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SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
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H1N1 flu
DPRK and South
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Mongolia
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Hosts want Obama to say Tibet is Chinese (SCMP)
2009-11-06
At the top of Beijing's wish list for this month's visit to China by Barack Obama is a public statement by the US president recognising Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. In exchange, say Chinese diplomats, Beijing would commit to military transparency and to co-operation on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Diplomats from the world's two most influential nations are still negotiating details of the summit between Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. The Chinese side has suggested Obama state that "Tibet is part of China's territory and the US opposes Tibetan independence", the Chinese envoys say. Obama will visit Shanghai and Beijing between November 15 and 18. An agreement on this most sensitive political issue would be a triumph for Beijing and could help end deadlock on strategic issues, though human rights campaigners and the US Congress would be bound to criticise it […] "China sees that Tibet and Taiwan remain the leadership's top concerns in its relationship with the United States, and a public statement by a visiting US president is certainly highly sought after by the Chinese leadership," said Jin Canrong, associate dean of the school of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing […] Jin believes there is a less than 50 per cent chance Obama will make such a public statement, but thinks the US president might be willing to do something in a closed-door encounter to satisfy Chinese demands. ^ top ^
China drills while leaving others to kill (Global Times)
2009-11-06
China is being accused of shoring up mega energy deals in oil- and mineral-rich Iraq and Afghanistan while contributing little to international security concerns, an issue that is being debated in Western media outlets whose countries are entrenched in war zones. Chinese experts say that the accusations reflect "jealousy" toward China's overseas resources expansion, as the US and Britain have been used to dominating the world's oil supply. "As the US and Britain look for an exit from the battle zones, China is digging in," an article in London's The Times newspaper said Thursday, adding that "to many in Washington, it looks as if China is winning the benefit of the struggles of the US and its allies." […] The voices came as Chinese State-owned energy powerhouses won major deals in the countries, as Beijing has stepped up its efforts to secure and diversify its inbound energy flow to fuel the soaring demand driven by rapid economic growth […]. ^ top ^
Chinese vice premier's three-nation tour in South Pacific fruitful: vice FM (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-06
The vice foreign minister on Thursday hailed Vice Premier Li Keqiang's official visit to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as "very fruitful," calling it a major diplomatic activity of China with the South Pacific region. Li's official visit to the three countries from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 was of great significance to the development of friendly cooperative relations between China and the three nations, He Yafei said […] Australia expressed willingness to become China's strategic partner in the areas of resources and energy. Both sides agreed to promote the negotiation process of the Free Trade Agreement based upon the principle of positive cooperation, pragmatism, balance and mutual benefits. During Li's visit, the two countries signed two cooperation agreements in telecommunications […] Li and New Zealand leaders agreed to continue to implement the free trade pact between the two countries, and to expand the scale of cooperation in trade and economy. The two countries signed a series of cooperation agreements on food security, inspection and quarantine and Chinese workers seeking temporary jobs in the island nation. The leaders of Papua New Guinea said they were willing to advance cooperation with China in some traditional areas such as agriculture, forestry and fishery as well as in energy and resources. During Li's visit, the two countries signed agreements on economic and technological cooperation as well as on preferential loans […] China signed MOUs with Australia and New Zealand on education and cooperative training programs during Li's visits, and also established a Confucius Institute with Canterbury University in New Zealand […]. ^ top ^
China on track to meet climate change goals: FM (Global Times)
2009-11-06
Commenting on the US top climate negotiator's urging China to set a target on emissions reduction, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu underscored Thursday that any mitigation China adopts has already met the requirements of international policies. Noting the basic difference between mitigation actions and qualified reduction commitments, Ma said that China's mitigation actions accord with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, particularly the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility," and the agreements on the Bali Roadmap […] According to Xie Zhenhua, head of China's Climate Change and Coordinating Committee, China will soon meet the targets of cutting energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent from 2006 to 2010 and raising the ratio of renewable energy from 7 percent of the total energy mix to 10 percent, as set by the 11th Five-Year Plan […] US climate envoy Todd Stern warned Wednesday that the US won't agree to targets cutting greenhouse gas emissions unless developing countries, particularly China, make similar moves […]. ^ top ^
Beijing hosts naval powers in anti-piracy talks: China seeks more co-ordination to secure sea lanes after hijacking (SCMP)
2009-11-05
As negotiations drag on to free 25 Chinese crewmen held hostage by Somali pirates, Beijing will host its international naval counterparts from tomorrow in a bid to boost anti-piracy efforts off the Horn of Africa. US, European, Russian and Japanese naval representatives are among those expected to attend the meeting, hastily arranged by Beijing in the wake of the hijacking last month of the bulk carrier De Xin Hai. The need for tighter co-ordination of patrols among the 40-odd navies now struggling to secure the Indian Ocean approaches to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, and the issue of increased intelligence sharing, were expected to be covered […] Just as China's deployment of three People's Liberation Army naval warships to the anti-piracy task force in January represented the nation's first potential combat engagement beyond home waters in centuries, the hijacking of the De Xin Hai is seeing Beijing take its first steps to drive military diplomacy to secure vital sea lanes linking Asia to Europe. "We're really not sure quite what Beijing hopes to get out of this meeting, but everyone seems keen to go to support any effort from their side to improve co-ordination," one Nato military attache said […] Both Asian and Western diplomats believe the hijacking has raised the stakes for Beijing, and the meeting reflects its desire to be seen to be doing something, particularly to avoid fallout if there are other attacks. Shipping industry officials said the capture highlighted weak links in the anti-piracy task force - problems Beijing may be seeking to fix at the meeting […] One proposal Beijing is likely to raise is the prospect of each country being given responsibility for a certain sector of ocean, rather than extensive joint patrols or each country only following its own ships […]. ^ top ^
