News & Reports 2011-05-01

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

 
In This Edition
 
Premier Wen Jiabao concludes visit to Jakarta, reassuring China's willingness to boost ties with Indonesia and ASEAN.
 
The United States imposes sanctions on Syria against some of the country's officials and entities in response to a bloody crackdown on protestors.
 
President Hu Jintao extends condolences to his American counterpart, Barack Obama over the devastating tornados that swept through southern United States.
 
Libyan rebels claim to have regained control of the Dehiba crossing point on the Libyan-Tunisian border from government forces.
 
 
Hot Issue Reports
 
Bilateral Trade Expansion Highlighting Wen's Official Visit to Indonesia
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has wrapped up his two-day official visit to Indonesia, with a broad consensus reached with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two sides have signed a host of government cooperation projects and inked bilateral trade and commercial deals worth 13 billion US dollars. Leaders of the two countries have also set a new target of achieving a two-way trade volume of 80 billion U.S. dollars by 2015.
 
Our reporter xyee has more.
 
During his visit, Premier Wen Jiabao met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Deni Budiono in Jakarta. The expansion of bilateral trade was top of the agenda.
 
China and Indonesia have committed to almost double their bilateral trade to 80 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. The pledge came after Premier Wen met President Yudhoyono.
 
Premier Wen said as two major emerging economies in Asia, China and Indonesia share broad interests and enjoy enormous potential for cooperation.
 
"Both sides have released a joint communique and signed inter-governmental cooperation documents. China has pledged to provide Indonesia with Export Buyers' Credit worth one billion U.S. dollars. Besides, eight billion U.S. dollars will also be earmarked for Indonesia to fund its infrastructure construction and key industry development."
 
Bilateral trade stood at 42 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, up by a whopping 50 percent from the year before.
 
Yudhoyono echoed Premier Wen's initiative by saying that he hoped the two sides would seize this opportunity to expand common ground and map out cooperation.
 
"We're delighted to see more cooperation in the near future by increasing bilateral visits and the joint forum of leaders on both sides. To expand trade and investment would be a shot in the arm for our economies."
 
Apart from economic cooperation, the two nations have also agreed to create a regular high-level leadership exchange mechanism to enhance political trust.
 
On the cultural side, both countries will organize a group of 100 youths for mutual visits to boost understanding and friendship.
 
Premier Wen also met with ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan and Indonesian Parliament Speaker Marzuki Alie.
 
For CRI, I'm xyee.
 
UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution on Syria, Members in Divergence
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on Syria despite strong disapproval by many member states.
 
Kyung-Wha Kang, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a special session in Geneva that the council condemned the use of lethal violence by Syrian authorities against peaceful protesters.
 
"Syria has a responsibility to protect its population from crimes against humanity and other international crimes. In this context I should like to underscore that any official ordering or undertaking of attacks against the civilian population can be held criminally accountable. Such attacks that occur on a systematic or widespread basis may amount to crimes against humanity."
 
The resolution requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch a mission to Syria "to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law."
 
Meanwhile, as many developing countries feared human rights issues could be used as pretext to attain political objectives and intrude in the sovereignty of independent nations, the resolution reaffirmed that all UN member states should refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any states.
 
Syria has been gripped by months of protests that erupted in a number of cities amid calls for sweeping reforms.
 
Human rights groups say the violent repression of demonstrators has killed more than 500 people during the past six weeks.
 
U.S. Imposes Sanctions against Syrian Officials, Entities
The United States slapped sanctions on Syria against Syrian officials and entities in response to a bloody crackdown on protestors.
 
The White House said in a statement that the sanctions were targeted at Syrian officials and others responsible for "human rights abuses."
 
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was not among those targeted under an order signed by President Barack Obama. It is believed he will be named soon if violence by government forces against protesters continues.
 
But there are questions as to whether new sanctions against Assad's inner circle would have much tangible impact.
 
