China

On Saturday and after much public outcry, food safety authorities in the southern province of Guangzhou released the names of rice producers whose products were found to contain cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. The Global Times reports: The move by the Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration came after public demand for the information. Of 18 batches of rice tested during random quarterly checks, eight were found to contain excessive amounts of the heavy metal. The metal is known as a strong carcinogen, and can cause pathological changes in the kidneys and other organs. The names of the producers of the eight substandard batches were released late Saturday. Six are in Hunan Province, while two others are in Dongguan. However, an administration press officer told China National Radio on Saturday that the range of tested products was narrow, so the results do not represent the overall situation in Guangzhou. [Source] Initially, food safety authorities withheld the brand names and locations where the tainted rice was produced. After a barrage of netizen pressure, that information was made public, along with information as to what establishments were found to have the toxic product. From the South China Morning Post: These [restaurants and cafeterias] included the Guangzhou Taiyang Seafood Restaurant in Liwan district, the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, the Yannanfei Restaurant in Haizhu district and the Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering. [...]The incident, the latest in a seemingly endless series of food scandals, prompted a nationwide outcry over food safety and the perceived lack of transparency of the government’s handling of the issue on Friday. [...]More than 100,000 internet users posted comments on major internet portals such as Sina and Soho on Friday urging the government to name the brands involved. [Source] In a blogpost deeming “cadmium rice” China’s latest food scandal, the New York Times’ Didi Kirsten Tatlow reports further on netizen reactions to initial state-media reports on this recent cadmium scare, and on the health effects of cadmium exposure: Xinhua offered this practical, if short-term, advice, as did People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece: “Experts recommend that people should not consume food and drink from one particular region for long, instead they should diversify to lower the risk.” That prompted some hilarity online, with netizens marveling that the party newspaper would offer such advice. “That’ll ensure that everyone gets their share of cadmium,” remarked someone called Ning Fushen, in a post on Sina Weibo. [...]Cadmium, a known carcinogen, builds up in the body and damages the kidneys and lungs and can cause bone disease. Ingestion via food is the main source for nonsmokers, while smokers’ intake may be twice that of nonsmokers, according to the Web site www.cadmium.org. [Source] Amid this food safety probe and the bruised confidence of Chinese consumers, Bloomberg reports that sales of Hunan-produced rice are plummeting as many increasingly look to imports: Rice traders in Hunan reported sales dropping by more than half from a year ago since media reports of the pollutant in began appearing, Cngrain.com said on its website. The researcher, which is owned by China Grain Reserves Corp., a custodian of government food reserves, didn’t provide figures for the drop in sales. The Nanfang Daily first reported in February that rice from Hunan sold in southern Guangdong province contained excessive levels of toxic metal and the Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration reignited concerns with reports on its website last week. It is a blow to farmers in the region because sales of indica rice, a long-grain variety consumed in southern China and used for milling and brewing, were already being hurt by low-cost imports, Zhang Zhixian, analyst of Cngrain.com, said by phone from Zhengzhou in central China. Consumers in some areas may become more willin

Rescuers at work at a cave-in site at the gates of an industrial park in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen yesterday. Five people died when a sinkhole about 7 meters wide opened up on Monday evening when many factory workers would have been changing shifts. It was unclear how many people had fallen into the hole, but a search is continuing. Sinkholes in China are often blamed on construction works and the country's rapid pace of development. Surveillance cameras in March captured images of a security guard being swallowed by a sinkhole, also in Shenzhen.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has told Indian business leaders that developing stronger economic ties between their two nations would have huge benefits for both sides.Li was speaking a day after holding meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during which the two leaders stressed the aim of forging deeper cooperation.Li told the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry yesterday that India and China were both enormous markets with incredible potential for growth."If every one of our combined 2.5 billion population would buy a new mobile phone, it would blow up the order lists of IT manufacturers and operators in the world," Li said.He said the two nations' strengths complemented each other, with India having the edge in information technology and software, while China was undergoing a rapid expansion in manufacturing and textiles.China can also help India's drive to improve its infrastructure, he said."At present, we both face the heavy tasks of developing the economy, improving people's lives and reinvigorating the country. In seeking great neighborly relations and common development, we will not just benefit our own peoples but also create new opportunities for other Asian countries," he said.Li and Singh had expressed hopes they could increase their trade from US$61.5 billion last year to US$100 billion by 2015. But the current trade is heavily skewed in China's favor, and Li said he was willing to allow Indian products greater access to Chinese markets."I'm confident that we have the ability to mitigate the trade imbalance between our two countries. China never has the intention of pursuing a trade surplus," he said.Li said China understands "balanced trade is crucial to good ties between the world's two most populous countries" and that "a peaceful and stable South Asia is consistent with China's development interests.""Only a dynamic trade balance is a sustainable trade relationship," he said."We will support Chinese enterprises to increase investments in India and help Indian products have access to Chinese markets," he said, also promising to help raise prosperity in the Asian region.India is seeking Chinese participation in its special manufacturing zones or SEZs being set up under its National Manufacturing Policy which aims to sharply boost manufacturing to provide jobs for its growing army of young people.Also yesterday, both countries signed deals to raise Indian access to China's drugs market and promote trade in fish and meat products, billed by New Delhi as helping address China's food security.