Dalai Lama's border visit set to strain Sino-Indian ties (SCMP)
2009-11-05
The Dalai Lama on Sunday begins a week-long visit to a remote Indian province, part of which is also claimed by Beijing, as the two nations struggle to settle a border dispute. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has defended the visit to Arunachal Pradesh as a lecture tour, but it has already drawn heavy criticism from Beijing, coming just two months after he visited Taiwan […] The visit to Arunachal Pradesh comes at a time when the two nations, who fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962, are trying to scale down tension over troop mobilisation along their disputed border. Booming trade has eased relations, but mistrust remains. "The Dalai Lama's visit is a tacit acknowledgement that Tawang is a part of India," said Srikanth Kondapalli, head of East Asian studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi […] Bhaskar Roy, a New Delhi-based China expert, said: "He is testing China because they have adopted a hardline stand on Tibet and their talks are going nowhere. He is saying he will keep turning the screw whenever possible to keep Tibet alive." The last round of talks between Beijing and envoys of the Dalai Lama failed in November last year when officials rejected their calls for "high-level autonomy" for Tibet, which makes up nearly a quarter of the mainland's land mass […]. ^ top ^
Underdeveloped countries look to China (Global Times)
2009-11-04
Over 40 of the world's least developed countries (LDCs) sent representatives to the China Overseas Investment Fair Tuesday to promote their countries and attract investment […] The fair, held jointly by the China Industrial Overseas Development and Planning Association and the China Development Bank, was dedicated to promoting cross border investment. Danilo Nala, director of economics and development in Mozambique, gave several reasons for investors to invest in his country's agriculture and mining […] Albert Rugaba, chief representative of the Rwanda Investment & Export Promotion Agency China Office […] commented on the idea of "resource looting" that has been propounded by some western countries. We should view China's investments more as business rather than something political, Rugaba said […] The Rwandan representative expects a $300 million investment this year coming from China. Liang Huijiang, director for international finance of the China Development Bank, said at the fair that cross border investment is a major driver of the LDCs' economy […] As of the end of 2008, total outbound foreign investment from China reached $184 billion. The country's total direct investment in Africa, which has nearly 70 percent of the world's LDCs, reached $7.8 billion […]. ^ top ^
Premier to roll out aid plans for Africa's growth (China Daily)
2009-11-03
A number of far-reaching plans to help the livelihood of Africans will be announced by Premier Wen Jiabao next week at a summit between Beijing officials and African leaders. "We will pay more attention to the buildup of Africa's capability of independent development," said Deputy Commerce Minister Chen Jian at a press briefing for Wen's visit to Egypt scheduled from Nov 6-8 […] "We will further push China-Africa cooperation forward in various fields such as agriculture, food safety, infrastructure construction, trade, investment and healthcare." The premier is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov 8 […] Chinese officials and African leaders will also adopt a declaration and an action plan to chart the path for further China-Africa cooperation from 2010 to 2012, Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said […] Wen is also scheduled to visit the Cairo-based headquarters of the League of Arab States. He will sign a pack of cooperative agreements with his Egyptian counterpart, Zhai said […] Zhai said some African state and government leaders will attend the opening of the summit on Nov 8. ^ top ^
Asian EU a 'long-term' goal (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-03
Japan's call for an East Asian Community similar to the European Union has been welcomed by a senior Chinese official. Supporters of the idea say it will accelerate the process of regional integration. "This (the formation of the East Asian Community) can be listed as a long-term goal in developing the Sino-Japanese relationship while striving to build up mutual trust," said Liu Hongcai, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Liu was speaking yesterday at the fifth Beijing-Tokyo Forum, an annual event, organized by China Daily and nonprofit Japanese organization Genron NPO […] But, while Liu welcomed the idea, he said the two countries should first focus on cooperating over energy, the environment and telecommunications […] Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama had suggested the idea of forming an East Asian Community after taking office and naming his new cabinet in September […] The Beijing-Tokyo Forum is being attended by more than 100 delegates from the two countries […]. ^ top ^
Missile pioneer left his mark on both sides of the Pacific (SCMP)
2009-11-02
In a comment that epitomised the late Qian Xuesen's value to both China and the United States, former US secretary of the navy Dan Kimball apparently opposed the Chinese scientist's return to his homeland, fearing he might know too much about missile technology.
"I'd rather shoot him dead than let him leave America. Wherever he goes, he equals five divisions," Kimball reportedly said. The communist scare of the 1950s, led by US senator Joseph McCarthy, was responsible for Qian's return to China in 1955. On the mainland, it was hailed as a patriotic act. Kimball lamented that it was "the stupidest thing" the United States ever did. Qian, also known as Tsien Hsueshen, died on Saturday at the age of 98 in Beijing. He is known on the mainland as the father of China's space and missile programmes […] Qian was purged by the US for an alleged link to the Communist Party in the 1950s and eventually allowed to return to China after a tricky diplomatic trade-off […] Kimball's fears were substantiated by China's launch of the manned Shenzhou V space mission in October 2003, of which Qian helped lay the foundations, catapulting China into the same league as the United States and Russia […] A high-profile funeral is expected, which will probably be attended by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. ^ top ^
Hu Jintao to visit Malaysia, Singapore, attend APEC summit (Xinhua)
2009-11-02
Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to Malaysia and Singapore from Nov. 10 to 13 and attend an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit slated for Nov. 14 to 15 in Singapore, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. ^ top ^
China strongly dissatisfied with EU statement (Global Times)
2009-11-02
China on Friday voiced its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to an EU statement which denounced the execution of two Tibetans convicted of murder in last year's Lhasa riot.
