China Chronicles October 23, 2012
- China to revise prison, lawyers laws
CHINA'S top legislature today discussed amendments to seven laws that would be changed to fit the amended Criminal Procedure Law.
The opening session of the bimonthly meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress deliberated a draft resolution covering revisions to 18 areas of unconformity in the Prison Law, Lawyers Law and other related bills with the Criminal Procedure Law, which was amended in March and will take effect next January.
The draft revision clarifies lawyers' rights in litigations, guaranteeing their right to meet suspects and defendants with due documents such as practicing certificates, credentials from law offices, authorization letters or official letters of legal assistance.
As the right has been enshrined in the amended Criminal Procedure Law, the draft says meetings between lawyers and suspects or defendants will not be monitored.
- Hospital fire kills at least 12 in south Taiwan
A big fire broke out early this morning at a hospital in south Taiwan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 60 others, most of whom were patients.
The fire started at a medical care facility close to the Bei-Men branch of the Sinying Hospital in Tainan City, according to the city's Health Department.
Firefighters were alerted at 3:29 am and the fire was put out some 50 minutes later.
The rescuers pulled out a total of 115 people, among whom 12 were later announced dead. Another 60 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. Most of them were choked in heavy smoke.
A worker at the local Fire Department, who identified herself as Ms. Weng, told Xinhua by telephone that most of the injured were patients and the police were still investigating the cause of the fire.
- on photography
- Snow shuts northern expressway
Workers check a snow-clearing vehicle yesterday on an expressway in Mudanjiang in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Sections of the expressway linking Mudanjiang with the provincial capital of Harbin were suspended amid a yellow-level snowfall alert, with many parts of the region bracing for a sweeping cold front. Shanghai's temperatures in the mornings should drop to a low of 15 degrees Celsius. The sky should turn cloudy and overcast again tomorrow and the high should climb back to 24.
- Public now keeps eye on officials via Internet
A DEPUTY provincial governor in central China has met fierce criticism from netizens after pictures of him walking on a red carpet during a construction site inspection were posted on the Internet.
The idea of a high-ranking official behaving like a pop star, complete with expensive clothing and a large entourage, upset many Internet users.
The official would not have been embarrassed if the pictures hadn't been published, of course. But evading public scrutiny has become more and more difficult with the increasing popularity of the Internet.
In 2009, Zhou Jiugeng, a former real estate management official in east China's city of Nanjing, was sentenced to 11 years in jail for bribery following an investigation that was triggered by photos published online showing him smoking cigarettes valued at 150 yuan (US$23.8) a pack.
Last month, Yang Dacai, a senior work safety official in north China's Shaanxi Province, was sacked due to a corruption scandal exposed after photos online showing him wearing 11 expensive wristwatches on different occasions.
People's rights protected
These cases indicate that the public is more conscious of its ability to supervise officials. A government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao in March stated that people's rights to stay informed about, participate in, express views on and oversee government affairs will be protected.
The report also said China will strengthen administrative and democratic oversight, resolutely investigate and prosecute violations of the law or discipline and severely punish corrupt officials
The Zhengzhou municipal government, which invested in the water project inspected by the deputy provincial governor, said it entrusted the ceremony for the project to a local advertising company, adding that the company laid the red carpet down.
Due to rising criticism from the public, the Zhengzhou municipal government apologized on Saturday for not correcting the advertising company's arrangement! s.
"We sincerely apologize to Internet users and members of the public," the city government said.
Officials who feel at ease when walking on the red carpet should instead be on high alert as a result of citizen vigilance on the Internet.
- Song-era china-making revived
CERAMISTS said yesterday that they have produced 3,000 porcelain items using a replica of an ancient kiln in east China's "porcelain capital" of Jingdezhen.
The move is part of the city's efforts to revive historic porcelain-making techniques.
"The firing (of the ceramics) proved successful," said Lai Dequan, a Beijing-based Master of Fine Arts, adding that the color and sheen of the porcelain ware matched artifacts made 700 years ago in the same type of kiln.
The "dragon kiln," which gets its name from its dragon-like shape, was widely used in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to produce greenish-white porcelain, a landmark achievement in China's porcelain-making history.
Ceramic archeologists and antique experts from Jingdezhen and China's Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City, checked items after firing.
"It is amazing to recall the splendid times of China's porcelain by looking at this 'reborn' china," said Lai.
He said that the wares have a gentle and mild glaze, marking the successful return of dragon kiln craftsmanship after its centuries-long disappearance.
To protect and continue the legacy of Jingdezhen's ceramic craftsmanship, the local government started the dragon kiln reproduction project in June.
Top ceramists conducted an investigation of ancient kilns from the Song Dynasty before creating the new dragon kiln.
