17th of March 2011
The Lion Awakes
Daily News, Culture & Current Affairs about China
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People's Daily
Premier Wen Jiabao Full Text: Report on the Work of the Government
The following is the full text of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress on March 5, 2011 and adopted on March 14, 2011:
See CCTV9 Dialobue below
China to provide 20,000 tonnes of fuel to Japan
The Chinese government announced Wednesday that it has decided to provide 20,000 tonnes of fuel as emergency assistance to Japan after a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit the country Friday.
What Japan's nuclear crisis has taught us
By Li Hong
The small battalion of 50 nuclear workers are staying put at the heavily damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Complex, keeping alive a hope to prevent a nuclear catastrophe by cooling down three sets of overheated nuclear reactors, and spilling water into cooling pools storing spent uranium fuel rods at another three reactors there.
The world stands on edge, weary of a worst- scenario full meltdown of the nuclear rods will spew thousands of tons of radioactive dust into the open air, endangering millions of lives in Japan and beyond.
See Kaixin's - GREEN CHINA
Activities across China mark Consumers' Rights Day
Citizens learn to identify the genuine and counterfeit products in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, March 15, 2011. A variety of activities were held across the country to greet the International Day for Protecting Consumers' Rights
Old "Eagles" stage their Beijing debut
Six Grammy Awards winner, the Eagles, moved their "Hotel California" to Beijing Saturday night for the first time in the band's 40 years' history.
The band fired fans by leading them to review the team's classics including "Hotel California", "Desperado", and "Take it easy."
The tickets under the price of 1,000 yuan (150 U.S. dollars) have been sold out weeks before the show, according to damai.cn, an online ticket service.
See Kaixin's - The Eagles
NPC & CPPCC Sessions
2006 - 2010
People's Daily
China Tibet Online
See Kaixin's
China Daily
China takes stimulus measures to ensure long-term development
BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday that the global financial crisis exerted a huge impact on China and the country took a series of stimulus measures to ensure long-term economic growth.
Boost non-State economy 
More jobs
Raise minimum purchase prices for farm products
Increase flexibility of RMB exchange rate
Taiwan investment in mainland Welfare apartments
Not easy task to achieve 7% growth
Local govts accountable for curbing housing prices
See Kaixin's - ECONOMIC CHINA
China suspends approvals for new nuclear plants
BEIJING - China has suspended the approval process for nuclear power stations so that safety standards can be revised after explosions at a Japanese plant, according to Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, or the Cabinet.
The State Council has required relevant departments to do safety checks at existing plants, according to a statement released after the meeting, which was presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.
The statement said all reactors in operation in China are safe and the country remains unaffected by radioactive leakages following explosions at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which was crippled by Friday's 9.0-magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami.
The radioactive leakages won't affect public health in China since they are diluted by the air and sea, the statement said, citing nuclear experts.
"Safety is our top priority in developing nuclear power plants, " the State Council said in the statement, calling for a comprehensive safety check and enhanced management over existing plants.
Before the revised safety standards are approved, all new nuclear power plants, including pre-construction works, should be suspended, according to the statement.
China has six nuclear power plants in operation, which are located along the country's eastern and southern coasts.
Japan quake sends shockwave through Chinese economy
BEIJING - Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami have sent shockwaves through China's economy, though it is not yet possible to estimate the total loss, analysts said Tuesday.
Trade between the two countries will definitely be affected in the short term, said an official with China's Ministry of Commerce.
In 2010, Japan was one of China's most important trade partners, accounting for about 8 percent of China's total exports, while China sourced 13 percent of its imports from Japan. The majority of trade between China and Japan was in vegetable and animal products, minerals, machinery and base metals, according to a report from Morgan Stanley Asia Limited.
China ran the biggest trade surplus with Japan in textiles, and the biggest trade deficit in machinery and electrical equipment. Trade in machinery and electrical equipment was the main force behind growth in both exports to and imports from Japan, the report said.
Analysts believe that the quake's impact on bilateral trade will include petrochemical, electrical production, automobile, and agricultural industries.
Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit
2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.
