News & Reports 2011-11-06

 Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.

 

In This Edition

 

G20 Summit concludes in Cannes with a communiqué in which the G20 economies agreed to secure sustainable growth in coordinated efforts.

 

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and the country's president meet to discuss the embattled EU member's political and economic future.

 

Israel's navy board two protest boats trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

 

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she would resolve the country's flooding as soon as possible.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

G20 Leaders Promise to Foster Global Growth with Coordinated Efforts

The Group of Twenty Cannes Summit has concluded with a final communiqué in which the world's major economies have agreed to coordinated efforts to secure sustainable growth.

 

The G20 countries have chosen different measures to tackle respective priorities under the common goal of boosting growth.

 

But the summit offered no fresh financial aid to tackle Greece's debt crisis, one of the main topics of the event.

 

CRI reporter Wei Tong has more.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the joint efforts by European nations to tackle greater economic problems are necessary.

 

"After the two-day discussion, we realized that facing the current stern situation, the international community should join together to overcome difficulties. We have gone through lots of issues that are urgent to resolve within a short period of time, such as reducing the impact of the crisis."

 

Sarkozy says the communiqué demonstrates that the G20 countries have chosen distinctive ways to deal with their respective priorities. Advanced countries with tight budgets have committed to adopting policies to build confidence, support growth and achieve fiscal consolidation, while countries with a surplus will boost domestic demand.

 

Meanwhile, G20 leaders have also agreed to increase International Monetary Fund resources to enable the organization to play a key role in defending growth and preparing for unexpected shocks. They support the IMF's proposal to establish a single facility to fulfill the emergency assistance needs of its members.

 

Christine Lagarde is the IMF's Managing Director.

 

"I clearly have in my bag the support of the G20 to submit to my board, very shortly actually, the new financial facility which is going to be a precautionary liquidity line. A precautionary liquidity line is intended for countries—any country that is solid on its feet, that has good policies, but that is suffering an external shock as a result, for instance, of the crisis."

 

In this regard, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said his country had turned down an IMF offer for financial aid and instead asked it to simply monitor the implementation of the reforms.

 

"We spoke to Mrs. Lagarde, and we have asked that the fund should monitor and publicly certify the implementation of our reforms every three months. In this way we will be able to communicate to the financial markets."

 

In terms of Greece's debt crisis, British Prime Minister David Cameron applied fresh pressure on Greece to make up its mind about whether it wants to stay in the eurozone.

 

"Now, the Greeks have to decide, do they want to stay in the eurozone, accept the debt-reduction package that was negotiated and make that work for them within the eurozone, or do they want to take another path? The world can't wait for the eurozone to go through endless questions and changes about this."

 

In the wake of the G20 Summit, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a confidence vote, calming a revolt in his Socialist party with an emotional pledge to step aside if need be and seek a cross-party government lasting four months to safeguard Europe's new debt agreement.

 

Rising food prices and unemployment were also on the summit's agenda. Chinese President Hu Jintao called for seeking a proper balance between the stabilization of staple commodity prices and the promotion of world economic growth.

 

The next G20 Summit in June, 2012 will be held in Los Cabos, Mexico.

 

For CRI, this is Wei Tong.

 

George Papandreou Meets with Greek President

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has met with the country's president to discuss the embattled EU member's political and economic future, asserting that he will do whatever is necessary to ensure Greece's stability and security.

 

The socialist premier held the meeting after surviving a vote of no confidence, suggesting he would quit if necessary.

 

During the meeting with President Karolos Papoulias, Papandreou said cooperation was essential to helping the country and its people move forward.

 

"Mr. President, as you know last night the government was given a vote of confidence. My immediate goal is for me to do whatever is needed to create a wider coalition government, as I said last night. As I said in parliament, I am not stuck to my position, and personally I will do whatever is necessary for this effort."

 

President Papoulias told Papandreou that working together with all parties and individuals was the only way the country could begin to dig itself out of trouble.

