News & Reports 2010-12-11

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With the Cancun climate talks entering its final day, the prospect 1 of an international deal to fight global warming dims as deadlock 2 between rich and poor countries continues, on whether to extend the Kyoto Protocol 3.

The Chinese government is analyzing 4 this year's economic situation and deploying 5 economic work for the coming year.

China's trade surplus eased to $23 billion US dollars in November from $27 billion in October, as imports rose faster than exports.

Hot Issue Reports

Deadlock Continues on Whether to Extend Kyoto Protocol

With the Cancun climate talks entering its final day, the prospect of an international deal to fight global warming dims as deadlock between rich and poor countries continues, on whether to extend the Kyoto Protocol.

The protocol obliges almost 40 rich nations to curb 6 greenhouse gas emissions 7 until 2012.

While the US has long refused to sign the protocol, Japan is now joined by Canada and Russia in snubbing an extension of Kyoto.

Russian special envoy 8 for climate change Alexander Bedritsky:

"Russia has repeatedly stated, including at the highest political level, that the adoption 9 of commitments for the second commitment period under the Kyoto protocol as it stands now will be neither scientifically, economically, nor politically effective."

Xie Zhenhua, the head of China's delegation 10 to Cancun, says there is no reason to drop the Kyoto Protocol, and calls for improvements to the pact 11.

"Our position is to safeguard the Kyoto Protocol. We must stick to the protocol and commit to a new period of Kyoto. Only on this basis can we negotiate further emissions cuts. If we abandon it, then the work of the past 20 years would have been a waste of time. And it will waste more time if we start over with a new treaty."

Meanwhile, France says the EU stands ready to commit to a second period under the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012.

Call-in with Chen Dongmei on Climate Talks in Cancun

1.While most developing countries back the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, some countries favor a new framework established based on the Copenhagen accord. What's the difference between them?

2. Are the gaps between developed and developing countries narrowing down or growing even larger in Cancun? Do you think a legally-binding treaty could be reached next year in South Africa?

3. While major concessions 12 on limits to carbon emissions are unlikely to be seen, agreement on a wide range of subsidiary issues is expected. Some of the talk centres on a deal to prevent deforestation, which is a pay-for-results system. What can we expect from it?

4. If a major climate deal is impossible, might local efforts be enough?

China's Central Economic Work Conference Starts

The Chinese government is analyzing this year's economic situation and deploying economic work for the coming year.

Senior policymakers, including the heads of the major ministries 13 and China's largest state enterprises are convened 14 for the three-day conference.

Curbing 15 inflation, expanding domestic demand and guaranteeing people's livelihood 16 will top the agenda. The meeting could also touch upon the issues concerning loans and investment.

Sources say China's economic growth target for 2011 is to be set at 8 percent. The figure is unchanged from this year, but inclusive growth will be stressed.

For many Chinese, the more pressing issue is rising prices.

The country's Consumer Price Index, the main gauge 17 for inflation, rose 4.4% in October, a 25-month high. The index was driven by a 10.1% rise in food prices.

China's State Council has increased the penalty for price speculation 18, in an effort to stabilize 19 consumer prices.

The cabinet last week strengthened regulations to target activities such as the hoarding 20 of goods and price manipulation.

Jiang Shufang is head of the Price Monitoring Center in the northeast coastal 21 city of Dalian.

He says the move is proving to be effective.

"Now the vegetable prices are relatively 22 stable. According to the trend in December, the prices will be stable or fluctuate in small ranges, if severe weather is not seen."

The National Statistics Bureau will announce November's CPI tomorrow. The figure is estimated to have risen 4.7% from the same month last year, according to the median forecast in a survey of 15 economists 24.

Experts:Private Medical Institutions to Reduce Burdens on Public Hospitals

China has relaxed restrictions 26 on private institutions offering medical services in the country. Experts say the move will help reinforce China's medical service and introduce more competition into the healthcare sector 27, which is currently dominated by public hospitals. CRI's Zheng Chenguang reports.

