ZGBriefs September 29, 2011
www.zgbriefs.com |
|
| ZGBriefs is a condensation of news items gathered from published sources. ZGBriefs is not responsible for the content of these items nor does it necessarily endorse the perspectives presented. To subscribe to this free news from China or to tell a friend, click the "Join Our Mailing List" or "Forward Email" link below. |
|
|
FEATURED ARTICLE
The world's great powers have long declared themselves through their rail lines-think the 20th Century Limited, the Flying Scotsman, or the Orient Express-and on June 30 the Chinese made their bid for supremacy, with the first official run of a $32 billion high-speed line between Shanghai and Beijing. Faster (820 miles in 288 minutes) and sleeker than any other, the needle-nosed CRH380A symbolizes China's accelerating pace, even as it faces questions about safety, and taps into an ancient rivalry with Japan. Simon Winchester was on board. |
| Archives |
Search past content by date or keyword at www.zgbriefs.com
|
Keep up with us all week.
Now you can follow ZGBriefs on Twitter!
|
|
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS
China scales back military ties with US over F-16s (September 26, 2011, AP) China plans to cancel or postpone some U.S.-China military exchanges after Washington last week announced it would upgrade Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets, a senior U.S. official said. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Monday with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who urged the U.S. to reconsider the arms sale, warning it would undermine the trust and confidence between the two sides. China regards self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory and cut military ties with the U.S. for several months after the last major arms sale, including Black Hawk helicopters, announced in early 2010. China's response this time has been more restrained, apparently because the U.S. did not agree to sell new F-16 plans that Taiwan also wants.
Top Chinese security official visits Pakistan (September 26, 2011, AP) Pakistan hosted China's top security official and staged war games with Saudi Arabia on Monday, strengthening ties with two regional players as its relationship with the United States plummets over allegations Islamabad supports insurgents in Afghanistan. China's Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu met his Pakistani counterpart, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who brushed aside questions on the timing of the visit. "Let's not talk USA here. I am here with my friend China," Malik told reporters. "China is always there for us in the most difficult moments."
US urges China on Tibetan rights after monks' protest (September 28, 2011, BBC News) The United States is urging China's government to respect the rights of Tibetans following an incident in which two teenage monks set themselves alight. They were apparently protesting at the lack of religious freedom. The incident happened at the Kirti monastery in Sichuan Province - the scene of a number of recent protests against Chinese rule. The US state department says it is seriously concerned about this protest. It is urging the Chinese government to respect the rights of its Tibetan people, and protect their religion, culture and language.
Consulate guard accused of trying to spy for China (September 28, 2011, AP) A former contract security guard at a U.S. consulate under construction in southern China's largest city was charged Wednesday with trying to pass defense secrets about the site to Chinese intelligence officials. Prosecutors said Bryan Underwood, 31, was arrested early Saturday in Los Angeles after going on the run and is being brought to Washington to face a four-count indictment. The indictment alleges that Underwood wrote a letter expressing "interest in initiating a business arrangement" with Chinese officials and took photographs of his worksite to pass on.
Ai Weiwei's wife urges China to drop plan on detentions (September 28, 2011, Reuters) The wife of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, whose detention sparked an international outcry, has urged lawmakers to reject draft legislation that would cement in law police powers to hold dissidents in secret locations without telling their families. Human rights advocates have decried China's proposed amendments to its Criminal Procedure Code that could embolden authorities to go further with the kind of shadowy detentions, which have swept up human rights lawyers and veteran protesters earlier this year. "If the above measures are passed, it will be a regression for China's legal system, the deterioration of human rights, and will be a hindrance to the progress of our civilization," Lu Qing wrote in a letter to the legislative working committee of the National People's Congress, a copy of which was posted on Ai's Google Plus account.
