The Dalai Lama's envoy says very candid discussions were held with Chinese
officials and the talks were a good first step, following riots in Tibet.
Lodi Gyari spoke to reporters at Hong Kong international airport on Tuesday on
his way home to northern India, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based.
For the first time since July last year, the two sides resumed unofficial talks
in Shenzhen, southern China on Sunday.
Lodi Gyari said he is pleased that the talks resumed, and that he will return to
Dharamsala and report to the Dalai Lama.
In the talks, China reportedly reiterated its position, insisting that the actions
it took in response to the violence in Tibet in March were completely correct.
(2008/05/06 12:17)
China's CCTV reports that the leaders of China and Japan acknowledged common views
on a wide range of issues at Wednesday's summit in Tokyo.
CCTV gave headline coverage of President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan and his
meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on its 7 PM news bulletin on
Wednesday.
The broadcast covered a welcome ceremony held for Hu at the Imperial Palace which
included a complete performance of Japan's national anthem.
The broadcast stressed the summit was held in a cordial atmosphere and had a
positive outcome. It said the 2 leaders exchanged frank and in-depth views on
bilateral relations and issues concerning both countries.
NHK's correspondent in Beijing says the broadcast portrayed the summit in a
positive light and used the subtitle "Warm Spring Trip" throughout the coverage.
(2008/05/08 02:56)
Urgent rescue operations are underway in China following a massive earthquake
in Sichuan Province that has killed more than 9,200 people.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck close to Wenchuan County on
Monday afternoon.
The Chinese government says the quake has killed nearly 9,000 people in Sichuan
Province alone. It says more than 200 others were killed in Gansu, Shaanxi and
4 other provinces and the city of Chongqing, and that more than half-a-million
houses have collapsed.
The state-run Xinhua news agency says most buildings have collapsed in Beichuan
County, northeast of the epicenter. Local authorities say up to 7,000 people
could have been killed in this county.
Reports say school buildings have collapsed in other parts of Sichuan Province,
prompting urgent operations to rescue students from underneath the rubble.
More aftershocks have jolted Wenchuan County, close to the epicenter, where
roads are blocked and communication is severed.
In hard-hit Dujiangyan, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has inspected a damaged school
and hospital. He told the army to open up roads leading to disaster areas and
waste no time in rescuing survivors.
The army and armed police have already sent 25,000 personnel to the affected areas,
and are preparing to deploy a further 34,000.
But reports say rescue efforts are proving difficult, with rainfall touching off
more landslides.(2008/05/13 11:56)
The death toll from the massive earthquake in China's Sichuan Province has topped
12,000. Rescue operations are facing difficulties due to bad weather and severed
roads and communications.
The provincial authorities say that more than 12,000 people have been confirmed
dead from the magnitude 7.8 quake that struck near Wenchuan County on Monday.
The county is 90 kilometers west-north-west of Chengdu. The authorities say that
3.46-million buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
Officials say the quake had killed 213 people in Gansu, 92 in Shaanxi, and 8 in
Chongqing, as of Tuesday morning. The number of deaths is expected to grow.
In Beichuan, a county surrounded by mountains near the epicenter, mudslides were
triggered by the quake. Officials say the death toll in the county could reach
7,000.
The extent of the damage is not clear in Wenchuan County, because traffic access
and communications have not been restored more than 24 hours after the quake.
The earthquake destroyed elementary and junior high schools in many parts of the
region, leaving students under tons of rubble. Rescue operations are continuing.
In Dujiangyan, about 900 junior-high school students were trapped under a collapsed
school building.
The authorities have confirmed the deaths of more than 50 students.
On Tuesday, the Chinese government sent tens of thousands of rescue workers to the
quake-hit area.
It will also send more than 1,000 medical staff from Beijing and Tianjin.
China
Central Television showed Premier Wen Jiabao leading the relief efforts. The network
repeatedly aired the video to foster national unity in the face of the disaster.
