CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-05-02

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-05-02

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

In This Edition

The Shanghai World Expo attracts tens of thousands of visitors on its first day as the port city prepares to host an estimated 70 million visitors during the six-month long event.

Workers and trade unions turn out all across the world to mark International Workers' Day with rallies and protests.

France's Finance Minister, Christine Lagarde, says she is confident that negotiations 1 on a rescue package of up to 120 billion Euros for Greece would be concluded by the end of this weekend.

And the stand-off between Thai authorities and anti-government protesters in the capital of Bangkok continues this weekend.

Hot Issue Reports

China and EU Hope the World Expo to Be an Important Platform for Strengthening Friendship

Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Shanghai on Saturday on the sidelines of the 2010 World Expo.

Hu said during the meeting that China-European Union relations in the 21 century should feature mutual 2 respect, mutual trust, equal treatment, reciprocal and common development.

The President also referred to the EU Pavillion at the Expo.

"I believe the EU Pavilion, featuring "Intelligent Europe", would be a great attraction to visitors and I hope the Pavilion would serve as a platform for strengthening friendship and cooperation between China and the EU."

He said the global financial crisis and climate change remained two important issues of the international community at present. China is willing to reinforce communication and coordination 3 with the EU.

Barroso attended the opening ceremony of the Expo, and believed it was a success.

"The ceremony was a great event that showcased a modern China and a China that is much respected. I believe the six-month Expo would be conducive 4 to a stronger common understanding between China and the EU."

Barroso added that the EU would like to promote EU-China ties, deepen cooperation in people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment, and jointly 5 address issues including financial crisis, climate change and energy security, on the basis of mutual respect.

Barroso's visit to China happened shortly after the election of the new European Commission.

EU's participation 6 in the Shanghai World Expo marks the organization's first presence at a World Expo held outside the EU countries.

Shanghai's Expo Attracts Thousands on First Day

The much anticipated Shanghai World Expo has attracted tens of thousands of visitors on its first day as the port city prepares to host an estimated 70 million visitors during the six-month long event. What are visitors' first-day impressions? Which pavilions do they want to visit most?

Hillary Clinton Celebrates Opening of US Pavilion in Shanghai

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has celebrated 7 the opening of the U.S. Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

Clinton invited business leaders to attend the reception in Washington, which featured a live feed from the Pavilion in Shanghai.

"I'll be going to the Pavilion when I go to China for the second of our Strategic and Economic Dialogues. And I just really believe that the people-to-people connections we are trying to promote are the base of a long-lasting relationship."

Clinton thanked corporate 8 partners for their participation, saying the pavilion is not only a partnership 9 between China and the United States, but also a partnership between the U.S. government and the country's corporations.

U.S. law forbids using federal money to participate in World Expos. In order to have a presence at the Expo, Clinton committed her "personal prestige" and helped to raise funds for the Pavilion.

In all, about 50 corporations ended up sponsoring the U.S. Pavilion.

Malawian President: Expo – an Opening for African Continent

The Shanghai World Expo is providing a stage for Malawi to network, learn more about China and further cement bilateral 10 relations between China and Malawi.

This is according to the President of the Republic of Malawi, Bingu Wa Mutharika, who also attributed the rising economy of his country to the good bilateral relations between China and Malawi.

Speaking Exclusively to CRI in Shanghai, Mutharika said that the Expo creates a great chance for his country to increase business deals with China.

"We take this as an opportunity to know China more, its local market and to have an increased trade and investment co-operation between Malawi and China. All in all, we look at the world Expo in Shanghai as really an opening for the African continent in general and for Malawi in particular."

Mutharika, who is also the incumbent 11 Chairperson of the African Union, said African countries' participation in the Shanghai Expo is geared towards showcasing what the continent can offer and also learn as much as it can.

"We have come essentially 12 as Africans and for the learning process. We are going to learn we are going to watch how the exhibits are done by other countries. The type of products, the packaging, the quality and marketing 13 techniques. In that sense, we are benefiting from the educational side of it. But at the same time, we look at it as an opportunity for us to be able to sell African products."

China-Malawi relations have developed steadily 14 and rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2007.