 

"I believe this is a moment of great responsibility for all of us, and we all have to feel that. And I don't see any other road but the road of consensus, and personally I will make any effort at this time in order to have cooperation for the good of the nation."

 

Earlier in a late night speech Papandreou delivered to parliament, he said the new coalition should be formed to ram a 130-billion-euro bailout deal through the assembly - the last financial lifeline for a nation that is due to run out of money in December.

 

Israeli Navy Boards Protest Boats on Way to Gaza

Israel's navy boarded two protest boats trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and towed them to an Israeli port just north of the Palestinian territory.

 

The military said forces boarded the boats after the vessels ignored repeated calls for them to turn around. The boarding was done peacefully, and no one was hurt.

 

The two small boats were carrying supplies and 27 activists.

 

Israel claims its blockade is vital to stopping weapons from reaching the Hamas militants who control Gaza.

 

Amjad Al-Shawwa, a campaigner against the Gaza blockade, says he fears for the well-being of those who were aboard the flotilla's boats.

 

"We have real concerns regarding the status of the people who were on the two boats since we were disconnected from any details about the situation of the people. So we are calling on the international community (and) all human rights organizations in order to intervene immediately-first to protect them and to get and release these people who were on a civil mission on this civil trip to Gaza in order to help the Palestinians who are in very bad condition, in very bad need."

 

Israeli police said earlier that once the vessels reach the port of Ashdod, police and immigration officials would question the activists and send them back to their home countries as soon as possible.

 

Israel has invited the activists to send aid over land. It considers the boats a publicity stunt and provocation.

 

A botched Israeli raid on a flotilla in 2010 ended with nine Turkish activists killed.

 

Thai PM Vows to Stop Floods ASAP

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said during a radio interview with local media that she would resolve the country's flooding as soon as possible and warned that no individuals or groups should get in her way.

 

Yingluck said she would manage the flooding based on public interest but urged individuals and groups not to interfere with her decisions.

 

"As prime minister I will manage everything by looking at the public interest. I will stop the flooding as soon as possible with reference to the country's law, and I absolutely will not let anyone or any group interfere with my work."

 

Thai authorities have been trying to block massive flood runoff from entering the city center from north, east and west of the capital.

 

The latest plan involves stacking 6,000 huge sandbags along the outer ring of northern Bangkok to stop water from entering a canal that runs into the center of the capital city.

 

Weapons Hard to Collect after War in Libya

Authorities in Libya have been trying to disarm civilian fighters but to little avail, even now that the revolution to bring down Muammar Gaddafi is over.

 

It is not unusual to see vehicles with bullet holes in Tripoli and armed personnel patrolling the streets day and night.

 

Meanwhile, some Libyans don't want to hand over their weapons because of security concerns.

 

Ahmed Sayid, a local resident who once fought in Bani Walid, said he hoped to keep his gun because he was worried Gaddafi backers would one day return to Tripoli.

 

"We endured NATO's air attack on Tripoli earlier, and now we are still worried that Gaddafi backers will come back. Actually, we are all ordinary civilians. No one would like to hold guns."

 

But even more worrying is the fate of quantities of heavy weaponry that are still missing.

 

During Libya's recent civil war, many military sites were left unguarded, exposing them to looters.

 

Libyan officials say they have found two undeclared chemical weapons sites along with 7,000 drums of raw uranium. An unknown number of missiles have also disappeared.

 

The UN Security Council has urged Libya to prevent such weapons from reaching terrorists and other armed groups. It also called on Libyan authorities to destroy chemical weapons stockpiles in coordination with international authorities.

 

The Last 45 Trapped Chinese Coal Miners Rescued

The last group of 45 miners trapped by a cave-in in a large coal mine in central China's Henan Province has been rescued.

 

Eight of them had already been lifted out of the mineshaft, while eight others were confirmed killed in the accident.

