Central Kingdom Today

China urges free government information disclosure to improve transparency

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:37:00 +0000

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China urged its government departments to provide the public with free publications of information to protect the right to know and improve government transparency.

Government departments should provide free and timely information through government websites, communique, news conference or media, Xu Kunlin, a National Development and Reform Commission official, said during an online interview on Tuesday.

Such information included the department structure, administrative function, official work and administrative documents required by the Provisions on the Disclosure of Government Information that took effect on May 1, Xu said.

The disclosure of specific information requested by individuals, enterprises or groups would incur a charge, Xu said. The charge, however, would only include costs incurred during the process, such as for copying and delivery.

The money would go to the national treasury, he said.

Low-income groups, however, could get free access to the paid government information by providing their income declaration, said Yuan Guangrui, General Office of Ministry of Finance deputy director.

The Provisions on the Disclosure of Government Information is designed to "improve transparency and protect the right to know and public scrutiny of official acts."

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Source

US imposes arms sales freeze on Taiwan

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:16:00 +0000

The United States has frozen on arms sales to Taiwan following concerns expressed by China, top US military commander in Asia Admiral Timothy Keating said Wednesday.

He said Washington made the decision after having "reconciled Taiwan's military posture, China's current military posture and strategy that indicates there is no pressing, compelling need for, at this moment, arms sales to Taiwan.

"There have been no significant arms sales from the United States to Taiwan in relatively recent times," he acknowledged at a forum of the Washington based Heritage Foundation. "It is administration policy."

Keating said while Washington was committed to the defense of Taiwan, as enshrined in US law, "We want to do nothing to destabilize the (Taiwan) strait," which separates the Taiwan and the mainland.

"The Chinese have made clear to me their concern over any arms sales to Taiwan," he said.

Reports have said that senior US officials were holding up an 11-billion-dollar arms package and a delivery of dozens of F-16 jets for Taiwan, possibly until President George W. Bush leaves office.

The Bush administration must give Congress formal notification for the approval of weapons sales to foreign governments, but the Washington Post recently cited unnamed sources saying Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley have frozen the deal.

The reports appeared as China and Taiwan began last month their first formal talks in a decade, the latest step in a rapprochement that is likely to see the long-time rivals quickly deepen trade and tourism ties.

Taiwan has been governed separately since the end of a 1949 civil war, but Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade should the island declare formal independence.

Washington has been the island's leading arms supplier, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Source

2008 Beijing Olympic's Theme Song: Beijing Welcomes You

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Various Chinese musicians came together to show their national pride. Plus it's a pretty song.

Source

BREAKING!!!!! ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE HITS SICHUAN CHINA (JULY 15th)

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:03:00 +0000

This just in, another earthquake has hit the Sichuan province where a major earthquake on May 12th has killed over 70,000 people and left millions homeless. lets pray for the rescue workers that are still there.

A 5.0 Richter Scale aftershock hits
Mianzhu County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 5:26 p.m. on
Tuesday, according to the China Earthquake Administration.
Source:Xinhua

Chinese Citizens Open Up Homes to Tourists During Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Zhu Baohua beamed proudly as he showed a group of American visitors a century-old wooden bed in his house.

Zhu, in his fifties, is the owner of a siheyuan, a traditional
courtyard home in downtown Beijing. He was among 598 Beijing homeowners
selected as an Olympic host by the city tourism administration on
Friday.

The administration initiated the homestay program in
April, offering overseas visitors a chance to get to the heart of the
Beijing life.

As a supplement to the city's hotels, these
households could offer 726 rooms for more than 1,000 visitors, said
Xiong Yumei, deputy director of Beijing Tourism Administration.

Most of the families lived near major stadiums, trunk roads, cultural
sites and hutongs, or alleyways, making it easy for visitors to enjoy
the capital, Xiong said.

Before selecting the families,
officials inspected ventilation, lighting, fire safety and sanitation
conditions to make sure they met requirements.

Officials
recommended rates at 60 to 80 U.S. dollars for each bed per night, but
said individual rates could be negotiated between the visitors and the
landlords.

For Beijing natives like Zhu, hosting overseas
tourists is not only a chance to make a little cash, but also a chance
to share his culture.

Zhu's house was bought by his family in
the early 1900s. In 2004, he spent more than 4 million yuan (579,710
U.S. dollars) on renovations: "westernizing" the toilet, installing air
conditioningand high-definition televisions.

"The whole
family are learning the history of siheyuan and hutong. We are
professional tour guides now," Zhu said. He also invited his nephews,
nieces and their friends who speak English to translate for visitors.

On Sunday, the Zhu family received dozens of foreign tourists who come to see the home.

"In your constitution, you have the pursuit of happiness. Although our
cultures are different, we do have a lot in common," a nephew, Zhao
Dongyan, told some U.S. visitors, pointing to a red Chinese character
"Fu", which translates to blessing or happiness.

"I'm
improving my English, so that I can explain better when more visitors
come during the Olympics," said Zhao, a new college graduate.

Like the Zhu family, other hosts are preparing to receive guests.

Wang Zhixi, in her fifties, owns a smaller siheyuan near Zhu's. She and
her husband are seizing every chance to learn English so that they can
tell foreigners about siheyuan.

"My guests ask a lot of
questions about siheyuan. For example, they asked why homes were built
in all four directions in such crowded spaces," she said. "I told them
Chinese families like to live together and it's a way of seeking calm
and tranquility in a noisy world."