China's 'red flag' missile system now operational (September 29, 2011, Singapore Straits Times) China's official military media has acknowledged for the first time that a new land-based mid-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system has reached operational capability. In a recent drill, two Hongqi-16 missiles fired by an air defence unit of north-east China's Shenyang military region successfully hit their aerial targets, the official website of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported on Monday. The new SAM system, whose name reflects its derivation from the Hongqi ('red flag') missile family, has been delivered to the unit, reported the Global Times yesterday. Military observers say deployment of this missile system will boost China's air defence capability, says the newspaper.
|
HEALTH
Child survivor of China train crash can stand again: doctors (September 23, 2011, Xinhua) A two-year-old girl who miraculously survived July's fatal high-speed train crash in east China's Zhejiang Province can stand up after a month of treatment and rehabilitation at a Shanghai hospital, doctors said Friday. Xiang Weiyi, who was pulled out of a demolished train car 21 hours after the crash, suffered serious injuries to her left leg, which nearly had to be amputated. "She can stand up from time to time, but we have advised her guardians to prevent her from standing up for too long. It will take a long time before she can stand up without help," said Zhao Li, head of the pediatric orthopaedics department of Xinhua Hospital, where the toddler was treated. Xiang arrived at the hospital on Aug. 22 after undergoing five operations at a hospital in Wenzhou, where the crash occurred.
8m abortions every year in China: survey (September 26, 2011, Shanghai Daily) EACH year in China more than 8 million abortions are carried out, according to a recent survey. More than half the women involved are not undergoing their first abortion, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, citing the survey by the China Medical Association. Cheng Linan, an official with the family planning branch of the association, said the rate remained high because many young people have a poor understanding of birth control. The survey showed that 88 percent of those questioned were confused about birth control. And about half of the abortion cases were a result of birth control not being used. Less than 2 percent of abortions were carried out for medical reasons.
Ethnic village doctors trained in Beijing (September 26, 2011, Xinhua) Seventy-two village doctors from minority groups in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region joined a 14-day training program in Beijing sponsored by the China Red Cross Foundation. The training program, which ended Monday, was aimed at improving medical services for farmers and herdsmen in ethnic-dominated regions, said Guo Changjiang, vice president of the Red Cross Society of China, in an interview with Xinhua. The trainees from six ethnic groups took part in training on the prevention and treatment of gynecologic, pediatric and orthopedic diseases. They also visited two hospitals in Beijing. |
RELIGION
Two Tibetan monks set themselves on fire in China: sources (September 26, 2011, Reuters) Two young Tibetan monks set themselves on fire to protest against government religious controls in western China on Monday, two exiled Tibetan sources said, the third such protest this year that could spark fresh tension in the unstable region. The 18-year-old monks, Kelsang and Kunchak, belong to the Kirti monastery -- a major site of protest against Chinese policies and the scene of a harsh crackdown by security forces in May -- one India-based exiled Tibetan activist, told Reuters. The monks' self-immolations could lead to a renewed crackdown in Aba prefecture, a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of Sichuan province that many advocates of self-rule say should form part of a larger homeland under Tibetan control.
Exhibition of China's Bible ministry opens in Washington (September29, 2011, Xinhua) A month-long exhibition of China's Bible ministry kicked off Wednesday in Washington D.C. to tell a China Bible story rarely truthfully described to the outside world. The Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church in China made its debut at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in the U.S. capital. It will be on display there through Oct. 2 before traveling to other U.S. cities including Chicago, Dallas and Charlotte. Through the Bible's various Chinese versions, ancient or modern, as well as pictures, paintings, calligraphy, art works and historical documents, the exhibition, entitled "The word is the Truth," aimed to give an overall understanding of how Bible was brought into China, how it was translated, published, distributed there, and loved by Chinese brothers and sisters. |
EDUCATION / CULTURE
Chinese commemorate 130th birth anniversary of famous author Lu Xun (September 26, 2011, Xinhua) It appears that Lu Xun's popularity never dies out, though the pioneer of modern Chinese literature has been dead for 75 years. Streams of people laid flowers in front of the granite tomb of Lu Xun in Shanghai on Saturday, his 130th birth anniversary, paying their respect to the writer whose works are believed to have enlightened the public when Chinese were under the pressure of feudal rulers and imperialist bullies. The number of visitors to the Lu Xun Museum on Saturday was several times more than usual. They all lined up to get a memorial postmark to commemorate the late writer's birthday. The newly-renovated museum in Shanghai exhibits over 1,000 items in memory of Lu Xun, which includes many of his personal belongings.
