February 18, 2005

Top news of the day

Law – legal reform
Issues highlighted on top reform priority as China speeds up legal reform efforts in 2005
中国司法改革在提速 力度加大亮点频现
Xinhuanet.com, February 18, 2005
China speeds up efforts in advancing legal reform in 2005, in which legal appeal mechanism, jury system and judicial committee appeared to be given top priority for the upcoming reform.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-02/18/content_25
89511.htm


News

Children – abuse (trafficking)
Crackdown on baby trafficking gang in Inner Mongolia
贩卖76名婴幼儿　内蒙古20名主犯被移送起诉
Nanfang Daily, February 18, 2005
Inner Mongolian police cracked down of a Hohhot-based baby trafficking group which had sold over 76 babies since 1988. 20 major suspects were arrested.
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/dd/nfrb/A06/2005
02180140.asp

Corruption
Cadres held over 60m yuan mega-university scandal
SCMP, February 18, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ9U79585E.html

Food security – GM food
China planning large-scale introduction of genetically-engineered rice
AFP via YahooNews.com, February 17, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/2005
0217/wl_asia_afp/chinafoodagriculturegmo

June 4th – EU arms ban
US, Europe Differ on China Arms Embargo
Voice of America, February 17, 2005
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-02-17-voa68.cfm

Labour – Industrial accidents (Liaoning Fuxin case)
Death toll in China mine blast rises to 212
AFP via YahooNews.com, February 18, 2005
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/2005
0218/wl_asia_afp/chinamineblasttoll

Grief-stricken coal city's grim realities
SCMP, February 18, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZIM89585E.html

Labour activist blames low compensation for poor safety record
SCMP, February 18, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZIWOI985E.html

NE gas blast rings bell for greater awareness of coal mine safety
Xinhua News Agency, 18 February 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/19/content_2592934.htm

Military - modernization
China's Military Moves Worry Lawmakers
Associated Press, 2.18.2005
President Bush's plan for the Navy calls for buying fewer ships, while China, a potential security hot spot, is increasing and repositioning its fleet. It's a prospect that concerns some lawmakers.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050218/ap_on_go_co/us_china

Rumsfeld Warns of Concern About Expansion of China's Navy
The New York Times, 18 February 2005
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday that the Pentagon was closely monitoring the growth of China's navy as part of that country's overall military buildup.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/politics/18military.html

China assails CIA report on weapons buildup
Reuters, February 18, 2005
China issued a denunciation Thursday of a U.S. assessment that its weapons buildup is tilting the balance of power in the Taiwan Straits, and it said the comments sent the wrong signal to Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing claims as its own.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/17/news/beijing.html

Protests and petitions
Interpretation of the new Regulation on Petition: moving towards a law-based system
信访走向法治化———新的《信访条例》解析
People’s Daily, February 17, 2005
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/30178/3182048.html

Public health
Newlyweds slow to use free check-ups
SCMP, February 18, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZEM89585E.html

Health reforms 'crucial to erasing poverty'
SCMP, February 18, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZTVOI985E.html

China reports no large-scope breakouts of infectious diseases last year
Xinhua News Agency, 18 February 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/18/content_2592625.htm

Public health – HIV aids
Henan plans to include information on aids prevention into school syllabus
河南欲将艾滋病防治知识纳入学校教学计划
YouthNet.com, February 17, 2005
http://china.ynet.com/view.jsp?oid=4697837

Reforms - population control
As Girls 'Vanish,' Chinese City Battles Tide of Abortions
NYT, February 17, 2005
The warning hanging above a main street could not have been
more blunt, its big white characters set off against a bright red banner
promising to "firmly crack down on the criminal activity of drowning and other
ways of brutally killing female babies."
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2005/02/17/international/asia/17china.html&tntemail0

Religion
Chinese Christian recounts ordeal, calls for end to religious persecution
Axcess News via China Digital News.com, February 15, 2005
http://www.axcessnews.com/national_021505c.shtml

Reins tight on religious affairs
The Standard, February 18, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Focus/GB18Dh01.html

Inner Mongolia
In Inner Mongolia, Tribe Resists Bid To Turn Shrine Into a Theme Park
Radio Free Asia, February 17, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/social/2005/02/17/china_
mongolian/

Society
Middle class society? It's still a long way off in China
China Daily, February 18, 2005
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/18/content_
417241.htm

Hong Kong – one-county-two systems
"One Country, Two Systems" becomes successful reality in HK: justice chief
People’s Daily, February 18, 2005
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200502/18/eng20050218_
173878.html