News & Reports 2011-01-23

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In This Edition

US President Barack Obama says increasing trade with China will help safeguard American economic development.

Iran nuclear talks in Istanbul, Turkey, collapse 1 with no progress.

Japan expresses high expectations for inter-Korean military talks as South Korea agreed to a North Korean offer of high-level talks between the armed forces of the two sides.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair offered an apology for the deaths of soldiers and civilians 4 in Iraq, as he testified at Britain's inquiry 5 into the Iraq War.

Hot Issue Reports

Obama seeks for more global markets

US President Barack Obama said that to open up more markets worldwide would help safeguard the country's economic development.

He added that getting access to foreign market is also a reason for his talk with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House in the past week.

"We're now exporting more than 100 billion dollars a year to China in goods and services. And as a result of deals we completed this week, we'll be increasing US exports to China by more than 45 billion dollars, and China's investments in America by several billion dollars. Most important, these deals will support some 235-thousand American jobs. And that includes a lot of manufacturing jobs."

Besides the Chinese market, Obama also inked a trade deal with South Korea and made agreement recently with India, all to boost US economy.

"We just have to make sure we're doing everything we can to unlock the productivity of American workers, unleash 6 the ingenuity 7 of American businesses, and harness the dynamism of America's economy."

Obama spoke 8 the day after a quick visit to a General Electric plant in Schenectady, New York.

He praised GE's plans to build a clean energy centre, an advanced battery manufacturing plant.

He said all projects would create jobs and help make the US more competitive globally.

The ideas on tapping the world market potential and increasing domestic jobs are expected to be the major themes of his annual State of the Union address, scheduled on Tuesday.

Iran talks fails, no new date set

The collapse of another attempt at international outreach to Iran has left world powers with few options except to wait and hope that the bite of sanctions will persuade Tehran to reconsider its refusal to stop activities that could be harnessed to make nuclear weapons.

Iran came to the Istanbul talks with six world powers,declaring it would not even consider freezing uranium enrichment - and left the negotiations 9 a day after repeating the same stance.

Throughout two days of meetings, Iran pushed demands of lifting sanctions and acceptance of its enrichment programme before any further discussion of its nuclear activities.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced the failure of two days of negotiations.

"We had hoped to have a detailed 10 and constructive 11 discussion of those ideas. But it became clear that the Iranian side was not ready for this unless we agreed to preconditions related to enrichment and sanctions. Both these preconditions are not a way to proceed."

However, Iranian chief negotiator Saeed Jalili suggested the six powers were the ones who had imposed preconditions, saying his negotiating team had gone beyond what was expected of Iran to reach agreement.

"Respecting the rights of nations is not a recommendation but a requirement. If, instead of common logic 12 other instruments are used, it's not called a dialogue but a dictation. We call upon them to use and pursue these talks, as an opportunity on the basis of mutual 14 logic, and while avoiding infringement 15 of the rights - this not only in P5+1 talks and UN but also anywhere else."

Iran rejected proposals by the six for improved U.N. monitoring of Iran's nuclear activities and attempts to start dialogue by reviving discussions on Iran's shipping 16 out a limited amount of its enriched uranium in exchange for fuel for its research reactor 17.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that no new date for another meeting had been set.

"There are no talks planned at the present time. As I have indicated, we have left our proposals very clearly on the table. In our final session I told Doctor (Saeed) Jalili our proposals remain on the table, our door remains 18 open, our telephone lines are open, we hope they will consider them and respond to them."

A diplomat 19 from a permanent member nation of the UN Security Council said on the condition of anonymity 20 that no new UN sanctions were planned in response to Iran's defiance 21. Instead, he said there would be stricter enforcement of existing penalties.

Japan expresses high expectations for inter-Korean military talks

Japan has expressed high expectations for inter-Korean military talks as South Korea agreed to a North Korean offer of high-level talks between the armed forces of the two sides.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara cautiously welcomed the plan while Japan continues to monitor the situation.

"Japan's stance continues to be in line with what we've discussed in the foreign ministers' meeting amongst Japan, the U.S. and South Korea, calling for North Korea to show concrete and sincere actions so that South Korea would engage in talks. Inter-Korean dialogue should come first before anything else. We will closely watch how inter-Korean military talks progress."

Maehara expressed hopes for China's cooperation in leading the six-party talks.

"China expressed concerns over North Korea's uranium enrichment development for the first time, which is something we should pay attention to. Now that Chinese President Hu Jintao had expressed such concern, Japan and China must work together to call on North Korea to dismantle 22 all nuclear development."