Food and tents are in short supply. Rain and aftershocks are slowing the distribu-
tion process that was already hampered by the poor condition of roads and communi-
cation links.(2008/05/14 05:44)
60 people have been killed and 150 were injured in a series of bomb attacks in
northwestern India.
7 explosions occurred in the city of Jaipur on Tuesday evening.
The Indian security authorities say that bicycles and automobiles were used to
carry time bombs and the explosions continued for 15 minutes. They suspect that
the bombings were terrorist attacks.
Tuesday was an important day of worship for Hindus and a temple near the site of
the explosions was packed with people.
No group has clamed responsibility for the attacks.
Islamic militant groups are suspected of carrying out previous attacks aimed at
worsening relations between Hindus and Muslims.(2008/05/14 05:44)
Nearly 15,000 people have so far been confirmed dead, after a powerful earthquake
struck inland China on Monday.
The number of victims may continue to rise, as China's state-run media report
that more than 14,000 people remain missing.
A total of 14,866 deaths have been confirmed so far - 14,463 in Sichuan Province,
280 in Gansu Province and 106 in Shaanxi Province.
On Wednesday morning, about 800 armed police marched or flew by helicopter into
Wenchuan County --- the area believed to be the hardest hit.
Photos distributed by China's state-run Xinhua news agency show the armed police
unloading relief supplies from helicopters or heading toward affected areas on
foot, carrying knapsacks.
A great number of buildings were damaged and many bridges collapsed in Wenchuan
County, leaving 500 people confirmed dead.
Authorities in the nearby city of Mianyang say 5,430 deaths have been confirmed
in the city, and 18,486 people remain trapped under the debris.
In Deyang city, also near the epicenter, 6,049 people have been confirmed dead,
and more than 6,200 others remain trapped.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who has been leading rescue operations in the affected
areas, arrived at Beichuan County in Mianyang on Wednesday.
He inspected the operations to help rescue about 1,000 people believed to be
trapped under the rubble of a collapsed school.
Wen told local residents that the Communist Party and the government will do all
they can to extend support to people in need, as their pain is the nation's pain.
The Premier announced a government plan to dispatch a rescue team consisting of
100,000 armed police and soldiers to affected areas to facilitate rescue operations.
(2008/05/14 23:42)
A disaster relief team from Japan has arrived in an area of China devastated by
Monday's earthquake.
The 31-member first contingent, including firefighters and police officers, arrived
in Qingchuan County in northern Sichuan Province on Friday morning after traveling
by bus from the provincial capital of Chengdu. 1500 people are confirmed dead in
the county.
The site is located about 400 kilometers from Chengdu and is 250 kilometers north-
east of the epicenter along the fault that caused the earthquake.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that more than 700 people are still
thought to be buried under landslides that hit the area.
A second team of about 30 rescuers will leave Tokyo for Chengdu on Friday afternoon
aboard a Japanese government charter aircraft.(2008/05/16 12:10)
Satellite images indicate the possibility of a secondary disaster as quake-trig-
gered landslides have dammed up a river in Beichuan County in Sichuan Province.
Taiwan's Formosa-2 observatory satellite took images of the quake-devastated
county on Wednesday.
The images show evidence of large landslides by indicating that the mountain
slopes have turned brown from when the area was observed 2 years ago, when they
appeared green.
They also show that a river running through residential areas was dammed up by
landslides and had formed a lake upstream. Some areas in one village have
already been submerged.
A university professor in Taiwan has warned that if heavy rain and other causes
break the natural dam, water and mud gushing from the lake may wash away already
quake-hit areas.(2008/05/16 19:25)
Anti-Japan forum in China thanks Japan for support
Some posts on a web-based forum in China that is usually anti-Japanese are praising
recent moves in Japan to help the survivors of last week's devastating earthquake
in Sichuan Province.
