News & Reports 2011-10-29

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

 
In This Edition
 
The head of the European bailout fund Klaus Regling, visits Beijing amid speculation 1 that debt-stricken Europe is seeking help from China.
 
Floodwaters threaten the central business district of Bangkok as Thailand suffers the worst flooding in more than five decades.
 
South Korea and the United States agree to jointly 3 develop strategies to deter 4 future provocations 5 by North Korea.
 
China conducts its first trial flight of a passenger plane powered by a mix of biofuel and traditional aviation fuel.
 
 
Hot Issue Reports
 
Euro Zone Leaders Beginning Attempts to Persuade China to Help
After months of talks, Euro zone leaders have finally reached a comprehensive deal to tackle the region's sovereign debt crisis.
 
The leaders are beginning attempts to persuade China and other developing economies to invest in the rescue fund.
 
As Shen Chengcheng reports, experts from China say all parties should participate in the bailout effort.
 
One element of the deal reached by the Euro zone leaders, is to raise the region's bailout fund, or European Financial Stability Facility, to about one trillion euros.
 
The chief of Europe's bailout fund Klaus Regling is now visiting Beijing to discuss possible terms for raising money from China.
 
His visit comes just a day after euro zone leaders struck a last-minute deal in Brussels to contain the region's debt crisis.
 
"Now we may have new instruments, which we are designing now. And we will see who participates in those new instruments. I cannot say today, and certainly far too early to say what kind of amounts might be in visits. I cannot answer that question today."
 
After meeting Chinese leaders, Klaus Regling said there were no formal negotiations 6 and would be no deal now.
 
China has not announced publicly it would invest in the fund, although it has repeatedly expressed confidence that Europe can overcome its two-year-old debt crisis.
 
However, Regling is very optimistic and says China has been a regular buyer of EFSF bonds in the past.
 
"That's also my experience talking to the Chinese authorities that they are interested in finding attractive, solid, safe investment opportunities. And I am happy that EFSF bonds have been considered to be in that category in the past, and therefore I am optimistic that we will have also a longer-term relationship because we will continue to provide safe, attractive investment opportunities."
 
China has a major interest in Europe because the eurozone is China's biggest export market.
 
China also owns an estimated $800 billion US dollars worth of euro assets in its $3.2 trillion US dollars foreign exchange reserves.
 
Fu Ying, Chinese Vice 7 Foreign Minister says she expect China and EU can work through the crisis together.
 
"We do not think that Europe will just collapse 8. We hope that by fighting this crisis the mutual 9 understanding and mutual trust between China and Europe can be enhanced, and the cooperation between us can be deepened. We hope that this crisis can be an opportunity for all of us to make progress."
 
Chen Fengying is a director with China Institute of Contemporary international Relations.
 
She believes China can participate in the process of recovering the economy of Europe in many ways, beside purchasing bonds.
 
"We can help through several platforms, like the G20, and the IMF, and through other forms of cooperation as well, which is important to the future of the Sino-EU relations."
 
Earlier, Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao says China still needs to carry out serious studies before any decisions on investment.
 
The framework for the new EFSF bailout fund is to be put in place in November.
 
For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.
 
Thailand Floods: Bangkok's Main River to Burst its Bank
 
In Thailand's capital of Bangkok, floodwaters are now moving toward the central business district of the city, as people are scrambling 10 to get out of harm's way.
 
Bangkok's main river is feared to burst its banks because of high tides from the sea.
 
The floods have forced a large number of manufacturing companies to shut down in central Bangkok, including some big Japanese manufactures based in the country.
 
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fuji-mura.
 
"With the Thailand floods causing a number of Japanese companies to shut down, this is having quite an impact of their operations. This damage is then going though the supply chain and affecting not only Japan but all ASEAN countries."
 
Japan says it will allow Thai employees of Japanese companies based in Thailand to work in Japan temporarily for six months.
 
With a 5-day national holiday now taking place in Thailand, officials are urging people in Bangkok to travel to other places in the country to avoid the flooding.
 
The city's main bus terminal and the only functioning airport are packed with people trying to get out of the city.
 
The Don Muang Airport, which handles most of Thailand's domestic flights, has been shut down, after two dykes 11 in northern Bangkok breached 12, swamping the airport.
 
As such, Thai transport companies have been putting more buses on the roads to handle the surge in traffic.
 
But despite the rising floodwaters, some are choosing to stay and protect their homes and businesses.
 
However, they have to face some other problems as well.
 
"People are hoarding 13 food, there's no food left. I tried to get food from the market but there are no food supplies."
 
A number of countries, including China, have advised people not to travel to Thailand.
 
So far, Thailand's worst flooding in over half a century has killed more than 370 people and forced some 100-thousand others from their homes.
 
Violent Protests in Tunisia after Election Results
Violent protests have erupted in central Tunisia, following the announcement of the country's first election results after the Arab Spring.
 
Hundreds of people, who support an opposition 14 party, marched through the town of Sidi Bouzid, protesting against the cancellation 15 of seats won by the party.
 
Police used tear gas to disperse 16 the crowds.
 
Election officials said they were cancelling the seats won by the Popular List party because of campaign financial violations 17.
 
Official results show that Tunisian Islamist party Ennahda has secured nearly 42 percent of the votes, meaning it has 90 seats in the 217-member parliament.
 
Party leader Rachid Gha-nnou-chi hailed the victory.
 
"This day is a day of victory, this day is a day of pride, this day is a day of humility 18, this is the day when Tunisians spoke 19 with one voice in order to realise the aims of their revolution."
 
Ghannouchi went on to say that the rights of every Tunisian will be protected by the new authorities.
 
"We give our promise to them to continue in realising the aims of the revolution in Tunisia that is free, independent, developing and prosperous and where the rights of God, the Prophet, women, men, the religious, the non-religious are assured, because Tunisia is for everybody."
 
Ennahda officials have promised it will neither ban alcohol, nor stop tourists from wearing bikinis on the beaches.
 
Coalition 20 talks with the secularist 21 Congress for the Republic party and the leftist Ettakatol party has already begun.
 
Ennahda says it wants to form a new government within a month.
 
S. Korea & U.S. Pledge A Joint 2 Counter-Provocation Plan against N. Korea
The US and South Korean defense 22 chiefs have agreed to complete a joint counter-provocation plan against North Korea by this year.
 
At their annual bilateral 23 security meeting in Seoul, the U.S. and South Korea declared that any North Korean aggression 24 "is not to be tolerated".
 
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
 
"Together, we will ensure a strong and effective alliance deterrence 25 posture 26 including the United States' nuclear umbrella so that Pyongyang never misjudges our will and our capability 27 to respond decisively to nuclear aggression."
 
His South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin says the U.S. has pledged to immediately provide reinforcements to the South in emergencies.
 
"The United States will immediately deploy 28 overwhelming troop reinforcements in time of emergency. The current level of U.S. troops based in South Korea will be remained and joint military drills on the peninsula, including islands near the western sea border, will be strengthened."
 
Although envoys 29 from Pyongyang and Washington met in Geneva this week, Panetta repeatedly brands North Korea "a serious threat", as the U.S. military casts a cautious eye on the diplomatic engagement, and fears it to be short-lived.
 
China Launches First Biofuel Plane
China's first airplane to use biofuel has made its inaugural 30 flight, jetting off from the Beijing International Airport.
 
The two-hour-long maiden 31 flight comes as Chinese airlines struggle to find ways to keep costs down and reduce carbon emissions 32.
 
He Li, Vice President of Air China, says the flight is a significant step for the China's airline industry.
 
"This inaugural flight is a very important step. It is a milestone 33 for the Chinese airline industry. It will help us greatly to reduce carbon emissions and give us more choices for aviation fuel."
 
He reveals that the biofuel could be used in commercial aviation in China within three or four years.
 
China is on track to become the world's largest aviation market in the coming decades - and Beijing is actively 34 promoting alternative fuels to clean up its environment and curb 35 growing reliance on imported oil and gas.
 
Sinopec to Increase Diesel 36 Production to Deal with Fuel Shortage
China's state-owned oil company Sinopec says it plans to increase diesel production during the upcoming two months to alleviate 37 the diesel pinch felt in many parts of the country.
 
Huang Wen-sheng is a spokesperson for the oil company.
 
"We plan to increase the refining volume of crude oil in November to a total of 18.4 million tons."
 
Huang says the volume will be a record high and the company will further increase the production in December.
 
He adds that Sinopec aims to raise diesel's market supply to 300,000 tons per day.
 
"Consumers should have confidence in China's oil refining capacity. With the gradual increase in production volume and supply and yet no big increase in demand, we believe the diesel shortage in certain parts of the country will be alleviated 38 soon."
 
China has been facing renewed pressure over shortfalls in diesel, with gas stations scouring 39 the country for supplies and lines growing at filling stations in major cities.
 
The energy shortage mainly affects economically-richer provinces, such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei and Hunan.
 
Diesel shortages arise every September and October, the traditional peak months for diesel use in the world's fastest-growing economy.
 
However, this year's diesel supplies are tighter than usual after authorities cut retail 40 prices for gasoline and diesel by 300 yuan per ton in early October.
 
13-year-old Boy Rescued Alive in Turkey's Earthquake
A 13-year-old boy named Ferhat Tokay is the latest person to be pulled alive from the rubble 41 of a collapsed 42 building around 108 hours after Sunday's earthquake in Turkey.
 
Tokay was rescued from the site of a 6-storey building in the center of Ecris, the town worst hit by the quake.
 
The boy has been taken to hospital in the nearby city of Van.
 
Searches for survivors 43 are continuing at some sites, but most rescuers have stopped work.
 
Thousands of people are staying in shelter provided by the Turkish Red Crescent at the town's soccer stadium, living on soup and bread handed out by aid agencies.
 
Residents say they're getting worried about the dropping temperatures.
 
"Food distribution is working well. Thanks to our government. They're trying their best but I don't know what it'll be like in the coming days as it keeps getting colder."
 
"Our government is doing as much as it can, and we are thankful, but our tents are too thin. We're freezing."
 
The deadly earthquake led to the collapse of about 80 buildings in the town of Ercis.
 
The death toll 44 has so far risen to 570, with more than 2,250 people listed as injured.
 
New Yorkers Peparing for Halloween
As Halloween approaches, New Yorkers and visitors are buying costumes, carving 45 pumpkins 46 and getting into the spirit of the season.
 
In Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, thousands of people are touring the Blood Manor 47 haunted attraction.
 
Inside an old warehouse 48, 40 actors dressed as ghouls, zombies, psycho-killers, and clowns guide visitors through a maze 49 of body parts, hanging pigs, and blood-spattered walls.
 
Jim Faro, who created Blood Manor with two partners, says the interactive 50 tour has become a popular holiday attraction.
 
"I think people like horror movies. They live vicariously. They know they can't get hurt. They know it's only make-believe. But they get to experience something that in their normal lives they don't and we think Blood Manor is a very unique experience."
 
The haunted attraction industry is worth approximately 6 billion US dollars and people who visit Blood Manor pay up to 45 dollars each.
 
Visitors say they look forward to the experience.
 
"I want to be scared, hopefully not too scared."
 
For many, Halloween offers an experience that comes along only once a year.
 
"Dressing 51 up, being creative. It's the one day a year you can get away with anything."
 
Halloween is believed to have its roots in an ancient Celtic festival which celebrated 52 the end of harvest. The evening of October 31st is also believed to be a time when the dead could make contact with the living.
 
Beijing's Commercial Live Show Industry
The number of the commercial shows in Beijing has been skyrocketing over the past ten years.
 
Beijing residents now have the opportunity to watch western pop concerts, top-ranking operas and plays, as well as world famous ballets without going abroad. They can also enjoy excellent original performances based on Chinese culture and history which are produced by Chinese artists.
 
Damin has more.
 
Born and brought up in Beijing, Li Yu can still remember the shows her parents took her to see when she was a little girl.
 
"I remember that my parents took me to watch the performances of the Russian Circus and the Cinderella Ice Ballet, as well as concerts by Hong Kong and Taiwanese singers. Because shows were rare back then, I can still remember the small details. These days, things are different: thousands of shows are put on stage and we can watch as much as we like."
 
The past few years have witnessed a sudden blowout of all kinds of commercial live shows in Beijing, including pop and classic music concerts, operas, dramas and various other performances.
 
More and more foreign artists come to Beijing to give performances, which are often well received by Chinese audiences. This means a large number of companies that specialize in planning commercial shows have entered the market. Ge Hua Live Nation Ltd. is one of them. Li Bing is the management director.
 
"There are more and more high-quality shows being performed by overseas artists, and they are also successful in the box office. For instance, the Eagles' concert in March early this year. Originally, the target audiences we expected were the foreigners working in Beijing. But the fact is, it's the Chinese audience that contributes the major portion of the ticket revenue. This result indicates that the Beijing audiences expect first class performances and have the ability to appreciate them."
 
As one of the high art forms, opera has been gaining popularity among Chinese audiences in recent years. Foreign theater troupes 53 flock to Beijing. In addition, the domestic theaters are also making their versions of these classical operas. Ren Yi from the National Center for the Performing Arts, says they have staged their own version of 11 world famous plays.
 
"Opera is called the crown of arts. Over the past two years, we've made a number of western classic plays as well as some original ones. Thanks to our work on arts popularization, we now have a group of loyal audiences. In the past, only Turandot could succeed at the box office, but now the operas like Tosca, Rigoletto and The lady of the Camellias are also well received. "
 
Several factors contribute to a successful performance, and a qualified 54 audience is definitely one of them. According to Ren Yi, the world famous conductor Valery Gergiev is surprised that audiences in Beijing have such wonderful taste in art and can thoroughly 55 understand him and the Tchaikovsky's work.
 
As China's cultural center, Beijing is worthy 56 of its name: with 295 stages available, more than 10 thousand shows every year, and a large number of high quality audiences catering 57 to varied 58 tastes, among the thousands of performances, there must be one that you like.
 
For CRI, I'm Damin.
 
Newspapers
 
Shanghai Daily
 
Kim Lee, the American wife of "Crazy English" founder 59 Li Yang, has filed for divorce after she went online to expose her experience of suffering domestic violence in September.
 
Beijing Chaoyang District Court has accepted the case in which Lee demands custody 60 of their three daughters and an equal division of the couple's property.
 
In the lawsuit 61, Lee says she was deeply hurt when her husband told the media that he married her not because of love but only to do an experiment on studying American family education.
 
New York Times
 
Shark fins 62 will be off the menu before long in Canada's largest City, Toronto.
 
After theatrical 63 debate, the Toronto City Council voted this week to ban the consumption, possession, and sale of shark fins.
 
The move was opposed by the city's mayor, Rob Ford 64, and questions were raised about the bylaw's legal validity, but the motion was approved by a 38-to-4 vote.
 
Soup prepared with shark fins is a costly 65 delicacy 66 that is often featured at Chinese weddings and other ceremonial occasions.
 
Many immigrants to Canada from China settle in Toronto, so the city has an unusually large number of Chinese restaurants and grocers. But many animal protection groups, including Wildaid, say that the value of shark fins is contributing to a substantial decline in shark populations worldwide. WildAid estimates that 73 million sharks are captured and cruelly killed every year for their fins.
 
Market Update
 
U.S. stocks ended mixed on Friday after major indexes surged following agreement reached by European leaders to tackle the region's debt problem.
 
The Dow Jones industrial average added 0.2 percent to 12,231. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 0.04 percent to 1,285. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.1 percent to 2,737.
 
In Europe, London's FTSE 100 lost 0.2 percent to 5702. Frankfurt's DAX gained 0.1 percent to 6346. And CAC-40 in Paris was down 0.6 percent to 3349.