CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-04-25

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-04-25

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

In This Edition

The International Monetary 1 Fund says Asia is leading the global recovery from the international financial crisis, with most of the region's economies rebounding 2 "to pre-crisis levels."

Greece calls for the activation 3 of a joint 4 Eurozone-International Monetary Fund financial rescue package to pull the country out of a major debt crisis.

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rejects scaled-back demands that he dissolve Parliament in 30 days, prompting anti-government protesters to pull out of negotiations 6.

And Shanghai launches a home stay program to help accommodate the expected 70 million visitors during the World Expo that kicks off next week.

Hot Issue Reports

IMF: Asia Leading Global Financial Recovery

The International Monetary Fund said Saturday that Asia was now "leading" the global recovery from the international financial crisis, with most of the region's economies rebounding "to pre-crisis levels."

Asian nations are making a strong showing at the spring meetings of the 186-nation IMF and the World Bank held in Washington this weekend.

Anoop Singh, Director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department said on Saturday that Asia's fast recovery, with China and India posting 8-to-10 percent growth rates, is a departure from past economic recoveries, which usually saw stronger growth in other regions of the world.

"It's also interesting to note that Asia's faster recovery, relative to the rest of the world, seems to mark a break from the past. This is the first time that Asia's contribution to a global recovery has outstripped 7 that of other regions. Second, while in past recessions we have seen Asia's recovery - in those cases - generally driven by exports, this time it has been reinforced by resilient domestic demand."

Meanwhile, Greece's escalating 8 debt crisis was dominating discussions at the spring meetings.

The annual IMF and World Bank meetings have required a strong security presence in the US capitol.

The streets immediately surrounding the IMF and World Bank buildings have been shut down.

Previous meetings have seen large protests that sometimes turned violent.

No such protests have occurred during this meeting so far.

Greece Calling for Rescue form Eurozone and IMF

Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has called for the activation of a joint Eurozone-International Monetary Fund financial rescue package to pull his country out of a major debt crisis.

Papandreou said he had asked Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou to make a formal request for the plan's activation.

"It is a pressing national need to officially request from our EU partners the activation of the support mechanism 9 that we created together."

But conservative main opposition 10 leader Antonis Samaras criticized Papandreou for Greece's economic dependence 11 on the IMF.

"Mr Papandreou tried to blame others for his mistakes and he didn't refer even once to his personal 'achievement', which is the economic dependence of our country on the IMF. The reason why the markets did not respond to his policies during the last four months is that they had lost their trust in his government."

The rescue package will provide Greece with loans from other eurozone countries to the tune 12 of 30 billion euros at interest rates of about 5 percent, as well as about 10 billion euros from the IMF.

NATO Chief Says Afghans to Begin Control This Year

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, has agreed to begin handing over control of Afghanistan to the Afghan government this year, a process that if successful would enable US President Barack Obama to meet his target date of July 2011 for starting to bring US troops home.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO Secretary General, said more about the plan at a news conference held to mark the conclusion of the two-day meeting in the Estonia capital Tallinn.

"We agreed the approach we will take to transition, we set out a process, the conditions that will have to be met, and what we will do to make those conditions happen. Because where it occurs, transition must be, not just sustainable, but irreversible."

But the resolution appeared short on details and timelines, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned of a rocky road ahead in a country beset 13 by insurgency 14, limited resources and a weak, sometimes dysfunctional central government.

Fogh Rasmussen asserted that the Afghan government is starting to take more responsibility for running the country's affairs.

"Our aims in 2010 are clear. To take the initiative against the insurgents 15, to help the Afghan government to exercise its sovereignty, and to start handing over responsibility for Afghanistan to the Afghans, because citizens in Afghanistan and in all troop-contributing countries are demanding visible progress, and they are right to insist on that."

NATO is still about 450 short of its target for a training force to assist the Afghan security forces.

Thai Protesters Pull out of Talks with Govt, PM

Thailand's prime minister has rejected scaled-back demands that he dissolve Parliament in 30 days, it prompts anti-government protesters to pull out of negotiations and dashes hopes for an imminent 16 resolution to the country's political crisis.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva:

"I think that we have made it clear that the proposal to dissolve the parliament within 15 days or 30 days is not in the country's benefit, and if they're still saying that if we don't accept, they're going to intensify 17 their protest, they can't use this way to get the government to consider their proposal."