The Swedish EU presidency released a statement Thursday, denouncing the recent death penalty handed down to two Tibetans involved in the Lhasa riot and asking China to abolish the capital sentences. "We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly oppose the EU statement," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said […] The Lhasa violence involving beating, smashing, looting and burning in 2008 was a sabotage activity "premeditated, organized and masterminded" by the Dalai Lama group, who instigated Tibetan separatists in and out of China to fuel up the incident, Ma said. China's legal institutions have carried out fair and open trials and brought only the culprits of the criminal activities to justice […] China asks the EU to abide by the principles of equality and mutual respect and not to send any misleading signals to Tibetan separatists, so as to ensure sound and stable development of EU-China relations, Ma said. ^ top ^
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China nets nearly 1,000 human trafficking rings in seven months (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-06
Chinese police have cracked 982 criminal rings engaged in children and women abducting and trafficking in the past seven months, an official with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said in Beijing Thursday. More than 6,000 victims had been rescued and some 6,200 suspects detained in the ongoing campaign as of Oct. 28, said Yang Dong, deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Department under MPS. Yang said since the campaign was initiated on April 9, the ministry has ordered police bureaus nationwide to launch investigation immediately after children are reported to be missing. The requirement came after people complained that some grassroots public security departments began their probe only 24 hours after people went missing […] Other measures adopted in the campaign include issuing wanted lists on MPS Web site and local media publications and setting up a DNA databank to help parents find their missing children by collecting blood samples. bducting cases are prone to taking place in the country's rural areas and urban-rural fringes, where parents are less vigilant, he said. ^ top ^
Christian academic fired amid blitz (SCMP)
2009-11-06
An outspoken researcher who is a Christian has been sacked by a top government think tank for "political reasons" amid an apparently intensifying blitz on underground churches. Fan Yafeng, an associate legal researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said yesterday his superiors told him at a meeting on Tuesday that his employment had been terminated. "The party secretary and director of the institute [of law] asked me in for a meeting, and they told me I was out of a job for political reasons," Fan said. Those reasons were not explained, but he said the decision was prompted by his involvement in political and human rights activities. "And my identity as a Christian is just part of the reason," he said. Fan has been a vocal supporter of political and constitutional reforms. He has taken part in legal cases involving rights violations and the suppression of religious rights […] The government tolerates Christianity only under the supervision of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement or the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Those who attend unregistered churches - house churches - have long faced suppression […]. ^ top ^
Injection to replace bullet to the head (Global Times)
2009-11-06
All criminals facing the death penalty in Beijing will be subject to lethal injection instead of a gunshot to the head, starting from next year, the Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday. The move was welcomed by legal experts. A lethal-injection room has been completed and is ready for official use, marking the end of execution by gunshot in the capital city. Beijing has only applied lethal injection to certain government officials, such as Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of the State Food and Drug Administration, since the country legalized the new method in 1997, according to the report. There is no official figure of the number of executed convicts in China. According to Amnesty International, at least 1,718 people were executed and at least 7,003 people are known to have been sentenced to death in 2008. Many other cities, including Kunming, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, have been administering lethal injections to some prisoners […] Currently the drug is provided free of charge to local courts by the Supreme People's Court. Before that, the Supreme Court controlled it and local courts had to pay 300 yuan ($41) per dose. Despite calls for China to abolish capital punishment, the country has showed no signs of scrapping the practice, citing a possibly worsening public security environment […]. ^ top ^
Health Ministry orders investigation into alleged illegal medical practice (Xinhua)
2009-11-05
China's Health Ministry said Wednesday it has ordered its Beijing bureau to investigate the Peking University's First Hospital for alleged illegal medical practice that caused the death of a professor […] the Health and Education Ministries had issued a special regulation on clinical internship for medical students, which mandates that medical students are forbidden to provide clinical services without a qualified doctor's supervision […] Prof. Xiong Zhuowei with the Peking University died of pulmonary failure after receiving a backbone surgery in the hospital affiliated to the university on Jan. 31, 2006. Wang Jianguo, Xiong's husband […] later brought a lawsuit against the hospital for illegal medical practice after he collected a series of evidence showing that the medical staff involved in her wife's death were still medical students. Those students hadn't acquired professional qualifications when they were on internship in the hospital, but they were tasked with observation and diagnosis during Xiong's surgery as well as the rescue procedure in the name of doctors […] According to China's Law on Licensed Doctors, unqualified individual who does not acquire a medical practising certificate is prohibited from undertaking medical activities. The hospital has appealed to the Beijing Higher People's Court for a second trial that falls on Thursday. ^ top ^
148,000 drink drivers punished in China's crackdown (Xinhua)
2009-11-05
Chinese police have netted and punished 148,000 drink drivers since a nationwide crackdown was launched on Aug. 15. Of the total, 23,000 were drunk drivers, the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday […] All the offenders were fined while 131,000 driving licenses were suspended. Some 20,000 drunk drivers were put under administrative detention, according to the ministry. Chinese police initially launched a two-month nationwide campaign to root out drink driving following a series of fatal traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers. The program was then extended to the year end on Oct. 19. ^ top ^
China to build inland nuclear power stations (Global Times)
2009-11-05
The design and first-phase construction of three inland nuclear power stations in China has begun, Wang Binghua, chairman of State Nuclear Power Technology Corp., said Wednesday […] The new sites are Xian'ning City in the central Hubei Province, Taohuajiang City in the central Hunan Province and Pengze City in the eastern Jiangxi Province. China's existing nuclear power stations are sited along the eastern coast. Building more nuclear power stations is essential to China's endeavor to cope with energy shortage and pollution, said Ye Qizhen, deputy director of the science and technology committee of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) […] China's vast inland areas need nuclear power stations to drive economic growth, especially in regions that lack coal and water resources […] A massive power failure in January and February, 2008, caused by blizzards in central and southern China, signaled the risk of power shortage in China's hinterland, Ye said. Inland nuclear power stations will enter a phase of mass production and construction in 2013, said Sun Qin, general manager of the CNNC. The inland nuclear power stations will all adopt the most advanced Westinghouse-designed AP1000 pressurized water reactors to meet the stringent safety and environment standards, Sun added […]. ^ top ^
Mainland turns to hi-tech snooping: Cities step up use of surveillance systems (SCMP)
2009-11-04
