News & Reports 2011-03-13

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In This Edition

Japan launches a massive military rescue operation after a giant, quake-fed tsunami 1 killed hundreds of people and turned the northeastern coast into a swampy 2 wasteland.

World leaders express condolences and offer promises of help to Japan.

China joints 4 international rescue efforts by sending its rescue team to its neighbor.

And China's Yuan is set to see major progress in its full convertibility 5 in the next five years.

Hot Issue Reports

Japan Launches a Massive Military Rescue Operation

Japan launched a massive military rescue operation on Saturday after a giant, quake-fed tsunami killed hundreds of people and turned the northeastern coast into a swampy wasteland.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops would join rescue and recovery efforts following Friday's 8.8-magnitude quake that unleashed 6 one of the greatest disasters Japan has witnessed.

Kan toured the Northern part of the country on Saturday to see the damage for himself.　

"We will do our best to try to rescue all survivors 7 and people who are isolated 8, especially today because every minute counts."

The massive quake triggered a huge tsunami along Japan's Pacific coast, causing enormous waves to smash the northern parts of the coast in particular. The tsunami has swept away houses, cars and ships.

The true scale of the destruction was still not known more than 24 hours after the quake, since washed-out roads and shut airports have hindered access to the area.

The ceiling of the building that houses the No. 1 reactor 9 at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant collapsed 10 Saturday, injuring 4 workers.

The operator of Tokyo Electric Power said earlier that radioactive substances could have already leaked since radiation was detected to be 1,000 times higher than normal at the nuclear plant.

It prompted the government to quickly order people within a 20-kilometre radius 11 of the Dai-ichi nuclear plant to evacuate 12 the area.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that "in principle" a back-up plan was in place at all of the country's nuclear power plants in case of an earthquake.

"The earthquake this time caused a tsunami that surpassed the limit of that we could ever have imagined. In principle, there is a back-up system that supports the nuclear power plant operation, even if a tsunami attacks, but unfortunately this time there was a problem in implementing 14 it."

Japan's nuclear agency said Sunday that it was undertaking 15 measures to prevent the possible meltdown of a nuclear power plant on the country's devastated 16 coast.

In Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicentre, authorities evacuated 17 60,000-70,000 people to around 200 shelters.

An untold 18 number of bodies were believed to be buried in the rubble 19 and debris 20.

There are no Chinese citizens reported missing. China's National Tourism Administration said that all the 215 Chinese tour groups in Japan have been confirmed safe.

World Leaders Express Solidarity 21 with Japan

World leaders have been quick to express condolences and offer promises of help to Japan following the biggest earthquake in the country.

Chinese Premier 22 Wen Jiabao also expressed "deep sympathy and solicitude 23 to the Japanese government and the people."

Wen, on behalf of the Chinese government, sent a message to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan that China is willing to offer necessary assistance to the country.

US President Barack Obama said he was "heartbroken" by images of devastation 24 by the earthquake and tsunami, and pledged U.S. assistance to help the country recover.

He said one US aircraft carrier was already in Japan and a second was on its way.

A US ship was also heading to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed.

"Today's events remind us of just how fragile life can be. Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan and across the region and we are going to stand with them as they recover and rebuild from this tragedy."

The European Commission has activated 25 the European Civil Protection Mechanism 26 to assist Japan.

British Prime Minister David Cameron says the earthquake was a reminder 27 of the destructive power of nature.

"The first thing we should be doing today is sending our sympathies and condolences to the Japanese people. We have had a terrible reminder of the destructive power of nature and everyone should be thinking of that country and those people. I have asked immediately that our government should look at what we can do to help."

And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the United Nations is ready to help Japan in any way necessary.

"We will be watching closely as the aftershocks are felt across the Pacific and Southeast Asia throughout the day. I sincerely hope that under the leadership of Prime Minister Kan Naoto and the full support and solidarity of the international community, the Japanese people and government will be able to overcome this difficult time as soon as possible."

Search and Rescue Teams Are Set to Arrive in Japan

So far, a total of 50 nations and regions have promised to provide with relief support, and offers from over 70 specialist rescue services from around the globe have been received by Japan, with crews from Australia, News Zealand, South Korea being requested to join a 150- member team from the United States making its way to the country's northeast.

The international rescue team from China, which consists of 15 experienced specialists, set out to Japan early Sunday morning.

Peng Bibo, head of medics division of China's rescue team, says the team is well prepared and equipped to deliver relief work.

"The 15 members are well trained and experience, who have participated in many rescue work. Advanced devices we've brought enable us to search for the victims, rescue them and deliver medical treatment on the spot."

For days, the quake in Japan has topped headlines in major media in China.

In addition to Premier Wan 28 Jiabao, top officials in some of the country's state institutions including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Defense 29 Minister, Liang Guanglie, have also expressed sympathy and condolences to their Japanese counterparts.

China's Red Cross Society decided 30 on Saturday to donate 1 million yuan, or some 150 thousand U.S. dollars, in emergency aid to its Japanese counterpart.