See Kaixin's - CHINA & TIBET & Jambhala (Photographer)
CCTV
CCTV9 Cross over to weather bureau: Is it possible winds carry radiation to nearby countries? VIDEO
For a more detailed picture of how the weather is set to develop in Japan, let's speak to Darryl Snow from the China Meteorological Center.
Q1.Darryl, many people need to know the direction of the wind. Is there any possibility prevailing winds will carry radiation from Fukushima to other parts of Japan, and even to nearby countries?
Q2. What's the latest forecast for the quake region? Could rescue and relief efforts be hampered by the weather?
CCTV9 Chinese rescuers brave snow VIDEO
Chinese rescue teams are continuing their search for survivors in Iwate, one of the worst-hit areas in Japan. But sudden snowfall and dropping temperatures through the night in the region made their work tougher.
The change of weather resulted in a 10 millimeters of snow in Iwate. Although some snow had melted by Wednesday morning, the temperature remained low.
Chinese rescue teams started working on Tuesday by splitting into two groups which then conducted a carpet-search for survivors in 78 buildings over a kilometer radius. They left a mark on each of the houses after checking for survivors.
China offers further relief for Japan: Chinese FM
BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Japanese Ambassador to China Niwa Unichiro here on Monday to offer continued support for Japan's disaster relief work.
The Chinese rescue team started search and rescue operations Monday morning in Japan's northeastern Iwate Prefecture, and China's relief materials will also arrive in Japan on the same day, said Yang.
Chinese people from all walks of life have expressed their condolences to the Japanese people in various forms and are lending them a helping hand, he said.
China is willing to enhance cooperation with Japan on quake relief work and post-disaster reconstruction, he said, noting China believes that Japan would, as always, provide assistance to the affected Chinese nationals in Japan.
Niwa said the Japanese government and people sincerely thank the Chinese government and people for the condolence and relief assistance, including sending a rescue team and providing relief materials.
A chartered plane carrying the first batch of relief goods China committed to Japan´s earthquake rescue operations took off from Shanghai late Monday afternoon.
REVIEW: Premier Wen Jiabao meets press
Premier Wen Jiabao holds a press conference in Beijing
CCTV China´s Premier Wen Jiabao meets press VIDEO
CCTV Unique features of 2011 CPPCC sessions VIDEO
This week, our reporter Wang Guan has also been covering the annual CPPCC , China's top political advisory body. He explains why this year's event is different from any other.
The annual session of CPPCC has come to a close here in Beijing. There have been some distinctive features that made this year's different from previous ones. Let's a take a look at some of them.
Hallmark number one was how the general public could influence the priorities of CPPCC members' proposals.
CCTV Tian Wei reporting: Highlights of CPPCC sessions this year? VIDEO
And we are joined by Tian Wei again, to talk more on the CPPCC session.
Q1, The CPPCC session officially wrapped up today - what were the highlights of the whole session that impressed the public most?
CCTV Rediscovering China - New Era. New Plan VIDEO
China has entered a new era as the world's second largest economy. The 12th 5-Year Program begins.
New Era.New Plan provides a glimpse into the making of the 12th Program and how it aims to re-balance and restructure the economy. The current growth model is economically and environmentally unsustainable. There are gaps between rich and poor that need to be bridged. China needs to change direction.
Global Times
The UK taught the world how to produce in the 19th century, the US showed the world how to consume in the 20th century, and China needs to demonstrate how to develop in a sustainable way in the 21st century.
Grow nuclear power under public watch
Japan's escalating nuclear crisis has caused a global scare. This concern also exists in China. The government needs to keep public sentiment in mind, and respond actively.
China's nuclear power capacity currently stands at 10.8 gigawatts, or 1 percent of the national output. This ratio is much lower than that of countries like Japan and France. However, China has 26 nuclear power units under construction, a scale unparalleled worldwide. Within a few decades, China will become a major testing ground for nuclear power security.
Fortunately, reactors here were built more recently, and are technically much safer than those at the Fukushima Daiichi power station. No accident has ever broken out at China's operating pressurized-water reactors.
But there is no guarantee of absolute safety. Several major powers, including the Soviet Union, Japan and the US, have witnessed nuclear leakages. No one can persuade the Chinese that a nuclear accident will never take place here.