The moves by the South and the North is a major breakthrough since the exchange of artillery 23 fire in waters off the Korean Peninsula's west coast in November.

Tension raises after Hariri annouces hope to form new government

Lebanese security forces have been deployed 24 to set up checkpoints in Beirut as tensions have risen high after Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri announced he would try to form a new government in talks next week.

This move defies pressure from opposition 25 leader, Hassan Nasrallah, demanding Hariri step down since Hariri refused to repudiate 26 a U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 killing 27 of his father, the country's former leader, Rafik al-Hariri.

A draft indictment 28 released by the tribunal is widely-expected to accuse Hezbollah members of involvement in the killing.

Tensions have risen among sectarian groups in Lebanon in the past week as 11 ministers from Hariri's unity 13 cabinet have resigned, which prompted the release of the draft indictment.

Lebanese citizen, Mounir:

"We need a military coup 30 in this country and for the army to rule, this is the only solution. All parties manipulate us, and the people here, the Lebanese I mean, have lost their brains."

In Lebanon's power-sharing political system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, while the president and parliamentary speaker should be a Shi'ite.

President Michel Suleiman called parliamentarians for consultations 31 to name a new prime minister and he will ask the candidate with the most backing to form a new government.

Lebanese citizen, Mahmoud Safsouf, says it was not clear whether Hariri will get enough support.

"Sunnis have the right to choose the prime minster, same as the Shi'ite choosing the speaker of parliament, so each sect 29 in Lebanon chooses their own leader. We as Sunnis in Lebanon choose Saad al-Hariri of course, and if he is not chosen the country is headed towards disaster."

All ministers in Tunisian interim 32 government temporary: minister

As Tunisia observes three days of national mourning, its Interior Minister assured the public that all members of the interim government are temporary, in order to consolidate 33 democratic changes in Tunisia.

His remarks were a response to protestors outside government buildings, who said the caretaker government was still too dominated by cronies of the ousted 34 former President.

Meanwhile, relatives of a young man, whose death triggered the popular uprising that overthrew 35 the country's autocratic president, said they want Tunisians to honor his memory by fighting for democracy.

Mohamed Bouazizi's mother prays at her son's concrete tomb every day.

"I don't care how it happens, but I want to get back civil rights for my son. I pray the new authorities will make new and fair policies - policies that my son inspired."

The 26-year old Mohamed Bouazizi was a university graduate.

Having failed to find better employment, he sold fruits and vegetables in a town market, but was hit and insulted by municipal officials who destroyed his small business, since he refused to pay bribes 36.

The young man then set himself on fire out of desperation, and his self-immolation last December sparked nationwide protests against the low employment rate.

Blair faces second grilling 37 on Iraq War

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair offered an apology for the deaths of soldiers and civilians in Iraq, as he testified at Britain's inquiry into the Iraq War.

"Of course, I regret deeply and profoundly the loss of life, whether from our own armed forces, those of other nations, the civilians who help people in Iraq, or the Iraqis themselves."

The 57-year-old Blair made a second appearance before a five-member panel scrutinizing 38 Britain's role in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq after witnesses raised doubts about sections of his testimony 39 at an initial appearance a year ago.

Blair acknowledged that in phone calls and messages in 2002 - months before Parliament approved of Britain's role in the conflict - he reassured 40 U.S. President George W. Bush to back the United States in taking action against Saddam Hussein.

The timing 41 of the decision for military action is important to opponents of the war, as they hope the inquiry will conclude Blair had been determined 42 to back the U.S. invasion, whether or not it was supported by the public, Parliament or legal opinion.

Critics say Blair, who sent 45,000 British troops, deliberately 43 misled the public over the reason he gave for war that Saddam maintained the illegal possession of weapons of mass destruction. However, these weapons were never found..

Relatives of some of the 179 British personnel killed during the U.K.'s six-year mission in Iraq packed the small hearing room at London's Queen Elizabeth II conference center, where the former leader testified.

Members of the audience rejected Blair's apology and shouted: "Too late, too late," as the ex-leader spoke.

Afghan President Karzai meets President Medvedev

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed hope that the U.S.-led international military coalition 44 will succeed in stabilizing 45 Afghanistan and offered to visit the Afghan leader to help modernize 46 the nation's economy.

Medvedev said after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Kremlin that Russia is ready to help rebuild Soviet 47-built industrial facilities and infrastructure 48 in Afghanistan and to train Afghan personnel.

"All these projects are being analysed and we'd like Russia in some shape or form to broaden its presence in Afghanistan, particularly as historical links between the Russian Federation 49, formerly 50 the Soviet Union, and Afghanistan in the area of economic cooperation were strong."　

On his second visit to Moscow in six months, President Karzai says the two countries are next-door neighbors and the expansion of this relationship is good for both countries and for the region.

"So relations are not new, relations are old. We are adding to the strength of this relationship in view of current realities and the goodwill 51 and understanding shown by the Russian Federation towards Afghanistan."

Medvedev also voiced hope that the U.S.-led international military coalition would succeed in stabilizing Afghanistan and let Afghan forces take over responsibility for its security by 2014.

"We count on that, ultimately Afghanistan will be capable of providing its security, for providing its national independence using its own resources. The Russian Federation is ready to provide all possible support to achieve this."

Meanwhile, the two leaders said in a statement that fighting the illegal drugs trade was a top priority.

Protest against US missile strikes in northwest of Pakistan

Around two thousand people gathered in the remote and rugged 53 region of Pakistan to protest against American missile strikes.

Shop owners, students and other residents shouted anti-American slogans, and called for U.S. Defense 54 Secretary Robert Gates and the former CIA station chief in Islamabad to be brought to justice. The protest took place in the Taliban-controlled town of Miran Shah in North Waziristan.

Wahid Ullah is a student protester.

"The purpose for holding this protest is to stop drone attacks in our area, since it's mostly innocent people who are targeted in these attacks."

US-operated drones have launched around 115 attacks at militant 55 targets in North Waziristan last year.

Protester Shams 56 Wazir says those attacks took the lives of innocent people.

"The women and children have been martyred in the drone attacks. This is oppression. We appeal to the government to stop this. If they do not stop these attacks, we will march towards Islamabad."

However, U.S. officials insist the attacks are precise and kill primarily Taliban and al-Qaida militants 57 hiding along the Afghan border, although there have been credible 58 accounts of civilian 3 casualties.

Pakistan officially protests the strikes as violations 59 of its sovereignty, but the security agencies allegedly cooperate secretly with the program.

Beijing mulling plans to build "Metropolitan 60 Economic Circle"

In the draft outlines of its 12th five-year plan, the Beijing municipal government has now put forward the idea of building a "Metropolitan Economic Circle" which covers the surrounding provinces. The proposal is a continuation of earlier attempts to integrate the "Bohai Sea Rim 2" region.

China Daily: Wrong conviction damages the credibility of the judicial 61 system

The once debatable tolls 62 evasion 63 case is catching 64 public attention again.

In Central China's Henan province, truck owner, Shi Jianfeng, was sentenced to life imprisonment 65 by a city court.

He was charged with using fake military vehicle license 66 plates and other documentation for him and his hired truck drivers to evade 67 tolls of over 3 million yuan in eight months.

While the public was still questioning the fairness of the verdict, the lawsuit 68 was suddenly recalled.

The provincial 69 high court concluded the lawsuit was "lacking of detailed investigation 70 and careless listening", and four city court officials involved in the case all received disciplinary penalties.

A China Daily editorial says such a ridiculous case tarnished 71 the image of the courts and judges, and damaged the sanctity of the law and credibility of the judicial system.

The article points out that questions remain over why they turned a blind eye to the fact that it is impossible for two trucks to evade so much in road fees in just eight months.

Moreover, where did the truck owner buy the fake military license plates? If he could obtain them, there must be a business behind it. The verdict failed to mention a word about these details.

The author questions if a verdict should never be reached unless there is sufficient evidence to support it, how would the city court convict the truck owner with such shallow evidence?

The author calls for an investigation on the higher-level court to find out what went wrong, as the city court and prosecutors 72 involved cannot be trusted anymore.

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Nanfang Daily: Local Gov't Should Not Depend on Revenue from Land Sales

Media reports in recent months suggest that China's government may impose a property tax on a trial basis in several cities, including Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen.

Unlike other cities that plan to tax only high-end property purchases, Shanghai could impose its property tax on all second-home purchases or newly purchased properties whose floor space exceeded preset standards.

A commentary in the "Nanfang Daily" hails the tax as an effective way to adjust land and property markets, but cautions that the effect of such a tax would be useless or even pernicious for a harmonious 73 relationship between the government and ordinary people if the local government continued to depend on revenue from land sales.

The commentary notes that with revenue from land sales continuing to be a major contributor to government budgets in China, it would be unreasonable 74 for the government to earn revenue from selling land while it levied 75 a tax on the properties it sold. The commentary argues that this double-taxation system could only trigger social discontent and instability.

The commentary further argues that abolishing the financial dependence 52 on land sales would be the first and foremost premise 76 for local governments to levy 77 a property tax whose revenue in turn should also be used to improve taxpayers 78' livelihoods 79.