In This Edition

 

Prime Ministers of China, Japan and South Korea meet in Tokyo for an annual summit with talks due to focus on cooperating on disaster relief and nuclear safety.

 

At least 16 people were killed in northwest Pakistan in a latest attack on NATO targets.

 

Alassane Ouattara inaugurates as president of Cote D'ivoire, in a ceremony hoped to end a decade of conflict and instability and mend the economy.

 

And the International Monetary Fund says it is scheduled to complete the process of selecting a new managing director by the end of next month.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

China, ROK & Japan Leaders Meet in Quake Zone

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met on Saturday for an annual summit with talks due to focus on cooperating on disaster relief and nuclear safety.

 

Wen and Lee, both on their first visit to Japan after the massive disaster hit northern Japan, made a brief stop over the tsunami-wrecked Natori City in Miyagi Prefecture before heading to Tokyo to show their support for Japan's battle with a prolonged humanitarian and nuclear crisis.

 

Wen met with evacuees and spoke to them.

 

"Disaster can destroy people's houses, but not their will. I strongly believe that Japan will overcome this hardship and recover from the disaster with their own efforts and international support."

 

Lee also gave well wishes for Japan's quick recovery.

 

"The whole world was deeply moved by the restrained and brave behavior that the Japanese people showed as they struggled in the wake of the disaster. I also believe Japan will recover from the disaster very quickly."

 

Japan hopes that the spirit of solidarity will prevent damage to trade amongst the nations, and is keen to see restrictions on food imports from the Fukushima area lifted, as radiation concerns could affect other goods while its export-reliant economy slips into recession.

 

The three leaders outside an evacuation centre ate cherries, cucumbers and tomatoes from the region to demonstrate that its food products were safe.

 

Chinese Premier Wen said China could lower restrictions on Japanese agricultural products provided they meet safety standards.

 

Post-quake Chinese Tourists in Japan

Meanwhile, China's travel agencies are resuming package tours to Japan, with the first group of tourists traveling in Tokyo after the March 11 earthquake and being welcomed by the country's tourism officials.

 

Representatives of the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization and industry insiders met the Chinese visitors at a welcoming ceremony at the airport.

 

Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency, expressed his gratitude.

 

"We thank China a lot for providing aid to Japan after the earthquake. Now, as Japan is under reconstruction, we hope Chinese tourists will come to witness the process and promote the establishment of a closer relationship between China and Japan. We are waiting for your visit and we will guarantee you a safe and enjoyable trip in Japan."

 

The arrival of 12 Chinese tourists has drawn wide attention in Japan, including from members of the media. Each of the Chinese tourists was presented with a shopping bag, hoping the group would return with a full load of presents.

 

The tourist group is to go sightseeing in Tokyo and some other tourist spots.

 

Japan's tourist industry has suffered badly from the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The number of foreign tourists to Japan dropped by more than 60 percent in April, a record low in half a century.

 

In order to vitalize Japan's tourism industry, Commissioner Hiroshi Mizohata paid a promotional visit to China and South Korea in April.

 

NATO Oil Tanker Explosion Claimed 16 Lives

At least 16 people were killed in northwest Pakistan on Saturday when a burning NATO oil tanker exploded.

 

The people were trying to collect oil from the vehicle after it had been bombed earlier by a militant group.

 

The NATO fuel supplies truck was enroute to Afghanistan to deliver supplies to troops there. The bombing attack is the latest in an upsurge in violence since the death of Osama bin Laden.

 

It took place near the Torkham border crossing in the Khyber region, the main route for moving supplies to NATO and American forces in Afghanistan.

 

A tribal policeman, Masud-ur-Rahman, described the accident.

 

"A tanker was struck by a bomb on the bypass in Landikotal. People and children from nearby had gathered to collect oil from the tanker when the vehicle exploded. The oil caught fire in which around 14 people were killed."

 

A senior local administration official in Khyber put the number of dead at 16.

 

In another attack in the same region, a bomb struck 16 NATO fuel trucks late on Friday, setting them on fire. No one was hurt.

 

Militants have stepped up attacks in Pakistan since U.S. special forces killed al Qaeda leader bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad earlier this month.

 

Different Opinions on Obama's Middle East Proposal

U.S. President Barack Obama's proposal on pre-1967 borders for a future Palestinian state has gained different opinions in the international community.

 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the idea, claiming that Israel was willing to make compromises for peace, but going back to 1967 borders is "indefensible."

 

"While Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace it cannot go back to the 1967 lines because these lines are indefensible, because they don't take into account certain changes that have taken place on the ground. Israel has certain security requirements that will have to come into place in any deal that we make."