THREE New York University researchers from China divulged results from a US-funded study to Chinese competitors in exchange for tuition, rent and other expenses, according to US federal prosecutors.Zhu Yudong, a US-educated NYU professor, and Yang Xing, a lab engineer, were released on bail on Monday after appearing in court in Manhattan to face commercial bribery and other charges. The third defendant, postdoctoral fellow Li Ye, is at large.A criminal complaint alleges the three provided non-public information about magnetic resonance imaging to a medical company in China, United Imaging Healthcare, and a research institute supported by the Chinese government.Authorities described 44-year-old Zhu as "an accomplished researcher and innovator in the field of MRI technology" who was hired as associate professor of radiology at NYU Langone Medical Center in 2008. In 2010, he received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health for his MRI research. He later recruited Yang and Li to work for him.The complaint accuses Zhu of arranging for United Imaging to pay for Yang and Li's expenses. It says all three failed to disclose they were still affiliated with both the company and the Shenzen Institute of Advanced Technology, a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The men face up to five years in prison if convicted of the bribery count. Zhu faces up to 20 years on a separate charge of falsifying records in connection with his federal grant.Earlier this year, NYU launched an internal review that uncovered the conflict of interest, authorities said. When confronted by NYU officials, Li told them that he was paid thousands of dollars this year by the Chinese institute for work on its MRI project and that Zhu "performs the same work on research for that project as he does for the university," the complaint says.

CHINESE President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama will hold their first meeting since Xi became president in March when they sit down for a June 7-8 summit in Rancho Mirage, California."President Obama and President Xi will hold in-depth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues," the White House said in a statement."They will review progress and challenges in US-China relations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance cooperation, while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead," it said.Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China was willing to work with the United States to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in relations, which he said were "at a new historical period.""Of course, some differences exist between China and the United States, which require proper and active management by both sides," Hong said. "This year, Sino-US relations have got off to a good start and are facing an important opportunity for development."Hong said the two leaders would have "comprehensive and in-depth discussions" on a range of issues.The leaders will meet at Sunnylands, an 80-hectare estate on Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage, California. Sunnylands is the former estate of the late philanthropist Walter Annenberg, who frequently hosted President Ronald Reagan there.The fact that they will devote two days to the talks shows an intent by the two leaders to build a closer relationship. White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon will travel to Beijing to meet Chinese officials on May 26-28 to prepare for the Xi visit.As part of his trip to the Americas, Xi will also make state visits to Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, the foreign ministry said.

CHINA appealed for stronger cooperation with the US on cyber security yesterday.Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei was responding at a daily press briefing to a question claiming US governmental organizations and businesses had been victims of cyber attacks by the Chinese military."We would like to sit down with the United States, communicate on the issues and discuss the formulation of related international regulations so as to jointly safeguard peace, security, openness and cooperation in cyberspace," he said.

The latest addition to the Dongping Lu expatopia, Spice Bazaar serves classic Xinjiang dishes in an upscale, foreigner-friendly setting. Think Xibo with toned down decor. [ more › ]

Taiwan released a satellite record of the route of a fishing boat fired on by Philippine coast guards yesterday, flatly rejecting Manila's allegations it had intruded into Philippine waters.The killing of crew member Hung Shih-cheng, 65, sparked outrage in Taiwan, and a series of economic sanctions against the Philippines.Taiwan's Fisheries Agency said the voyage data recorder from the fishing boat showed it was not in Philippine waters when it came under fire on May 9."The satellite records indicated that the "Guang Ta Hsin 28" had been fishing within Taiwan's exclusive economic zone throughout," the agency's deputy chief Tsay Tzu-yaw said.The satellite record showed the ship was positioned at 122 degrees and 55 minutes east and 19 degrees and 59 minutes north when it was attacked at 10:12am. The economic zones claimed by the two sides overlap."Since the Philippine authorities repeatedly alleged that the fishing boat had intruded into their waters, then why not make public the video records they claim they have taken from the coast guard boat?" Tsay said.The Philippines said it would make "coordinated efforts" with Taiwan to look into the incident. Its coast guards claimed that the fishing boat intruded into Philippine waters and tried to ram their vessel, forcing them to open fire.Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou called the killing "cold-blooded murder" after an initial inquiry showed the boat had more than 50 bullet holes and no signs of ramming.Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday that an investigation team would fly to Taiwan to examine the fishing boat and interview survivors.De Lima said the Taiwanese investigators would be given access to their evidence, including statements from the coast guard.Philippine President Benigno Aquino has personally apologized for the incident but Taiwan rejected his apology and announced sanctions.These include a ban on the hiring of new Philippine workers, recalling its envoy and staging a naval drill in waters off the northern Philippines.Taipei has repeatedly pressed Manila to issue a formal government apology, compensate the fisherman's family and apprehend the killer.

