 |
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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
de Chine |
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| Table of
contents |
|
DPRK and South
Korea
Mongolia
^ top ^
|
| Foreign
Policy |
| China plays responsible,
constructive role in Asia-Pacific (People's Daily)
2008-11-22
China plays its due role in the international system and upholds
and contributes to this system, Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC),
China's top legislature, […]. In his speech, Xu said,
the Asia-Pacific, one of the most dynamic and promising regions
in the world, has become an engine of global political and economic
development. […] However, discord and instability still
exist in the Asia Pacific, he added. To address various challenges,
enhance common security and achieve common development, "We
need to follow the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit,
equality and cooperation, remain committed to multilateralism,
and intensify collective action and international cooperation,"
Xu told the lawmakers. The world needs a "peaceful and
stable, united and cooperative, open and inclusive" Asia
-Pacific region, Xu added. China has fulfilled its due responsibility,
and will be more active in international cooperation and continue
to play a responsible and constructive role in the region, he
said. "The National People's Congress of China will work
with other members of the forum and contribute to play a positive
role in enhancing exchange, understanding, trust and friendship
among parliaments and peoples of Asia-Pacific countries, and
make the region an open and inclusive one," Xu added. […].
^ top ^
Blurred strategic perspectives on Iranian
Nukes (People's Daily)
2008-01-23
[…] The six world powers, consisting of five permanent
members of the UN Security Council and Germany, will hold talks
over finalizing the text of a third UN sanctions resolution
against Iran which could be voted on in the meeting; and striving
to reach a consensus on strategies to further enhance sanctions
against Iran. The on-going meeting is a reaction to Iran's refusal
to halt sensitive nuclear work despite the previous two rounds
of UN sanctions. Iran insists that its uranium enrichment program
is solely for civilian energy generation. The Iranian government
says it still needs to produce nuclear fuel domestically, as
it wants to build more power plants for planned network of 20,000
megawatts by 2020 to satisfy the soaring electricity demand.
The United States, however, held that enriched uranium can be
used for making nuclear fuel, and if refined much further, can
provide material for bombs. […] “Iran poses a threat
to the US and the Middle East, despite a US intelligence assessment
that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003,”
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates was quoted as saying. The
US also accused Iran of actively supporting insurgents in Iraq
and Afghanistan, as well as the Hezbollah and Hamas Islamic
groups. The US-allied European countries have been at odds on
issues like sanction scope against Iran and whether to resort
to military force. Although Gates urged Iran's neighbors to
cooperate more closely in defense to counter Tehran's policies
and deter Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons; the Gulf Arab
states are more concerned about regional stability – particularly
the security of their oil-rich areas. The recent confrontation
between US Navy ships and Iranian vessels at the Strait of Hormuz
is a worrisome incident which could escalate into a clash or
even a regional war. […]. ^ top ^
Chinese premier meets Vietnamese deputy
PM (People's Daily)
2008-01-23
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Beijing on Tuesday with Vietnamese
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia
Khiem. The two sides exchanged views on China-Vietnam ties and
the issues of common concern. Khiem is here to attend the second
meeting of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation. ^ top ^
Germany 'back on good terms' after chill
(SCMP)
2008-01-23
Germany and China said yesterday that bilateral relations had
returned to normal after a four-month chill over Chancellor
Angela Merkel's decision to host Tibet's exiled spiritual leader,
the Dalai Lama. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
has spent months trying to patch up relations, and he met his
Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi yesterday before talks with
other countries about Iran's nuclear programme. "China
values its ties to Germany and the continuation of these links,"
Mr Yang said at a joint news conference. "We are ready
to meet the challenges we both face together, hand in hand with
Germany," he said, adding it was important that neither
country meddled in the other's affairs. Beijing cancelled a
number of high-level meetings with German officials after Dr
Merkel became the first German chancellor to meet the Dalai
Lama, whom the Chinese government views as a separatist. German
business leaders voiced concerns in the wake of the meeting
that China could penalise domestic firms. "We cannot hide
the fact that the last weeks and months have not been easy for
German-Chinese relations, so I am even happier that today's
meeting sends a signal that we are returning to a normalisation
as of today," Mr Steinmeier said. […]. ^ top ^
PM: Kosovo ready to declare independence
in days (China Daily)
2008-01-25
Kosovo is ready to declare independence in coming days, Kosovo's
Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said here on Thursday. "It
is an issue of days," the breakaway Serbian province leader
said after talks with EU top diplomat Javier Solana. "Kosovo
is ready. We will proclaim independence very soon," he
added, noting that some procedures would need to be conducted
ahead of the declaration. He said the Kosovo authorities would
coordinate with "the European Union and the United States"
on the matter. "We will cooperate closely," Thaci
said, "We have some procedures that we need to respect
and some consultations that we need to respect too, but Kosovo
is ready, is united and I think the date we will proclaim in
Pristina is very soon." Kosovo, a Serbian province inhabited
by a majority of ethnic Albanians, would declare unilaterally
independence as a U.N. resolution is not likely to solve the
problem of Kosovo's future status since Russia has stood by
Serbia, which prefers that Kosovo enjoys broad autonomy within
its territory. Multiple rounds of direct negotiations, which
was mediated by the troika of the EU, Russia and the United
States, failed to resolve the future status of Kosovo before
the West-set December 10 deadline. […]. ^ top ^
Chinese president meets Kazakh parliament
leader (People's Daily)
2008-01-25
Chinese President Hu Jintao met in Beijing on Thursday with
Kasymzhomart Tokaev, chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan. […]
He praised the consultation between the two countries in international
and regional affairs, saying he was satisfied with China-Kazakhstan
relations. "China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, as
well as strategic partners," Hu said. Hu stressed China
valued relations with Kazakhstan and would strengthen the strategic
partnership. He also said China supported the exchanges of the
legislative organs, special committees, as well as the parliament
members groups between the two countries. Tokaev said Kazakhstan
and China would face an important period to develop the bilateral
ties, and Kazakhstan hoped to realize the agreements of the
two sides to expand the cooperation. […]. ^ top ^
|
| Domestic
Policy |
| Migrant worker is elected
NPC deputy (SCMP)
2008-01-22
A migrant worker who has been working in Guangdong for 10 years
was elected yesterday as a deputy of the National People's Congress,
the country's top legislative body, state media reported. Hu
Xiaoyan, 34, a Sichuan native, was the first migrant worker
to be chosen to become an NPC deputy, Xinhua reported. She was
selected for the post during the annual session of the provincial
people's congress but her qualifications will still have to
be assessed by the National People's Congress. […] She
said she would focus on education and helping "children
left behind in rural China" - those whose parents leave
home to work in urban areas. "I have had to leave 12-year-old
twin daughters in Sichuan since both my husband and I work in
Guangdong," she said. "I always worry about their
education and daily life since only their old grandmother takes
care of them at home. I hope the state and local governments
can invest more in education in rural areas." Ms Hu said
she felt proud but nervous about becoming an NPC deputy. "It's
an honour but also a great responsibility," she said. "Millions
of migrant workers are behind me. I need to work well and speak
out for them." But Ms Hu said she had not yet spoken at
the provincial people's congress since she had very little political
experience. Ms Hu and five other migrant workers are among 790
deputies of the Guangdong People's Congress. They are the mainland's
first migrant legislators. […]. ^ top ^
Wealth gap widens in capital (SCMP)
2008-01-22
The income gap between Beijing's urban and rural residents continued
to widen last year, the municipal Bureau of Statistics revealed
yesterday. The per capita annual disposable income of urban
residents was 21,989 yuan last year, 12,430 yuan more than the
average rural income, said Yu Xiuqin, deputy director of the
bureau. The gap was 9,793 yuan in 2005, according to statistics.
^ top ^
CPPCC spokesman reappointed (SCMP)
2008-01-22
Wu Jianmin, a former ambassador to France, was again named as
spokesman for the annual conference of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference in March, Xinhua reported.
Mr Wu, now China Foreign Affairs University president, is a
veteran diplomat and a former Foreign Ministry spokesman. ^ top ^
Agriculture ministry warns grave animal
epidemic in Spring (China Daily)
2008-01-23
China's Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai said on Tuesday some
regions in the country were at high risk of serious animal epidemics
in Spring due to frequent deliveries of livestock during the
Spring Festival and activities of migratory birds. Sun did not
specify which regions were exposed to such risks. He said local
departments had kept animal epidemics such as bird flu and blue
ear pig disease under control, but disease prevention measures
in some areas were not in place. He urged local authorities
to step up vaccinations against animal diseases in order to
guarantee a sufficient supply during the traditional Chinese
Lunar New Year holidays which fall in early February. He said
all the seasonal vaccinations should be finished by the end
of May and the ministry would organize an examination on their
effectiveness in early June. The minister also called for strengthened
supervision of vaccine production and delivery. He ordered departments
to establish emergency plans for the Spring Festival and the
Olympics. […]. ^ top ^
Hukou should be scrapped: Experts (People's
Daily)
2008-01-24
The household registration (hukou) system should be scrapped
in three to five years so that farmers enjoy the same status
as urbanities, a government-sponsored expert group has suggested.
[…] The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC),
which conducted a research on the issue along with the Australian
government, did not comment on the timetable but expressed "solid
support" for the reform. The NDRC has listed it as "one
of the key issues and priorities" after three decades of
fast economic growth. "We are going to neutralize the hukou
system to strip it of its many social functions," NDRC
Deputy Secretary General Ma Liqiang told an international conference
on balanced urban-rural development yesterday. "By 2020,
farmers will have equal rights and development opportunities
as urban residents," said Ma, who described the hukou system
as an "institutional barrier." […] Kong Jingyuan,
NDRC's department director in charge of economic system reform,
said a new registration system, based on pilot reforms in more
than 12 provinces and autonomous regions, should replace the
hukou system. "We should terminate the social difference
between the urban and rural residents," Kong said, adding
that the government will remove barriers to facilitate a "free
flow" from rural regions to cities. "We encourage
farmers who have a place to live in cities and have stable income
to register there," Kong said. […]. ^ top ^
Death linked to killer antibiotic (SCMP)
2008-01-25
A 37-year-old man has died of kidney failure in Guangzhou after
being treated with an antibiotic tainted with an antifreeze
ingredient - the 14th fatality linked to the drug since 2006
- state media and a hospital have said. The man, surnamed Ren,
died on Wednesday at the No3 Zhongshan Hospital, a woman who
answered the phone at the hospital's Communist Party administration
office said yesterday. Ren, who was being treated for hepatitis,
was one of 65 patients at the hospital who received injections
of the antibiotic Armillarisin A in April 2006, Xinhua said.
[…] The government shut down the drug company in 2006
and ordered its products removed from shelves. […]. ^ top ^
|
| Taiwan |
Taiwan boosts election
security (SCMP)
2008-01-22
Taiwan authorities have strengthened security for presidential
candidates in the run-up to March's election. President Chen
Shui-bian and Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien were shot
and slightly wounded while campaigning on the eve of the last
election in 2004. […]. ^ top ^
Firm with KMT ties ordered to repay loan
- HK company owes bank more than HK$82 million, court told (SCMP)
2008-01-24
A judge has ordered a company closely linked to the Kuomintang
to repay a loan it claims was given to it in an effort to curry
favour with what was then the ruling party of Taiwan. The Bank
of East Asia […] (BEA) lent Labour Buildings (LBL), a
Hong Kong company controlled by the KMT, HK$50 million to finance
the construction of an 18-floor property in Changsha Street
in Mong Kok. […] The company made some repayments, but
by March 1, 2002, the bank was still owed HK$47,139,733. There
have been no more payments and the debt had, by the start of
the hearing, ballooned to HK$82,402,127. BEA sued to recover
the debt and take possession of the building. The second defendant,
China States Limited, a member of the board of LBL, is the current
tenant of the building. LBL claimed BEA had made the loan on
very generous terms in the hope of gaining a political advantage
with the KMT, then the ruling party in Taiwan, where it was
trying to become the first Hong Kong bank […] to set up
a branch office. As such, LBL claimed, BEA chief executive officer
David Li Kwok-po took a personal interest in the negotiation
of the loan. It also alleged that bank officers turned a blind
eye to the misappropriation by two directors of HK$10.3 million
and HK$7.6 million. The company asked the court to declare the
debenture null and void. […] LBL also challenged the circumstances
in which the debenture was created, arguing there were material
irregularities in the way the meetings leading to its being
ratified were conducted. But Deputy High Court Judge David Gill
found that while there were irregularities in the creation of
the debenture, the fact the company had made payments on it
after the fact showed that LBL had treated it as binding. He
ruled against LBL's arguments and in favour of the bank. […]
Mr Justice Gill […] ordered the company to repay the debt
with interest, and to pay the costs of the litigation. ^ top ^
UN referendums leave Taiwan in a no-win
situation (SCMP)
2008-01-25
Two controversial UN membership referendums proposed by Taiwan's
two major parties are taking a toll on the public, analysts
say, with the votes likely to hurt the island regardless of
whether they succeed or fail. The main opposition Kuomintang
says it will initiate a motion when the new legislature opens
next month to resolve the UN membership referendum problem,
which is also apparent to some members of the ruling Democratic
Progressive Party. "We hope the DPP will endorse our motion
to have the legislative issue a resolution seeking to rejoin
the United Nations in the name of the Republic of China,"
KMT legislative caucus head Kuo Su-chun said. Her remarks reflect
a growing concern that if both referendums fail when they are
held alongside the presidential elections on March 22, Taiwan
would be hurt immensely. Whereas the KMT's referendum asks voters
to decide whether the island should seek to rejoin the UN by
any name, including its official Republic of China title, the
one proposed by the DPP seeks to gain UN membership under the
more politically sensitive "Taiwan". Beijing has warned
the DPP against holding any referendum, seeing the use of the
name Taiwan as an attempt by the pro-independence party to change
the cross-strait status quo and take the first step towards
a formal declaration of independence. Washington has also warned
the DPP, saying the referendums could spark a cross-strait conflict.
The crushing defeat of the DPP in January 12 legislative elections
has relieved Beijing and Washington somewhat, especially since
two referendums held alongside the legislative elections also
failed - a hint that Taiwanese voters lack interest in votes
they believe are politically motivated. If that is the case
and both UN referendums fail, the impact on the island would
be great, said Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien. "This
means we could not hold similar referendums for three years
in line with the referendum law," she said. Not only would
Taiwan lose face, but it would also create the impression the
Taiwanese people did not want to return to the UN. Observers
also pointed out that if the referendums fail, Beijing could
claim that by rejecting calls for UN membership, the people
accepted that they were part of one China. "It now becomes
a dilemma for Taiwan. If the referendums, especially the DPP's,
pass, it will escalate cross-strait tension and anger Washington.
If they fail, it will hurt Taiwan internationally," political
commentator Yang Hsien-hung said. Last week, DPP presidential
candidate Frank Hsieh Chang-ting suggested that President Chen
Shui-bian hold a special meeting with leaders of various parties
to find a way out or simply combine the DPP and KMT referendums
in a bid to secure enough support from voters. But now the KMT
apparently prefers a non-binding resolution to express Taiwan's
desire to return to the UN in the name of the Republic of China,
a less sensitive title for Beijing as it at least mentions China. ^ top ^
Cabinet move fuels talk of DPP rift (SCMP)
2008-01-25
Taiwan's cabinet has resigned four days ahead of schedule in
a move that has fuelled speculation of a widening rift between
President Chen Shui-bian and the ruling Democratic Progressive
Party's presidential candidate, Frank Hsieh Chang-ting. Without
giving any clue as to whether he would stay in his post or not,
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung led the cabinet in resigning en masse
yesterday, refusing to say who would be in the new lineup. Cabinet
secretary general Chen Chin-chun also declined to reveal any
planned personnel changes. The new cabinet is to be formed before
the opening of the new legislature on Friday. "Whether
the new lineup will be made known by Monday or Wednesday is
up to President Chen, who is discussing the issue with the presidential
candidate," he said. Mr Chang exhorted his cabinet members
at their last meeting yesterday to carry on with their work
until the new cabinet was formed. The cabinet's early resignation
was a surprise decision Taiwanese media said had to do with
Mr Hsieh's announcement that he planned to replace the premier
with a chief executive capable of running the government as
efficiently as a private enterprise. As the president is empowered
to appoint the premier, Mr Hsieh's announcement was reported
to have displeased Mr Chang, who was hand-picked by President
Chen as the cabinet head eight months ago. Mr Chang yesterday
said he was not offended by the announcement and that he was
willing to step down to ensure the smooth operation of government.
Mr Hsieh is running for president against opposition Kuomintang
candidate Ma Ying-jeou, with the poll scheduled for March 22.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office said Mr Chen met Mr Hsieh
yesterday to discuss the cabinet personnel issue and that of
appointing a chief executive as cabinet head. ^ top ^
Taiwanese vice-president to shore up Pacific
allies (SCMP)
2008-01-25
Taiwanese Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien will visit four
Pacific allies next week, officials said, to shore up relations
following recent elections in the region. Ms Lu will start her
tour in the Marshall Islands on Wednesday, the island nation's
foreign minister, Tony de Brum, told Parliament on Wednesday.
Elections brought Litokwa Tomeing to power last month as president
of the islands. Mr Tomeing said before his election he wanted
to end the country's decade-long recognition of Taiwan, but
has since said he wanted to maintain close relations with Taipei.
^ top ^
|
| Tibet |
Tibet re-elects
top legislator, gov't chairman (People's Daily)
2008-01-23
Legqog was re-elected the top legislator of the Tibet Autonomous
Region and Qiangba Puncog chairman of the regional government
at the first session of the 9th Tibet Regional People's Congress,
the legislature, on Tuesday. Legqog, born in 1944 of Tibetan
nationality, was re-elected chairman of the Standing Committee
of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, or head
of the regional legislative body. He has been in the post since
2003. The congress heard the government work report, reviewed
and approved the budget and elected government heads, among
others. Qiangba Puncog, born in 1947 of Tibetan nationality,
was re-elected chairman of the government of the Tibet Autonomous
Region, equivalent to a province governor. He has been in the
post since 2003. ^ top ^
Reincarnation rules defended (SCMP)
2008-01-04
A senior Tibetan lama and government advisers will defend the
mainland's contentious rules apparently aimed at empowering
it to name the next Dalai Lama in the event Tibet's exiled spiritual
leader dies. The State Administration of Religious Affairs issued
regulations in July banning reincarnations of "living Buddhas",
or holy monks, that fail to seek government approval. Tubdain
Kaizhub, a living Buddha and vice-chairman of Tibet's regional
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, affirmed
the regulations on Monday, Xinhua said. It quoted Soi'ham Rinzin,
a member of the advisory body, as saying the 14th Dalai Lama
had ignored religious ritual and historical convention to unilaterally
decide reincarnations, disturbing religious order. The rules,
which went into force on September 1, bar any Buddhist monk
living outside the mainland from seeking reincarnation for himself
or recognising a "living Buddha". […]. ^ top ^
Beijing's policies in Tibet and relations
with Sudan defended (SCMP)
2008-01-25
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu defended Beijing's policies
in Tibet and relations with the government of Sudan yesterday,
saying it was wrong for activists to seize on the issues as
a way to put pressure on Beijing ahead of the Olympic Games
in August. The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader,
told Britain's ITV last week that Tibet supporters should protest
peacefully in China against Beijing's rule during the Olympics.
But Ms Jiang repeated the government's position that the Dalai
Lama was a separatist and a traitor. She also said attempts
to link the Olympics with Beijing's policies in Sudan politicised
the Games, which was "inconsistent with the Olympic spirit
and principles and will bear no fruit". ^ top ^
|
| Economy |
| Changes in political
system necessary in tackling wage gap and graft, says expert
(SCMP)
2008-01-22
[…] Wang Xiaolu, deputy director of the non-governmental
National Economic Research Institute, said "grey income"
- largely gained through corruption and other illegal activities
because of an "unsound" political and administrative
system - was the main cause of the income disparity. In a recent
study, he found the "grey income" earned by a small
proportion of people amounted to more than half of personal
income on the mainland and about 26 per cent of gross domestic
product. […] "That means Chinese people made much
more money than official data suggested, but the problem is
that most of it, at least three-quarters, goes into the pockets
of a small proportion of people who have enjoyed political privilege,"
Dr Wang said in an interview with the South China Morning Post
[…]. Grey income is a nebulous concept. Dr Wang's study
covered illegally earned income and irregular income from "questionable"
or "unspecified" sources. He lists five main sources
- misused public-works funds, corruption among financial institutions,
extra fees levied on government administrative procedures, profiteering
on land sales and the disproportionate wage bills of government
monopolies. […] The extra money would have paid for special
bonuses, gifts and trips that public-sector workers enjoy. Unexplained
spending outside the state budget by central and local government
departments had also become a source of benefits for officials,
Dr Wang said. The National Audit Office finds billions of yuan
of unexplained spending by government departments every year.
[…] "Many government agencies get off-budget revenue
from unauthorised charges on services and use it for entertainment
and other benefits for their staff," Dr Wang said. In some
cases, such undeclared income was many times their taxable salary.
[…] That made the income gap 54:1 compared with the 21:1
claimed in official statistics. Dr Wang said his survey found
big differences in official data for the highest earners but
little difference for the lowest because rich people made most
of the untaxed grey income. "That undeclared income is
often involved with illegal or unauthorised activities, such
as corruption and abuse of public funds," he said. He argued
that the government needed to remove itself from the economy
in order that the mainland could sustain its phenomenal economic
growth. "The first thing we need is transparency to stop
corruption and increase efficiency, and that is to say all government
activities should be under the spotlight," he said. "If
its duties, responsibilities and authority are not properly
spelled out so as to regulate what it must do, can do and cannot
do, then we can't even begin to talk about fairness and efficiency
in governance." Dr Wang said that the glaring contradiction
between the mainland's lean, free-market capitalism and its
bloated, closed and corrupt government was about to become the
country's central economic challenge. […] Dr Wang said
the central government had taken steps to help the poor, but
"money earmarked by the central government to help the
needy often ends up in the pockets of corrupt local officials
or businessmen in collusion with officials". […]
Dr Wang said: "The key bottleneck is in the government
sector; it has not changed substantially with the economy and
is compromising economic reform." He said the public's
widespread hostility to the rich was not just about disparities
in wealth, but also about unequal opportunity. "With social
tension mounting over the mainland's rich-poor divide, the 4.8
trillion yuan in grey income highlights structural problems
that must be fixed," he said. "All these problems
are rooted in the unsound political system, which has not made
any significant progress in past decades despite the continued
market-oriented economic reform. […]. ^ top ^
Bank of China denies reports of losses
(China Daily)
2008-01-24
The Bank of China (BOC), the nation's second largest lender,
on Tuesday denied reports that it might post sharply lower profits
or even a loss in 2007 due to investments in securities linked
to US subprime mortgages. "The reports were groundless,"
said a statement from the bank. "The bank's after-tax profit
continued to grow in 2007, taking into consideration provisions
made for subprime-linked assets." Trading in the Bank of
China was suspended on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Tuesday
pending a profit announcement. The bank's shares lost 4.14 percent,
falling to 6.25 yuan on Monday. Shares traded in Hong Kong tumbled
8.61 percent to HK$3.08 on Tuesday after falling 6.39 percent
on Monday. The bank reported a net profit of 45.5 billion yuan
for the first three quarters in 2007 under international accounting
standards, up 40.1 percent from the same period a year earlier. ^ top ^
China's industrial output up 18.5% last
year (China Daily)
2008-01-25
Industrial output jumped 18.5 percent last year, or 1.9 percentage
points more than in 2006, Xie Fuzhan, director of the National
Bureau of Statistics, said on Thursday.[…] Industrial
output and gross domestic product (GDP) could both expand more
slowly this year as the sub-prime crisis and a potential recession
in the United States could reduce demand for Chinese exports,
according to Zhang Liqun, a researcher at the Development Research
Center of the State Council. […] Other statistics released
on Thursday: Companies sold 98.1 percent of their production
last year; Profit grew by 36.7 percent year-on-year during the
first 11 months of last year, six percentage points more than
a year earlier, to 2.295 trillion yuan, Xie added. This growth
came as the economy expanded 11.4 percent for the whole year,
the fifth year of double-digit growth; Vehicle producers' profit
soared 68.7 percent, the highest rate among all sectors. The
rates for the chemicals, coal and steel industries were 51.5
percent, 49.1 percent, and 47.2 percent, respectively. ^ top ^
|
| Beijing
Olympics |
Foreigners encouraged
to donate blood for Olympics (China Daily)
2008-01-24
"Whenever there's need for blood, we'll give. We don't
consider ourselves foreigners, for the world is a big family,"
said Mustafa Ali Alhumaid, headmaster of Saudi Arabia School
in Beijing, yesterday. The school is for children of Royal Embassy
of Saudi Arabia officials, and all its teachers are from that
country. Since 2005, the school has been organizing its staff
to take part in the annual free blood donation camp, held in
collaboration with the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center (BRCBC).
More than half of the staff have donated blood at least thrice.
Alhumaid and his colleagues are potential blood donors for BRCBC,
which has been appealing to the public, especially foreigners
living in Beijing, to donate rhesus (RH) blood to ensure enough
supply during the Olympic Games, BRCBC deputy director Shi Weiwei
said. […] Since 1 million people, including about 20,000
athletes, coaches and officials, are expected in Beijing during
the Games, the city could face a shortage of RH blood, Shi said.
[…] Beijing plans to have 800 of the 200-ml units of RH-blood
for the Olympics. But the BRCBC has only half those number till
now, Shi said. […]. ^ top ^
Linking Olympics with Darfur issue "strongly"
opposed (Xinhua)
2008-01-25
China said here Thursday it strongly opposes the practice of
using the Olympic Games to hype political issues such as Darfur,
saying it is in fact destroying and disturbing the preparation
works of Olympic Games. "It is of apparent political intention
and purpose to link the Darfur issue with the Olympics,"
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a routine press
conference. "Such practice violates the Olympic spirit
and principle, and will never succeed." China is firmly
opposed to those persons or organizations who hype particular
issues in the name of the Olympics, said Jiang in response to
the question that whether China would put more pressure on Sudan
as someone considered China's continued support for the regime
in Sudan could tarnish the Olympics. China will never, ever
accept those accusations, said Jiang, adding that international
society knows very well that China has exerted a positive and
constructive influence on the Darfur issue. […] "China
will continue to play a constructive role in pushing forward
a proper settlement of the Darfur issue," Jiang said. ^ top ^
|
| DPRK
and South Korea |
North
Korea to shut down embassy in Australia (SCMP)
2008-01-23
[…] Some commentators interpreted the move as a snub to
Australia's new government. Pak Myong-guk, North Korean embassy
spokesman and Pyongyang's most senior representative in Canberra,
blamed the decision on financial hardship created by flooding
in his homeland. […] "While the closure of any embassy
is regrettable, we will continue to maintain diplomatic relations
with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea through our embassy
in Beijing which is accredited to the DPRK," said Andrew
Dempster, Mr Smith's spokesman. Mr Dempster declined to comment
on the reasons for the closure. North Korea is expected to maintain
diplomatic ties with Australia through its embassy in Indonesia.
[…] "Australia did Washington's bidding and kept
open a diplomatic corridor to the North Koreans," Crikey
said. "Now that corridor has been blocked and the North
Koreans are exiting Canberra." Commentators also speculated
the decision was a snub directed at new Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd, who once refused a North Korean delegation Australian
visas during a heated exchange. But Asia expert Peter Drysdale,
an economics professor at Australian National University, said
Pyongyang's decision was purely financial. "This was a
decision that was taken some time ago and has only to do with
the inability to finance missions abroad and is partly a consequence
of the financial squeeze that is being put on North Korea,"
he said, referring to economic sanctions. "Obviously, Australia
is a mission which doesn't generate significant business."
[…]. ^ top ^
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| Mongolia |
Mongolia to send troops
to Sierra Leone (Mongolia-web)
2008-01-18
Mongolia has announced it will send its fifth group of soldiers
to the Sierra Leone. Acting as part of a U.N. force, the 200
Mongolian troops will serve to protect the Special Court for
Sierra Leone and its staff. To assist in its mission, Mongolia
will receive $5.9 million to pay for the peacekeeping mission.
Mongolian troops began participating in the peacekeeping mission
in Sierra Leone in 2006. Mongolia also has troops serving in
non-combat roles in Iraq and Afghanistan. ^ top ^
Parliament approves MCC (Mongolia-web)
2008-01-23
Parliament discussed and ratified draft law approving the “Millennium
Challenge Compact” concluded between the Mongolian Government
and US Government for implementing activity through the Millennium
Challenge Corporation on January 15. Both Presidents signed
a compact of USD 285 million irrevocable aid from the Millennium
Challenge Corporation during the Mongolian Presidents' official
visit to the US in October 2007. Over a five years period, the
irrevocable aid be transferred to Mongolia year by year in USD
for projects in education, health, railways and land tenure
sectors. USD 188.36 million of aid will go to railway renewal
and renovation, USD 17.03 to a land tenure project, USD 23.06
million to vocational education and USD 25.51 million to health.
Mongolia received the Millennium Challenge Corporation's irrevocable
aid for the first time since 19901. Mongolia is among 16 countries
that fulfilled criteria in August 2004 and decision to award
the funds to Mongolia was issued in July 2007. ^ top ^
Policy (Montsame Agency)
The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Part (MPRP) made an ethics
agreement with government members, ministers and vice ministers
appointed to their political posts from the MPRP. MPRP Secretary-General
Yo. Otgonbayar signed the agreement and the Prime Minister S.
Bayar expressed hope that those appointed to high political
positions would work ethically. He requested them to respect
the laws, avoid corruption and to work fairly for the interest
and rights of the State and people.
An appeal has been released on joint participation in the 2008
parliamentary elections, addressing political forces with citizen
orientation at the first congress of Civil Movement Party. A
working group was set up January 16 to form a civil coalition
including M. Ichinnorov, Deputy Chairperson of the party; E.Batbayar,
Secretary-General; and Ch.Chimedsuren, Head of the CMP Office.
The working group plans to hold its meeting with the Mongolian
Green Party. ^ top ^
Demand Grows for Transparency in Asgat
Deal (UB Post)
2008-01-24
SOME political parties and politicians have expressed their
surprise that the Government does not give a chance to international
companies to offer their bids for the Asgat silver deposit.
The Government has always said that the only company to show
any interest in joint and equal ownership of the deposits has
been the Russian Polymetal LLC. […] The Government keeps
on trying and defending its decision. Recently Ya.Sodbaatar,
Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, told the Standing Committee
of Economy that it would be possible to extract 600,000 tons
of ore annually at Asgat and the potential lifetime of the deposit
is 50 years. […] A team of Russian geologists completed
a survey of the deposits 20 years ago but exploration work could
not be started. The agreement between Polymetal and the Government
accepts the findings of this study. The Government's claim that
there has been no international interest in Asgat would appear
to be not borne out by facts. According to a report in the Onoodriin
Mongol on January 23 a British company, Central Asia Metals,
presented a proposal about development of Asgat to the Government.
The newspaper also claims that what Sodbaatar said about the
extent of Asgat's deposits may not be accurate. The British
company estimated these could be twice what is now being said.
The British company offered to do a fresh exploration of the
area, using more advanced technology. It also submitted eight
provisions that are likely to be missing in the present agreement.
These included the building a complete complex with a smelter,
electric power, coal mining and metallurgical plants. Central
Asia Metals also offered to use only eco-friendly technology.
Its proposal mentioned that all the equipment for the metallurgical
plant to be imported from the USA would be state of the art,
and processing work would be done with detoxified chemicals.
The newspaper is clear that the Central Asia Metals proposal
was in all respects better for Mongolia than what Polymetal
of Russia now offers, and what the Mongolian Government accepts
without public debate or explanation. […] Many politicians
have expressed concern that that such a lucrative as well as
important project is being given to a company without any competitive
bidding. They see a lack of transparency in the whole thing.
Jargal has said his party will not support the draft law on
developing Asgat in its present form and content. It will press
for an open tender. If necessary the Mongolian Government should
compete with other bidders. Not just international companies,
but some Mongolian companies also may turn out to have the potential
to explore the deposit. ^ top ^
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| Novella Bellonia
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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