It is certain that we cannot simply abandon our nuclear power program after Japan's nuclear crisis. With limited coal and oil, and the country's rivers already heavily dammed, meeting this soaring demand with nuclear power is inevitable.
China could be how it sees Japan
While shocked by Japan's earthquake and tsunami, the world is also concerned about Japan's emergency response. So far, the overall evaluation made by Japanese society is higher than that of Japanese media. This praise contains both sympathy and encouragement, as during the Wenchuan earthquake when the world praised China's performance, but there are rumbles of discontent.
Since China is a country prone to many natural disasters, it is useful for it to carefully observe disaster relief efforts and objectively assess the key steps taken at crucial moments in Japan for example.
Recently, two opposing views appeared on Chinese websites. One propounded that Japan's ability to mobilize resources quickly is "much worse than China's," while the other is that the Japanese performance was "impeccable." These views are both too extreme and reactionary.
Dialogue
A 30 Minute Current Affairs Programme on CCTV - 9 (In English) where current issues are discussed by experts from China and Internationally:
Voices & Votes - Focus on Premier Wen's press conference
Voices & Votes - China forms a socialist system of laws
International News Sources
The Wall Street Journal
Chinese Property: The Most Important Sector in the World
Mark another milestone for China’s ever-rising economic profile: UBS emerging-markets economist Jonathan Anderson has declared China’s property industry “the single most important sector in the entire global economy.”
See Kaixin's - CHINA REAL ESTATE
Jungle of Problems: Beijing’s Failure to Protect Consumers
Stanley Lubman
What do organic foods, the blood-thinner heparin, and auto airbags have in common? They are among the products recently reported to have been counterfeited in China and exported to the U.S. Chinese businesses that knowingly manufacture unsafe products continue to arouse concerns, both in and outside China. Consistent with long-established practice of using “campaigns” to promote specific policy goals, the Chinese government announced a food safety campaign in February 2011. But campaigns are not enough to attack the many ongoing product safety violators and the business culture that encourages them. China needs both robust consumer protection laws and the means to enforce them, especially at the local government level.
Kaixin OpEd – Last week China held National Consumer Day.
It is when all the substandard products and downright scams are exposed.
There are street displays, exhibitions and a lot of media attention.
It will take time, but the people of China are demanding better consumer protection and the government is definitely listening and doing something about it.
See People's Daily above
China’s Nuclear Energy Officials Watch Japan
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection hastened to declare over the weekend the country’s ambitious nuclear-energy expansion plans were unchanged by the worrying earthquake impact on Japanese power facilities. But that doesn’t mean that officials in China aren’t watching events in Japan with concern.
China to Suspend Approval of New Nuclear Projects
SHANGHAI—China halted approvals of new nuclear power plants pending changes to safety standards, signaling a shift toward caution from a country embarked at high speed on the world's biggest expansion program but where public nervousness is growing as a disaster unfolds in neighboring Japan.
Saudi Aramco, Sinopec Set Pact on Refinery
State giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Aramco, signed a memorandum of understanding with China Petrochemical Corp., or Sinopec Group, to develop the 400,000-barrel-a-day Yanbu refinery on the Red Sea coast.
New Suspects Held in Shanghai Tower Blaze
A day after Chinese premier Wen Jiabao identified corruption as “the biggest danger” facing the country’s leaders, authorities in Shanghai announced they have expanded the list of suspects they plan to prosecute for a deadly high rise fire that has became a national symbol for graft and abuse of power.
With Sedan, Chinese Car Maker Aims to Revive Brand in U.K.
SHANGHAI—China's state-owned SAIC Motor Corp. is poised to make a major push into the Western auto market with the launch of an MG sedan this year, aiming to revive the storied British car brand and allow SAIC to develop a network of dealerships across the U.K., possibly with help from longtime partner General Motors Co.
SAIC plans to launch the four-door "fastback" sedan, the MG6, through some of its own stores in the U.K. this year, possibly as early as July, said SAIC spokeswoman Judy Zhu. SAIC purchased technology from the now-defunct MG Rover Group Ltd. in 2005 and has ...
The New York Times
China Slows Nuclear Power Plans
By SHARON LaFRANIERE
China suspended approval on Wednesday for 28 planned new nuclear power plants.