Brian Katulis from the liberal Washington-based think tank Center for American Progress says the sanctions are largely symbolic.
 
"These sanctions are mostly about sending a message to the Syrian regime. These sanctions are very targeted on Syria's intelligence agency, on a number of Syrian officials, but not President Bashar Al-Assad and even the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They freeze assets of these individuals that are under U.S. jurisdiction. They don't have many assets in U.S. jurisdictions, so I think these are aimed at trying to send a message, but don't really have as much teeth as many people would like."
 
Mahir al-Assad, Bashar's brother, and Atif Najib, one of his cousins, were among the five targets of U.S. sanctions related to alleged human rights violations.
 
The White House said it "strongly condemns" the Syrian government's "continued use of violence" and "intimidation" against the Syrian people and called on it to refrain from "further acts of violence."
 
Recovery and Clean up after Deadly Tornados Strike Multiple States in the US
People in the south of the United States are coping with the aftermath of the nation's deadliest tornado disaster since the Great Depression.
 
Along their flattened paths, the twisters blew down police and fire stations and other emergency buildings along with homes, businesses, churches and parts of the power infrastructure.
 
States of emergency have been declared in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia. Governors of those states have called on the National Guard to help with rescue and cleanup operations.
 
Many victims have had to find other places to live as their home towns have been destroyed by the disaster.
 
Josh Mays is a victim from the worst-hit Alabama state.
 
"I'm staying with some friends right now, and then we're going to go to Arizona for a couple of weeks and when we get back hopefully going to try to find a place to live. It's just barren. This whole neighbourhood has been here for a really long time - all the trees here were very mature, very tall. It was very shady. And now you can see as far as across the town."
 
In Tuscaloosa and other cities, looters have been picking through the wreckage to steal what little the victims have left.
Overwhelmed Tuscaloosa police imposed a curfew and got help from National Guard troops to try to stop the scavenging.
 
The death toll has topped over 340 across seven states, making it the deadliest U.S. tornado outbreak since 1932, when another Alabama storm killed over 332 people.
 
Chinese President Hu Jintao has extended sympathy and condolences to his American counterpart, Barack Obama, over the devastating tornados.
 
Yemenis Take to the Streets to Demand Departure of President Saleh
Vast crowds of Yemenis took to the streets on Friday to demand the immediate departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, instead of the phased handover of power envisaged by a Gulf-mediated agreement.
 
Protester Khalid Homaid voiced his opinion.
 
"Delaying the regime change will lead to disaster. We hear about murder, roads cut off, power outages, gas shortages. All of this is a result of the regime clinging to power, and such things lead to difficulties in the economy and a lack of money."
 
Tens of thousands flooded a five-kilometer stretch of Sanaa's main Siteen Street to mark a "Friday of Loyalty to the Martyrs."
 
At least 142 protesters have been killed during three months of anti-Saleh protests across Yemen.
 
Tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters turned out in other cities, including Ibb, Hudaida and Baydah.
 
Equally large pro-Saleh crowds also gathered in the capital's Sabiyeen Street and Tahrir Square. A man with a megaphone led cries of "The people want Ali Abdullah Saleh."
 
The United States and nearby top oil producer Saudi Arabia want the Yemen standoff resolved to avert chaos that could enable a Yemen-based wing of al Qaeda to operate more freely.
 
The fate of the deal to ease Saleh out of power could hang on how he handles the latest protests, with tension still high after the killing of 12 demonstrators in Sanaa on Wednesday.
 
Opponents of the agreement, expected to be signed in Riyadh on Sunday, say the president cannot be trusted to honor it.
 
Libyan Rebels Regain Control of the Border Point to Tunisia
Libyan rebels have regained control of the Dehiba crossing point on the Libyan-Tunisian border from government forces.
Khaled al Azzabi, a military spokesman for the rebels, confirmed the news.
 
"This area is controlled completely by the rebels. As you can see, the flags of freedom and independence are flying at the gate. The rebels are determined to make it to Tripoli to free Libya from Muammar Gaddafi. We call on the Tunisian people to support the Libyans and to prevent allowing these mercenaries to come back, because they will come back to kill women and children."
 
Earlier, forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi crossed into neighboring Tunisia and fought a gun battle with Tunisian troops in the frontier town.
 
It marked the first time that Libyan government ground forces had crossed the border and entered a Tunisian town.
 
Tunisia slammed the "violation of its territorial integrity by Libyan forces" in a communiqué issued by the ministry of foreign affairs.
 
Argentine Workers Rally to Mark Labor Day
Thousands of workers led by Argentine union boss Hugo Moyano gathered at a massive rally in central Buenos Aires on Friday to mark Labor Day with calls for the reelection of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez.
 
Moyano addressed the crowd.
 
"Surely, comrade Cristina, if you would accept what the vast majority of the population asks, the re-election, surely, our comrades General Peron, Eva Peron, and our comrade Nestor Kirchner will rest in peace because they know their work continues in the hands of our president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Thank you, comrades, and strength, keep up the fight."
 
The Labor Day celebrations are an annual show of strength that coincide with ongoing wage talks in a country with one of the highest union membership rates in the region.
 
Moyano, head of the CGT labor federation and a key ally of center-left President Cristina Fernandez, is a favorite folk devil among Argentina's opposition media and is loathed by many middle-class Argentines.
 
Not content with the growth of his truckers' union, which now has 200,000 affiliates and business interests spanning from tourism to construction, Moyano wants the union movement to have its own representatives in government.
 
Many speculate he wants Fernandez to choose a union figure as her running-mate for an October presidential election in which she is widely expected to seek a second term in office.
 
In the meantime, Moyano is lobbying for unionists to be included on the government's ballots for the October 23rd election.
 
World Economic Forum's Latin America Meeting Concludes
The World Economic Forum on Latin America has concluded its final days of meetings with a positive perspective for the region's development in the next decade.
 
The Forum in Rio de Janeiro included business leaders, politicians and diplomats from 45 countries.
 
Brazil's recent economic boom and role as host of the upcoming 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics were also hot topics at the forum.
 
Enrique Iglesias, Secretary-General of Spain's Ibero-American Cooperation Secretariat, said the sports events would be an opportunity to "mobilize" the world's view towards Latin America.
 
"Both the World Cup and Olympics are going to be important phenomena that will take place in Latin America and in Brazil. They are both great means of communication between Latin America and the world. I think one thing we need to keep an eye on is what is happening with the rest of the world. We need to see what is happening in China's economy. There could be surprises there."
 
Brazil's economy has boomed since the Olympic announcement and the discovery of offshore oil pre-salt fields containing an estimated 80 billion barrels of oil.
 
Those who attended the forum also said it was possible for Latin American countries to mitigate the impact of natural disasters by increasing their level of preparedness.
 
Revelers Celebrate the Royal Wedding around Britain
Revelers who didn't pack into the area surrounding Westminster Abbey for the royal wedding on Friday or join the throngs at Buckingham Palace's fountain and front gates afterwards still had a chance to see newlyweds Kate and William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
 
At Saint Andrews, hometown to the university where the royal couple first met and fell in love, more than 2,000 people filled the town's Saint Salvator's Quadrangle to watch the wedding live on a big screen.
 
In line with royal tradition, after the ceremony the couple, who were joined by their families, waved to a huge screaming crowd thronging Buckingham Palace.
 
Nearby, around 200,000 revelers descended on London's Hyde Park to watch the moment among a festival atmosphere.
 
For many, the highlight of the day was when the newlyweds kissed twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
 
Revelers in Hyde Park said they were thrilled.
 
"It was wonderful. It was awesome. It was romantic. And I just wish I was twenty years younger, and I could have been Kate."
 
"You just knew then it was like a fairytale."
 
The wedding of William, second in line to the British throne, to his university sweetheart has captured the imagination of people around the world. Monarchists from as far a field as Australia and the United States traveled thousands of miles to be close to the event.
 
Man of Steel Set to Renounce US Citizenship
Superman has started a stir with a declaration in the new issue of "Action Comics" that he intends to renounce his US citizenship.
 
The story is about him flying to Tehran amid a large protest. Superman for 24 hours stands silently, bearing the brunt of gasoline bombs, taunts and threats but also receiving cheers and roses from supporters as the demonstration ends peacefully.
 
But Iran's government refers to it as an act of war and accuses him of acting on behalf of the US president. And that, Superman explains, is why he is going to give up his citizenship.
 
News of the Superman decision has started a stir in blogs and online forums.
 
The publisher DC Comics says it not about criticizing the US.
 
Fans of the Superman also have mixed reaction.
 
"I think that is what Superman would do, I think he has all of humanity in his heart rather than a national identity, so I think it is true to character."
 
"I think it is not a great idea for Superman to do the citizen for the whole world because maybe it is going to be trouble for him."
 
The latest nine-page story was written by David S. Goyer and drawn by Miguel Sepulveda.
 
The Man of Steel emigrated to earth as a child from Krypton and was adopted by the Kents in Smallville, Kansas
It's not the first time a comic character has been fed up with being seen as part of US policy.
 
In the 1970s, Marvel Comics' Captain America - aka Steve Rogers - gave up his famed suit and shield and adopted the identity Nomad around the time the Watergate scandal began heating up.
 
China Daily: Costs of Price Control
 
The fast fall in vegetable prices must be what Chinese policymakers have long anticipated in their fight against soaring consumer inflation. But sadly, as the recent suicide of a cabbage grower Han Jin in Shandong province shows, it is proving too dear for many Chinese farmers.
 
As consumer inflation jumped to a 32-month high of 5.4 percent in March, the country's pricing authorities have stepped in more frequently than ever to stop some enterprises from raising prices. Since food still accounts for about one third of the basket of goods used to calculate China's consumer price index, it is no wonder that Chinese policymakers have worked hard to prevent the price of food staples from going through the roof.
 
An editorial from China Daily says administrative restraints on food prices have played a big role in easing inflationary pressures in cities, given the close link between food prices and the cost of living for urban residents. Unfortunately, Chinese policymakers have failed to display a good grasp of the possible consequences of such price controls on the numerous farmers at the other end of the value chain.
 
The article further explains if the current decline in vegetable prices is a necessary price that the country has to pay to battle inflation, it is not fair to leave farmers alone to bear most, if not all, of the cost that such downward price adjustments incur. The government should cushion farmers and other poor households against the undesired consequences that the fight against inflation brings.
 
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Yangtse Newspaper: Both Governments and Developers Should Contribute to Reining in Runaway Property Prices
 
Windfall profits reaped by real estate developers irritate people, especially those would-be home buyers. China's National Development and Reform Commission or NDRC is working on measures to fight against runaway commercial property prices, which is highly applauded by the public.
 
Yan Yang, commentator with Yangtse Evening News points out the National Development and Reform Commission should first be clear about how to define the windfall profits and how to regulate huge profit-seeking developers. What's more urgent is to figure out why such windfall profits could emerge in a comparatively competitive market.
 
Yan Yang discloses that huge profits generated by the real estate market not only fall into the hands of developers but also local governments or even some officials. Local governments make a big fortune by transferring land to real estate developers. Besides, taxation and fee collection related to real estate are plentiful, which account for thirty or even forty percent of the price of a home.
 
Yan says developers earn windfall profits in the property market; similarly, local governments reap huge taxes and fees in the same market. To curb huge profits associated with commercial property would be to pull back property prices to a reasonable level. The sacrifice made by real estate developers and governments could lead to this ultimate goal.
 
Yan concludes that it is not ideal to only rely on developers to rein in rocketing prices. On the government side, putting an end to those unreasonable, redundant and even illegal taxes and fees is a better way out.