Roundup - 25/01/2010

• China has said accusations that it was behind the recent attack on Google were 'groundless.' An official spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that the accusations were designed to denigrate China and that the government had no explicit or implicit role in the attacks. He also pointed out that China is the largest victim of internet attacks with 42,000 website hacks last year and over a million IP addresses taken over by overseas attackers.
  
  Meanwhile the People's Daily has hit out at the US in an editorial accusing it of using the internet to stir up unrest in Iran. The editorial claims that unrest which followed elections last year in Iran only begun because of 'online warfare' via You Tube and Twitter.
  
  
  
• Three batches of products from three companies have been withdrawn from sale after it was found that they were tainted with Melamine. The companies, all of which sell their products in Guizhou, said that the contamination was due to a batch of powdered milk which they bought as an ingredient for their products in early 2009. A government official has suggested that this batch of powdered milk may have been left over from the 2008 Sanlu scandal. Sanlu's products caused illness in thousands of babies and six deaths.
  
  
  
• Four senior Communist party officials have signed an open letter criticising the trial of Liu Xiaobo. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in jail in December. He Fang, from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Dai Huang, a former Xinhua senior reporter, and Li Pu, former deputy chief Xinhua were co-signatories on a letter written by Hu Jiwei, former editor of the People's Daily. The officials are all in their 80s and 90s, a fact which may allow them to get away with more than their younger counterparts.
  
  
  
• Xie Zhenhua, WenJiabao's special representative on climate change, has caused consternation by saying that more scientific research needs to be done to prove the global warming is man made. Speaking at a meeting of the Basic group (China, India, South Africa and Brazil) he said that while the mainstream view was that global warming was caused by unrestrained emissions of greenhouse gases, there were alternative theories and that governments should remain open to these theories. Xie later assured reporters that this would not cause any delay in responding to the threat of man-made global warming.
  
  The meeting of the Basic countries is meant to coordinate negotiating positions before the climate summit in Mexico City later this year. The delegates pointed to the delivery of US$10 billion of aid to the least developed countries in the world by the end of the year as a key indicator of developed countries commitment to combating climate change.
  

Roundup - 06/01/2010

• A Californian software company is suing the Chinese government for US$2.2 billion. Cybersitter claims that the Green Dam Youth Escort programme, designed to block pornographic and other websites deemed harmful by the government, contains more than 3000 lines of stolen code. More than 56 million copies of the software have been distributed in China.
  
  The government originally planned to instal the software on every computer sold in China but was forced to back-pedal after a massive public outcry.
  
  
  
• Hong Kong media is leading speculation about the removal of He Yafei from his position. Mr. He has been moved to a position at the UN from his post as Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. Commentators suggest that this is due to his handling of the Copenhagen negotiations which resulted in a PR disaster for China.
  
  While He Yafei cannot be personally blamed for the failure of the negotiations, his inability to take major decisions and the contrasting aims of China and the Western powers were the main causes, he was deemed to have handled the situation in a particularly undiplomatic manner. In particular his public insulting of US negotiator Todd Stern and his consistent vetoing of any climate deal, even one that did not include China, in the hectic final phase of negotiations, meant that China would inevitably come out of the summit looking the villain.
  
  Wen Jiabao managed to avoid being made the fall guy for the failure only by not turning up to many of the negotiations.
  
  
  
• 25 coal miners have been killed in a fire at a mine in Xiangtan, Hunan. More than 70 miners were in the shaft when underground cables caught fire on Tuesday afternoon. 43 managed to escape leaving at least 28 trapped. Nine bodies were retrieved on Tuesday and a further 16 on Wednesday morning. Hopes for the other trapped miners are failing as rescuers encounter the toxic fumes left by the fire.
  
  
  
• Public anger is rising as it emerges that a case involving the sale of melamine-tainted milk was withheld from public view for almost a year. Three people from the Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. were arrested in December, however, it seems that evidence that milk was contaminated emerged on Dec30 2008 and the investigation into the company began in February 2009.
  
  Some media reports claim that the tainted milk was actually made with the recalled products from the major 2008 scandal in which 6 children died and 300,000 were made ill but according to Xinhua all products involved in that scandal were destroyed.
  
  The reason given for not informing the public was that, when local authorities began investigating, they discovered evidence that a criminal case could be brought and so had to hand the investigation over to the Ministry of Public Security.
  
  
  
• A report in Faren magazine, affiliated with the Legal Daily, has highlighted corruption among the executives of China's state-owned enterprises. 35 executives face charges in 2009 of which 31 were convicted in cases involving an average of 110 million RMB (US$16.18 million).
  
