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- A Chinese Mother’s Miracle Baby
- Yunan official's tantrum caught on camera
- Beijing proposes world's largest airport
- Google Play store reopens paid apps in Taiwan
- Hong Kong to invest US$9bn on capital works in 2013: official
- More Chinese cities ready for property tax pilots
- Rhythm & Hues Taiwan studio to open by late March: manager
- Ang Lee's 'cheaper' remark irritates artist into writing open letter
- Court orders UK fugitive to pay US$254,000 in compensation
- Chinese Villagers Fight Land Grab by Officials Working With Developers
- Taiwan's economy slows, growth not expected until 2nd half of 2013
- Ang Lee: Maker of films and movies stars
- Chinese designer debuts at Milan Fashion Week
- Huawei presents new mobile products at Barcelona congress
- IKEA says meatballs in China not contaminated by horsemeat
- Cnooc CEO in Rare Sit-Down, Says No More Deals in Near Term
- EU vs. Firm Linked to Hu Jintao
- No Move Yet by U.N. Body After Test by Koreans
- China: Buoys Near Contested Islands Are for Checking Weather, Official Says
- China 'censors' Taiwan in Ang Lee's Oscar speech
| A Chinese Mother’s Miracle Baby Posted: 27 Feb 2013 08:21 PM PST  A roadside billboard put up by China's Family Planning Office reads: "Fewer, healthier births will bring a lifetime of happiness." (AFP/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES—Qiao Shunqin, a former elementary school teacher from Kaifeng, Henan Province, still recalls the cruel pressure she faced more than two decades ago. She was nine months pregnant and determined to save her baby the night before she was scheduled to have a forced abortion. Her son now lives in the United States; he is 24 years old and 6 feet tall. He came here to study and later joined the U.S. military. His mother says he treats his parents with respect, perhaps because he knows his life did not come easily. Qiao had a child from her first marriage, but when she divorced, the court gave her ex-husband custody of the child. Her second husband also had a child, but his ex-wife had been given custody. According to the one-child policy at that time, because the couple did not have custody of their respective children, neither was considered to have exhausted their one-child allowance, so Qiao applied for a birth license. Only after it was approved by several different officials and offices, including her school principal, and the district Family Planning Office, did she prepare for a pregnancy.
In June 1988, after she had been married for two years and was over eight months pregnant, the school principal told Qiao that the new director of the district Family Planning Office, Sui Yajie, did not think she should be permitted to have a second child. She was therefore asked to have an abortion. The family planning office, the school principal, and her boss took turns to visit and pressure her. For her to go against the family planning office would reflect negatively on the performance reviews from her boss and her school principal. "I just wept silently," she said. Ms. Qiao requested to have the abortion in Zhengzhou, where her parents and in-laws lived. On July 5, 1988, she went to the obstetrics department of the People's Hospital of Henan Province under duress. The family planning director and school principal asked the doctor to abort the fetus immediately. The doctor saw that Qiao was almost ready to give birth, and at age 38, was a mature woman with heart disease. To avoid complications, he insisted on first conducting a complete examination. By the time he finished, the out-patient division had closed for the day, and the abortion was rescheduled for 8 a.m. the next day. Qiao returned to her in-laws' home, arriving after 9 p.m. She knew the baby, kicking and moving inside her, would be killed the next morning. Nine years earlier she had been forced to have an abortion when she was seven months pregnant. That time, a toxic solution was injected into her uterus, and four hours later, she lost a baby girl. The horrific experience was still fresh in her mind. She was determined to keep her child this time. She held her stomach as if holding the child in her hands, and began repeatedly hitting her back against the wall, but did not feel any change after about one hour, aside from perspiration and back pain. She decided to change her approach, and placed newspaper on the concrete floor with blankets on top. Then she held her stomach, and began jumping down from the bed onto the floor. Every time she jumped, she held her breath and then climbed back up again. It grew more and more difficult, but she persisted. She prayed the child would be born soon, while worrying that too much movement would hurt the child. Her husband and mother-in-law looked on in horror, but did not dare stop her. At about midnight, Qiao's water broke–the baby was coming. To avoid any issues, Qiao used a fake name, age, and work unit when registering at the hospital. Five hours later at 6 a.m., her son was born. After the birth, the director of the family planning office blamed her for not telling them sooner, "If you had informed us, we could have given the baby a toxic injection and killed him, and you would not have to lose your job for violating the one-child policy." These chilling words brought deep fear to Qiao. "For several years after that, I had dreams that someone