CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-03-14

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-03-14

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

In This Edition

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory 1 group, concludes its annual meeting in Beijing with thousands of proposals offered on major political and social issues.

Russia and India ink a raft of agreements on defense 2, space and civil nuclear energy cooperation, including a project to build the next-generation fighter jet.

Initial results show that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's political coalition 3 seizes an early lead in the country's parliamentary election.

And French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have accused the United States of protectionism over a contract to build a new U.S. Air Force refueling tanker 4.

Hot Issue Reports

CPPCC Proposals Contributing to Social Development

After days of consultation 5, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory group, has concluded its annual meeting in Beijing with thousands of proposals offered on major political and social issues.

Innovations Encouraged in College Entrance Exam and Enrollment 7 Reform

The latest draft of China's education reform outline proposes the introduction of diversified 8 channels for colleges and universities to enroll 6 students rather than using the National College Entrance Examination results exclusively.

Deputies attending the ongoing 9 session of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress, have expressed their opinions.

11 Siberian Tigers Dead in Northeast China

Eleven Siberian tigers have died over the past three months in a zoo in northeast China's Liaoning Province. All the tigers were from the Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo in the provincial 10 capital.

Liu Xiaoqiang from the Shenyang Wild Animal Protection Station says the tigers might have died of malnutrition 11.

"From January and February 2010, the situation for Siberian tigers was very serious. Eleven Siberian tigers died. They died because of an extreme lack of nutrition."

According to Liu, the zoo only fed the tigers on cheap chicken bones since the zoo was not doing very well financially.

The zoo has over 20 Siberian tigers left.

The Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo is mainly privately 12 owned with the Shenyang Municipal Government having 15 percent of the share.

Local government officials are still investigating the incident to prevent any further deaths among the remaining 30 Siberian tigers at the zoo.

The Siberian tiger, an engendered 13 species, is a subspecies of tiger which once ranged throughout western, central Asia and eastern Russia. It is estimated that the number of wide Siberian tigers is now between 350 and 450 worldwide.

Light News

Russia and India Join Hands on Space Cooperation

Russia and India have signed a raft of agreements on defense, space and civil nuclear energy cooperation, including a project to build the next-generation fighter jet.

Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister.

"We've advanced considerably 14, and we've launched the fifth-generation fighter jet. We are convinced our joint 15 efforts will yield considerable results. We sincerely hope that our joint efforts to counter terrorism will yield positive, substantive 16 results for the benefit of the two countries and global community in general."

During his visit to New Delhi on Friday, Putin and Indian leaders also discussed strengthening their decades-old bilateral 17 ties and intensifying 18 their consultations 19 on Afghanistan.

Al-Maliki's Coalition Seizes Early Lead in Iraq Election

Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's political coalition seizes an early lead in the country's parliamentary election.

The result is revealed in a partial tally 20 on Saturday of Baghdad votes. The coalition is leading by about 50,000 ballots 21 over the hardline Shiite Iraqi National Alliance and the moderate Iraqiya group led by former premier 22 Ayad Allawi.

Residents of Baghdad gave their predictions.

"I consider the announcement of the first election results today as a victory for all the lists of candidates who took part in the election, and in my opinion, the main three lists which are leading in the election will have the biggest share in forming the next government."

"I think the violet fingers will put aside sectarianism, hoping that candidates from all the lists who want the best for Iraq will cooperate to form a national government without sectarianism. "

The prime minister's political coalition began reaching out to rivals on Friday as partial results signaled a tight race that was unlikely to produce a clear-cut winner.

Around 19 million voters, including 1.4 million abroad, were set to elect a 325-seat Council of Representatives out of some 6, 300 candidates, representing 12 major parties and dozens of other political entities 23.

This is the second national poll since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. It is a crucial election as the country is struggling to restore peace after years of violence, as well as itself for a full withdrawal 24 of U.S. troops at the end of next year.

UK and France Accuse U.S. of Protectionism

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have accused the United States of protectionism over a contract to build a new U.S. Air Force refuelling tanker.

Earlier this week, a European-led consortium pulled out of the bidding for the 35 billion U.S. dollar contract, saying the Pentagon was favoring its rival American bidder 25 Boeing.

The withdrawal of a bid by EADS, the parent company of Airbus, and Northrop Grumman, leaves Chicago-based Boeing as the only bidder for the 179-tanker order.

Gordon Brown expressed his disappoinment.

"We believe in free trade. We believe in open markets. We believe in open competition. And clearly it is a disappointment to us that the market, or the offer, that has come from Europe has not found the favor that we believed it deserved in the United States of America."

The EADS-led consortium was awarded a contract for the tanker fleet in 2008, but Boeing protested, and the deal was annulled 26 later that year.

Safe Housing Still Elusive 27 for Haitian Quake Survivors 28

With the rainy season expected any day, time is running out for 600-thousand earthquake survivors in Haiti who are still living under tarps, tents or simply bed sheets.

Marie Nicole Francisse says her makeshift home is no place to raise children.

"We can't live here because it's too hot. It's this hot because it's a tent. I have a lot of kids with me, so this is not good at all for me."

Aid organizations have plans to build shelters but so far have been unable to do so.

Alex Wynter from the International Federation 29 of Red Cross in Haiti explains.

"The problem that we face at the moment is that we still don't have clarity on the land issue. In simple terms, we don't have a place where to put them yet."

Large tracts 30 of land in Haiti are in the hands of a few elite 31 families. The government has conducted closed-door negotiations 32 with private landowners and claims that a total of 126 million U.S. dollars will be needed to make relocations possible.

But Haiti says it doesn't have the money and will have to get it from the international community.

Bao Chunlai Beats Super Dan to Reach Semifinals

World No. 6 badminton player Bao Chunlai of China has defeated his compatriot, world No. 2 Lin Dan, to reach the semifinals of the men's singles at the All-England Open. It ends Super Dan's attempt to advance to the finals of the Open for the seventh consecutive 33 year.

Media Digest

Beijing News: University Bureaucracies Should Be Eliminated

Eliminating bureaucratic 34 forms of management in China's higher learning institutions was one of the heated topics of discussion during this year's "Two sessions" of China's top legislature and political advisory body.

China's universities have long been operated like government bodies with their presidents directly appointed by the government. Faculty 35 members are often like government officials given administrative 36 grades that have a great impact on their compensation.

A commentary in Beijing News says on the one hand, such bureaucratic way of management should be removed, educators not to be graded and compensated 37 in the way government officials are. This is a prerequisite 38 for professors to be able to dedicate more on academic development.

The article argues that, after all, universities are supposed to disseminate 39 knowledge and wisdom not a hierarchical organization.

On the other hand, the commentary says professors should be encouraged to do in-depth research and challenge existing theories rather than being distracted by any other pursuit outside academic advancement 40. That's the only way their reputation be determined 41.

The article quotes Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as recently saying that great respect is due to educators in a real sense, even for elementary school teachers. University presidents and professors should endeavor to provide students with the best education possible.

The article believes that educators who have their eyes fixed 42 on ranks and material gains from their professional positions will not be admired and respected.

China Daily: Govt is Lagging on Home Prices

Homes bear a double nature of consumption and investment. In a consumption-dominated market, housing prices are largely decided 43 by supply-demand relations. But home prices remain particularly sensitive to a country's currency, capital and land policies if they become an investment tool.

An editorial in China Daily argues that the government's wayward policy on the real estate market has directly dimmed the boundary between individual home buying and investment, and speculative 44 purchases.

In that case, the supply and demand laws would fail to work in deciding housing prices. In an investment-rife housing market, an excessive fund inflow and expectations for a considerable return would incite 45 extreme investment demands and push prices up.

The editorial believes the real estate sector 46 in China has been considered a component 47 of the national economy but not as its social responsibility. As a result, the sector's contribution to the country's GDP has long been overemphasized and its social responsibility excessively underestimated or ignored. The sector's status as a pillar industry of the country's economy has stimulated 48 investment demands and thus led to a serious distortion in government policy over the industry.

The editorial says that the lack of effective public housing policies has also contributed much to the rapid rise in housing prices.

The editorial suggests that China set up a diversified and multilevel housing supply system. A government-subsidized, housing-guarantee system should be built for lower-income residents. A public housing supply system should also be adopted to help the middle class overburdened by the current high housing prices. Housing prices have not only resulted in serious distortions in the real estate market but have also loomed 49 large as a major problem to hinder the country's sustainable development and economic security if not resolved.