Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-05-22
Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, as part of his ongoing clean energy trade mission here to China, holds a question-and-answer session with students at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says order has been restored in Bangkok and throughout the country, following a week of violence which has left more than 50 people dead.
The 20th Global Summit of Women is now underway in Beijing.
And Scientists at the US-based J Craig Venter Institute have announced that they had produced a living cell powered by manmade DNA, a bold but controversial step in the quest to create artificial life.
Hot Issue Reports
US Trade Secretary: China Must Reduce Reliance on Exports
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, as part of his ongoing clean energy trade mission here to China, held a question-and-answer session with students at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Friday.
CRI's Dominic Swire was there.
China must reduce its reliance on exports to ensure its economy can be protected from downturns elsewhere in the world. This was one of the messages US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke expressed to students at Beijing's Tsinghua University earlier today (May 21) during an ongoing trade mission to the Chinese capital.
Locke said China needs to focus on developing its internal market.
"China's leaders have talked about less exports -- export will still be major part of your economy but you need to export a little bit less -- and you need to support your companies and industries within China by focusing on domestic consumption."
Locke's trade mission, which includes 24 US companies, is focused on developing trade between China and the US within the area of clean energy. A sector, he says that holds huge potential for growth.
"The development of the clean energy and energy efficiency technologies that we need to help curb greenhouse gas emissions could be one of the biggest economic opportunities of the 21st Century. Worldwide, energy is a 6 trillion dollar market and the fastest growing sector is the cleaner greener type."
But despite all the positive talk of future cooperation, some students in the audience remained cautious about the future relationship between the two countries. Yi Ran is from the Department of Automotive Engineering.
"I'm not really positive about the cooperation now because there's a lot of counter-reaction between these countries and there's a lot of agreement and details to be settled down… Maybe in 10 or 15 years if both realize the importance of this cooperation I think the future will be positive."
Exactly how many deals will be signed as a result of this trade mission remains to be seen. What's clear is that clean energy sector in both of these countries will play a key part in ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.
For CRI, I'm Dominic Swire.
South Korean President: Seoul Would be Prudent in Response to North
South President Lee Myung-bak has held a rare emergency National Security Council meeting, one day after an official report concluded that North Korea was responsible for the deadly sinking of its patrol ship.
Lee says Seoul will be prudent in its response to the North's attack.
"It was a military provocation and violation of the U.N. Charter, the truce agreement, and the inter-Korean basic agreement."
"We cannot afford to have the slightest mistake and will be very prudent in all response measures we take."
However, Lee has vowed to take "resolute countermeasures" against the North.
Still, many analysts believe military action by the South is unlikely, given Seoul's proximity to the North Korean border, which is well within the range of the North's artillery.
North Korea has denied any involvement in deadly sinking, saying it will send its own team to verify the evidence.
Thai PM says country under control
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says order has been restored in Bangkok and throughout the country, following a week of violence which has left more than 50 people dead.
In a televised address, Abhisit says the government is going to "move swiftly to restore normalcy", adding that reconciliation efforts will continue to address the political divisions which are the catalyst for the violence.
"We will continue to move swiftly to restore normalcy and we recognise that as we move ahead the huge challenge ahead of us, particularly the challenge of overcoming the division that has occurred in this country. Let me reassure you that the government will meet those challenges and overcome the difficulty through the five point reconciliation plan that I have previously announced."
Abhisit says an independent investigation will be launched to probe the violence.
"At the same time that plan will include an independent investigation of all the events that had taken place during the protest."
Abhisit says the violence over the last week is "one of the worst episodes Thailand has ever faced".
Most of the protesters - many of whom came from rural provinces in the north - have now been bussed home.
However, there are still concerns about some hard-core elements that could still be lingering in the captial.
A night-time curfew remains in place in Bangkok and the other 23 provinces in a bid to prevent a resurgence of the unrest.
US Senate approves sweeping reforms of Wall Street
The US Senate has passed a bill providing the most sweeping overhaul of financial regulations since the 1930s.
"On this vote the yeas are 59, the nays are 39. The bill as amended is passed."
The senate bill still has to be merged with a version in the House.
The bill creates new ways to watch for financial risks and makes it easier to liquidate large failing firms.
