December 17-19, 2005

Top News of the Day

WTO
Tentative Steps Forward Seen as Better Than None at All
Financial Times, December 19, 2005
The World Trade Organization's Sixth ministerial meeting has reached a consensus on the removal of export subsidies on all agricultural products within 8 years, among other agreements.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/d0e6f070-6fff-11da-a1f7-0000779e2340.html

Xinjiang
Bias Getting Worse in Guangzhou, Say Muslims
SCMP, December 19, 2005
An increasing number of Arab and Uyghur Muslims are moving from the northwestern Xinjiang Autonomous Region to settle in the southern Guangdong Province, claiming that they are discriminated against in Xinjiang.
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZN85QJRGE.html

Related News
Uyghur Dissident's Employees Freed After Seven Months in a Chinese Jail
Radio Free Asia, December 16, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/english/releases/2005/12/16/uyghur_akide/


News

Death Penalty
律师提出刑事诉讼法修改意见 拟参加死刑复核 (Lawyers Give Feedback on Draft of Revised Criminal Procedure Law, Suggesting that Defense Lawyers Be Present at All Reviews of Death Penalty Cases )
EastDay.com, December 19, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node107113/userobject1ai1728859.html8859.html

Education
教育部拟将农村教师400多亿工资全额列入预算 (Education Ministry Plans to Make Budget Provision of 40 Billion Yuan for Rural Teachers' Wages)
EastDay.com, December 19, 2005
http://china.eastday.com/eastday/node81741/node81762/
node107113/userobject1ai1728860.html

Environment
Clean Water Promised to Rural Residents
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/19/content_3940385.htm

Gender
Police Raid Shuts Gay Festival in Beijing

SCMP, December 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZWXXPJRGE.html

Law
高法副院长奚晓明:让法官不再惧怕得罪政府 (High Court Judge Xi Xiaoming: Judges Should No Longer Fear Offending the Government)
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2005-12/19/content_3940090.htm

Media
Media Helps Promote Judicial Reform
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/18/content_3938497.htm

Weekly Newspaper With Outspoken Record Shuts Down
SCMP, December 19, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZ98VV6SGE.html

Migrant Workers
化解民工医院的困境须政府积极作为 (Government Should Act Proactively to Resolve the Difficult Situation of Private Clinics for Migrants)
Legal Daily, December 19, 2005
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/bm/2005-12/19/content_237868.htm

Govt Calls on Protecting Migrant Children
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/18/content_3938083.htm

Migrant Workers Seek Spouses Through Haste Marriage
Xinhuanet.com, December 16, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/16/content_3929603.htm

Poverty
社科院专家称北京贫富差距严重超过警戒线(Social Sciences Academy Says Beijing's Wealth Gap Has Reached an Alarming Rate)
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2005-12/19/content_3940113.htm

Closing Gap Between Haves, Have-nots
Xinhuanet.com, December 17, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/17/content_3933421.htm

《中国人类发展报告2005》(United Nations Issues China Development Report for 2005)
Radio Free Asia, December 17, 2005
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shenrubaodao/2005/12/17/pinfu/

Protests and Petitions
China Official on Trial over Riot
BBC.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4534444.stm

Protests and Petitions
In China, it's Powerlessness to the People
Los Angeles Tlimes, December 18, 2005
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-china18
dec18,0,5915818.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinionschina18d
ec18,0,5915818.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

Protests and Petitions – Shanwei Incident
Officials Defend Shanwei Shooting
SCMP, December 19, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZMVJBKRGE.html

Dongzhou Woes Simmered for a Year Before Riot
SCMP, December 17, 2005
http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZ15GBKRGE.html

Chinese Evade Censors to Discuss Police Assault
Washington Post, December 16, 2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/16/AR2005121601709_pf.htmldyn/
content/article/2005/12/16/AR2005121601709_pf.html

Social Security
中国拟两年左右取消福利供热制 (China to Drop Free Heating for Urban Residents in Two Years)
China Youth Daily, December 19, 2005
http://news.cyol.com/gb/news/2005-12/19/content_108423.htm

WTO
[媒体观察]谁替中国农民去WTO说话 (Media Watch: Who Speaks for Chinese Farmers at WTO? )
Xinhuanet.com, December 19, 2005
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2005-12/19/content_3940148.htm

Mainland Farmers `Neglected' In Reforms
The Standard, December 17, 2005
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=8112&sid=5949377&con_type=1&d_
str=20051217&sear_year=2005&con_type=1&d_str=
20051217&sear_year=2005