News » Society » China media: Xi's anti-corruption call
News » Society » China media: Xi's anti-corruption call |
- China media: Xi's anti-corruption call
- Officials punished for 5 boys' deaths in dumpster
- HK vehicle crash leaves 3 killed, 56 injured
- China and Congo satellite deal
- Wen praises ASEAN way in handling territorial disputes
- Liquor firm denies claim its drinks are tainted
- Discipline watchdog says corruption a serious battle
- Party chief warns of graft risk
- Group remembers victims of Japan's germ war in China
- Family blaming school in death of student
- Total Sells Nigeria Oil Field to Sinopec for $2.5 Billion
- China’s Xi warns of unrest if graft not tackled
- Tensions flare over South China Sea at Asian summit
- China downgrades powerful domestic security chief position
- Have You Heard…
- Siberian tiger population roars at Heilongjiang breeding park
- Family escapes in time as house sinks
- Food poisoning ruled out in school diseases
- China launches 3rd environmental satellite
- China launches 3rd environmental satellite
| China media: Xi's anti-corruption call Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:57 PM PST China media: Newspapers report Xi Jinping's own anti-corruption call made in two different articles. |
| Officials punished for 5 boys' deaths in dumpster Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:54 PM PST Eight Bijie City officials were suspended or sacked from their positions after five boys died from carbon monoxide when they were left alone inside a dumpster and used the charcoal for heat. Of the officials punished for their mismanagement were two deputy mayors in Qixingguan District, Tang Xingquan and Gao Shoujun, according to the Bijie City Committee of the Communist Party of China in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The five children, aged between nine and 13, were found dead, along with the remains of burned charcoal, inside a litter bin last Friday. They were cousins of a local family surnamed Tao, Xinhua News Agency reported today. It drizzled on Thursday night and the temperature went as low as 6 degrees Celsius, according to the local weather reports. The boys have hanged around for long time but received no help. Tao Jinyou, one of the boys' father, said five children didn't show up for three weeks after they went out to play and parents and school teachers couldn't get any clues about their whereabouts. Four had quitted school due to their poor performance, another sad father Tao Yuanwu said. |
| HK vehicle crash leaves 3 killed, 56 injured Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:22 PM PST A double decker bus crashed with two other vehicles yesterday morning at Shau Kei Wan of the Hong Kong Island, and left three people dead and 56 injured including 5 in critical condition, local media reported. The accident happened at about 11:38 am local time when the bus was running downhill and suddenly went out of control and collided with a taxi and another bus. A bus passenger told the media that the crash happened shortly after the driver fainted. Three people on the taxi, including the driver and two passengers, were dead. The 56 people on the two buses were injured and sent to different hospitals for treatment. |
| China and Congo satellite deal Posted: 19 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST China agrees to launch a communications satellite for the Democratic Republic of Congo within the next three years. |
| Wen praises ASEAN way in handling territorial disputes Posted: 19 Nov 2012 09:36 AM PST China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have enough wisdom and capability to properly handle territorial and maritime disputes, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday. Speaking at the 15th China-ASEAN summit in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, Wen said seeking consensus through consultation and accommodating each other's concerns were the core principles of the ASEAN way. The smooth implementation of cooperation among East Asian countries could be largely attributed to the adherence to the ASEAN way, which calls for shelving disputes and promoting consensus and unity, Wen said. East Asian countries should follow such spirit when dealing with various issues including territorial or maritime disputes, he added. Ten years ago, China and the ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and reached a series of important principles and consensus, Wen said. These included: jointly maintaining and enhancing peace and stability in the South China Sea, solving territorial and jurisdictional disputes through consultations between sovereign countries directly involved, not taking actions that would complicate and enlarge the South China Sea issue, and opposing internationalization of the issue. Over the years, there had been peace and stability in the South China Sea region, proving that China's dialogue and communication channels with the ASEAN countries were effective and should be cherished, Wen said. China recently agreed with the ASEAN countries to accumulate consensus through deep dialogue and create conditions