One post thanks people in Japan for carrying out donation campaigns at convenience
stores and elsewhere. It also calls on the Chinese people to have more objective
views toward Japan.
Another entry says that it is moving to see the efforts by Japanese people.
The forum is known for entries claiming China's sovereignty over islands in the East
China Sea, which are also claimed by Japan and Taiwan, and for calling for boycotts
on Japanese products.(2008/05/19 11:36)
A female Japanese college student has been safely evacuated by a Chinese helicopter
in quake-hit Sichuan Province.
The student was riding a bus to the scenic waterfall of Jiuzhaigou, a nature
reserve in northern Sichuan, when the quake hit the province. The student, who
studies in the United States, was touring the area with 2 American friends.
She and other tourists were safely evacuated by helicopter last weekend. She was
not injured in the quake.
A Japanese consulate general official in nearby Chongqing confirmed her safety
after being in telephone contact with her on Monday.(2008/05/20 06:16)
Japanese and Chinese students have discussed, in a videoconference, what they
can do to support quake survivors.
Twenty students from Waseda University in Tokyo and Peking University in the
Chinese capital took part in the meeting on Thursday. Their classrooms were
connected via the Internet.
A Japanese student asked if psychological care for those who lost their families
has begun. A Chinese student said that mental care skills lag in China, as earth-
quakes do not occur very often, and that Japan's support is indispensable in
this field.
Another Chinese student said it was a step forward that China accepted aid workers
from Japan, given that it declined any foreign aid in a major quake 20 years ago.
(2008/05/22 19:56)
Medical doctors from around China are working as volunteers in quake-hit areas
of Sichuan Province, to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
Deteriorating hygiene in affected areas is raising concerns about the outbreak
of infectious diseases, such as conjunctivitis and pneumonia.
The Chinese government has sent more than 5,000 hygiene control experts to the
areas, but they have been unable to provide sufficient support. Medical doctors
from around the country are voluntarily treating patients.
At a shelter in Mianzhu, an examination room has been installed on the back of
a truck, and simple surgeries can be performed. The vehicle traveled for 4 days
from the northeaster province of Liaoning, more than 2,500 kilometers away.
Eye doctors are seeing many patients who are suffering eye pain caused by dust,
and free glasses are being made for those who lost theirs in the quake.
(2008/06/01 05:27)
A Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel is scheduled to visit China in June, the
first-ever visit by a Japanese defense forces ship to China since World War Two.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing on
Tuesday that the visit is aimed at enhancing exchanges, cooperation, understanding
and friendship between the 2 countries' defense authorities.
The 2 countries had already agreed on the visit as part of bilateral defense
exchanges. But last month's earthquake in China obliged the 2 countries to rear-
range the visit schedule.
Qin also referred to Japan's decision to withdraw its plan to send Self-Defense
Force aircraft to China to help deliver aid supplies for quake survivors.
He said
China honors Japan's decision, and that the 2 countries will continue efforts to
increase exchanges between their peoples to strengthen friendship.
(2008/06/04 11:29)
The number of children orphaned by the Sichuan earthquake is now estimated at
between 1,000 and 2,000, revised down from the original figure of 4,700.
A senior official of the Civil Affairs Ministry, Zhang Shifeng, gave the estimate
to reporters on Friday.
The ministry says many of the orphaned children are being looked after by
relatives.
Zhang referred to a flood of offers from both within the country and abroad to
take care of the children.
The official said it would be best if the children are fostered by those who had
lost their own children in the quake.(2008/06/06 23:33)
In China, more than 8 million people are still living in shelters one month after
the earthquake in Sichuan Province.
As of Wednesday the Chinese government said the death toll from the quake stood
at 69,146.
Another 17,516 remain missing and more than 370,000 have suffered injuries.
More than 8.07 million people have lost their homes in Sichuan Province alone, and
live in evacuation shelters.
