News & Reports 2012-06-02

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In This EditionForeign Minister Yang Jiechi says China stands fully 1 behind Kofi Annan's 6-point peace plan on Syria.
Egypt lifts the three-decades-old state of emergency ahead of the much-anticipated verdict in Hosni Mubarak's case.
In her first trip overseas in more than two decades, Myanmar's opposition 2 leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, spreaks at the World Economic Forum 3 for East Asia in Bangkok.
And new figures from the Ministry 4 of Commerce in China point to this country becoming the world's largest retail 5 e-commerce market next year.
Hot Issue ReportsChinese FM: China to Fully Support Annan's Peace Plan in Resolving Syrian CrisisDespite concerns about its imminent 6 failure, the Chinese government is standing 7 fully behind the 6-point peace plan Kofi Annan is trying to maintain in Syria.
Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi has made this pronouncement at the just concluded China-Arab Cooperation Forum in Tunisia.
"In order to preserve the political solution which did not come easily and to avoid escalation 8 in the Syrian Crisis, the international community should double its efforts and urge the concerned Syrian parties to immediately apply the Security Council's decisions and consider the plan of Mr. Kofi Annan along with a positive cooperation with the observation mechanism 9. The goal is to reach the ceasefire, stop the violence, protect the civilians 10 and pave the ground for easing tensions and promoting the political solution in the Syrian case."Yang Jiechi says China has been shocked and saddened by the recent attacks in the town of Houla, and strongly condemns 11 the killing 12 of innocent civilians, especially women and children.
The killing of 108 people in Houla this past weekend has spurred many countries to expel Syrian diplomats 13.
Syria Blames Rebel Groups for the Houla MassacreSyrian government is pinning the blame for the massacre 14 this past weekend in the village of Houla on rebel groups.
The Syrian authorities say rebel forces launched the massacre to try to provoke international intervention 15.
Brigadier General Qassem Jamal Suleiman heads the Syrian government investigation 16 into the killings 17.
"It was verified that the victims of the massacre are all from peaceful families. I repeat, all the victims are from peaceful families who refused to stand against the government. They have never protested or carried weapons against the government. They disagreed with the armed terrorist groups. The aim is to bring foreign military intervention against the country in any form and way."Suleiman also denies any government role in the killings.
Syrian foreign ministry spokesperson Jihad Makdissi says the Syrian government wants to bring the bloodshed to an end through negotiations 18.
"We want to pacify 19 the situation in order to move to a political solution. It is not the Syrian side who refuses the political solution. I call on you to direct your microphones to the opposition outside the country and ask them if they accept. If they accept, from here, the challenge is open and with guarantees. Whoever refuses foreign intervention in the country is welcomed."The uprising in Syria has been taking place for the last 14-months, leaving some 10-thousand people dead.
Egypt Lifts Decades-long State of Emergency ahead of Mubarak VerdictEgypt's military government has lifted the country's three-decades-old state of emergency ahead of the much-anticipated verdict in Hosni Mubarak's case.
The state of emergency has been in place since 1981 assassination 20 of then-President Anwar Sadat.
It allowed Egypt's security forces to detain suspects and try them in special courts.
Lifting the law is a key demand of last year's uprising that ousted 21 President Hosni Mubarak.
Meantime, the verdict in the case against Mubarak is expected on Saturday.
Mubarak has been tried for the killing of protesters during the Arab Spring revolution.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to anything from three years in jail to the death penalty.
Many in Egypt are concerned that the verdict will be delivered at a very unstable 22 time for the country.
""We have no idea where the country is headed. If Mubarak is not given a verdict, I expect the country will slip into a situation, much worse that what it's in now, especially with the situation brought upon by the elections."Egypt's presidential election later this month is a run-off between Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq and Muslim Brotherhood 23 candidate Mohamed Morsi.
Aung San Suu Kyi: Basic Education & Job Creation Urgently Needed in MyanmarMyanmar's opposition leader has delivered a speech to the World Economic Forum for East Asia in Bangkok, saying her country is in urgent need of basic education to enable people to live a decent life.
Aung San Suu Kyi identified education as key in developing and empowering women, and called for investment for creating jobs.
But she warned of possible corruption 24 as foreign investment makes its way into Myanmar.
"We have to try and eradicate 25 corruption and inequality as we proceed towards greater investment. We do not want more investment to mean more, more possibilities for corruption. We do not want investment to mean greater inequality. We do not want investment to mean greater privileges for the already privileged. We want investment to mean, quite simply, jobs. As many jobs as possible. It's as simple as that."This is Aung San Suu Kyi's first time outside Myanmar in 24 years.
China Expects to Become the Largest Retail E-commerce Market in 2013New figures from the Ministry of Commerce in China are pointing to this country becoming the world's largest retail e-commerce market next year.
CRI's Liu Min has more.
A recent report issued by the Ministry of Commerce indicates that e-commerce transactions in China last year totaled 5.88 trillion yuan, a 29-percent increase from a year earlier, and accounted for 12.5 percent of the country's GDP.
Li Jinqi, Director of the E-commerce and Information Technology Department at the Ministry of Commerce, says e-commerce has changed the traditional sales model in China.