was chasing me and trying to kill me and my child. We ran and ran for our lives. In my dreams, I held my child tightly for fear he would be taken away," she said. Qiao was fired from her job, even though she was rated an excellent teacher and in the prime of life. Her husband's salary was stopped for more than a year, and he was demoted from government official to factory worker. They therefore had to rely on assistance from their families. For over 20 years, Qiao traveled to different appeals offices to try and get her job back. However, she did not receive a response and was repeatedly humiliated. An official from an office in Henan Province even told her to "just go jump off a building and drop dead!" From childhood, Qiao had grown up in a Communist Party-controlled environment and had truly believed in the Party. She said, "Because of the one-child policy, I turned from an activist promoting the Party to a vehement opponent of the Party." Related ArticlesSince being reunited with her son in the United States, Qiao has publicized statements severing all ties with the Chinese Communist Party, including the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers. Translation by Li Zhen. Research by Jane Lin. Written in English by Nicholas Zifcak and Cassie Ryan. Read the original Chinese article. The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter. |
| Yunan official's tantrum caught on camera Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:58 AM PST The tantrum Yan Linkun — a party member of Yunnan province and vice chairman of local mining group — threw at an airport was caught on camera and broadcasted on the US television network CBS. The ... |
| Beijing proposes world's largest airport Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:46 AM PST Beijing is planning to build a new airport with an annual traveler capacity of 100 million people. The new airport will become the world's largest airport hub, larger than the current Beijing Capital ... |
| Google Play store reopens paid apps in Taiwan Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:18 AM PST US search engine Google confirmed Wednesday that it has resumed its offerings of paid mobile applications in Taiwan, ending a 20-month suspension resulting from a legal dispute with the Taipei city go... |
| Hong Kong to invest US$9bn on capital works in 2013: official Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:10 AM PST Hong Kong's financial secretary John Tsang said Wednesday in his annual budget speech that the estimated capital works expenditure for the 2013-2014 fiscal year could exceed HK$70 billion (US$9 billi... |
| More Chinese cities ready for property tax pilots Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:10 AM PST Several Chinese cities are "technically ready" to join the property tax pilots currently in place in Shanghai and Chongqing after the government signalled it will expand the program to more areas, acc... |
| Rhythm & Hues Taiwan studio to open by late March: manager Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:10 AM PST Rhythm & Hues Studios will open its new facility in southern Taiwan by the end of March, even though its US headquarters filed for court protection two weeks ago, a local executive said Wednesday. P... |
| Ang Lee's 'cheaper' remark irritates artist into writing open letter Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:10 AM PST An open letter addressing Taiwanese director Ang Lee has been circulating online after Lee allegedly said he would like the visual effects created by Rhythm & Hues, the house mainly responsible for t... |
| Court orders UK fugitive to pay US$254,000 in compensation Posted: 28 Feb 2013 04:10 AM PST A British fugitive who fled Taiwan before he was scheduled to serve his jail term for manslaughter that left a man dead should pay NT$7.55 million (US$254,500) in compensation to the family of his vic... |
| Chinese Villagers Fight Land Grab by Officials Working With Developers Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:41 PM PST  On Feb. 25, more than thousand Hui Muslims from Pingfeng Village, Shaoyang City, protested in front of the municipal government building. (Provided by the interviewees) A mass protest by villagers in the south-central province of Hunan is the latest of several similar incidents drawing attention to land acquisitions for development projects being exploited by communist officials. More than a thousand Hui Muslims from Pingfeng Village, Shaoyang City, protested in front of the municipal government building on Feb. 25, demanding that authorities hold the relevant officials accountable for a recent land acquisition during which villagers were attacked with batons. One of the villagers, Mrs. Ma, told The Epoch Times that the protesters held up banners and photos taken of the villagers being beaten. "We waited for over an hour and no officials came out to meet us, so we went into the office building and were met by at least a hundred police. Then finally an official came out to meet us." The protestors stated that the land was forcibly taken, and more than a dozen people were injured. Supported by the villagers, the families of the victims demanded that the municipal government investigate the local law enforcement department and punish the perpetrators. However, they were told to wait for the outcome of the government's investigation.
According to Mrs. Ma, the beatings occurred on the morning of Jan. 10, when over a hundred Shuangqing District government staff members, policemen, and urban management officers arrived in police vehicles, and commenced a hostile land acquisition. "They came to the village and beat whoever spoke up with police batons, injuring 14 people; seven were even hospitalized," she said. There was no official paperwork accompanying the acquisition, and villagers who requested documentation were met with threats. One villager, Zhang Yaping, took pictures of the incident, and was subsequently chased, beaten unconscious, and had his camera stolen. Mrs. Ma said the officer in charge at the time shouted, "Beat them up! I'm not afraid of them suing; I'll pay even if you kill them!" At that point the officials began hitting the villagers, including Mrs. Ma, her husband, and their son, who was severely wounded. Villagers who were only observing also got beaten and had to be taken to hospital. Afterwards, various villagers separately reported the incident to the local government, holding that it had engaged in a fixed-price land acquisition under the guise of development. About 330 acres of land were recently forcibly acquisitioned, according to reports. During the past year, many villagers have been hurt due to frequent forcible land and home acquisitions, with the total injured numbering over a few hundred people. Purportedly, these under-the-table dealings between the local government and developers enable both to make considerable profits using the acquisitioned land. A local surnamed Zhang told The Epoch Times, "Villagers survive off the land, and now the land is forcibly acquisitioned. Villagers demand that the local government buy them pension insurance, and ask for employment. With their land and homes facing immediate demolition, the villagers asked that the issue be settled locally. But officials have ignored this request." Some villagers added that many retired government officials have taken up part-time jobs in real estate companies, and are receiving wages and benefits, including former employees from The National People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and also law enforcement. Some have even bought villas very cheaply through developers. These people are apparently utilizing their previous connections and old titles to work with the developers, thus deceiving the public. Translated by John Wang. Written in English by Barbara Gay. Research by Feng Hao. Reporting by Cassie Ryan. Read the original Chinese article.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter. |
| Taiwan's economy slows, growth not expected until 2nd half of 2013 Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:34 AM PST Taiwan's economy flashed "yellow blue" signals as the economy slowed in January, officials at the nation's highest economic planning agency said Wednesday. The Cabinet-level Council for Economic Plan... |
| Ang Lee: Maker of films and movies stars Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:30 AM PST The films of Taiwan-born American film director Ang Lee have not only won several Oscars and other awards, they have helped launch actors to international stardom. Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi, perh... |
| Chinese designer debuts at Milan Fashion Week Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:14 AM PST Chinese couture designer Wang Peiyi made his debut at Milan Fall/Winter 2013-14 Fashion Week on Tuesday. The Beijing-based stylist offered a collection inspired by the Aurora Borealis — also known a... |
| Huawei presents new mobile products at Barcelona congress Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:14 AM PST Chinese telecommunications company Huawei unveiled its vehicle compatible 3G and 4G communication modules, as well as a 3G mobile hotspot and diagnostic box at the ongoing Mobile World Congress on Tue... |
| IKEA says meatballs in China not contaminated by horsemeat Posted: 28 Feb 2013 03:14 AM PST Swedish furniture giant IKEA has continued to sell its iconic meatball meals at its stores in China after Czech Republic authorities found traces of horse DNA in the product in Europe. IKEA said the ... |
| Cnooc CEO in Rare Sit-Down, Says No More Deals in Near Term Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:24 PM PST
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| EU vs. Firm Linked to Hu Jintao Posted: 27 Feb 2013 07:12 PM PST The World Trade Organization ruled this week that China violated international trade rules when it imposed import tariffs on security scanners made by European firms. Sounds like a standard trade spat, but this particular dispute has an interesting wrinkle. |
| No Move Yet by U.N. Body After Test by Koreans Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:00 PM PST Diplomats said the process had bogged down mainly over bridging differences between China and the United States about how forcefully to respond. |
| China: Buoys Near Contested Islands Are for Checking Weather, Official Says Posted: 26 Feb 2013 09:00 PM PST Some Japanese had speculated that the buoys were intended to detect the movement of submarines, but a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said they are to monitor ocean conditions. |
| China 'censors' Taiwan in Ang Lee's Oscar speech Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:26 AM PST China's official media coverage of Ang Lee's Oscar acceptance at the 85th Academy Awards has omitted the part where the Taiwan-born director thanked his homeland, reports our Chinese-language sister n... |
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