Light News

Workers Worldwide Mark May Day

Workers and trade unions turned out all across the world on Saturday to mark International Workers' Day, celebrated on May Day, with rallies and protests.

Thousands of workers from several labor 15 unions in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative 16 Region joined the Labor Day processions in the city, to demand for early passage of minimum wage legislation and improvement of employment situation in the near term.

In Taiwan, thousands of protesters march in the city of Taipei to demand better pay and job security. They also complain that employers are increasingly hiring temporary workers to skimp 17 on insurance and pension payments for which they would have to pay for permanent employees.

Chou Chia-jun, Taiwanese May Day protester:

"We paint our faces red to express our anger about the poor labor situation. We are fighting for our rights."

In Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, thousands of Turkish workers gathered in Sisli Square and marched toward Istanbul's Taksim Square to mark the first of May.

Suleyman Celebi, a Union representative:

"Our mission is not going to be finished after this May Day. Today, we were shouting for our demands, and we will continue to fight for these demands in the following days to reach our goals."

Meanwhile in Seoul, police says around 15,000 South Korean workers turned out at their May Day rally.

Jeong Ho-hee, a spokesman for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, is also a rally organizer:

"South Korea records the longest working hours and the highest death rate related to industrial accidents among OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will fight to improve this situation."

Big rallies have also been held in Tokyo, Philippines, Jakarta, and European capitals.

France Optimistic about the Up-coming Agreed Bailout Plan for Greece

France's finance minister, Christine Lagarde, said on Saturday that she was confident that negotiations for a Greek rescue package of up to 120 billion euros over three years would be concluded this weekend.

She said eurozone heads of state would meet to finalize 18 the plan at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels on Sunday.

"We noted 19 the negotiations in progress between the Commission, the IMF and the Greek government. Clearly there is good progress on the way and I certainly hope that it will be conclusive 20 before the end of the weekend. I will attend the eurogroup meeting tomorrow in Brussels at 4 o'clock, and we will be able to review the terms and conditions on both sides."

Lagarde said the International Monetary 21 Fund and the European Commission have estimated the amount of necessary financial support at between 100 to 120 billion euros over three years.

France's share of the eurozone aid is 20.56 per cent, in line with its stake in the European Central Bank.

Papandreou: Greece's Survival Depends on Implementation 22 of Austerity Measures

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, says his country's very survival depends on the implementation of austerity measures, as negotiations on a rescue plan with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union entered the final phase.

Papandreou's government is already implementing 23 a 4.8 billion euro austerity package that has trimmed the income of civil servants, frozen pensions and increased taxes – moves that have drawn 24 the ire of labour unions.

Papandreou said the country's survival was Greece's "red line" and the number one priority.

"The measures that we must take are economic measures and they are needed for the protection of our country - for our survival, for our future, so that we can stand firmly on our feet. And it is a patriotic 25 responsibility that we are undertaking 26, no matter what the political cost, which is nothing in comparison to the national cost of inaction, of not putting up a fight, of not taking any brave decisions."

Talks were ongoing 27 over what extra steps Athens must take as part of a bailout package to provide 45 billion euros in loans in 2010 and almost three times that figure over three years.

Latest Pictures of Anti-government and Pro-King Demonstrations 28

The stand-off between Thai authorities and anti-government protesters in the capital of Bangkok continues this weekend.

The 'Red-Shirt' protesters, drawn mostly from the rural and urban poor, are demanding the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of new elections, saying Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to power through the connivance 29 of Bangkok's elite 30 bureaucrats 31 and the military.

Meanwhile, about 400 supporters of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, wearing yellow shirts - the symbol of the king, gathered in front of the palace, chanting and waving Thai flags.

Wirawan Sawasdee is a supporter of the King:

"I want the King to be happy; he has been very tired for a long time. I don't understand why people became like this (fighting). I want people to love each other and love the King."

Security is still high in the business district, with anti-riot police on the streets and in key buildings.

At least 26 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded since protesters began occupying parts of the capital in mid-March.

S. Korean Defence Minister Says Suspicious Aluminium 32 Pieces Found near Wreckage 33

Some suspicious pieces of metal and plastic debris 34 have been collected from waters where the South Korean naval 35 frigate 36 "Cheonan" went down in late March.

