News & Reports 2012-07-14

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In This Edition

 

China says it is seriously studying a UN draft resolution on Syria as fighting reportedly continues.

A ministerial conference among China and African countries is set for next week in Beijing.

Thousands of workers at Hyundai Motor rally in the South Korean city of Ulsan to demand better working conditions.

And China's economy grew by 7.8-percent in the first half of this year, still above the full-year target of 7.5-percent.

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

China "Seriously Studying" UN Draft Resolution on Syria

UN observers in Syria are confirming continuous fighting in the central province of Hama involving mechanized military units and helicopters.

 

Some 200 people have reportedly been killed in what is being described as the worst single incident in the conflict.

 

The UN mission in Syria says it's ready to enter the area and verify the facts on ground if the violence decreases.

 

Meanwhile, the Chinese government says it's "seriously studying" a new U.N. draft which would make compliance with Kofi Annan's transition plan mandatory.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin.

 

"At present, there exist some different points of view. China thinks we should seek consensus through patient negotiation and maintain unity within the Security Council to push forward a political solution to the Syrian issue."

 

The foreign ministry has also taken time to condemn the massacre, calling on everyone in Syria to put down their weapons.

 

"The Chinese side has all along strongly condemned actions which harm innocent civilians, and hopes that all parties in Syria take practical measures, fulfill their promises and stop the violence as soon as possible."

 

The unrest in Syria has been running for 16-months now.

 

Lanting Forum Held to Brief China-Africa Relations

A ministerial conference among China and African countries is set for next week here in Beijing. As CRI's Li Jing reports, the Chinese side says it's hoping to establish a stronger strategic partnership with the continent.

 

China and Africa have enjoyed all-round development since the two sides established strategic partnership in 2006.

 

For three consecutive years since 2009, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner. China's grant assistance, interest-free loans and preferential loans to Africa are increasing steadily. In addition, more than 2,000 Chinese enterprises have invested or started businesses in 50 African countries.

 

Cameroon ambassador to China Martin Mpana says China's investment has brought tangible benefits to his country.

 

"China's investment focuses on infrastructure construction. It is critical for Africa's development, because infrastructure is important to production, trade and poverty eradication. There is a mining industry in Cameroon, but minerals cannot be exported without railway or ports."

 

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun says China's development in Africa has not damaged the interests of other countries.

 

Zhai made the remarks in response to questions and criticism to China's policy towards Africa.

 

"I wish to point out that Africa belongs to the Africans; it is not anyone's "cheese". Any country that wishes to develop cooperation with Africa must respect the ownership of African countries. In a globalized world, countries' destinies are closely linked. China's relations with Africa are open and inclusive. It is all about cooperation rather than confrontation with any third party. "

 

He also says during the ministerial meeting, the two sides will discuss measures to enhance cooperation in areas like investment, finance and assistance.

 

"The Chinese and African economies are highly complementary and constitute an important market for each other. Since China has gone through the development stage Africa is currently in, the experience and technologies it has gained over the years will dovetail with Africa's development needs."

 

Chinese President Hu Jintao and several African leaders will attend the opening ceremony of the conference, and a host of high-level officials from both sides will also participate.

 

For CRI, this is Li Jing.

 

Hyundai Unions to Stage 8-hour Strikes

Hyundai Motor workers are on a strike, with more than 5-thousand of them rallying in the South Korean city of Ulsan to demand better working conditions.

 

The strike is at the automaker's main factory in Ulsan, a city about 400-kilometers southeast of Seoul.

 

Kwon O-il is the secretary of External Relations at Metal Union's Hyundai Branch.

 

"The key issues by our union members include a day-time-night time shift issue, a temporary workers issue and the distribution of bonus issue - our union demands social responsibility by business groups."

 

The country's once-powerful trade unions have been largely silenced by conservative President Lee Myung-bak's tough anti-labour stance since he came to power in 2008.

 

China's 30-vessel Fishing Fleet Heading for Nansha Islands

Some 30 fishing vessels are on their way from Hainan to the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

 

The fleet is due to spend 20 days fishing in the area.

 

Zhang Huazhong is the Chief of the Sanya Oceanic and Fishery Bureau.

 

"The north to north latitude 12 is still in the summer fishing ban season, but not the southern side, where we're going to fish this time. So it's legal."

 

Around 500 fishermen are set to take part in the fishing, which is one of the largest flotillas China has ever launched.

 

It comes amid the lingering dispute with the Philippines over the sovereignty of the area.

 

State Council has Issued the Barrier Free Environment Construction Regulations

Experts in social affairs here in China say they want to see more details behind new plans released by the State Council when it comes to construction codes for accessibility for the disabled.

 

CRI's Long Kun explains.

 

Ms. Zhang is the mother of a hearing-impaired six-year-old who has been in the China Rehabilitation Research Center for deaf children for a year and a half.

 

She says the new regulations will make the lives of disabled people much easier and suggests that the government implement more specific measures.

 

"I think the regulations are good, as they protect the interests of the disabled. I think more help is still needed in public places, like volunteers and public devices. For example, at the bus stops in Beijing, a speaker that tells vision-impaired passengers information about the stops is needed."

 

Du Peng, Vice President of the Research Institute for Development of the Disabled with Renmin University, says the regulations have clearly set out the barrier-free measures for the disabled and made the facilities safer.

 

Du adds that difficulties may arise in the process of enforcing the regulations, and further efforts are still needed.

 

"First, authorities should enhance the supervision and management of the government, increasing the government's responsibility. Second, we need to know what the disabled think of the barrier-free facilities, to get to know their needs and requirements"

 

Du believes special efforts should be made at the very beginning of the implementation of the regulations.

 

"The public should first know that barrier-free facilities provide conveniences for the entire public. Second, we should ensure that the facilities are properly used. Third, other people should take the initiative to learn about the needs of the disabled and be more considerate towards them."

 

Meanwhile, Yang Lixiong, Vice Dean of the Social Security Center at Renmin University, stresses that the public should also do their part when implementing the regulations.

 

"Many people perhaps don't care to notice that the lanes for blind people on sidewalks are often blocked. We should improve the situation. Besides, we need to encourage the disabled to work and live independently. The best way to do this is to provide them with barrier-free facilities."

 

The new regulations will take effect on August 1st, 2012.

 

For CRI, I am Long Kun.

 

China's Economy Maintained Stable Growth in First Half

The National Bureau of Statistics has released this country's 2nd quarter GDP.

 

The Chinese economy has grown by 7.6-percent the past 3-months.

 

That's down from 8.1 percent in the first quarter.

 

This marks the 6th consecutive quarter of decline.

 

It's also the first time GDP has dropped below 8 percent in three years.

 

NBS spokesperson Sheng Laiyun.

 

"The GDP increase doesn't have to cling to 8 percent. If we take the economic situation in and out of China objectively, we will see Chinese economy ran stably in the first half. "

 

For the whole of the first half, GDP here in China is up 7.8-percent, which is still above the full-year target of 7.5-percent growth.

 

Sheng Laiyun says they're confident of reaching the full-year target.

 

"Some new investment projects have been launched. Total retail sales of consumer goods are stable. At the same time, the government will continue issuing some policies to encourage consuming. All of them will contribute to meet the full year target. "

 

Stats show fixed-asset investment is down 5.2 percent.

 

Retail sales have increased 14.4 percent.

 

Industrial value-added output is up 10.5 percent.

 

Job Market Booms in Middle, Western Parts of China

New government analysis is suggesting the job market is cooling down in eastern China.

 

At the same time, the job market is reportedly booming in the middle and western parts of the country so far this year.

 

Yun Donglai is with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

 

"All the five provinces that registered the highest year-on-year job growth in the first quarter are in the middle and western regions of the country, which account for 47.2 percent of the national job growth total."

 

China's Three Gorges Dam Sees Second Annual Flood Peak

China's Three Gorges Dam has experienced the second flood crest of the year.

