China :: Commentaries

WEARING high heels and black leggings, 39-year-old Zhang Lin looks as composed and classy as any other working woman in the city of Ruili in southwest China's Yunnan province. But just seven years ago, Zhang was wracked by depression and anger, unable even to leave her own home. "For months, I couldn't get out of bed. I felt that my world had collapsed and that there was nothing to live for. I wanted to die," she said. Zhang's husband died from AIDS in 2004, leaving her infected with HIV and a 4-year-old son to care for. Zhang's emotions ran from anger to denial after she found out she had the disease. "My late husband became very sick in September 2003 and was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. I was tested HIV-positive at the same time," she said. "I couldn't believe that I was ill. I didn't do anything wrong," she said. When her husband died in 2004, the reality of her condition began to kick in and Zhang began to receive anti-retroviral...

Flash A fire has engulfed a Hong Kong tower block, killing 9 people and injuring 30. Rescuers help an injured person near the site of a fire in downtown Hong Kong, south China, Nov. 30, 2011. [Xinhua] A government spokeswoman says the blaze broke out at a street hawker's booth around 4:40 in the morning and quickly spread through the residential complex in the Mong Kok area of Kowloon. The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals. Eleven fire engines and 10 teams of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are fighting the blaze. A hotline has been set up to help people get information about missing or injured loved ones. The cause of the fire is unknown and an investigation is under way. Rescuers work at the site of a fire in downtown Hong Kong, south China, Nov. 30, 2011. [Xinhua] A fire at a block of flats in Kowloon killed four people earlier this year, prompting calls from some lawmakers for a ban on flats. Mong Kok is one of the most densely populated areas in Hong Kong...

A high-profile publicity official in Southwest China's Yunnan province was slammed by netizens on Tuesday for saying that the construction of four local government buildings cost "only 400 million yuan (US$63 million)" on his micro blog . A local official's claim that a cluster of government buildings at Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture "only cost 400 million yuan (US$63 million)" outraged netizens.[Photo/ China Daily ] Wu Hao, chief of the publicity department of the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, who keeps a high profile on the micro blog, refuted a netizen's micro blog entry on Weibo.com, claiming the Honghe government building was the most luxurious one the latter had ever seen. "I used to be a reporter at Xinhua News Agency, and when China Central Television exposed the extravagant spending on building luxurious government buildings in Honghe, I was sent to investigate the case, and found the facts to be different from what ...

THE death toll from a building fire in downtown Hong Kong has risen to eight people, and so far 24 others have been injured. Eight charred bodies were found at the fire site in Mong Kok on Kowloon island, Hong Kong, 24 people were sent to the hospital for medical treatment, said a government press release. Firefighters are still trying to contain the fire after it started more than five hours ago. Eleven jets and 10 breathing apparatus teams are used to fight the blaze. The blaze started around 4:40 a.m. local time, a spokeswoman from the police department said. The injured have been sent to three different hospitals for treatment, she said. Mong Kok is one of the most densely populated area in Hong Kong known to tourists for its traditional markets and small shops.

Watch Video Play Video China is to map out the guidelines for poverty alleviation in the coming decade. A two-day working conference held by CPC Central Committee opened on Tuesday morning in Beijing. As Zhang Nini reports, the target is to provide every Chinese person with enough to eat and wear, a basic education and housing by 2020. China aims to remarkably reduce the number of poor people in four years time, and fundamentally eliminate poverty by 2020. That means, in addition to adequate food and clothing, every Chinese will also be ensured access to education, basic medical care and housing in the coming decade. Zhang Linxiu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes that poverty is not only about income levels. Its reduction requires effort across all social sectors. People attend the working conference on poverty alleviation held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 29, 2011. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng) Zhang Linxi...

(The commentary by Qiulin , translated from caixin.cn ) As millions of Chinese netizens mourned over Steve Jobs death, they also raised a question why couldnt China produce its own Steve Jobs? Former vice-president of Google global and president of Google China Kai-fu Lee explained on his weibo that it was because Chinese education puts too much emphasis on reciting and memorizing stuff instead of fostering critical thinking. He pointed out that it wasnt that Chinese people are not smart enough, nor was the lack of people with the potential to become a Steve Jobs since there are pioneers of this sort, such as co-founder of Yahoo ! Inc. Jerry Yang and co-founder of Youtube Steve Chan. Kai-fu Lee has his points. In fact, Chinese people are not stupid, then why couldnt we see any innovation big shots like Steve Jobs here in China? A survey carried out by a famous website (original article didnt provide the source) has founded that 63.3% people believe there wont be figure like Steve J...

Watch Video Beijing residents have unwittingly ignited a green transportation trend. He says the $461 he spent on his e-bike was an investment. It's silent, fuel and financially efficient and best of all doesn't leave him at the mercy of the city's congestion. This is what commuting in China looked like three decades ago. About 60% of the population relied on pedal power. But as the country's economy began to surge, it was soon replaced with horse power. China is now the world's largest automobile market. By the 1990s, too many cars and too little space provided the perfect market-in for electric bike manufacturers and sellers, like Ms. Yang. Yang Lianhe from Huo Yan Niao Bike Shop, said, " It's difficult to drive because of the traffic jams. E-bikes are similar to regular bicycles but people say it's too tiring using their own strength to cycle so this is more convenient. " Like the bikes on her lot, her sales pitch is slick. She sells about...

Chinese civil airlines have begun massively recruiting and training pilots among university graduates in the wake of pilot shortages that have hindered the development of the country's airlines. Airlines' pilot search takes off.[File photo] Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines yesterday launched a campus recruitment campaign at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to recruit more than 100 pilots from graduates from local universities. "The graduates will become the reserve forces for the airline's pilot team with an increasing number of passenger planes," said a human resources official of China Eastern surnamed Ding. Domestic civil airlines usually recruit pilots from the seven professional flight academies across the country, including the Civil Aviation Flight University of China, the country's major training facility in Sichuan Province that provides 90 percent of civil airline pilots. But the rapid increase in passenger planes in China has created a demand for ...

Watch Video Play Video For more on poverty-reduction programs in rural China, we are joined in the studio by our reporter Li Kefu. Q1: So a new decade begins and China announces poverty alleviation targets. But what has the country already achieved? A: I think there are two main points that deserve to be highlighted. First, Chinas efforts are now all about developing the countrys rural areas, not just giving hand-out to those in need. Its about helping them help themselves. The State Council Information Office says over one and a half million people in poverty-stricken areas have received professional training over the past decade. So thats a real change in policy. The second improvement, is that poverty alleviation programs are more comprehensive. They involve all social sectors working together on various projects. To give you some numbers, between 2002 to 2010, some 272 organizations were involved in helping the poor. They donated over 9 billion Yuan. Charities, individuals ...

Three highway pileups killed five people and injured 18 more in heavy fog Monday morning in Hefei,east China'sAnhui Province, police said. Cheng Yue, an officer of the provincial highway traffic police brigade, said two were killed while eight injured as 16 vehicles crashed on a section of a highway that links the provincial capital of Hefei with Nanjing, the capital of neighboring Jiangsu Province. In another highway pileup that involved 17 cars, one was killed and five injured, Cheng said. The third pileup involved dozens of vehicles and left two dead and five injured, he said. Heavy fog enveloped many parts of eastern China over the past two days, disrupting air services and forcing the closures of highways in many regions.

A family dispute turned into bloodshed on Saturday when a man killed four family members and injured himself with a knife in Xi'an City, the capital of northwest Shaanxi Province, China News Agency reported today. Police said Ma Li, 40, allegedly stabbed his wife, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and his eight-year-old son in their home in Guangdamen Village at about 8pm on Saturday. Neighbors said they first heard loud noise of quarreling and fighting and then were shocked to find the family of five was all lying in blood. Ma's brother-in-law was sent to the hospital immediately but died of his wounds. Other three family members died at home. Ma was also sent to the hospital and was not in critical condition, the police said. Initial investigation showed that Ma and his family moved to Xi'an about two months ago. Their house was rented and they were planning to open a restaurant there. Ma woke up yesterday morning and admitted to the police that he killed his family. He alleg...

A top manager in northwest China's Gansu Province has been suspended from post after 266 workers with his company were found to have excessive cadmium levels in their blood, according to a statement issued by the company's board on Monday. Cheng Lijun, the person in charge of production management at Gansu Baohui Industrial Group Co. Ltd. in Huixian county, has been suspended from his post, and others who are liable for the incident will be dealt with pending further investigation, said the statement. The workers from the company's zinc smelting factory were all diagnosed since the first case was detected when a worker received medical treatment on Oct. 23, the local government said in a statement. Currently, 71 workers are being treated at a local hospital, including one who was suspected of having cadmium poisoning, and the other 195 are being treated at home under the instructions of medical experts, it said. An investigation showed that inadequate protective measures we...

Flash As Christmas draws near, people around the world are preparing for the holiday season. Kicking off the festivities was the opening of one of Europe's best known Christmas markets in Germany. Meanwhile in Brazil, the lights on the world's largest floating Christmas tree were switched on. As Christmas draws near, people around the world are preparing for the holiday season. Kicking off the festivities was the opening of one of Europe's best known Christmas markets in Germany. [File Photo] A 16-year-old angel opened one of Europe's best known Christmas markets in the southern German town of Nuremberg on Friday night. Thousands gathered there buying and selling everything from grilled sausages to wooden toys, sweets and cakes. The traditional "Christkindlesmarkt" starts on the eve of the first weekend of Advent, marking the start of the festive season. The smell of mulled wine, or Gluehwein and the famous Nuremberg bratwursts filled the air in the town'...

