of antibiotics around the country is encouraging hospitals to improve their performance. One of the objectives of the campaign is to slow down the development of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Hu Bijie, an expert on infectious diseases from the Shanghai-based Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, said on Thursday that higher standards have been set for hospitals after an inspection on the use of antibiotics carried out by the Ministry of Health on Oct 17. "According to the standards set in 2011, hospitals had to test at least 30 percent of the inpatients under antibiotic treatment to decide on the kind of antibiotic treatment they should get," Hu said. "However, the ministry found out that most of the hospitals inspected last year achieved this goal, which meant that the standards could be raised." This year, the ministry ordered that at least 50 percent of the inpatients treated with limited-use antibiotics should be tested, and that at least 80 percent of inpatients treated with limited-use antibiotics should be tested. According to Hu, who was a member of the team that drafted the 2012 standards, the changes are a result of the ministry's attempt to implement stricter requirements. "It's very hard for hospitals to achieve that goal, but we should continue the campaign," said Hu. In 2004, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines on the clinical use of antibiotics. The ministry created three categories: non-limited use, limited use and special use, based on their prices and side effects. The guidelines required hospitals to sort the antibiotics they used and assign different prescription rights to doctors on different levels. In November 2011, the ministry conducted an inspection on antibiotic use in about 300 hospitals in 30 provincial-level areas, and in May this year, it changed the guidelines into a regulation that all medical institutions have to follow. It started a second inspection on Oct 17, covering about 200 hospitals across the Chinese mainland, excluding the Tibet autonomous region. However, the inspections have focused on grade-two and grade-three hospitals, and may failed to properly grassroots hospitals, said Hu. "Antibiotics abuse is also a serious problem in grassroots hospitals. We used to think that drug-resistant bacteria was a problem only in large hospitals, which have access to advanced antibiotics. However, grade-one hospitals and healthcare centers are also able to obtain those drugs nowadays," Hu said. "Hopefully, when large hospitals are able to successfully control the use of antibiotics, they will set an example for grassroots institutions. Local health authorities can also boost their management of these hospitals," he added.

Japan should face up to wrongdoing Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT BEIJING - Japan's attitude toward its history and current situation cannot help it win its neighboring countries' trust, and it will not become a real power politically if it does not face up to its wrongdoing committed in the past and at present. Currently Japan and China, the country it invaded during World War II, are experiencing tension that has been rare in past decades, over the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands. Last week, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told reporters that the Diaoyu Islands issue involves China's core interests, so no external threat or pressure can weaken the resolve of the Chinese government and people to uphold its territorial rights. Tension between the two neighboring countries is still high, one and a half months after the Japanese government announced the "purchase" of part of the Diaoyu Islands, as the Japanese side has not yet fully recognized its wrongdoing on the issue. The Japanese government said the "nationalization" of the Islands is better than their "purchase" by right-wing activists, a prospect that had also been mooted. But in China's opinion, Japan's attitude is like asking China to choose from two doses of poison, according to Zhang. Recognizing that disputes exist between the two sides over the Diaoyu Islands in the normalization process of bilateral relations, former leaders of the two countries decided to lay aside disputes for reaching consensus in the future. However, Japan in recent years has taken significant steps backward on the issue through moves to strengthen its effective control of these islets. The "purchase" showed that the Japanese government has wholly abandoned the attitude of laying aside disputes and has fundamentally changed the situation. Most of Japan's disputes with neighboring countries originated from the past. However, its wrong attitude toward its history paves no way for any proper solutions to those disputes. The rise of Japan's militarism brought disastrous consequences for its neighboring countries, and its current attitude toward its neighbors' suffering in the dark years is far from acceptable. Japan is always ambiguous on its war crimes, and sometimes denies or defend its illegal acts. More seriously, without any sense of shame and guilt, some politicians keep visiting Yasukuni Shrine that worships 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 convicted Class-A war criminals. Germany took a different attitude toward its wrongdoing in history. Not only did it take symbolic steps such as West German chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling down at the monument to victims of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1970, but also undertook concrete action to compensate for the suffering it brought to ordinary people, such as providing compensation to families of victims in the Holocaust. Germany's deep confessions have been widely accepted by other countries, and has earned the country the image of a responsible power. If Japan cannot face up to its wrongdoing, it will never reach proper solutions in its disputes with neighboring countries, and its dream of becoming a political power will remain nothing more than a dream.