"In recent years, e-commerce has seen rapid growth in China. It has been integrated into all kinds of aspects of the economic and societal development. Online retailing 26 has boosted the economy and helped more enterprises to grow, which has created jobs for people. Under the current development trend, by 2013, China will likely to become the largest online retail e-commerce market in the world."Li says the number of online shoppers topped 194 million at the end of 2011.
The report states that so far most large enterprises in China have applied 27 e-commerce in their daily business operations. At the same time, more than 40 percent of small- and medium-sized enterprises in China have used e-commerce platforms for purchasing and marketing 28. Of the total e-business trade in 2011, 1.7 trillion yuan came from e-business in medium and large companies, a 19-percent increase from 2010.
Li Jinqi says the Chinese government is supporting e-commerce development.
"Thanks to the fast development of information technology, e-commerce has been integrated smoothly 29 into the virtual economy and become an efficient tool of resource distribution. Most of the countries in the world have adopted e-commerce as an important strategy for competition in the global market. Chinese government also encourages better services for small- and medium-size enterprises engaged in e-commerce business. E-commerce is a rising industry in China, and it is also a major channel for the supply and delivery of goods."But several problems have emerged along with the rapid development of e-commerce. Fraudulent online advertisement and sales traps have damaged consumer confidence in online shopping.
Internet Issue Commentator 31 Wang Zhian from Beijing says the relevant law has to be further improved.
"The law in China is not closely following the rapid development of areas like e-commerce. Legislation always lags behind real life. My suggestion is the government has to take quick action in this respect so that the e-commerce can develop sustainably."Statistics from China Internet Network Information Center indicate that China's e-commerce transaction volume via third-party online payment platforms saw a jump of about 100 percent for the fifth consecutive 32 year last year. More reliable and safe online sales services are expected to emerge as the market continuous to grow.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
Traffic Law Experts Calling for more Awareness 33 of Child Car Seats UseTraffic law experts in China are launching a new campaign to try to make parents more aware of the need to have their children buckled 35 in car seats in their vehicles.
CRI's Shen Chengcheng has more.
Motor vehicle crashes are the 2nd most common way for children under 14 to die accidentally here in China, behind drowning.
Statistical 36 analysis suggests that an average of 10 children are killed in traffic accidents here in China every day.
Research shows that child safety seats reduce a child's risk of fatal injury by around 45 percent.
However, here in China, less than 0.1-percent of parents actually buckle 34 their children into a safety-seat.
Mrs. Li is the mother of a 3-year-old.
She's among the narrow 0.1 percent.
Mrs. Li has 2 car seats for her son, both of which were manufactured outside China.
She admits the entire process, from purchase to installation, wasn't easy.
"It's probably because the sales of the safety seats are very low, so the salespeople 37 have rather limited knowledge of different seat types and installation tips. And my first time installing the seat, that was really hard, part of the reason is that the manual is all in English that I can't understand."Despite the extra trouble to try to make sense of the manual in English, Mrs. Li says she's sticking with imported seats.
"These foreign countries have legislated 39 the use of child safety seats, so their seats have gone through numerous tests. However, here in China, child car seats have just been introduced for a few years, and it makes me question the safety of those domestic brands. I think I'd rather buy the expensive foreign brands."A child safety seat manufactured outside China can cost upward of 2-thousand yuan.
Mr. Jiang has been living in the United States for 6 years, where his son was born.
He says prices in the United States are much more reasonable.
"The most common child car seats are sold at the mall for just over a hundred dollars. I think the price is affordable 40 for Americans."Mr. Jiang says he believes there is a greater emphasis on safety, rather than comfort, in the US.
"For older kids, they do feel uncomfortable sitting in the restrained seats. But I think parents should learn that the seat is really necessary first, so that they would to talk their kids into it."Ding Limin is a traffic law expert with the Chinese People's Public Security University.
He says, at the moment, trying to force parents into buying a safety seat isn't the right approach.
"We need to educate the public so that they want to install the seat. If we legislate 38 the use of the seat, people would come up with all kinds of ways to get around the law. On top of that, I think we should never let fake safety seats flood the market. We shouldn't make people think that it's enough to just have a seat, because that way kids still can't be protected."Ding suggests one option to increase the use of child safety seats in China is to have them as an installation option when people buy a new vehicle.
For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.
Chinese Cities Adjust Property RegulationsDozens of cities in China are in the process of fine-tuning their rules surrounding property purchases amid the slowdown of the economy.
CRI's Li Jing has the details.
Chinese central government has enforced curbs 42 to rein 43 in surging housing price about two years ago.
This week, Chongqing municipality is the latest one among some 40 cities across China fine-tuning property policies, with doubled upper-limit on low-interest loans.
Hunan province meanwhile has lowered down payment requirements for first-time buyers, offered favorable interest rates and cut transaction fees.
Some cities are implementing 44 property tax breaks to attract home buyers.
Insiders say such policies could bring about positive impact on the market. Cheng Haoye is marketing research manager with 5i5j Real Estate.
