News meeting on 27 April 2007

Keywords : media censorship, human right, oil, consumer index, Africa-China relationship

Politics

• The regulation signed by Premier Wen Jiabao on April 5 urges government departments at all levels to release information that affects the immediate interests of individual and groups or should be known by the masses. I twill come into effect on May 1 next year. The measures were aimed at preventing corruption at its root.
• Liu Binjie deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication would be promoted to director replacing his outgoing director Long Xinmin who would be transferred to Central Party History Research Centre to take up as a job as deputy director. GAPP has come under criticism over the past year for tigtening its control on dissenting publications, especially this year to ban 8 controversial books by mainland intellectuals.
• Communist Party leaders called for building an Internet world which could foster people’s morals and promote a harmonious society contained information consistent with the Theory of the 3 Represents and manifested the latest theories of Marxism. This month 10 party and government departments launched a 6-month camgaign. It will establish virtual police and virtual police stations to supervise major websites, chat rooms and weblogs to step up surveillance of offending material. It also requires internet service providers and webmasters to keep records of visitors to websites to ensure authorities can trace the source of indecent content
• The authorities unveiled through the licensing system, they can select quality performers for the professional pool and also cool down the social hype for talent shows. Professionals in more than 30 job categories including TV and film actors singers, dancers and musicians would be tested and licensed.
• The SCMP series on Anti-Rightist Campaign’s 50th anniversary : The campaign was initiated in 1957 and about ½ million intellectuals, democratic party members and outspoken public were victims. On March 61 rightists jointly issued an open letter to the Central Party, the NPC and the State Council, urging the authorities to face their failures, lift the censorship of the issue and grant financial and moral compensation to the victims.
• Chinese political prisoner Wang Xiaoning and his wife Yu Ling sued Yahoo in US court accusing the company of abetting the comission of torture by helping Chinese authorities identify political dissidents who were later beaten and imprisoned.
• A Canadian human rights campaigner Huseyincan Celil jailed in China after allegations that he was linked to terrrorism was sentenced to life in prison. He was sentenced for taking part in terrorist activities and plotting to split the country. He was a member of the Uighur minority group from western Xinjiang region.

Economy

• Speaking at a forum to mark the launch of the Green Book of China’s Rural Economy, an annual report co-authored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Bureau of Statistics, Li Zhou, a rural development expert at the science academy said the urban-rural gap was expected to expand to 3.3:1 from last year’s ratio 3.28:1 and 3.22:1 in 2005
• China’s strategic oil reserves will probably equal only about 30 days of crude imports by 2010 the country’s top energy official said. The International Energy Agency recommends members keep a stockpile equal to 90 days of net imports
• The mainland consumer price index climbed 3.3% in March above the national 3% target in 2007 signalling possible further tightening measures by the Central bank. Main economic data was announce for the first 3 months : fixed-asset investment rose 26.8% in March
• IHT : Communist Party journals and the state-run news media have published a stream of commentaries by retired officals and academics on political system reform and the need for socialist democracy, including a bold-sounding call for China to mimic Switzerland’s worker-friendly, democratic governing style. The publication of the pro-democratic political reflections of Lu Dingyi, a veteran of the Long March who advocated political change before his death. Some other leading officials like Vice President Zeng Qinghong have been pushing to increase the number of senior officials who participate in the selection of a successor to Hu, who is expected to retire in 2012. Expert said this could signal differences at the top, or pressure from a particular group that wants to seize an opportunity to get its views out on the eve of the congress.

Environment

• The report jointly produced by Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council argues that the nation’s energy intensity can be reduced by almost 80 per cent by mid-century. China can maintain economic growth and at the same time stabilise its CO2 emissions at current levels by 2050
• A high-level leadership team headed by Wen Jiabao has been set up to tackle serious industrial pollution and save energy around the country
• Foshan, a major base for the ceramics industry in the Pearl River Delta, was named its most polluted city in the 1st annual air monitorinig report relaeased by HK and Guangdong governments. It shows Foshan, Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Guangdong are cities where pollutants levels often exceed national air standards.
• WWP report the IPCC members also ex-meteorological chief revealed the prediction in the context of global warming by mid-century, China coastal sea level will rise by 12 to 50cm. The sea level of Guangdong will rise by 30cm. 5500 square of kilometers will be flooded if no preventive measures are taken.
• Beijing has delayed the release of a much-anticpated national plan on tackling global warming and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The expert Qin dahepredicted that the melting of glaciers in the country will cause 25% them to disappear by 2050 with rising temperatures.

Society

• Mingpao reported a lawsuit filed by a Anhui-born lawyer who works in Beijing about Public Security Bureau refused to handle the application for the transfer of his residency registration. According to the national regualtion, residents living in a place for more than 3 months can apply for the transfer of their household registration
• Locals officials were criticised for using central government resources aimed at building a socialist new countryside to dress up their jurisdictions with image projects. In one case funds to alleviate poverty in Gansu’s Yongjing county have been spent on building colorful walls to hide dilpidated houses to show success in improving the living standards of farmers
• A Hebei couple demanding compensation for what they say was the forced abortion of their 9-month fetus 6 years ago had their landmark claim against a birth control bureau heard in a county court.
• Beijing has more than doubled the maximum fine for mining and other industrial accidents to 5 million yuan in an attempt to improve safety standards. This comes after more than 130 people were killed in accidents in the past 6 days

Foreign Affairs

• Experts said the risk of violence for its workers in Africa would not stop China’s expansion of trade and investment with the continent. The remarks came a day after rebels from the Ogaden National Liberation Front attacked an oil exploration site run by a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp in eastern Ethiopia killing 9 Chinese workers (Xinhua says 7) and 65 locals. Academics/ researchers said China as the so-called world factory had little choice but to import energy and resources. Crude oil has been monopolised by western companies. It’s why China has to deal with Sudan or Iran when other countries are denouncing them.

Taiwan

• Premier Su Tseng-chang officiated at the launch of the website to canvass support for a DPP-initiated campaign to reclaim more than NT $45 billion in assets the DPP insists were illegally acquired by KMT when it still in government.

Hong Kong / Macau

• Speaking on the sidelines of a Taoist forum in Xian, Qi Xiaofei deputy director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs said he was glad to hear the Confucians in Hong Kong might soon have a public holiday to celebrate their figurehead’s birthday – on a par with Christians and Buddhists in the city. He said Confucianism had never taken the path of a systematic religion except in ancient China. We should let things take their own course.