In This EditionChina says the Philippines' sovereignty claim over Huangyan Island is "illegal" and against basic principles of international relations.

The Economic Community of West African States says it will send military forces to Mali and Guinea-Bissau to monitor their transitions back to civilian rule.

Some nine thousand U.S. Marines stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa will be moved to the U.S. territory of Guam and other locations in the Asia-Pacific.

And more Chinese mainlanders will be able to travel in Taiwan without having to book organised tours.

Hot Issue ReportsChina Says Philippines' Huangyan Island Sovereignty Claim "Illegal"China claims the Philippines' sovereignty claim over Huangyan Island is "illegal" and against basic principles of international relations.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin.

"The Philippines once clearly stated that Huangyan Island in the South China Sea is not part of its territory, but now it swallowed its words and raised illegal territory claim over an island which belongs to China. Such a claim runs against the basic principles of international relations, which require respect to sovereignty and territorial integrity. What a world it would be if a country could, at its own will, raise another country's territory to international arbitration."Chinese foreign ministry urged the Filipino government many times to respect Chinese sovereignty and not to make the regional situation complicated.

However, Filipino Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario earlier urged other nations to "take a stand" on China's latest move in the Huangyan Island dispute. He also declared that the Philippines was ready to submit the matter to international arbitration.

West African Regional Bloc to Send Military Forces to Mali and Guinea-BissauThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it will send military forces to Mali and Guinea-Bissau to monitor their transitions back to civilian rule.

The regional body expects both countries to organize and hold presidential elections in 12 months.

ECOWAS Director Desire Kadre Ouedraogo:

"To this effect, the heads of state and government instructed the commission to begin with immediate effect the deployment of the standby force of ECOWAS conforming to the approved mandate."Mali's junta, which deposed President Amadou Toumani Toure weeks ahead of elections, has since named a transitional government.

In Guinea-Bissau, soldiers detained ex-Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior weeks ahead of a presidential election runoff.

ECOWAS says it plans to send a 600-strong regional force to Guinea-Bissau within days to protect state institutions and civilians there.

9-thousand U.S. Marines to Move out of OkinawaAbout nine-thousand U.S. Marines stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa will be moved to the U.S. territory of Guam and other locations in the Asia-Pacific.

The move is part of a broader arrangement designed to defuse tensions in the U.S.-Japan defense alliance.

News of the deal came days ahead of Japanese Prime Minster Yoshihiko Noda's scheduled visit to Washington next Monday.

The Japanese Foreign Minister is Koichiro Gemba:

"We have achieved some progress on the issue, having made positive and detailed agreements with regard to returning land."About 10-thousand Marines and a substantial number of Air Force officers will remain on Okinawa.

The move has been in limbo for years, as Okinawans believe the base should be closed and relocated overseas or elsewhere in Japan.

The dispute over the U.S. military presence on Okinawa has its roots in the 1995 kidnapping and rape of a schoolgirl by three American servicemen.

Spain Cut by S&P for 2nd Time This Year on Banks, EconomySpain's sovereign credit rating has been lowered for the second time this year by Standard & Poor's, due to government finances being set to deteriorate even more than previously thought as a result of the contracting economy and an ailing banking sector.

S&P lowered Spain's credit rating to BBB+ from A with a negative outlook and said the country's situation could deteriorate further unless ambitious measures weren't taken at the European level.

Daragh Quinn, an analyst at Nomura International, discussed the outlook for Spanish banks and the economy.

"The banking system is facing more losses now. Some of the Spanish banks are in a position to deal with the losses, but the others are not. And it's reasonable to think that they could rely on government support or additional capital to absorb their potential losses on their real estate exposure."Hours after the downgrade, new figure showed that Spanish unemployment hit a new record high.

The number of unemployed people reached 5.6 million at the end of March, with the unemployment rate reaching 24.4 percent.

Earlier this week, the Bank of Spain said the economy contracted by point-four-percent in the first three months of this year, after shrinking by point-three percent in the final quarter of last year.

Bank of Japan Expands Stimulus as Economy Set to SlowThe Bank of Japan has expanded its stimulus programme for the second time in over two months to boost the country's economic growth.

The central bank said it would increase its purchase of Japanese government bonds by 10 trillion yen or 124 billion U.S. dollars after the world's third-largest economy showed signs of slowing.

The Japanese central bank will boost its asset-purchase fund to 40 trillion yen by June 2013, compared with the previous target of 30 trillion.

Ed Rogers, chief executive officer of Rogers Investment Advisors, talks about Japan central bank' monetary policy on reaction of the financial markets.

"A 5 to 10 trillion yen expansion is already pressed into the market. If we don't see that if we see the BOJ taking little to no action I think you could see a sharp movement of the market. The recent data has been slightly disappointing and we're expecting better numbers and we do believe there will be better numbers coming out of the BOJ and coming out going forward."The move comes as Japan's economy continues to struggle amid a slowdown in key export markets and weak domestic demand.

The BOJ left its key interest rate unchanged between zero and point-one percent.

