China

HONG Kong saw its first electric taxis hit the streets yesterday, in a step toward reducing the city's high levels of roadside pollution.The 45 bright red cars were launched by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD, which is partly backed by US investment titan Warren Buffett.Called the BYD e6, the five-door crossover sedans are powered by iron phosphate batteries and take two hours to charge, a statement from BYD said, adding that they can travel for 300 kilometers.The cars have been rented by the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, which is testing them over the next six months."The idea of being environmentally friendly is a global trend and the electric car is one good example," said Wong Chung-keung, president and chairman of the association."An electric car saves on fuel costs and will allow our taxi drivers to earn more," he added. Wong said a standard taxi costs HK$0.8 (10 US cents) per kilometer to run, while an electric car costs HK$0.2-0.3.He called for more charging stations around the city to encourage taxi drivers to go electric. BYD said it is setting up 47 chargers in nine charging locations near car parks.Hong Kong's Financial Secretary John Tsang was quoted in a BYD statement as welcoming the electric car and saying he was committed to "promoting environmental sustainability by laying the foundation for Hong Kong to become a zero emissions city."The government announced revisions to its air quality objectives for the first time in 25 years in January 2012, after University of Hong Kong research showed pollution-related illnesses killed more than 3,000 residents a year.

Panda "A Bao," a two-and-a-half-year-old twin born in Spain, returned to the Giant Panda Breeding Base in Sichuan Province yesterday.

A MAN has been held in connection with a series of bomb hoax calls that affected flights in five Chinese cities, police in Yancheng City, in eastern Jiangsu Province, said yesterday.In a three-minute period between 5:22pm and 5:25pm on Friday, police in province-level municipalities Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin, and Guangzhou in southern Guangdong Province received calls claiming there were bombs on flights to Shanghai.Police held a 43-year-old man, surnamed Ji, in Yancheng less than two hours later.According to police, Ji has admitted having made the hoax calls. Officers said investigations were continuing.Friday's calls were not the only bomb hoaxes of the week targeting airlines. On Wednesday, calls were made to three airlines, affecting five flights to Shenzhen in Guangdong. The next day, police held a man in Dongguan, Guangdong, in connection with these calls.At least 10 aircraft bomb hoax threats were reported in China last year.Under Chinese law, anyone found guilty of making such calls could face more than five years in jail, depending on the severity of their actions.

TAIWANESE investigators have left the Philippines, expressing dissatisfaction with Manila's cooperation in probing the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coast guard.Investigating team leader Chen Wen-chi read a statement yesterday that said evidence showed the May 9 shooting was intentional. It also said Philippine law enforcers ignored international protocol, including warning the Taiwanese vessel.The investigators said they decided to leave because of a lack of sincerity and cooperation by the Philippines.The 14-man team that arrived Thursday reiterated a call for a joint investigation. Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has rejected that. De Lima said she urged Taiwan to wait for the Philippines to finish its "fair, thorough and expeditious probe."Taiwan has recalled its envoy, banned the hiring of new Philippine workers and staged a military drill.

A CHINA, World Health Organization (WHO) joint report said the H7N9 bird flu virus has a higher potential for human-to-human transmission than any other known bird flu virus. The report, based on field assessment, was publicized by China's National Health and Family Planning Commission yesterday. It said the H7N9 virus, compared with other bird flu virus strains, has infected more in a shorter time, and some batches of H7N9 have shown genetic alterations which means they have adapted to be more contagious than other avian influenza viruses. From the first recorded case in late March to May 13, the Chinese mainland reported 130 H7N9 cases, with 35 deaths.