 

The rescued miners said they were exhausted but feeling fine.

 

"I'm feeling good!"

 

"Two people dug me out. I was wondering what happened."

 

Earlier, 22 coal miners had been rescued from the mineshaft shortly after the accident occurred on Thursday.

 

Rescue work had been hindered by large amounts of coal dust thrown up by a rock explosion in the mine, which occurred shortly after a small earthquake nearby.

 

NASA Scientists Concerned about Giant Crack in Glacier

A group of NASA scientists are watching a giant crack in a vulnerable Antarctic glacier, which they believe will soon break off into an iceberg the size of New York City.

 

Experts say they noticed the crack on October 14th while mapping Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier from an observation plane.

Michael Studinger is the lead researcher of the team that made the discovery.

 

"A lot of times when you're in science, you don't get a chance to catch the big stories as they happen because you're not there at the right place at the right time. But this time, we were. These are discrete events in time. It's a process that takes place over a period of just a few weeks. And we just happened to be here at the right window in time to catch it."

 

The crack is about 29 kilometers long and averages about 79 meters wide.

 

A return flight two weeks later confirmed the growing crack, which scientists say is expanding about 1.8 meters in width every day.

 

China Issues New Rules on Trans fat Indication on Food Packages

The Chinese government has issued "General Rules on Pre-Packed Food Nutrition" which require food manufacturers to indicate the amount of trans fat in the nutrition table on product packaging.

 

Trans fats are synthetically produced, unnatural fats that exist in processed foods such as cookies, cakes and coffee. An excessive intake of trans fats can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

A recent visit to a large shopping center in Shanghai found that none of the food packages inspected indicated the amount of trans fat each product contained. Among the dozens types of bread, only one brand indicated it contained no trans fat. In contrast, most imported foods indicate the amount of trans fat they contain on product packaging.

 

"It is said that an excessive intake of trans fat may cause hypertension, hyperlipaemia and hyperglycemia. Now that people have a better life, they hope to eat more healthy food."

 

"I think it is very necessary to have the content of trans-fat clearly indicated on the packages so that we can control our intake."

 

Experts say that hydrogenated vegetable oil is mainly used instead of animal fat in breads and cookies to reduce the amount of animal fat in the products and enhance their taste. But this process also produces trans fat, an excessive amount of which can cause blood cholesterol levels to rise, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

 

The general rules requiring food manufacturers to list amounts of trans fat on product packaging will come into force on January 1st, 2013.

 

Chinese Love Affair with South Korean Plastic Surgeries

A report published by a South Korean health institute says the country's beauty industry, and in particular plastic surgery, is attracting greater numbers of foreign clients.

 

And to no one's surprise, wealthy Chinese are playing a big part in what is described a beauty renaissance.

 

CRI's XYee reports.

 

The rise of affluent Chinese citizens and an infatuation with Korean pop culture, or "Hanliu," has spurred sharp growth in South Korea's medical tourism industry, mainly in the field of cosmetic surgery.

 

The Korea Health Industry Development says the number of medical tourists coming to South Korea ballooned last year to nearly 82,000, generating about 700 million U.S. dollars in revenue.

 

Park Won-jin, a plastic surgeon and director of the Wonjin Aesthetic Surgery Clinic in Seoul, sums up his experience of the boom.

 

"Recently, the number of patients has sharply increased along with the popularity of South Korean dramas and K-pop. These days, we have more than five patients for surgeries or consultations on a daily basis."

 

But Korean pop culture is not the only reason rich Chinese and other Asians are coming to South Korea for beauty treatments.

 

Dr. Park explains the importance people attach to their looks nowadays is also behind the surge.

 

"In Asia, South Korea has much more advanced and high-tech skills in terms of plastic surgery. Asians not only have issues with their eyes and nose, but also with the contour of their faces, such as having large faces and protruding mouths. Our country has skilled doctors who are good at contouring faces."

