Foreign ministers of the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet next Monday in Washington to discuss the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and their impact on regional security, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
Other "regional and global issues" will also be discussed by U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, the department said in a statement.
"This meeting demonstrates the extraordinary close coordination between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and our commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula and stability in the region," the statement added.
Tensions persist on the Korean Peninsula after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on Nov. 23, leaving four South Koreans dead and more than a dozen others injured.
2010年12月2日星期四
2010年12月1日星期三
AIDS sufferers
Between 500,000 and 900,000 children under 15 years of age on the Chinese mainland have been affected by HIV/AIDS, expert estimations have revealed.
They mainly include children who are infected with HIV themselves, those who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and those living with parents who are suffering from the disease.
Although government policies such as free medication have provided support to nearly 90 percent of these children, "those missing out are still living in great difficulties and support for child sufferers should be improved", said Yin Yin Nwe, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for China.
In response, the government will improve the provision of medication for child sufferers, an official surnamed Jiao with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention told China Daily on Wednesday, World AIDS Day.
To date, China has reported more than 6,000 HIV/AIDS sufferers aged below 15, and about 3,000 of them are already full-blown AIDS patients who need antiviral medications, statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed.
Nearly 1,600 of these patients are on antiretroviral therapy designed especially for children, Jiao said.
According to experts, the country can only produce antiretroviral drugs for adults and relies entirely on international donations of AIDS drugs for children.
To secure sustainable drug supplies for these patients, the government plans to select competent domestic drug companies to begin producing the medicine, or it will buy it from abroad, Jiao said.
"Of course, the government would pay for that," he added.
Yin Yin Nwe said that "follow-up services by medical professionals should be in place to make sure that children take the medicine properly".
According to Jiao, more effort should be made to detect children living with HIV/AIDS whose illnesses are not yet known to authorities.
In China, most child sufferers contract the virus from their infected mothers, so "it's equally important to carry out interventions targeting that", he said.
This year the central government has invested nearly 800 million yuan ($120 million) mainly to expand HIV intervention programs targeting mother-to-child transmission, official statistics have revealed.
Pregnant women receive free screenings for HIV and syphilis and free medical intervention, if needed, to avert mother-to-child transmission. By June, about 5.7 million would-be-mothers had had screenings.
Scientific studies have shown that a combination of timely and appropriate HIV screenings, medical intervention and the administration of proper antiretroviral drugs can prevent pregnant women from passing the virus to their babies.
UNICEF said that worldwide it hoped to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus during childbirth by 2015.
Currently, HIV/AIDS infections by mother-to-child transmissions have almost been eliminated in most developed countries such as the United States and European nations.
However, it is still seriously affecting many less-developed countries. In sub-Saharan Africa about 1,000 babies are born with the HIV virus from infected mothers every day, according to UNICEF's annual report on children and AIDS.
"That is outrageous as we have the knowledge and the tools to prevent such infection," said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF.
Without medication, many of these babies will die by the time they are 2 years old, said the report.
It also found that in 2009, about 53 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries received the antiretroviral therapies used to prevent the virus being passed to newborns, an increase from 15 percent in 2005.
They mainly include children who are infected with HIV themselves, those who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and those living with parents who are suffering from the disease.
Although government policies such as free medication have provided support to nearly 90 percent of these children, "those missing out are still living in great difficulties and support for child sufferers should be improved", said Yin Yin Nwe, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for China.
In response, the government will improve the provision of medication for child sufferers, an official surnamed Jiao with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention told China Daily on Wednesday, World AIDS Day.
To date, China has reported more than 6,000 HIV/AIDS sufferers aged below 15, and about 3,000 of them are already full-blown AIDS patients who need antiviral medications, statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed.
Nearly 1,600 of these patients are on antiretroviral therapy designed especially for children, Jiao said.
According to experts, the country can only produce antiretroviral drugs for adults and relies entirely on international donations of AIDS drugs for children.
