CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-02-21

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-02-21

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

In This Edition:

The United States and Russia voice their concerns about Iran's enrichment activities.

Hundreds of people rallied on the streets of Niger's capital in support of a military coup 1 that ousted 2 the West African nation's president.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, speaks highly of China's role in international affairs in the past year.

And a traditional Chinese New Year Temple fair is being staged for the first time in London.

Hot Issue Reports

U.S. raises concern over Iran's enrichment activity

The United States has voiced "on going concern" with Iran's enrichment activities, saying that there is "no explanation" for an Iranian enrichment facility to be consistent with civilian 3 nuclear use.

Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said a draft UN report confirming Iran's production of higher-level enriched uranium was the first of such report since the revelation of Tehran's secret enrichment facility in Qom.

"There is no explanation for that facility that is consistent with the needs of a civilian nuclear programme. ... We have ongoing 4 concerns about Iran's activities. We cannot explain why it refuses to come to the table and engage constructively 5 to answer the questions that have been raised."

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced last week that Iran had produced first batch 6 of 20 percent enriched uranium under the watch of the IAEA.

Earlier, Ahmadinejad said that Iran is to pursue its plan for enriching high-grade uranium for its research reactor 7, but is still ready to exchange its low-grade uranium for 20 percent uranium fuel.

Russia Against Crippling Iran Sanctions

Meanwhile, Russia also says it is deeply concerned about Iran's resistance to cooperating with the UN nuclear watchdog, but opposes crippling sanctions against the country over its controversial nuclear program.

Russian Foreign Ministry 8 spokesman Andrey Nesterenko says Iran must cooperate more actively 9 with the International Atomic Energy Agency to convince the world that its nuclear program is peaceful.

"During the discussion of Iran's nuclear program, Russia expressed its opinion that Tehran must be more active in its cooperation with the IAEA and the six countries involved in the negotiating process and give more information about its nuclear program. The international community needs to know for certain that it is peaceful."

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Iran's possession of a full nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes does not contradict international law, but it is "incomprehensible" that the Iranian leadership has been implementing 10 its secret nuclear program for about 20 years without reporting to the IAEA.

Lavrov says it is fundamentally important that the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons not be violated, although Russia and the United States have disagreed about the means of resolving Iran's nuclear problem.

Niger Residents Rally in Support of Coup

Hundreds of people rallied on the streets of Niger's capital in support of a military coup that ousted the West African nation's president.

A local resident in Niamey has this to say.

"I don't want to say if I am happy or not, the president of the republic is not the president any more."

The demonstration 11 came hours after a delegation 12 from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, led by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, arrived to press for a peaceful restoration of civilian rule.

Earlier, soldiers took control of the presidential palace with gunfire, seizing President Mamadou Tandja, who is reportedly being held in a military barracks outside Niamey.

The soldiers swiftly announced a coup and said it was being led by Salou Djibo, a little known commander of a platoon based near the capital.

In addition, the military junta 13 has suspended the constitution and government institutions.

Adamou Harouna is the spokesperson for the junta.

"The military is for the people and will remain with the people."

The 15-nation ECOWAS has witnessed a series of coups 14 in its member states since 2008, vowing 15 not to allow the notorious coup culture to make a comeback in West Africa.

There had been political tensions in Niger since President Mamadou Tandja dissolved the country's parliament and conducted a referendum to elongate 16 his two-term tenure 17 last years.

European Leaders Meet for Governence Conference in London

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has hosted a meeting with the center-left heads of government of Norway, Spain and Greece at a Progressive Governance Conference in London.

The leaders discussed the financial crisis as the first crisis of globalization and praised their efforts as progressive leaders in facing it.

George Papandreou is the Prime Minister of debt-stricken Greece.

"As a progressive leader, the crisis in Greece is for us an opportunity, also for Greece. And the crisis around the world, whether it is the financial crisis, or the global climate change crisis, or the question of poverty and inequality, should be and can be an opportunity for change for our world to making this world a better world."