Caixin Online
A Lesson for China's Nuclear Strategy
Japan's recent disaster has spurred Chinese regulators to call on the central government for greater supervision amidst China' rapidly-growing nuclear power industry
(Beijing) – China's existing nuclear plants are on full alert, as Japan races against time to save its earthquake-stricken nuclear power complex from a complete meltdown. In Beijing, environmental regulators have begun to voice concerns over safety standards within China's recently-developed nuclear power industry.
Kaixin OpEd – The nuclear industry is a product of the insatiable demand for energy.
That demand cannot be satisfied at this time by green energy. Base load power has to reliable and the only way to achieve that it appears is with hydro, coal or nuclear power plants.
Mankind is very ingenious but ….. well ….. human
Man-kind makes errors.
That means that all things manmade have the potential to be flawed in some way.
While nuclear power plants probably represent the highest standards of safety, they are still designed and run by humans, therefore susceptible to human error.
Man-kind must either reduce its demand for energy or accept the need for nuclear power until a green alternative can be found.
That means accepting nuclear accidents from time to time.
We do not hesitate to accept car accidents and the injury and fatalities that result.
We do not hesitate to accept the odd passenger plane going down.
We do not hesitate to accept industrial accidents.
Ineed, there are far more deaths from these causes than from nuclear accidents .... well, to date, we have yet to see how Japan pans out.
Yet create such a fuss about a nuclear accident. Yes, the consequences are not contained and long lasting but they are a result of our desire for energy to do things extra-human.
Either we must accept the consequences of our desire for energy and all that goes with it, or we reduce our demand for energy.
This becomes fraught when applied to developing and developed nations.
Eve munched on the juicy red apple of knowledge and all hell broke loose. Man-kind was caste out of the Garden of Eden.
At least there were only two people at that time.
Why do we assume that the bible was speaking to us of an historical event?
The bible is full of lessons and parable. It is not always to be taken literally.
So why can’t the story of Adam and Even being cast out of the Garden of Eden be a prophecy, a warning to mankind?
After all, why were they cast out of the Garden?
Because Eve ate of the apple of knowledge.
Perhaps with nuclear energy, where mankind is playing with the foundations of our world our being, atoms, we have reached just a little too far, taken a bite from the juicy red apple.
(Yes, Kaixin is aware there are smaller elements than atoms, but atoms still form a basic building block for matter)
Kaixn ponders this in relation to the G-Nome as well, the very foundation of mankind, as far as we can discover at this time ...
Kaixin believes that the world around us IS the Garden of Eden and man-kind is at risk of being caste out through its use of knowledge.
Something to ponder.
This is not a counsel of despair or a prophecy.
Man-kind is probably capable of handling such knowledge, but how, and the ethical dilemmas that arise should be approached with caution.
Japan will be a lesson, but it will not reduce our demand for energy.
Also, it appears that Japan was very human in its design, location and running of the nuclear plant. Also of its response to the situation. So we are back to the idea of being human again, and perhaps stretching just that little bit too far.
Hope not.
Environment Ministry Steps up Radiation Monitoring
Public concerns in China have risen over the possible impact of the nuclear meltdown triggered by the strongest-ever-recorded earthquake in Japan last Friday
(Beijing) – The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) intensified radiation monitoring in Beijing and 11 coastal provinces after last Saturday's explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant on the eastern coast of Japan. The ministry is now releasing data twice a day on radiation levels in areas that could be affected.
Freewheeling Market for Stem Cells in China
A weak regulatory environment lets hospitals sell untested stem cell transplants to desperate patients nationwide.
Harmful Addictives Found in Pig Feed
Shuanghui saw its share price slump, after the state broadcaster alleged the company used poisoned pork in its products
(Beijing) -- China's largest processed meats producer has been accused of using drug-contaminated pork for producing packaged food.
Asia Times Online
Confucius and the China brand
By Ting-I Su
Concerned that China's breakneck growth is eroding traditional values, increasing numbers of families are sending their children to Confucius study centers to learn respect, social welfare and personal morality. However, Beijing's official attempts to promote the ancient sage are merely seen as an attempt to exploit him as a cultural brand and a political tool.