Wang also had experience
hosting overseas visitors. She is currently hosting a French reporter
with her 11-month-old son and her mother.

"I try to take good
care of my guests in the way that I care for my son, who now works in
Canada. I hope they feel the warmth and kindness of the Chinese
people," she said.

Apartment onwers are also ready to share:
making Jiaozi, introducing guests to local delicacies, explaining why
the elderly like to keep grasshoppers and birds, or expounding complex
theories like Fengshui.

"The accommodations don't have the
luxury of a hotel, but they are sure part of genuine Beijing life,"
said Ron Rice, from Washington D.C..

Beijing's tourism
authority said travel agencies from Japan, the United States, Canada,
Chile and Singapore had considered renting rooms from these families
during the Games.

But due to the short marketing time, visa
problems and transportation, most of the homestay guests would probably
be Asians, said Zhao Xin, director of the Olympic Program of the China
International Travel Service.

Those interested could apply at their home travel agencies, he added.

The city expects to see more than 500,000 overseas visitors over the
Olympics, and hotels prices are up to four times higher than usual for
the time of year.

The city has a total of 660,000 visitor
beds. By Friday, about 78 percent of the five-star hotels were booked,
but less than half of hotels with four stars or fewer were reserved,
said the tourism administration.

Staff with the
www.Chinahomestay.org, which plans to recruit 350 host families for a
four-week period surrounding the Olympics, said they had been seeing an
increase in demand.

"Many visitors who come to China don't
want to live alone, and they want to communicate with the local
people," said a woman at Chinahomestay.org who gave her name as Chen.

Source: Xinhua

StumbleVideo: Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:32:00 +0000

StumbleVideo - Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva

The 1984 Phone Call That Changed the Olympics Forever (FULL ARTICLE)

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:20:00 +0000

By LYNN ZINSER

The call he will never forget came for
Peter Ueberroth in the middle of the night on May 12, 1984, over a
crackling phone line from Beijing. It carried the news he believed
would determine the fate of the Olympics, not just the Games he was
working to organize in Los Angeles that summer b
ut all the ones beyond.

At the other end of the line was Charles Lee, the man he had sent to persuade the Chinese to send their team to the Olympics for the first time. Ueberroth, the leader of the Los Angeles organizing committee, was asking China to defy a Soviet Union-led boycott that was announced four days earlier. The Soviets said the boycott would keep 100 countries away from the ’84 Games. If the Soviets succeeded, Ueberroth said flatly, “we were done.” Salvation came when Lee called and told Ueberroth, “They’re coming.”

As the world prepares for the Beijing Games in August, that moment is all but lost in the history of the Olympics, when the winds shifted and carried the Games away from a political bludgeon in the cold war to the combination of athletic and commercial success they have become since.

Ueberroth, now 70 and the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, will lead the American team into China with a deep sense of gratitude. He believes China saved the Olympics.

“When I got the phone call that they were coming, well, it still gets to me right now,” Ueberroth said in a recent interview in his Newport Beach, Calif., office. “It changed the whole face of the Games.”

Now, no matter what political issues arise — and with China there are many: human rights, Tibet, its relationship with the government of Sudan — large-scale boycotts are no longer part of the discussion. Political statements come in smaller forms: which heads of state will attend or stay home, whether athletes will speak out about their political views. Recently, President Bush announced he would attend the opening ceremony. Prime Minister Gordon Brow n of Britain and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany have said they will not.

In 1984, the stakes were higher. The Soviets were recruiting countries to retaliate for the United States’ decision to stay away from the 1980 Moscow Games, a boycott that 61 other countries joined. The Soviets announced on May 8, 1984, that their team would not come to Los Angeles because of fears for their athletes’ safety, claiming they had agreements from 100 countries to do the same.

Ueberroth said he saw the list. At the top was China.

His response was to assemble a team of envoys who could appeal to officials in undecided countries and persuade them to come. Lee, a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who is not Chinese but speaks fluent Mandarin, took a small group to China. Ueberroth asked a wo
man on his staff, Agnes Mura, to lead a group to Romania; she had been born there.
Ueberroth went to Cuba.

“People think of the Olympics as a corporate structure,” said Bob Ctvrtlik, who played for the United States volleyball team at the ’84 Games and is now a member of the International Olympic Committee. “It really is not. It relies on relationships. It relies on trust. It relies on people who can cut through cultural differences and find common ground. That was the brilliance of that program.”

Ueberroth was unable to sway Fidel Castro — he keeps a framed copy of a headline from an article in The Los Angeles Times that read, “Ueberroth Strikes Out in Cuba.” But Lee’s
visit was a triumph, and Mura delivered the perhaps more stunning news later in May that tiny Romania would defy the Soviet boycott.

Mura, then 35, had escaped communist Romania when she was 19. Her job at the time was to organize volunteer translators for the Games. She said Ueberroth, learning of her background, tapped her on the shoulder one day and asked her to go to Romania. The semi-secret trip to her homeland terrified her.

After a few days of talks, with the group sequestered in a lakeside house outside Buchar
est, the Romanians agreed in principle to attend the Games. With a few financial details to iron out — the Los Angeles organizing committee and the I.O.C. would each pay $60,000 to defray
the Romanians’ costs — Mura called Ueberroth.

“I said, ‘Agnes, I think they’re just being nice to you,’ ” Ueberroth said. “I thought the Soviets would crush them.”

Mura said she knew the magnitude of what Romania, then a country of about 23 million, was doi
ng.

“We were very proud,” Mura said. “In three days we had accomplisheda lot. One of the biggest concerns they had was security. There had been attacks at the Olympics before and because the Soviets’ argument was they wouldn’t feel safe in the U.S., the Romanians worried that the Soviets would stage an attack on them.” When Mura returned, Ueberroth asked her to organize an extensive envoy program with hosts for every nation, who would be responsible for the teams’ well-being during the Games. Mura slept in the Olympic Village with the Romanian team, next door to its cherished star gymnast, Nadia Comaneci.

But Lee’s visit to China, Ueberroth believed, held the Games in the balance.

Lee, now 62 and retiring as a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles, began studying Mandarin when he was in the Navy in the late 1960s and spent two years studying in Taiwan. His wife, Miranda, was born in China and grew up in Hong Kong.

When the 1984 Games were first being organized, Ueberroth became
aware of Lee when Lee’s law firm worked on the organizing committee’s
bylaws. When he needed someone fluent in Mandarin as an envoy,
Ueberroth remembered Lee.

Lee visited China several times in the ’70s and ’80s and was fascinated by a country that had been closed to foreigners for so long. He said they were astounded with his language skills. “At night, most places didn’t have electricity,” Lee said. “You got to the city from the airport by this one small road. There were very few Westerners there and very, very few Westerners who spoke Chinese. So I really enjoyed talking to people. “Back then on the tours to China they took you to factories, like a light bulb factory. At night you’d go to a magic show and that was it.”

On his trip in May 1984, Lee said, he and his group were welcomed enthusiastically by the Chinese sports ministers in Beijing. After a series of meetings, the ministers told him China would come to the Games. Lee pressed them to give him a letter he could take back to
Ueberroth. “Initially when they said, ‘We’re coming,’ they believed since they said it, there’s no need for anything in writing,” Lee said. “I just kept asking and asking. Finally they very graciously gave me the letter, which was a fantastic thing.” No one was happier than Ueberroth.

“It was a turning point in my life,” he said.

Only 14 countries boycotted the 1984 Games, which became a financial and political success. Ueberroth remembers the huge cheer the Chinese team received at the opening ceremony — the Romanians received one as well — at Los Angeles Coliseum. Lee remembers watching the Chinese team members as they experienced their first Olympics. When a few gymnasts
asked to meet some American children, Lee brought them to play with his two daughters, then 4 and 2. He still cherishes the picture of that meeting. Lee was appointed the chef de mission of the United States team for the Beijing Games, serving as the leader of the American delegation.

The envoy Charles Lee introduced his children,

Dabney, 2, left, and Alice, 4, to members of the Chinese team in 1984.

Two years ago, when the U.S.O.C. signed a cooperation pact with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Ueberroth presented its chairman, Liu Peng, with a torch from the ’84 Games. Those involved said it was an emotional moment for both men. Beijing’s Games will be Ueberroth’s last as chairman.

Mura, who owns an executive management training firm, said she would watch the Beijing Games with a keen understanding of their significance, with China having come full circle as host after its key role in 1984.

“I know having lived in a communist country what it’s like to open your doors,” Mura said. “I can imagine what it will be like for those young people to see the world come to their capital for a celebration.

“For the people of Beijing, it is going to give them a feeling of connectedness that they started in ’84.”

It all started with news that reached Ueberroth in the middle of the night and stays with him still.

Earthquake museum preliminary planning complete

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:09:00 +0000

According to the Urban Planning Bureau of Miaoyang City in Sichuan Province, preliminary planning for an earthquake museum in Beichuan, which has received much public attention
and concern, has been completed.

Beichuan County suffered heavy damage from the May 12 earthquake in Wenchuan; the county seat was virtually flattened. Mianyang City in Sichuan Province has planned
to take in residents of Beichuan County. As a physical testament to the
most devastating earthquake since the founding of New China, an
earthquake museum will be built at the Beichuan county seat.

The Mianyang Urban Planning Bureau has said that preliminary planning for
the Beichuan earthquake museum included a survey of the county seat and
determination of the land to be used. It has also decided on the type
of content, value orientation, and other components of the museum.

The earthquake museum will serve as a testament and display, a memorial and
a reminder, a channel of information and education, and a method of
research and development, showing the real history of the Wenchuan
earthquake.

By People's Daily Online

China sets new subsidy plan for May 12 quake survivors

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:08:00 +0000

The Chinese government will modify its temporary subsidy plan for quake survivors starting in September, with each survivor experiencing financial hardship to get 200 yuan (29 U.S. dollars) per month, a State Council statement said on Saturday.

"Life in most parts of the area will return to normal by September but, in some worst-hit areas, some people might still suffer difficulties. To help them, the government decided to continue financial assistance after the present policy ends," said the statement issued after a cabinet meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks at the 23rd meeting of the quake relief headquarters of China's State Council in Beijing, capital of China, July 12, 2008.
The quake, on May 12, left millions of people homeless and destitute.

The policy will cover such categories as orphans, the elderly and the disabled without family support, those whose relatives were killed or severely injured, those who were displaced and those whose residences were destroyed, it said.

Since the disaster, every needy survivor has been eligible to receive 10 yuan and 500 grams of food a day. The policy has covered about 8.82 million people but will end in August. The new system won't include any food allotment.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) presides over the 23rd meeting of the quake relief headquarters of China's State Council in Beijing, capital of China, July 12, 2008.