The government says 3.3 million tents and makeshift housing units are needed for
the survivors, but so far it has secured only 1.3 million.(2008/06/12 09:33)
In Thailand, political confusion looks likely to continue as a civic group
demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sunadravej continues occupying
the streets around Government House.
On Friday, the People's Alliance for Democracy, whose members include journalists
and a former Bangkok governor, staged a protest march of about 15,000 people to
Government House.
The anti-government group broke through police barricades and held a protest rally,
denouncing Prime Minister Samak as former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
puppet.
Several people were injured in skirmishes between demonstrators and police
officers.
The protest was organized by the same group that staged daily demonstrations in
2006, demanding the resignation of then-Prime Minister Thaksin.
Thailand only recently installed a civilian government to replace the military
government that took power in a coup in 2006.(2008/06/21 08:50)
France voices support for Japan in abduction issue
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says that his country fully supports
Japan's position on North Korea's abductions of Japanese people.
Kouchner spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Thursday before attending the G8 foreign
ministers' meeting set to start in the ancient capital of Kyoto, later in the day.
He said France is in exactly the same position as Japan over the abduction issue
and shares the anxiety and anger being felt by people in Japan.
Kouchner also stressed the need to thoroughly examine the content of North Korea's
declaration of its nuclear programs, expected to be submitted on Thursday.
He said France may establish diplomatic ties with North Korea depending on the
declaration's content and progress in the North's nuclear issue.
France is one of the 2 countries in the 27-member European Union that have no
diplomatic ties with North Korea.(2008/06/26 16:46)
8 Muslim countries in Asia and the Middle East have agreed to take joint action
to overcome soaring oil and food prices.
The D8 summit of 8 developing nations was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on
Tuesday. The participants included Malaysia, Indonesia and Iran.
The main item on the agenda was skyrocketing oil and food prices, which are having
a severe impact on developing nations.
The leaders issued a joint declaration calling for closer coordination among Muslim
nations to combat high prices. The declaration called for research into high-yield
grains and support for businesses using the Islamic world's financial system.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the chair of the meeting,
referred to the G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan. He said the priority is to focus
on poor nations, which are suffering the most from the rising prices of oil
and food.(2008/07/09 05:18)
Cambodian officials say that Thai troops have crossed into Cambodian territory
near an ancient Khmer temple that was recently declared a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO.
The military officials say that about 150 Thai troops crossed the border on Tuesday
morning.
The move came after the Cambodian authorities detained 3 Thai religious people
who allegedly entered the Preah Vihear temple.
However, a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied the Cambodian statement,
stressing that the troops are being deployed on Thai soil in the border area.
The 2 countries have long disputed Preah Vihear's sovereignty.
The temple was declared a World Heritage Site one week ago. The Thai Foreign
Minister was forced to resign for supporting Cambodia's application to have the
temple declared a World Heritage Site.(2008/07/16 06:55)
Cambodia and Thailand will hold talks next week over a disputed Hindu temple on
their border, where hundreds of soldiers from both sides are facing each other
in a tense standoff.
Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke
with Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej by phone on Thursday and agreed that
their defense ministers will meet on Monday to try to defuse the border confronta-
tion.
The minister said about 400 Thai troops have crossed into Cambodian territory and
have been massing near the Preah Vihear temple since Tuesday. He said the Thais
are faced by 800 Cambodian troops.
The Cambodian minister said Prime Minister Hun Sen had sent a letter to Mr Samak,
expressing concern about the border confrontation, and urging immediate withdrawal
of the Thai troops.
The disputed temple was put on the World Heritage list earlier this month, follow-
ing an application by Cambodia and with the endorsement of the Thai government.
Cambodia's listing triggered protests against the Samak government in Thailand.
The Preah Vihear temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court of
Justice, but the border near the temple has never been officially established.
(2008/07/18 06:45)
Chinese authorities are investigating Monday's bus explosions in the southern
province of Yunnan as serial bombings.
The first bus exploded at around 7 a.m. in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, and
the other about an hour later. The blasts killed 2 people and injured 14.