To secure sustainable drug supplies for these patients, the government plans to select competent domestic drug companies to begin producing the medicine, or it will buy it from abroad, Jiao said.
"Of course, the government would pay for that," he added.
Yin Yin Nwe said that "follow-up services by medical professionals should be in place to make sure that children take the medicine properly".
According to Jiao, more effort should be made to detect children living with HIV/AIDS whose illnesses are not yet known to authorities.
In China, most child sufferers contract the virus from their infected mothers, so "it's equally important to carry out interventions targeting that", he said.
This year the central government has invested nearly 800 million yuan ($120 million) mainly to expand HIV intervention programs targeting mother-to-child transmission, official statistics have revealed.
Pregnant women receive free screenings for HIV and syphilis and free medical intervention, if needed, to avert mother-to-child transmission. By June, about 5.7 million would-be-mothers had had screenings.
Scientific studies have shown that a combination of timely and appropriate HIV screenings, medical intervention and the administration of proper antiretroviral drugs can prevent pregnant women from passing the virus to their babies.
UNICEF said that worldwide it hoped to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus during childbirth by 2015.
Currently, HIV/AIDS infections by mother-to-child transmissions have almost been eliminated in most developed countries such as the United States and European nations.
However, it is still seriously affecting many less-developed countries. In sub-Saharan Africa about 1,000 babies are born with the HIV virus from infected mothers every day, according to UNICEF's annual report on children and AIDS.
"That is outrageous as we have the knowledge and the tools to prevent such infection," said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF.
Without medication, many of these babies will die by the time they are 2 years old, said the report.
It also found that in 2009, about 53 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries received the antiretroviral therapies used to prevent the virus being passed to newborns, an increase from 15 percent in 2005.
2010年11月26日星期五
this week
The price of rare earth metals fell this week, a change from an earlier price boom, National Business Daily reported Thursday.
"Prices fell recently for some rare earth metals and the largest drop was more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) a ton", the newspaper reported citing an unnamed source in the rare earth business in East China's Jiangxi province.
The rare earth market saw fewer deals than earlier and a wait-and-see attitude is popular now, the newspaper quoted analysts as saying.
"The overall prices of rare earths were relatively stable this week, while the price of several metals rose," said Song Zhichao, a rare earth analyst at Toocle.cn, a website reporting on commodity trading prices.
But according to Song this may change soon.
"Many exporters will shift their resources to the domestic market due to reduced export quotas. The domestic market will have more supplies, which will make the prices fluctuate or even decline," said Song.
China's Ministry of Commerce on Nov 11 began accepting Chinese companies' applications for 2011 rare earth export quotas.
The prices of rare earth metals surged earlier when the regulator considered restrictions on rare earth exploitation. Neodymium prices surged to $92 per kilogram on Oct 19 from $41 per kilogram on April 20.
Rare earths are 17 chemical elements used in the production of flat-screen monitors, electric-car batteries, wind turbines, missiles and aerospace alloys.
"Prices fell recently for some rare earth metals and the largest drop was more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) a ton", the newspaper reported citing an unnamed source in the rare earth business in East China's Jiangxi province.
The rare earth market saw fewer deals than earlier and a wait-and-see attitude is popular now, the newspaper quoted analysts as saying.
"The overall prices of rare earths were relatively stable this week, while the price of several metals rose," said Song Zhichao, a rare earth analyst at Toocle.cn, a website reporting on commodity trading prices.
But according to Song this may change soon.
"Many exporters will shift their resources to the domestic market due to reduced export quotas. The domestic market will have more supplies, which will make the prices fluctuate or even decline," said Song.
China's Ministry of Commerce on Nov 11 began accepting Chinese companies' applications for 2011 rare earth export quotas.
The prices of rare earth metals surged earlier when the regulator considered restrictions on rare earth exploitation. Neodymium prices surged to $92 per kilogram on Oct 19 from $41 per kilogram on April 20.
