News » China » Kerry statement exposes U.S. designs on South China Sea

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• Kerry statement exposes U.S. designs on South China Sea
• Chinese vice premier meets former Japanese PM
• Top Chinese legislator meets Spanish king on ties
• Love for heroic teacher flows online
• China sees huge gap in future pension payments
• Harsher rules to prevent officials' flight
• Yang leads list of richest under 40
• China says it holds fast to Durban outcome
• Full Text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011
• Old city building preservation under way
• China to handle S China Sea disputes through direct negotiations
• Full Text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011
• China hits back with report on US human rights record
• Flying hospital helps blind
• China hits back on US rights record
• 'Official' panacea cure under fire
• Mayors meet to promote friendship along the Silk Road
• Commentary: Biased jury with tarnished legacy, hidden agenda
• China issues report on human rights in the U.S.
• Whistleblower reveals milk makers' misdeeds

Kerry statement exposes U.S. designs on South China Sea Posted: 25 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT U.S. Senator John Kerry's recent statement on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has exposed the country's selfish intentions for the South China Sea, an area where the United States has no claims to sovereignty and is not a party in disputes there.

Chinese vice premier meets former Japanese PM Posted: 25 May 2012 09:33 AM PDT Vice Premier Li Keqiang met with former Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio in Beijing on Friday, during which Li reiterated China's principled stance on issues regarding Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Diaoyu Islands.

Top Chinese legislator meets Spanish king on ties Posted: 25 May 2012 09:30 AM PDT Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo met Thursday with Spanish King Juan Carlos on bilateral friendly relations.

Love for heroic teacher flows online Posted: 25 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT An outpouring of love and appreciation via the Internet is being aimed at a middle school teacher in northeast China's Heilongjiang province who was injured while saving two students from an oncoming bus.

China sees huge gap in future pension payments Posted: 25 May 2012 09:25 AM PDT China's social security fund manager on Friday warned of a "huge capital gap" amid future waves of pension payments to retirees as the country enters a period of rapid aging.

Harsher rules to prevent officials' flight Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 AM PDT Updated: 2012-05-25 23:55 ( Xinhua) BEIJING - A senior official has called for improved policies and methods to prevent government officials suspected of misconduct from escaping overseas. "We should set up a more tight-knit and effective system to prevent lawless state functionaries from fleeing overseas by improving policies concerning state personnel going aboard," said Gan Yisheng, vice secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Gan made the remarks at a meeting held this week by the CCDI and the Ministry of Supervision. Information from the meeting was revealed in a statement released Thursday via the ministry's website. Calling for equal efforts in preventing suspected offenders from fleeing and pursuing escapees abroad, Gan urged related departments to focus on officials' registry records and the management of their licenses and documents. In 2007, China first set up a mechanism aiming to ensure coordinated efforts from various departments to prevent state functionaries suspected of disciplinary violations or crimes from escaping overseas. These departments have been working on keeping track of officials' overseas trips and their spouses and children's emigration status. Other moves, including special investigations on money laundering and transnational financial supervision, were also launched to prevent violators' overseas transfers of illegal proceeds. Sending family members abroad is a usual move for under-suspicion officials before their own runaway. For example, Zhou Jinhuo, former director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau of east China's Fujian Province, tried to flee overseas in June 2006, when he found himself being investigated by anti-graft agencies. Zhou was caught in the southwest border province of Yunnan after police tracked a call in which he revealed his whereabouts. His wife had emigrated to the United States previously.