Take a stroll along the streets of Shenzhen and look up […] Digital surveillance cameras - an estimated 800,000 of them - are peering into every nook and cranny of the border city […] Shenzhen is at the forefront of a security revolution on the mainland […] technological advances and a rapidly expanding security budget mean the streets of 660 of the mainland's 676 cities now come under the watchful gaze of more sophisticated eyes in the sky […] The aim is to curb crime and better manage the huge migrant population, but critics say the cameras are an invasion of privacy and have done little to prevent crime. The surveillance industry has grown at a rate of 30 to 40 per cent a year since the central government launched the "Gold Shield Project" in 2003. According to the Ministry of Finance, this year's national budget for public security is 116 billion yuan (HK$132 billion). This includes installing digital surveillance and data-analysis systems - known as the "sky net" - on all streets and in entertainment venues, public places and transport […] Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said surveillance cameras had already become the "usual way" to fight crime on the mainland […] Internationally, the effectiveness of cameras in preventing crime has been questioned […]. ^ top ^
'Godmother' of Chongqing crime gang sentenced to 18 years (Global Times)
2009-11-04
The only known female crime boss busted during the recent crackdown on organized crime in Chongqing was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison and fined 1.02 million yuan ($43,950). Xie Caiping, 46, sister-in-law of Wen Qiang, the former director of the Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau, was convicted by the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court for organizing and leading a gang, running illegal casinos, harboring people taking illegal narcotics, illegal detention and bribing officials. Xie's brother-in-law was the highest-ranking official arrested in September for alleged involvement with the underworld gangs in Chongqing. Wen will be prosecuted in November. Since 2004, Xie was supervising a gang of 20 mobsters and ex-convicts running underworld gambling businesses and harboring those who took drugs, reaping more than 2 million yuan ($294,000) in illegal gains […] Chongqing started a gang crackdown in June, exposing deep ties between police and criminals. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of more than 800 people, and 327 people have been prosecuted, said Chongqing's procuratorate […]. ^ top ^
Campaign to 'strike hard' at Xinjiang rioters (SCMP)
2009-11-04
Police have stepped up their anti-terrorism clampdown in Xinjiang, launching a "strike hard" campaign to revive a manhunt for suspects involved in deadly rioting in July. Authorities in the Muslim-populated region said they hoped the campaign, which will run to the end of the year, would help to bring back social stability and "eradiate security threats" […] Police said they would step up their investigation of the July 5 rioting in the regional capital Urumqi which, according to government figures, claimed almost 200 lives and left at least 1,680 injured. Suspects are still at large […] Security in the far-western region has been unstable since the rioting, which broke out when a protest by tens of thousands of Uygurs flared into a violent clash with Han Chinese. The protest was triggered by a clash between Han and Uygur workers in a Guangdong factory days before […] The central government has accused exiled Uygur activist Rebiya Kadeer and her World Uygur Congress of masterminding the riots, a claim that she and the group have rejected […] Xinhua said regional police had launched a new 100-day hunt for riot suspects from the National Day holiday at the start of last month. An unspecified number of suspects were detained […] It is still unclear how many suspects are still on the run […] A Xinjiang court sentenced 12 Uygurs to death last month for their part in the rioting and sent 20 others to jail. Appeals against the verdicts were rejected by the region's Higher People's Court […]. ^ top ^
China 'to put weapons in space' (SCMP)
2009-11-03
The head of China's air force has said the country has plans to build weapons in space, describing it as a "historical inevitability". General Xu Qiliang told the People's Liberation Army Daily the air force felt it was "imperative" to develop operations in space. Xu is the first top commander to break from the official line and admit China's ambitions to put weapons in space. He said the competition among military forces was moving beyond the Earth's atmosphere and even into deep space. Whoever controlled it would gain military dominance […] Given China's rapid economic development and increasing political influence, the development of the air force was not only aimed at national security but also regional stability and international peace-keeping, he said […] Xu's comments fit in with recent Pentagon reports on China's increasingly sophisticated military expansion, and overseas analysts saw them as a potential statement of intent. The general also said the air force would start to follow a more proactive strategy and would strike overseas targets that it saw as a threat […] Mainland military analysts took Xu's comments as a sign that the PLA was engaged in a fundamental change in its way of thinking […]. ^ top ^
H2-whoa! Twenty lakes vanish a year (Global Times)
2009-11-03
More than 1,000 lakes have disappeared in China in the past half century, and more than 80 percent of lakes along the lower reach of the Yangtze River have been troubled by algae outbreaks, officials warned Monday at the beginning of the 13th World Lake Conference in central Hubei Province […] the four-day gathering of more than 1,400 environmental experts and scholars from over 40 countries will focus on challenges facing the world's lakes. One of the key questions will be in regard to handling China's problem of polluted drinking water, which has actually gotten worse as a result of the country's rapid growth […] Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei […] pointed out that most of the lakes in southeast China are suffering from eutrophication, a state when the waters have a large influx of mineral and organic nutrients, resulting in excessive algae growth that suffocates other creatures in the water […] Under the dual effects of climate change and human activities, lakes are witnessing a continuous fall in water levels and decrease in fishable areas, experts said […] The country lost 9,570 square kilometers of water area, and 51.6 billion cubic meters of water-storage volume, in the past half century […]. ^ top ^
Law to promote govt transparency (China Daily)
2009-11-03
Government bodies failing to publicize information legally required to be made public may face lawsuits, according to a draft regulation issued by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) yesterday. Any individual citizen, legal representative or organization can file a lawsuit if they object to the government practice of not publicizing information, said the draft […] The regulation is believed to be a major move to help improve transparency of government work in the country […] According to the SPC, the public has been making requests for government information since the code took effect on May 1, 2008. It stipulates that government departments should publicize information like budgets, social welfare projects, and economic statistics, and also gives people the right to ask for information that should be public. Although the code enables the public to sue government departments, problems have been emerging in the public-access trials about the implementation of the code […] Legal experts said the SPC regulation will help "standardize and guide trials" […]. ^ top ^
Corruption in education a key concern (SCMP)
2009-11-02
The mainland leadership's decision to remove unpopular education minister Dr Zhou Ji over the weekend may seem abrupt, but it was not unexpected. It's actually a welcome development. As the central government maps out educational reforms for the medium and long term, Zhou's removal may signal a new start […] His departure had been expected since last year, when State Councillor Chen Zhili […], a close ally of former president Jiang Zemin, was replaced by Liu Yandong, closely linked to President Hu Jintao. But politics may just have expedited Zhou's removal. More important, the leadership may use his replacement to signal its renewed determination to step up education reforms at a time of widespread public dissatisfaction with the education system, particularly rampant financial and moral corruption at universities […] the central government proudly announced in 2000 that it would increase annual spending on education to 4 per cent of gross domestic product […] but nine years later it is still below 4 per cent, even though the mainland's GDP rose from 8.94 trillion yuan in 2000 to 30.06 trillion yuan last year […] The leadership can and should do much more. For a start, it should continue to raise teachers' salaries, particularly in rural areas […] With enough money, Zhou's successor can be better equipped to undertake much-needed reforms […] one of his top priorities must be fighting financial and academic corruption in universities. Last month, two senior officials, an executive deputy president and a party deputy secretary at Wuhan University […] were arrested for taking several million yuan in bribes in connection with several campus projects […]. ^ top ^