Rare earths are 17 chemical elements used in the production of flat-screen monitors, electric-car batteries, wind turbines, missiles and aerospace alloys.
China: official
About 90 percent of death sentences passed are for serious crimes ranging from intentional homicide, robbery, serious injury, rape, drug trafficking to kidnapping, according to Hu.
In August, the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, dropped the death penalty for 13 economy related, non-violent crimes in the latest amendment to the country's Criminal Law.
Hu said the SPC "strongly supports" the move as it has sent "a positive signal for strictly controlling the imposition of a death penalty".
Despite these moves, he said, the final review still faces challenges, including the use of torture as well as poor standards among some rural judges.
In one of the country's most notorious forced-confession cases, Zhao Zuohai, after serving 11 years in prison, was released in early May after the man he was alleged to have murdered turned up alive. The Henan farmer said the police tortured him into making a confession.
Zhao Bingzhi, head of the criminal law research committee under the China Law Society, said it's essential for the SPC to classify and summarize cases where the death penalty has been overturned and then release them to guide lower courts.
"What's more, the SPC should go beyond only examining evidence, and establish rules to better define serious crimes where the death penalty is applicable to ensure its
China's top court has overturned 10 percent of all death sentences nationwide since 2007 when it took back the right of final review from lower courts, a senior court official said.
Hu Yunteng, head of the research department under the Supreme People's Court (SPC), said regaining the review "played an obvious role" in reducing the number of executions, according to Friday's China Daily.
"It has ensured that the death penalty can only be applied for the most serious crimes," Hu was quoted as saying but declined to specify the number of death sentences carried out each year.
In 1981, the SPC granted provincial courts the authority to pass death sentences in an effort to tackle rising crimes, which was ended on Jan. 1, 2007 when the SPC took back the power to review and ratify death sentences after the practice was widely criticized following reports of miscarriages of justice.
Hu said death sentences were overturned mostly for lack of evidence, procedural flaws or for an inappropriate penalty.
"We must make sure the use of the death sentence is accurate and free of mistakes to respect and protect the convicts and their rights."
Earlier, Zhang Jun, SPC vice-president, told judicial departments to only impose a death penalty for the most heinous crimes.
The SPC also increased its criminal tribunals from two to five to better examine all death sentences passed, Hu said.
The SPC also ordered that all cases that carried a possible death penalty must be heard at a court session, with the defendant or defendants in attendance.
In August, the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, dropped the death penalty for 13 economy related, non-violent crimes in the latest amendment to the country's Criminal Law.
Hu said the SPC "strongly supports" the move as it has sent "a positive signal for strictly controlling the imposition of a death penalty".
Despite these moves, he said, the final review still faces challenges, including the use of torture as well as poor standards among some rural judges.
In one of the country's most notorious forced-confession cases, Zhao Zuohai, after serving 11 years in prison, was released in early May after the man he was alleged to have murdered turned up alive. The Henan farmer said the police tortured him into making a confession.
Zhao Bingzhi, head of the criminal law research committee under the China Law Society, said it's essential for the SPC to classify and summarize cases where the death penalty has been overturned and then release them to guide lower courts.
"What's more, the SPC should go beyond only examining evidence, and establish rules to better define serious crimes where the death penalty is applicable to ensure its
China's top court has overturned 10 percent of all death sentences nationwide since 2007 when it took back the right of final review from lower courts, a senior court official said.
Hu Yunteng, head of the research department under the Supreme People's Court (SPC), said regaining the review "played an obvious role" in reducing the number of executions, according to Friday's China Daily.
"It has ensured that the death penalty can only be applied for the most serious crimes," Hu was quoted as saying but declined to specify the number of death sentences carried out each year.
In 1981, the SPC granted provincial courts the authority to pass death sentences in an effort to tackle rising crimes, which was ended on Jan. 1, 2007 when the SPC took back the power to review and ratify death sentences after the practice was widely criticized following reports of miscarriages of justice.