New Mandarin test for native speakers stirs up debate in China (September 26, 2011, Xinhua) China's new Mandarin test has raised public debate, as some experts doubt its effectiveness in enhancing native speakers' language abilities. The National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA), a body affiliated with the Ministry of Education, said in August that the Chinese Proficiency Test, which will debut after three years' preparation, is designed to promote people's interest and ability in their native language. The test evaluates listening, speaking, and reading and writing abilities at six different levels, while also providing advice to examinees on how to improve their Mandarin. The test was conceived amid the perceived withering popularity of Chinese culture and language, as more and more Chinese people have rushed to English training classes instead of perfecting their native language, because better English can mean a higher salary. A common worry is the perception that younger generations have forgotten how to write Chinese characters since they heavily use computers and mobile phones. |
SOCIETY / LIFE
China police detain man over 'sex slaves' in basement (September 23, 2011, BBC News) Police in China have detained a man on suspicion of imprisoning and raping six women in a basement for two years and of killing two of them. Reports said the man, 34-year-old firefighter Li Hao, had dug two rooms underneath the basement he bought in Luoyang city, Henan, four years ago. He then kidnapped the women, all of whom are said to have worked in nightclubs or bars. He was arrested after he let one of the women leave and she went to police. Police confirmed that they had arrested Mr Li on 6 September and that an investigation was ongoing.
China beating: Anger after man mistaken for petitioner (September 24, 2011, BBC News) A Chinese tourist was badly beaten up after being mistaken for a petitioner who wanted to lobby the authorities in Beijing, state media report. Zhao Zhipei and three others were dragged from a hotel and bundled into a van before being dumped in their home province of Henan. Mr. Zhao was later found unconscious on a road in Luoyang city. The case caused anger on China's social media sites. Six local officials have been punished for the beating, state media said. Millions of people petition government offices across China every year to try to resolve disputes or complain about official misconduct. They are often treated as a nuisance and many are rounded up by police to stop them complaining.
DNA matching returns 1,400 vagrant or abducted children home (September 25, 2011, Xinhua) Chinese police have helped more than 1,400 homeless or abducted children return to their homes through DNA matching as part of efforts to fight human trafficking since 2009, the Beijing News reported on Sunday. National DNA database has reduced child trafficking in China, Chen Shiqu, director of the anti-human trafficking office of the Ministry of Public Security, was quoted as saying. The ministry started to build up a nationwide DNA database since April 2009 in which parents who lost their children and children found homeless are collected their blood samples to conduct DNA matching.
China protests: Authorities 'to investigate land sales' (September 25, 2011, BBC News) The Chinese authorities have agreed to investigate local government land sales that prompted several days of sometimes violent public protests, media say. Villagers in southern China say they are being pushed off farmland for property development. Unrest broke out on Wednesday, but the situation now appears to be calmer. Officials said protesters in Lufeng in Guangdong province injured police officers and damaged government buildings during the protest.
China detains more than 2,000 in food safety crackdown (September 26, 2011, Reuters) China has detained more than 2,000 people, seized tonnes of tainted products and closed more than 5,000 companies in a five-month crackdown on food safety problems, but the road ahead remains tough, state media said on Monday. "Our recent campaign has achieved notable success. But this is just a beginning," an unnamed official from the cabinet's food safety task force told Xinhua news agency. China has struggled to rein in health safety violations in the unruly and vast food sector despite harsh punishments and repeated vows to deal with the problem.