See Over for the 16th of March 2011
CULTURAL CHINA
Articles of interest from the week's news
Insights into China's Society & Cutlure
Witness of Tibet Photography Contest and Exhibit
2011 marks the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and the magazine China's Tibet and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region are jointly holding a "Witness of Tibet, 1950-2010" photography contest. In addition to prizes, all winning works will be exhibited in Beijing and Lhasa in May 2011.
Tea grower returns to plant his roots
XIAMEN, Fujian - Tea merchant Li Zhihong is striving to tame Taiwan Oolong tea on the mainland.
"The tea originally came from Fujian, just like me," said Li, whose father moved to Taiwan for business in 1947.
The 50-year-old merchant said the Oolong tea in Taiwan also originally came from Fujian hundreds of years ago. Affected by humidity and high altitude on the island, it gradually evolved into Taiwan Oolong tea, with its unique fruity aroma.
"Now I'm trying to bring it back to the mainland, which has a larger growing area and a bigger market," said Li, who founded a 160-hectare tea plantation in the mountainous town of Yongfu in Fujian province in 2004.
Li has invested more than 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in his plantation and production will reach 50,000 kilograms this year, up from 35,000 kg last year.
Li patrols his garden every morning. He said the Taiwan plants have taken root and flourished after years of effort.
Li Zhihong, a tea merchant from Taiwan, visits his 160-hectare tea plantation in Yongfu, Fujian province, in March. It is the hometown of his ancestors and the Taiwan Oolong tea.
See Kaixin's: The story of the Pu'er Tea 普洱茶 the famous red tea of China.
Chinese green tea -Tie Guan Yin’s story 铁观音
Magic Tibetan Tea - Po Cha 'Tibetan Butter Tea'
People's Daily - FEATURE
Challenge to the traditional view of love and marriage
See Kaixin's - Marriage in China: Ancient & Modern & Women in China
Worship goes green
A Taoist temple has just spent a fortune to clean up its environmental footprint. But some people are not pleased about the high cost of worship and the high-tech embellishments that go with it. Guo Jiaxue reports.
After paying HK$100 admission, you may walk through the tri-roller gates where you encounter a large tripod for burning incense. A number of Taoist priests, in their red ritual robes, walk across the wide marble floor.
Were it not for the incense stand and the priests, you may find it difficult to distinguish the place from a Mass Transit Railway station or a supermarket. But this brightly illuminated modern room, presenting no traditional Chinese-style wooden structures, is actually the newly constructed hall of a Taoist temple.
It took three years and cost over HK$100 million to build the new hall at Wong Tai Sin Temple. The hall is dedicated to the worship of Taisui, the yearly god in China's Taoist tradition. There are 60 Taisui gods, also known as the 60 heavenly generals, who are charged with assisting the Jade Emperor to oversee the well being of the world.
A new chapter for literary festivals
International literary festivals in China in February and March are growing in number, size and the range of authors, and the diverse cultures they come from.
Performance poetry and gourmand feasts are being added to up the entertainment quotient. Quizzes, translation slams and cabarets celebrate the glory of the written word and extend its ambit.
The first Capital M Festival started on Feb 26, adding to the kitty of five thriving annual literary do's in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu and Jiangsu's Suzhou city.
So, why have another show in Beijing, where the Bookworm International Literary Festival (BILF) - now in its fifth year and firmly ensconced on the world map of noted international literary festivals - is hosting 74 authors from 19 countries and more than 100 events?
"There's always room for more than one literary festival in cities the size of Beijing and Shanghai," says Tina Kanagaratnam, organizer-in-chief of the M Literary Festival, which started nine years ago in Shanghai.
"We are getting 30 of the 85 authors coming to our Shanghai festival to go to Beijing to take part in 15 events."
This might create a tough choice for literary festival junkies - and there are quite a few, judging by the pace at which tickets sold out to events featuring authors Bi Feiyu (Moon Opera, Three Sisters) and Peter Hessler (River Town, Country Driving).
Famen Temple in Shaanxi province
A man cleans a Buddhist statue inside Famen Temple in Famen town, Fufeng County, 120 km (74 miles) west of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, March 13, 2011. The temple dates back to the second century AD and was built to house parts of a sacred bone of the Buddha presented to China by India's King Asoka
Photo Courtesy of China Daily
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