PLA lures talent with incentives (Global Times)
2009-11-02
The nation's military is reaching out for more degree holders in an effort to furnish the army with more capable soldiers, as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) started its regular winter recruitment campaign Monday. The Conscription Office of the Ministry of Defense said fresh recruits are mainly graduates from universities, colleges, vocational schools and high schools with preferences given to graduates with higher education – a requirement that is meant to further furnish China's military with more capable soldiers. The military has also started to recruit young women from the public as a whole. Xu Qiliang, the current commander of the PLA Air Force, stated […] that the Air Force is in need of young people as its backup force […] In an effort to woo more well-educated recruits, female graduates are entitled to preferential standards for the first time […] A number of Chinese provinces and cities have witnessed an increasing number of Army recruits, especially among women […] If recruited, every student-turned-soldier will receive a one-off refund of up to 24,000 yuan ($3,500) as compensation for college tuition fees or student loans […] Organizations at all levels have intensified their efforts to prevent corruption […] Many Web users disclosed that employees at some Conscription Offices will receive 50,000 yuan in commission for a woman applicant and 100,000 yuan for a man during the recruitment campaign […]. ^ top ^
5.0-magnitude quake hits southwest China's Yunnan (Xinhua)
2009-11-02
An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter Scale jolted southwest China's Yunnan Province early Monday morning, said the National Seismological Network of China. The quake struck the Binchuan County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture at 5:07 a.m. (Beijing Time). No immediate reports of casualties or damage are available. The epicenter was detected at 26.0 degrees north latitude and 100.7 degrees east longitude, with a depth of about 10 km, the network said. ^ top ^
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| Beijing |
Officials blamed for chaos at Beijing airport (SCMP)
2009-11-03
Outside the snow was falling, but inside Beijing's Capital International Airport temperatures rose. Snowstorms since Sunday stranded tens of thousands of air travellers. Flights were repeatedly delayed and cancelled, and passengers were stranded for hours at a time on planes or inside terminals with little or no information about when they would finally take off. As the airport returned to normal yesterday, questions were being asked over the communication breakdown between aviation authorities and municipal weather gurus who artificially induced the snowfall. And the state-owned airlines taking the rap for some of the worst delays came in for heavy criticism for poor service […] At the airport there was little information available from airport authorities and airline ground crew or flight attendants […] This exposed a lack of communication between aviation and meteorological authorities. A Xinhua report said the snowfall had been partially induced on Saturday when hundreds of snow-making rockets had been fired into the sky […]. ^ top ^
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| Shanghai |
Govt buys ticket for Disney Shanghai (China Daily)
2009-11-05
Mickey Mouse and friends are on their way to Shanghai after long-awaited plans for a Disney theme park near China's financial hub got the thumbs-up from central authorities […] The United States-based company and its Chinese partners will now begin detailed talks about the project, which will be based in Pudong New District, the government's information office said in a statement. Walt Disney Co welcomed the news […] Zhang Huiming, an economist at Fudan University, said the upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama will help promote the project. "For the US, it's a matter of the export of American culture," Zhang said […]. ^ top ^
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| Guangdong |
Govt takes farmland illegally, report says (China Daily)
2009-11-06
A township government in the southern province of Guangdong has illegally claimed a large area of farmland for real estate development, local media reported yesterday. Villagers in Li'an village of Tangtang township in Fogang county launched a protest against a local real estate developer when it began construction of the project last month […] The township government had allegedly requisitioned up to 260 hectares of farmland from local villagers four years ago and construction started in August this year. "But we have never seen the written agreement of the land requisition," said Huang Yaniu, a local villager. Villagers also haven't received compensation for the requisition […] Huang was one of four village representatives who signed the agreement with the township four years ago. Local government officials denied the villagers' request to return one of the copies after it was stamped, Huang said […] Qiu Yue, deputy director with the Fogang county bureau of land resources, said the land requisition in Tangtang township was not recorded by the county government […] The Guangdong land resource authority issued a new compensation rule for land requisition in 2006, with the maximum price reaching more than one million yuan ($146,000) per hectare. The authority said land projects would not be approved if they fail to meet the compensation rules […] Local legislators attributed the increasing land disputes to inadequate regulation and ineffective enforcement of the new compensation rules […]. ^ top ^
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| Hongkong |
Beijing dangles a deal on suffrage: Pass 2012 and we can talk, democrats told (SCMP)
2009-11-06
Is Beijing offering pan-democrats a deal on democracy? Senior Democratic Party member Cheung Man-kwong thinks one could be done. That's after members of a central government think tank said Beijing would consider favourably the pan-democrats' request for a road map to universal suffrage if the camp backed the Hong Kong government's electoral reform proposals for 2012 […] In response to the proposal, Democratic Party leaders have urged Beijing and the Hong Kong government to endorse three principles, which amount to a de facto road map, to assuage their fears the city will get "fake" universal suffrage. Given those endorsements, the party would be prepared to discuss the administration's proposals for 2012 […] No such deal will be on the agenda, however, when the 23 pan-democrat lawmakers meet Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen today to discuss the government proposals. Their first demand will be for universal suffrage in 2012; they have threatened to veto any proposal for elections in that year which lacks a road map to universal suffrage thereafter […] The government will soon launch a public consultation on proposals for changes in 2012. It is widely expected to suggest making at least 405 district councillors members of the Election Committee that picks the chief executive and creating 10 extra Legco seats, five of them directly elected and five voted on by district councillors. But it has resisted pressure to bundle the arrangements for the 2012 election with those for the election by universal suffrage of the chief executive in 2017 […]. ^ top ^
Rule change to aid visits by mainland parents (SCMP)
2009-11-06
Single parents from the mainland will be able to visit their children in Hong Kong more frequently with a new multiple-entry permit to be launched by mainland authorities at the end of the year, the Hong Kong government confirmed yesterday. Women who have lost their husbands - through death or separation - were eligible to apply for the permit […] They fell into the category with "special needs" whose scope had yet to be defined by the mainland government, he said. A mainland news service said this week that the central government would roll out a one-year multiple-entry permit for parents whose spouses are Hong Kong permanent residents and whose children live in the city, starting on December 25 […]. ^ top ^
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| Taiwan |