to start talks on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which is a natural extension of the declaration, Wen said. ASEAN leaders, at a summit on Sunday, agreed not to internationalize the South China Sea issue, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday. Hun also said ASEAN leaders agreed to implement the declaration in a comprehensive manner and continue to conduct consultations in line with the principles outlined in it. China is willing to increase dialogue and enhance cooperation with ASEAN members in security and strategy, and make further contribution to East Asia's lasting peace and prosperity, Wen said. The primary task for China-ASEAN cooperation at present was to cope with the global financial crisis. Against the backdrop of the crisis, the integration of regional economies will have a profound impact on the world landscape, Wen said. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Liquor firm denies claim its drinks are tainted Posted: 19 Nov 2012 09:14 AM PST A LIQUOR company is disputing the findings of a testing company in Shanghai that its products contain excessive and toxic plasticizers which could impair male sexual function and even cause liver cancer. According to a report on news website 21cbn.com, Jiugui, a type of Chinese liquor selling for 438 yuan (US$70) a bottle, was found to contain three plasticizers with one being 260 percent above the permitted level. There have been reports of plasticizers being illegally added to drinks to improve their appearance and taste. But they can be hazardous to health. The website said its reporter, after a tip-off from "insiders," had purchased four bottles of Jiugui from an official store in Beijing and sent them to the National Food Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for checks. But after the center refused to check the liquor saying that it would require authorization from the production company, the reporter sent them to a third-party company, Intertek Co, to be tested. Its tests showed that samples of the liquor contained three plasticizers - diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), the website said. The DBP was 260 percent above the level allowed in the country, the website said. It quoted experts as saying long-term intake of food or drink with plasticizers disrupted hormone levels and could also damage the immune and digestive systems and even cause liver cancer. However, liquor producer Hunan Jiugui Liquor Co in central China's Hunan Province disputed the findings and said they would not be recalling products. It told NetEase website money.163.com that the Intertek company was not authoritative. The website said the company had previously sent products to the country's quality supervision facility for checks but no plasticizers had been found. Jiugui Vice President Fan Zhen told China National Radio he had been confused by the media reports. Fan said the company used traditional methods and didn't add plasticizer during the production process. He also said there was no national standard for plasticizers in liquor but confirmed that the company would be sending their products to an official facility for checks. Experts say any chemicals in the drink may have come from plastic products, such as conduits or containers, that are used in the distilling process. |
| Discipline watchdog says corruption a serious battle Posted: 19 Nov 2012 09:14 AM PST PUNISHING and preventing corruption is a "serious political battle" for both the Communist Party of China and the country, according a report released yesterday by the Party's discipline watchdog. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has vowed heavier supervision of all its Party members and a crackdown on corruption during the next five years. The Party must "practice self-discipline and be strict with its members," and maintain high-intensity pressure in tackling corruption, the report said. Everyone is equal before Party disciplines and the law, and whoever violates them shall be punished, regardless of his or her position, the report said. The Party must put people first and guard their interests, targeting the pressing problems that are deeply complained about by the masses, the report said. The report stressed that "at a time when the world, China and the CPC are undergoing profound changes, challenges the CPC faces are of lasting, complicated and grave nature, such as in governance, carrying on reform and opening-up, steering a market economy and withstanding outside pressures." It continued: "Dangers facing the Party have become more prominent, such as a sit-back-and-relax mentality, incompetence, disconnection with the people, and corruption." In a bid to ensure clean governance, it warned Party members to "keep ringing the alarm bell against corruption" as it was a "prolonged, complicated and arduous" fight. The central and local commissions for discipline inspection should work to "resolve pressing corruption problems that cause strong public complaint," the document said. The CPC has promised severe punishment of corrupt officials, saying major efforts will be made on cases