"For example, 15 percent off in loan interest rate in Beijing could mean housing price lowered by nearly 7 percent for a 90 square-meter apartment between five or six ring road. Such policies can give substantial benefits to home buyers, for example, lower prices and stronger purchasing power due to favorable policies in bank loans."However, according to financial economist 45 Yi Xianrong with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, such measures won't make much difference in property market.
"There are no fundamental changes in national policies to curb 41 housing prices. They are just fine-tuned policies. The housing price in general is still high."Real estate is traditionally a key driver of China's economic growth, pumping money into construction and other industries. As the world's second largest economy shows signs of weakness, it is widely speculated that China's property market is to collapse 46, and the future is pessimistic. But Cheng Haoye says the situation is not that bad.
"The national market is quite good in the past two months, with 40 or 50 percent of increase in sales compared the same period of last year, though the average price is lower. The property market is not as dim as it is described."Statistics show that China's housing prices have dropped for eight consecutive months, but sales in Beijing have increased more than 40 percent year-on-year last month, reaching the same level before strict purchasing controls.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
Giorgio Armani in ChinaItalian fashion designer Giorgio Armani is in Beijing celebrating a decade of Armani in China.
The 77 year old hosted a star studded party last night called 'One Night Only in Beijing', topped of with a show featuring couture pieces inspired by the East.
Taiwanese actress Kwai Lun-mei who attended the event says Armani's designs are as always sophisticated:
"The design is in a simple style and within the simplicity 47 you can feel the elements of sexiness. In every season's collection you can see clearly what he would like to express."Other celebrity 48 guests included American singer Mary J. Blige, Crouching 49 Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Michelle Yeoh and Chinese movie stars Liu Ye and Fan Bingbing.
The fashion master is keeping busy while in Beijing.
He gave a seminar to fashion students yesterday at Tsing Hua University with Vogue 50 China's editor in Chief Angelica Cheung.
Armani has close ties with the University, where he sponsors a program for research into globalisation and fashion.
Two beaming students were also awarded an apprenticeship 51 with the famous designer in Milan.
CNNNew York City officials are proposing to ban the sale of large-size sodas 52 and other sugary beverages 53 at restaurants and food carts.
The ban would outlaw 54 such drinks larger than 16 ounces at restaurants, food carts and any other establishments that receive letter grades for food service. It would not apply to grocery stores.
Critics -- including McDonald's and Coca-Cola, which stand to be hurt by the proposal -- quickly assailed 55 it as "misguided" and "arbitrary."The New York City Department of Health will submit the measure to the Board of Health on June 12. There will then be a three-month comment period before the board votes on the proposal.
If approved, the city's proposal would take effect six months after Board of Health approval and would be enforced by the city's regular restaurant inspection 56 team.
A statement from Bloomberg's office says restaurant owners will have nine months from the adoption 57 of the proposal until they face fines, which will be 200 US dollars.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city authorities are not taking away anybody's right to do something; they're simply making it different for them in how they do it.
He says more than half of NYC adults (58%) are overweight or obese 58 and the city spends $4 billion a year on medical care for overweight people.
Tianfu Morning News (A Sichuan local newspaper)More than 300 women in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, have signed up to compete to become a billionaire's bride.
The June 3 event was organized by Chinese Entrepreneurs Club for Singles in the city.
Applicants 59 have to go through a comprehensive evaluation 60 in 10 categories, including personality, psychological test, physical condition, financial capability 61, and views on marriage. The average age of the hopefuls is 27, ranging from 19 to 41.
The wealthy bachelors come from different cities, and are aged 30 31 to 46. The entrepreneur usually own assets worth hundreds of millions of yuan. The men do not attend the interviews personally, and a consultant 62 group is in charge of the selection process.
A similar event in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, drew 320 women on May 20, 2012.
The wife selection activity will be held in other cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, and a total of 20 bachelors are expected to participate.
AFPSheep plunged 63 onto cars on a busy Australian highway after a truck carrying 400 livestock 64 crashed while crossing an overpass 65, spilling its cargo 66 into the path of terrified motorists below.
The dramatic accident late Thursday near Melbourne saw dead and injured sheep fall onto at least two moving cars and into the paths of others.
Police said one of the vehicles rolled numerous times but the occupants were not injured.
The police says in a statement that the truck is hanging over the overpass just above the Princes Freeway while a number of sheep fell to the road below, hitting two vehicles.
Motorists described chaotic 67 scenes.
One woman whose car was hit says they just ran straight into the sheep and she felt so bad for the sheep and disturbed by the horrific scene.
Television footage showed the truck hanging precariously 68 off the overpass with dead sheep in the wreck 69 and littering the road below.
Police said the crashed truck had rolled over on a bend and there did not appear to be any other vehicles involved in causing the accident.
Market UpdateU.S. stocks tumbled on Friday after the highly-anticipated report showed the recovery in the U.S. jobs market was sharply slowing down.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged over 2 percent to 12,119. The Standard & Poor's 500 plunged 2.5 percent to 1,278. The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 2.8 percent to 2,747.
In Europe, London's FTSE 100 fell 1 percent to 5,260. Frankfurt's DAX lost 3 percent to 6,050. CAC 40 in Parys was down 2 percent to 2,950.