"With the development of the porcelain industry and improvements to the shape of kilns, the Song Dynasty witnessed the peak period for building dragon kilns," said Zhou Ronglin, director of the Jingdezhen Municipal Ceramic Cultural Heritage Research and Protection Center.
The replica kiln was built on a hill near Jingdezhen, a city in Jiangxi Province that has a 1,700-year history of producing porcelain.
"With the reopening of the kiln, we can study how ancient people loaded the kiln, how they controlled the temperature and duration of the firing and how they handled the airflow in the kilns to affect the appea! rance of the finished wares," Zhou said.
- More of China's literature needs translation
SWEDISH Academy member Goran Malmqvist said yesterday that the existence of few translations is the main reason that Chinese literature is marginalized in the world.
Malmqvist, one of 18 lifelong judges of the Nobel Prize in Literature, said China already has many world-class writers. "What is world literature? World literature is translation," he added, quoting the former permanent secretary of Swedish Academy.
Malmqvist, 88, a Swedish linguist and sinologist, made the remarks when promoting a collection of works by Chinese novelist Cao Naiqian.
Cao, a police officer-turned novelist, is one of Malmqvist's favorite Chinese writers, which include the latest Nobel laureate in literature, Mo Yan.
"So Mo's winning of the Nobel Prize in Literature will help attach more importance to Chinese literature in the context of world literature," he said yesterday. He also is promoting his latest translation of works of Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer.
Today's the third day of his short visit to Shanghai. He'll give a lecture in Fudan University this evening about translation.
During his visit, Malmqvist has emphasized Mo's winning the Nobel Prize in Literature "has nothing to do with politics."
Malmqvist, the only Nobel judge fluent in Chinese, said he was very irritated by "some biased media" who questioned Mo's award.
Some Western journalists have questioned the recognition after the Chinese writer was announced as the Nobel laureate on October 11.
Criticism that Mo is not qualified was based on his being a member of the Communist Party of China and vice president of the China Writers Association.
Malmqvist described the accusation as "quite unfair" to Mo. "Those who criticized Mo Yan haven't even read a single one of his books," Malmqvist told reporters on Sunday.
"They know nothing about the quality of Mo's literature. They should not have 'opened fire' on him," Malmqvist said, adding that the only standard used to decide whether or not! to give a writer the prize is the quality of his or her literature.
"We do not care about politics," he said.
"Mo Yan is an excellent storyteller. Among today's Chinese writers, no one equals him in the courage to talk about the darkness and unjustness" in Chinese society, he said.
He personally prefers Mo's short fiction to longer work, saying the writer "has an excellent control of words."
Malmqvist said the decision was made through "heated discussions" and the number of nominees was narrowed from 250 to the final five. Malmqvist explained that Mo was elected for the prize based on a final consensus.
"However, the Nobel prize is not a world champion," the scholar said. "We just awarded the prize to a good writer. There could be 1,000 good writers ... but the winner is just one."
He said the choice "is completely subjective."
The acclaimed sinologist, who reads extensively in Chinese and has made profound studies about Chinese characters and literature, has devoted years to introducing Chinese literature to the world.
According to Malmqvist, Mo's works have been translated into the greatest number of foreign languages among the current Chinese writers.
- Festival today honors seniors
CALLS for visiting parents and the elderly during the Seniors' Day holiday have reverberated in Chinese media recently.
Seniors' Day, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, falls today, the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
The festival, which dates back more than 2,000 years, is traditionally an occasion for eating symbolic cakes and appreciating chrysanthemums.
In 1989, the Chinese government turned the day into Seniors' Day to promote filial respect. However, it is often neglected by people who are occupied with work and other obligations.
Many elderly Chinese have complained about their apathetic children. A China Central Television news program that aired on Sunday featured an interview with an 80-year-old woman who said that her children seldom visit her.
The program led some viewers to launch an online campaign encouraging more people to visit their parents during the holiday.
The graying of China's population has accelerated in recent years. The country had about 185 million people above the age of 60 as of the end of last year. The figure is expected to surge to 221 million in 2015, including 51 million "empty nesters," or elderly people whose children no longer live with them.
Some argue that younger people still want to visit their parents, but heavy work pressure and tight schedules have kept them at home. Spending time chatting with parents has become a luxury. However, a phone call or a gift sent through the mail would probably suffice. An aging society needs filial piety. The love shown by one's own children is irreplaceable. It can enrich elderly people's spiritual lives and dispel loneliness, experts say.
A community-based elderly care system would suit the country's current situation and help support older people. Elderly people ought to be given more access to community-based psychological consultation services as well.
Giving a day off for employees on Seniors' Day would also show China's emphas! is on traditional virtues and be in line with the Communist Party of China's call for promoting socialist culture.
- Party scrutinizes official owning 22 properties
AN urban management official in south China's Guangdong Province whose ownership stake in 22 properties was confirmed is under Party investigation due to "economic problems."