“Running Away” is included in 27-year-old mainland singer Zhou Bichang‘s latest album Unlock, released on May 16, 2013. At time of translation, this song has generated 38,355 listens on Xiami. Music Video: ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???">Composer: Frank Fossey Lyrics: Ge Dawei Arrangements: Liang Qiaobo Singer: Zhou Bichang Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation): ?????? wài tóu yáng gu?ng yào y?n Outside the sunshine is shining ?????? xiàng j? ch?ng b?o le diàn The camera is fully charged ?????? jù jué k? f?i xù b?i Rejected the coffee refill ?????? j?n ti?n shì hé mào xi?n Today is good for adventure ??????? ???? zhè cì bù x? yào rén péi zh? píng zhí jué This time I don’t need company; I will rely on intuition only CHORUS: Cuz I’m running away ?????? bié huí tóu wú su? wèi Don’t turn back, don’t care too much Cuz I’m running away ???????? d?n chéng piào yí lù dào míng ti?n A one-way ticket all the way to tomorrow ?????? yàn juàn yì chéng bú biàn Tired of nothing ever changing ?????? w? xi?ng zuò gè shì yàn I want to do an experiment ?????? ch? f? bú shè zh?ng di?n To set off without a destination ?????? w? huì z?u dào n? bi?n Where will I find myself? ?? ????? ???? zhè cì bù x? yào pái liàn bù shu? hòu hu? This time, no rehearsal is needed, and no regrets CHORUS ??? ???? bù y? lài y?ng g?n tu? f?n Don’t be dependent, must bravely overthrow ???? ???? zuó rì c? kè w? de cún zài my existence of yesterday this moment ??? ???? w? k? y? xi?ng shòu g? d?n I can enjoy loneliness ???????? y?n wèi lí k?i su? y? q? dài Because by leaving, I can look forward to [something new] ?? ????? ???? zhè cì bù x? yào rén péi zh? píng zhí jué This time, I don’t need company; I will rely on my intuition only Cuz I’m running away ?????? bié huí tóu wú su? wèi Don’t turn back, don’t care too much Cuz I’m running away ?????? d?n chéng piào dài w? z?u One-way ticket, take me away CHORUS "‘Running Away’ by Zhou Bichang" Originally posted on chinaSMACK - Hot internet stories, pictures, & videos in China Related Posts ‘Unreachable’ by Christine Fan 12 comments » ‘If Love’ by Khalil Fong (Fang Datong) 25 comments » ‘Elope’ by Zheng Jun (and Liang Bo) 6 comments »

Din Tai Fung in Taipei snagged the number one spot in The Daily Meal's countdown of the "101 Best Restaurants in Asia of 2013." Daily Meal Editorial Director Colman Andrews knew the decision would be controversial because the xiaolongbao depot is an international chain, but said, "ultimately they chose a place best-known for doing one thing absolutely perfectly." We figured the win would cause a stir among Shanghaiers, who've had mixed opinions about the Shanghai outlet. [ more › ]

Chinese jobseekers attend a jobs fair in Beijing on May 18, 2013. Chinese media has reported that China will need to find employment for a record number (seven million) of college graduates this year.--AFP

Din Tai Fung in Taipei snagged the number one spot in The Daily Meal's countdown of the "101 Best Restaurants in Asia of 2013." Daily Meal Editorial Director Colman Andrews knew the decision would be controversial because the xiaolongbao depot is an international chain, but said, "ultimately they chose a place best-known for doing one thing absolutely perfectly." Seeing as that one thing is a Shanghai staple, we figured the win would cause a stir among Shanghaiers, who've had mixed opinions about the Shanghai outlet. [ more › ]

At The Guardian, Jonathan Kaiman reports the approval by Chinese environmental officials of a proposed 314-meter-tall dam despite fears about its effects on the ecology of Sichuan’s Dadu River, an indirect tributary of the Yangtze. The new dam would stand almost 130 meters taller than the Three Gorges Dam, and 12 taller than the current world leader, Tajikistan’s Soviet-built Nurek Dam. China’s environment ministry acknowledged that the dam would have an impact on the area’s highly biodiverse flora and fauna. “The project will affect the spawning and movement of rare fish species, as well as the growth of endangered plants, including the Chinese yew, which is under first-class state protection,” the ministry said, according to Xinhua. The ministry proposed counter-measures to mitigate the environmental impact, such as “protecting fish habitats in tributaries, building fish ladders and increasing fish breeding and releasing”, Xinhua reported. The project is still awaiting a final go-ahead from China’s state council. [Source] Reuters’ David Stanway notes that state power firm Guodian, a subsidiary of which will build the new Shuangjiangkou dam, has previously faced criticism from the government for starting work on projects before receiving final approval. Large-scale hydropower is central to Beijing’s plans for greater use of fossil fuel alternatives. It faces strong and widespread opposition, however, because of its impact on communities, plants and wildlife, to say nothing of accusations that it can increase the risk of landslides and earthquakes. Another currently contentious hydropower project is the long-delayed series of dams on the upper Nu (or Salween) River. For more on the Nu dams and related environmental issues, see ‘Dams & Deforestation: Yunnan’s Water Woes‘ at CDT. © Samuel Wade for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: dams, electricity, hydroelectricity, Hydropower, rivers, Sichuan, wildlife preservation, Yangtze Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall