News & Reports 2012-03-17

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

In This EditionThe international community, including China, Russia and the United States, has expressed concerns over North Korean's announcement of planned satellite launch next month.
Belgium observes a day of national mourning for the 22 children and six adults killed in a coach crash in Switzerland.
Apple China has for the first time officially replied to piracy 1 accusations 2 over its app store, saying it will "respond promptly 3 and properly" to complaints about copyright infringements 5 in an email.
The 6th Bookworm International Literary Festival gets underway in three cities across China.
Hot Issue ReportsDPRK to Launch Application Satellite Next MonthThe international community, including China, Russia and the United States, has expressed concerns over North Korean's announcement of planned satellite launch next month.
Chinese vice 6 Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun met with Ji Jae Ryong, North Korean ambassador to China, on Friday to express China's worry over the matter.
Zhang said China hopes parties concerned will stay calm, exercise restraint and avoid escalation 7 of tension that may lead to a more complicated situation.
Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry 8 spokesman Liu Weimin said all parties involved in the Korean Peninsula issue should make "constructive 9 efforts".
"We are aware of this news from North Korea. Keeping peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the northeastern Asian region aligned 10 with all sides' interests is the hope of the international community. This will require all sides to make constructive efforts."Meanwhile, South Korea's foreign ministry has denounced the planned launch as a "grave provocation 11".
Russia called on Pyongyang not to go ahead with it.
The United States said it would violate U.N. resolutions and represent a destabilizing influence in the region. Washington also said it would be "very hard" to go forward with its planned food assistance to Pyongyang after the satellite launch announcement.
And Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki- moon, said he is "seriously concerned" about the North Korean plan.
North Korean announced earlier in the day that it would launch an "earth observation" satellite in mid 13 April, using a long-range rocket to mark the 100th birthday of late leader Kim Il-Sung.
Under the UN Security Council Resolution 1874, North Korea is prohibited from conducting launches that use ballistic missile technology.
Belgium Marks National Mourning for Bus Crash VictimsFlags are flying at half mast all over Belgium as the country observes a day of national mourning Friday the for 22 children and six adults killed in a coach crash in Switzerland.
Only 24 people survived the crash, although some are still in critical condition.
Belgian authorities have started repatriating 14 many of the dead, while some of the survivors 15 are also on their way back.
The coach, which was carrying school groups from two Belgian towns home from a ski trip, crashed into the wall of a tunnel earlier this week.
The grieving communities have laid flowers and candles outside the schools in Belgium.
"I have also two grandchildren, imagine that they are after ten years, they are twelve, they go home from a ski holiday, and they come back like this. There are no words for this. There is only silence. We can hope, that the parents and the grandparents become better after some time. But I think, this will last twenty years."Flags outside the European Union Commission and Council buildings were also lowered, as a sign of respect for the victims, and a minute's silence were observed around the country at 11 a.m. local time.
Afghanistan Updates US Soldier LawyerUS Defence Secretary Leon Panetta appears optimistic after meetings with Afghanistan's leadership in Kabul, despite calls from the Afghan President Hamid Karzai to limit US troop movements.
"There's no question we're going to be tested. And we'll continue to be tested in months ahead. This is a war. We will continue to, I'm sure, see incidents of violence of one kind or another. But the key is how we respond and how we are able to confront those kinds of challenges, and how we are able to maintain the forward movement, the forward progress that we've achieved."Karzai earlier called from an immediate 16 end to patrols in rural areas and for Afghan forces to take control of all security from next year.
The Taliban also announced that it would suspend negotiations 17 with the U.S., but the White House said the U.S. remains 18 committed to an Afghan-led process towards reconciliation 19.
Meanwhile, prominent Seattle defense 20 attorney John Henry Browne will represent the U.S. soldier accused of killing 21 16 Afghans, mostly women and children.
Browne said the soldier's family was shocked at what had happened and claimed he haboured no animosity towards Muslims or people from the Middle East.
"They were totally shocked. He's never said anything antagonistic 22 about Muslims, he's never said anything antagonistic about Middle Eastern individuals. He's, in general, been very mild-mannered. So they were very shocked by this."Browne said his client was upset about being redeployed to the Middle East, where he had been injured on two previous tours of duty.
"He was told that he was not going to be redeployed. The family was counting on him not being redeployed. And so he and the family were told that his tours in the Middle East were over and then literally 23 overnight, that changed. So I think that it would be fair to say that he and the family were not happy that he was going back."The soldier has not yet been named, although has been described as a father of two.
OECD Chief: World Needs to Improve Global Governance to Tackle Challenges; China Plays a Key RoleThe Secretary-General of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria has stressed the importance of improving global governance for the international community, especially the emerging economies to tackle the current challenges.
Gurria made the remarks when he was delivering a speech at China Institute of Intenational Studies when he has outlined a few challenges that the world is currently facing, ranging from global financial crisis and climate change to rising inequalities and increasing unemployment, all these issues of which can only be solved by means of a more effective global governance and joining forces.
"We need more inclusive global governance because there is no longer any single country or even small groups of countries that enjoys global economic supremacy 24. Emerging economies represent around 86 percent of the world's population and 50 percent of the world's GDP. They are now the main source of global economic growth. We cannot build a better global economy without their contribution. We also need more effective global governance to rise to the challenges posed by this interconnected world."Gurria added there are at least three crucial actors that can make a significant contribution to the construction of this new inclusive and effective global governance architecture. They are OECD, Group of 20, or G20 and China.
"The OECD is becoming an increasingly active source of analysis and consensus 25 for a new global governance architecture. We are launching an unprecedented 26 initiative to renew our economic thinking, helping 27 us refocus our policy advice and learn from other alternative economic and development models. The G20 is also now making efforts to take a global quantum leap on green growth, under the Presidency 28 of Mexico."Gurria finally affirmed China's contribution in this regard.
"The contribution of China to global fora and governance is crucial. But the great potential of this contribution depends on our capacity to understand each other and to learn from each other to address common challenges and meet shared objectives."Gurria also cited an ongoing 29 OECD study on long trends estimating that China will surpass the US to become the world's largest economy in the early 2020s.
OECD, founded in 1961 is an international economic organization of 34 countries to stimulate 30 economic progress and world trade. It is a forum 31 of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies of its members.
For CRI, this is Wei Tong.
Apple (China) Responds to Piracy AccusationApple China has for the first time officially replied to piracy accusations over its app store, saying it will "respond promptly and properly" to complaints about copyright infringements in an email.
However, the company's U.S. headquarters could not be reached for comment.
The Writers' Union Against Copyright Violation 32, an unofficial campaign consisting of a dozen leading Chinese authors, has filed a formal complaint to Apple over issue, demanding that the IT giant removes 95 unauthorized book-apps from iTunes and "bear legal liabilities and responsibilities."Bei Zhicheng is the executive head of the writers' campaign.
"After we arrived at Apple China's office, we spent a long time negotiating. In the end, we were told that the complaint will be dealt with by Apple headquarters in California and that no one in Apple China is allowed to comment on it."Zhang Hongbo, deputy director-general of China Written Works Copyright Society voiced support for the campaign.
"We will take legal actions. For example, we are sending a lawyer's letter to Apple Incorporation 33 to demand reasonable response. Besides that, we are also filing complaints to relevant government departments."The organization is investigating and obtaining evidence concerning Apple China's alleged 34 infringement 4 of the lawful 35 rights writers in China.
Japanese Rock Band L'Arc en Ciel Performing in TaipeiVeteran Japanese rock band L'Arc en Ciel are performing in Taipei on Saturday as part of their world tour.
The rock band kicked off their 2012 World Tour in Hong Kong at the start of the month.
It's the first time they've toured since 2008.
Their much anticipated 12th studio album, "Butterfly", has also just been released.　It's their first album in four years and has already grabbed the number 1 spot on the Japanese music charts.
Band member Ken 36 says he loves that every performance is unique.
"In Japan, the atmosphere changes from venue 37 to venue and from day to day. We are looking forward to audiences bringing all kinds of energy to the performance and making a different kind of atmosphere."The tour will also take the band to the Europe and the US - where they will reportedly be the first Japanese act to play at Madison Square Gardens.
Bookworm International Literary FestivalThe 6th Bookworm International Literary Festival (BLF) got underway this week in three cities across China, including venues 38 here in Beijing, the city of Suzhou and the cultural hub of Sichuan's capital Chengdu.
The festival has always hosted an array of international literary authors from all over the world, as well as showcasing home grown talent here in China.
CRI's Rebecca Hume reports:
Now in it's 6th year, the Bookworm International Literary Festival aims to reach out to a varied 39 cross section of the community.
Kadi Hughes festival director from BLF says the festival creates an opportunity for international writers to learn more about China and the emerging literature scene:
"Modern contemporary china is something a lot of people are interested in but they don't know how to access it. For us we are able to help authors see modern china and talk to writers and to meet regular people who live here in Beijing and hear about their lives."Hughes says it's not only about sharing culture, but about showcasing different styles of literature:
"I also think that our audience here is mainly an English speaking audience and what they are interested in is Chinese authors, but they don't necessarily know how to access those authors. But by having events with authors in English they can learn more about what Chinese writers who are writing and publishing in China are actually writing and not going directly to the source."Highlights at this years festival include talks from Chinese chick lit writer Jin Renshun, British murder mystery author Paul French, who will be talking about his latest novel 'Midnight in Peking' and Di An, one of China's most buzzed about young writers.
The festival also holds events and activities for children and for the last two years BLF has ran a migrant schools programme, where international authors hold storytelling workshops:
"the kids are given the starting point of a poem or a short story that we all start together and then the kids complete by themselves, We are really excited this year that the winners of the contest, the migrant school kids will be coming to the Bookworm on the last day of the festival."The Chinese language programme is also a popular feature at the Bookworm Festival, Hughes says they aim to pair an international author with a Chinese author to them explore literary themes:
"It's a way to introduce an international author to a new audience and a new audience to that author. Most of these events pair an international author with a Chinese author and really interesting conversations usually come out of that. I think a lot of these authors are writing about similar things, similar universal themes that are happening. Its really nice to see the connections between these writers."The Bookworm International Literary festival runs simultaneously 40 in Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu until the 23rd of March.
For CRI, I'm Rebecca Hume.
Food Prices Stubborn though CPI DownsSome Chinese economists 41 now predict that China would undergo persistent 42 consumer price increase within this year.
This pessimistic sentiment runs counter to the upbeat inflation figure in February, which posted the lowest level in 20 months.
Zhang Wan 43 has more.
The February CPI of 3.2 percent is the first time that the country's monthly inflation rate has fallen below 4 percent since October 2010.
Liu Yuanchun, Assistant Dean of the Institute of Economics at Renmin University, elaborates.
"The shopping spree during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday boosted retail 44 prices in January. But ever since, the prices of upstream products have fallen."Food prices, which account for nearly one-third of the weighting in the calculation of China's CPI, rose 6.2 percent in February from a year earlier. This was a sharp decrease from January's 10.5 percent rise when China's Lunar New Year holiday boosted food prices.
What do citizens think about the CPI seeing its lowest pace in 20 months?
"Vegetables are more expensive than meat.""The price of garlic sprout 45 is 12 yuan per kilogram. It's too expensive.""The price of pork has dropped."Many citizens are confused as to why vegetable prices have remained almost unchanged although the CPI's growth speed has slowed. Expert Liu Yuanchun explains there are fundamental differences between the CPI and actual commodity prices.
"Commodity price is an absolute number, but the CPI is an index. For example, if the CPI changes from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent, it means that consumer prices are still rising but at a slower pace. They are totally two different concepts."Figures from the Xinfadi Vegetable Wholesale 46 Market in Beijing also indicate that the prices of pork and eggs decreased after the Spring Festival, but that vegetable prices remained the same and are likely to rise.
Experts say the continual cold weather in the north and rain in the south have damaged vegetable crops.
Last week, the average wholesale price of 18 staple 48 vegetables rose 2.6 percent week-on-week, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The price of Chinese cabbage rose 15 percent last week from a week earlier, while the price of white gourd 49 was up 11 percent.
The average wholesale price of eight staple aquatic 50 products gained 1 percent, while the price of hairtail went up 2 percent.
Easing inflation in February reflected the impact of measures the government adopted last year, such as increasing the supply of products and better regulating the logistics sector 51. Nevertheless, some experts caution that even though macroeconomic policies have gradually taken effect, upward price pressures will persist.
For CRI, I'm zhang Wan.
Global TimesMicrobloggers here in China have had mixed reactions about the real-name registration 52 rule, which is required of all users by the end of today. Both new and existing Weibo users must have their accounts verified or face being banned from posting or forwarding messages, according to the rule issued by the Beijing Internet Information Office (BIIO).
Sina Weibo says 60 percent of its 300 million users have completed identity verification.
Tong Liqiang who is a deputy director of BIIO, says the rule aims to protect Web users' interests and improve credibility on the Internet, especially where rumors 53 and fraud is concerned. Service providers say users personal information is safe from leaks.
***************************China DailyThe Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee has announced More than 50 Chinese furniture designers are to have their works exhibited in Milan this coming April The exhibition, which is part of the Beijing Design Week & Milan, will showcase more than 80 pieces of contemporary seating designed by the Chinese artists. A series of talks are also being held including business to business commerce exchanges as well as visits between enterprises and institutions interested in finding out more about the innovations of Chinese designers. Beijing Design Week is an annual event which celebrates local talent and technology design. Milan is the guest city of the 2012 Beijing Design Week.
***************************BBCNew evidence published in the journal Plos One. has linked the environment in the womb with increased body weight in later life. Scientists have apparently 54 found changes around DNA 55 at birth which may result from a mother's diet or exposure to pollution or stress. They then linked these changes to a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in children aged 47 about nine years of age. But the researchers say more work is needed to definitively 56 prove the link between these changes and obesity 57.
Childhood or adult obesity has many causes, including diet, but scientists have previously 58 linked specific genes 59, such as the FTO gene 12, with increased body weight. Also Epigenetics - which can play a role in the way genes are "expressed" or encoded into the many proteins which we need to grow and function. These changes are thought to be caused in part by exposure to environmental factors such as diet, stress, smoking or hormones 60, particularly in the womb and during early childhood.
Market UpdateU.S. stocks ended mixed after seesawing 61 around breakeven line on Friday as investors 62 found little reason to push stocks even higher amid lackluster economic data.
The Dow Jones industrial average snapped a seven-day winning streak 63 and slipped 0.2 percent to end the week at 13,233. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 0. 1 percent to 1,404. The Nasdaq Composite Index edged down 0.04 percent to 3,055.
In Europe, London's FTSE 100 gained 0.4 percent to 5966. Frankfurt's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 7158. CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.4 percent 3595.