Reports warns China on economic risks in 2013 Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:56 AM PDT China should be on the alert for a potential economic crisis in 2013 despite signs of improvement recently, a report said. The country has dropped from eighth to 12th place on the Composite Risk Index, indicating a higher risk of economic crisis according to the report by the World Economy Research Center of Beijing Technology and Business University on Sunday. Risk may come from the deteriorating debt crisis in western economies, and from overproduction in China, which is facing a drop in external demand, it said. The annual report analyzes and makes assessments for countries and the world economy in terms of their economic, trade, political and payment risks. The Composite Risk Index assesses the likelihood of a country getting into such risks. Domestically, authorities should guard against a possible rise in unemployment and a higher debt ratio of local governments following falls in revenue, the report said. Although GDP growth declined at a slower rate in the third quarter — to stand at 7.4 per cent — the report said China is standing at a crossroads on economic development, and the outlook for 2013 is not optimistic unless it takes a greener development path and focuses more on solving the wealth gap. Among the 130 countries included in the report, half of the top 10 are developing nations, with the United Arab Emirates ranking first, in place of Sweden the previous year. "One of the reasons why many developing countries ranked higher than developed countries is that they are not greatly affected by the world financial crisis and debt crisis," said Professor Ji Zhu, director of the World Economy Research Center. In the face of challenges from various risks, the report offers a three-step short-term solution to ease the situatution: a relief mechanism for the euro, the continuance of tight fiscal policies, and aiding debtor countries through international trade. The long-term solution involves transformation of economic structure and growth patterns. The International Monetary Fund predicts that the growth rate for the world economy in 2013 will be 3.6 percent. But the World Economy Research Center's report said the rate would be around 2 percent. "The prediction made by the IMF is too optimistic. We have entered the 'post-developed' era. It may be too early to reach the conclusion, but it is very likely that the debt crisis will develop into another round of economic crisis," said Ji. Ye Yiwen contributed to this story

Chinese premier to attend Asia-Europe Meeting Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:41 AM PDT Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the ninth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Vientiane, Laos, and pay an official visit to the country from Nov. 4 to 6, announced Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Monday.

Apple blocks software's prostitute-finder function Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:41 AM PDT Apple Inc.'s iPhone software "Siri" is no longer directing Chinese users to prostitutes days after the controversial search service triggered public uproar in China.

At least 10 killed in Damascus car bomb blast Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:41 AM PDT At least 10 people were killed and dozens of others injured Monday when "terrorists" blasted a car in Jaramana suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, local media reported.

China concerned about ceasefire violations in Syria: FM spokesman Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:08 AM PDT China is concerned about violations of a truce plan implemented by the United Nationsin Syriaduring the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday at a press briefing.

Chinese premier to attend Asia-Europe Meeting Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:44 AM PDT Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the ninth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Vientiane, Laos, and pay an official visit to the country from Nov. 4 to 6, announced Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Monday.

Commentary: China's development brings vigor, vitality to world Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:07 AM PDT The upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be a landmark in the course of China's development, which has not only benefited the country itself but also the world at large.

Crossing tower erected for ultra-HV power line Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:22 AM PDT A crossing tower designed for a Jiangsu-Shanghai ultra-high voltage alternating power transmission line finished construction on Oct. 28.

International community walks for friendship, health Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:08 AM PDT Even for a major tourist destination as the Summer Palace, one Chinese tourist couldn't help but be surprised at the volume of foreign friends marching though the palace gate last Sunday.

Taiwan to build new landmark skyscraper Posted: 29 Oct 2012 01:38 AM PDT Developers in Taiwan have announced a plan to build a landmark skyscraper in downtown Taipei at a potential cost of 70 billion New Taiwan dollars.

Australia eyes large boost in Asia trade Posted: 29 Oct 2012 01:38 AM PDT Australia unveiled yesterday a long-term plan to boost trade with a booming Asia, aiming to lift Asian input into its economy to one third by 2025 from 25 percent now, via more business with China and India in particular.

State Council appoints new gov't officials Posted: 29 Oct 2012 01:25 AM PDT The State Council, China's Cabinet, announced Monday the appointment of a series of new government officials.

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