involving power abuse, bribery, depraved conduct, dereliction of duty, and severe infringement of the people's economic, political and personal rights and interests, according to the report. Corruption cases occurred frequently, particularly in certain regions and government departments, some of which involved huge sums of money and many corrupt officials. Those involving medium and high-ranking officials exerted threatening influence, the report said. The document pointed out that corruption had become more complicated and camouflaged, while supervisory and prevention systems were still fledgling. This resulted in difficulties in discovering and investigating cases. Lacked spirit The report went on to add that some officials leveraged their power for illegal gains for their spouses, children, other relatives and people who work with them. A minority of officials even lost faith, lacked spirit to endure hardship, distanced themselves from the public, indulged in formality, bureaucracy and extravagance; and a handful of officials even defied and violated the law and Party disciplines, the report said. The chief of the discipline watchdog also called for a strengthened fight against corruption in order to build a clean Party. At a conference attended by Party members and officials from the CCDI, commission head Wang Qishan championed efforts to improve CPC members' working practices. Wang said the Party's discipline watchdog will target Party members' unhealthy practices. He asked them to refrain from mediocrity, laziness, indiscipline and luxurious lifestyles. Party members were told to correct unhealthy practices that harm people's interests and receive education that will help them better understand the viewpoints of the people. Wang said efforts should be made to make the Party's political discipline strict. Party officials, especially high-ranking ones, should better educate and restrain their relatives and staff members working closely with them, allowing no privilege. The CCDI will strictly implement and improve the system for the officials to report their personal assets and strengthen administration on government personnel who have spouses or children living overseas. A total of 668,429 people were given Party or administrative punishments from November 2007 to June 2012. Over the past five years, the watchdog opened investigations into 643,759 cases and settled 639,068, with 24,584 people handed to prosecutors for breaking the law. |
| Party chief warns of graft risk Posted: 19 Nov 2012 09:14 AM PST IF corruption is allowed to run wild in China then the ruling Communist Party risks major unrest and the collapse of its rule, Party chief Xi Jinping warned at one of his first major meetings since taking the role. Xi told a study session of the 25-member Political Bureau of the Party's Central Committee on Sunday that graft was like "worms breeding in decaying matter" - an old Chinese saying that means "ruin befalls those who are weak." "In recent years, some countries have stored up problems over time leading to seething public anger, civil unrest and government collapse - corruption has been an important factor in all this," Xi said. "A great deal of facts tell us that the worse corruption becomes the only outcome will be the end of the Party and the end of the state. We must be vigilant." Xi added. "Recently, our Party has had serious discipline and legal cases of a despicable nature which has had a bad political effect and shocked people," he said. Xi told the session that Party members, especially those at senior levels, should not abuse their positions for personal gain, and that they were not above the law. Officials "must also strengthen their management and control over their relations and those who work with them," Xi added. |
| Group remembers victims of Japan's germ war in China Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PST A CEREMONY commemorating victims of Japan's germ warfare in China 70 years ago was held in a Zhejiang Province village on Sunday, after which non-governmental figures from China and Japan made an appeal for the Japanese crimes to be acknowledged. The ceremony was attended by volunteers, non-governmental figures from China and Japan and more than 100 descendants of victims in Chongshan Village, Yiwu City. The Japanese army used biological bombs on Chongshan and then, on November 18, 1942, torched the village to cover it up, killing 176 people. "Although the power of an individual is weak, I would like to tell more Japanese about what really happened in history through my own efforts," Nishisato Fuyuko, who has worked as a journalist for several Western television stations covering Japan, said after the ceremony. She said few Japanese realize that the current tension in bilateral ties between China and Japan stems from historical events. Fuyuko won her fame for joining the production of a TV documentary about Unit 731, the Japanese Imperial Army's Biological Warfare Unit. The documentary tells the horrible historical facts of the Japanese army recruiting elite scientists to develop and use biological weapons in China. Her colleague Nasu