Reporter:

People in China may soon find themselves presented with more options for hospitals as the latest easing of restriction 25 is expected to woo more private- or foreign-funded medical institutions to China.

Under a circular issued by the State Council, China's cabinet, governments at all levels should simplify procedures to facilitate private and foreign investment in the healthcare sector. Private medical agencies will also receive the same preferential tax policies as public hospitals.

John Williams is China's Managing Director at International SOS, an international medical institution with operations in over 65 countries.

"We have been working in China for some 20 years, and the barriers to foreign investment in health care have been quite high. So whilst we have been able to open some medical organizations ourselves in China, it has been a very difficult task. This regulation should lower the barriers to entry and help our further expansion in China."

China launched in 2009 a three-year healthcare reform program designed to meet the growing demands for healthcare services in a more affordable 28 fashion.

Wang Yanzhong is head of the Research Center for Labor 29 and Social Security.

"It's a daunting 30 task to hit the target of the healthcare reform program by solely 31 relying on government funding or public hospitals. Allowing private investment into the health care sector will enhance the strength of our medical service and create competition between public and private hospitals."

According to official statistics, Chinese individuals' expenditure 32 on healthcare hiked 200-fold between 1978 and 2005. But the number of medical institutions and staff rose only three-quarters in the same period of time.

Wang Yanzhong says it remains 33 a key issue for China's health authorities to regulate pricing mechanism 34 of private medical institutions so that more ordinary people can benefit from them.

"We can't allow a large profit margin 35 for private medical institutions. Government regulations should come in to ensure reasonable cost-benefits for these private institutions. But they should in no way become profit-driven organizations."

Wang Yanzhong suggests that private medical institutions should be included as designated hospitals covered by China's medical insurance scheme to attract more patients.

For CRI, I'm Zheng Chenguang.

Light News

China Trade Surplus Eases in Nov. On Record Exports, Imports

China's trade surplus eased to $23 billion US dollars in November from $27 billion in October, as imports rose faster than exports.

New data from the General Administration of Customs shows that both export and import year-on-year growth rates rose more than expected in November.

Exports rose 35% to $153 billion dollars in November. Imports were up 38% to $130 billion US dollars.

Customs also said foreign-funded companies contributed the majority of the trade surplus in November. Foreign-funded companies booked a surplus of $113 billion for the first 11 months, or 66% of the total year.

For more about the new trade figures, we talked to Chang Jian, analyst 36 from Barclays Capital based in Hong Kong.

Back anchor: that was Chang Jian, analyst from Barclays Capital based in Hong Kong.

China to adopt measures to shorten income gap

Although a distinction in income distribution is a normal and inevitable 37 process in a growing economy, a gap has rapidly widened in China in recent years. Therefore, the government has recently adopted a series of measures to reduce the income gap and improve people's livelihoods 38. Wu Jia has more.

Reporter:

The Gini coefficient, which is one way to measure income inequality, rose from 0.35 to 0.4 between 1988 and 1997 and reached 0.48 now in China.

Excessive income inequality not only undermines the stability of society but also hinders the general public from sharing the fruits of the country's development.

The State Development and Reform Commission has put forward a series of measures to accelerate the adjustment of national income distribution and narrow income disparities.

Shen Kunrong, associate dean of School of Economics at Nanjing University points out there are three major reasons behind this. Besides imbalanced development between regions and rural and urban areas, irrational 39 income distribution plays an important part.

"Amid the process of market-driven competition, the salary levels in some state-monopolized sectors 40 are much higher than that in other industries. Moreover, the secondary distribution, let's say tax system, has somewhat failed to dwindle 41 such differences."

For most people, income from work may be the only one they have. When it takes up too low a proportion in the total national income, it becomes certain the consuming capacity is limited and domestic demand turns sluggish 42.

Zuo Xiaolei, chief economist 23 at China Galaxy 43 Securities, says we should at least synchronize 44 people's salary increases with national economic growth.

"It's important for the transformation 45 of our economy to increase people's disposable income standards, rural or urban residents and employees alike. Only in this way, we can increase the proportion of consumption in GDP."