The Director-General of China Radio International, Wang Gengnian, delivered a special message to CRI"s audience in Japan via programmes and website of CRI's Japanese Service.

Relief Work Underway in Quake-hit Yunnan

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, relief efforts have now been concentrated on coordinating 31 medical treatment, demolishing 32 unsafe buildings, putting up temporary tents, providing food and water to people in the quake-affected town of Yingjiang.

The biggest hospital in Yingjiang was severely 33 damaged by the quake. Tents have been set up, where doctors and nurses are treating the injured.

Guo Zhaoyao, director of the People's Hospital of Yingjiang explains the situation.

"We have set up a special office in the open field in front of our hospital, covering an area of about 1,000 square meters. Temporary tents have been used for the injured from the quake."

According to one patient, they feel safer living in the tents than staying in buildings, and the hospital has provided the patients with sufficient food, water and daily supplies.

Patients hospitalized before the quake were also transferred from the hospital to these temporary installations.

Luckily, support is coming. A medical team, organized by Yunnan Armed Police Hospital, is on the way to Yingjiang. The 20-member team mainly consists of nurses and orthopedists. They are bringing two tons of disaster-relief materials, including medical equipment.

At the same time, local governments have started large-scale demolition 34 work of the unsafe houses in quake-hit areas.

NATO Ministers Agree Handover of Military Leadership

NATO defence ministers have agreed to handover military leadership, from International Security Assistance Force to Afghan forces, in certain areas pending 35 approval from Afghan President, Hamid Karzai.

NATO ministers meeting in Brussels agreed plans to put local troops in the lead across Afghanistan despite widespread violence and persisting weaknesses amongst Afghan police and soldiers.

Ministers from nearly 50 nations endorsed 36 recommendations from a joint 3 Afghan-NATO board on which districts, areas or provinces can make the transition first to Afghan security control.

The transfer is a key step in the West's plans to slowly wind down its military role in Afghanistan.

Afghan forces already have a leading role in parts of Afghanistan, like Kabul, the NATO-backed transition process will begin in earnest this year.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also warns that the decision is not set in stone.

"So today NATO has taken its own decisions regarding the readiness of ISAF to support the transition process. But I want to make clear, that this is not the final decision. Transition will not start until it has been approved by the Afghan government and announced by President Karzai".

The United States, the dominant 37 foreign force in Afghanistan with close to 100,000 soldiers, is preparing to begin withdrawing some troops this year.

U.S. President Barack Obama wants to fulfil a promise to bring home some of the extra 30,000 troops he sent to Afghanistan after a strategy overhaul 38 in 2009, foreign troops will continue to bear much of the burden for years to come.

Britain, which has the second-largest troop contingent 39 in Afghanistan, could start withdrawing as early as 2011 and Prime Minister David Cameron has said he wants to see combat troops out in five years.

France is expected to begin withdrawing troops this year while the war has produced major political casualties in Germany and the Netherlands.

A growing number of other nations fighting in Afghanistan are gearing up for an end to their own combat roles, even though many plan to leave some soldiers behind to train Afghan forces.

Chinese Yuan to be More Convertible 40

China's currency, the yuan, will see major progress in its full convertibility in the next five years, but no timetable has been set to achieve this goal.

Yuan's full convertibility will be determined 41 by many factors. The pilot program to allow yuan in settling cross-border trade will promote its convertibility under the capital account.

Although China has not loosened its control of the capital account, the demand for yuan is on the rise, as the currency is getting more and more popular in cross-border transactions.

According to a government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the ongoing 42 NPC's annual session, China will continue to increase the use of its currency, also known as the renminbi, in cross-border trade and investment this year.

The central bank said earlier this month that it will expand the yuan settlement trial program to the entire country this year from the current 20 provincial 43 regions as there is growing market demand for the business.

China's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said at the press conference that China has confidence in the economy of the Euro zone.

"Although some countries in the Euro zone are having difficulties, we will strongly support them to overcome their current fiscal 44 difficulties to improve their economy."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in the government work report that China will implement 13 a prudent 45 monetary 46 policy in 2011 and has set a money-supply growth target of about 16 percent.

Independent College Exams Flawed, But Welcomed

Anchor: More top universities in China have held their own entrance exams so far this year to select top undergraduate applicants 47 months before the annual national exam.

As Su Yi reports, national political advisors 49 say the country's long-waited college admission reforms are on the right track in an effort to make higher education more diversified 50.

Reporter: Some of the 200-thousand candidates who joined the independent written exams last month are now facing the interview section and physical test this weekend which they were not trained for thoroughly 51 in high school classrooms.

In total 34 of the 80 Chinese universities that are qualified 52 to pick some top students by themselves came together this year in at least four leagues to give the written exam.

Luo Lixiong, physics professor from Guangxi University and also member of the national political advisory 53 body, says it is a good thing that more universities and students join the independent exams. But Prof. Luo worries it will put extra burden on senior high students.