Protest leaders says that if no compromise was reached they would continue their demonstrations 18 in the Bangkok commercial district they have transformed into a protest camp, paralyzing business and daily life in the city.

Jaran Ditthapichai, one of leaders of red shirt protesters:

"If the government stops negotiation 5, it does not mean other except the government plans to crackdown."

The confrontation 19 between protesters and the government they claim took power illegitimately has grown increasing hostile and recently descended 20 into bloody 21 street violence.

The protesters, the Red Shirts, had previously 22 demanded Parliament be immediately dissolved, but softened 23 that stance on Friday, offering the government 30 days to disband the legislature in a move they said was aimed at preventing further bloodshed.

Health Experts Draw Lessons on Containing the Spread of A/H1N1 Flu

International health experts gathered in Mexico City on Friday to reflect on the lessons learnt in responding to A/H1N1 flu, one year after the virus first emerged.

One year ago, Mexico City, home to 8.7 million, woke up to news of a new virus. It sent the world on a six-month roller-coaster ride of fear and frantic 24 action.

Mexicans are frustrated 25 after following initial government recommendations that may have been counter-productive, and now question the value of late-arriving vaccines 26.

Speaking at the meeting on Friday, the head of the Influenza 28 Division at the Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Nancy Cox, criticized the slowness of the vaccines reaching people.

"Despite early recognition of the virus, we didn't have our first doses of vaccine 27 available until October 5th. And it takes at least two weeks for the protective antibody to develop. So we were so far behind in terms of readiness, even compared to the US."

She added that faster production, earlier detection of epidemics 29 and a more even system of distribution were among the challenges for the future.

Speaking outside the meeting, Mexico's Minister of Health, Dr. Jose Angel Cordova, praised what the Mexican government had done to curb 30 the spread of the virus.

"I think on balance the response to the H1N1 flu pandemic was positive. The opinion of international experts confirms this. The containment 31 of the problem was handled correctly."

Mexico announced to the world on April 23, 2009, that it had detected a new strain of the influenza virus.

The pandemic killed 1,185 people in Mexico, and resulted in 17,700 deaths worldwide.

Light News

Vatican Will Finance A New Research Project on Adult Stem Cells

The Vatican will finance new research into the potential use of adult stem cells in the treatment of intestinal 32 and possibly other diseases.

The project is in a preliminary phase and it will be years before any clinical treatment might become available.

Cardinal 33 Renato Martino showed his support for the project.

"We support research into stem cells, adult stem cells".

Dr. Curt 34 Civin, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine which is leading this project, highlighted the significance of its launch.

"In the intestines 35 we are generating kilograms of intestinal cells everyday. If we can turn those cells around and know how to grow them, we could cure more patients."

An initial announcement by the university said the Vatican had already agreed to donate two million euros to the research.

Intestinal stem cells are very active cells that are naturally flexible. They are already programmed to generate all the various kinds of cells, such as mucus cells and epithelial cells, present in the highly complex organ.

Belgium's Bishop 36 Resigned Eventually

Belgium's longest serving bishop, Roger Vangheluwe, has resigned, saying he was "enormously sorry" for having sexually abused a young boy about 25 years ago.

At a news conference, Peter Rossel, spokesman for the Bruges Diocese, read a statement from Vangheluwe, in which he announced his resignation and admitted the sexual abuse.

"When I was not yet a bishop, I sexually abused a young person from within my close entourage. This has marked the victim forever. During these past decades I have on numerous occasions recognized my mistake towards him and his family and I ask for forgiveness."

The Head of the Belgian Church, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, confirmed that the Pope immediately accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Bruges.

"I would like to launch an appeal - which I will repeat in writing for my church, and which will have repercussions 37 in Belgium - that when someone has something like this in his past, he should never agree to become a bishop or a priest."

But he stressed that the Catholic Church in Belgium is determined 38 to turn over a new leaf.

Spanish Surgeons Claim Performed World's First Full Face Transplant

A hospital in Spain announced that it has carried out the world's first full-face transplant.

The Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona said the patient, a young man, was given an entirely 39 new face, including skin, jaws 40, chin, nose, cheeks, teeth and muscles.

The hospital said the patient lost his face in a shooting accident five years ago and has since been unable to swallow, speak, or breathe properly. He had to breathe and be fed through tubes.