To tackle this, one of the moves is to establish an effective mechanism for salary increases and to perfect an income distribution system by increasing the coordinating 46 capacity of taxation 47.

While it has already been a consensus 48 that providing more employment opportunity is the key to the problem, Shen Kunrong carries the idea further, saying that efforts should be put in strengthening people's job skills.

"If we can increase investment in employment training, especially for rural migrant workers and laid-off workers, their job skills and quality will be enhanced. This is an important aspect in ensuring they have a job opportunity. Employment is always the source of people's livelihood."

Experts point out that at this stage gray income is another big problem in rationalizing distribution system. Semi-overt income not only harms our distribution system but the morale 49 of the whole of society as well.

For CRI, I'm Wu Jia.

Theme Song of "If You Are the One 2" Unveiled

That is the newly unveiled theme song for Feng Xiaogang's latest romantic comedy, "If You Are the One 2". It's called "Loved" ("Ai Guo").

Mainland singer Chen Chusheng composed the tune 50 and wrote the lyrics 51.

Taiwan actress An Yixuan, who stars as a TV host in the movie, is featured in the song along with Chen.

This is actually the third time Chen recorded the theme song of a film produced by Huayi Brothers since he signed a contract with the production company back in 2009. The previous two films were the 2009 film "The Message" (Feng Sheng) and Hark Tsui's "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom 52 Flame" (Di Ren Jie Zhi Tong Tian Di Guo).

However, for An, it's her first time singing for a film. She released her debut 53 album in 2007.

"If You Are the One 2" will hit cinemas on December 22nd.

'The King's Speech' has charity screening in London

'The King's Speech' has charity screening in London

Staying on the subject of film, "The King's Speech" has debuted 54 in London to support the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering 56 Children.

As director Tom Hooper sees it, his film has much relevance 57 to the charity because it is about King George VI - the monarch 58 during World War II who struggled to overcome a severe stammer 55.

"You know, our film really, I hope, takes stammering seriously and, you know, sheds a light on this condition in a way that I'm pleased to say that stammerers who have watched the film say that it's very accurate and have been amazed at how Colin Firth portrays 60 it so, you know, it's an absolute pleasure for Colin and I to be here to support it."

Colin Firth agrees that it is a sensitive subject to be put into a film.

"Humor is never an easy thing to judge perfectly 61. You always feel like you're treading a very narrow line. Cliches, stereotypes 62, you know, stereotypical 63 oppressed member of the royal family, stereotypical Australian - we sought to avoid those sorts of things. I didn't want it to be a self pitying portrayal 64 of a man. So there were an awful lot of things I think we worked very hard on being precise about."

The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children was opened by English actor Michael Palin, who also portrayed 65 a stammerer 59 named Ken 66 in the 1988 hit comedy "A Fish Called Wanda."

Palin says he wanted to open the charity center mostly because his own father had a severe stammer.

Founded in 1993, the center has been very successful in helping 67 children overcome stammering, with speech therapy.

Thousands of Students Protest University Tuition Fees in London

In Britain's worst political violence in years, furious student protesters rained sticks and rocks on riot police, vandalized government buildings and attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, after lawmakers approved a controversial rise in university tuition fees.

While most of the thousands of protestors were peaceful, others hurled 68 chunks 69 of paving stones at police and smashed windows in the Supreme 70 Court building.

Another group ran riot through the busy shopping streets of London's West End, smashing shop windows and setting fire to a giant Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, were also caught up in the protests, with demonstrators attacking their limousine 71 as it drove through the West End.

"Yeah, the car was really damaged, the whole window was completely smashed on the side and there was all paint running down the back. Yeah, it was a real mess."

Police said 38 protesters and 10 officers had been injured, while 15 people were arrested.

Members of Parliament in the House of Commons earlier approved a plan to triple university fees to nine thousand pounds, or $14-thousand US dollars, a year.

Gulou Saved

The neighborhood of Gulou in Beijing is known for its century's old hutongs and courtyard homes, as well as the famous Drum and Bell towers. They were built during the Yuan dynasty and use to be the city's main time keeping instruments.

