The HRIC Daily Brief is a daily selection of news stories and commentary related to human rights in China, drawn from Chinese- and English-language news and online media sources that we monitor daily. In addition to headlines and source links, HRIC also provides English translation of Chinese headlines.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

March 30, 2005

Top news of the day

Human rights – freedom of speech (intellectuals)
China Fires Media Professor Who Called for Press Freedom
Radio Free Asia, March 29, 2005
Jiao Guobiao, an outspoken Beijing professor in media studies, was sacked by the university “over the length of proposed absence”. It is generally believed that the dismissal may be related to Jiao’s recent article criticising the ruling party of media censorship.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/politics/2005/03/29/China_Media/




News
Bilaterals - China/Africa
A rising China counters US clout in Africa
Christian Science Monitor, March 30, 2005
The Chinese economic juggernaut and its thirst for minerals and markets has increasingly brought it to Africa, including here to Zimbabwe.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0330/p01s01-woaf.html

Children - abuse
Poor village families in Hefei rent their kids to “professional beggar” gang
乞丐帮主住豪华别墅 租农家儿童敛财致富
EastDay.com, March 30, 2005
http://society.eastday.com/eastday/news/node37955/node37958/
node37989/node54764/userobject1ai975486.html

Death penalty
多维追击：河北省承诺加紧调查聂树斌错杀案
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 29, 2005
http://www2.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/2005_3_29_1_8_20_646.html

Education
Campuses to get compulsory dose of moral fibre
SCMP, March 30, 2005
University introduced new curriculum to raise the moral and ideological awareness of students. Students are required to take four compulsory courses including Maoism, Den Xiaoping Theory and Jiang Zemin’s theory of Three Represents.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ0SUE1M6E.html

Education - higher education
China lifts 50-year ban on student marriages
AFP, Mar 30, 2005
China said it would lift from September a 50-year ban on college students marrying or bearing children but warned the relaxed regulations should not change academic priorities.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050330/lf_afp/afplifestylechina_050330144713

Environment
Illegal steel mill fouls key reservoir-Officials helped firm build the massive plant, Xinhua says
SCMP, March 30, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZXFHEAM6E.html

China falls short on environmental protection spending
AFP, March 30, 2005
China's spending on environmental protection will fall 30 percent short of targets for 2001-2005, state media said, despite growing problems sparked by 25 years of rapid economic growth.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/cec43c68456dfb9f/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Food Security - GM Food
NGOs criticized for politicizing GM food controversy
别在转基因食品问题上打爱国牌
YahooNews, March 30, 2005
http://cn.news.yahoo.com/050330/346/2aev8.html

Gender – reproductive health
Baby industry booms
The Standard, March 30, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Focus/GC30Dh02.html

Human Rights - Bilateral Ties
US scholar comments on US human rights report on China
美学者谈国务院人权报告中国部份
Voice of America, March 29, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/W2005-03-29-voa83.cfm

June 4th –EU arm ban
EU accord on lifting arms embargo against China not possible by June
AFP via YahooNews.com, March 29, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050329/wl
_asia_afp/euchinaarmstaiwan_050329195531

Labour
Bid to avert pensions crisis
The Standard, March 29, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/China/GC29Ad06.html

Labor - Employment market and income
Students, workers urged to become boss
China Daily, March 30, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/30/content
_429241.htm

Migrant workers / petitions
Doctor petitions to Premier Wen for migrant workers’ sexual rights
辽宁女医生上书温家宝为农民工争「性」权利
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 30, 2005
http://www2.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/Main
land/cna_2005_03_29_22_50_02_137.html

NGO
Fledgling NGOs told to raise the bar
China Daily, March 30, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/30/content_
429251.htm

Police
Anti-corruption system to be setup in public security department to curb power abuse
公安机关构建反腐制度体系
Legal Daily, March 29, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/xwzx/2005-03/30/content_200
380.htm

Public health - HIV/AIDS
HIV rate soars in southern China city
Big News Network, 30th March, 2005
The number of HIV infections in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen jumped 180 percent in 2004, said a city health report made public Tuesday.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/7d28957831ff7112/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Public health - other
Twenty-seven killed, 285 poisoned in east China chlorine leak
AFP, March 30, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050330/wl_asia_afp/chinachemicalleak

China Compiles 105 Emergency Response Programs
Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2005
China has complied 105 national emergency response programs since the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, said a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) director Wednesday.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/124287.htm

Resettlement - Dam
China to take stern supervisory measures for a "clean" Three Gorges Dam
People’s Daily Online, March 30, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/30/eng20050330_178
703.html

Society - Housing
Public feel helpless with rising interest rates for mortgage loans, survey says
调查显示：面对房贷利率上调，公众多惊讶而无奈
ChinaNews.com, March 30, 2005
A recent survey shows that over 70% of the respondents expressed concerns about the rising interest rate for mortgage loan because it would place a heavy burden for their mortgage payment and discourage them from buying houses in future.
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/news/2005/2005-03-30/26/556
629.shtml

China orders clampdown on property
Bloomberg News, Thursday, March 31, 2005
China's rising property prices pose a threat to the stability of the economy and local officials who fail to take measures to rein in growth will be held to account, the country's highest ruling body has said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/30/bloomberg/sxprop.html