Yang leads list of richest under 40 Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 AM PDT Yang Huiyan, 31, vice-chairwoman of Guangdong-based property developer Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd, topped The Richest Chinese Under 40 list released by Hurun on Thursday. With estimated assets of 36 billion yuan ($5.7 billion), she was also the richest second-generation entrepreneur for the second consecutive year, according to Hurun's report. "Yang's example can be found nowhere else outside China, not even in Russia or the United States," said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report. "It is very rare for a young entrepreneur to inherit the majority of a company's shares when her father is still in charge of the company's operations." Fang Wei, 39, chairman of a contractor and manufacturer of exterior facades and curtain wall cladding systems in Liaoning province, with assets of 15 billion yuan, was listed as the richest young entrepreneur starting from scratch. A total of 33 rich young Chinese with assets of more than 1 billion yuan were on the list, with 25 starting their business from scratch. Among the top 10 richest on the list, six of them started empty-handed. "The richest Chinese under the age of 40 with their own businesses are found to be most successful in the entertainment and information technology industries," said Hoogewerf. He said it was a widely held misconception that most of China's young rich had gained their wealth through inheritance. Guangdong is home to the largest number of young tycoons, with six entrepreneurs from this province named on the list, with Shanghai, Beijing and Zhejiang following closely. Basketball star Yao Ming, 32, was listed as the 23rd richest young entrepreneur who started from scratch. Yao started his own wine company last year, and launched a wine named after himself at a charity auction in November. Hoogewerf said the difference between Chinese entrepreneurs and their foreign counterparts is that most Chinese entrepreneurs "built up their wealth totally depending on themselves". He added: "There is a growing trend among the Chinese rich that they are more willing to see their children receive an overseas education, with about 90 percent of the people interviewed showing such an intention. "The percentage with British entrepreneurs is a mere 20 percent. And even in India, where the tradition of sending children overseas for their studies has prevailed for a long time, the percentage is much lower," he said. Hoogewerf added that there are 1.05 million people in China with personal assets of 10 million yuan or above. "On average, the young Chinese rich were born around 1972, which means that they are 10 or 15 years younger than their European peers," he said. Among the recreational activities favored by the young rich, sports cars are growing in popularity, a trend illustrated by the opening of the 2012 Super Club Challenge sports car festival in Shanghai on Thursday. "We have held this carnival to promote the charm of sports cars and to make a clear distinction between sports car racing and illegal speeding," said Yu Bo, founder of the Unique Motorsport club. shijing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 05/25/2012 page1)

China says it holds fast to Durban outcome Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 AM PDT BEIJING- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday that the country holds fast to the Durban outcome and will work with the international community to promote negotiations on climate change. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to respond to EU officials criticizing China at the Bonn UN Climate Change Conference. The Durban talks last December saw the passing of a package of decisions on topics such as the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the Green Climate Fund and a new process for arranging emission-cutting pledges after 2020. Hong said China has been actively participating in international cooperation efforts to cope with climate change and played a positive role in achieving the package deals at the Durban talks. However, EU participants warned Wednesday that efforts to forge a new global pact on climate change by 2015 were in danger of floundering, as China was blocking an agenda for a newly established body dubbed the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). Su Wei, China's chief negotiator at the Bonn talks, on Wednesday criticized some developed countries for using the "Durban Platform" as a means to jump from the legally-binding system established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). China insisted that negotiations on the "Durban Platform" should be based on the legally-binding system established under the UNFCCC, said Hong. Hong said the negotiations should adhere to the principles of equity and "common but differentiated responsibilities," as well as address the balance between participants' historical responsibilities and practical capabilities. Noting that Western countries have historically been responsible for carbon emissions during their respective industrialization processes, Hong said they should take substantial measures to reduce gas emissions, implement their commitments in relevant international accords and provide financial and technological support to developing countries. "China is willing to work with all parties to carry out the Durban outcomes and jointly push forward the negotiation process," he said. He also called on developed economies, including EU member states, to show their political sincerity in cooperating with developing countries to jointly advance the climate change talks. The Bonn talks, held from May 14-25, were attended by around 3,000 participants from 181 countries, including government delegates, business and industry representatives, environmental organizations and research institutions.