Yuanwang 1, China's first space tracking ship, docks at Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard yesterday. The first in a series of Yuanwang class ships in charge of tracking and supporting satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles, Yuanwang 1 was built and put to sea in Shanghai in 1977. After the ship retired, it was sent back to Jiangnan Shipyard, where it was made, as a gift. It is to become an educational base.

Flash Pressure is mounting on Syria -- but varying opinions are being voiced by world powers on how to resolve the crisis. France is looking to set up "humanitarian corridors" to alleviate civilian suffering. Meanwhile, the US has anchored an aircraft carrier off the Syrian coast. But China and Russia are calling for dialogue to resolve the crisis. Paul Crowe take a look. Syrias neighboring country Turkey is on high alert. The Syrian government this week once again provided a training camp on the border for the Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK. Turkey is warning Syria not to use the PKK against Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey and the US are urging their citizens to leave Syria. The US released a statement on Wednesday urging Americans to depart while commercial transport is still available. Adding to the complexity of the situation is the arrival off the coast of Syria of the USS George H-W Bush Aircraft Carrier. Analysts say its a sign of pressur...

From Netease : November 24, 2011 morning, fire broke out in a residential area, 134 Shitou Street in West Lake District, Nanchang City. During this fire an ordinary citizen touched many peoples heart: he rescued 8 lives from the fire bravely and selflessly, it was not until afterwards he found his own family was still trapped in flames. In the end fire mercilessly swallowed up his wife, son and mother-in-law, but his touching story passes on in the neighborhood. At 4 am on November 24, reporter learned that a huge fire broke out on Shitou Street, West Lake District. When rushed to the scene, streets are filled with residents escaped out from the fire. In the chaotic crowd, a 50-year-old man was crying in an exceptionally piercing voice, Dont hold me, I will go save them. Reporter found out that this mans wife, son and mother-in-law were still strapped in the fire. But by then the fire already sealed off all entrances, going inside was suicide. A group of people held this man and tried ...

Lu Jiarui (right) and Pan Xiaoming drink wine at their wedding ceremony in Shanghai yesterday. Lu, 1.16 meters tall, and Pan, 1.34 meters, met at a party held for short people in town in 2009 and then began dating each other. About one month ago, Pan sustained a broken shoulder in a road crash and Lu took good care of him.

Flash A deadline set by the Arab League for Syria to sign a deal allowing monitors into the country expired on Friday without Syria's agreement. This has brought the Arab body closer to imposing sanctions on Damascus over its crackdown on dissidents. On Friday, thousands of anti-Assad demonstrators protested across Syria. The protests broke out after Friday prayers, the day that has seen the largest demonstrations in the anti-Assad protest movement. Government security forces shot dead at least four demonstrators, according to activists. Arab foreign ministers said in Cairo on Thursday that unless Syria agrees to let the monitors in to assess progress of an Arab League plan, officials would consider imposing sanctions on Saturday.

Poor health and safety measures at a zinc processing plant in northwest China's Gansu Province have left 266 workers with high levels of cadmium, hospitalizing 71. Some 869 workers at Baohui Group, the biggest zinc smelter in Gansu, have received checkups and 266 were found to have high levels of the metal, China News Service reported yesterday. While workers with minor ailments were treated by medics at the factory, 71 were admitted to Huixian County People's Hospital. An investigation found poor protection measures were to blame for the high cadmium levels in workers' blood. Production at the Gansu facility has been halted and a safety assessment is under way, the report said. The factory has suspended cadmium recycling work and processed cadmium waste discharged from the factory, according to the report. Cadmium poisoning is caused by inhaling cadmium particles, which can lead to ailments that include pneumonia, fluid on the lungs and kidney problems. Baihui Group, which...

On Oct. 24th 2011, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) issued the Further Strengthening the TV Star Integrated Channel Program Management Advice (), aiming to curtail the excessive entertainment TV programs. The document is thus called by the Chinese public as another " Entertainment Restriction " () on television programs. According to the Entertainment Restriction , dating and other 6 kinds of programs will be restricted; no more than two entertainment programs can be aired during the prime time (7:30-10:10 pm) in every satellite channel; every provincial satellite TV must have at least one moral promotion program; no more than 10 talent shows can be aired annually and they shall not be of in the same category. Programs documenting crimes which can expose or amplify the evil and disharmonious side of the society are to be restricted. Popular outdoor sports contest programs like Zhi Yong Da Chongguan () are also restricted. In addition, rumor has ...