News & Reports 2010-09-26

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In This Edition

China reiterates 1 its demand for Japan's apology and compensation for the seizure 2 of Chinese trawler.

A high profile multinational 3 antiterrorism military drill under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization concludes in Kazakhstan.

U.S. President Barack Obama condemns 4 comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggesting that the United States itself was behind the September 11th terrorist attacks.

And Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos calls the death of a top FARC leader a decisive turn in a decades-long struggle against the country's main rebel group.

Hot Issue Reports

Chinese Trawler Captain Back Home

China has reiterated 5 its demand for Japan to apologize and compensate 6 for its seizure of a Chinese trawler following the release of its captain after being detained for weeks.

The message was contained in a statement by Foreign Ministry 7 Spokesperson Jiang Yu in Beijing Saturday evening.

Jiang said the acts of the Japanese side have severely 8 infringed 9 upon China's territorial 10 sovereignty and the personal rights and interests of Chinese citizens.

Jiang made the remarks when asked to comment on the Japanese government's response to China's statement on the incident.

A spokesman of the Japanese foreign ministry said earlier Saturday that China's demand for apology and compensation is absolutely not acceptable.

Jiang said China's stance is clear, that is, the Diaoyu Islands have been integral part of China's territory since ancient times.

Hours earlier, the Chinese trawler captain Zhan Qixiong returned home via a chartered plane.

Speaking upon his return, Zhan expressed his innocence 11 and thanked the Chinese government for its efforts.

"I appreciate all the efforts the Chinese government has made on my behalf. The Diaoyu Islands are a part of China. I went there to fish. That's legal. Those people grabbed me - that was illegal."

On Sept. 7th, two Japan Coast Guard patrol ships and a Chinese trawler collided in waters off the Diaoyu Islands. On the following day, Japan seized the Chinese trawler and detained its captain and 14 fishermen on board.

The Japanese side later freed the 14 fishermen and the boat but continued to hold the captain until Saturday.

SCO Antiterrorism Military Drill Ends in Kazakhstan

A high profile multinational antiterrorism military drill under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has ended in Kazakhstan.

Codenamed "Peace Mission 2010," the exercise successfully showcased SCO member states' mutual 12 trust and pragmatic cooperation as well as their shared desire to protect regional peace and stability and boost common development and prosperity.

During the 15-day joint 13 drill, 5,000 troops from five SCO members, namely Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, practiced in three major stages troop maneuvers 14, firepower readiness, suppression of enemies in residential 15 areas, and putting reserve forces into battle.

Liang Guanglie, China's State Councilor and Minister of Defense 16, says he is satisfied with the outcome.

"I think the exercises were very successful. Cooperation among the parties was good. We've reached our expectations."

It was the seventh military drill of its kind organized by SCO members in recent years, aimed at curbing 17 the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, while maintaining regional peace, security and stability.

Obama Condemns Ahmadinejad's Remarks on 9/11 Attacks

U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned 18 comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggesting that the United States itself was behind the September 11th terrorist attacks.

"It was offensive, it was hateful and particularly for him to make the statement here in Manhattan just a little north of Ground Zero where families lost their loved ones. People of all faiths, all ethnicities, who see this as the seminal 19 tragedy of this generation, for him to make a statement like that was inexcusable."

Ahmadinejad's remarks during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday prompted a walkout by American diplomats 20.

Later at a news conference, Ahmadinejad defended his remarks and again challenged the UN to probe the 9/11 attacks.

"What I raised is a very clear discussion and a precise one. Don't you feel that if a fact-finding mission was present from the start to explore the true reason behind September 11 that we would not see the catastrophes 21 in Afghanistan and Iraq? Why do you assume that all nations should accept what the U.S. government tells them?"

Ahmadinejad also said Iran would consider ending its uranium enrichment activities if world powers sent Tehran nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor 22.

He hinted that Iran was prepared to set a date for the resumption of talks with six world powers to discuss its nuclear program.

Israeli Settlers to Resume Building after Freeze Expires

The 10-month-long Israeli moratorium 23 on settlement construction will expire this Sunday. Settlers in the West Bank are preparing to resume building immediately while the Israeli government is indicating it is willing to make a compromise under American and Palestinian pressure. Our Jerusalem correspondent Xiao Yu has more.

Reporter: In the settlement called Shilo between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Nablus, Israel Medad, an Israeli spokesman for the settlement issue, stands in front of a blueprint 24 for a new building project for 12 apartment units in the West Bank. A notice posted says construction will begin immediately after the moratorium on building ends.

Medad told CRI that the last 10 months during which there has been a moratorium on settlement construction have been meaningless, and the freeze must not be extended.

"The last nine months, going on 10 months now, the engineering department has been working overtime 25. Hundreds of authorizations, plans for construction, new buildings added—all the works have been done. All the files of every single building are waiting for the end of the thing (moratorium) and to be presented for final approval."

Local media report there are about two-thousand housing units in the settlements that have all the necessary approvals in order to begin construction.

The more than 120 settlements scattered 26 around the West Bank and east Jerusalem are home to some 500,000 Israelis, and the figure is increasing day by day. Those settlements have divided the West Bank into hundreds of small parcels of lands where Palestinians live.

The roads linking the settlements are controlled by the Israeli army, which causes hassles and delays for the Palestinians when they travel between their cities and villages.

Here is Loai Mazayan, a resident of Ramallah.

"There are more than 4 settlements on the way from Ramallah to Nablus. Along the way there are a lot of checkpoints. Well, usually during a good time it would take 20-30 minutes where there are no settlers on the street. But if there are settlers on the street, it will be between two and three hours. It's like they stop you, and they jump on the car and people, protected by the Israeli army. And also, not only do they throw rocks, they hold guns. What can the Palestinians do when settlers holding guns and their little kids holding sticks jump on the cars and break their cars? We can do nothing."

The demographic complexity 27 on the ground makes negotiations 29 extremely difficult in terms of how to determine the border between Israel and the future state of Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority has threatened to quit the ongoing 30 direct talks if Israel does not extend the moratorium after Sunday.

But Professor Shlomo Avineri, a former director general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told CRI that no Israeli government will risk its own survival to meet Palestinian demands.

"I do not think this government or any Israeli government at the moment can agree with the Palestinians on borders. Because it's not borders, it's half a million people. My hunch 31 is as it's in the interests of the Israelis and the Palestinians and the Americans not to see a blowup at the end of September, they'll find a formula. What I'm really suggesting is that it's possible for the negotiations to go on and on and discussing non-core issues which are still important to narrow the gap, and this is a holding operation for the negotiation 28 which is important."

An unnamed senior Israeli official said on Friday that Israel was prepared to make a compromise acceptable to all parties, but stressed that there could not be "zero construction" in the settlements.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also has adopted a softened 32 tone on the issue.

Mahdi Abdul Hadi from a Palestinian think-tank based in east Jerusalem told CRI that Abbas, or Abu Mazen as he is called by Palestinians, has no decisive power on the core issues of the Middle East conflict.

"Abu Mazen has no decision to make today. The decision he'll forward to [U.S. President Barack] Obama and the Arab League as he will seek political survival. Changing his tone because what happened in Silwan is very serious, the killing 33 of the Arab people, the wide religious fundamentalism in Jerusalem, and the settlers' atrocities 34 in the West Bank."

An Arab was shot to death earlier this week by an Israeli citizen in the East Jerusalem community of Silwan. The killing caused days of riots and conflicts in the area.

Mahdi Abdul Hadi says the peace process will continue after the settlement crisis, but without any tangible 35 progress in the near future.

As the Sunday deadline approaches, it will soon be seen what the Israeli solution under the pressure of the United States and the Arab world will look like.

For CRI , I'm Xiao Yu in Jerusalem.

Colombian President: Says Killing of FARC Leader a Turning Point

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos has called the death of a top FARC leader a decisive turn in a decades-long struggle against the country's main rebel group.

Santos made the remark when speaking in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

"I think this is a strike that will break the center of gravity of the FARC, and that after 40 years, I am confident that we can now see the future also with great optimism in achieving peace."

Colombia's military has announced that it has killed Jorge Briceno, the field marshal and No. 2 commander of FARC or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

FARC was formed in 1964 and increasingly turned to drug trafficking in the late 1990s. It has also used ransom 36 kidnappings and extortion as a revenue sources.

Briceno belonged to the FARC's seven-member ruling Secretariat. The group's main leader, Alfonso Cano, remains 37 at large and is believed to be in the mountains of central Colombia.

Thousands Stranded 38 in North India

Flash floods and landslides 39 have stranded approximately three thousand tourists in north India's Uttarakhand state.

The tourists were on their way to four prominent pilgrimage sites in the state.

They now face a tough situation with a shortage of supplies.

"We are stuck here for the last four to five days. There is no facility for food, and we are in a lot of trouble. We have spent all our money and left without any money now. The train ticket has also been cancelled. We are wondering how will we go back home."

Heavy rains and landslides in the region have damaged roads severely, disconnecting routes to nearby cities and towns.

Local officials say they are trying to get food to the tourists.

This year's monsoon 40 has caused heavy flooding in many parts of India with heavy devastation 41 to life and property.

Multi-Denominational Cemetery 42 Defaced in Eastern France

Local officials say nearly 30 Muslim graves in a multidenominational cemetery in eastern France have been defaced.

Local residents and relatives of those buried say they are shocked by the damage.

"My mother is buried just there with the Protestants and the Catholics. How can anyone do this to the Muslims?"

Officials say three swastikas were traced into the gravel 43 near the desecrated 44 graves in the Muslim part of the Strasbourg cemetery.

Local authorities have begun an investigation 45 into the incident.

A representative from the town's Jewish community says this is not the first time that graves in the Strasbourg area have been desecrated.

This is the fourth profanation 46 of graves in the region this year, and the second involving Muslim resting grounds.

Two Jewish cemeteries 47 were damaged and daubed with racist 48 slogans earlier this year.

Development vs Conservation, a Tricky 49 Question for World Heritage Sites

China currently has 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including two inscribed 50 this summer.

Local authorities are always eager to generate income through such natural and cultural treasures. But given the economic incentive 51, creating a balance between development and conservation at these sites has become a tricky problem for site managers.

XYee has more.

Reporter: UNESCO's World Heritage mission was created to reach across borders to protect places of global importance. But the World Heritage emblem 52 in a certain sense has developed into a marketing 53 tool for tourism development, especially in underdeveloped regions.

Some activists 54 even say the World Heritage project harms the very places it seeks to protect.

John MacKinnon, an internationally renowned 55 conservation expert, says Chinese sites on the World Heritage List face various development problems, including infrastructure 56, restoration and maintenance work.

"The main threat will be tourism. I think if tourism develops very highly, that has to be controlled very carefully. There are sites in China where tourism is definitely threatening and degrading the beauty and naturalness of the sites."

In 1998, UNESCO issued a warning on the urbanization tendency of Wulingyuan, a World Natural Heritage Site in Central China's Hunan Province. These remarks forced the local government to demolish 57 buildings in the scenic 58 area and restore the heritage to its original appearance. The clearance 59 work cost one billion yuan, or 150 million US dollars.

The expensive bill has been a lesson to site managers throughout the country.

The Danxia landscape in southwestern China's Chishui has become the newest member of the prestigious 60 club of World Natural Heritage sites for the irreplaceable beauty of its red cliffs.

Mu Rongkun, a senior city official, says Chishui is improving its service industry facilities and building highways to make the remote area more accessible to tourists.

When asked about the balance between development and conservation, he said he would rather use the term "utilizing 61" than "developing."

"I think the conservation and utilization 62 of the natural resources are not necessarily contradictory 63 to one another. By utilizing the resources with scientific methods, we can better preserve them. To properly utilize 64 the resources, we will improve the conservation measures, raise people's awareness 65, and take comprehensive methods to better preserve the natural beauty of the sites. Our ultimate goal is to conserve 66 the resources."

Conservation expert MacKinnon made a field trip to Chishui last year to make an assessment 67 on behalf of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one of the advisory 68 bodies to the World Heritage Convention.

Mackinnon says he was impressed by how clean the Chishui River was which runs through the city and suggested that the government step in and lay down clear rules and restrains to protect the reserve.

"There are lots and lots of Danxia rock formations in China, but there are not lots and lots clean rivers with damaged Yangtze fish. And that thanks to the Moutai industry (along the upper reaches of the river), there are strict regulations about polluting industries along the river. If they can keep the river clean, they can probably keep the site clean. It's really a matter of the will of the local government."

It seems that the local government in Chishui is moving towards that direction.

Mu Rongkun, the city official, gives an example.

"We have been keeping a close eye on the environmental impacts. We invested a lot in the information-based supervision 69 of the reserve by installing video cameras in the core zone. Even if tourists or workers drop a single cigarette butt 70 in the core zone, our staff will immediately discover their misconduct and deal with the problem."

For CRI, I'm XYee.

China Daily: Whistleblowers Must Continue to Help Figh Fraud

Police detained four suspects in relation to the attack on China's "science cop" Fang 71 Zhouzi at the end of last month.

The alleged 72 mastermind of the attack turned out to be a famous medical professor who has been targeted by Fang's fraud-uncovering efforts.

An editorial in the English language newspaper "China Daily" says the findings of the police indicated the evil souls of some Chinese elites 73 and the dangerous situation that whistleblowers faced.

The newspaper notes that Fang Zhouzi's exposure of alleged fraud has prevented the medical professor named Xiao Chuanguo from being elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a leading academic institution and comprehensive research and development center in natural science, technological 74 science and high-tech 75 innovation in China.

The police investigation also indicated that Xiao hired men to attack Fang in retaliation 76.

The editorial says if the case is proved in court, the attack would unveil Xiao's cowardice 77 and desperation.

It also points out that the case serves as a reminder 78 to whistleblowers like Fang about possible violent retaliatory 79 attacks even though they are dealing 80 with civilized 81 intellectuals.

The commentary appreciates Fang's statement that the attack would not dampen his spirit in fighting academic fraud.

It stresses that China badly needs such whistleblowers in light of the country's widespread pseudo-science and intellectual frauds.

It calls for the establishment of an official and trustworthy agency to investigate and root out academic fraud.

In conclusion, the editorial says society should not let Fang Zhouzi battle fraud alone.

Nanfang Daily: Gov't Must Devise Strategy to Deal with Aging Population

An aging Chinese society is on the horizon with some analyses indicating that China will surpass Japan to become the most aging nation by 2030.

Social issues related to the aging population problem have already appeared as more than 90 percent of Chinese born in the 1980s claim they cannot afford to take care of their parents.

An editorial in the "Nanfang Daily" says it is time to come up with comprehensive strategy to address the deepening aging issue.

Tang Jun, a sociologist 82 who wrote the editorial, says China is not well prepared for the emergence 83 of an aging society. He points out that the current pension program cannot meet the needs of the huge group of about 150 million Chinese above the age of 60.

Tang argues that recent pension system reforms have placed heavier burdens on wage earners and risk cutting benefits for pensioners 84.

He also notes that the government is keen to build luxurious 85 public nursing homes that can accommodate only a tiny group of seniors.

The editorial says the government should not shun 86 its responsibility to provide for the aging population as it controls huge economic and social resources. It calls on authorities to conduct comprehensive studies on the aging issue and come up with a set of effective strategies.

In short, the editorial emphasizes the government should allocate 87 more investment to the pension scheme and facilitate private nursing homes as well as nursing services within communities.