A CHINESE fishing boat and its crew are on their way home after being held captive in North Korea since May 5.No ransom had been paid, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a news briefing yesterday. The boat's owner, Yu Xuejun, said earlier the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 600,000 yuan (US$97,700). Yu said the captain had been beaten up by men in North Korean military uniforms during their time in captivity and the fuel onboard stolen.Yu said the captors "looked like soldiers, and the captain said they had guns and used force to take over the boat."The captain had suffered an arm injury but had since recovered, Yu said. No other crew member had been harmed.The 16 crew had been allowed to move around the boat by day but were locked in a room at night, Yu said. "The fishermen are to continue fishing on the sea before heading back to China," Yu added."The North Koreans only left the crew with one sack of rice and one sack of flour. But this shouldn't be a problem as there are a lot of boats in that region now, all from Dalian," he said, referring to the northeast China port where his boat is based. "With their help, the crews will do OK for the next 8 or 10 days."Yu said the North Koreans took about 5 tons of light diesel oil and 6 barrels of gasoline and food, but navigation and communication equipment that was initially taken was returned.On Monday, Hong had urged North Korea to safeguard the health and legitimate rights and interests of the detained Chinese fishermen.He declined to answer a question about who exactly China believed was behind the boat seizure, but made it clear that Beijing was looking for the North Korean government to secure the release of the boat and crew.Yu posted coordinates on his microblog indicating the seizure took place about 100 kilometers from the westernmost point of North Korea and about 190 kilometers from Dalian.That area is outside both countries' territorial waters - defined as 12 nautical miles from their shores - but within their overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones, which give them rights to resources including fishing, The Associated Press reported. Jurisdictions in overlapping zones are not always clear.Yu's pleas for help and his worries that the crew might be mistreated were forwarded thousands of times on the Internet, and a high-ranking Chinese military officer, Major General Luo Yuan, wrote on Sina Weibo of his fury over the detention.In his online post, the military microblogger, who has more than 300,000 followers, wrote: "North Korea has gone too far. Even if you are short of money, you can't grab people across the border for blackmail." One of China's North Korea watchers said rogue border guards were probably responsible, rather than the Pyongyang government itself, according to AP.Lu Chao, an expert on North Korea at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences in northeast China, said he doubted the North Korean government would have had any knowledge of the incident when it happened."This incident is purely about a lawless act by the North Korean border police to blackmail our fishermen," Lu said, adding that such things frequently happened to Chinese fishermen working close to North Korean waters."Sometimes, if the amount they are asking for isn't too high, the boat owner would just pay it," he said. This time, it might be related to spring food shortages, "so they are asking for a huge ransom."Yu said that he was contacted by the kidnappers and told to pay the ransom or they would "confiscate the boat and discharge the crew." The caller claimed the boat had been confiscated because it had entered North Korean territory."They initially demanded 1.2 million yuan to give back the boat and that changed to 800,000 yuan and finally to 600,000 yuan after being refused," Yu said.He was not certain of the kidnappers' identity, but told reporters he suspected they were associated with the North Korean army.About a year ago, 29 fishermen were kidnapped by North Ko

Hoax callers who target civilian flights will face harsher punishments in future, China's Ministry of Public Security said yesterday.In a notice it issued, the ministry asked that local security authorities "treat such incidents as criminal cases from now on," instead of as "common cases of public order administration."The ministry said two suspects, an unemployed migrant from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and a man in Jiangsu Province, had been arrested for making false bomb threats that disrupted a number of flights last week. The threats came in the form of anonymous phone calls to airports and airline offices.The ministry said the hoaxes severely disrupted civilian flights.The range of punishments under China's criminal law and civil aviation law are the same - anyone who intentionally disrupts flight operations by fabricating threats can be jailed for up to five years, or more if the actions have severe consequences.Judges will treat cases brought under the criminal law more severely. Five flights operated by China Eastern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines were targeted by bomb threats last Wednesday. The airlines received calls between 8am and 9:30am saying there could be bombs on flights to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen departing from Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Xi'an and Lanzhou.Four flights already in the air were ordered to return or were diverted. The fifth flight was still on the ground.A 26-year-old suspect caught the next day is said to have told police he wanted to take revenge on society because he had been punished many times after committing crimes.A day later, 11 flights to Shanghai were disrupted after airports in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chongqing received bomb threats. A 43-year-old man was arrested. Last July, a Chinese man was jailed for 14 months after he called Pudong International Airport claiming he had planted a bomb on an Air China flight.