CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-01-20

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In This Edition:

The U.N. Security Council agrees to send as many as 3,500 new peacekeepers and police to Haiti.

China holds an emotional homecoming ceremony for eight peacekeeping police officers killed in the Haitian earthquake.

And Japan Airlines files for bankruptcy 1 in one of the nation's largest corporate 2 failures.

Hot Issue Reports

UN Security Council authorizes 3 3,500 more peacekeepers for Haiti

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday authorizes a request from the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for as many as 3,500 new peacekeepers and police to be sent to Haiti. This will boost the U.N. force in Haiti to more than 12,000. CRI's correspondent Shen Ting filed the report.

OCHA: More than 90 Saved in Haiti

The UN Office for the Coordination 4 of Humanitarian 5 Affairs or OCHA says more than 90 lives have been saved by international rescue teams in quake-ravaged Haiti.

Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the OCHA, told a news conference in Geneva that 52 rescue teams poured to the disaster areas, with more than 18 hundred rescuers and over 170 dogs.

"Currently, 48 rescue teams are still working on the ground. The international rescue teams have so far saved more than 90 lives, and they are finding more survivors 7. There is still hope."

The spokeswoman also said the international community is expanding rescue efforts to areas outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

Byrs cited that in Jacmel about 60% of the buildings were destroyed.

She said rescuers will step up their efforts to deal with the aftermath in Carrefour, Petit-Goave and Leogane, where 70-80% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed.

According to OCHA, about one fifth of the UN's 575-million-dollar appeal for Haiti has been received. And another 49 million dollars has been pledged.

FM: Chinese Peacekeepers Act Unselfishly in Haiti

The actions of Chinese rescuers in the quake stricken Caribbean island of Haiti have been recognised as unselfish and unimpeachable 8.

China's foreign ministry 9 spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks while briefing the media on rumors 10 suggesting the Chinese rescue team had only gone to the aid of Chinese people following the disaster.

"This is completely wrong. Rescuers from China rushed to the disaster stricken area in no time when the devastating 11 earthquake hit Haiti and carried out difficult actions to help those affected 12. They did not only find the eight Chinese police officers killed there but also the body of a UN officer in Haiti."

The spokesman added that the medical stations set up by Chinese doctors around the Haitian governmental buildings, which have received over 200 wounded locals, had been welcomed by Haitians.

China Holds Homecoming Ceremony for Peacekeepers Killed in Haiti

China has held an emotional homecoming ceremony for eight peacekeeping police officers, who were killed in the Haitian earthquake, at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

Gas Field Dispute Hurts Sino-Japanese Relations

A senior Chinese scholar has called on both the Chinese and Japanese governments to cherish the good neighborly relationship and to solve the dispute over the exploration of Chunxiao oil and gas field through consultation 13.

Gao Hong, Vice 14 Director of Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, made the call while commenting on a recent meeting between Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi and his Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada.

During the meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, Okada hinted that Japan would unilaterally explore the field if China decides to conduct exploration activities there.

Gao Hong said the dispute hurts bilateral 15 cooperation and mutual 16 relations.

"There is long history of Sino-Japanese relations with ups and downs. A warming of relations between the two countries will improve the regional economy and social stability. The proper handling of the East China Sea issue is crucial for Sino-Japanese relations."

According to the principled common understanding reached between the two countries on the East China Sea issue, the Japanese side could participate in the cooperative development of Chunxiao in accordance with relevant laws of China, but the cooperative development is different from "joint 17 development."

China Drafts Next Five-Year Plan with Suggestion from ADB

Senior officials from the Chinese government and Asian Development Bank have met to analyze 18 the draft of the country's 12th Five-Year Plan.

The further expansion of domestic consumption and improving the quality of economic growth remain the top priorities of the plan, which will set the blueprint 19 for China's general social and economic development from 2011 to 2015.

Chen Xi has more.

China-India Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum 20 Held in Beijing

This year marks the 60th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations, and trade between China and India has developed fast in recent years. A forum on China-India Economic and Trade Cooperation was held in Beijing on Tuesday, aiming to enhance the understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

XYee reports.

Two Koreas to talk over joint industrial complex

In other news....

South Korean officials have travelled to North Korea for a two-day visit.

The delegation 21 will meet with their counterparts in the border town of Kaesong.

Kim Young-tak, South Korean delegation leader, says the two sides are expected to talk about developing their joint industrial complex in Kaesong.

"Last December, South Korea and North Korea jointly 22 surveyed Chinese and Vietnamese Industrial parks. We are going to assess whether we have matters to consult on the result of those trips. Based on the assessment 23, we are planning to candidly 24 discuss what needs to be solved to stabilize 25 and develop our Kaesong Industrial District."

The bilateral meeting is the first such meeting this year.

Some 110 South Korean companies are based in the Kaesong complex, employing about 42 thousand workers from North Korea.

Japan Airlines Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Japan Airlines has filed for bankruptcy in one of the nation's largest corporate failures, and it seeks to emerge leaner, smarter and free of crippling debt.

A state-backed turnaround agency says it has decided 26 to assist with the reorganisation and on Tuesday pledged to offer the money-losing airline sufficient funding during the process.

Seiji Maehara, Japanese Transport Minister also says in a statement the government would offer necessary support.

"JAL flight operations will be continued in an ordinary manner. So, passengers should feel secure to continue to use JAL and the business deals with JAL will also be continued. JAL constitutes an important part of the aviation network that provides the foundation of Japan's development. Therefore, the government of Japan will provide necessary support for JAL until the completion of its rehabilitation 27 through such measures as securing sufficient funding."

The airline has already lost more than 90 percent of its value over the last week.

Its President, Haruka Nishimatsu, has resigned, with new management to be announced in early February.

Founded in 1951 and was privatized in 1987, JAL had earlier been seen by many Japanese as a symbol of the country's postwar boom.

Media Digest/Stock/Weather

China Youth Daily: Political Fuss over Google's Pullout Indicates Close Ties with Capitol Hill

Internet giant Google has said it may end its operations in China following a spate 28 of attacks by local hackers 29 on e-mail accounts. However, while the company's discussions with Chinese officials are still ongoing 30, Google China says a pullout might not be the only solution.

Hours after Google announced to leave, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said she was "troubled" by the case and called on China for an explanation.

An editorial in Tuesday's China Youth Daily questions why the American government has been involved in this case. It argues that close ties between Google and the U.S. government has enabled the company to circumvent 31 conducting business like most other big multinationals 32 do.

On the one hand, the editorial says Google has been endeavoring to expand its political influence in Washington. In 2008, Google spent 3 million US dollars on company lobbyists, including the hiring of Jill Hazelbaker, the spokeswoman for the election campaigns of Senator John McCain and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

On the other hand, the editorial says the U.S. government needs Google as an "avatar" to campaign for American freedom of expression in China. The American government sees Google's failure in China as a rejection 33 of western culture and ideas in the country.

Although Google has not yet made a final decision about its Chinese operations, the editorial concludes by saying that the reasonable explanation for the political fuss over Google's possible pullout is the company's close ties to the American government.

Beijing News: Kindergartens for Migrant Workers' Children Need More Support

An unlicensed kindergarten in Beijing's Chaoyang District caught fire while its 10 students, aged 6 between 2 and 5, were taking their afternoon nap. Nine were rescued, but a two-and-a–half-year-old girl died on the scene from smoke inhalation.

An editorial in the Beijing News says these family-run kindergartens are very popular among migrant workers in big cities because they are much cheaper than public kindergartens. However, their hygiene 34 and safety standards and education quality aren't regulated and are often lacking.

The author says the issue of educating migrant workers' children has long been a public concern. It is almost impossible for these children to enter the city's public schools because they lack the proper household registration 35, while tuition at private schools is usually too high.

The article says the government should set up standards to legalize the operation of these kindergartens to better control and supervise their operation. Kindergartens with safety risks should be shut down while more funding should be given to those that meet government qualifications.

It concludes that the government should take responsibility for building more schools for the children of migrant workers. It also calls for the public to do their part to support them.