Cai Bin, a senior official with the Panyu District division of the Guangzhou Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau, severely violated Party discipline by taking bribes and illegally opening a business, the Guangzhou Party discipline watchdog announced yesterday.
The 56-year-old Cai is facing a further investigation, Nanfang Daily reported. He also has been sacked from his position.
The scandal emerged after cyberspace whistle-blowers revealed on Sina Weibo, one of China's biggest Twitter-like microblogging sites, that Cai and his family owned 21 houses.
An earlier investigation showed the online information was "basically true," said Guo Xuanyu, a spokesman for the Panyu District Party Disciplinary Committee.
The online post revealed that Cai's 21 houses totaled 7,200 square meters and are valued at about 40 million yuan (US$6.4 million).
Of the 21 houses, 19 are under the name of his wife Shi Liying and his son. One is jointly owned by Cai and Shi and the other is under the name of Cai.
The latest investigation showed Cai also owned one additional house.
The number is much greater than Cai previously declared to higher authorities. He told authorities last year and again this year that his family had only two houses. He also denied the extent of his property ownership in an earlier interview with Xinhua news agency.
The district government said Cai earned 10,000 yuan per month and his wife, now retired, earned less.
Local authorities confirmed that Cai's son has emigrated to Australia.
In dealing with corruption tips on the Internet, Panyu government's speedy response has won applause.
"The action taken by the inspection authorities was quick and powerful," said a blogger.
- Court orders release of records of lax dairy rule
A BEIJING court has ordered the Ministry of Health to publicize the notes of meetings at which the country's controversial new dairy product standards were written.
The move at Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court came after a lawsuit against the ministry amidst accusations that the standards were hijacked by dairy manufacturers and made more lax, a newspaper reported yesterday.
The standards, expected to impose stricter limits on the amount of bacteria in raw milk, raised the maximum to two million cells per milliliter from 500,000 adopted in the old standard. The new maximum safety limit for bacteria in raw milk was 20 times higher than that in Europe and the United States.
The ministry also lowered the minimum protein content to 2.8 grams per 100 grams of milk from 2.9 grams. In Europe, the protein content should be no less than 3 grams per 100 grams in dairy products.
Zhao Zhengjun, a man from Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan Province, filed a lawsuit against the health authority in February, requesting the ministry to respond to the "hijacked standards" accusation by making all drafts documents public, the Dahe Newspaper reported yesterday.
He filed an application with the ministry in writing in December but was rejected. The ministry said the information cannot be made public because it may "affect social stability and add burdens to administrative management work."
Wang Dingmian, director of the Guangdong Provincial Dairy Association, called the standard "a shame on the whole industry."
One expert said the standards were drafted by some domestic dairy manufacturers. "China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd drafted the standard for pasteurized milk, the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co Ltd drafted the standard for raw milk, while the Bright Dairy did that for yogurt," Zeng Shouying said.
- Students rapped for mahjong
A TEAM of students from China's top universities, including Tsinghua University and Peking University, will compete in the 2012 World Mahjong Championship, which has stirred debate nationwide.
More than 30 university students took part in the competitive qualifier and four players from Beijing and Tianjin stand out, West China Metropolis Daily reported.
This year's championship will be held in Chongqing on October 26. Mahjong, a game played with clinking tiles, is a favorite pastime in China and a gambler's game as well.
The controversial student team has drawn criticism on the Internet from some saying that university students shouldn't waste their time on folk games.
"Students should spend more time on their academic studies," said one commentator, Meng Mu Er Zi. "Mahjong is a bad custom that will distract students from studies."
Some supported the students and praised them for promoting Chinese culture.
"Why couldn't students play mahjong as long as they don't play it in the dorm, disturb the residents or gamble with it?" an Internet user asked.
The organizer told the newspaper that the tournament didn't offer any cash reward and students should be encouraged for their interest in traditional culture.
The universities said that they had no idea of their students' participation, according to the newspaper. University officials said students should have the freedom to take part in their own pastimes as long as they do not affect their studies.
- derniers souffles
Ludo B. has added a photo to the pool:
- Hairy Crabs
Rob-Shanghai has added a photo to the pool:
Once again its hairy crab season in Shanghai. Chinese go crazy for these small and difficult to eat crabs which come from the nearby lake of Yangcheng hu. This guide will help the first timers www.cnngo.com/shanghai/eat/how-eat-shanghai-hairy-crabs-9...
Some years ago I visited a company close to the lake at this time of the year, they presented me with a box full of live crabs. Inside the box is a small tray of water to keep the crabs happy on the journey home to my kitchen. I put the box in the back of my Jeep and over the bumps the water spilled and the bottom fell out of the box and the buggers escaped. Not a lot of fun trying the drive with an army of crabs coming over the back seat.
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