It said the 24-hour operation was performed in late March by a 30-member medical team.

Doctor Joan Pere Barret led the team.

"The patient asked to see himself one week after the surgery, and he reacted very calmly and with satisfaction, and when we asked him - in writing, because we communicate through writing and gestures - he said he was very grateful and satisfied."

The man cannot yet speak, eat or smile, but he can see and swallow saliva 41, the surgeon said. He is expected to remain hospitalised for two months.

The patient underwent psychiatric tests before the operation to determine if he would be able to deal with having a totally new face, the hospital said.

Other transplant experts lauded 42 the surgery, but were not certain it could technically 43 be labelled a 'full-face' transplant.

The world's first partial face transplant was carried out on Isabelle Dinoire in France in November 2005.

Shanghai Expo Homestays

The Shanghai World Expo is expected to greet up to 70 million visitors. To meet the demand for accommodations, the city has launched a homestay program. The program will allow visitors to experience the authentic 44 daily life of Shanghai citizens during their stay.

Media Digest

China Daily: Auto 45 Fever Heats up

The ongoing 46 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition has been hailed to become one of the world's most important auto shows with car makers 47 from home and abroad rolling out more new models than ever to woo Chinese buyers.

However, as domestic consumers are readily opening their wallets to hasten the shift of the global car industry to the East, an editorial in China Daily argues that most Chinese cities have yet to adapt to the emerging automobile 48 culture.

China's vehicle sales surged 46 percent last year to over 13 million units, overtaking the United States as the world's largest auto market. The country's vehicle sales are expected to rise 17 percent this year to 16 million units, and annual demand for automobiles 49 may eventually exceed 30 million units in the near future.

This forecast is exciting. But carmakers and local authorities should not concentrate on the huge potential of the Chinese market without also considering the many challenges that a rapid rise in car ownership will bring.

The editorial states that auto manufacturers and policymakers should be aware of the problems that go hand in hand with the skyrocketing number of cars in Chinese cities and towns.

The surge in car sales has already added to the heavy burden of traffic management in major Chinese cities. Traffic jams have become a familiar experience for most city dwellers 50. Whether people take a taxi, a bus or a private car, it won't be too long before they're gridlocked.

More than 2,000 new cars are hitting the roads in Beijing alone every day. Though car ownership in the city exceeded 4 million at the end of last year, the municipal authorities have yet to come up with an answer regarding how many cars the city can ultimately accommodate and how to cope with the escalating problem.

The editorial warns at last that the massive growth in car ownership will also threaten the country's energy security.

China's speedy transformation 51 into a nation on wheels will only exacerbate 52 its thirst for energy. Moreover, all these problems mean solutions must come from both auto manufacturers and policymakers.

Xiaoxiang Morning Herald 53: The Positive Values of Negative News

A one-day trial run of Shanghai's World Expo has met with criticism from visitors, as well as both foreign and local media outlets 54. In relation to the trial run, even the organizers of Shanghai's World Expo have admitted that they underestimated the number of visitors.

In total, about 200,000 enthusiastic visitors flocked to the site for a glance at the cultural gala during the test run, which suffered from long queues, delays from security checks and poor food quality.

Overcrowding also affected 55 pavilions in the Pudong section of the Expo garden. Pavilions for the UK, Australia and Germany were forced to close around noon due to the congestion 56.

A commentary in the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald says it is not surprised by these results. A trial run is the best way to root out any problems with the Expo's facilities. On this occasion, ticket handling, security, parking, traffic, dining and sanitary 57 facilities were all put to the test.

Criticims from journalists and visitors will help the various managers improve flaws in the Expo's infrastructure 58, on-site facilities and management, and off-site transportation.

The commentary therefore believes that the negative aspects of the Expo test run do not cast a cloud over this international event. On the contrary, visitors can expose the areas that require improvement more clearly and objectively than managers.

Expo managers can turn the disappointing opening into something positive by accepting that there are a number of improvements to be made. After all, the real event will last for 6 months and see a total of 70 million visitors – or 600,000 per day.

The commentary concludes that negative news from media outlets functions as an incentive 59 for the government to improve problems. If officials can humbly 60 accept criticism and use it as a tool for positive change, there is in fact no such thing as negative news.