Local investigators suspect that the blasts were serial bombings. The explosives
used in both buses were made of nitro compounds and the 2 buses were traveling
on the same route.
An eyewitness told NHK that smoke went up and windows scattered at the time of
explosion. Another eyewitness said she heard a loud blast and thought a gas pipe
had exploded.
The Chinese government has reportedly sent officials from the Ministry of Public
Security to Kunming to help in the investigation. Police officers are seen patrol-
ling at every corner of the city's center.
Recently, a series of clashes between citizens and police have occurred in various
parts of China.
Public concern about security is expected to increase ahead of the Beijing Olympics
that opens on August 8th.(2008/07/22 08:51)
The Chinese government has designated areas in 3 Beijing parks for demonstrations
during the Olympics.
The Beijing Olympic organizing committee's security director, Liu Shaowu, said
at a news conference on Wednesday that Chinese law protects the legal right of
people to hold demonstrations and marches.
But the security director also said that demonstrators would need prior approval
to hold protests.
In China, there have been a series of violent protests against local police and
governments in Guizhou, Yunnan and other provinces. The Chinese government is said
to be on edge about possible protests in Beijing during the Olympics, which would
attract world attention.
By hosting the Olympics, the government wants to prove to the international
community that China is an open country.
Observers say that behind the government's decision to partly allow demonstrations
is its bid to safely channel criticism and avoid disrupting the games.
(2008/07/24 12:00)
The UN Security Council says it will decide how to deal with a territorial dispute
between Cambodia and Thailand after their foreign ministers meet to discuss the
issue next week.
The dispute is centered on a border area around the ancient Hindu temple of Preah
Vihear, which was designated as a World Heritage site earlier this month.
A military
standoff has continued since last week, when the 2 countries sent troops to the
area claimed by both sides, after 3 Thais were temporarily detained by the Cambo-
dian military.
UN Security Council President Le Luong Minh of Vietnam said on Thursday that the
Council will wait for the outcome of the foreign ministerial talks, scheduled for
Monday, before deciding how to respond.
The 2 countries have sent letters to the Security Council, condemning each other
for the territorial invasion, in a deepening diplomatic row.
Concerns are spreading among Council members that the standoff could escalate into
a military confrontation.(2008/07/25 12:44)
Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to withdraw their troops from the border after
a military standoff over a historic Hindu temple.
Foreign ministers from the 2 countries held a joint news conference on Monday
after 12 hours of talks in Cambodia.
Cambodia and Thailand have been disputing over the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO
World Heritage site.
The ministers say the talks were constructive and they agreed to set up a joint
commission to resolve the border problem.
Tension between Cambodia and Thailand is expected to ease after the agreement.
But the ministers did not disclose the exact timing of the withdrawal and a
decision on the border issue has been postponed until future negotiations.
(2008/07/29 08:25)
Leaders of South Asian countries began a meeting in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo
on Saturday to establish a cooperative framework to share information on terrorist
activities.
The eight South Asian nations include Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and others from
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Representatives of Japan,
China and the United States have observer status.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said each South Asian nation faces threats
from terrorists and all must work hard to create a framework to share terrorist
information with each other.
In Sri Lanka, government forces continue to fight against Tamil Tiger separatist
guerrillas that are suspected of many terrorist attacks.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said there is no border for terrorists or
extremists and all the countries must work together in order to eradicate them.
In India, a series of terrorist attacks killed 55 people in 2 cities in July. Many
terrorist attacks in India are allegedly carried out by Islamic extremists who are
based in Pakistan and Bangladesh. India's embassy in Afghanistan was attacked by
a suicide bomber in July.(2008/08/03 06:50)
A Russian and a Georgian athlete embraced each other after winning Olympic medals
as the military clash between their countries continues.
Russia's Natalia Paderina won the silver, and Georgia's Nino Salukvadze took the
bronze in the women's 10-meter air pistol in the Beijing Olympics on Sunday.