 

Twenty-four-year-old Wang Li from Beijing is in South Korea for double-eyelid surgery, a nose job and other procedures to contour her face.

 

She says she was totally convinced about having cosmetic surgery after seeing the results of her friends' procedures.

 

"My friends all come here for their surgery. The pricing is, how should I put it, not about how cheap or expensive it is; as long as the result is good, it's fine. I've seen my friends after their surgery here. Their results are great. And after their recoveries, their faces do not show any signs of the surgery. It's especially good, so I decided to come here for the surgery."

 

The Wonjin Clinic has more than 30 plastic surgeons and a staff of medical coordinators fluent in Mandarin who are trained to handle Chinese patients.

 

The clinic offers a multiple-language website and provides tours and shopping excursions for patients after their operations.

 

With surgeries costing half of what they do in the U.S., the South Korean government expects some 200,000 foreign patients will come next year. And by 2020, it says one million medical tourists will visit annually.

 

For CRI, I'm XYee.

 

China Daily: Who Is to Blame for Organic Food Scandal?

 

Some organic produce farmers have admitted that they sometimes use banned fertilizers or pesticides for organic fruit and vegetable production to boost their output.

 

An editorial in "China Daily" reports that farmers can easily purchase organic certification labels in some places and affix them to their products, even though their fruit and vegetables may have been grown with the use of banned fertilizers or pesticides.

 

As with almost all other national food-safety scandals that have occurred, the organic food scandal involves local certification departments, producers and retailers.

 

The editorial argues that although state-level government bodies have been set up to tackle the country's food safety problem, overlaps in supervision by different departments have created loopholes. However, it is unlikely that such supervisory loopholes alone are to blame for the deceptive practices in the organic food market.

 

The editorial places the blame for the scandal on several parties.

 

First, it says that if industry and commerce agencies at all levels had adequately supervised organic food markets in their regions, producers would not have been able to get away with using expired organic food labels in supermarkets.

 

Second, it argues that if local agriculture departments had performed their proper functions, farmers in some organic food production areas would not have dared to use banned fertilizers and pesticides.

 

The editorial also blames local health departments for failing to fulfill their duty of ensuring the strict testing of all organic food entering the market, which made it possible for non-organic food to be sold.

 

Last, the editorial points to supermarkets that failed to follow food-safety rules and allowed unqualified or fake organic food products onto their shelves.

 

In conclusion, the editorial warns that if neither relevant government departments nor organic produce suppliers can be trusted, the entire food industry will be the biggest loser.

 

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Undignified Protest Shames Not Just Professors but also Authorities

 

A group of professors and college students in central China's Hubei Province have gathered for an old-fashioned, down-on-the-knees petition against a local steel plant at Yangtze University, news portal people.com.cn reports.

 

The steel company is a neighbor of the west campus of Yangtze University in Jinzhou. Although it was built as an investment project showpiece to boost the local economy, the plant has been producing toxic air pollutants and particles as early as 2007. Nearby the plant, trees have died and grass has withered. Many students and faculty have fallen ill, a few of whom have been diagnosed with serious anemia and respiratory diseases.

 

The university has filed complaints and petitions against the plant with China's central authorities. Yet, none of these led to official investigations to the matter.

 

And a local official has reportedly challenged petitioners, "Africa is very green. Why don't you move to Africa instead?"

In desperation, students and faculty members staged a demonstration where they got down on their knees in the fashion of a feudal peasant petition.

 

Some people say the students and professors have shamed China's intellectuals by protesting in such a humiliating manner as to kneel down before profiteers and corrupt officials.

 

But the article argues that the professors' undignified way of protesting has brought shame not only to themselves but also to a city where people's lives and health have fallen victim to the political ambitions of a few corrupt and ruthless officials.

 

And many more were outraged not only by the appalling indifference of the plant to the public health and environmental protection, but also by the lack of action by the government bodies.