Residents panic as quake hits Taiwan; no major casualties (SCMP)
2009-11-06
Ceilings fell, walls collapsed and items on supermarket shelves came tumbling down as a magnitude 6 earthquake rocked Taiwan yesterday. However, no major casualties were reported, police and government officials said. Panicked residents either rushed out of houses or sought shelter under solid furniture in their high-rise buildings, mindful of the devastating magnitude 7.6 quake that killed more than 2,300 people in central Taiwan in 1999 […] The quake struck at 5.32pm, with the epicentre located in Nantou county in central Taiwan, about 200 kilometres south of Taipei, according to the Seismological Centre under the Central Weather Bureau. The tremor was followed by at least six aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.7 one that sent another chill through residents […] A nervous Taiwanese government was on high alert after the quake, wary of the mounting public criticism against the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou for poor handling of the aftermath of a deadly typhoon in August […]. ^ top ^
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| Economy |
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Chinese economist calls push on structural reform (Xinhua)
2009-11-06
Eight-percent growth was no longer a problem for China's economy this year, but the real challenge was to push forward structural adjustments, a senior economist said Thursday. Yao Jingyuan, chief economist of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), told a forum in Beijing that China's economy was over the worst […] NBS data showed the economy expanded 8.9 percent year on year in the third quarter, faster than the 7.9 percent in the second quarter and 6.1 percent in the first, backed by the stimulus packages the government put into place in last November […] However, problems remained and the real challenge for the economy was to adjust its economic structure, Yao said. "We should not pursue economic expansion in terms of size and speed in the fourth quarter or the next year, but put more efforts on structural adjustments." He urged more efforts to boost consumption as the economic growth should rely on domestic demand. Investment accounted for about 95 percent of GDP growth, he said, without defining the exact time fram. ^ top ^
Lenovo returns to profit in Q2 (Xinhua)
2009-11-06
China's Lenovo Group, the world's fourth largest personal computer manufacturer, returned to profitability in the second quarter, according to the group's fiscal report released Thursday. The group said that it posted a net a profit of 53 million U.S. dollars in its second fiscal quarter from July 1 to Sept. 30. Lenovo's worldwide PC shipments grew 17 percent year-over-year in the second quarter, compared to the 2.3 percent rise in the total global PC sales in the same period, the report indicated […] Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo CEO, said the group would continue to strengthen cost structure and continue to reinforce its leading position in the domestic market […] Lenovo reinstated its founder Liu Chuanzhi as chairman on Feb.5 after revealing a loss of 97 million U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter last year. ^ top ^
Domestic PE industry may touch 1 trillion yuan, experts say (China Daily)
2009-11-06
China's homegrown private equity industry could grow to 10 times its current size in the next few years as domestic firms fund SMEs, allowing China's PE firms to better compete in a market long-dominated by global giants, industry executives said on Wednesday. The mainland's private equity industry - still in its infancy only three years ago - could grow to 1 trillion yuan over the next five years from less than 100 billion yuan now, Katherine Wang, chairwoman of Power Capital Corp, said […] "One major policy the government has taken is to encourage PE funds by giving them tax incentives from their investments," said Wang […] China's PE market, which so far has been dominated by foreign firms, will be increasingly favorable to domestic players who are better positioned to fund small- and medium-sized firms in the mainland […] As mainland private equity firms expand, they will also target Taiwanese companies […] Taiwan currently does not allow mainland private equity firms to invest in the island's companies. But trade relations across the Straits have improved markedly since last May when Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou took office. Taiwan expects to sign a much-anticipated financial services pact with the mainland within the month […] The pact is expected to create ties between the mainland's and Taiwan's financial markets. ^ top ^
Sichuan raising 60b yuan for reconstruction projects: Province scouts for investors to back 100 post-quake schemes (SCMP)
2009-11-05
The Sichuan provincial government has put 100 projects worth 60 billion yuan (HK$68.11 billion) up for grabs in a move to speed up post-earthquake reconstruction. In a rare provincial-level trade symposium in Hong Kong yesterday, Sichuan vice-governor Huang Xiaoxiang led almost 200 businesspeople and government officials seeking funds for logistics services, trade and commerce and tourism investments. The projects, largely in the provincial capital of Chengdu and cities of Luzhou, Suining and Yibin, are core to the province's reconstruction efforts due for completion in 2012 […] the province's economy grew at 13.5 per cent in the first three quarters, even faster than the nation's [7.7 per cent]," Huang said. "But we still need investments to push ahead the reconstruction." […] To win more foreign capital, Sichuan has offered investors preferential tax rates, loosened capital requirements for setting up companies and increased ways to raise funds […] The potential of Chengdu prompted developer Shimao Property Holdings […] to earmark 10 billion yuan for several residential, retail and commercial projects over the next few years, the group's chairman, Hui Wing-mau, said […]. ^ top ^
World Bank predicts China's GDP growth to reach 8.4% (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-05
In the latest China Quarterly Update released on November 4, the World Bank says China is on track to meet the target of 8% GDP growth this year and predicts the growth rate will reach 8.4 % in 2009. The factor that contributes to such good performance is "large fiscal and monetary stimulus has supported a recovery in China's economy," according to the Update […] With processing exports particularly hard hit by the outbreak of the crisis, China's overall goods exports initially fell even faster than the imports of its trading partners. Processing trade subsequently recovered rapidly. Nonetheless, total volumes of goods exports have remained weak and were still down 6.7 percent on a year ago in September […] China's GDP growth rose to 8.9 percent year-on-year in the third quarter on the back of the stimulus […] The World Bank expects the growth impact of the government stimulus is set to decline sharply next year and investment in parts of manufacturing is likely to remain under pressure from spare capacity in China and abroad […]. ^ top ^
U.S. requests WTO panel to rule on China raw materials restrictions (Xinhua)
2009-11-05
The United States requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Wednesday to establish a dispute settlement panel to rule on China's export restraints on raw materials. But Chinese officials insist that they are consistent with WTO rules. The materials at issue are […] key inputs for numerous downstream products in the steel, aluminum, and chemical sectors across the globe. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement that the raw materials are "critical to U.S. manufacturers and workers." The USTR also said that the European Union and Mexico are joining the United States in requesting the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel regarding this matter […] According to the procedures, China, the U.S., the EU and Mexico have 60 days to try to resolve their dispute through consultations. If consultations fail, the U.S., the EU and Mexico could ask for a WTO panel to investigate and rule on this dispute. ^ top ^
Overseas investment helps global recovery (China Daily)
2009-11-04