Some types of survivors could receive more than the minimum. Under the present policy, about 261,000 orphans, elderly and disabled without family support have received 600 yuan a month. Under the new policy, they will receive more than 200 yuan, the statement said, without elaborating.

The new policy will expire in November, the statement said.

The meeting heard a report by an experts' committee on the Wenchuan County-centered quake and ordered it to keep monitoring aftershocks in the quake zone for another two months.

The panel was also told to forecast areas that might be affected by major secondary disasters and evaluate possible losses to help reconstruction. The experts were also told to locate sites where quake debris can be stored for long periods for later investigation and take measures to protect such sites.

The meeting endorsed an assessment report by central and provincial authorities, which listed 10 counties and cities, including Wenchuan County, Beichuan County and Dujiangyan City, as the worst-hit areas.

Another 41 counties, cities and districts were characterized as heavily affected and other 186 were said to be moderately affected.

The first two categories will be covered by the national reconstruction plan, it said.

The 8.0-magnitude quake has claimed nearly 70,000 lives, injured more than 374,000 people and left another 18,340 missing.

Source:Xinhua

Facts and Figures About China's Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 05:09:00 +0000

Following are the latest facts and figures about the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12:

-- The death toll from the quake rose to 69,134 nationwide as of Saturday noon, while 374,061 people were injured and 17,681 people were missing.

-- Rescuers saved and evacuated more than 1.37 million people to safe places as of Friday midnight.

-- Hospitals took in 94,964 injured people (patients in the quake zone not included), 76,069 of whom have been discharged as of Saturday noon.

-- Domestic and foreign donations had reached 43.974 billion yuan (6.37 billion U.S. dollars) as of Saturday noon, up 168 million yuan overnight. And 13.59 billion yuan had been forwarded to the earthquake-affected areas.

-- A total of 862,000 tents, one of the most urgently needed relief supplies, had been delivered to quake regions.

-- A total of 4.76 million quilts and 13.46 million item of clothing had been sent to these regions.

-- Some 40,600 temporary houses had been built in the quake zone, with 21,100 in construction as of Friday.

-- Governments at different levels had allocated 23.43 billion yuan (3.395 billion U.S. dollars) as of Saturday noon for quake relief efforts. The fund included 18.9 billion yuan from the central budget and 4.52 billion yuan from local budgets.

-- Between 12:00 p.m. Friday and 12:00 p.m. Saturday, three aftershock measuring between 4.0 to 4.9 on the Richter scale were monitored.

Source

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao reporters invited to cover Tibet after Lhasa riot

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:55:00 +0000

Thirty-one reporters from 18 media organizations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao traveled in Lhasa for coverage of Tibet on Tuesday.

The reporters, representing 15 organizations from Hong Kong, one from Macao and two from Taiwan, are the second batch of reporters invited to Tibet after the March 14 Lhasa riots.

They arrived here on Monday for a three-day visit to Lhasa and Shannan.

An official with the Tibet Autonomous Region government said this trip will provide open news coverage without any restriction.

Yang Liu, a reporter with the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily, met with his friends Monday evening after arrival. Yang had visited Tibet six times and he said normal life in Lhasa has resumed.

Tuesday morning, reporters visited the Lugu residents community. Drakpa Yonten, director of the residents committee, said: "People live a peaceful life here now and they can worship Buddhas in monasteries," noting the Jokhang Monastery has already been opened.

The Lugu area used to be a slum, housing one third of the beggars in Lhasa. Nowadays, 85 percent of the residents are Tibetans and most run their own businesses.

Their average income of 5,700 yuan (826 U.S. dollars) last year was 1.7 times the Tibet average.

All residents have medical insurance and all minors can receive nine free years of compulsory education.

After the devastating earthquake on May 12, residents donated 45,000 yuan for the quake-hit regions, said Drakpa Yonten.

During the three-day visit, reporters will have extensive contact with officials, monks and common people, and they will be able to interview shop owners whose shops were damaged during the riot.

They will also visit Tibet University, companies engaged in handicraft art, and the Potala Palace and Norbu-Linkag.

Source

Chinese "Obligated by Law" to Visit Parents

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:43:00 +0000

A draft law in Liaoning province makes it an obligation for adult children to contact or visit their parents regularly.

It is the first legislation of its kind in the country.

The province's standing committee of the people's congress recently released the draft - Regulation on Protection of Rights and Interests of the Aged - to seek public opinion.

It is expected to become law by the end of the year.

An article says if children do not live with their parents, they should "often send greetings or go home to visit them".

Government employees, who fail to do so, will face sanctions by their respective agencies.

Yao Yuan, professor and vice-dean of Renmin University of China's School of Sociology and Population Studies, described the draft as "social progress".

Yao said it is good in that it is China's first regulation to include a specific article requiring children to visit their parents.

"We used to emphasize the financial duty of children to support their aged parents," he said. "The regulation highlights the emotional needs too."

Yao said Chinese culture has always dictated the taking care of aged parents at home.

However, as the first "one-child generation" grows up and moves away from home many parents begin to suffer from loneliness and the so-called "empty-nest syndrome", he said.

Sui Ling, a 71-year-old woman in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, said her son works in another city, and is always so busy, so he can only return home to see her about once or twice a year.

"I miss my son very much but I don't want to interfere with his career," she said. "The new regulation is at least a reminder to him to come home more often."

Yao said about one-third of elderly Chinese do not live with their children. In Beijing, more than half of parents have "empty nests".

He suggested children should telephone their parents more often, write letters or send gifts.