After sharing a podium, the 2 hugged to congratulate each other's performance.
On Friday, fighting broke out between Russia and Georgia over Georgia's breakaway
region of South Ossetia. Russia supports separatists in the region.
The 2 athletes, who say they are good friends, told reporters that nothing can
harm their friendship.
They said it is up to politicians to decide whether to start and end wars, but
that they hope they will be able to talk things out.(2008/08/11 09:50)
North Korea's ambassador in charge of working-level talks with Japan has vowed
that the North will reinvestigate its abductions of Japanese nationals.
Song Il Ho told this to reporters on Wednesday before leaving Shenyang, China,
where Japan and North Korea met from Monday through early Wednesday. The two
countries agreed at the meeting that the North will launch a committee to conduct
the reinvestigation and conclude it by fall if possible.
Song added that some Japanese politicians and government officials are trying to
hamper efforts to improve bilateral relations.
He said North Korea will watch closely to see whether Japan partially lifts sanc-
tions as agreed at the talks.(2008/08/13 18:26)
Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to withdraw most of their troops deployed at
a disputed Hindu temple on their border this weekend.
Soldiers from both sides have been in a tense standoff at Preah Vihear temple,
after it was designated Cambodia's World Heritage site last month while the border
dispute remained.
Cambodian General and senior defense official Neang Phat told reporters on Thursday
that both countries agreed to withdraw most of the several hundred soldiers over
the weekend.
The Thai Foreign Ministry also said they are preparing to retain the minimum number
of troops.
Foreign ministers from both countries agreed at the end of July to withdraw troops,
but had not decided on the timing. They are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday,
to confirm their troops' retreat and hold talks to define the border.
(2008/08/15 00:10)
Russia fails to win support over Georgian conflict
Russia has failed to win full support from its Asian allies over its policy
toward separatist regions in Georgia.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Thursday.
The organization is comprised of Russia, China and 4 central Asian countries.
At the start of the meeting, Medvedev denounced Georgia's military operation
in South Ossetia as an invasion.
He asked other leaders to understand Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia as independent states earlier this week.
In a joint statement released after the summit, the leaders appreciated a
ceasefire agreement between Russia and Georgia and supported Russia's active
role in achieving peace in South Ossetia.
The statement also expressed concern over the situation around South Ossetia,
saying that the unity of a state and its territorial integrity should be preserved.
Medvedev is apparently to try to win supports from allies to counter criticism
from US and European countries over the conflict in South Ossetia, but the Asian
nations distanced themselves from Russia.(2008/08/28 23:58)
The UN World Food Program is calling for international support for its plan to
provide food aid to North Koreans suffering from the worst food shortage in a
decade.
WFP regional director for Asia, Tony Banbury, who just spent a week in North
Korea, held a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday. He unveiled a 15-month plan
to send 630,000 tons of food to 6.3 million North Koreans, including 4 million
children, from this month through November 2009.
He said the daily grain ration has dropped to 150 grams per person in many places,
from the previous 500 grams, in the wake of last year's floods and declining food
aid from South Korea amid souring ties.
Food prices began rising around March, bringing rice and corn prices to 3 to 4
times the levels of a year ago.
Most households can afford only 2 meals a day and a growing number of children
are getting sick from eating wild grass and other things.
Banbury said North Korea is in the worst situation since the late 1990's when
many people died of hunger.
He called on governments around the world for 60 million dollars in financial
assistance to fund their activities for the rest of this year.
(2008/09/02 18:56)
Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili has told NHK that the true aim of Russia's
military action over South Ossetia was to destroy Georgian oil and gas pipelines
circumventing Russia, so that it can monopolize energy supply in the region.
In an interview with NHK at his office in the capital Tbilisi on Thursday,
Saakashvili said Russian bombers targeted the pipelines in order to control
Georgia's energy distribution network.
One pipeline network linking the oil-rich Caspian Sea with Turkey provides the
region's first oil export route that does not pass through Russia.
One pipeline was completed 3 years ago with investment from Japanese and other
foreign firms.
Saakashvili said that the United States and European nations immediately recognized
the motives behind Russia's invasion of Georgia and tried, as a principle of
national security, to stop the occupation of that country.
The president also welcomed Japan's expression of concern following Russia's
endorsement of South Ossetia's declaration of independence from Georgia.
He said that Japan's own territorial dispute with Russia should give Japan a good
understanding of how Russia welcomes any opportunity to seize another country's
territory.(2008/09/05 21:10)
Foreign ministers of the European Union nations have agreed to send civilian
monitors to Georgia to observe the ceasefire with Russia.
The European foreign ministers reached the agreement on Saturday, at a meeting
in Avignon, France.
They urged Russia to withdraw its forces to their positions before the August
7th start of its brief war with Georgia.
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said after the meeting, that EU nations
agreed on the need to launch an international investigation into human rights
abuses during the war and the causes of the conflict. He called for an investiga-
tion by the United Nations.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit Moscow on Monday with these proposals.
(2008/09/07 05:34)
The Chinese government announced that more than 50,000 infants have been treated
in hospital after being fed with milk formula that contained the chemical melamine.
The health ministry revealed on Sunday that 39,000 of the babies have recovered
after medical care. It says 12,000 are still in hospital, and about 100 showed
severe symptoms, including kidney stones.
The ministry says most of the sickened infants were fed with a milk formula
produced by a dairy maker in Hebei Province, which contained the highest melamine
content.
The number of ill babies has risen to at least 8 times the original number.
(2008/09/22 08:16)
Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fire at a disputed border zone on Wednesday,
escalating a territorial conflict between the two countries.
A senior Cambodian government official says the gunfight continued for about 10
minutes near the Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage site, and rockets were also
fired.
The official says the fight killed one Cambodian soldier and injured 5 others.
A spokesman for the Thai military says at least one Thai soldier was killed.
Cambodia and Thailand have recently been at odds with each other over disputed
border territories near the 900-year-old temple.
Tensions grew after Thailand responded sharply to a strong warning issued by
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday that Thai's failure to withdraw its
troops would lead to a war.
This is the second shootout, following one on October 3rd, since the territorial
dispute came to the surface after the Preah Vihear temple was registered as a
World Heritage site in July.(2008/10/15 19:38)
An international journalists' rights group has sharply criticized China and North
Korea for suppressing media freedom.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday released its annual index of
media freedom among the world's 173 countries and territories.
It lists Eritrea in the Horn of Africa and North Korea as the lowest-ranked nations
on grounds that press freedom is severely suppressed under despotic rulers.
China was ranked seventh lowest because of media censorship and restrictions,
as well as for holding a number of journalists in prison.
The group continues to protest against China over its handling of the Tibet issue.
Georgia, which fought with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in
August, was ranked 120th, down sharply from 66th last year.
Russia was even lower at 141st. It was criticized for its strict control over both
state and opposition media and for the deaths of journalists by unidentified gunmen.
Japan was upgraded to 29th place, as a country where democracy has deep roots.
The group says it's not economic prosperity but peace without war and conflicts
that guarantee press freedom.(2008/10/23 03:55)
China's top negotiator on Taiwan has arrived in Taipei for talks with his Taiwanese
counterpart to sign a trade deal under tight security amid mounting public criticism.
Chen Yunlin, the head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits,
arrived in Taiwan for the first time as China's top negotiator on Monday.
On arrival, Chen stressed that this round of talks will set a historic step for the
bilateral relations to enter a new phase.
During his five-day stay in Taiwan, Chen will hold talks with Taiwan's Straits
Exchange Foundation chief Chiang Pin-kung.
They are expected to sign a document aimed at strengthening bilateral economic ties.
This is the second round of bilateral talks since the inauguration of the government
of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who upholds a policy of cooperation with China.