  Among these, Li Peiying, former head of the Capital Airports Holding Company, was executed in August for taking 26.61 million RMB in bribes. Yang Yanming, once a senior trader with a securities company, was executed in December for embezzling 94.52 million RMB of public funds. Chen Tonghai was given a death sentence with two years reprieve for having taken almost 200 million RMB in bribes.
  
  Kang Rixin, former head of the China National Nuclear Corporation, is currently under investigation for taking backhanders in exchange for awarding construction contracts.
  
  Meanwhile a survey by the Horizon Research Consultancy Group says that 59.1% of people consider that corruption amongst China's officials is most damaging to China's image abroad. This was followed by counterfeit and shoddy products, pollution, uncivil conduct and industrial accidents.
  

Roundup - 12/12/2009

• 22,884 cases of officials holding public money for personal use have been uncovered since June. He Guoqiang, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, said that the sums of money involved totaled 10.16 billion RMB, or about $1.49 billion. He said that 270 officials had received administrative punishments and 81 had been prosecuted.
  
  Nationwide sweeps between 1998 and 2006 found 140.6 billion RMB however, this is thought to be a very small percentage of the total amount of public money lost to corruption.
  
  
  
• The Chinese stance at the Copenhagen summit is continuing its previous course. Liu Zhenmin, deputy permanent representative to the UN, emphasised the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, differentiated responsibility, and financial support and technology transfer from developed countries.
  
  Meanwhile, in Beijing, an influential think-tank, Chinese Economists 50 Forum, has published suggestions for an Inter-Country Joint Mitigation Plan to facilitate technology transfer from the developed to the developing world.
  
  
  
• Xinhua has announced that more than 3,470 people have been arrested this year in a crackdown on internet pornography. According to the Ministry for Public Security 1.25 million items of 'lewd content' and nearly 7,000 websites were shut down.
  
  Earlier this month authorities launched a crackdown on WAP sites with pornographic content. China maintains very strict control over the internet arguing that it must 'purify social environment and protect minors' mental health.'
  
  
  
• President Hu Jintao is currently in Kazakhstan. President Hu and President Nazarbayev will hold talks on strengthening their bilateral ties. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a key ally and source of natural resources in the region. The 'Friendship Pipeline' is the longest oil pipeline in the world and is expected to begin operating fully next year.
  
  
  
• Chinese police arrested three people on Tuesday for selling milk contaminated with melamine. The three men worked for Shaanxi based Jinqiao Dairy Company. Only a few weeks ago two men were executed for their role in selling melamine-contaminated milk in a scandal which caused the deaths of six children and illness to some 300,000.
  
  
  
• Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade is looking into allegations that Taiwanese companies sold specialised equipment which could be used to make weapons grade uranium to Iran. A report in the Daily Telegraph suggested that Iranian defense officials acquired pressure transducers from Taiwanese companies after being denied by American and European companies.
  

Roundup - 01/12/2009

• On World AIDS Day China's Health Ministry has warned that the infection rate among homosexual males is on the increase. Hu Jintao met some of Beijing's 50,000 volunteers working in AIDS prevention and treatment yesterday where he promised to mobilise society to combat the disease. However, with China's basic healthcare provision already largely limited to urban areas it is still impossible for many sufferers to receive treatment.
  
  
  
• Commerce Minister Chen Deming has called on the 7^th WTO Ministerial Conference to send a signal to help the world economic recovery. He also promoted reform of the organisation and its commitment to the Doha round's development mandate.
  
  
  
• China has lifted the ban on importing pork from Mexico, Canada and the USA. The ban was imposed earlier this year amid fears over Swine Flu. However, imports of pork may continue to fall due to a regime of subsidies for breeding sows.
  
  
  
• Somali pirates have warned that they will kill kidnapped Chinese crewmen if attacked by the PLA. 25 crewmen were captured when pirates seized the De Xin Hai. The ship, owned by the Qingdao Ocean Shipping Company, was carrying 76,000 tonnes of coal. The pirates claimed they were negotiating a $3.5 million ransom.
  
  
  
• New official appointments on Monday included two 46 year-olds promoted to the level of Party Secretary. This marks the rise of what is touted to be the 'sixth generation' of Chinese leaders. The 'fifth generation' is expected to take the reigns of power in 2012 when Xi Jinping is likely to take the presidency. The 'sixth generation' should come to power in 2022.
  