China's increasingly voracious investment in overseas markets is helping the global economy - and especially the economies of developing countries - recover from the financial crisis, according to several speakers at the First China Overseas Investment Fair Tuesday […] Outbound investment from China in overseas markets has grown significantly recently, at the same time as investment from traditional big spenders, including the United States and European countries, has slowed […] China's overseas direct investment rose 190 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, bringing the total investment for the first nine months to 32.87 bln U.S. dollars, the Ministry of Commerce announced recently […] Jon Huntsman, the US ambassador to China, agreed, saying China's investment was "important in improving and stimulating the world economy" […] Huntsman said China was "one of the nations with the fastest growing investment in the US" with an annual growth rate in investment volume of 30 percent throughout the 2004-to-2008 period […] While the UNCTAD forecasts investment outflows from Asia will slow this year, the organization believes the region will still outperform the rest of the world […]. ^ top ^
CNPC begins work on oil port in Myanmar (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-04
China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the country's largest oil and gas producer, commenced construction of an oil port in Myanmar on Oct 31, the company said yesterday on its website. This is part of a move to bypass the congested Malacca Straits and diversify China's oil import channels. The port on Maday Island, Kyaukphyu township in Myanmar's Rakhine state, is the starting point for the 771-km pipeline that will go through Yunnan province. In the first phase, the pipeline is expected to have a capacity of 12 million tons per year, the company said. The completed pipeline is expected to carry 22 million tons of crude oil annually […] CNPC is also planning to construct a gas pipeline from Myanmar with a capacity of 12 billion cu m a year. This is scheduled to carry natural gas to southwestern China starting in 2012. The southwest pipeline, along with other oil pipelines that go through China's northwest and northeast, respectively, is aimed at diversifying oil import routes and ensuring supply security […]. ^ top ^
US to launch anti-dumping investigation into China-made steel pipes (Global Times)
2009-11-03
The US International Trade Commission passed the proposal to launch the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into China-imported seamless steel pipes Friday by a vote of 6:0 from the six committee members. This decision was made one day after the US and China made the commitment not to impose protectionist measures on each other at the 20th China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) Thursday. Citing the figures from the US Department of Commerce, China's exported seamless steel pipes to US increased 132 percent and were valued about 382 million yuan from 2006 to 2008. According to a report from Reuters, the US wants to impose a nearly 100 percent duty on China-imported steel pipes. This proposal was initiated by the US Steel Corporation, V&M Star LP, TMK IPSCO and the United Steelworkers (USW) in early October, and a 98.37-percent anti-dumping duty was requested in the petition. China strongly opposes this proposal and has resorted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to start a 60-day dispute resolution procedure. ^ top ^
Land hoarding could drive up prices, as demand rises (Global Times)
2009-11-03
Land hoarding by real estate developers is becoming a serious problem that could push up already soaring home prices, industry analysts said Monday. From 2003 to 2009, 40 real estate companies acquired 270 pieces of land in 12 major cities. Excluding land that is currently on sale and already purchased, 57 percent of the properties have yet to be used for commercial housing, and some 27 percent awaits development, according to Xu Heng, an analyst with the China Index Academy, a real estate research institute. Some pieces of land have stayed unused for four to five years, said Liu Weixin, vice president of the China Society of Urban Economy. Many residential property developers hoard land to resell it later at a higher price […] If many real estate developers hoard land, homes will be in short supply, thereby boosting prices, Xu said. The number of unsold homes in Beijing has plunged below 100,000 as of the end of September […] Analysts noted that the government is not dealing with the land hoarding effectively […] Companies don't buy land to build houses. They do so to put the land in reserve to gain financing, Xu said. ^ top ^
China's economic policies, RMB exchange rate to remain stable: commerce minister (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-02
China is to maintain basic stability and continuity in the economic policies and RMB exchange rate to ensure a foreseeable prospect for its businesses. Minister of Commerce Chen Deming made the remarks Sunday at the Canton Fair, an important barometer of China's foreign trade, in Guangzhou City […] In the following months, China would maintain stability of the macro-economic policies, stick to the proactive fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policy […] the RMB exchange rate should also maintain relatively stable so that domestic manufacturers and exporters can better predict and adjust to the market, Chen added […] Chen urged Chinese enterprises to enhance their competitiveness with better quality and lower cost by technological upgrading and restructuring […] In the previous three quarters this year, 19 countries and regions have launched 88 trade remedy investigations against Chinese goods, totaling 10.2 billion U.S. dollars […]. ^ top ^
Air China to hold 51pc in cargo venture with Cathay (SCMP)
2009-11-02
Air China […] will hold 51 per cent of a cargo venture with Cathay Pacific […] which it hopes to finalise in the first half of next year, an executive of the mainland airline executive said on Monday. An industry newsletter sent to Reuters said the two carriers will provide 10 Boeing 747-400 freighters to their Shanghai-based venture which will take off before the Shanghai world expo in May next year […] An Air China spokesman said discussions for the tie-up were on-going between the two carriers and no financial details, including the total investment of the venture nor size of its fleet, had been decided. Air China in August bought a further 12.5 per cent stake in Cathay, lifting its interest in the Hong Kong-based carrier to 29.99 per cent. The venture could give Air China and Cathay a foothold in Shanghai […] and help them better compete with China Eastern Airlines […] which will have rough half of the Shanghai market after its planned merger with Shanghai Air. ^ top ^
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| H1N1
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Chinese mainland reports 4 new deaths from A/H1N1 flu (Xinhua)
2009-11-06
The Chinese mainland reported four more deaths from A/H1N1 flu Thursday after at least eight people had fallen victim to the disease, authorities said. A 33-year-old man from northwest China's Gansu Province, who had tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu virus, died Wednesday afternoon […] Also in northwest China, a boy from Qingtongxia City of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region died late Wednesday […] The other two deaths involved two teenagers, one from north China's Hebei Province and the other from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region […] Eight deaths from A/H1N1 had earlier been reported from Beijing, Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Hunan and Zhejiang […] To effectively combat the influenza, the Chinese government has announced to provide students, medical staff, public servants and elderly people with A/H1N1 flu vaccine free of charge. As the first country that issued a production license for A/H1N1 vaccines, China had inoculated more than 3.78 million people as of Oct. 31, with no reports of serious adverse reaction, according to the Health Ministry. ^ top ^
Ministry disproves rumor on vaccination-caused A/H1N1 outbreak in Beijing (People's Daily Online)
2009-11-03
Chinese Ministry of Health on Monday disproved an online rumor that the recent A/H1N1 influenza outbreak in Beijing was caused by vaccination among students for the country's National Day celebration. "The rumor violates scientific theories and does not consist with the truth," said the ministry's spokesman Mao Qunan. "It is totally fabrication." Reports on some foreign websites said primary and secondary school students in Beijing were given vaccine shots to prevent A/H1N1 influenza before the People's Republic of China celebrated its 60th founding anniversary on Oct. 1. And those vaccines had led to the recent outbreak in the capital city. The spokesman said that Beijing did not carry out large-scale vaccination among primary and secondary school students before the National Day […] As of Monday, more than 48,000 confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, 74 percent of whom had recovered. Among the 118 serious cases, 84 were still in hospital […]. ^ top ^