Police urged to boost use of micro blogs (September 27, 2011, Xinhua) Police should use official micro blogs, or weibo, to share more details about their work and provide more services to the public, Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, said on Monday. Speaking at a national conference in Beijing on the functions of micro blogs, the minister urged security officials to use the platform to release useful information in a timely and transparent manner. The number of official police weibo already exceeds 4,000, and almost 5,000 officers use the services to help in their work, Huang said. Zhao Feng, a Beijing police officer in charge of maintaining the force's official account on Sina Weibo, China's largest micro blogging website, said the account has attracted more than 1.68 million followers since last August. He said at least 10 posts are uploaded to it every day.
Beijing aims to relocate tens of thousands of residents to suburbs by 2015 (September 27, 2011, Xinhua) Beijing plans to move tens of thousands of downtown residents to the city's suburban districts over the next five years to ease the overcrowded situation. Dou Shuling, deputy director of the Population and Family Planning Committee of Beijing's Xicheng District, said Monday at a news briefing that 50,000 to 100,000 people in Xicheng District are expected to be relocated. There are 1.34 million people with registered permanent residence in Xicheng District. Dou admitted that the relocation work will proceed slowly as many residents are reluctant to leave their homes, despite the fact that many of the homes are in disrepair.
Shanghai subway crash: Media question safety standards (September 28, 2011, BBC News) Lapses which may have led to a crash on Shanghai's subway system have been criticised in Chinese state media. The crash on Tuesday, which injured 284 people, happened when subway staff were directing trains using phones after the signal system failed. "China should be more cautious and concentrated in avoiding risks," said the English-language Global Times in an editorial. Tuesday's crash occurred at about 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) following a signal system failure at a subway station on Line 10, Shanghai Shentong Metro Group said.
China stresses public security ahead of National Day (September 28, 2011, Xinhua) China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Wednesday urged the police to strengthen supervision and create a "favorable" social environment for the seven-day National Day holiday beginning on Oct. 1. The ministry has instructed police nationwide to intensify patrols on rented houses, hotels, entertainment centers and other crowded places, and strengthen the crackdown on organized crime and telecommunication fraud during the holiday, according to a statement released by the MPS. Police at all levels should also conduct rigorous checks on potential fire hazards to avoid major accidents, the ministry said.
Entrepreneurs flee Chinese of Wenzhou city over debts (September 29, 2011, AFP) At least one entrepreneur has killed himself and dozens of others are on the run in China after borrowing money from private lenders at very high interest rates, state media reported on Thursday. The private business owners were based in the eastern city of Wenzhou, which gained nationwide fame in the 1980s for its free-wheeling entrepreneurs and factories specialising in everything from cigarette lighters to badges. A shoe factory owner facing 'debt problems' jumped to his death on Tuesday and another 29 have fled the wealthy city since April after borrowing money at exorbitant rates, the 21st Century Business Herald said. The entrepreneurs owned factories, restaurants and printing businesses. One of them owes two billion yuan (S$401 million), the report said. China's banks - which are not allowed to charge higher interest on riskier loans - mainly lend to other large state-controlled enterprises and shun small- and medium-sized enterprises. So a growing number of independent business owners in China are resorting to the informal lending market where they pay as much as 70 per cent interest on loans.
|
BUSINESS / ECONOMICS / TRADE
China orders tighter controls on rare earths (September 26, 2011, AP) China's Ministry of Land and Resources has ordered a further tightening of controls on strategically vital rare earths used in advanced manufacturing, for the sake of what it says is "sustainable and healthy development." The order seen Tuesday on the ministry's website calls for tighter controls over unauthorized exploration, mining, processing and sales of such minerals, which are used in mobile phones and other high-tech products. It cites vice minister Wang Min as calling the materials - which are not rare but have unique qualities that make them useful for high-tech applications - the "vitamins" of modern industry. China accounts for 97 percent of world production of rare earth metals. It has alarmed global manufacturers by reducing exports while it tries to build up its own industry, prompting pressure from Europe and the United States to treat foreign and domestic buyers equally.