Shigeo said he and a few other Chinese and Japanese citizens were on a trip to collect historical evidence concerning the germ warfare in Yiwu and other cities including Ningbo and Jinhua in Zhejiang. "There is an urgent need to establish a non-governmental organization in Yiwu to push forward the study of germ warfare's history and expose the Japanese atrocities to the world," said Wang Xuan, who is with the team of investigators. They visited the exhibition hall in memory of the victims in Chongshan on Sunday to review historical documents. They tell of how the Japanese army dropped biological bombs above the village on September 3, 1942. Infectious disease broke out in a month. Japanese troops including Unit 731 entered the village in November to collect samples from the corpses and started experiments on humans, including vivisection without anaesthetic. Local historical records show that 1,318 people in Yiwu were killed during the germ warfare. In Chongshan alone, 404 people died. In 1997, a group of 180 Chinese plaintiffs from Zhejiang and central China's Hunan Province started a campaign demanding fair judgment of their accusation against Japan for its crimes in germ warfare. Yet they lost after the Japanese supreme court made its final judgment in 2007. |
| Family blaming school in death of student Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PST THE family of a 19-year-old woman are blaming a private vocational school in Qingdao City for the death of their daughter, who fell from the fourth floor of a restaurant when she and other students were taken out for late night beers last month by six male teachers. Last year, the Qingdao Qiushi Vocational School was rocked by the deaths of another student and a teacher at the campus. The woman who died last month, Liu Xiao'ao, and five other female students were invited out on October 27, the school's 20th anniversary, according to a man surnamed Kong, the woman's uncle. Police told Liu's parents that the woman "accidentally'' fell from a window in the restaurant bathroom at 10:34pm, her family said. Police said they have ruled out murder but have not released a cause for the death. Liu's family has doubts about the investigation. "I've sent my daughter to the school to study, not let the teachers take her out late at night to have dinner and drink beers," Liu's father told China Business Herald. Kong said Liu and the other students were invited because the teachers wanted to discuss the school's anniversary celebration. Police told him that the students and teachers had consumed a total of 40 bottles of beer. Police said she had alcohol in her body but they did not say how much. "What are the teachers attempting on the girls by sharing so many bottles of beer with them?" asked the father. The father told the newspaper school officials haven't answered his questions, but he said the school headmaster called him and warned him not to blame the teachers. A reporter called the school but a senior official became furious and warned him "not to cause troubles." "Why are you, little business reporter, covering this topic instead of some business news? Does the case have anything to do with you?" the official, Xu Jianzhong, asked and then hung up, the newspaper said. Kong said the local government paid the family 600,000 yuan (US$96,157) in compensation. Family members say they are ready to sue the school. School officials said they would pay 50,000 yuan to the family, an offer rejected by the father. On July 28 of last year, a 28-year-old female teacher was sexually assaulted and found dead, naked in a school pond. On November 24 of 2011, a student was found dead after falling from a school building. The reason for his death still remains unknown. |
| Total Sells Nigeria Oil Field to Sinopec for $2.5 Billion Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:50 AM PST  Source: Bloomberg News By Tara Patel Total SA (FP), France's largest oil company, sold its 20 percent stake in an offshore Nigerian field to China Petrochemical Corp. for about $2.5 billion as part of an asset-disposal program. The sale is part of Total's plans to complete $15 billion to $20 billion of asset disposals from 2012 to 2014. China's state-backed energy companies are seeking new oil and gas reserves abroad to feed the world's second-largest economy, especially from regions like Africa where government scrutiny is lighter than in North America or Europe. The sale of a minority stake in the Nigerian block is in line with Total's policy of actively managing its portfolio, Yves-Louis Darricarrere, head of exploration and production, said in today's statement. The Usan field production, whose ramp up was slower than expected, could reach 140,000 barrels a day by the end of the year, Chief Financial Officer Patrick de la Chevardiere said in July. The French company had said it was expecting a peak rate of 180,000 barrels a day. Total rose as much as 2 percent and was trading 70 cents higher at 37.67 euros as of 3:05 p.m. in Paris. Total is also searching for a buyer for its southwestern French natural gas network known as TIGF. Current disposals could bring Total about halfway to its target, de la Chevardiere said last month. Maurel Interest Beijing-based Sinopec Group has also approached the French oil firm Etablissements Maurel et Prom (MAU), which operates in Gabon, about an acquisition, people familiar with the matter said this month. Sinopec's reserves of crude oil declined from 3.3 billion barrels in 2007 to 2.8 billion barrels at the end of last year, enough for nine years of production at 2011 levels, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its parent, China Petrochemical, said in January that it will seek to produce 50 million metric tons of crude a year overseas by 2015. Last year, foreign production was 23 million tons. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. is the OML 138 concession holder. Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. has 30 percent, as does Esso E&P Nigeria (Offshore East) Ltd. Nexen Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. has 20 percent. |
| China’s Xi warns of unrest if graft not tackled Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PST  Source: Reuters (Reuters) – If corruption is allowed to run wild in China then the ruling Communist Party risks major unrest and the collapse of its rule, state media on Monday quoted Communist Party chief Xi Jinping as saying at one of his first major meetings since taking the role. "In recent years, some countries have stored up problems over time leading to seething public anger, civil unrest and government collapse — corruption has been an important factor in all this," state newspapers quoted Xi as telling a study session for the Politburo, the party's second-highest decision-making body. "A great deal of facts tell us that the worse corruption becomes the only outcome will be the end of the party and the end of the state! We must be vigilant!" Xi added. "Recently, our party has had serious discipline and legal cases of a despicable nature which has had a bad political effect and shocked people," he said, without naming any of these incidents. The run up to this month's party congress, at which a new generation of leaders was unveiled, was overshadowed by a scandal involving former political heavyweight Bo Xilai, once a contender for top leadership in the world's second-largest economy. Bo was expelled from the party this year and faces possible charges of corruption and abuse of power, while his wife was jailed for murdering a British businessman. Xi said that party members, especially those at senior levels, should not abuse their positions for personal gain, and that they were not above the law. Officials "must also strengthen their management and control over their relations and those who work with them", Xi added. The New York Times said last month that the family of Premier Wen Jiabao had accumulated at least $2.7 billion in "hidden riches", a report China labeled a smear. However, without an independent judiciary, efforts to fight graft will almost certainly falter, and the control-obsessed party has shown no sign of embarking on this reform. |
| Tensions flare over South China Sea at Asian summit Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:58 AM PST  Source: Reuters By Jason Szep and James Pomfret (Reuters) – Japan warned on Monday that a row over the South China Sea could damage "peace and stability" in Asia as China stalled on a plan to ease tensions and disagreements flared between the Philippines and Cambodia over the dispute. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda challenged efforts by summit host Cambodia, a staunch China ally, to limit discussions on the mineral-rich sea, where China's territorial claims overlap those of four Southeast Asian countries and of Taiwan. "Prime Minister Noda raised the issue of the South China Sea, noting that this is of common concern for the international community, which would have direct impact on peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific," a Japanese government statement said after Noda met leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). That followed a statement on Sunday from Kao Kim Hourn, a Cambodian foreign ministry official, who said Southeast Asian leaders "had decided that they will not internationalize the South China Sea from now on." In a sign of tension, Philippine President Benigno Aquino disputed the Cambodian statement and said no such agreement was reached, voicing his objections in tense final minutes of discussions between Noda and Southeast Asian leaders. As Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen began to conclude the meeting with Noda, Aquino abruptly raised his hand and tersely interjected. "There were several views expressed yesterday on ASEAN unity which we did not realize would be translated into an ASEAN consensus," he said, according to his spokesman. "For the record, this was not our understanding. The ASEAN route is not the only route for us. As a sovereign state, it is our right to defend our national interests." Alternative diplomatic routes for the Philippines would likely involve the United States, one of its closest allies, which has said it has a national interest in freedom of navigation through the South China Sea's vital shipping lanes. ASEAN on Sunday agreed to formally ask China to start talks on a Code of Conduct (CoC) aimed at easing the risk of naval flashpoints, according to its Secretary General, Surin Pitsuwan. But Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao appeared to play down the need for urgent action in talks on Sunday night with Hun Sen. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said he could "not recall" Hun Sen making a formal request for talks. "It takes some time for China and ASEAN to discuss the CoC," he said. He repeated Cambodia's statement that ASEAN had reached a "common position" not to internationalize the issue, directly contradicting Aquino. Obama will meet Southeast Asian leaders on Monday evening before sitting down with Wen on Tuesday. China's sovereignty claims over the stretch of water off its south coast and to the east of mainland Southeast Asia set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts. Sino-Japanese relations are also under strain after the Japanese government bought disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China from a private Japanese owner in September, triggering violent protests and calls for boycotts of Japanese products across China. China prefers to address conflicts through one-on-one talks. U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE Obama's visit to Cambodia, the first by a U.S. president, underlines an expansion of U.S. military and economic interests in Asia under last year's so-called "pivot" from conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen a resurgence of U.S. warships, planes and personnel, since Obama began shifting foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year. Cambodia has used its powers as ASEAN chair this year to limit discussion on the South China Sea. Its apparent rewards include Chinese largesse, including a $100 million loan to set up Cambodia's largest cement plant signed the day Wen arrived. Thailand, which holds the position of ASEAN's official coordinator with China, appeared to support the U.S. view that countries beyond ASEAN and China had a national interest in resolving the dispute. At stake is control over what are believed to be significant reserves of oil and gas. Estimates for proven and undiscovered oil reserves in the entire sea range from 28 billion to as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a March 2008 report. While the territorial row was a matter for the "parties concerned," maritime security and freedom of navigation were an international concern, said Sihasak Phuangketkeow, permanent secretary at Thailand's foreign ministry. "If it comes to the broader issue of maritime security, meaning freedom of navigation, security of sea lanes, I think that is a concern of all countries," he told reporters. The tensions illustrate the difficulty of forging a Southeast Asian consensus over how to deal with an increasingly assertive China. Southeast Asia had hoped avoid a repeat of an embarrassing breakdown of talks in July over competing claims in the mineral-rich waters, its biggest security challenge. Washington insists its "pivot" is not about containing China or a permanent return to military bases of the past, but it has increased its military presence in the Philippines and other areas near vital sea lanes in the South China Sea. |
| China downgrades powerful domestic security chief position Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:52 AM PST  Source: Reuters (Reuters) – China confirmed on Monday that it had downgraded the position of domestic security chief as part of a move to a new and smaller top elite, an expected move that reflects fears the position had become too powerful. The hulking, grim-faced 69-year-old Zhou had to retire along with most members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the inner council at the apex of power, at this month's 18th Party Congress, due to his age. He turns 70 in December. Meng, however, is only a member of the new Politburo, the 25-member body which reports to the down-sized Standing Committee, putting him on a tighter leash and returning to a pattern the party kept to for much of the 1980s. Reducing the party's Standing Committee from nine to seven members came as part of a once-in-a-decade leadership change announced last week, which saw Vice President Xi Jinping raised to head of the ruling Communist Party. Reuters reported in August that Zhou's position was likely to be downgraded and Zhou replaced by Meng. Zhou had been on the Standing Committee since 2007 while also heading the central Political and Legal Affairs Committee. That double status allowed Zhou to dominate a domestic security budget of $110 billion a year, exceeding the defense budget. Zhou was implicated in rumors that he hesitated in moving against the politician Bo Xilai, a former candidate for top office who fell in a divisive scandal after his wife was accused of murdering a British businessman. Security forces also suffered a humiliating failure earlier in the year when they allowed blind rights