CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-05-09

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-05-09

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

In This Edition

A senior Chinese official reiterates 1 China's principle of "common but differentiated 2 responsibility" on tackling the climate change issue.

Britain's Liberal Democrats 4, who hold the balance of power following an inconclusive national election, meet to discuss their terms for supporting a new government led by the Conservative Party.

Palestinian leaders give their backing for indirect peace talks with Israel, clearing the way for the first negotiations 5 in 18 months.

And China's special envoy 6 on African affairs says China will not cut investment and assistance to Africa despite the financial crisis.

Hot Issue Reports

China Reiterates Climate Change Principle

To achieve equitable 7 development globally, China has reiterated 8 its principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" on climate change.

Xie Zhenhua, Vice 9 Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, made the remark Saturday at the International Cooperative Conference on Green Economy and Climate Change now ongoing 10 in Beijing.

"Developed countries should take the lead in reducing their emission 11 of greenhouse gases, because their carbon emissions 12 over the past two centuries have been the main cause of global warming. Meanwhile, they should help developing countries achieve low-carbon development. They should transfer low-carbon technologies to them and increase their aid to poor nations in this regard."

Xie said while last year's Copenhagen Summit helped countries reach common ground on climate change, fundraising, technology and the transparency of joint 13 actions in dealing 14 with the issue, it would take a long time before a legally binding 15 agreement could be reached.

Xie urged countries to find actual solutions to climate change and said China will shoulder its responsibility in this regard.

Organized by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, the international conference is being held in Beijing from May 7 to 9. Its theme is "Low Carbon, New Energy and Sustainable Development."

UK's Main Parties Seek Government Deal

Britain's Liberal Democrats, who hold the balance of power following an inconclusive national election, met in London on Saturday to discuss their terms for supporting a new government led by the Conservative Party.

For the time being, Prime Minister Gordon Brown remains 16 in office despite his Labour Party's second-place finish in Friday's election.

It's not at all certain that the two parties could work together, but Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg says that the Conservatives deserve a chance to govern because they won the most seats in Thursday's voting.

With 306 seats in the House of Commons, the Conservatives are still 18 short of a bare majority.

Backing from the 57 Liberal Democrat 3 legislators would give the Conservatives a comfortable cushion for passing legislation.

The two parties have important disagreements, including on whether to build a replacement 17 for the nuclear-armed Trident submarine fleet and whether to reform the nation's voting system.

Meanwhile, about one-thousand protesters calling for a change in Britain's electoral system personally delivered a petition to Clegg in London on Saturday.

Like the Liberal Democrats, the demonstrators want Britain to scrap 18 its first-past-the-post electoral system for proportional representation.

Clegg, who was meeting with members of his party to discuss the deal, interrupted the talks to receive the protesters' petition.

"I take your petition in the spirit in which I'm sure you meant to deliver it to me, in the spirit of real change in the politics of this country. And in return, I would ask you to do what you're doing so well here today in Smith Square in every single street, in every single community of our country, to continue your campaign, your campaign for a different, better, new politics."

The election result has offered the third-place Liberal Democrats an opportunity to bargain for a change in a voting system that has given disproportionate influence to the two major parties, the Conservatives and Labour.

The Liberal Democrats negotiating team is scheduled to meet the Conservatives on Sunday.

Palestinians Approve Indirect Talks with Israel

Palestinian leaders have given their backing for indirect peace talks with Israel, clearing the way for the first negotiations in 18 months.

US President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell will now shuttle between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders for up to four months to try to narrow the vast gaps on the terms of Palestinian statehood.

Mitchell met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, hours after the Palestine Liberation Organisation 19 or PLO approved the talks.

Speaking after the meeting, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the talks would focus on the borders of a Palestinian state and security arrangements, and the Palestinians wanted to build on past negotiations.

"We don't want to begin form zero and we don't want to re-invent the wheel. Our talks in the past have taken a long course. We believe the time is for decisions not for negotiations."

Erekat said Mitchell would make a statement on Sunday including details on when the talks would start. And he is expected to meet with Abbas again as part of the ongoing efforts.

Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev welcomed the approval for indirect talks.

"Israel welcomes the restart of the peace process. We have been calling all along for the resumption of talks without preconditions and we are hopeful that these proximity 20 talks will lead swiftly into direct talks between the parties."

Meanwhile, in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the Islamist resistance organisation rejected the PLO's decision, accusing it of turning the back on the sorrows and the pains of the Palestinian people.

Germany Approves Greek Rescue

The German parliament has approved Berlin's share of the rescue package for debt-laden Greece.