Although the EU says it is committed to helping 18 Greece in case of a default, it has not provided any concrete plans for a bailout, but limited itself to demanding more spending cuts.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown addressed the panel and placed expectations on the next G20 meeting to resolve the issue.

"We should set a timetable that the next meeting of the G20 resolve the problems about how we can create a world financial framework for the banking 19 system."

Brown pledged to keep Britain firmly in Europe's mainstream 20.

First commercial flight into Haiti since earthquake

The first commercial flight into Haiti since the devastating 21 January 12 earthquake, has arrived in Port-Au-Prince, marking a small, yet symbolic 22 return to normalcy in the beleaguered 23 Caribbean nation.

An American Airlines flight from Miami, Florida arrived arrived at 9:30 a.m local time on Friday, carrying over 100 passengers into the country.

The co-pilot waved a Haitian flag in celebration from the cockpit window as the aircraft taxied on the airport runway.

Elizabeth Deitmeister, US Embassy Spokesperson:

"We are in Port-Au-Prince where the first American Airlines flight has just arrived this morning from Miami with a planeload of passengers who are happy to get back to Haiti."

Air France and Air Canada are expected to resume flights in the coming days.

The start of commercial flights into the capital will bring needed income and employment, and will provide a much-needed boost to morale 24 in a traumatised nation.

Q&A with UN USG Migiro

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, has spoken highly of China's role in international affairs in the past year.

In an interview with CRI, Dr. Migiro said China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, is making more contributions to the international community in various aspects, from peace-keepiing, climate change to debt-relief and humanitarian 25 asistance to fellow developing countries.

Here's part of the interview with our UN correspondent, Shen Ting:

Fresh Protests Erupt in Northern West Bank

Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli troops in the Halamish area in the northern West Bank near the village of Nabi Saleh over a spring claimed by both Palestinians and Jewish residents of the Halamish settlement.

Protesters hurled 26 rocks at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas to try to disperse 27 the demonstrators.

Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas on protesters gathered at Israel's contentious 28 separation barrier near the village of Bilin in the West Bank.

Thousands of Palestinians along with international activists 29 took their protest to the border to mark the fifth anniversary since protests began against the security fence built by Israel near their homes.

Protesters attempted to pull down a fence which marks the border area.

The Israeli military emerged firing water cannons 30 to disperse the crowds.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has called Bilin an example of civil disobedience worth copying.

"There's been major progress in sensitizing people all over the world to the need to do something about this occupation and in particular its settlement enterprise represented in this particular case by the wall and what has led to it by way of expropriating land, cutting off our people from their own farmland, and other aspects of devastation 31 that our people have to endure every day under this occupation."

Weekly protests near Bilin have become a symbol of the Palestinians' struggle against the barrier's encroachment 32 on West Bank land, which they claim for their future state.

Six protesters have been killed and dozens injured in clashes with Israeli forces over it.

Winter Olympics Organizer: A Game of Fantastic Celebration

The executive officer of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee said that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games may have suffered a difficult start, but is now turning in to a "fantastic celebration."

John Furlong made his comments after touring the Sochi 2014 house, set up to showcase the next Winter Olympic host city - a Russian resort town on the Black Sea.

"You know, as everybody knows, the first hours of our experience were very challenging and we've tried to recover and manage that the best way we can. I think we are building in to a pretty fantastic celebration here."

The Game's bad lack started with the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in training and a malfunctioning 33 flame at the opening ceremony.

The situation was also followed by a security breach 34 when a mentally- ill man was able to get within meters of United States Vice 35 President Joe Biden using a homemade pass at the Opening Ceremony.

Vancouver has suffered rain and mild weather while there has been too much snow in Whistler, the resort north of Vancouver hosting the Alpine 36 Nordic and Sliding events, has caused some postponements.

However, the official said he is confident that the remainder of the games will be a success.

First Chinese New Year Fair Held in London

Hundreds of local residents have attended a Chinese New Year fair in western London. The fair is the first of its kind in the UK capital. Our London correspondent, Tu Yun, reports.

