News & Reports 2011-01-01

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

In This Edition

Chinese President Hu Jintao gives a New Year address, calling for strengthened global cooperation to better meet the world's challenges in the year 2011.

People around the world usher 1 in the New Year with a variety of celebrations.

And China sets its first round of rare earth export quotas 2 at 14 thousand tons for 2011, down 11% from the first round of last year.

Hot Issue Reports

Chinese President Delivers New Year's Speech

President Hu Jintao has put China's economic tasks on top of the agenda in the New Year.

In his New Year address to domestic and overseas audience via state TV and radio broadcasters, the President said to accelerate the transformation 3 of economic development pattern will be a consistent thread of China's work in 2011, the first year of the country's 12th Five-Year Program.

He also called for strengthened global cooperation to better meet the world's challenges in the year 2011. We now bring you details of the President's New Year address.

Back Anchor: You've just tuned 4 in to a New Year' address by Chinese President Hu Jintao through China Radio International.

New Year Eve Celebration Across the World

In other parts of the world, people are also ready to usher in the new year.

Revelers have flocked to vantage points around Sydney Harbour to catch a better glimpse of fireworks at midnight, as Australia ushers 5 in the New Year.

Earlier, we talked with our Sydney correspondent Chen Xi who has secured a good spot to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks show.

1. It's New Year's Eve in Australia, we know you are by the Sydney Opera House, tell us what you see and the local atmosphere.

2. Are there any other celebrations in other Australian cities?

3. What about tomorrow, the first day of the New Year 2011, do people in Australia continue their celebration or what do they do?

Meanwhile, London has been ready for the 25th Anniversary New Year's Day Parade with more than 8,000 performers from numerous nations expected to give the UK capital an extravagant 6 celebration.

The Riverside City College All Star Band from California is one of the performers that are joining forces to give London a lift in the countdown to the big day.

"There'll be over 800 players, and we're doing a medley 7 of tunes 8. One thing that's included is a little snippet from 'Les Miserables', since it's their 25th Anniversary, as well, and then it all ends up with, of course, with 'Land of Hope and Glory'. So, the kids are excited. The people hopefully will be excited, and it will be a great way to end the parade, but also be the starting of the New Year."

In the US, the New York Police Department has been working hard to ensure New Year's Eve celebrations pass without incident.

Nearly a million revellers will cram 10 into the streets of Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve.

Security consultant 11 Ann Hayes of Investigative Management Group says law enforcement has been preparing for months.

"We have really been intensely watching New Year's Eve at Times Square, almost with an anticipation 12 of something happening because it does have such a high profile all over the world."

The city set rules and share plans with restaurants and hotels in the area that are hosting fancy parties, along with the Times Square Alliance. They plot out where TV trucks will be stationed, and the best exit routes in case of an emergency.

The celebrations in New York City usually remain crime-free and orderly.

Experts: Li Keqiang's visit to Europe to Boost Confidence in China-EU Relations

Chinese Vice 13 Premier 14 Li Keqiang will visit Spain, Germany and the UK from January 4th to 12th, and some experts believe the visit will be another mark of frequent exchanges between Chinese and European leaders and will boost confidence in bilateral 15 relations.

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This year alone, seven top Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, paid official visits to over a dozen EU countries.

Meanwhile, trade between China and the EU has maintained a sound momentum 16.

China-EU trade amounted to more than $430 billion U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of this year, up some 33 percent from last year.

Experts believe Sino-EU ties will enter a more pragmatic stage, especially in economic and trade cooperation, which can be traced from Li Keqiang's busy schedule.

The vice premier will not only meet leaders of the three countries, but will also meet with entrepreneurs and businesses leaders as well.

Xing Hua, a senior research fellow of the China Institute of International Studies, says the Chinese leader's visit can be seen as a signal of goodwill 17 to Spain, which is overshadowed by sovereign debt crisis.

"Against the backdrop of spreading sovereign debt crises in Europe, China has repeatedly expressed willingness to provide assistance to European countries. Of course, it would also apply to Spain. The visit by Li Keqiang implies that the two countries will take new measures in boosting bilateral economic, trade and financial cooperation."

Meanwhile, Feng Zhongping, a scholar with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, says after the honeymoon 18 period in 2010, China and Europe should expand their cooperation to new fields in the new year.

"The current economic cooperation between us is based on our economic interests. We both have the demands for such cooperation. However, to develop China-EU ties into partnership 19 against the backdrop of globalization, we should seek for more mutual 20 political trust."

The expert also calls for increased exchanges between the two sides, especially in education, culture and art.

Light News

Property purchase restriction 21 policies due in some cities

China introduced several restrictions 22 this year in a bid to cool off rising property prices. However, some of the so-called toughest property purchase restrictions adopted by local governments expire in the New Year. As our reporter Wang Ling finds out, the restrictions have failed to meet their expectations in the past few months and some of them will be extended into the new year.

China Calls to Strengthen International Cooperation in Rare Earth Industry

China has set its first round of rare earth export quotas at some 14 thousand tons for 2011. It's down 11% from over 16 thousand tons from the first round of last year. The Ministry 23 of Commerce says that the decision was made to promote sustainable development through international cooperation in the rare earth industry. CRI's Wu Jia reports.

Movie Merchandise in China Lacks Copyright Protection

There is a great demand for movie merchandise among Chinese consumers, but the Chinese movie industry receives little from this part of the market, with most of the profit being made from the box office take.

American Philharmonic Sonoma County Comes to Beijing

The American Philharmonic-Sonoma County, formerly 24 the Cotati Philharmonic, will bring a concert performance to Beijing fans in time for the New Year.

Conducted by Gabriel Sakakeeny, the orchestra will not only perform world-famous classics such as "Flight of the Bumble Bee," but also will play theme songs from famous Hollywood movies such as "Avatar," "Harry 25 Potter" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

To include some Chinese elements into the concert, the orchestra will also treat audiences with classic Chinese tunes, like this one:

Yes, that's the theme song of the legendary 26 Chinese tragic 27 love story, "Butterfly Lovers."

Sounds interesting, right? The show will run at the Poly Theater on the third and fourth of Jan.

Media Digest

Out of the Shanghai Daily:

Five foreign national pavilions at the World Expo, including the star-attraction Saudi Arabia Pavilion, will remain in Shanghai and reopen to the public soon.

The Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, Italy and Russia pavilions at the Expo site are to stay but plans for their reopening had yet to be decided 28.

Each more than 6,000 square meters, the buildings were among the largest, and the most popular, at the Expo. On the Puxi site, at least 15 of the 20 corporate 29 pavilions are to remain, although all the exhibits have been removed.

From the BBC:

Keeping a smartphone fully 9 powered could soon be easier as manufacturers back common standards for chargers.

Technical specifications 30 for chargers drawn 31 up by the European Commission have won the backing of 14 phone firms.

Firms that have pledged to make chargers to the common standard include Nokia, Research In Motion, Apple and Samsung.

The EU said many Europeans wanted to be able to use chargers for different smartphones and resented the inconvenience incompatible 32 chargers caused.