CRI中国国际广播电台 News & Reports 2012-12-08

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

 
In This Edition
 
?Row over whether rich countries should help poorer nations cut emissions contines at the UN climate change conference in Doha.
?Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi calls for a meeting with the opposition to try to difuse the rising political tensions gripping the country.
?UN envoy for Syria plays down hopes of a significant breakthrough in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the middle east country.
?And a group of medical professionals gather in Beijing to discuss the controversial subject of death with dignity.
 
Hot Issue Reports
 
?Philippines President visited typhoon survivors
 
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has sent funds and relief items to the victims of Typhoon Bopha in the southern Philippines.
 
Rescue workers are on their fourth day scouring remote areas for survivors of Bopha, the country's strongest storm this year.
 
More than 400-people have been killed and another 400 are believed to be still missing.
 
Aquino has been distributing financial aid and food rations to displaced families in the badly hit town of New Bataan.　
 
"We are here to help with - what's important to me, number one - those who are missing. I want to account for those who are still alive, if there still are, to reach them as soon as possible. I want to know why this tragedy happened. I also want to see how we can avoid having a tragedy like this again."
 
Dozens of people have been waiting in line to get plastic bags containing rice, canned goods, noodles, coffee and sugar, as economic activities have ground to a halt in the town.
 
More than 10-thousand houses have been totally destroyed across more than a dozen provinces.
 
Aid has been slow to reach devastated towns, as fallen trees and debris has blocked up roads and bridges.
 
Bopha has now weakened and is slowly moving north-northwest towards the South China Sea.
 
 
?Row over whether rich countries should help poorer nations cut emissions
 
The Philippine delegate to the on-going climate change confernece in Doha, Qatar has issued an impassioned warning.
 
It comes after Typhoon Bopha ripped through the country on Tuesday.
 
Philippine lead climate negotiator Yeb Sano.
 
"We are deeply concerned with the status of the negotiations as we find ourselves in right now. The first commitment period of the Kyoto protocol is ending in 25 days, but we really don't have 25 days, we have a few precious hours left. A few precious hours left to ensure that we are on the right trajectory to address the climate crisis."
 
The speech comes amid the continued wrangling over how to both replace the soon-to-be-expired Kyoto Protocol and how to fund it.
 
Chinese climate-change chief Xie Zhenhua says he remains confident a deal on financnig will be reached.
 
"We expect an explicit result during the meeting, which should be both qualitative and quantitative. Such investments should be guaranteed to reach 100-billion until 2020. And it is a matter of money."
 
The Kyoto Protocal is due to expire at the end of this year.
 
 
?Japan gets ready for N. Korea satellite launch
 
Japan is continuing to ramp up defensive preparations, as North Korea's satellite launch is expected some time in the next week or so.
 
In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minster Yoshihiko Noda visited two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors.
 
"We must take all possible measures to protect the lives and property of the Japanese people."
 
Japan has also put batteries of Patriot missile launchers on stand-by across the country's southern Okinawa prefecture to bring down the rocket if it goes off course.
 
The North Korean rocket is expected to fly over Okinawa Prefecture, according to the anticipated trajectory.
 
The interceptors would be ready to shoot down any parts of the rocket that stray into Japan's airspace.
 
 
?Egypt President Calls for Dialogue with Opposition
 
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has called for a meeting with the opposition to try to difuse the rising political tensions gripping the country.
 
Morsi's speech comes a day after clashes outside the presidential palace left six dead and over 6-hundred others hurt.
 
Morsi wants to meet this Saturday to discuss the referendum on the draft constitution and his recent constitutional decree:
 
"The nation is ready for the referendum on time. If the people agree, then they will start building institutions upon this foundation. If it is rejected, I will use my authority and duty to create a new constitutional assembly based on an agreement or on direct elections for a new assembly."
 
Morsi this past month issued a new decree which puts any decision he's made above judicial authority.
 
He has also vowed never to tolerate anyone working for the overthrow of his "legitimate" government.
 
Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed El-Baradei.
 
"We had hoped that the president would answer the continuing calls to rescind the constitutional decree and delay the referendum until there's national consensus on the constitution. We had wanted the president to have a comprehensive dialogue to save the country from the split that threatens it."
 
Meanwhile, protesters in Cairo remain angry as Morsi offered nothing concrete to defuse the country's worst political crisis in nearly two years.
 
"The speech is not linked to what is happening. It ignored people's hopes and ignored the wrath of the people. A speech full of lies."
 
The draft constitution is due to be voted on December 15th.
 
 
?Preview to Hamas supreme leader's first ever visit to Gaza Strip
 
The leader of Gaza's ruling Hamas group is to visit the Palestinian territory for the first time on Friday.
 
Khaled Mashaal is due to arrive in the Gaza Strip crossing over the border from Egypt.
 
Mashaal is expected to congratulate Hamas officials in Gaza for their battle against Israel during the eight-day offensive.
 
The visit will also mark the 25th anniversary of Hamas.
 
Hanan Ashrawi is a senior official of Palestine Liberation Organization.
 