China grain prices to rise despite bigger harvest (September 29, 2011, AP) China's grain harvest will post its eighth consecutive increase this year but consumers will still face moderate price rises as supplies struggle to keep pace with growing demand. There is global interest in China's grain harvests because a failure to satisfy domestic demand could force the country to import some grains, driving up already volatile world food prices. China will produce more than 550 million tons of corn, rice and other grains this year - the eighth consecutive year of increased output, said Chen Xiaohua, deputy director of the ministry, at a news briefing Thursday in Beijing. Government subsidy programs that guaranteed farmers would be able to sell their grain were to thank for the harvests, he said, and also credited generally favorable weather despite a harsh drought in the southwest that affected output there. He said moderate price hikes for grains were still expected due to higher farm costs, growing meat consumption which is driving up demand for feed grain, and international market forces.
|
ENVIRONMENT / TECHNOLOGY
Typhoon Nesat lands in south China (September 29, 2011, Xinhua) Nesat, the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, landed in south China's Hainan Province Thursday afternoon. Packing winds of 42 meters per second at its center, it made landfall in the township of Wengtian in Wenchang City at 2:30 p.m. The province has recalled ships, suspended flight and ferry services and closed schools to brace for Nesat, which is the 17th typhoon to hit China this year.
China's first space lab module Tiangong-1 blasts off (September 29, 2011, Xinhua) China's first space lab module Tiangong-1 blasted off at 9:16 p.m. Beijing Time (1316 GMT) Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest desert area. The unmanned module, carried by Long March-2FT1 rocket, will test space docking with a spacecraft later this year, paving the way for China to become the third country in the world to operate a permanent space station around 2020. The Tiangong-1 will orbit the Earth for about one month to await Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft. Once the two vehicles successfully rendezvous, they will conduct the first space docking at a height of 340 kilometers above Earth surface.
|
LINKS TO DETAILED ARTICLES AND ANALYSIS
The rise of the Chinese middle class is a mixed blessing. As China transitions from an export-led economy to a consumption-led economy, the global environmental and ecological implications will be overwhelming.
China's massive economic-stimulus program has supported near double-digit growth, but also stoked inflation, piled up debt and fueled another unwelcome development: social unrest. In 2010, China was rocked by 180,000 protests, riots and other mass incidents-more than four times the tally from a decade earlier. That figure, reported by Sun Liping, a professor at Tsinghua University, rather than official sources, doesn't tell the whole story on the turmoil in what is now the world's second-largest economy.
China's high-speed trains were supposed to be a gleaming testament to the country's progress and modernity. Instead, a recent crash that killed 40 people has come to symbolize much that's wrong with China's warp-speed development. In particular, a "Great Leap Forward" mentality toward development is clashing with questions of safety.
China's richest man could become the first private business owner to join the ruling Communist Party's powerful central committee, according to reports in China's state media.
Gary Locke has been praised for his down-to-earth manner since becoming the first Chinese-American ambassador to Beijing. He's also been denounced as a show boater, a neocolonialist tool and a traitor to the Chinese race.
Paul Crook's Communist parents met in China in 1940 and brought up their three sons in Beijing. In the 1960s, Paul was caught up in the Cultural Revolution, a chaotic attempt to root out elements seen as hostile to Communist rule.
A week after Washington announced a multimillion dollar arms sale to Taiwan, the Chinese government appears unwilling to do much more about it than issue fierce rhetorical protests, according to political analysts here, in an effort to not disrupt ties with the US ahead of a major shift in China's leadership.
A theft by a migrant worker and scandals involving corrupt officials in the Forbidden City have raised eyebrows in the security-obsessed nation.
Why did a successful and seemingly loyal officer in a military rooted in hostility to the Chinese Communist Party turn against his country, and what secrets did he betray?
But readers will surely come away inspired by the landmark account of Chinese Christians living under the vicious political campaigns of the Mao era.