South Korean Defense 37 Minister Kim Tae-young made the revelation before the parliamentary defense committee.

Kim said so far a total of 540 pieces of debris have been collected from the area, including 4 aluminium pieces that differ in composition from the ship's wreckage.

"We see that pieces found at the site of the sunken Cheonan are different. They are aluminium pieces. The composition of these aluminium pieces seems to be a little different from ours."

Kim said South Korea is now investigating whether the pieces could be from a weapon that may have caused the naval ship to break in two.

At least 40 South Korean sailors were killed when the ship went down on March 26 near the South Korean island of Baekryeongdo off the west coast due to an unexplained explosion. 58 people survived the disaster, and six others were presumed dead.

Investigators 38 believe the sinking may have been caused by an underwater blast from outside the ship.

Media Digest

China Daily: The Virtue 39 of Honest Labor

The 3,000 or so men and women to be honored during the Labor Day celebrations as national model workers should be congratulated for their outstanding service, hard work and dedication 40. But everyone who has contributed honest labor to this country also deserves heartful appreciation 41.

An editorial in "China Daily" says the celebration of labor, and manual work in particular, may appear a bit out of sync in this time of opportunism. Our ears are full of proud boasts of speculative 42 gains and ways of making fortunes out of nothing. Diligence seems to no longer qualify as a fine virtue of the nation.

Yet as was true when the crippling financial crisis gestated on Wall Street, there is no such free lunch or costless gains. As all the bubbles of artificial derivatives 43 evaporate, it is the throngs 44 of ordinary workers who are propping 45 up economies.

The paper argues that we should reverse the "money warship 46" trend in society and bring honor back to diligent 47 labor. It says the economy rests on honest labor. This explains the fact that model laborers 48 have been cited at the labor festival for the 14th time since 1950.

Today, however, our snobbish 49 society should learn to rethink the way it sees and treats the working class. The editorial says the de facto marginalization of honest laborers in the distribution of income and various other social measures is shameful 50 and unsustainable. It is shameful because it substantially undervalues the contribution of ordinary citizens and subjects them to naked exploitation. It is unsustainable because it sows seeds of tension that have the potential to render all pursuits of stability into wishful thinking.

The editorial argues that it does not matter whether or not the working class retains the nominal 51 leadership role it once had. Equity 52 is more meaningful. The current imperative 53 is to stop, if not reverse, the lethal 54 trend where those who contribute the essential building blocks of our economy are reduced to society's underdogs.

In conclusion, the editorial emphasizes that China must learn to value honesty and honest labor.

Xiaoxiang Morning Herald 55: Migrant Worker, Another Master of World Expo

The Shanghai World Expo opened on Friday night with dazzling display. To prepare for this high profile international event, large construction and renovation 56 projects have been carried out in the city of Shanghai.

Without migrant workers, such huge scale construction would not even be possible.

These migrant workers have been toiling 57 in the Expo Park for nearly a year. Yet, as the World Expo finally opens to the public, they have to rush to their next construction site and have no opportunity to enjoy the marvels 58 they helped create.

In reality, migrant workers still face a number of problems related to working conditions and social security, as well as an underlying 59 disdain 60 in China for those engaged in manual labour. For instance, they will be examined more carefully when passing through security checks at entrances to the Expo's special subway.

A commentary in the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald argues that migrant workers are an essential part of the World Expo; they should collectively be regarded as another master of the Expo, and should not be forgotten by the Chinese people.

The theme of the 2010 Expo is "Better City, Better Life", which illustrates 61 a common wish among all participating countries for a higher quality of life in future urban environments. As a further albeit 62 lesser 63 theme of the Expo, "Interactions Between Urban and Rural Areas" forces visitors to examine the relationship between farmers and urbanites.

The commentary talks about "Better farmer, Better city". This exhibition at the Expo, created by contemporary Chinese-born artist Cai Guoqiang, deals with the importance of farmers in our modern city life. Rather than the typical representation of farmers working diligently 64 and conscientiously 65, each individual image of Cai's display has its own feature and story.

With the Expo as a backdrop, the commentary again appeals for more concern about the economic and social problems faced by migrant workers, especially back pay, health care, offspring education and children left unattended in their hometown.