Full Text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 AM PDT BEIJING - The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a report titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011" here Friday. Following is the full text: Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China May 25, 2012 The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 on May 24, 2012. As in previous years, the reports are full of over-critical remarks on the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions as well as distortions and accusations concerning the human rights cause in China. However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and kept silent about it. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 is hereby prepared to reveal the true human rights situation of the United States to people across the world and urge the United States to face up to its own doings. I. On Life, Property and Personal Security The United States has mighty strength in human, financial and material resources to exert effective control over violent crimes. However, its society is chronically suffering from violent crimes, and its citizens' lives, properties and personal security are in lack of proper protection. A report published by the US Department of Justice on September 15, 2011, revealed that in 2010 the US residents aged 12 and above experienced 3.8 million violent victimizations, 1.4 million serious violent victimizations, 14.8 million property victimizations and 138,000 personal thefts. The violent victimization rate was 15 victimizations per 1,000 residents (www.bjs.gov). The crime rate surged in many cities and regions in the United States. In the southern region of the United States, there were 452 violent crimes and 3,438.8 property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants (in 2010) on average (The Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2011). Just four weeks into 2011, San Francisco saw eight homicides -- compared with five during the same time of the previous year, with Oakland racking up 11, when the previous year in the same period it had four (The San Francisco Chronicle, January 29, 2011). Grand larcenies in the subway in New York City increased from 852 in 2010 to 1,075 cases in the first nine months of 2011, a 25 percent jump (The China Press, September 24, 2011). Homicide cases in Detroit in 2011 saw a 13.5 percent rise over 2010 (www.buzzle.com). Between January and October 2011, a total of 123,924 serious crime cases took place in Chicago (portal.chicagopolice.org). An anti-bullying public service announcement declared in January 2011 that more than six million schoolchildren experienced bullying in the previous six months (CNN, March 10, 2011). According to statistics from the Family First Aid, almost 30 percent of teenagers in the United States are estimated to be involved in school bullying (www.familyfirstaid.org). The United States prioritizes the right to keep and bear arms over the protection of citizens' lives and personal security and exercises lax firearm possession control, causing rampant gun ownership. The US people hold between 35 percent and 50 percent of the world' s civilian-owned guns, with every 100 people having 90 guns (Online edition of the Foreign Policy, January 9, 2011). According to a Gallup poll in October 2011, 47 percent of American adults reported that they had a gun. That was an increase of six percentage points from a year ago and the highest Gallup had recorded since 1993. Fifty-two percent of middle-aged adults, aged between 35 and 54, reported to own guns, and the adults' gun ownership in the south region was 54 percent (The China Press, October 28, 2011). The New York Times reported on November 14, 2011, that since 1995, more than 3,300 felons and people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors had regained their gun rights in the state of Washington and of that number, more than 400 had subsequently committed new crimes, including shooting and other felonies (The New York Times, November 14, 2011). The United States is the leader among the world's developed countries in gun violence and gun deaths. According to a report of the Foreign Policy on January 9, 2011, over 30,000 Americans die every year from gun violence and another 200,000 Americans are estimated to be injured each year due to guns (Online edition of the Foreign Policy, January 9, 2011). According to statistics released by the US Department of Justice, among the 480,760 robbery cases and 188,380 rape and sexual assault cases in 2010, the rates of victimization involving firearms were 29 percent and 7 percent, respectively (www.bjs.gov). On June 2, 2011, a shooting rampage in Arizona left six people dead and one injured (The China Press, June 3, 2011). In Chicago, more than 10 overnight shooting incidents took place just between the evening of June 3 and the morning of June 4 (Chicago Tribune, June 4, 2011). Another five overnight shootings occurred between August 12 evening and August 13 morning in Chicago. These incidents have caused a number of deaths and injuries (Chicago Tribune, August 13, 2011). Shooting spree cases involving one gunman shooting dead over five people also happened in the states of Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Nevada and Southern California (The New York Times, October 13, 2011; CNN, July 8, 2011; CBS, July 23, 2011;USA Today, August 9, 2011). High incidence of gun-related crimes has long ignited complaints of the US people and they stage multiple protests every year, demanding the government strictly control the private possession of arms. The US government, however, fails to pay due attention to this issue. Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next Page Previous Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next Page

Old city building preservation under way Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 AM PDT Updated: 2012-05-25 21:19 By Zhang Zixuan ( chinadaily.com.cn) A large-scale repair project of along-the-street historical architecture in the old city of Beijing was launched on May 20 by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage after a few months' preparation, the municipal government said on Thursday. Workers repairs the gate at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, May 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] The project, which corresponds to Beijing's Central Axis application for UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage, involves the restoration of nearly 50 cultural relic sites on different historical streets in the old city. "It is the widest and largest-scale repair project this year," says Kong Fanzhi, director of Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage. Kong said the administration funds the project to preserve the style and features of historical architecture, and has gradually built a four-level historical and cultural city protection system for valuable architecture, cultural relic protection sites, historical and cultural streets, and historical and cultural city.