Calls for death penalty reform in China are growing, but so is the ability of the public to pressure courts into changing sentences perceived as too lenient - a development some say verges on mob justice.
The Tiangong 1 space lab will serve as a space station module prototype for China, which is the third country (after Russia and the United States) to develop the capability to launch astronauts into space and return them safely to Earth. Here are some basic questions and answers about China's first space laboratory.
|
LINKS TO BLOGS
If you've spent any amount of time in Xinjiang, chances are you've heard this song more times than you can count. It is, in my opinion, the most popular song in Xinjiang. How popular, you ask? It's so well known that even Han Chinese - most of whom can't speak the Uyghur language - can sing along and know the meaning of the words.
Chinese ambitions in Africa have been no secret to Western policymakers. In the past 7 years, Beijing has devoted over $14 billion dollars to Africa, through a mixture of aid for resources packages and direct investment. However, the outcome of this weekend's Zambian presidential election could be an indication that the policy is beginning to backfire. Four-time candidate, and former train station sweeper Michael "King Cobra" Sata, was confirmed as the winner last Friday.
A new study suggests that the impact of trading with China could be worse for the U.S. economy than previously thought; Australia is seeing a reversal in the rise and rise of its currency, while China continues to guide the yuan higher.
Shanghai's subway operator was quick to post an Internet apology Tuesday after a subway accident that left about 250 people injured. Then it was just as quick in taking it down.
The Li Gang case of October 2010, in which the son of an influential local police official struck and killed a female college student while driving on campus - and tried to hide behind his father's authority by shouting, "My father is Li Gang!" - struck a nerve with many Chinese. The case spoke to a generalized fear and resentment over the perception that, in this transitioning society marked by deep social inequality, those with power and wealth can act with impunity.
Chinese policymakers are often assumed to be the archetypal practitioners of realpolitik. But their coddling of dictators is counter-productive.
Beijing ranked just below Lagos, Nigeria, in the WHO's assessment, which relies on official country data. But the Chinese government's proclivity for fudging numbers as well as its lack of available measurements for what are known as "fine" pollutant particles may be contributing to its lower ranking.
Sebastian Heilmann and Elizabeth Perry, eds., Mao's Invisible Hand: The Political Foundations of Adaptive Governance in China. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, 2011. xiii, 336 pp. $24.95 (paper).
China, a late comer to modernisation, has established a whole set of governance models with unique Chinese characteristics to deal with public crises. This has been especially the case since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. There are five important models, steps and experiences in regard to crises management outlined below.
Earlier today Bank of America released a presentation and a conference call in which the firm's head of China equity strategy David Cui spoke about the dreaded "China Hard Landing" or the event that would kill all decoupling dreams for ever and ever, and probably lead to a world depression.
This Big Picture post gives us a glimpse of daily life in parts of China, documented by wire photographers from the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty. The post begins with a short essay by Reuters photographer Jason Lee. Lee photographed six-year-old Wang Gengxiang, known as the "Masked Boy." Gengxiang was severely burned in an accident involving a burning pile of straw last winter.
|
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS
During Hu Jintao's tenure as general secretary, the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party has operated under a structure intended to promote collective decision-making on the basis of informed deliberation and consensus and to reinforce stable oligarchic rule.
When Deng Xiaoping became pre-eminent leader of China in December 1978, China was still in the chaos from the Cultural Revolution. Per capita annual income was less than US$100.
On the question of cooperation or conflict, the focus of the Pentagon's 2011 report, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, is that the jury is still out (the US Congress has mandated the preparation of these annual assessments since 2000).
|
RESOURCES
October 20, 2011, 7PM, Rogalski Center Examining the history of Christianity in China, women's leadership in the church, feminist interpretation of the Bible, and Christian women leaders' views on the church and state.
|
|
| Contributions to support the production of ZGBriefs are always welcome and can be made at our secure online giving page for ZGBriefs. Click here to give online. Thank you. |
|
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment