News & Reports 2010-07-10

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

In This Edition

China and Pakistan conclude a weeklong joint 1 antiterrorism military drill in northwestern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous 2 region.

Analysts 4 say the Obama Administration is pursuing a more pragmatic approach towards the currency issue as it has opted 5 not to label China a currency manipulator.

A pair of suicide bombings kills 62 people outside a Pakistani government office in a region along the Afghan border.

And torrential rains force more than 56 000 people to evacuate 6 in south China.

Hot Issue Reports

China, Pakistan Conclude Joint Anti-terrorism Military Drills

China and Pakistan have concluded a weeklong joint antiterrorism military drill in northern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, the third one between the two neighboring countries.

Some 100 special forces troops from each side took part in the "Friendship 2010" exercises, practicing full-scale maneuvers 7 with fighter planes, helicopters and parachutes.

The two countries share a nearly 600-kilometer boarder with frequent violence conducted by separatists or religious extremists.

Brigadier Khizar Asad, exercise director of the Pakistani contingent 8, says the drills will help the two sides improve their skills to cut off terrorist escape routes between the countries.

"By having the joint exercises, we not only have made the commitment that we can pursue them (terrorists), but also given a political signal that there is no space for terrorism and those behind the borders."

The participating special forces also practiced conducting surgical 9 air strikes guided by land troops.

Joint exercise training director, Li Fuhua says the exercise was a high-level one.

"Even though the size of the exercise varies in scales from battalions 10 to companies, this is a high-level joint antiterrorism drill. The negotiation 11 level is that of a strategic level, the planning of a campaign level, and the commanding and operation of a tactical level."

The two countries began their first joint drills in 2004 with some 200 troops in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Since 2002, China has joined a series of drills and trainings with India, Thailand and member countries from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional antiterrorism alliance that includes four central Asian countries.

U.S. Opts 12 Not to Label China as Currency Manipulator

The U.S. Treasury 13 Department has declined to label China a currency manipulator.

Analysts say the Obama administration has pursued a more pragmatic approach toward the currency issue.

Albert Kiedel from the US-based Atlantic Council says it' s a very reasonable decision of Treasury Department.

"This rate muniplation issue.... But in the second half of last year, China's trade surplus has dropped by 50%. So very hard when the trade surpluses dropping so rapidly to say that China is gaining unfair trade advantage from exchange rate..."

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said Washington will closely and regularly monitor the appreciation 14 of the yuan, China's currency.

One reason the Treasury Department opted not to declare China a currency manipulator is that China announced on June 19 a decision to proceed further with the reform of its exchange rate regime to enhance the flexibility 15 of the yuan.

The Chinese yuan has risen about 0.8 percent against the dollar since the June announcement.

The report welcomed China's exchange rate policy shift, calling it a "significant development."

Twin Bombing Kills 62 in Pakistan

A pair of suicide bombings killed 62 people Friday outside a Pakistani government office in a region along the Afghan border.

The assault, which wounded more than 100 people, was one of the deadliest in Pakistan this year.

There was speculation 16 that the bombers 17 were targeting anti-Taliban tribal 18 elders visiting the government office in the village of Yakaghund, part of the Mohmand tribal area in the country's northwest.

The tribal elders, including those involved in setting up militias 19 to fight the Taliban, were in the building, but none was hurt.

Mahboob Khan, a local resident who witnessed the attack, said he was standing 20 in front of his house when the blast went off.

"Our houses collapsed 21 due to this blast. Some of my family members were injured and some dead in this blast. Nothing left."

Mohmand is one of several areas in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt where Taliban and al-Qaida members are believed to be hiding.

The Pakistani army has carried out operations in Mohmand, but it has been unable to root out the militants 22.

Ten Russian Spies Deported 23 in Swap 24 Deal, Lawyers Reax. Departure from LaGuardia

In the biggest spy swap since the Cold War, 10 Russian agents who infiltrated 25 suburban 26 America have been deported in exchange for four people convicted of betraying Moscow to the US.

The spies departed from New York's LaGuardia airport hours after pleading guilty to conspiracy 27 charges in a Manhattan courtroom.

Attorney General Eric Holder 28 said the case took years of work, and the exchange agreement provided a "successful resolution" for US interests.

However, whether the agents provided Russia with valuable secret information is questionable 29, at least according to Defendant 30 Anna Chapman's lawyer, Robert Baum.

"The issue is, if you are in a foreign country and your government asks you to do something that does not involve in your mind information that would jeopardise the security of that country would you provide such information? Obviously in retrospect 31, if she had to do it over again, she would not have provided such information."

In Russia, the Kremlin said President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree pardoning four convicted foreign spies so that they can be exchanged for the 10 US defendants 32.