China to handle S China Sea disputes through direct negotiations Posted: 25 May 2012 06:52 AM PDT A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday that China will negotiate directly with relevant parties in regards to resolving disputes in the South China Sea.

Full Text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 Posted: 25 May 2012 06:07 AM PDT The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China published a report titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011" here Friday.

China hits back with report on US human rights record Posted: 25 May 2012 03:50 AM PDT Updated: 2012-05-25 17:42 ( Xinhua) BEIJING - China on Friday responded to a recent US government report on China's human rights practices by issuing its own report on human rights issues in the US. The "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011" was released by the Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, in response to the "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011" issued by the US State Department on May 24. The US report is "full of overly critical remarks on human rights conditions in nearly 200 countries and regions, as well as distortions and accusations concerning human rights causes in China. However, the United States has turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and remained silent about it," China's report said. The "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011" is intended to reveal the "true human rights situation" of the US to the world and "urge the US to confront its own actions," the document said. The Chinese report covers human rights issues related to six topics: life, property and personal security; civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; racial discrimination; the rights of women and children and US violations of human rights in other countries. The report states that violations of civil and political rights have been "severe" in the US, adding that the country is "lying to itself" when referring to itself as the "land of the free." The report cited the treatment of protestors participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement, stating that their arrests can provide a "glimpse of the truth regarding the United States' so-called freedom and democracy." Related Stories US releases annual human rights report 2012-05-25 10:42 'Humanize' US-China relations 2012-05-25 07:55

Flying hospital helps blind Posted: 25 May 2012 03:50 AM PDT The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital (FLH), the world's only ophthalmic surgical and training hospital with wings, is parked at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, Northwest China's Gansu province, May 24, 2012. FLH, a DC-10 jet aircraft, landed on May 21 and will stay in Lanzhou until June 2. A total of 80 patients from financially disadvantaged families in Gansu province will be offered free surgeries. More than 40 staff, including the aviator, flight crew, ophthalmologists and nurses, work on the plane as volunteers. [Photo/CFP]

China hits back on US rights record Posted: 25 May 2012 03:50 AM PDT Updated: 2012-05-25 17:29 ( Xinhua) BEIJING - China on Friday retorted the US criticism and distortions of its human rights situation by publishing a report of the US human rights record. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 was released by the Information Office of China's State Council, or cabinet, in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 issued by the US State Department on May 24. As in previous years, the reports are full of over-critical remarks on the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions as well as distortions and accusations concerning the human rights cause in China. However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and kept silent about it, China's report said.