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| DPRK
and South Korea |
Washington, Pyongyang agree to bilateral talks: report (Global Times)
2009-11-05
North Korea and the US have made "substantial progress" by agreeing to hold two rounds of bilateral talks before the North returns to the Six-Party Talks, the US-based Foreign Policy magazine reported […], quoting an unnamed US official, "Substantial progress was made in behind-the-scenes talks between Sung Kim, the US State Department's special envoy to the Six-Party Talks, and Ri Gun, North Korea's lead negotiator," during last week's discussions in New York and San Diego, California. The two sides have agreed to hold two rounds of formal bilateral talks before returning to multilateral talks […] "The purpose of the bilateral engagement would be to facilitate early resumption of the Six-Party Talks and for the North to reaffirm their commitment to the September 2005 Six-Party joint statement and its goal of the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," the US embassy in Beijing told the Global Times […] "The US continues to consider North Korea's invitation for US Ambassador for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth to visit Pyongyang […] Bosworth […] would be able to meet with Kong Sok-ju, North Korea's first vice foreign minister, rather than with chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-gwan. "By meeting with Kong, Bosworth could leapfrog Ri and his boss, vice minister of foreign affairs Kim Kye-gwan," Foreign Policy said. However, the North "demurred" on Sung Kim's demand that the North abide by a September 2005 six-party nuclear deal, the magazine said. The North Korean embassy in Beijing refused to confirm the news […] North Korea announced Tuesday that it had completed reprocessing spent fuel rods to produce more plutonium for its atomic weapons program, seen as a strategy to give it a head start in bilateral talks. ^ top ^
U.S. says DPRK's plutonium production violated UN resolutions (Xinhua)
2009-11-04
The Obama administration on Tuesday accused the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of violating UN Security Council resolutions to produce material useable in nuclear weapons, urging the country back to the six-party process. "It certainly runs counter to the commitment that they made in 2005, and it violates UN Security Council resolutions," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters. "What we're focused on with North Korea is getting to the point where we can re-launch the six-party talks, which will get us to our ultimate goal, which is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," […] Earlier on Tuesday, the official KCNA news agency of DPRK said that the work of reprocessing of all the 8,000 spent nuclear rods, a key step to increase its nuclear arsenal, had been completed by the end of August in Yongbyon. The reprocessing was part of the efforts to "restore the Yongbyon nuclear facilities to their original state" in response to the UN sanctions against it after the DPRK conducted a rocket launch and the second nuclear testing this spring, the KCNA said. The DPRK shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility in 2007 under a six-nation nuclear disarmament deal. In April, it quit the six-party talks and announced it was resuming the reprocessing of plutonium from spent fuel rods at the reactor there. Pyongyang has expressed willingness to return to the six-party talks but only if it first holds satisfactory talks with Washington. ^ top ^
US, S.Korea plan for North crisis (Global Times)
2009-11-02
The US and South Korea have drawn up a joint action plan to respond to potential emergencies in North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported Monday […] The so-called Operational Plan (OPLAN) 5029, completed after years of bilateral consultation […] dictates respective military responses by Seoul and Washington to possible emergencies in North Korea, including civil war, an outflow of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the kidnapping of South Korean citizens, a mass influx of refugees and a natural disaster. The Kukmin Ilbo newspaper in Seoul cited an unnamed military officer as saying that South Korea's military would play a leading role in enforcing the plan […] Both sides are concerned about a possible transfer of the North's WMDs and relevant technology to terrorist groups or other countries, it added […] Some South Korean analysts have said that China could help carry out such a plan, and South Korea and the US should try to convince China that even if the US gets involved, no threat will be posed to China […] In late October 2008, the US proposed developing a detailed OPLAN in case the North Korean regime collapsed. North Korea has strongly protested US-South Korean discussions of contingency plans, which the North views as preparations to invade the country […]. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Mongolia Declared High State of Preparedness on H1N1 Pandemic Flu (UB Post)
2009-11-04
Mongolia declared high state of preparedness on the H1N1 pandemic flu on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia M.Enkhbold told at a press conference that it declared 14-day, effective from November 3, closure of all cultural, sporting events, marketplaces, entertainment venues, clubs, bars, cinemas, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, public gatherings, scheduled conferences, workshops, seminars, and delayed all non-emergency surgeries at the hospital. National Emergency Management Agency said that it is taking preventive measures in the seven provinces of Mongolia where there no cases of flu was reported. Enkhbold said that flu infection level is increasing “rapidly”, [with 859 infected and six deaths by Wednesday, quite a] high number for a population of 2.7 million. In the Ulaanbaatar city, a home of over a million residents, food stores, supermarkets, and restaurants are working normally. However, the all gatherings and conferences were delayed […] The government earlier extended holiday of schools, and kindergartens. And, it called major televisions to cooperate with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences to broadcast teachings that school pupils need to learn during the period. It also postponed regular army call-up days for another 14 days, and decided to make medical checkups at the students dormitories in the city. ^ top ^
R.Bold likely to be Foreign Minister (www.news.mn)
2009-11-05
Prime Minister S.Batbold has suggested the name of R.Bold, presently Director of General Intelligence, to succeed him as Foreign Minister. The nomination will be submitted to the President and the Speaker of Parliament. ^ top ^
Moody's changes Mongolia's rating outlook to stable (www.news.mn)
2009-11-02
Moody's Investors Service has changed its outlook on Mongolia's B1 Government bond ratings as well as on its Ba2 and B2 foreign currency bond and bank deposit ceilings to stable from negative. "The rating action was supported by the government's policy tightening which has contributed to a shoring-up of the country's balance of payments, the containment of its burgeoning fiscal deficit, and the elimination of nearly runaway inflation," says Tom Byrne, a Moody's Senior Vice President. These policy actions were essential to bringing stability to an economy that has undergone a boom-bust cycle, and which is characterized by weak fundamentals and insufficient institutional strengths. "Moreover, the parliament's ratification of the strategic investment pact in October between the Government and foreign investors in the Oyutolgoi copper mining project and the likely development of other strategic mining projects will bring very sizable fiscal benefits and lead to a surge in foreign exchange earnings. But, the development of the mining sector will also pose policy challenges in terms of maintaining macroeconomic stability in the years ahead," says Byrne. Mongolia's success in gaining support from the IMF in April and in completing two program reviews -- the most recent on September 21 -- also holds promise for the placing of Government finances on a firmer footing for the rest of 2009 and into 2010. Moreover, if the Government is successful in passing into law its draft fiscal responsibility act, then budgetary stability over the long run would be enhanced, and the oscillations endemic to a commodity-dependent economy would be dampened. Such a development would most likely improve Mongolia's long-term credit fundamentals. ^ top ^
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Manuel Mühlebach
Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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