Reporter:

Summer Stokes lives in White City in West London. She's just joined a competition held in Westfield, the largest urban shopping center in the capital area.

"You just buy tickets and if you win, then you win prizes. These prizes include a trip to Hong Kong. And it's good."

The lucky draw for a free trip to China is part of the two-day Chinese New Year Fair, which also features traditional Chinese food, games for children, lion dances and kung fu shows.

"The martial 37 arts. That was really, really good."

Amal Hussein says he will plan a trip to China now that he has watched the show.

"The costumes, the dance, everything looks amazing. When you see staff like that, it just makes you appreciate. You want to go different places to see different cultures."

Chen Xiaodong is Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in London.

"Cultural interactions at the personal level offer a good chance to develop interest and understanding about another culture. That's why we host such a fair."

"Friendship and understanding between countries have to be rooted in the people. The fact that more and more British people are celebrating Spring Festival shows how the interest in China is growing in the UK."

Such interest is also growing in the hearts of overseas Chinese.

Wu Ying from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous 38 Region says she hasn't been able to attend a reunion with her family members during the Spring Festival for several years.

"The show is very good, and I'm thrilled. It feels really amiable 39. I want to go back home to China."

And for Sameer Ounbhakar, the winner of the free trip to Hong Kong, China is within reach.

"It's going to be my first time to your wonderful country, and I really look forward to seeing it."

This is the first time the Chinese embassy in the UK has held such a fair during the festive 40 season.

Chargé d'Affaires Chen Xiaodong says he expects it will continue to be part of the Chinese New Year celebrations in London in the future.

Tu Yun, CRI news, London.

China Daily: Gov't Must Close Loopholes for Unnecessary Foreign Trips by Officials

The number of government officials and the amount of public money spent on their overseas sightseeing jaunts 41 dropped by nearly half last year.

This resulted from an ongoing campaign that China's Ministry of Supervision 42 and other central government departments launched to crackdown on the trips.

But an article in "China Daily," the country's leading English-language newspaper, says there is hardly any reason to be elated about such an accomplishment 43. It notes that while the reduction in the number of foreign business trips taken by government officials at various levels, which were deemed to be unnecessary, saved 160 million yuan, or more than US$20 million, the biggest question that remains 44 is how large are the management loopholes that continue to allow such trips to be taken.

The article points out that even after the drop, more than 100,000 government officials made more than 3,000 business trips at the public's expense in 2009. It says it was not unusual that some officials went on sightseeing tours abroad, considering them one of their entitled privileges.

The article notes that there were even cases where invitations were forged by partners abroad, and trips were deliberately 45 organized for sightseeing purposes.

The article argues that what really matters is whether the system has left any room for some officials to continue to schedule unnecessary trips abroad for mainly sightseeing purposes.

It says even for necessary business trips, management must be strict on budgets so that no money is wasted. It is not that most government officials are not trustworthy, but because power corrupts 46, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, the article said.

The article suggests that those who have violated the rules by taking sightseeing trips abroad at the public's expense be punished for corruption 47 rather than receive a disciplinary punishment for an unprofessional work manner.

Tencent News: Chinese Automakers Should Learn Lesson from Toyota Recalls

Toyota Motor Corp. has been plagued by a string of recent complaints about problems with the power steering 48 and braking systems on several of its models.

Although the world's largest automaker has recalled 8 million cars worldwide, an editorial in China's "Tencent News" questions how the company will regain 49 the lost confidence of massive numbers of consumers.

The editorial says Toyota should further enhance its sense of responsibility for the recalls, because the Japanese company enjoys high popularity around the world, particularly in China. But instead it not only has disappointed most of its current and potential consumers, but also has created opportunities for its rivals to catch up.

The editorial says Toyota should undertake other practical actions immediately to improve the quality of its products for the sake of winning back the hearts of consumers.

It also suggests that Chinese automakers take the issue into consideration and produce more secure vehicles in their home country.