"Elderly people really enjoy and rely much on ties with their children," Yao said.

A 65-year-old woman surnamed Shi said she hoped the regulation could have a clear definition of what "often" means and the consequences to children who do not contact or visit their parents.

Pei Pei, a graduate of the Communication University of China, said she feels "extremely guilty" of not being able to visit her parents often since she left Liaoning eight years ago.

Source

US Withdraws From Human Rights Council

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:28:00 +0000

6 June 08 - There was widespread consternation on Friday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva when the US mission gave up his observer status - a step backwards for human rights around the world, says Human Rights Watch.

Carole Vann/Juan Gasparini/Human Rights Tribune - The news that the US has completely withdrawn from the Human Rights Council spread like wildfire Friday afternoon (June 6) through the corridors of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. There was general consternation amongst diplomats and NGOS. Reached by phone, the American mission in Geneva neither confirmed nor denied the report. Although unofficial, the news comes at a time of long opposition by the Bush administration to the reforms which created the Human Rights Council in June 2006. Washington announced from the beginning that the US would not be an active member but its observer status would mean that it could intervene during the sessions. To date even this has rarely happened.

“We don’t understand the reasons nor the timing of the decision”, said Sebastien Gillioz of Human Rights Watch. “There have even been some positive signs during this Council. For example Belarus was not re-elected as a member in 2007 nor Sri Lanka this year”.

The stupefaction was made greater by the fact the US actively took part in the universal Periodic Review (UPR) process where 32 countries were scrutinized by their peers in April and May. In particular a series of recommendations were made regarding Romania, Japan, Guatemala, Peru, Tunisia, Ukraine, Indonesia and others.

Diplomats are equally concerned. If the current president of the Council, Doru Costea, declined to comment, his predecessor, Luis Alfonso De Alba said that he didnt see any reason to justify such a decision. Several observers mentioned Washington’s growing discontentment with the influence of the Islamic and African countries in the Council.

“It is an aberration”, said Peter Splinter of Amnesty International. “It seems that the government has lost its mind. How could it believe it is going to improve human rights by running away? It is like those who say, ‘I don’t like the way this town is governed so I’m not going to vote’”.

For Human Rights Watch (HRW), the US has shown very little commitment to human rights in general. The working group against arbitrary detention gave up going to Guantanamo last month because Washington would not allow its members to have face to face meetings with detainees. For its part, the Rapporteur against racism, Doudou Diene, has fought for years to be able to pay a visit and only recently got permission.

But Eric Sottas, director of the International Organisation against Torture sees it as a a political gesture. “The US has always clearly shown its opposition to the Council. This is a slightly more public way of putting pressure on it in order to raise the stakes. What is more the Bush dynasty is coming to the end of its mandate,” he said. “It reminds me of the time when the Nixon administration, which backed Pinochet in Chile, chastized the UN for criticising the Chilean dictator. But when Carter was elected in 1977, the American government took the floor at the Human Rights Commission to ask forgiveness. After a presidency like that of Bush, you can expect some important changes in US policy on human right.”

HRW is still worried about the withdrawal. “The message is worrying”, says Sebastien Gillioz. “ Ever since September 11, 2001, the US has constantly interpreted international standards in an “ a la carte” manner that has eroded human rights. Its behaviour has served as an example to a stream of states, including Pakistan, Egypt and other, who are not embarrassed to review human rights standards on homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment. It is a step backwards.”

Translated from the French by Claire Doole

Source

Chinese Earthquake Rescue Effort by the PLA

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:05:00 +0000

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:32:00 +0000

The earthquake in China has killed tens of thousands and has ruined the lives of millions. We are all human beings living on the same planet. We are all brothers and sisters. Please help!!!

To Donate:

Accounts: Red Cross Society of China
Foreign currency accounts: 7112111482600000209
Bank: CITIC Bank branch Jiuxianqiao
Hotline: (8610) 65139999

China to double nuclear power capacity by 2020

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:10:00 +0000

China is to double its nuclear power capacity by 2020, the general manager of China National Nuclear Corporation said here on Thursday.

Kang Rixin told the World Energy Congress in Rome that at present China's nuclear power capacity accounts for 2 percent of the total installed capacity of the country. By 2020, the percentage will stand at 4 percent.

China's installed capacity of nuclear power will hit 40 million kilowatts by 2020, he said.

Kang said China has 11 nuclear power generation units in operation, 8 units are under construction and another 8 units are in their preparation stage.

He said China will invest a total of 400 billion RMB in building the 16 nuclear units, and "banks in China are active in pouring the funds and there is no shortage of funds."

The general manager said China has already listed the nuclear power industry as a priority, and the move is to reduce the CO2 emission to tackle climate change.

The five-day World Energy Congress is to end later on Thursday.

Source

BREAKING: Aung San Suu Kyi HAS LEFT HOME.

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:51:00 +0000

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Residents say pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has left her home in Myanmar, apparently to meet with a government official, and marking an end to 12 years in house detention.

Her release came as China and Russia urged Myanmar's military rulers to talk with the country's opposition but affirmed their opposition to any U.N. sanctions against the junta.

The two veto-wielding countries on the U.N. Security Council say Myanmar's crushing of pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks was an internal issue, a position that has prevented discussions of sanctions.

Foreign Ministers Yang Jiechi of China and Sergey Lavrov of Russia said Wednesday at a meeting with India's Pranab Mukherjee that, instead of punishment, they support efforts by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to open talks between the opposition and the ruling generals.

"The initiatives (Gambari) has taken, he should be encouraged," Mukherjee told reporters. "There should not be any sanctions at this stage."

Lavrov warned that sanctions, threats or other forms of pressure on the junta risked "aggravating the situation and generating a new crisis."

Yang echoed that, saying: "We hope that countries concerned will play a helping role instead of applying sanctions and applying pressure."

Meanwhile, activists wearing white prison garb and masks held small protests in cities around the world to mark the 12th anniversary of her years in detention

The meeting of China, India and Russia is part of the revival of a loose 1950s alliance against U.S. dominance of global affairs. A joint statement said, however, that the countries' third recent forum "was not targeted against any other country or organization."

China is one of Myanmar's leading trading partners and its communist government has frequent contacts with the junta and provides the military with much of its weaponry.

In Beijing, Gambari called on China to use its influence to help persuade the junta to stop its crackdown. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei told Gambari China backs his efforts, but made no new commitments.

Myanmar security forces crushed the recent wave of protests by shooting and beating demonstrators on September 26-27. The regime said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put the toll at up to 200 and say thousands of students, Buddhist monks and others were arrested. The crackdown ignited international outrage.

Myanmar state radio and television reported that a top leader of the ruling junta, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, had been appointed prime minister.

Thein Sein had been serving as acting prime minister since May, filling in for ailing Gen. Soe Win, who died October 12.

The prime minister's job holds little independent power because the military controls the state through the junta, officially known as the State Peace and Development Council.

No change in policy is expected with the appointment.
CNN

China to launch first moon orbiter at 6 pm on Oct. 24

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:27:00 +0000

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- China is planning to launch its first moon orbiter at around 6 p.m. on October 24 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.

"The satellite will be launched between October 24 and 26 and our first choice is around 6 p.m. on October 24," a spokesman for the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The circumlunar satellite, which has been named Chang'e I after the legendary Chinese goddess who, according to legend, flew to the moon, and the carrier Long March 3A have passed all pre-launch tests and have been transported to the launch site.

The lunar probe is expected to enter earth-moon transfer orbit on October 31 and arrive in the moon's orbit on November 5.

The satellite will relay the first picture of the moon in late November and will then continue scientific explorations of the moon for a year.

The orbiter will carry out a series of projects including acquiring 3-D images and analyzing the distribution of elements on the moon's surface, according to the spokesman.

"Experts from foreign space administrations have been invited to watch the launch on site," said the spokesman.

"China welcomes international cooperation in space activities," he said.

China hopes to become the 17th nation to join the International Space Station (ISS) project, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Li Xueyong said on the sidelines of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last week.

The Chinese government has been pursuing a policy of peaceful use of airspace, Li said.

The satellite launch will mark the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a moon landing and launch of a moon rover around 2012. In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research around 2017.

China carried out its maiden piloted space flight in October 2003, making it only the third country in the world after the Soviet Union and the United States to have sent men into space. In October 2005, China completed its second manned space flight, with two astronauts on board.

Source

20,000 Olympic torch bearers to be chosen globally

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:13:00 +0000

senior official with the BeijingOrganizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games said Friday in Beijing that more than 20,000 torch bearers are to be chosen around the world.

Liu Jingmin, executive vice chairman of the organizing committee, said at a press conference that preparations for the Olympic torch relay both in China and the rest of the world are going on smoothly.

According to the plan, the torch will be relayed to Mount Qomolangma. The number of torch bearers would be 21,880, the organizing committee revealed previously.

Source

Taiwan President To Stage Relay Run to aid in UN Bid

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:07:00 +0000

Taiwan authorities' plan to stage a long distance relay run as part of a push for a "referendum" on the island's bid to enter into the United Nations has been criticized by Taipei mayor Hau Long-bin, Taiwan media reported Friday.

Hau said the plan was a political campaign rather than a sports activity and the municipal government so far had not received any application for permission from the Chen Shui-bian authorities.

The mayor said staging such an activity during rush hour on main streets would cause inconveniences to Taipei people and seriously affect their rights and interests.

If Taiwan authorities insist on hosting the campaign, the Taipei government would handle it according to law, Hau said.

Disregarding Taiwan people's call for peace and strong opposition from the international community, Chen Shui-bian authorities had been obstinately promoting the "referendum" on the island's UN entry bid.

Slogans drumming up the "referendum" were seen on Taiwan's streets, gas stations and even on people's electricity or water bills. The distance running was planed to start on Oct. 24 from Taipei and last for 11 days.

Hau officially took office on Dec. 25, 2006, replacing Ma Ying-jeou, leader of the opposition Kuomintang Party and candidate of the 2008 presidential election.

Source

Beijing's Olympic swimming venue financed by Overseas Chinese

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:06:00 +0000

The newly-built swimming venue for Beijing Olympics was financed by overseas Chinese, a senior official with the organizing committee said Friday.

Liu Jingmin, executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), said at a press briefing that 830 million yuan (110.7 million U.S. dollars) of investment has arrived for the construction of the glittering National Aquatics Center, nicknamed Water Cubic.

Liu said the organizing committee hoped to further cooperate with overseas Chinese in the preparation of the Games.

According to Liu, there are roughly 60 million overseas Chinese around the world, who he said could do more for the Games that is scheduled to open on Aug. 8, 2008.

