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- Have You Heard…
- Abe Gets Mixed Results on U.S. Visit
- China’s Leaders Plan Government Revamp as Xi Set to Take Reins
- China's mainland home to 247 'cancer villages'
- Marathon runner to quit ... at age of 101
- Lanterns mark end of the holiday
- Meteor fragments on sale likely to be fakes
- Official suspended after outbreak of airport rage
- Snack seeds could cause dementia, says watchdog
- Arson suspected in Zhejiang fire
- Samsung and Huawei kick off launches
- In pictures: China Lantern Festival
- VIDEO: Tightrope walkers' death-defying stunts
- Agricultural authorities have culled about 95,000 chickens following an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in northwest China.
| Posted: 24 Feb 2013 09:14 AM PST Have You Heard…   |
| Abe Gets Mixed Results on U.S. Visit Posted: 24 Feb 2013 09:17 AM PST  Source: Wall Street Journal By Yuka Hayashi WASHINGTON—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe got through his first diplomacy test with a modest passing grade, claiming some progress on economic policy during his brief U.S. visit last week, but falling a bit short in meeting his goals on national security. Mr. Abe came home without securing stronger backing from Washington in Japan's increasingly thorny territorial row with China, the biggest goal of his trip. But he scored a concrete, if incremental, win in the form of improved prospects for Japan's participation in an emerging Pacific trade agreement—a key missing component of Mr. Abe's popular but controversial economic policy package that has triggered a stock market rally at home and sent his approval rating soaring. Specifically, the prime minister succeeded in getting Mr. Obama to issue a conciliatory-sounding statement suggesting flexibility to Japanese concerns about joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, smoothing the way for Tokyo's entry into its preparatory negotiations. Japan's participation in the U.S.-led pact has been viewed by advocates as a way to spur long-term economic growth through trade, while reinforcing ties with regional allies as China's rapid rise destabilizes security in East Asia. Still, strong opposition in Japan—particularly from farmers and politicians relying on their votes—has made TPP a particularly sensitive issue for Mr. Abe and a few of his predecessors. At a news conference here Friday, Mr. Abe expressed his intention to "make a decision as soon as possible" to join the pact. Japanese media reported Sunday Mr. Abe might announce his decision within the next week or two, allowing Japan to enter formally into the negotiations as early as June. U.S. officials say the timing also relies on whether the Obama administration can garner enough support in Congress, where many lawmakers with auto industry ties remain opposed to admitting Tokyo into the club. In contrast with the major success of Japanese car companies in the U.S., American auto makers have just a tiny share of Japan's domestic market, and blame various informal trade barriers—a charge the Japanese industry denies. Mr. Abe's ability to move forward on TPP was made a bit easier by a short joint statement–the only one that came out of the meeting—saying that the two leaders recognized that both countries had "bilateral trade sensitivities such as certain agricultural products for Japan and certain manufacturing products for the U.S.," referring to rice and autos. They then said that making a "prior commitment to unilaterally eliminate all tariffs" wasn't a requirement for jointing the TPP talks. That phrase was essential for Mr. Abe, who had made a campaign pledge to oppose any trade agreement "that didn't allow for sacred cows." While Abe aides said in advance of the trip that tightening the bilateral security relationship was his primary goal, the meetings underscored Japan's challenge of balancing relations with the U.S. and China. According to both Japanese and U.S. officials, the prime minister was unable to draw from Mr. Obama as strong a public commitment as Japanese officials had sought that the U.S. would defend Japan if the continuing tussles over a group of uninhabited islands turn violent, perhaps due to miscalculations among the rival ships and planes patrolling the area. Sitting next to Mr. Abe in the Oval Office, Mr. Obama said "the U.S.