The lower house of parliament voted 390 in favor and 72 against, with 139 abstentions, to authorize 21 granting as much as 22 billion 400 million euros, or 28 billion 600 million U.S. dollars, in credit to Greece over three years.

Chancellor 22 Angela Merkel said the decision was in German citizens' best interest.

"This is a very important decision that makes clear that we are protecting the currency in the interests of our citizens. But it can only be effective in combination with the ambitious Greek austerity plan, which was passed in the Greek parliament yesterday."

Merkel met with other European leaders on Friday to discuss rescue plans and make an attempt to persuade world markets that the spiraling contagion 23 from Greece's debt crisis would not spread to other countries with vulnerable state finances such as Portugal and Spain and derail Europe's economic recovery.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday that he agreed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the importance of a strong policy response to the current economic crisis in Greece, by those countries in Europe directly affected 24, as well as by the international country.

"I made clear that the United States supports these efforts and will continue to cooperate with European authorities and the IMF during this critical period."

Greek borrowing costs hit another record high on Friday, and shares on the Athens stock exchange plunged 25 amid losses in European markets and fears that Greece will have difficulty implementing 26 its austerity plan.

Greek lawmakers on Thursday approved drastic austerity cuts which were needed to secure international rescue loans worth 110 billion euros, or 140 billion U.S. dollars.

The cuts, worth about 30 billion euros, will slash 27 pensions and civil servants' pay and raise consumer taxes.

Rallies in Philippine Presidential Election Campaign

Philippine Senator Benigno Aquino III, capped his 90-day presidential campaign on Friday with a final rally in Manila ahead of next week's elections.

Aquino was in the lead in a recent survey, in which 42 percent of respondents said they would vote for him, giving him a 22 point lead over his closest rival, former President Joseph Estrada.

"We are at the last stage of our campaign, and we have pulled away from our rivals."

The 50-year-old lawmaker served three terms in the House of Representatives and entered the Senate in 2007.

He decided 28 to join the presidential race in September after the death of his mother, democracy icon 29 and former President Corazon Aquino, sparked an outpouring of national grief.

Aquino has anchored his campaign on running a clean government and restoring the credibility of the judiciary and Congress.

But Aquino's predictions of victory were overshadowed on Friday by worries about a massive computer glitch 30, which led to the recall and purchase of replacements 31 for thousands of memory cards for the new optical counting machines in all of the archipelago's 76,300 precincts.

The Elections Commission rejected a call by six presidential candidates, including Aquino, for a parallel manual count in case of a machine failure. It also dismissed all petitions to postpone 32 the polls.

The Commission said 70 percent of the memory cards had been configured and shipped out on Friday.

A polling official estimated that about 3 million voters could be affected by the delayed arrival of memory cards in the worst case scenario 33.

Scattered 34 political violence in the Philippines has already claimed dozens of lives.

On Monday, 50 million Filipino voters will elect a new president, vice president and officials to fill nearly 18-thousand national and local posts.

Light News

Mainland Opens First Tourism Office in Taiwan

The Chinese mainland-based Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association opened its first office in Taipei on Friday, three days after its Taiwan counterpart inaugurated a Beijing office.

Shao Qiwei, chairman of the association, says the opening of the office is a milestone 35 for enhancing regular exchanges between the mainland and the island.

"This is the mainland's first permanent tourism office in Taiwan in 61 years. It has set a remarkable 36 page in the history of exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan. "

The office formally opened for business on Saturday. It will provide travel consulting services, promote mainland tourist sites, and coordinate 37 and settle tourist-related disputes.

The office has three employees, and two or three more will be hired by the end of this year.

The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association opened its first office in Beijing on Tuesday with five employees.

About 1 million mainland tourists have visited Taiwan since it lifted a ban on mainland tourists in June 2008.

In related news, a Taiwan-themed commercial street has opened in Beijing. The 500-meter-long street is located in Shijingshan District near the west end of Chang'an Avenue. It features Taiwan's architecture, food, handicrafts and music.

Philadelphia Orchestra Presents Concert at Shanghai Expo

The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the world's top orchestras, has presented a special concert to audiences at the Shanghai World Expo.

The concert started with the anthems 38 of China and the United States to show respect to both peoples. The orchestra also played masterpieces of American composers Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.

The amazing performance won numerous acclamations from concertgoers.

"I'm an American who has spent the past 25 years in China. I'm very touched tonight about the long-time friendship between China and the U.S. It's quite a good opportunity to watch the concert at the Expo."