Hu said death sentences were overturned mostly for lack of evidence, procedural flaws or for an inappropriate penalty.
"We must make sure the use of the death sentence is accurate and free of mistakes to respect and protect the convicts and their rights."
Earlier, Zhang Jun, SPC vice-president, told judicial departments to only impose a death penalty for the most heinous crimes.
The SPC also increased its criminal tribunals from two to five to better examine all death sentences passed, Hu said.
The SPC also ordered that all cases that carried a possible death penalty must be heard at a court session, with the defendant or defendants in attendance.
2010年11月23日星期二
Central exchange rate
A leading Chinese economist suggested Beijing improve forex policy by setting a "central exchange rate" in a given time span, during which the monetary authorities could initiate a few "one-off"rate adjustments.
Xia Bing, who sits at the central bank's monetary policy commission, wrote in a column for the China Business News Tuesday that China's current managed floating exchange rate system must be maintained, because it stabilizes the trade and backs up the economy strategically.
China's currency, the yuan or RMB, has strengthened against the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound and other major currencies, after the country's foreign trade volume increased to pre-crisis levels this year. It has gained more than 3 percent against the U.S. dollar since June.
Xia said that the yuan's exchange rate is now made floatable in tandem with daily variations of a basket of global currencies. He recommended the central bank revise the weighing of each currency, including the U.S. dollar, in accordance with global market performances. When time is ripe, he wrote, the "central exchange rate"will be supplanted by a genuinely market-regulated rate.
He also suggested the authorities gradually loosen control on capital account transactions to facilitate the yuan to be recognized and accepted as an independent global hard currency. However, Xiao did not reveal how many years the process of the yuan globalization would take.
Xia Bing, who sits at the central bank's monetary policy commission, wrote in a column for the China Business News Tuesday that China's current managed floating exchange rate system must be maintained, because it stabilizes the trade and backs up the economy strategically.
China's currency, the yuan or RMB, has strengthened against the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound and other major currencies, after the country's foreign trade volume increased to pre-crisis levels this year. It has gained more than 3 percent against the U.S. dollar since June.
Xia said that the yuan's exchange rate is now made floatable in tandem with daily variations of a basket of global currencies. He recommended the central bank revise the weighing of each currency, including the U.S. dollar, in accordance with global market performances. When time is ripe, he wrote, the "central exchange rate"will be supplanted by a genuinely market-regulated rate.
He also suggested the authorities gradually loosen control on capital account transactions to facilitate the yuan to be recognized and accepted as an independent global hard currency. However, Xiao did not reveal how many years the process of the yuan globalization would take.
2010年11月14日星期日
Mexico hotel
He said that among the fatal victims, there were an Italian and three people who worked in the hotel, and among the injured there are also foreigners.
Meanwhile, Cancun's City Hall secretary Rafael Castro told Xinhua that most of the victims were hotel employees, who at that moment were working in the restaurant.
Also it was reported that two journalists were hit by the vigilance guards, when they tried to enter the hotel to make an interview and were taken to the hospital now.
The authorities have detained the hotel's manager. According to witnesses, the employees had reported a strong gas smell, but the manager ignored.
Cancun will host the United Nations Conference of the Parties ( COP16) on Climate Change at the end of November.
An explosion on Sunday killed 6 and injured 20 others in a hotel in the Mexican resort city of Cancun, in southeastern Mexico, Quintana Roo's prosecutor Francisco Alor Quezada said.
The explosion occurred in Princess Riviera Mayo hotel at about 9:00 a.m. local time in "Premium" restaurant of Princess Riviera Maya in Del Carmen Beach.
During a press conference Alor said that to the moment they have conformed 20 injuries, who were taken to the hospitals in Carmen Beach and Cancun.