From spring to early summer is the most intense period for candidates taking the national college entrance exam. Now some students may have to prepare for another one, or for some - three separate exams which also are very different from the national one they will face in June.

National political advisor 48 Zhang Qun is also the headmaster of Shanghai Kongjiang Middle Scholl.

"I always support independent exam, but it should not become a battle among top universities for top applicants. I think for those universities that do not have clear thinking about what kind of talent they want it is not necessary to do this. Besides, those exams may make our high school textbooks even harder."

College admission officer Chen Yuehong from Peking University says for top universities, independent admission is necessary.

"Clearly one national exam is not enough to pick diversified talent since far more students are now taking the exam. We do get more talent that usually would not be accepted by Peking University in the national exam which evaluates students solely 54 on written papers."

Apart from the independent exams, China's universities now also accept candidates recommended by the heads of some well-known middle schools, though this channel only covers a tiny part of the some 10 million high school graduates every year in China.

National advisor Zhang Qun says these college admission reforms are on the right track.

"A different person has different potential and no one can have them all. What we should do is to find the appropriate way to nurture 55 them in university and help them prepare well for their future life and career."

Though more than 95 of college students in China are still recruited through the national exam, national advisors say the whole admission system is facing some real changes now, so ambitious ideas and even failed attempts should be tolerated.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

Shanghai Disneyland Park to Open Late

Infrastructure 56 and subordinate projects have been set in Shanghai to ensure the scheduled opening of Disneyland Park at the end of 2014.

Huang Rong, director of the Shanghai Urban Construction and Communications Commission, explains:

"We've arranged some supporting projects this year for Disneyland Park, such as the construction of peripheral 57 projects and a road network including traffic facilities linked to Disneyland Park."

According to the general plan for the Disneyland project, an investment of 24.5 billion yuan will be put towards the first stage, which covers an area of 3.9 square kilometers. Surrounded by a moat, the Park will be centered on an artificial lake.

The plan, publicized on the website of the Shanghai Planning and Land Administrative 58 Bureau, shows that Disneyland will be linked by two local subway lines, Line 2 and Line 11, at a shared station.

Located at the Shanghai International Tourist Resort, an important tourist destination in the Yangtze River Delta 59, Shanghai Disneyland will be 290km away from Nanjing and 180km from Hangzhou. Within Shanghai, the Park will be 12km away from the Shanghai Pudong Airport and 30km away from the Hongqiao Transportation Hub.

The Disneyland Park in Shanghai is the second in China and the sixth in the world, following the ones in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

According to the statistics of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the Hong Kong Disneyland attracted some 5.2 million tourists in 2010.

Equal Retirement 60 Age

Women retire five years earlier than men in China. The retirement age for female workers is 50, and 55 for men. While female officials leave their posts at 55, it is 60 for men of the same status. Such a policy, designed decades ago, is supposed to protect women's health.

In recent years this regulation has been questioned by increasing numbers of women who want to keep their jobs as long as their male colleagues.

An editorial from China Daily says today many women take the policy as discriminatory. For them, earlier retirement means fewer social welfare benefits.

The article further explains that generally speaking a woman is usually younger than her partner and lives longer. Besides, women are likely to have more gaps in their employment history since their careers are interrupted to raise children. This means they often enter retirement with fewer assets than men. What's more, earlier mandatory 61 retirement also limits women's pension income.

The paper adds women are fully 62 able to work longer than before due to improved working conditions and better health. One child at home makes it possible for mothers to concentrate on their jobs.

The editorial concludes equalizing retirement ages for both genders 63 is not only a worldwide trend, but also a logical option. But a more flexible retirement policy would enable women to decide when they want to retire within an upper age limit.

Time to Adjust Family Planning Policy

China's family planning policy has been in practice for over three decades, which is also enshrined in the Constitution. In recent years, more and more voices are calling for amendment 64 to this family planning policy, also known as one-child policy.

An increasing number of people are questioning the negative impact of this policy on China's social and economic development.

An editorial at China Economic Net points out the disadvantages of continuing to carry out this policy.

First and foremost, it is the violation 65 of people's right to reproduce. The right of reproduction is a basic human right, which should not be witheld anytime and under any circumstance.

Second, it has caused an unbalanced mix of population. Due to the stringent 66 one-child policy, the proportion of young people is shrinking, while that of the elderly is increasing. Sooner or later, the issue of aging society will become burning and acute.

Third, the falling fertility rate has resulted in sluggish 67 growth of the labor 68 force, which will eventually threaten economic growth.

The editorial further says some propositions which were thought to be right have been proved wrong. More and more Chinese people have come to realize the weak link between population density 69, the unemployment rate and resource constraints 70.

Wang Feng, commentator 71 of China Economic Net, also supports efforts to fully liberalize the one-child regulation. He proposes the government loosen this control. To start with, couples either of whom is the only child of their family should be allowed to have a second child. To gradually abolish the family planning policy completely is the ultimate goal.