President Obama says Americans should never again pay "for Wall Street's mistakes," adding that Wall Street had tried, but failed, to kill the bill.
"Because of financial reform, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts, period. If a large financial institution should ever fail, we will have the tools to wind it down without endangering the broader economy. "
The new legislation will increase restraint on larger banks and require proof from borrowers that they can pay back even the most basic of mortgages.
"Our goal is not to punish the banks, but to protect the larger economy and the American people from the kind of upheavals that we've seen in the past few years. And today's action was a major step forward in achieving that goal. Because of Wall Street reform, we'll soon have in place the strongest consumer protections in history."
The bill comes amid widespread public support for tightening the regulations on Wall Street, following the financial meltdown in the United States which helped trigger the global economic downturn two years ago.
BP Concedes More Oil Than Expected Still Gushing into Gulf of Mexico
BP has conceded that more oil than first thought is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.
Heavy crude is now washing into Louisiana's wetlands for the first time, feeding worries and uncertainty about the massive, month-long leak.
A live video feed of the leak shows what appears to be a large plume of oil and gas still spewing into the ocean next to the tube that's carrying some of the oil to the surface.
Democratic Representative Edward Markey is accusing BP of misleading investigators about the size of the spill.
"Now, we are beginning to understand that we cannot trust BP. People do not trust the experts any longer. BP has lost all credibility, now the decisions will have to be made by others, because it is clear they have been hiding the actual consequences of this spill and that is just one more example, dispersants, where they no longer should have that responsibility."
The US Environmental Protection Agency has also now directed the company to use a less toxic form of chemical dispersant to break up the oil spill.
At least 27 million liters of oil have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico so far, making it the worst US environmental disaster in decades.
Light News
20th Global Summit of Women Opens in Beijing
The 20th Global Summit of Women is now underway in Beijing.
During the three-day event, more than 1,000 delegates from 60 countries are going to take part in various forums under the theme of "Women at the Forefront of Change."
Maud Oldfsson is Sweden's deputy prime minister and minister for enterprise and energy.
"When I go to meetings, I'm used to being the only woman, or one of very few. I have a background in the business sector, and there the situation was almost the same. In our daily life, women with excellent skills and business ideas can be found everywhere, and with natural leadership skills. But they too often hesitate to start their own business, or to take up leadership position in the company. And in general, more women must be given the opportunity to see entrepreneurship as a career option."
Running until tomorrow (Saturday), the economic forum is discussing, among other things, effective ways of advancing women's economic opportunities worldwide. The summit is also showcasing examples of women's leadership in addressing corporate change, Internet entrepreneurship, energy and environmental renewal and philanthropy.
President of Global Summit of Women, Irene Natividad, says there will also be a practical session on improving women's entrepreneurship and leadership development.
"To mark our 20th anniversary, the Global Summit of Women is announcing the launch of Business Legacies, a program that will bring successful women entrepreneurs face to face with audiences of young women in every part of the world. Small business is the foundation of every economy in the world. So what we want is that young women to foster the growth of small businesses in this country."
This year's meeting is the largest in the Summit's 20-year history, and several women's leadership awards will also be handed out.
Scientists Produce Living Cell Powered by Manmade DNA, Raises Ethical Issues
Scientists at the US-based J Craig Venter Institute have announced that they had produced a living cell powered by manmade DNA, a bold but controversial step in the quest to create artificial life.
Dr. J. Craig Venter, Founder of the J. Craig Venter Institute that conducted the research, says the results may change the world for the better.
"We need new tools of science, and biology represents one of the means to provide these new sources of fuel, like capturing carbon dioxide, new sources of food, new sources of medicine, new vaccines."
The institute is already working with ExxonMobil in hopes of turning algae into fuel.
Jennifer Miller, Founder and Executive Director of Bioethics International, says the new cell raises serious ethical questions.
"So, some of the concerns or the risks are that the technology lands in the hands of somebody with questionable ethics, such as a bio-terrorist. Less controversial, are huge or subtle risks, such as, we don't know what will happen with these novel organisms, or even novel species in the future, once they're released into nature."
Following the announcement, US President Barack Obama directed the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to make the study of the new creation its first priority.
Chinese Central Government Lays out Development Plan for Xinjiang
China's central government has laid out a package of new policies, charting a development path for Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region over the next decade.