He said that the authority think the explosion was due to gas accumulation in the pipe lines of the hotel's central kitchen, but they will continue investigating the explosion.
the Elysee ande migewaede
Office furniture Office furniture manufacturer Office Furniture Desk
Meanwhile, Cancun's City Hall secretary Rafael Castro told Xinhua that most of the victims were hotel employees, who at that moment were working in the restaurant.
Also it was reported that two journalists were hit by the vigilance guards, when they tried to enter the hotel to make an interview and were taken to the hospital now.
The authorities have detained the hotel's manager. According to witnesses, the employees had reported a strong gas smell, but the manager ignored.
Cancun will host the United Nations Conference of the Parties ( COP16) on Climate Change at the end of November.
An explosion on Sunday killed 6 and injured 20 others in a hotel in the Mexican resort city of Cancun, in southeastern Mexico, Quintana Roo's prosecutor Francisco Alor Quezada said.
The explosion occurred in Princess Riviera Mayo hotel at about 9:00 a.m. local time in "Premium" restaurant of Princess Riviera Maya in Del Carmen Beach.
During a press conference Alor said that to the moment they have conformed 20 injuries, who were taken to the hospitals in Carmen Beach and Cancun.
He said that the authority think the explosion was due to gas accumulation in the pipe lines of the hotel's central kitchen, but they will continue investigating the explosion.
the Elysee ande migewaede
Office furniture Office furniture manufacturer Office Furniture Desk
2010年11月12日星期五
clam shell
Sun Dexuan, one of the personnel in charge of excavating the "first Chinese dragon," noted historical and cultural expert and deputy director of the Puyang Dragon Culture Research Association, said at 9 a.m. on Nov. 9 that the "first Chinese dragon" was unearthed at the site of the Yangshao Culture in the Xitupo area, Puyang County 23 years ago and is indeed made from clam shells. The dragon pattern depicts a flying dragon with a long tail, holding its head high, while bowing its body with its front paws clawing and back paws kicking. Domestic and foreign experts estimated by analyzing the clam shells that the dragon was made about 6,400 years ago, with an error of no more than 150 years.
Sun analyzed that the clam shell found by Mr. Huang belongs to Hyriopsis species and the totem pattern within the clam shell shows that it came into being later than the "first Chinese dragon." The dragon totem pattern within the clam shell is quite likely to have been made artificially, but the initial conclusion is open to professional analyses by archeological experts.
An animal-shaped pattern discovered within a clam shell closely resembles the "first Chinese dragon" unearthed in Puyang County, central China's Henan Province and the pattern without any artificial signs appears to have come into being naturally, a local resident said on Nov. 9 after he unexpectedly discovered it among many clam shells in a pit near an excavated ancient wall while out at the southwestern Xishuipo area of Puyang County.
The resident, Mr. Huang, said the place where he found the clam shell is only several hundred meters away from the site where the "first Chinese dragon" was unearthed in 1987. As "the first Chinese dragon" was fully made from clam shells, he does not know whether there is any connection between the two discoveries.
Sun analyzed that the clam shell found by Mr. Huang belongs to Hyriopsis species and the totem pattern within the clam shell shows that it came into being later than the "first Chinese dragon." The dragon totem pattern within the clam shell is quite likely to have been made artificially, but the initial conclusion is open to professional analyses by archeological experts.
An animal-shaped pattern discovered within a clam shell closely resembles the "first Chinese dragon" unearthed in Puyang County, central China's Henan Province and the pattern without any artificial signs appears to have come into being naturally, a local resident said on Nov. 9 after he unexpectedly discovered it among many clam shells in a pit near an excavated ancient wall while out at the southwestern Xishuipo area of Puyang County.
The resident, Mr. Huang, said the place where he found the clam shell is only several hundred meters away from the site where the "first Chinese dragon" was unearthed in 1987. As "the first Chinese dragon" was fully made from clam shells, he does not know whether there is any connection between the two discoveries.
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