 

The world's largest hydropower project is already running at full capacity, with the last of its 32 turbine generators going into operation last week.

 

Shang Quanmin is a senior engineer with China's national flood and drought prevention office.

 

"After the 2008 flood, the Three Gorges has tested and adjusted its flood holding capacity. Since then it has withstood floods eleven times and the flood water it stored adds up to 61 billion cubic meters, which is equivalent to nearly three times its flood withstanding capacity. It is estimated that the Dam has created economic benefit of about 30 billion yuan, or about 5 US dollars by preventing floods."

 

On top of being the world's largest hydro-power project, the Three Gorges Dam also regulates the water flows along the Yangtze during the summer high-season, helping minimize the flooding along the lower reaches of the river.

 

Age Pension for Rural Seniors Lags behind

China's National Working Commission on Aging has released a new report showing that elderly people living in rural areas are drawing an average pension of just 74-yuan a month.

 

CRI's Zhao Yang has more.

 

The survey conducted by China's Research Center on Aging indicates that by last year the coverage rate of old-age pensions in rural areas was about 34 percent. And on average, the monthly old-age pension was only 74 yuan or less than 12 US dollars.

 

The current old-age pension scheme for rural residents was officially put into place nationwide in 2009.

 

Under the system, pensions are paid with funds from three sources, namely, the accumulated savings from personal pension accounts, government subsidies and community contributions.

 

Take as an example of the small village of Liuliqu in the western suburbs of Beijing. According to the local social welfare center, about 500 villagers are currently eligible for old-age pensions, and 98 percent of them have joined the pension scheme.

 

Zhang Shumin is an official from the local social welfare center.

 

"If a resident joins the pension scheme at the age of 20, according to the current standard in Beijing, he is required to deposit 960 yuan into his personal account each year. And when he turns 60, he will be able to get about 270 yuan each month from his personal account plus a government subsidy of 280 as well as other bonuses. In total he will get about 600 yuan or each month."

 

But Zhang points out that the village adopted the scheme in 2007, so most residents started making deposits into the pension fund only a few years ago. For those who have already turned 60, the amount they receive will be far less than 600 yuan a month.

 

"Things are getting more and more expensive these days, so for those who have houses, they have to rent them out to earn an extra income."

 

Under the current scheme, the monthly government subsidy should be at least 55 yuan for each resident.

 

Local governments can adjust the amount based on their budget plans. For example, in Beijing, the basic subsidy is 280 yuan, while in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, it is 65 yuan.

 

Yang Lixiong, Deputy Director of China's Social Security Research Center at Renming University, says the benchmark for the basic subsidy is too low.

 

"The benchmark should match the development of different regions. For example, in Beijing it wouldn't be of much help if a pensioner only gets 100 yuan per month. While in other regions, the local government may unable to add a penny more to the basic subsidy. Plus, there is no proper adjustment mechanism for the subsidy. How will the government adjust the 55 yuan basic subsidy in the coming years? Based on commodity prices or average income or both? Without an adjustment system, the old-age pension won't be of any help in the years to come."

 

Yang adds that the key is to define how many inputs the local governments and the central government should each contribute to the pension subsidy.

 

Currently, the central government is paying the basic subsidies in central and western China, while covering 50 percent of the fees in eastern China.

 

By the end of last year, more than 60 percent of China's counties had implemented the scheme.

 

The program is expected to cover all rural areas by the end of this year.

 

For CRI, I'm Zhao Yang.

 

Unfinished Smuggling Tunnel Discovered in Mexico

The Mexican army has discovered a sophisticated drug-smuggling tunnel along the US-Mexico border.

 

The tunnel was being dug under a bathroom sink inside a warehouse in Tijuana.

 

Mexican officials say the tunnel hadn't reached the United States.

 

Landeros Briseno is a military commander in Tijuana.

 

"The tunnel is about 10 meters below ground, and is about one meter wide by 1.7 meters tall; it's about 150 meters long, but with no exit. It has a basic ventilation and lighting system. "

 

Authorities discovered a similar tunnel in a vacant storefront in the southwestern Arizona city of San Luis last week.

 

Tunnels have become an increasingly common way to smuggle heroin, marijuana and other drugs into the United States from Mexico.

 

More than 70 tunnels have been found on the border since 2008.

 

BBC

 

The biggest survey of Native American DNA has concluded that the New World was settled in three major waves.

 

But the majority of today's indigenous Americans descend from a single group of migrants that crossed from Asia to Alaska 15,000 years ago or more.

 

Previous genetic data have lent support to the idea that America was colonised by a single migrant wave.

 

There are at least three deep lineages in Native American populations"

 

The team analysed data from 52 Native American and 17 Siberian groups, studying more than 300,000 variations in their DNA.

 

"The Asian lineage leading to First Americans is the most anciently diverged, whereas the Asian lineages that contributed some of the DNA to Eskimo-Aleut speakers and the Na-Dene-speaking Chipewyan from Canada are more closely related to present-day East Asian populations."

 

This natural bridge appeared during the last Ice Age when sea levels were lower, allowing hunters to trek between the two continents.

 

The team also found that once in the Americas, people expanded southward along a route that hugged the coast, with populations splitting off along the way.

After their divergence, there was little gene flow among Native American groups, especially in South America.

 

China Daily

 

The killing of a US visitor in Beijing, which police believe was committed by a man with schizophrenia, has raised fears over the handling of suspects with mental health problems.

 

The man An Libo was arrested shortly after an attack downtown on Wednesday in which Howard Thomas Mills, 62, was stabbed to death.

 

What concerned many people was the news that An was also detained last year for a similar, but non-fatal attack in Shanghai, where, after being deemed mentally ill, he was put on a train home and effectively released back into the community.

 

However, legal and health professionals warn that there are no strict guidelines for how police should deal with suspects with mental health disorders, which means that many people could be slipping through the cracks.

 

An was evaluated at the Shanghai Mental Health Center, which diagnosed him with schizophrenia and said he could "not be held criminally liable" for the robbery or stabbing.

 

Experts are now highlighting his case to draw attention to the lack of unified regulations in the judicial system for people with mental health issues.

 

However a revised Criminal Procedure Law, which includes articles on mental health, will come into effect in January. However, Liu Ruishuang, an associate professor at Peking University's health science center, said it still lacks practical and specific measures.

 

"We urgently need specific rules to cover mentally ill people," he said. The government is still working on a mental health law, yet Liu said introducing professional regulations would be quicker and more effective.

 

AP

 

Beachgoers in Orange County were treated on Wednesday to the unusual sight of two goats surfing the Pacific Ocean waves.

 

The pair, a nanny called Goatee and her kid billy called Pismo, stood on surfboards and cruised on the water as bystanders watched in amazement.

 

The goats' owner, Dana McGregor from Pismo Beach, teamed up with surfers Mark and Debbie Gale to see if they could get both goats to ride on one board together.

 

Mark Gale said he had tried the trick with dogs, so why not a goat.

 

McGregor originally got Goatee to help with gardening duties, or eating unwanted foliage, on his property.

 

But he soon started taking her with him when he went out, including trips to the beach.

 

Then he thought to put her on a surfboard with him.

 

When baby goat Pismo was born in March, McGregor put her on a board too.

 

On Wednesday, it didn't take long before both were riding a wave together, but Goatee was done after a few rides and swam to shore.

 

Pismo seemed a natural though, keeping his balance on the board, and apparently enjoying the swell.

 

Market Update

 

U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday, with major indexes gaining for the first time this week, after earnings from JPMorgan Chase came in stronger than expected.

 

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 1.6 percent to 12,777. The Standard & Poor' s 500 was up 1.7 percent to 1,357. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.5 percent to 2, 908.

 

European markets also traded higher. London's FTSE 100 rose one percent to 5,666. Frankfurt's DAX gained 2.2 percent to 6,557. CAC 40 in Paris added 1.5 percent to 3,181.