Wu Jia has the details.
Reporter:
At a central work conference on Xinjiang's development, Chinese President Hu Jintao vowed to comprehensively push forward the region's economic and social development over the next decade.
He said that Xinjiang can fulfill the goal to achieve a more prosperous society in all aspects by 2020.
The president also noted that per capita GDP in Xinjiang will catch up with the country's average level by 2015.
He promised to invest more in order to improve the region's public services and to provide local people with a "modern and civilized" living environment.
Yang Siyuan, a professor with the Beijing-based Minzu University of China, says it's important to focus more efforts on improving the local people's livelihood.
"The economic development of Xinjiang should bring tangible benefits to all its residents. This is the foundation for ethnic solidarity and long-term stability in the region."
Xinjiang is one of the most underdeveloped regions in China despite its rapid economic growth in recent years.
Statistics show that the average annual income of its residents only accounts for 70 percent of the average national level.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same conference, Premier Wen Jiabao said the central government has decided to launch major support policies for Xinjiang.
He said that Xinjiang will become the first region in China to start reforming resource taxes with a shift instead to tax crude oil and natural gases by price rather than volume.
Li Xiaoxia, a researcher at the Xinjiang Regional Academy of Social Sciences, says the policy will strengthen the region's ability to be self-reliant in its development.
"Xinjiang is rich in natural resources, especially oil and natural gas. Thus, the reform of resource tax will greatly increase the revenue of the regional government."
The oil and natural gas reserves discovered in Xinjiang make up 30 percent of the country's total amount discovered on land.
Last year alone, the region supplied the country with nearly 55 million tons of oil and natural gas, comprising a quarter of the country's total energy supply.
For CRI, I'm Wu Jia.
Beijing's Africans Gearing Up for Africa Day 2010
With the 2010 world football championships set to be held in South Africa next month, the lead up to this year's Africa Day next Tuesday is taking on extra significance among the African expats living here in Beijing.
As we hear from Andrea Hunt, Africa Day this year marks the 47th anniversary of the historic meeting among 30 African states that eventually led to the formation of the African Union.
Reporter:
African expats here in Beijing have been busy organizing events to showcase African culture and food, music and art, as well as their passion for football.
Even though the anniversary isn't until Tuesday, some are trying to get a head start on the celebrations, which will include an Africa Day party Saturday night at a popular Beijing music venue known as Yugongyishan.
The party, hosted by local DJ ensemble "Ultimate Productions," will feature the "Afrokoko Roots" band started by Mr. Sunny Dada from Ghana. The 15 piece international musical ensemble has been repeatedly lauded here in China.
"Honestly speaking, the way the people respond to our music, the Chinese people, the media, is so terrific, I was astonished, I couldn't believe it. I was overwhelmed, overjoyed. They love it, the dancing, the drumming, the singing. Whenever we play, they always ask for more and I'm really grateful to God and to the people for all of our fans."
Organizer of the Africa Day party, DJ Sinvu, says that like virtually all Africans here in China, he misses home sometimes, but suggests that joining together with other people from the continent can help ease the stress that expats sometimes get here in China.
"Africa is a big continent so things wont' be done the same everywhere, so we try to create our own way of doing it by bring Africans from all kinds of African countries and create something different. What we do is we believe that through music and art, we can spread the message out there and let people know in African music is heart and there are good things coming out of Africa as well."
His words are echoed by Mr. Dada, who also says that the most important aspect of Africa Day in Beijing this year is not only to communicate a feeling of African harmony, culture and love, but also to create a time for Africans to come together and celebrate as one people.
For CRI, I'm Andrea Hunt.
IOC: Rio Off to Good Start for 2016 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee says Rio de Janeiro is on the right track to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
Head of the IOC's Coordination Commission, Nawal El Moutawakel, says he is happy with the the preparation work but stresses that there is still a lot of work ahead of the city.
"The passion is still the same, the love for the Games is still the same, and the solidarity and unity between all three levels of government is there. So, the Games were won by October 2nd, three months have elapsed and a lot has been done and we are very satisfied by the presentation made to us, but a lot is yet to be done."
The local Olympic Committee plans to relocate some of the facilities to the city's historic seaport area, in an effort to revitalise the neighborhood.
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