Expert: China-US Strategic & Economic Dialogue to Deepen Bilateral Economic TiesChina and the United States will discuss how to strengthen coordination in international affairs and deepen bilateral economic ties during the fourth round of China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue slated to kick off next week in Beijing.

Experts say the dialogue will help the two countries further cooperative and win-win relations. In the meantime, security issues in the Asia-Pacific region also top the agenda.

Wei Tong has more.

Zhang Yansheng, director of the Institute for International Economics Research of China's National Development and Reform Commission said that China and the US are expected to work out a plan to accelerate the global economic recovery in this dialogue.

"Currently the foundation for economic recovery of the US and Europe remains fragile and uncertain. The economic conditions in China and other emerging economies prove much better than the US. So I believe the two countries will mainly discuss how to jointly deliver the world out of the economic recession."Zhang Yansheng analyzed issues related to Chinese currency yuan may not be on top agenda this time. Instead, China has been pushing for the US to lift restrictions of its high-tech products' export to China and to create fair conditions for Chinese enterprises to make investments in the US.

Meanwhile, Zhang warned the US may politicize some economy issues since this year marks another presidential election year in the US.

"During the election year, many issues would become sensitive due to the political influences. China issue would be made use of either for Democrats or Republicans in the presidential runoff. Public opinions in the US show that China became the largest beneficiary in the market liberalization process but did not assume relevant obligations. This statement is completely a distortion of fact."Asia-Pacific security issue is also an important topic in this dialogue. Qu Xing, President of the China Institute of International Studies has the analysis.

"Asia Pacific security issue is an integral part of China-US Security Dialogue. So it is worth of a discussion on how to ease the worrying situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the South China Sea. We noticed the US' statements on the Huangyan Island disputes but we cannot say US is definitely backing the Philippines. There is a lot to negotiate between us."Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who is traveling with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to China for the dialogue said China has become an engine of global growth and U.S. exports, and deepening bilateral economic ties is of critical importance to both nations.

For CRI, I am Wei Tong.

Film Music Forum Held in BeijingRenowned film music composers, editors and directors from China and abroad assembled in Beijing on Friday to discuss the current and future trends of the global film music industry based on their personal experience.

As one part of the ongoing 2nd Beijing International Film Festival, the Film Music Forum attracted big names, including Oscar-winning Chinese composer Tan Dun, two-time Emmy winner Hummie Mann from Hollywood, and South Korean director Jae-young Kwak.

With the theme of "exploring the beauty of music in film," the musicians shared their views on various topics such as how to make film music better reflect the theme of film and how to integrate music with pictures.

Tan Dun, winner of the 73rd Academy Award for Best Original Music, applauded the forum for setting up a platform to create an elite group of film music composers through stepping up the communication between Chinese and foreign producers.

"The forum is excellent. It's amazing to unite film music talents from different corners of the world, sharing their thoughts and skills on film aesthetics and also their philosophical views. I hope that Beijing can continue holding the event. The forum will set a stage to change the world."The weeklong Beijing International Film Festival will close Saturday night with a film music concert presented by the British Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

GEM Board Companies Delisting System IntroducedA new system concerning China's Growth Enterprises Market board will take effect starting May 1. Companies that disclose false information on their annual fiscal reports or suffer from consecutive losses will be delisted from the board. The more stringent system aims to curb malicious speculation and protect qualified startups.

CRI's Ding Lulu has more.

The new rule released by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange mandates that companies listed on the Growth Enterprise Market board, which have losses for three consecutive years, will be delisted. The policy does not allow these companies to reissue stock through reconstitution.

Financial Analyst Yang Delong from Southern Fund Securities says the more stringent market rule has led to a shakeup on the second board this week.

"Based on the new rule, there are now about 14 companies on the GEM board facing share buybacks. Many stocks on the GEM board have been priced too high and carry greater risks of bubble bursts. When the new policy is implemented starting in May, some of these companies may have to be delisted, and the value of their stocks will drop to zero. All of this information has resulted a sharp drop on the stock market this week."The Growth Enterprise Market board, also known as the Second Market Board, aims to finance high-growth startups with lower requirements for listing. The most successful GEM board in the world is the Nasdaq.

Many countries around the world have their own editions of the GEM board. China established the GEM board in 2009.But malicious speculation on the board has also occurred frequently.

Some of the companies have found ways to stay in the market after failure due to bad business performance. Most have bought a shell company to restructure or infused a huge amount of capital to save their stock prices and hide problems.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has stressed it will improve the board's acquisition and delisting mechanism. Earlier this year, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Center publicized the draft edition of the delisting policy.

Financial Analyst Wu Yu from Gold State Securities says GEM board stocks will have to be much more competitive to survive in the near future.

"What is controversial is that many companies' stock can be reissued through reacquisitions. But such behavior is not supported on the second board any more. Plus, the most important threshold is that they have to show stable growth to stay in the market."Market analysts say the current trend of the overall performance on the GEM board will still be downward for some time. Financial Analyst Yang Delong from Southern Fund Securities suggests that investors be more cautious about investing in GEM stocks.