  Notably, one of the two new Party Secretaries is a protege of Hu Jintao, Hu Chunhua. The two worked together during Hu Jintao's time as Provincial Committee Secretary of Tibet 1988-92. Hu Chunhua has made hid career in Tibet before being appointed Acting Governor of Hebei in 2008. He has also spent most of his career working with the Communist Youth League, a significant power base of Hu Jintao's. He also won widespread aclaim for hs handling of the tainted milk scandal.
  
  
• 24 people have been arrested in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou after a dispute over housing development. Guizhou Boyu Real Estate Development Co. seems to have forcibly evicted residents from their homes at 5am on Friday before demolishing 26 buildings. Municipal police say that four residents were injured in the process.
  
  Angry residents then began blocking all roads in the area. 4 residents and 20 people working for the development company have been arrested. Police say the evicted residents have been properly accommodated.
  
  
  
• On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People Premier Wen Jiabao declared his full support for 'the demands of the Palestinian people for the restoration of their legitimate national rights and the establishment of an independent state.'
  
  
  
• Authorities in China are vowing harsh punishment for those who illegally build golf courses. In 2004 a moratorium on new golf courses was imposed in an effort to save land for agriculture. However, amid economic growth and the related growth in interest in golf as a symbol of status, golf courses have blossomed all over the country. Golf will be included in the 2016 Olympic Games.
  

Roundup - 29/11/2009

• The first civil law suit dealing with the melamine milk scandal has come to court in Beijing. Ma Xuexin, from Henan, is suing for $8000 and for his son's medical expenses to be paid for by the state-run milk compensation fund.
  
  Mr Ma's 20-month old son developed kidney stones after being fed hundreds of packets of milk supplied by Sanlu, the now defunct company at the centre of the scandal.
  
  Families were offered a one time payout of between 2000 and 200000RMB if civil cases were not brought. Nevertheless several families have felt that the compensation is not adequate. So far six lawsuits have been accepted by Chinese courts.
  
  
  
• A cargo plane crash at take-off at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport on Saturday, killing three American crewmen. Four other crewmen, including an American, an Indonesian and a Zimbabwean are recovering in the intensive care unit of the People's Hospital in Pudong.
  
  The plane, registered with Avient Aviation in Zimbabwe, was bound for Kyrgyzstan. On attempting to take off at 8.10 am reports claim that the tail hit the runway and a fire started on board.
  
  
  
• Attempts to rescue 16 coal miners, trapped by flooding in north-east China, have been called off due to the danger of another cave-in. The flooding, at Zhonghe Coal Mine in Meihekou, Jilin, began at 1.55pm on Friday. Since then rescuers have been attempting to fill in part of the cave to prevent further water from entering. However, new crevices pointed to the likelihood of a new cave-in and work had to be halted.
  
  
  
• The China State Construction Engineering Corporation has declared that it has no business relations with Dubai World. Dubai World recently was forced to ask for more time to repay 60 billion US dollars of debt. Since then, share prices have dropped in companies believed to be exposed. The Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the Bank of Communications all declared on Friday that they did not hold bonds issued by Dubai World.
  

Roundup - 24/11/2009

• All outlets are reporting on the executions of Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping over their involvement in the the tainted milk scandal that hit the news last year.
  
  Zhang Yujun was found guilty of endangering public safety for selling 770 tonnes of milk laced with melamine between July 2007 and August 2008. Geng Jinping was convicted of selling the milk to the now-bankrupt Sanlu Group.
  
  Six children died from drinking the milk and more than 300,000 were made ill.
  
  
  
• The jail sentence given to Huang Qi is also a widespread story outside of mainland China. Huang Qi gave advice to the families of five children who died in the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008. The family members wanted to bring a court case against the government over the shoddy construction of school buildings which contributed to the deaths of their children.
  
  Huang Qi was sentenced to three years in prison for illegally holding state secrets although no details were given about the charge.
  
  
  
  
• The Straits Times reports that China is backing its writers in a complaint against Google. They accuse Google of copying the work of Chinese writers without permission. Wang Ziqiang, a director-general of China's National Copyright Administration said, “I personally think Google is involved in copyright infringement, we support Chinese writers, the China Written Works Copyright Society and the Chinese Writers Association to defend their rights based on law and facts.”
  
  The copyright society claims at least 17,922 books by 570 Chinese authors have been added to Google Books.
  
  
  
• According to China Daily, Health Minister Chen Zhu announced that by the end of this year there will be an estimated 740,000 people living with HIV on the mainland. This seems out of sink with an number of external reports, notably one by the US National Intelligence Council which predicted that the number of HIV positive people in China could rise to 10 million by 2010.
  
  
  
• China is mourning the loss of esteemed translator Yang Xianyi. A brief obituary will be posted shortly.