CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-01-23

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

In This Edition

China's energy sector 1 shows strong momentum 2 to grow following a steady recovery last year.

South Korea says the stalled multilateral talks over the denuclearization of DPRK could resume around the middle of next month.

Iraq inks a final oil deal with an Italian consortium to develop a promising 3 oil field in the south of the country.

And world markets slipped lower on Friday, led by a fall in bank stocks after US President Barack Obama proposed a sweeping 4 overhaul 5 of Wall Street to avert 6 future financial crises.

Hot Issue Reports

China's Energy Sector Continures to Grow

China's stable and clean energy supply system is running efficiently 7 and has contributed greatly to the country's continued economic development.

After a steady recovery last year, the country's energy output is expected to continue to grow this year.

32 Haitian Orphans 8 Head for New Life in France

Thirty-two Haitian orphans are heading to France for a new life.

All had been adopted by foreigners before the devastating 9 7.0-scale earthquake on last week, which authorities estimate that had killed up to 200-thousand people.

The orphans were gathered at Port-au-Prince's French Lycee before leaving for the airport in a bus.

Didier Lebret, France's ambassador to Haiti, said the orphanages 10 in Haiti "were running out of food."

"We did try to work closely with the World Food Program. They have been trying to bring necessary items for those kids, so they are covered. But we don't know how long they will manage to cope with this situation."

It was forecast that the devastating earthquake might have left thousands of children orphaned 11.

But experts have been quick to warn against taking the newly orphaned children out of Haiti or rushing adoption 12 procedures.

The United Nations Children's Fund said it is working to reunite quake orphans with family members and prevent them from being abused and exploited.

S. Korean FM Says Six-party Talks Might Resume Soon

South Korea's Foreign Minister says the stalled multilateral talks over the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea could resume around the middle of next month.

Yu Myung-hwan, South Korea's Foreign Minister, said during a news briefing that the talks might resume around China's Lunar New Year, referring to a date that falls on February 14th this year.

"I cannot tell you exactly all the details of our diplomatic efforts. However, China has made efforts for the resumption of the talks, I know. So I expect that the six-party talks will resume soon, around the time of the Lunar New Year."

The talks on the DPRK's denuclearization involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, have been stalled since the middle of last year.

The United Nations adopted Security Council Resolution 1874 last June in the wake of the DPRK's underground nuclear test, aimed to impose further economic and commercial sanctions on the country.

It stated that progress in denuclearization is a condition for considering the lifting or easing of sanctions.

The remarks by the top diplomat 13 are a reiteration 14 of South Korea's position on the DPRK's recent proposal to have a discussion on concluding a peace treaty to replace the truce 15 that ended the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Pakistan Cleared Town In Swat Valley

Charbagh, a town in Pakistan's northwest valley of Swat, has been cleared of Taliban militants 17.

The military said more than 2,000 militants have been killed, although there has been no independent verification of that toll 18.

Colonel Ejaz Ahmed, commanding officer of Charbagh, said the operation to clear the town had finally ended.

"Charbagh was considered to be a very dangerous area. But now, by the grace of Allah, I can say with full confidence that it is a safe place. Peace has returned to the area."

The town was considered to be a stronghold of the militants, where many explosive experts and master minds of terrorist activities had taken refuge.

The offensive in Swat came after Taliban advanced early this year and a string of attacks in cities raised fears for Pakistan 's stability.

Israel to Move Ahead on Border Fence with Egypt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would ask his cabinet to move ahead on a planned border fence along part of Israel's 250-kilometer frontier with Egypt, aimed to prevent the entry of illegal migrants.

Netanyahu, who toured part of the Egyptian border area, said migrants were changing Israel's "Jewish and democratic character."

"There is a danger here of a very significant rise in the number of infiltrators into the state of Israel—illegal workers and other aspects—and that must be stopped. We will close this border. It is possible and it is about to happen."

The structure will come in addition to a massive fence surrounding the Gaza Strip, as well as a separation barrier that snakes along parts of Israel's more than 680-kilometer frontier with the West Bank.

The military began planning the fence in 2005 after Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip, fearing that militants would freely travel to Egypt and sneak 19 into Israel.

However, UN officials and human rights workers estimated some 17-thousand to 19-thousand people have entered Israel through the southern border since 2005.

Most of them are from Eritrea, Sudan and other war-torn African countries.

Light News

Indian Airports Tightened 20 Security after Warning

Indian airports were on high alert, after intelligence services received information that al-Qaida-linked militants were plotting to hijack 21 a plane.

U. K. Bansal, a top home ministry 22 official, said security had been tightened at all airports and passengers were being subjected to more intense security screenings.

"There are a very large variety of measures—frisking, step-ladder frisking. They are using all types of sensors 23 and more careful baggage checking, and so on."

The alert came just days after U.S. Defense 24 Secretary Robert Gates warned that a syndicate of militant 16 groups affiliated 25 with al-Qaida was trying to foment 26 a new war between India and Pakistan.

Chocolate Theme Park to Open in Beijing

A life-size car made of four tons of dark chocolate is just one of the sweet creations that will be on show at the "World Chocolate Wonderland Theme Park" in Beijing.

The car is currently on display on the north side of the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium, where the theme park will be located.

It will be the first chocolate theme park in China, featuring five indoor halls, each devoted 27 to chocolate and sweets.