"It's an unforgettable experience to enjoy such a high-level concert at the Expo. The selection of the pieces was quite good, demonstrating the hospitality of Chinese people and the best of American classical music."

Before the concert, Charles Dutoit, chief conductor of the orchestra, said he was delighted to present a concert for audiences in Shanghai.

Allison Vulgamore is President and Chief Executive Officer of the orchestra.

"The Philadelphia Orchestra first came to China in 1973. And we have made many visits to China thereafter to meet the Chinese musicians, to share our music and hear your music. And we'll come year and year again, because for us this is a wonderful way to translate music as a language from heart to heart and person to person."

In 1973, then U.S. President Richard Nixon sent the Philadelphia Orchestra to Beijing. It was the first time an American symphony orchestra had performed in China. Since the 1973 performance, the orchestra has returned to China five times, most recently in 2008 for a 35th anniversary tour.

Unlike previous tours to China, the orchestra performed at the Expo park for free. Vulgamore called the performance "a gift," saying it was a concert for all.

[Photo: propertyz.org]

China's Envoy Vows 39 Not to Cut Investment in Africa

The Chinese government's special envoy on African affairs, Liu Guijin, has said that China will not cut its investment and assistance to Africa despite the fact that the world is suffering the impacts of a financial crisis. He promised China will continue to contribute to boosting Africa's economy.

Media Digest

China Daily: Gov't Should Stick to Energy-saving Goals

Premier 40 Wen Jiabao's latest call urging governments at all levels to use an "iron hand" to shut inefficient 41 enterprises is a last-ditch attempt to meet the country's energy-saving pledge.

With less than eight months left, China's chance to cut energy intensity 42 by 20 percent between 2006 and 2010 seems rather slim at best.

After a hard-won decline of 14.38 percent in energy consumption per unit of GDP between 2006 and 2009, China saw a 3.2 percent rebound 43 in energy intensity in the first quarter of this year because of lax controls over energy-consuming and polluting sectors 44 amid the debilitating 45 global downturn.

But even if it looks like a losing battle now, an editorial in "China Daily" argues that the country should spare no effort in the fight, as the five-year energy goal is only the beginning of China's long-term push toward sustainable development.

The editorial believes that China now faces a huge challenge to save energy and maintain sustainable development in a short time.

The central government has come up with a new timetable for action, requiring that updated targets for eliminating inefficient capacity should be distributed to local governments and enterprises by the end of this month. It has issued a directive that all inefficient enterprises should be shuttered by the end of the third quarter.

Continuing their efforts to meet the energy-saving goals of the 11th Five-Year Plan, the central authorities have also explicitly 46 warned that local officials and company executives will be held accountable if specific energy-efficiency targets are left unmet by the end of the year.

The editorial says such tough talk is clearly overdue 47, but not enough. It concludes that policymakers should have long ago applied 48 an "iron hand" in order to stick to the planned five-year target.

It warns that the time has come for the government to show a greater commitment to energy-saving efforts and sustainable development.

China Youth Online: Expo Attendance Numbers Are Not Important

Attendance at the Shanghai World Expo during its first week has fallen short of organizers' expectations.

Event organizers forecast about 70 million visitors during the next six months, with an average daily visitor flow of 380,000.

So far, the greatest number of visitors on any single day has been about 215,000, according to the organizers' website. This shortfall has raised new concerns among organizers who already have been troubled by complaints about long queues and a lack of affordable 49 food options.

With high temperatures, bottlenecks 50 at security checks, long waits to enter various pavilions, and big crowds during public holidays, some people have decided to postpone their Expo visits and are getting information about the pavilions online instead.

A commentary on China Youth Online argues that it is meaningless for Expo organizers to be excessively concerned about the number of visitors. It also says it is unreasonable 51 for them to set a daily attendance standard to measure the success of the Expo.

The editorial says the mission of the World Expo is to advance human civilization. To be more specific, the Expo's secret lies in its ability to demonstrate the achievements of civilizations, encourage communication between different cultures, and celebrate the ability of human beings to overcome difficulties.

The editorial says the Shanghai World Expo is focused on urban development as an Olympics of world economy, technology and culture. It points out that it is the Expo's theme rather than the number of daily visitors that will indicate its success.

The commentary downplays the number of visitors as the only barometer 52 of the event's success and argues the true meaning of the international exhibition is that it gives us a chance to understand our past achievements and look to the future.

The editorial suggests that Expo organizers crank up their promotional efforts to try to attract more visitors to Shanghai. The commentary concludes by forecasting that the attendance rate for the Expo will likely increase during summer vacation when students boost visitor numbers.