But other market insiders say it's unlikely to see some companies be delisted from the GEM in the short term. They say although the stringent policy has been set up as a warning in the market, at the same time, it also will have a positive impact on other stocks with good performances.

For CRI, I'm DLL.

Ten More Taiwan Cities to Open for Individual ToursStarting April 28th More Chinese mainland travelers will be able to take tours on their own in Taiwan instead of joining organised tour groups. Tourists from six more cities, including Tianjin, Chongqing and Nanjing, can apply for such tours and individual tourists will have more freedom to design their own holidays.

Liu Min has more.

Residents from Tianjin, Chongqing, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chengdu can now apply for individual travel to Taiwan. Another four cities like Jinan, Xi'an, Fuzhou and Shenzhen are expected to accept travel applications to the island before the end of the year. Manager Lu Shuang from Tianjin Comfort Travel Service says that many Tianjin tourists are excited to visit Taiwan.

"We are receiving more phone calls these days about individual tours to the island. Our online message box has also received lots of inquiries. Many Tianjin tourists are very enthusiastic about traveling to Taiwan."The first group of travelers came from Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen when Taiwan first allowed individual tourists from the mainland last June. According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, by the end of April 22nd, more than 67 thousand mainland travelers have visited the island, more than 220 everyday.

Ms. Wang from Guangzhou says she wants to be the first individual traveler in her city to visit the island.

"I want to travel to Taiwan in early May. It's just that I haven't been able to fully prepare all the documents for the entrance permit. I don't know whether I can make it by then. But I do want to go as the first individual visitor."Good businesses with high profit encourage the local decision makers to relax the policies. Individual visitors used to have to apply for entry approvals, buy air tickets, and make hotel reservations through mainland travel services based on stringent policies. Vice President of China Youth Travel Zhang Lijun says now there is more choice.

"Traveling in Taiwan will be much easier very soon. Now travelers can also book hotels and order air tickets by themselves. They will also be allowed to stay with friends or family in the near future. The trend of individual travel is maturing."Group travelers to Taiwan usually arrange to visit major cities on the island but individuals tend to visit smaller ones, like Jiufen and Danshui. The local tourist bureau has also found that besides visiting families and experiencing local culture, more and more individual visitors go to Taiwan for healthcare in local hospitals, cosmetic surgery, and some of them go just to see Taiwan superstars.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

Global TimesThe newspaper is reporting that health professionals are calling for an increase in the number of male nurses in the country, as it is now getting harder to attract men to the profession.

According to statistics, there are 21-thousand male nurses in China among the more than 2-million nurses, which account for less than one percent of all nurses. Most of them work in surgical wards, intensive care units and psychiatric hospitals.

A large number of male nurses say they are embarrassed to reveal their profession, as the job is generally believed to be for women.

A female nurse says that when she was in nursing school, there was only one male among the 100 students.

While saying that her male colleagues are very helpful, she also admits that she does not believe a male nurse would be a good prospect for marriage.

A male nurse who works in a psychiatric hospital also points out that apart from social discrimination, the job involves high risks but the pay is pretty low. He said he has worked in hospitals for 20 years, but only makes 4,000 yuan a month, which is not enough to support his family and his child's education.

Industry insiders say that the low pay is generally due to the concept that nursing is only a subsidiary job, serving doctors.

China DailyThe newspaper is reporting that a recent survey indicates that Chinese children are accessing the internet earlier than ever.

The study shows that more than 70 percent children first access the internet at or before the age of 10.

Only 27 percent of the children first accessed the internet after they were 10.

The survey found that recreation, listening to music, playing games and chatting, are the main objectives of kids surfing the net.

Meanwhile, around 40 percent of parents said they believe the internet is bad for their children. Only about 15 percent said they believe the advantages of the internet for children outweighed the disadvantages.

Parents' main concerns are that the internet will distract their children from their studies, expose them to inappropriate information and connect them with unfavorable people.

AFPAFP reports that Russia's weather and emergency officials have soothed fears of Moscow residents with a statement saying that the green-tinged clouds over the capital were not an alien invasion, but tree pollen.

Russia's weather service said on its website that people in the capital felt like characters in a disaster film about an alien invasion, as residents living in the southwestern part of the city saw the sky had been colored green.

It's being reported that green dust also covered streets and cars. Some residents called emergency services in panic, leading officials to say the air was thick with tree pollen, not disaster fallout.

The authorities said the sudden onset of spring and rapidly rising temperatures caused trees and flowers to quickly bloom, resulting in green pollen coating pavements and car windows.

Market UpdateU.S. stocks ended higher Friday, as strong earnings from Amazon and Expedia offset a weaker-than-expected gross domestic product report.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.2 percent to 13,228. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 0.2 percent to 1,403. The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.6 percent to 3,069.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 added 0.5 percent to 5777. Frankfurt's DAX rose 0.9 percent to 6801. CAC 40 in Paris rose one percent to 3266.