advocate Chen Guangcheng to escape from 19 months of house arrest and flee to the U.S. embassy in Beijing. Since the 1990s, China's efforts to stifle crime, unrest and dissent have allowed the domestic security apparatus — including police, armed militia and state security officers — to accumulate power. In another announcement, Xinhua said that Zhao Leji had replaced Li Yuanchao as head of the party's organization department that oversees the appointment of senior party, government, military and state-owned enterprise officials. Zhao had been party boss of the northern province of Shaanxi and is close to president-in-waiting Xi. There was no announcement on where Li, a reformer who has courted foreign investment and studied in the United States, may go. He missed out on a spot on the Standing Committee despite being tipped to enter it. Standing Committee positions will officially be released in March at the annual meeting of parliament, though there is no doubt Xi will become president and Li Keqiang will take over as premier from Wen Jiabao. Over the next few days and weeks state media should announce the positions of the other members of the Politburo. |
| Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:47 AM PST Have You Heard… |
| Siberian tiger population roars at Heilongjiang breeding park Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:35 AM PST There was good news for one of the world's rarest species today, when it was revealed that 91 Siberian tiger cubs have been born this year in an artificial breeding park in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Family escapes in time as house sinks Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:24 AM PST A 67-year-old farmer in a village in central Hunan Province found the land near his house was sinking as he went to a backyard toilet on Friday night and saved his paralyzed wife just before the house collapsed. Zhou Zhijun, the farmer in Quanhong Village, woke up at 2am on that fateful day and went to the toilet in the rain when he heard rumbles from the ground and found a pit about 2 meters in diameter had appeared outside his house and was expanding. Zhou called up his son living nearby to help remove his paralyzed mother out. Soon his two-floor house was engulfed in sunken soil together with about 20 trees around the house, the local Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported today. By 11am on Saturday, the pit had grown to about 300 square meters in size and 40 meters deep. Local residents believed the land subsidence was caused by a coal mine, not far from the village. Nine households in the village found their walls had cracks since the mine went into operation in 2006. However, officials haven't concluded if the land subsidence was a natural disaster or a result of reckless mining activities. They have ordered the Jincheng Mine Company to suspend production, the paper said. |
| Food poisoning ruled out in school diseases Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:30 PM PST ELEVENT girl students in a junior high school in Zhenxiong County in Yunnan Province felt sick and fainted briefly after having lunch Last Friday, a local newspaper reported yesterday. Xiao Yun, a 16-year-old student at the Guozhu Central School, passed out after lunch and her mother rushed to the school after receiving phone calls from her daughter's classmates, the Yunnan based Metropolitan Times said. The mother, surnamed Li, said more than ten other girls also showed similar symptom of nausea and dizziness. Xiao Yun was hospitalized at the Zhenxiong County People's Hospital at 8:30pm with symptoms of trembling, headache, listlessness and breathing difficulty, but doctors failed to find the cause. Another parent surnamed Wang said his daughter also felt headache and fainted while doing homework in the classroom. His daughter was sent to the same hospital as Xiao Yun. Food poisoning was suspected for the girls' illness but the school's headmaster Wu Zhen declined to comment, saying he was still at a meeting. On Saturday, Wu said all the students were in good condition. Local health authorities tested food samples from the school canteen and ruled out food poisoning. A government official told reporters that the symptoms first appeared among a few students on November 3 and affected more students nearly two weeks later. A sharp change in temperature could also be a factor because as the 11 sick students were all wearing thin clothes and some were having from flu. |
| China launches 3rd environmental satellite Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:59 PM PST China today sent the third satellite in its "Environment I" family into the sky, sharpening its abilities in environmental monitoring and disaster forecasting. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| China launches 3rd environmental satellite Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:59 PM PST China today sent the third satellite in its "Environment I" family into the sky, sharpening its abilities in environmental monitoring and disaster forecasting. |
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