Lin Zhengzong, chief designer of the theme park, says the exhibits will provide a feast for all the senses when it opens next Friday.

"We hope the visitors will really enjoy what they see, smell, touch, and the tastes we offer them. And with all the sweetness on offer in this place, they should be hugely satisfied."

In addition, visitors can see miniature chocolate models of some of China's most famous tourist attractions, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Terracotta warriors 28, as well as chocolate versions of everyday objects such as automobiles 29.

Iraq Inks Oil Deal with Italy's Eni

Iraq inked a final oil agreement on Friday with a consortium led by Italy's Eni to develop a promising oil field in the south of the country.

Under the 20-year deal, Eni and its partners - the US-based Occidental Petroleum 30 Corporation and South Korea's KOGAS - will develop the 4-billion barrel Zubair field for 2 US dollars per barrel produced.

Paolo Scaroni is the CEO of Eni.

"I think that never in the history of oil has there been such a process that ran in a smooth and quick way to achieve the fact that ten major contracts have been awarded."

Eni hopes to boost production to 1.2 million barrels per day from the current 230,000 within seven years.

The field was among six oil and two gas fields offered in Iraq's first postwar bidding round held last June.

Eni initially 31 asked for 4.8 US dollars per barrel produced but later revised its bid to match Iraq's offer.

Toyota Recalls Vehicles in U.S.

Toyota Motor Corporation says it is recalling 2.3 million vehicles in the United States to fix accelerator pedals with mechanical problems that could cause them to become stuck.

Toyota says it is still working on developing a solution to the problem that has prompted the recall.

But Sean Kane, President of Safety Research and Strategies Incorporated, says there is evidence that the problem may be more complex than Toyota cares to admit.

"You know, we don't believe that the recall fixes the entire problem. Are some of the problems caused by floor mats? Sure, yes they are, but we continue to find evidence from a variety of consumers who come to us with incidents that cannot be explained by a floor mat."

The announcement the giant automaker comes just months after Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles because of gas pedals that could become trapped under floor mats, causing sudden acceleration 32.

World Markets Slide over Obama's Bank Proposals

World markets slipped lower on Friday, led by a fall in bank stocks after US President Barack Obama proposed a sweeping overhaul of Wall Street to avert future financial crises.

Obama said he would seek to limit the size and complexity 33 of large financial institutions so that their collapse 34 wouldn't imperil the broader financial system and world economy.

The announcement spooked investors 35, causing a sell-off in Europe after sharper falls in the US and Asia.

Britain's FTSE 100 stock index was down 0.6 percent to close at 5,303 and Germany's DAX shed almost 1 percent to 5,695.

Elsewhere, Chinese shares fell again on Friday, ending the week down 3 percent.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 1 percent, to close at 3,130.

The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange shed about 3 percent to 1,162.

David Jones, a financial analyst 36 at IG Markets in London, explained that Obama's proposals are "more wide-reaching" than any of the banking 37 reforms proposed so far.

"On the face of it this is much more wide-reaching than any of the other banking reforms that have been proposed, so it's understandable that we saw quite a shock reaction in the short term, because it really would change the face of international banking as we know it today."

But Jones added that the markets are skeptical 38 about whether Obama will be able to make all the changes he wants.

Media Digest

Beijing News: Consumer Price Index Needs Modification 39

The National Bureau of Statistics has released a report stating that the country's Consumer Price Index, or CPI fell 0.7 percent in 2009 and was up again in November by 0.6 percent from a year earlier.

An editorial in the Beijing News casts doubts on the reliability 40 of the CPI figures. It says apparently 41 the public is overwhelmed by the price hikes in some commodities. It says the criteria 42 of CPI calculations stays the same as it was thirty years ago and fails to serve as a barometer 43 of inflation. Actually, it needs frequent modifications 44 in accordance with actual conditions to give a clearer and real-time picture of general living costs and financial pressures.

Meanwhile, a commentary in Rednet.cn says in line with international practices, China's CPI excludes housing since housing is a form of investment, not consumption. However, the situation varies from country to country. In China, most people struggle to live in their own homes and owning an apartment is a necessity. Housing costs have occupied an increasingly bigger share of income in China. In this circumstance, it's unreasonable 45 to exclude housing prices from Consumer Price Index.

Both articles indicate that the government fails to get a true reading on inflation if the CPI calculating system is not revised. That will block off the government from the realities of the people's everyday living conditions.

China Daily: Chinese Soccer Needs Overhaul

Police have confirmed that three Chinese Football Association or CFA officials have been taken in for questioning amid a deepening probe into fraud and gambling 46 in professional soccer games.

A comment in the China Daily says that Chinese soccer has no future without a through overhaul of the management system, and in that sense, the CFA is the logical starting point of the clean-up.

The article says it is an open secret that the chaos 47 in Chinese soccer is not a matter of one rotten egg spoiling the whole pudding. So extending the probe to the highest level is a welcome development.

It says to transform Chinese soccer, the key is to make clear what has gone wrong and who is responsible for the corruption 48.

The article says offenders 49 and abusers must pay. But the revival 50 of Chinese soccer entails 51 more than that. That professional soccer in China has degenerated 52 into a lawless realm is not just down to personal gain. It is also rooted in the management system.