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.

Monday, March 07, 2005

March 5-7, 2005

Top news of the day

Human rights – human rights defenders
Year-long work ban for activist lawyer Guo Guoting
SCMP, March 5, 2005
Shanghai authority plans to suspect the licence of activist lawyer Guo Guoting (郭國汀) for one year after Guo admitted positing essays on China and overseas websites in a judicial hearing.
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ851L985E.html


NGOs
NGOs to keep links to official agencies
SCMP, March 7, 2005
New regulations governing the registration of NGOs will be announced in the next few months; however, officials ruled out the speculation that “dual management system” would be scrapped under the new regulations
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZW6DA585E.html



News
Education
Minister of Education reveals universal education to senior secondary in 2020
教育部部长周济透露 二0二0年前普及高中教育
Xinhuanet.com, March 6, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-03/06/content_26
57171.htm

China to give aid to poor students
Big News Network, 6th March, 2005 (UPI)
China's premier has said the country will provide students from poor families in rural areas with free textbooks and exempt them from paying miscellaneous fees.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/fcc373aea548154e
/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

University Loses Lawsuit Against Student in Exam Cheat Case
Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2005
A local court in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, ruled Thursday that Zhengzhou University should withdraw its decision to expel one of its students
(surname Dong), who was found cheating on an exam.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/121945.htm

Food Security
Food security 'is assured' as farms meet 95pc of mainland's grain needs
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ7L2L985E.html

China Says More Support Needed for Farmers
AP, Mar 6, 2005
China has more than enough grain reserves to cover its immediate needs, but farmers need more help if the country is to ensure future food supplies, officials said Sunday.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050306/ap_on_re_as/china_food_security

Government – Civil Services
Premier needs to tackle the bloated government payroll
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZOO2L985E.html

Now hiring: haughty officials with bad attitude
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZY7DA585E.html

26:1 an unprecedented citizen-to-government official ratio in history
史无前例：中国26个百姓养1个官
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 6, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/SinoNews/
Mainland/2005_3_6_2_12_31_917.html

Human rights – bilateral ties
Top adviser urges state to stay out of rights row with US
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZS6DA585E.html

June 4th – EU arms ban
Arms embargo 'is political discrimination against China'
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZDNGA585E.html

China rebuffs arms ban fears
FT, March 6, 2005
China on Sunday dismissed suggestions that the lifting of the European Union's arms embargo would prompt a surge in weapons purchases, saying it did not have the money to buy “expensive and useless” equipment from the EU.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/4124f10e-8e3b-11d9-8aae-00000e25
11c8,_i_rssPage=9d5b9ebe-c8bc-11d7-81c6-0820abe49a01.html

Labour
Minimum wage raised to fix labour shortage
SCMP, March 5, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTPEA585E.html

Labour – employment market
China expects higher urban unemployment rate
Xinhuanet.com, March 6, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/06/content_2657
935.htm

Law – judicial system
Advisors underline judicial justice in harmonious society
People’s Daily, March 6, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/06/eng20050306_
175763.html

Media – press freedom / Politics – NPC
Party propaganda department bans media “over” coverage of mine accidents as meetings of NPC and CPPCC in progress
“两会” 中宣部：媒体禁止炒作矿难
Dajiyuan.com, March 6, 2005
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/5/3/6/n838286.htm

Political dissidents - petitions and protests
China parliament protesters held
BBC, 2005/03/07
Up to 20 people have staged a protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, outside the building hosting China's annual parliamentary session.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4324821.stm

Politics – political reform
Political reform a pre-requisite of the buildup of harmonious society
新政构建和谐社会　先要改革政治体制
Chinesenewsnet.com, March 6, 2005
http://www1.chinesenewsnet.com/gb/MainNews/Forums/BackSt
age/2005_3_5_16_1_21_152.html

Politics – NPC & CPPCC
Jiang submits final resignation
SCMP, March 5, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZZ11L985E.html

Population
China to continue keeping birth rate low
Xinhuanet.com, March 7, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/07/content_266117
2.htm

China ponders gender ID law
Big News Network, 7th March, 2005 (UPI)
A Chinese legislator is calling for tighter regulations on the use of ultrasound machines to identify the sex of fetuses, a report said Monday.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/4dfcc74c6759588
f/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Public health / Politics – NPC & CPPCC
Medical monitoring, price reforms to help poor and tackle graft
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZBJ2L985E.html

Public health - AIDS
China plans better AIDS treatment in 2005
Big News Network, 6th March, 2005 (UPI)
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised Saturday to accelerate reform and development of health care in 2005, including disease prevention and emergency systems.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/a14c8ba74fd72f
7a/cid/9366300fc9319e9b/

Reform - social development
China to Beef up Weak Links in Social Development
Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2005
China will spend 13.78 percent more on beefing up weak links in social development.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/121913.htm

China to Help More Street Children
Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2005
China is taking steps to deal with its increasing number of homeless children, said Zhang Shifeng, deputy director of the Ministry Civil Affairs' social welfare office.
http://china.org.cn/english/2005/Mar/121989.htm

Rural issues - poverty
China's Wen spells out action to beat inequality
FT, March 7 2005
Wen Jiabao, China's premier, laid out his government's agenda for the next year at the start of the annual National People's Congress with a speech stressing action to address economic inequalities, inefficiencies and imbalances.
http://story.chinanationalnews.com/p.x/ct/9/id/7d34f19c0553bb
75/cid/9366300fc9319e9b

State secrets
Sensitive archives 'have not been doctored'
SCMP, March 7, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ9MGA585E.html

Women - employment
Job Fair for Women Attracts a Crowd
Shanghai Daily March 7, 2005
The Shanghai Women's Federation organized a job fair exclusively for women yesterday, in response to a survey suggesting a growing number of young women can't find work in the city.
http://china.org.cn/english/China/121994.htm

Taiwan
China: Keep Taiwan Out of Alliance
AP, Mar 6, 2005
China's foreign minister warned Japan and the United States on Sunday not to include Taiwan within the scope of their military alliance, saying Beijing would not permit interference in what it considers an internal matter.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050306/ap_on_re_as/china_us_taiwan