The Russian Foreign Ministry 33 also issued a statement saying that the exchange being conducted by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service and the CIA was conducted in the context of the recently improved ties between US and Russia.

Nikolai Petrov is a political analyst 3 with the Carnegie Center in Moscow.

"The fact that a solution to the case was found in such a fast way means that there is a political desire to fix the problem and not to develop the scandal, so there is understandable political will from both sides."

The arrest of the 10 Russian spies came just days after Russian President Demetry Medvedev met with US President Barack Obama in Washington, in what was billed as meeting which had re-set ties between the two countries.

BP Must Give Answers on Oil Well, US Government Says

A U.S. Naval 34 airship has arrived in New Orleans to battle the oil spilling into the Gulf 35 of Mexico from the leakiing BP oil well.

Coast Guard commander Howard Wright says the airship is well suited for this type of large scale effort.

"This is going to give us a dedicated 36 aerial capability 37 of greater endurance than we have right now. It's going to be able to stay on scene longer to identify areas of oil, identify the closest assets and bring those assets to bear on that oil to fight that oil.　It'll make better use of our skimming and burning task forces. Also, it'll help us to better identify where there may be marine 38 mammals in distress 39 and bring assets in to help those mammals."

The blimp is expected to head to Gulfport, Mississipi next.　

Meanwhile, BP has been given 24 hours to answer questions on the spill.

The US government's incident commander Thad Allen sent a letter to the oil giant's managing director, saying the company must hand over "detailed 40 plans and timelines" on stopping the leak.

The information is needed before BP is allowed to change caps on the oil well.

Southern China Braces 41 for Another Round of Heavy Rains

At least 15 people have died and 5 others are missing in south China, as where torrential rains have forced more than 56 000 of people to evacuate.

High water and landslides 42 have blocked roads and railway lines across Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang and Chongqing.

In Hunan and Hubei alone, heavy rains have caused economic losses of more than two billion yuan or about 294 million dollars US.

Meanwhile, southern China has once again been put on high alert for a new round of heavy rains.

The National Meteorological Center has issued an orange alert for heavy downpours in the days ahead. It warns that torrential rains will hit a dozen provincial 43-level regions, especially in Anhui and Hubei provinces.

Ying Ying has the details.

Reporter: In Hubei Province, lingering heavy rains have plagued the region since the beginning of the month, affecting more than 3 million people.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs says that heavy rains and floods in the province have killed six people and left two missing.

Local authorities have deployed 44 rescuers to evacuate residents and combat flooding in communities.

"I have been carrying sandbags to fence off the flooding without a rest in 12 hours."

In neighboring Anhui Province, torrential rains are also predicted to rage on for a week.

Wang Dongyong is Deputy Director of the Anhui Provincial Meteorological Center.

"From today, many parts of the province will experience nearly weeklong torrential rains. The cities of Anqing, Chizhou, Tongling, and Xuancheng will bear the brunt of the downpours. These regions should prepare themselves for flooding and geological disasters, like mud flows, triggered by the rain."

Local officials say part of the Yangtze River that flows through the province is brimming with water. They warn that dikes that have been under great pressure might burst amid the heavy rainfall.

The provincial flood control agency has sent four teams to inspect the local flood situation and help local people deal with the hazard.

Meanwhile, official figures indicate the heavy rains have already flooded more than 75,000 hectares of farmland in the two provinces.

Zheng Dawei, a professor at China Agricultural University, gives some advice for local farmers to reduce their losses.

"If paddy fields are soaked by heavy downpours, farmers should drain the fields in a timely manner. They should also add some fertilizer to the fields to make up for the loss of nutrition."

Wang Yapeng, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, says farmers can also find alternatives to offset 45 their losses.

"If the floods destroy the paddy fields, farmers can make use of the fields to plant crops that have a short growing season, like vegetables and legumes."

Southern China has been plagued by a series of heavy rains and flooding since early May.

The last round of bad weather affected 46 regions lying south of the two provinces, including Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.

Official figures indicate the bad weather has killed at least 480 people nationwide. Direct economic losses have amounted to more than 90 billion yuan.

For CRI, I'm Yingying.

China's Central Bank to Continue Loose Monetary 47 Policy During Next 6 Months

China's central bank says the country will continue its relatively 48 loose monetary policy over the next 6 months.

The People's Bank of China says it will apply multiple monetary tools to maintain an appropriate growth in the monetary supply, and adjust the credit structure to reduce risks.

Lu Zhengwei, chief economist 49 from China's Industrial Bank, says the new move may bring some changes to the capital market.

"My judgment 50 is, there will be no change to the target of 7.5 trillion yuan of new loans set by the government, but there might be adaptations to the rhythm of giving new loans, like issuing more loans in the third quarter. This will add liquidity 51 to the market."

However, the Bank points out that China also needs to grapple with tough challenges, including managing inflation, maintaining economic growth, adjusting economic structures and transforming the growth model.

Misunderstanding Towards Additives 53 in Today's Life

The dispute surrounding McDonald's additives has triggered some ripple 54 effects in China and there is a rising doubt among public about the security of processed food containing multiple additives. Experts say proper use of additives won't pose a threat to health. However, a precise checking of all additives is impossible.

Liu Min has more.

Reporter: Whenever a food problem occurs, public fears quickly spread. This time, it involves food additives. This lady shopping at a supermarket says now her nerves go on edge every time she's out shopping. She has to look at the additive 52 label every time.

"There are too many additives around us. McDonald's says the amount of chemical additives is safe, but who knows, and who knows what else has exceeded the standard."

Food additives are categorised into three main groups, based on an international standard, such as natural extracts from natural plants, things produced through food fermentation like citric acid and those of a purely 55 chemical makeup 56. Currently, one hundred percent natural extracts are priced at a high level and most of the economical food in the market was produced using compound additives.

Professor Chen Min from China Agriculture University is an expert in food additives research. She says food additives have become a life necessity in modern life.

"Most of the processed food we have today has a variety of additives. The food products have to be preserved for a period of time; otherwise they can't be merchandised in a broad market. Plus, some additives can provide extra colours, and tastes to the food, making them more attractive. In such a modern society, one can not avoid having food with additives. Additives only do harm when the manufacturers overdo 57 it."

But what concerns customers the most is they don't know what kind of food has exceeded additive limits, posing potential risks to people's health. For example, an additive Calcium 58 sulphite. It is preserved in a vast array of foods-from burgers to biscuits to make old products look fresh. They can cause bronchial problems, flushing, low blood pressure, and anaphylactic shock. The World Health Organization says avoid them if you suffer from bronchial asthma 59, cardiovascular or respiratory problems and emphysema.

Officials from the Beijing public health administration department say the two chemical additives found in McDonald's chicken Nuggets are not listed as routine additives check list.

Given the fact that there are tens of thousands of additives out there in processed food, how would customers know whether a particular food they have has excessive additives? Professor Chen Min says the answer is that actually customers are always the last to know about it.

"Some of the food additive amounts that are standard in China are even stricter than the international limits. But the current inspection 60 system in every country is now adopting a random 61 check-up method since every processed food involves multiple additives, and it is almost impossible to give every additive a regular test on every kind of food and every kind of brand."

The professor says, for example, there are about seven to eight kinds of antioxidants alone used in fried food, not to mention those used to add flavours and colours. If all of these additives were to be examined, then the food itself would be extremely expensive since the cost of testing is very high. Experts suggest that customers buy those processed foods with a good reputation and larger brands since the amount of additives used during production is more standardized 62 than food that comes for smaller factories.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

World Cup Update

There is sure to be a lot of cheering, celebrations, and even some tears as the World Cup is to come to a close this weekend, when two of the most crucial games of the tournament will be played. One thing for sure, there won't be much sleep going around in China as the games will be broadcast live on Sunday and Monday morning at 2:30 am.

Earlier, our news anchor Larry Chen caught up with reporter Spencer Raymond who is in Pretoria, South Africa, on the latest updates on the most watched sporting event in the world.

And that was reporter Spencer Raymond in South Africa on the exciting last two games of the World Cup tournament. We want to remind you that Germany and Uruguay will be fighting for a third place finish on Sunday morning Beijing time. On Monday morning 2:30am in Beijing, Spain will face off against the Netherlands in the final match.

From the Shanghai Daily: A Beijing court has accepted a Chinese writer's plagiarism 63 lawsuit 64 against director James Cameron whom he claimed had stolen ideas for the hit sci-fi film "Avatar" from his novel.

Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court accepted Zhou Shaomou's lawsuit. Among the four other defendants was China Film Group.

Zhou demanded apology for the plagiarism and retained the right to seek economic compensation.

He claimed that 80 percent of the plot and key elements of "Avatar" are similar to his 1997 science fiction novel "Tale of the Blue Crows."

======================================

Out of the Global Times: Former president of Microsoft China Tang Jun is set to launch a lawsuit against Fang 65 Zhouzi who has accused Tang of making false claims regarding his academic qualifications.

Last week, Fang accused the former executive of lying about receiving a doctoral degree in computer science from California Institute of Technology.

After Tang responded that he graduated from Pacific Western University, Fang went on the attack again, claiming the university had been closed by the US government in 2006 for selling degrees.