-Japan alliance is the central foundation of our regional security and so much of what we do in the Pacific region," but never mentioned the word China in his public remarks. The same was true for John Kerry, the new state secretary, who met his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida. Japanese officials said they were disappointed with what they considered the Americans' restrained stance on China—now a far larger trade partner for the U.S. They said were hoping to hear statements similar to those given by former state secretary Hillary Clinton, who had taken firmer tones against Beijing. In fact, Mr. Obama—who has dealt with four Japanese prime ministers before Mr. Abe since taking office—and other officials were restrained in their dealings with the Japanese delegation, perhaps out of a reluctance to cozy up to yet another Japanese leader who may not survive more than a year of the country's notorious political instability. According to Japanese officials, the president was noncommittal to Mr. Abe's request to allow shale gas exports for Japan, desperately seeking new energy sources after the Fukushima disaster curbed its use of nuclear energy. Mr. Obama also didn't respond firmly to Mr. Abe's invitation for a return visit to Japan. Even Mr. Abe himself characterized his U.S. counterpart as "very businesslike" while describing as "cordial" the atmosphere of their meeting—which came only after Japan's request for a January visit was turned down citing the president's busy schedule. Underscoring the less-than-enthusiastic nature of Washington's welcome, Japan's first lady, Akie Abe, wrote in a Facebook post Thursday that her wish to accompany her husband didn't materialize "because of Mrs. Obama's schedule." An Obama administration official explained that Tokyo's request for Mrs. Abe's visit came long after the prime minister's visit was penciled in, and that U.S. first lady Michelle Obama was unable to change her "long-standing out-of-town program commitment." That didn't keep Mr. Abe from making efforts to woo his American audience during the long-anticipated trip—something he had started discussing even before scoring a big election win in December and returning to the job he had abandoned in 2007 after only a year. Mr. Abe ventured freezing temperatures to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. At a reception, he gave Mr. Obama–an avid, if not stellar, golfer–a gift of a Japanese golf putter. He told the story of his grandfather, then-Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, playing a round with President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960, the year when the current U.S.-Japan security treaty was signed. The highlight of Mr. Abe's trip—with just one day of public appearances—was a speech titled "Japan Is Back," delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. The 20-minute talk touched on a range of topics from his economic policy goals, to North Korea, to plans to beef up Japan's defense. He even managed to draw occasional laughs from the audience. "Japan is not, and will never be, a tier-two country," Mr. Abe said. "I should repeat it by saying, I am back, and so shall Japan be."   |
| China’s Leaders Plan Government Revamp as Xi Set to Take Reins Posted: 24 Feb 2013 09:20 AM PST  Source: Bloomberg News China's new leaders will this week consider plans to revamp the central government as part of efforts to streamline bureaucracy and boost an economy that's recovering from the slowest growth in 13 years. The changes are meant to reduce red tape in the world's second-biggest economy as it grapples with the need to boost consumption and tackle issues including environmental degradation and corruption that are spurring social unrest. Xi and Li, though, will face entrenched interests that may limit their ability to revamp key ministries, said Ding Xueliang, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology who teaches contemporary Chinese politics. "Whenever a new leadership takes over, they try to push forward with government restructuring but it's very difficult because everyone is vying for power and no one wants to give it up," Ding said. "Xi and Li may only be able to push through a watered-down version of what they want." In its Feb. 23 report, Xinhua said Politburo members agreed reform should be carried out in an "active yet prudent, step by step manner." Impede Growth If the changes to the State Council, or Cabinet, go ahead, that might be a "sign that this new leadership know their task now is to produce economic growth through efficiency and not just raw economic activity, and the system as it is will impede that," said Kerry Brown, a former British diplomat in Beijing who is now a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Sydney. The State Council is the country's top executive and administrative body and includes the premier, four vice premiers, five state councilors and ministers in charge of 27 ministries and commissions. Organizations under the State Council include the ministries of defense and finance, the National Development and Reform Commission and People's Bank of China. The changes, which will be unveiled during the National People's Congress that starts in Beijing on March 5, coincides with the completion of a once-a-decade power transfer to a new generation of leaders that started in November. Institutional reforms have been announced every five years since the 1980s. Super Ministries The Communist Party has been attempting to adapt the bureaucracy to the changing structure of the economy as it moves from a system based on central planning to one driven by the market. Changes introduced in 2008 included five new so-called super ministries: the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; the Ministry of Environmental Protection; the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction; and the Ministry of Transport. A National Energy Administration was also set up under the NDRC, the top economic planning body, which was stripped of some of its powers. The scandal-hit Ministry of Railways may be the biggest casualty of the latest revamp. Caijing magazine said on its website on Feb. 23 it will be merged into the Ministry of Transport. New York-based Duowei News, which accurately predicted in July that the Politburo Standing Committee would be reduced to seven members from nine, said on its website last week that the transport ministry will take over railway construction and network planning, while the railway ministry's operational units will be separated into a new company. Food Safety The breakup of the ministry, a body accused of being run like an independent kingdom, may have been hastened by the July 2011 crash of a high-speed train that killed 40 people and the removal of Minister Liu Zhijun in February that year on allegations of corruption. Caijing said the Ministry of Civil Affairs may widen its responsibilities over social management and there will be a nationwide reform of food safety. The country has been rocked by food scandals, most notably in 2008 when infant formula tainted with melamine killed at least six infants and sickened about 300,000 others. Blame, Punish The reforms may help the party improve accountability and responsibility, according to Ding. "Whenever there's a crisis or a scandal, top leaders always face the dilemma of who to blame, who to punish and who will fix the problem," he said. "So if you want a higher level of administrative efficiency and accountability to you have to make these reforms." Institutional reform is needed to support growth, former central bank adviser Li Daokui said at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, in September. "Dividends" from previous institutional reforms are running out, he said. China's expansion, which averaged an annual 10.2 percent over the past two decades, may slow to 6.5 percent by 2020 as investment moderates, the population ages and labor supply tightens, JPMorgan Chase & Co. estimated in a Feb. 1 report. The economy grew 7.8 percent in 2012, the least since 1999. Speaking during November's Party Congress that saw Xi appointed general secretary, Li Jiange, head of the country's biggest investment bank, said new leaders must make changes as government intervention, ranging from excessive regulation to rigid price controls, has become "unbearable."   |
| China's mainland home to 247 'cancer villages' Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:42 AM PST China has more than 247 "cancer villages" throughout the mainland, according to a map that is being widely circulated on the Internet. The map caught the public's attention after the Ministry of Environmental Protection admitted earlier this month the existence of such villages and said pollution was to blame for high cancer rates among their residents. The map was said to have been drawn up by a Chinese university student after research into data and media reports. Although such villages are found in around 27 regions, many of them are located in central Henan and eastern Jiangsu provinces. The number of such villages is a sharp increase compared to another widely circulated map published by social activist Deng Fei several years ago. Deng identified just over 100 "cancer villages." In Yangqiao Village of Yancheng City in Jiangsu, more than 20 villagers have been reported as dying of cancer, mainly from lung and esophageal cancers, from 2001 to 2004. The pollution in the air was so bad, it was reported, that villagers had to cover their mouths and noses with wet towels when sleeping. In Dongjin Village in the same city, nearly 100 villagers were said to have died of cancer from 2001 to 2006 as the result of pollution caused by a chemical company. The firm offered 70 yuan (US$11) to each villager as "subsidy" after it was sued by victims, China Business Journal reported. In a village in Henan, a total of 79 villagers died of cancer in four years after a growing number of paper manufacturing factories discharged industrial waste into river, turning it as black as ink. The environmental ministry has published a plan to prevent and control risks brought by chemicals to the environment. The ministry said China was still producing and using toxic chemicals which were banned in some developed countries because of their threat to human health and the environment. "Various chemicals have been detected in some rivers, lakes and inshore waters, as well as in animals and human bodies in recent years," the ministry said. "Toxic chemicals have caused several environment emergencies linking to water and air pollution. Drinking water crises hit many regions while 'cancer villages' and other severe cases of health and social problems emerged in some other regions," the ministry said. According to the plan, sources polluting underground water will be under tight supervision by environmental watchdogs by 2020. Shallow underground water in China has been severely polluted and the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with water quality data in 2011 showing that 55 percent of underground supplies in 200 cities was of bad or extremely bad quality, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources. A review of underground water carried out by the ministry from 2000 to 2002 showed that nearly 60 percent of shallow underground water was undrinkable, the Beijing News reported yesterday. Some reports in the Chinese media said water pollution was so severe in some regions that it caused cancer in villagers and even led to cows and sheep which drank it to become sterile. In the latest pollution scandal, chemical companies in east China's Weifang City were accused of using high-pressure injection wells to discharge waste sewage more than 1,000 meters underground for years, seriously polluting underground water and posing a cancer threat. The government of the city is offering 100,000 yuan (US$16,000) to anyone who blows the whistle on companies illegally discharging waste underground. So far, no companies have been caught for polluting the environment. |
| Marathon runner to quit ... at age of 101 Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:40 AM PST THE world's oldest marathon runner ran his last race yesterday at the age of 101. Fauja Singh finished the Hong Kong marathon's 10-kilometer race in a time of 1 hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds. Singh, a Sikh, wore a saffron turban and sported a flowing white beard. As he followed the route along the northern lip of Hong Kong island, he was accompanied by a group from the city's local Sikh community, joining about 72,000 other runners taking part in the marathon. The Indian-born runner, nicknamed the Turbaned Torpedo, said earlier that he would hang up his sneakers after the race in the southern Chinese city, just before his 102nd birthday. "I will remember this day. I will miss it," Singh said minutes after crossing the finish line. Singh, a great-grandfather, became the oldest man to run a full marathon at Toronto in 2011, at the age of 100. But his record was not recognized by Guinness World Records because he doesn't have a birth certificate to prove his age. Singh has a British passport that shows his date of birth as April 1, 1911, while a letter from Indian government officials states that birth records were not kept in 1911. "I am feeling a bit of happiness and a bit of sadness mixed together. I am happy that I am retiring at the top of the game but I am sad that the time has come for me to not be part of it," Singh said in a pre-race interview. "And there will always be times in the future where I will be thinking, 'Well, I used to do that." Singh took up running at the age of 89 as a way to get over depression after his wife and son died in quick succession. The death in 1994 of his son took a particularly hard toll on Singh because of its grisly nature. Singh and his son Kuldip, both farmers, were checking their fields in the middle of a storm when a piece of corrugated metal blown by the wind decapitated Kuldip in front of his father's eyes. Singh, whose five other children had emigrated, was left all alone. "He didn't think his life was worth living without his son" following the traumatic incident, coach Harmander Singh said. He went to live with his youngest son in London. That's where the sports enthusiast Singh attended tournaments organized by the Sikh community and took part in sprints. Some Sikh marathon runners encouraged him to take up long-distance running. One day Singh saw a marathon on television for the first time and decided that's what he wanted to do too. In 2000, he ran the London marathon, his first, and went on to do eight more. His best time was 5 hours and 40 minutes in Toronto in 2003. "From a tragedy has come a lot of success and happiness," Singh said before the race yesterday as he explained how running had changed his life, allowing an illiterate farmer to travel the world. Following his retirement from racing, he said he hoped "people will remember me and not forget me." He also wanted people to continue to invite him to events "rather than forget me altogether just because I don't run anymore." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Lanterns mark end of the holiday Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:39 AM PST China celebrated the Lantern Festival with fireworks and food yesterday, as millions of migrant workers flowed back to cities and smog blanketed a large part of the country. The festival formally marks the end of celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year, 15 days after it began. The Ministry of Railways estimated that around 6.4 million people would have made train journeys yesterday. Many of China's migrant workers living in rural areas delay their return to work beyond the official public holiday, which only lasts a week. Yesterday, air pollution in Beijing reached hazardous levels due to increased traffic and the fireworks, China Central Television reported. Officials in the capital were urging people to limit the number of fireworks they set off. As of 7pm, air quality was heavily to severely polluted, the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center said. Beijing has banned fireworks in its urban area, only allowing residents to let off them from the eve of the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival. At 4pm, the city's weather forecasters issued a smog alert, predicting visibility of less than 3,000 meters over the next 12 hours. There were also smog alerts issued for central and eastern parts of the country. In Shanghai, worshippers thronged Buddhist temples, burning incense and tossing coins into giant urns to make wishes for the coming year. Shoppers snapped up dumplings made from glutinous rice with sweet or savory fillings, called tang yuan in Shanghai, traditionally eaten on the holiday. "The pork ones sold out early. We can't make enough," said a clerk at a branch of dumpling chain Wangjiasha, offering crab meat or sweet sesame paste alternatives. Outside Beijing in Yuxian, a rural part of Hebei Province, residents marked the festival by holding a parade with a dragon dance and releasing red paper lanterns like small hot-air balloons into the sky. Livelier than Beijing In the thousand-year-old Pingyao Town in north China's Shanxi Province, people hung lanterns above front doors and set off fireworks. "We traveled from Beijing to Pingyao, and experienced different atmospheres of Lantern Festival celebrations. Pingyao is livelier," said Sarah Brown, an Australian tourist. School pupil Zheng Rui enjoyed the traditional performances. "My teacher told me to keep writing a diary during the winter vacation. I watched the performances so I can write about them. The journey will be worthwhile with impressive memories," Zheng said. Besides eating yuanxiao, a sweetened dumpling made of glutinous rice flour and stuffed with meat, nuts, fruit or sugar, Zheng, his parents and relatives enjoyed a variety of performances put on by the town, including dragon lantern dances, lion dances, stilt-walking and Pingyao operas. In northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Library prepared more than 1,000 Chinese puzzles and 300 puzzles for residents. There were many charity performances in Xinjiang and a bazaar to help disabled people and people in need. In central China's Henan Province, to reduce air pollution and avoid smog, cities and districts of Zhengzhou, Jiyuan, Zhoukou, Zhumadian and Sanmenxia canceled fireworks displays. The government of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, held cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage and large-scale lamp exhibitions in the city's parks. "It's worthwhile giving up fireworks for fresh air, and I believe citizens understand," said Wang Dezhi, a Zhengzhou resident. In northeastern Jilin Province, some firework sellers said they faced a quiet festival since people were refusing to buy their products. "I only sold 100 yuan worth of fireworks today. I bought 50,000 yuan worth of fireworks this year, but there are still more than 5,000 yuan worth to sell," said Wang Li. |
| Meteor fragments on sale likely to be fakes Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:30 AM PST FRAGMENTS said to be from the meteor that plunged over Russia's Ural region are being sold online in China at prices ranged from 8,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan (US$16,040). However, scientists warned yesterday that most of them could be fake. Some sellers on shopping website taobao.com said the small rocks had been collected from the site of the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant after nearly 1,200 people had been injured and thousands of homes damaged by the meteor on February 15. "The fragments were picked by some of my Russian friends and the rocks, about 10 grams each, are still in Russia," said one vendor. His price was 8,600 yuan a piece and he claimed that wearing them could cure depression. "They are quite rare stuff, no matter you believe or not," he said. Another seller was charging 80,000 yuan for a 3-kilogram rock which he claimed had just been shipped to China from Russia. He required cash for it but refused requests for an interview. The most expensive fragment, costing 100,000 yuan, was advertised using pictures that apparently came from Xinhua news agency. Most of the fragments for sale online are fake because the genuine article would have a serial number granted by official international organizations, Tang Haiming, an official with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory on Sheshan Hill, said. Tang said many of the fragments were actually residue from steel-making that looked similar to pieces of the meteor. But he discouraged people buying even genuine fragments. The ingredients of the meteor and whether they are harmful to human health was still unclear, Tang said. Zhu Jin, curator of the Beijing Planetarium, said: "About 95 percent of claimed meteorite fragments are man-made." Some Russian websites are also offering pieces for sale. Prices range from 100 to 1,000 rubles (about US$3 to US$33). Police have begun an investigation into the online sales. Last week, Russian scientists said they had found pieces of the meteorite in the Chebarkul Lake near Chelyabinsk. But some scientists say no large remnants exist, as the meteor was mainly composed of ice which almost completely evaporated during its entry into the Earth's atmosphere. |
| Official suspended after outbreak of airport rage Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:29 AM PST
Yan Linkun also faces punishment as the member of Shizong County's political advisory body in Yunnan's Qujing City. The deputy chairman of Yunnan Mining Corp smashed two computers at Kunming Changshui International Airport after he and his family were told they couldn't board their flight. A video of Yan's reaction recorded by surveillance cameras was posted online on Friday. Over the weekend, the political advisory body said Yan would be severely punished, while the mining company suspended him from his post and told him to apologize. Yan, his wife and two 10-year-old sons, were due to take an 11:05am flight to Shenzhen on Tuesday, but the family arrived after the boarding gate had closed. Yan changed their flight to 1pm on Wednesday but, again, the family was late and was told they couldn't board. Yan and his wife then shouted at staff and Yan used a keyboard to repeatedly smash computers at the gate. Yan said he had been angry because he was in a hurry to send his sons to school but afterward was full of regret. "I failed to be a qualified political adviser as well as a good father," he said. In an apology to Wang Jinsheng, the airport's deputy manager, he said: "My irrational actions and rudeness have caused some losses to the airport as well as bad effects to the public, so I sincerely apologize to the airport and public. I am willing to compensate." Airport police said they were still investigating to determine whether Yan faced criminal charges. |
| Snack seeds could cause dementia, says watchdog Posted: 24 Feb 2013 08:29 AM PST SEVEN kinds of snack seeds sold in Suzhou have been found to contain aluminum - said to come from an additive to keep the seeds dry - that can cause brain and nerve damage, according to a report in yesterday's Suzhou Daily. The city's quality watchdog didn't say whether the aluminum content was excessive but pointed to a potential risk of dementia from an accumulated amount of the metal. Its inspection, carried out last Friday, randomly selected seven kinds of fried seeds, including melon and sunflower seeds sold in bulk in supermarkets and food stores. All were found to contain aluminum, the newspaper said. It said some vendors would add alums containing aluminum when making fried seeds to maintain their crisp texture. Some were also said to use talcum powder to smooth the surface of the seeds to make them more attractive. But the powder contained cancer-causing substances, the newspaper said. Ding Hongliu, an official with the Suzhou City Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau, said people should strip the husks first before eating the seeds rather than putting them in their mouths and spitting out the husks. Ding also advised customers to choose packaged seeds from well-known brands of guaranteed quality rather than seeds sold in bulk. |
| Arson suspected in Zhejiang fire Posted: 24 Feb 2013 12:37 AM PST A residential house fire that killed eight people in a town in east China's Zhejiang Province may have been arson, according to an initial police investigation. |
| Samsung and Huawei kick off launches Posted: 24 Feb 2013 07:41 AM PST Samsung releases a new tablet and Huawei announces a new 4G smartphone at 2013's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. |
| In pictures: China Lantern Festival Posted: 24 Feb 2013 07:51 AM PST Lantern Festival marks end of Chinese New Year |
| VIDEO: Tightrope walkers' death-defying stunts Posted: 23 Feb 2013 08:17 PM PST Thousands of people have been celebrating the end of Chinese New Year by ushering in its annual lantern festival. |
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