"Khaled Mashaal has always played a positive role, he's been constructive, he's always spoken out for reconciliation and I think right now he will influence Hamas decisions in Gaza as to how to proceed forward,"
 
Mashaal was previously prevented from crossing into Gaza by Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in February 2011.
 
Hamas overtook Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party in 2007.
 
It has yet to reconcile with Fatah, which rules the West Bank.
 
Mashaal's visit comes as the Palestinian authority becomes a non-member observer state at the U.N General Assembly.
 
Meanwhile President Abbas said he hoped the UN-bid would help restart frozen peace talks with Israel over a future Palestinian state.
 
But he is refusing to negotiate so long as Israeli settlement construction continues.
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said peace talks must resume immediately but without preconditions.
 
 
?Brahimi comments on three-way talks with Lavrov and Clinton
 
The joint international peace envoy for Syria has played down hopes of a significant breakthrough in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Syria.
 
Lakhdar Brahimi made the remarks after holding unexpected three-way talks with the US Secretary of State and Russia's foreign minister in Ireland:
 
"We haven't taken any sensational decisions. But I think we have agreed that the situation is bad and we have agreed that we must continue to work together to see how we can find creative ways of bringing this problem under control and hopefully starting to solve it."
 
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held an unscheduled meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:
 
"We've made it very clear what our position is with respect to chemical weapons, and I think we will discuss that and any other aspects of what needs to be done in order to end the violence and begin that transition that I referred to."
 
The meeting following reports the Syrian government is making preparations to deploy chemical weapons in its fight against the rebels.
 
The Syrian authorities are on record saying they will not use chemical weapons against the Syrian people.
 
 
Light News
 
 
?CHINA-HONG_KONG_PICC IPO
 
PICC Group rose sharply on its debut on the Hong Kong market Friday.
 
Retail investors who missed out on shares in its 3.1 billion US dollars IPO, scrambled for a piece of the Chinese state-owned insurer.
 
People's Insurance Company of China priced the biggest initial public offering in Hong Kong in two years at about 3.5 Hong Kong dollars per share.
 
It opened 3.2 percent higer.
 
Demand from retail investors for the PICC Group IPO is 17.5 times larger than the number of shares offered.
 
Analysts say the shares are bolstered by individual investors looking to buy into the insurer, after many are left out of the deal last week.
 
The group's chairman, Wu Yan, expressed his optimism for the performance of the shares:
 
"Looking back at the past two years, under the relatively harsh conditions of the capital market, PICC maintained relatively good investment profits. As the future economy grows at a steady pace, I think A shares (Yuan-based shares) will also follow the trend and give people more optimism. Therefore I myself am also optimistic about PICC's future investment profits,"
 
The IPO is the biggest in Hong Kong since the 20.5 billion US dollars listing of AIA Group in October 2010.
 
 
?Beijing issues 72-hour visa-free policy
 
Beijing municipal authorities say the capital will start a 72-hour visa-free stay policy for citizens from 45-countries to boost tourism. This is the first time such a policy has been implemented in China. Li Dong has the details.
 
Reporter: As of next January 1st, Beijing authorities will allow tourists holding third-country visas and plane tickets to apply for a transit without visa, or TWOV, at Beijing Capital International Airport.
 
City authorities say that foreign tourists from 45 countries, including the United States, Russia, Japan, Brazil and most European countries, will be able to stay in Beijing for 72 hours without a Chinese visa, provided they hold a valid passport and flight ticket for a departure from the capital within the 72-hour period.
 
The policy is put in place to encourage passengers with layovers in Beijing to get out of the airport and explore the city for a day or two. City authorities say the number of foreign tourists in Beijing may double because of the policy.
 
An initial survey conducted by Beijing's tourism department in April supported the rationale behind the visa-free policy. About 60 percent of respondents interviewed at Beijing airport terminals said they were willing to visit the city if they could do so without a visa. Most respondents were enthusiastic about visiting Beijing's well-known tourist spots, going shopping, and sampling the local cuisine. American businessman David Brookman shares the view.
 
"It will help a lot. I live in the United States in a place quite a ways a way from a consulate. So when I get a visa, it takes two weeks to get a visa or more sometimes. But if I don't have to have a visa, it means I can come here for three days' worth of work with Chinese companies in Beijing. It will be very nice for me."
 
In preparation for the coming policy, Beijing Capital International Airport has set up four special lanes for foreign layover passengers, and airlines are being urged to schedule more layovers in the capital.
 
Huo Li is deputy director of the Inspection Department at the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
 
"When the visa-free policy is in place, the Inspection Department will open a special zone. Four lanes have been especially set up for foreign layover passengers."
 
Travel agencies are also designing services for this new tourist niche and have begun advertising in 45 countries around the world. Shopping malls, restaurants and tourist sites in Beijing have been making plans to extend their business hours, given that foreign tourists with only a few days will want to make the most of their time in the city.
 
Wang Yue, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, says the policy could be an incentive that would boost the local tourism industry.
 
"The tourism services we offer should be the kind of innovative services which can be enjoyed within 72 hours. They should fulfill the needs of these foreign tourists. I think this is a good opportunity for us to expose the plentiful cultural heritage of Beijing to more tourists."
 
Beijing will become the first Chinese mainland city to embrace a 72-hour visa-free period for foreign tourists. Shanghai allows foreigners to stay in the city for 48 hours without a visa.
 
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
?Death with Dignity
 
A group of medical professionals have gathered here in Beijing to talk about the controversial subject of death with dignity. CRI's Zhou Heyang has more.
 
Reporter: A group of top doctors in the fields of oncology and palliative care have gathered in Beijing Oncology Hospital recently to discuss the future development of hospice care in China. One important issue on their agenda is publicizing the idea of hospice care and death with dignity to the general public.
 
When the final curtain call draws, how should you greet it? Some patients in the last phases of a fatal disease choose to not receive final treatment and plan a peaceful and comfortable farewell to the world. This decision is called death with dignity.
 
The term applies to a doctor's actions in agreeing to withhold medical treatment from a terminally ill patient. The patient can decide on details, such as to spend the last days at home and who should be present. A written agreement called Advanced Care Planning is signed in such situations in many Western countries. In other cases, this decision is made by a family member.
 
Ning Xiaohong, Doctor of Internal Oncology at Xiehe Hospital talks about this blank that needs to be filled in China:
 
"We see severe pain in cancer patients, such brutal pain inflicted on the human body that it makes us doctors feel their, too. Death with dignity has been almost absent in the final stage of medical treatment in China. Modern medical methods cannot alleviate the suffering in many of these cases. Doctors don't have a protocol to follow. And the public does not know death does not always have to be so painful and scary. The public needs to know it is an option."
 
Death is seen as a taboo subject that people are afraid to face or even discuss in China. In fact, death with dignity focuses on bringing comfort, self-respect, and tranquility to people in the final stage of their life. Patients' symptoms and pain are controlled, goals of care are discussed and emotional needs are supported.
 
Chen Zuobing, after discussing the issue with his severely ill father who preferred death with dignity, decided to fulfill the old man's wish. His father returned to his hometown and lived his final days without the disturbance of modern medicine.
 
"There is no right or wrong in making this decision. If the person receives full-scale treatment to the last moment, it is great that his family can hold on to him for another second. But if one refuses the extensive treatment, he can pass without the pain brought by medicine and in a dignified manner. Isn't it better this way?"
 
Death with dignity is about giving the patient back the freedom of choice to decide on what treatment to receive at the final moment. In this way, dignity is upheld for the sufferer.
 
For CRI, I'm Zhou Heyang.
 
 
[Media Digest]
 
?CHINA DAILY: Conference on recycled paper kicked off in Beijing
 
The 1st China International Recycled Fiber Conference is being held in the Chinese Capital.
 
The two-day conference will explore issues facing the recycled-paper industry in China and offer an opportunity to discuss ways to make the industry more healthy and sustainable.
 
The event has brought together some 400 participants from home and abroad.
 
The conference is believed to be one of the most prominent international events in the industry to be ever held in China.
 
China's recycled paper market has seen a rapid expansion in recent years.
 
The global demand for recycled paper has increased by about 45 percent, in the past 10 years. Asian demand has been the driver of the majority of this growth.
 
SHANGHAI DAILY: City mobilizes public service workers to help search for the homeless
 
According to Shanghai's civil affairs bureau, sanitation workers, taxi drivers, security guards, bus workers and 24-hour shop assistants will be mobilized to report and help homeless people.
 
The local civil affairs bureau has opened temporary 24-hour shelters for the homeless to help ensure they survive the winter.
 
The bureau has set up 18 district and county-level relief stations where homeless residents can have access to free food, showers and accommodation.
 
Admission to the shelters is voluntary.
 
The rescue stations will send sick people to designated hospitals for treatment.
 
It also asked residents to call 110, and other hotlines when they find homeless people on the street.
 
 
ASIA ONE (Singapore): Beer is good for you: Study finds anti-virus powers
 
A Japanese brewery cited a scientific study and said consuming large quantities of a key ingredient in beer can protect against winter sniffles and even some serious illnesses in small children.
 
Humulone, a chemical compound in hops, the plant brewers use to give beer its bitter taste, provides an effective guard against a virus that can cause severe forms of pneumonia and bronchitis in youngsters.
 
However, researchers say such small quantities of humulone were present in beer that someone would have to drink around 30 cans, each of 350 millilitres, for it to have any virus-fighting effect.
 
So they are studying the feasibility of applying humulone to food or non-alcoholic products.
 
The challenge really is that the bitter taste is going to be difficult for children.
 
 
BBC: Talking therapy "cuts depression"
 
A study shows that cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT can reduce symptoms of depression in people who fail to respond to drug treatment.
 
CBT, a type of psychotherapy, was found to benefit nearly half of the 234 patients who received it combined with normal care from their general practitioner.
 
Up to two-thirds of people with depression do not respond to anti-depressants.
 
CBT helps patients change the way they think to improve how they feel and alter their behaviour.
 
The study concluded CBT was effective in reducing symptoms and improving patients' quality of life.
 
Experts say the research confirms how these approaches - the psychological and physical - can complement each other.
 
It is encouraging because the approach worked to good effect across a wide range of people of different ages and living in a variety of settings.