'Official' panacea cure under fire Posted: 25 May 2012 03:50 AM PDT Invincible kung fu? Myth: The Health Department of Gansu Province organized a nine-day qigong course for health officials and medical workers this month. "After the qigong training, 41 of the 47 practitioners have successfully opened up Conception Vessel (ren mai) and Governor Vessel (du mai)," said a statement posted on the department's official website on Tuesday. "They feel vigorous after the accomplishment. Their old diseases are now relieved or cured, and their diet, sleep, and bowel movement are back to normal," it said. Popular kung fu fictions mention that martial arts masters -- often practitioners of qigong -- become undefeatable after opening up the two vessels. But it requires years or even decades to accomplish this. Online response: Chinese netizens fought back with negative comments. One writer going by the name "Da Xia" asked whether Liu was a kung fu master or a health official. Others wondered why medical workers would be practicing kung fu instead of practicing medicine. "If they're capable of doing that, I really hope these health officials can teach everyone in this country this skill so no one will get sick again," said a netizen screenamed Huluyao Lulu. Experts view: Li Yingcong, a professor at the Gansu Institute of TCM, said qigong is not as magical as described in kung fu novels. "As an important stage in qigong exercises, opening up the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel means letting the 'qi' inside one's body flow freely to coordinate Yin and Yang, but there is no way of telling whether one's two vessels are opened up or not because it's just a feeling of the practitioner, " Li said. Self-defense: Liu Weizhong, director of the Gansu Health Department and the man behind the nine-day qigong course, said the practice is not as mysterious as it sounds. "We've all been reading kung fu novels and watching kung fu movies since we were kids. Because of the misleading information in those novels, many of us think that opening up the two vessels is a very difficult thing to do, but I want to tell you . . . it is not supernatural kung fu," Liu said in a weibo post. The Gansu health department said that misunderstanding over the qigong claim was a result of insufficient work to introduce TCM theories among the public. Pig foot soup? Myth: Liu Weizhong, 54, was given the nickname "pig foot director" by netizens after advocating the medical benefits of pig feet on his microblog account. Liu has more than one million microblog followers. "We had 340 patients here after the fatal landslide in Zhouqu (in Gansu province) and the fatal earthquake in Yushu (in Qinghai province). All of them had my pig foot soup and recovered soon," said Liu, who has a medical license and studied medicine at the Lanzhou Medicine College in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, from 1978 to 1982. "Patients with serious ailments need nutritious food like pig feet soup. I never said that the soup was a type of medicine, only that it enhanced the effect of medicine," Liu said. Experts view: "It is dangerous to feed pig foot soup to patients. The soup can easily cause stress ulcers in their digestive systems," according to Xiao Ji, a postgraduate student of clinical medicine at Shanghai Communication University's School of Medicine. Zhu Lijia, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Governance, said government officials should be careful on the Internet due to their special positions. "Their words could have unexpected consequences," he said. His blogs might possibly mislead the public, as they may believe that the Gansu provincial government is supporting Liu's recommendations, according to Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Self-defense: Liu was quick to apologize after the incident of pig feet. "I lack experience. Netizens are welcome to raise suggestions regarding the local health department's work, as well as questions about the development of traditional Chinese medicine," he wrote. Liu said in his micro blog that all his attempts were intended to find a simple and affordable way to help people in the relatively underdeveloped areas keep fit. "I am already in my 50s and willing to sacrifice my political career for the development of traditional Chinese medicine and the benefits of the patients," Liu wrote.

Mayors meet to promote friendship along the Silk Road Posted: 25 May 2012 03:50 AM PDT Updated: 2012-05-25 17:10 By Lu Hongyan and Ma Lie ( chinadaily.com.cn) A meeting of mayors from cities along the Silk Road will be held in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province and the starting point of the historic route, from May 28 to 30. Co-sponsored by the National Tourism Administration, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shaanxi provincial government, and hosted by Xi'an municipal government, the international conference aims to promote friendship from generation to generation and create prosperity among cities along the Silk Road. The meeting will be attended by more than 100 mayors and tourism, culture and foreign affairs officials from 20 cities in 12 countries along the Silk Road, as well as officials from the UN World Tourism Organization and the secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said Zhang Yongke, director of Xi'an Tourism Bureau. The meeting, the first of its kind in Xi'an, will have a far-reaching impact, said Zhang. A declaration will be issued by the mayors at the meeting, while a number of documents are expected to be signed, dealing with tourism, cultural, education, economic and scientific cooperation among the Silk Road cities The ancient Silk Road started at Chang'an (Xi'an's former name), the capital of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). It was a cultural exchange and trading route from ancient China to the Roman Empire.

Commentary: Biased jury with tarnished legacy, hidden agenda Posted: 25 May 2012 02:28 AM PDT The U.S. State Department on Thursday rolled out its 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and glossed them over as part of Washington's "broad commitment to promote human rights."

China issues report on human rights in the U.S. Posted: 25 May 2012 02:27 AM PDT China on Friday responded to a recent U.S. government report on China's human rights practices by issuing its own report on human rights issues in the United States.

Whistleblower reveals milk makers' misdeeds Posted: 25 May 2012 01:10 AM PDT If there's a leak in China's dairy industry, you can be sure Wang Dingmian knows about it, or even started it.