 

Palestinian leadership in Ramallah was happy to hear Obama's call for separate Israeli and Palestinian states along the pre-1967 war border, but seemed concerned by Obama's clear rejection towards their planned unilateral move to ask the United Nations for recognition.

 

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she supports Obama's stance on the Middle East peace deal.

 

"I believe the proposal of taking the 1967 border and considering an exchange of territory would be a good idea, which both sides should look into."

 

Her opinion is echoed by Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Stoere.

 

During a meeting in Oslo, Norway, both said they supported Obama's outlook.

 

Ouattara Inaugurated as Cote d'ivoire President

Alassane Ouattara was inaugurated as president of Cote d'ivoire on Saturday, in a ceremony most people hope will end a decade of conflict and instability and mend the economy.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other heads of state and dignitaries attended the ceremony in the country's official capital Yamoussoukro.

 

Ouattara singled out France and Sarkozy, who got a standing ovation, for helping end the crisis following election.

 

"The deep crisis Ivory Coast went through, starting from the day of the presidential elections of 31 October and 28 November 2010, is now behind us. This marks the return of Ivory Coast to the international arena."

 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, en route to take part in the inauguration, said the international community should support Ouattara and send a strong message that the will of the people should be respected.

 

In the country's main city of Abidjan, troops from the country's newly formed army, who helped Ouattara win the battle against Laurent Gbagbo, shot in the air to celebrate the inauguration.

 

Alain Berthe is an Abidjan resident.

 

"We wish that this new beginning is a success for everyone because we're really coming out of 10 years of suffering; it's been really hard for the last 10 years. We hope that with this new beginning Ivorians can find it in each other to live together again, so that they are able to work."

 

The civil war ended when pro-Ouattara rebels, backed by the French military, seized incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo who refused to step down and used troops, which led to at least 3,000 people being killed and more than a million displaced.

 

Gbagbo is now under house arrest and Ouattara wants him tried for human rights abuses during the conflict, but he also wants a South Africa-style truth and reconciliation commission -- two aims which may conflict.

 

Pakistan-China Relationship Has Stood the Test of Time: PM

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has praised his country's relationship with China, saying it withstood the test of time over the past decades, and will continue for generations to come.

 

In an interview with CRI reporters in Beijing before winding up his four day official visit to China, Gianni said this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighbors, and leaders of both countries designated this year as of the Year of Sino-Pakistan Friendship during Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Pakistan late last year. 　

 

"No matter how the world situation changes, be it galling winds, rainstorms, or even tempests, this relationship has remained solid and strong. We treat each other with great respect. Pakistan and China enjoy comfortable cooperation in diplomatic, economic, cultural and educational fields, which greatly benefit the economic development in Pakistan."

 

The Prime Minister also called on the two sides to enhance trade and economic cooperation. He said Pakistan wants to increase bilateral trade volume to 15 billion U.S. dollars in the next few years.

 

New Yorkers Comment as DSK Swaps Prison Cell

Fallen IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has traded in his private cell at Rikers Island prison for temporary housing in a New York building.

 

During his time at the 21-story Empire Building, at least one armed guard will be watching him at all times, and he will have to wear an ankle bracelet.

 

His apartment's exterior doors will be outfitted with alarms and video cameras, and he cannot leave his temporary housing at all.

 

Once he is settled somewhere permanent, he will be allowed to leave only for court dates, meetings with his lawyers, doctor's appointments and weekly religious services, and he will have to give prosecutors at last six hours' notice.

 

No trial date has been set.

 

The apartment building on Broadway in Manhattan's Financial District, several blocks from Ground Zero.

 

Some in the neighbourhood aren't surprised he's living there.

 

"Money sort of tends to buy anything you need. So he's taking refuge in a nice, beautiful pre-war building in a really nice neighbourhood, so I'm not surprised."

 

Officials say this is only a temporary situation, meaning he should move to another location in a few days.

 

However New York real estate expert Richard Grossman says it may be hard for him to find another place to live.

 

"I think it would be very difficult for someone like Dominique Strauss-Kahn to get approved in a cooperative building. Right now he's going through a lot of attention in his life which is exactly the type of attention a building does not want to see."

 

He says Strauss kahn should be looking for a very specific building type.

 

IMF Successor Debate

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund says it is scheduled to complete the process of selecting a new managing director by June 30.

 

The Washington-based agency says successful candidate for the position of managing director should have a distinguished record in economic policymaking at senior levels, and is required to show managerial and diplomatic skills needed to lead a global institution.

 

The debate over who should become the new head of the International Monetary Fund gears up as fast-growing developing economies argue it is time to break with the 65-year tradition of giving the job to a European.