These days the neighborhood is a popular hangout for expats and locals, with a bevy 72 of bars and café's tucked into the hutong alleyways.

But government plans to demolish 73 the hutongs and create a new tourist and shopping development this year generated a lot of debate among locals and preservationists.

Now the government has decided 74 to scrap 75 its plans and is instead creating a smaller time-keeping museum. But as Sana Qadar reports, not everyone is Gulou is happy.

Reporter:

In a hutong just steps from the Drum and Bell Towers in the heart of old Beijing, lives 74 year old Liu Yuan Zhi. The retired 76 geologist 77 shares his four-room courtyard home with his wife and grandson.

'In Chinese: I have lived here for more than ten years'

He's lived here in the ancient neighborhood of Gulou for over a decade. The Drum and Bell towers, dating from the Yuan Dynasty, use to keep time for the residents of Beijing. Until recently, the local government had been planning to redevelop the area into a major tourism and shopping center. Liu's hutong would have been among the dozens to be destroyed. He says he's glad the government has changed it's plans

"I like to live on the ground floor. Firstly, because im getting old. Secondly 78, humans need to be connected with nature. Its called ki, collecting ki from the ground and the air. To live in a building, It would shorten my life."

But not all residents are as philosophical 79 about the hutong-lifestyle as Liu. For many, it comes down to an issue of space. Hutong homes often lack heating, and getting from one room to another requires going outside and crossing a central courtyard. Most don't have bathrooms, meaning residents have to use communal 80 toilets. And the traditional homes pose another modern problems as well: Liu's wife tells of a local family:

"Most people don't have enough space in the hutongs to live. There is a family here, 3 people living in one tiny room. The son is 28 years old and cant 81 get a girlfriend because he doesn't have his own space. So people wanted the government to tear down these hutong so they could get compensation and move into bigger places."

A few gates down from Liu and his wife's home, lives Tian Bao Lan. She says she was looking forward to the area being redeveloped.

"I was very happy to hear the government was going to tear down the whole area. I am in favor of moving out. We don't have enough space to live. I am very disappointed but the new decision has been made."

But Gulou isn't just a residential 82 area. The neighborhood has many bars and café's, making it a popular place for expats and younger locals. Du Lei is the owner of the Fei Bi Xun Chan bar, just next to the Bell tower. He says what makes this area special is its history.

"Foreigners come to my bar, and I know they're not here for the coffee. They're here because they enjoy being in a place of history. The coffee tastes the same anywhere, but the location is unique. That's why foreigners come to china."

He Shuzhong with the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center agrees that Gulou's history makes it a unique part of Beijing. His organization lobbied hard to save the area from redevelopment.

"Different parts of the city serve different purposes. For example, an area rich in heritage gives the city historical value. A financial area has economic value. Gulou has a unique historical function as its value to Beijing."

But Beijing is a growing city and Gulou is in prime location. With development the overall mantra of china, He says its never certain how long neighborhoods like this one can survive the construction boom.

For CRI, Im Sana Qadar

Media Digest

From Xinhua:

China's high-speed trains are expected to run at an operational speed of 500 kilometers per hour or above by 2050, according to Zhang Shuguang, deputy Chief Engineer at the Railway Ministry 83. Zhang was speaking at the seventh World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing and was speaking just a few days after a train on the new Shanghai to Beijing high-speed track set a world speed record of 486.1kph. Zhang based his analysis on his observation that when the train reached it's top speed it was running more smoothly 84 than when it passed the 400 kph mark, which he took as an indication of greater speeds in the future.

From East Dallas Times:

The Dallas police department has got up to date by issuing e-tickets for traffic law violations 85. Rather than whipping out the ticket pad and writing a ticket by hand the cops are using 50 E-ticket gadgets 86 in a test program involving motorcycle officers. The gizmos are said to be more efficient because an issuing officer can get the information into the city's database within about three days instead of the 10 days it takes to enter a conventional citation 87. E-tickets also take less time to fill out and the officer can also use the e-chine to scan the pulled-over driver's license 88 for outstanding arrest warrants.