Source

Primitive man used makeup, dined on cooked seafood

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:40:00 +0000

BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A recent archaeological discovery in a South Africa cave suggests primitive Homo sapiens may have eaten seafood, used razor-sharp cutting tools and donned makeup long before they were supposed to.

Researchers found harvested and cooked seafood, reddish pigment from ground rocks and early tiny blade technology at Pinnacle Point overlooking the Indian Ocean near South Africa's Mossel Bay. Scientific optical dating techniques show these indicators of modern life were from 164,000 years ago, plus or minus 12,000 years.

A recent archaeological discovery in a South Africa cave suggests primitive Homo sapiens may have eaten seafood, used razor-sharp cutting tools and donned makeup long before they were supposed to.

Skeletal remains from the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins at the American Museum of Natural History, a permanent exhibition hall that presents the remarkable history of human evolution from our earliest ancestors millions of years ago to modern Homo sapiens, are seen in New York,Feb. 7, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"Together as a package this looks like the archaeological record of a much later time period," said study author Curtis Marean, professor of anthropology at the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University.

Marean said the findings reveal humans were eating seafood about 40,000 years earlier than previously thought. They are also the earliest record of humans eating something other than what they caught or gathered on the land. Most of what Marean found were the remnants of brown mussels, but he also found black mussels, small saltwater clams, sea snails and even a barnacle that indicates whale blubber or skin was brought into the cave.

Marean also found 57 pieces of ground-up rock that would have been reddish- or pinkish-brown. That would be used for self-decoration and sending social signals to other people, much the way makeup is used now, he said.

There have been reports of earlier but sporadic pigment use in Africa. The same goes with rocks that were fashioned into small pointy tools.

But having all three together shows a grouping of people that is almost modern, Marean said. Seafood harvesting, unlike other hunter-gatherer activities, encourages people to stay put, and that leads to more social interactions, he said.

Source

Chinese May Build Communist Party Branch in Space

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:35:00 +0000

BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese taikonauts (astronauts) may start a branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in space, said the country's first taikonaut Yang Liwei.

China now has a 14-strong astronaut team. The team members, including Yang himself, are all CPC members.

"If China has its own space station, the taikonauts on mission will carry out the regular activities of a CPC branch in space in the way we do on earth, such as learning the Party's policies and exchanging opinions on the Party's decisions," said Yang, a delegate to the on-going CPC national congress in Beijing.

"If we establish a Party branch in space, it would also be the 'highest' of its kind in the world," said Yang, who is also deputy director of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

According to the CPC Constitution, a grass-root CPC organization should be established where there are three or more CPC members. The latest official figure shows that China has more than 73 million CPC members and about 3.6 million grass-roots CPC organizations.

"Like foreign astronauts having their beliefs, we believe in Communism, which is also a spiritual power," said Yang. "We may not pray in the way our foreign counterparts do, but the common belief has made us more united in space, where there is no national boundary, to accomplish our missions."

China successfully sent Yang into orbit on the Shenzhou V spacecraft in 2003, and two years later, taikonauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng completed a five-day flight on the Shenzhou VI.

Earlier media reports say the Shenzhou VII is expected to carry three taikonauts in 2008 and the taikonauts may perform their first spacewalk during the flight.

"We will see more international cooperation in space in the future and the different beliefs of taikonauts will not be a 'trouble' for the cooperation," said Yang.

"Cooperation is the inevitable trend of the development of the world's space industry and Chinese taikonauts will also participate in international operations like peace-keeping, environment protection and rescue in space, which require our taikonauts to increase their sense of cooperation and responsibilities as members of a global village," he said.

Yang's center has been working with the Aerospace School of the Beijing-based Tsinghua University since 2006 to provide masters-level degree training for the taikonauts.

"New courses include the law of space, the history of aviation and others on the cultures of different countries," said Yang.

In addition, the taikonauts have been learning English and Russian.

"Now, it's no problem for us to communicate with foreign colleagues in English and Russian," he said.

Source

Suicide Blasts Kills 110 in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:33:00 +0000

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Up to 110 people were killed and over 200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi early Friday morning, local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.

The twin blasts occurred near the truck, which carried Benazir Bhutto after she arrived at the Karachi airport on Thursday, the DAWN NEWS report said.

Up to 110 people were killed and over 200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi early Friday morning

Up to 110 people were killed and over 200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi early Friday morning. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Benazir Bhutto who returned to the country after eight years of exile was not on the top of the truck and survived the attacks. She remained unhurt and arrived at the Bilawal house in Karachi, according to DAWN NEWS.

No group has claimed responsibility for the suicide blast attacks.

However, a local commander of pro-Taliban militants had earlier threatened to launch attacks on Bhutto after her return schedule was announced. A security official said about 18,000 to 20,000 security personnel including police and rangers were deployed in the city to ensure fool-proof security arrangements for Bhutto.

Bhutto departed from Dubai and arrived at the Karachi international airport on Thursday afternoon, receiving warm welcome from hundreds of thousands of zealous supporters of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Bhutto had planned to speak to the general public at a PPP meeting at Quaid's mazar, which had been canceled after the suicide attacks.

The PPP leader Nisar Khuhro blamed the Sindh government for the blasts while the PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar was quoted by local media as saying that Bhutto wanted the intelligence bureau chief to be sacked.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz condemned the suicide attacks.

Bhutto, Chairperson of PPP, served twice as Prime Minister of Pakistan in late 1980s and mid-1990s. She went into a self-imposed exile in 1999 to evade corruption charges against her.