On Monday, 7,000 police officers mobilized around the venue amid increasing public
criticism in Taiwan over melamine contamination of Chinese-made food products.
Demonstrators were seen clashing with police near the venue.
Last month, a senior Chinese government official was assaulted in southern Taiwan by
residents protesting over the food scare.(2008/11/03 21:02)
China has postponed a summit with the European Union scheduled for next Monday.
This follows a decision by European leaders to meet the exiled Tibetan leader,
the Dalai Lama.
EU presidency holder, France, announced on Wednesday that the Chinese government
had notified it of the decision to put off the summit, slated for December 1st
in Lyon, southern France. China cited the Dalai Lama's visit to Europe as the
reason for canceling the meeting.
The Dalai Lama is to deliver a speech at EU headquarters in Brussels next Tuesday.
He will visit Poland on December 6th to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy and
former Polish president Lech Walesa at an event related to the Nobel Peace Prize.
A French government spokesperson said the French president will meet the Dalai
Lama as scheduled, despite China's displeasure.(2008/11/27 05:04)
A pro-government group staged a demonstration in the Thai capital Bangkok on
Sunday.
The group opposes the anti-government protestors who have occupied 2 airports
in Bangkok since Tuesday.
About 15,000 government supporters rallied in central Bangkok. They said the
government has the right to remove the protestors who have been occupying the
airports.
The pro and anti-government groups have clashed repeatedly, resulting in deaths.
Out of fear of further clashes in the coming days, schools in Bangkok are plan-
ning to cancel classes.
The Japanese embassy in Bangkok is advising Japanese citizens to avoid areas
where demonstrations are being held.(2008/12/01 06:14)
Rival parties are competing to form the next Thai government.
The Democratic Party, opposed to former Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra, is
insisting that it has gained enough members to control parliament, including those
from small parties that were previously allied with the pro-Thaksin People's
Power Party.
On Tuesday, a new party, called the Phuea Thai Party, proposed to form a grand
coalition with the opposition.
The Phuea Thai Party was formed by supporters of Thaksin after the Constitutional
Court last week disbanded the People's Power Party and 2 other parties in the
ruling coalition on the grounds that they committed fraud in the December 2007
election.
That ruling also forced Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat out of office, a
development that led anti-government protestors to end their illegal occupation
of the Government House as well as 2 Bangkok airports last week.
NHK's correspondent in Bangkok says political turmoil will continue for the time
being whichever party establishes the next government, due to deep rivalry between
the pro-Thaksin parties and the anti-Thaksin parties.(2008/12/10 06:41)
A senior Chinese communist party researcher says the country's reforms and open-door
policy has contributed to its economic success but also created problems.
Deputy director of the Central Party Literature Research Center, Chen Jin, was
speaking at a meeting at Japan's foreign ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday to mark
the 30th anniversary of the start of China's economic reforms.
Chen said China has achieved remarkable economic growth since then, but added that
income disparity has widened and environmental issues have been left unsolved.
Chen also said, economic globalization meant a growing need to consider not only
domestic affairs but also the international situation when making policy decisions.
Chen said yen loans from the Japanese government, and the advanced technologies of
Japanese companies have helped China's economic development.
He said he hopes the bilateral relationship will continue to deepen, adding that
China's reforms and open-door policy has benefited both nations.(2008/12/17 23:31)
The Chinese Communist Party says it disciplined 151,000 members for corruption in
the 12 months through November.
Rampant corruption among the Communist Party's 74 million members has angered
the Chinese public.
In one of the highest-profile cases, the deputy head of China's top court was
dismissed in October after being found to have abused his office.
The Communist Party's Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection said on
Friday that 4,960 of the members disciplined in the year through November were
officials above county-head level and that 801 of them were prosecuted. It vowed
to step up inspections to root out corrupt officials, saying the results would
restore public trust.(2008/12/27 08:05)