 

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the next IMF head should command support from across the globe, not just from one particular region of the world and that the appointment should be based on merit.

 

"We believe having the right person means having someone who has respect of the global financial community, the global respect of the principal public financial institutions of the world, as well as the regions of the world. That may be someone from Asia and the Pacific, it may be someone from elsewhere."

 

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reiterated her opinion that the next head of the financial institution should be a European and she holds high regard for France's finance minister, Christine Lagarde.

 

"I think there are good reasons for the IMF job to go to a European. Among the mentioned names, who all have outstanding reputations, I value the French finance minister."

 

Fitch Downgrades Greece over Poor Performance

Ratings agency Fitch has downgraded Greece debt rating, warning of further downgrades if the European Union and the International Monetary Fund do not come up with a credible plan to resolve the country's debt crisis.

 

Fitch says the ratings' downgrade reflects the scale of the challenges facing Greece in implementing a radical fiscal and structural reform program necessary to secure solvency of the state and foundations for sustained economic recovery.

 

It has been downgraded by ratings agencies Standard and Poors and Moody's.

 

Speaking in Parliament, Greek Finance Minister, George Papaconstantinou, said the government must push ahead more quickly with its reform program.

 

"There is no more time left. Everything that needs to be done must be done and it must to be done now. We have to proceed quickly. This is what we are trying to do and with complete transparency."

 

He said Greece must speed up sales of shares in state companies, and speed up the financial plan that will allow for implementation of financial terms for real estate.

 

One year into its EU/IMF bailout loan, Greece is still struggling with weak revenues and a deep recession, fueling speculation that it will have to restructure its debt to pull itself out of the fiscal mess that triggered a euro zone crisis.

 

The Greek government, however has not responded to such speculation, saying its priority is to concentrate on implementing economic reform measures to bring better results for the economy.

 

Papaconstantinou:

 

....at a time when our foreign lenders want to be assured that the country will be able to continue to pay back the loans which it has received, at a period when criticism is sometimes unfair and exaggerated, the government remains firm on the course it has chosen."

 

TEPCO President to Resign and Report Its Loss

Japan's damaged Tokyo Electric Power Company has reported a net loss of 15 billion U.S. dollars to account for the disaster at its Fukushima nuclear power plant, the biggest loss in the company's 60-year history.

 

TEPCO President Masataka Shimizu said they will sell business assets not needed for the power utility business to raise emergency funds.

 

"We will sell all assets we can sell, except those necessary for our utility business, as fast as possible to raise up to 600 billion yen."

 

He added that he would step down to take responsibility for the disaster and radiation leaks at the plant, making way for an insider, managing director Toshio Nishizawa.

 

"I would like to take responsibility for losing the credibility of nuclear safety and giving the public anxiety and concern by resigning from the post of president, together with the vice-president, Mr. Muto."

 

Meanwhile, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the government would examine TEPCO's plans carefully.

 

"We want TEPCO to procede with the maximum rationalization efforts on its operations in order to swiftly award compensation, stabilize damaged nuclear reactors, and provide reliable electricity. The government will ask an independent committee to strictly examine TEPCO's rationalization plans to judge whether they're sufficient."

 

The government has agreed to set up a fund using taxpayers' money to help TEPCO cope with compensation. TEPCO can draw on the fund to make upfront payments and repay the fund from its annual profits over several years.

 

China to Have More Energy-efficient Buildings

 

Electricity shortage in many provinces in China this year even before the peak season shows the urgent need to reduce the power consumption of public buildings, which is three times that of developed countries.

 

China's central authorities have released a document prohibiting the construction of power-guzzling buildings and encourage the renovation of public buildings for more efficient energy usage.

 

The government will allocate subsidies to support energy-saving renovation works and set up local monitoring systems to oversee power consumption in public buildings.

 

According to government plans, the power consumption of public buildings should be reduced by ten percent per unit area on average by 2015, with a 15 percent reduction for the largest buildings.

 

However, an editorial from China Daily pointed out that one-third of public buildings nationwide have glass walls, which demand more energy for heating in winter and for cooling in summer. It is also worrying that 95 percent of new buildings still guzzle more power than required despite the publication of power-consumption standards.

 

The paper argues that effective measures must be introduced to monitor the construction of new buildings and to oversee the renovation of existing energy-inefficient ones.

 

The editorial believes that administrative measures, such as giving orders to local governments, are far from enough to meet power-saving targets. Market options such as the mechanism for trading excess saved energy, which the government plans to establish, should stimulate enthusiasm for users and owners to renovate their buildings or to strengthen management for more efficient uses of power.