Source

PLEASE READ: Sucide Facts and Prevention

noreply@blogger.com (James Chen) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:15:00 +0000

Today I found out that an old friend of mine just committed suicide. The news took me by storm. we all knew that he had problems but no one saw this coming, no one. I just wanted to take a moment now to remind everyone how precious life really is.

As most of you know, for the past year or so I've been going through a really rough time. Sometimes it seemed as if the sadness just completely consumed me, and sometimes you forget that there is light and hope surrounding the darkness. Without my friends' help I never would of made through this, so to all my friends my sincerest thanks.

So remember my friends, when life is getting you down and it seems like there is no hope, you've got a friend here that'll listen. Life is precious, please don't be stupid, no problem is ever that big.

R.I.P. Casey
We all miss you.

Facts

The Problem

* Suicide took the lives of 29,199 Americans in 1999.1
* More people die from suicide than from homicide. In 1999, there were 1.7 times as many suicides as homicides.1
* Overall, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death for all Americans, and is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24.1
* Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than are females.1 However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than are males.2
* 1999, white males accounted for 72% of all suicides. Together, white males and white females accounted for over 90% of all suicides.1 However, during the period from 1979-1992, suicide rates for Native Americans (a category that includes American Indians and Alaska Natives) were about 1.5 times the national rates. There was a disproportionate number of suicides among young male Native Americans during this period, as males 15-24
* Suicide rates are generally higher than the national average in the western states and lower in the eastern and Midwestern states.4
* Nearly 3 of every 5 suicides in 1999 (57%) were committed with a firearm.1

Suicide Among the Elderly

* Suicide rates increase with age and are highest among Americans aged 65 years and older. The ten year period, 1980-1990, was the first decade since the 1940s that the suicide rate for older residents rose instead of declined.5
* Men accounted for 84% of suicides among persons aged 65 years and older in 1999.1
* From 1980-1998, the largest relative increases in suicide rates occurred among those 80-84 years of age. The rate for men in this age group increased 17% (from 43.5 per 100,000 to 52.0).1,6
* Firearms were the most common method of suicide by both males and females, 65 years and older, 1998, accounting for 78.5% of male and 35.0% of female suicides in that age group.1
* Suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed. In 1992, the rate for divorced or widowed men in this age group was 2.7 times that for married men, 1.4 times that for never-married men, and over 17 times that for married women. The rate for divorced or widowed women was 1.8 times that for married women and 1.4 times that for never-married women.6
* Risk factors for suicide among older persons differ from those among the young. Older persons have a higher prevalence of depression, a greater use of highly lethal methods and social isolation. They also make fewer attempts per completed suicide, have a higher-male-to-female ratio than other groups, have often visited a health-care provider before their suicide, and have more physical illnesses.7

Suicide Among the Young

* Persons under age 25 accounted for 14% of all suicides in 1999.1 From 1952-1995, the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled. From 1980-1997, the rate of suicide among persons aged 15-19 years increased by 11% and among persons aged 10-14 years by 109%. From 1980-1996, the rate increased 105% for African-American males aged 15-19.1,8
* For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury and homicide. In 1999, more teenagers and young adults died from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.1
* Among persons aged 15-19 years, firearm-related suicides accounted for more than 60% of the increase in the overall rate of suicide from 1980-1997.1
* The risk for suicide among young people is greatest among young white males; however, from 1980 through 1995, suicide rates increased most rapidly among young black males.9 Although suicide among young children is a rare event, the dramatic increase in the rate among persons aged 10-14 years underscores the urgent need for intensifying efforts to prevent suicide among persons in this age group.

Someone You Know is Suicidal

The Journal of the American Medical Association has reported that 95% of all suicides occur at the peak of a depressive episode. Education, recognition and treatment are the keys to suicide prevention.

KNOW WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Symptoms of Depression
Warning Signs of Suicide

KNOW WHAT TO DO

Stigma associated with depressive illnesses can prevent people from getting help. Your willingness to talk about depression and suicide with a friend, family member, or co-worker can be the first step in getting help and preventing suicide.

If you see the warning signs of suicide…

Begin a dialogue by asking questions. Suicidal thoughts are common with depressive illnesses and your willingness to talk about it in a nonjudgmental way can be the push a person needs to get help. Questions to ask:

“Do you ever feel so badly that you think of suicide?”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Do you know when you would do it (today, next week)?"

“Do you have access to what you would use?”

Asking these questions will allow you to determine if your friend is in immediate danger, and get help if needed. A suicidal person should see a doctor or psychiatrist immediately. Calling 911 or going to a hospital emergency room are valid options. Always take thoughts of or plans for suicide seriously.

Never keep a plan for suicide a secret. Don’t worry about endangering a friendship if you truly feel a life is in danger. It's better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do to help a friend.

Don't try to minimize problems or shame a person into changing her mind. Your opinion of a person's situation is irrelevant. Trying to convince a person it's not that bad, or that she has everything to live for will only increase her feelings of guilt and hopelessness. Reassure her help is available, that depression is treatable, and that suicidal feelings are temporary.

If you feel the person isn't in immediate danger, acknowledge the pain as legitimate and offer to work together to get help. Make sure you follow through. This is one instance where you must be tenacious in your follow-up. Help find a doctor or a mental health professional, participate in making the first phone call, or go along to the first appointment. If you're in a position to help, don't assume that your persistence is unwanted or intrusive. Risking your feelings to help save a life is a risk worth taking.

for more information goto www.afsp.org