China Chronicles October 26, 2012
- Bo Xilai expelled from national legislature
THE Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, announced today the termination of Bo Xilai's post as an NPC deputy.
The Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People's Congress removed the former high-ranking official, who was suspected of violating laws, from his post as the NPC deputy late last month.
"According to the law on deputies to the NPC and to local people's congresses, his post was terminated," said a statement of the NPC Standing Committee which wrapped up a bimonthly session today.
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee decided at a meeting on September 28 to deprive Bo of the CPC membership and expel him from public service for severe disciplinary violations.
Bo was formerly secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and also a Political Bureau member, after serving Dalian mayor, Liaoning governor and minister of Commerce.
The September 28 meeting also decided to transfer Bo's suspected law violations and relevant evidence to judicial departments.
Investigations have found that Bo seriously violated CPC disciplines while managing Dalian City, Liaoning Province, and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as serving the Political Bureau member and the Chongqing Party chief.
Investigations also showed Bo had abused his power, made severe mistakes and borne major responsibility in an incident that former Chongqing Vice Mayor Wang Lijun entered, without permission, the US Consulate General in Chengdu, and an intentional homicide case involving Bogu Kailai, Bo's wife.
A Chinese court on August 20 sentenced Bogu Kailai to death with a two-year reprieve for murdering British citizen Neil Heywood.
Bo was accused of taking advantage of his position to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally or through his family.
His position was utilized by his wife to seek profits for others, and the Bo family accepted a huge amount of money a! nd property from others.
He was also found to have violated organizational and personnel disciplines and made erroneous decisions in certain promotion cases, resulting in serious consequences.
- Bo Xilai's post as national legislator ended
The Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) today announced the termination of Bo Xilai's post as the NPC deputy.
The Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People's Congress removed Bo from his post as the NPC deputy late last month.
According to the law on deputies to NPC and to local people's congresses, his post was terminated, said a statement from the NPC Standing Committee, the top legislature, at its bimonthly session.
- Bo Xilai's post as national legislator terminated
THE Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) today announced the termination of Bo Xilai's post as the NPC deputy.
The Standing Committee of Chongqing Municipal People's Congress removed Bo from his post as the NPC deputy late last month.
According to the law on deputies to NPC and to local people's congresses, his post was terminated, said a statement from the NPC Standing Committee, the top legislature, at its bimonthly session.
- China launches another satellite for independent navigation system
CHINA successfully launched another satellite into space for its indigenous global navigation and positioning network at 11:33 pm yesterday, the launch center said.
The satellite, launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was boosted by a Long March-3C carrier rocket.
It was the 16th satellite for the Beidou system, or Compass system.
The network is planned to officially provide services for most parts of the Asia-Pacific region in early 2013 and begin offering global services by 2020.
Since it started to provide services on a trial basis on December 27, 2011, the Beidou system has been stable, said a spokesperson of the China Satellite Navigation Office.
The system has been gradually used in extended sectors including transportation, weather forecasting, marine fisheries, forestry, telecommunications, hydrological monitoring and mapping, according to the spokesperson.
The newly-launched satellite will play an important role in improving the system's service, the spokesperson said.
China started to build up its own satellite navigation system to break its dependence on the US Global Positioning System in 2000.
Between October 2000 and May 2003, the country set up a regional satellite navigation system after launching three Beidou geostationary satellites.
Beidou-1 can not meet growing demand, so China decided to set up a more functional Beidou-2 regional and global navigation system, Qi Faren, former chief designer for Shenzhou spaceships, said in an interview in 2011.
The Beidou-2 system will eventually consist of 35 satellites.
Five Beidou satellites were sent into space early this year. The 11th satellite was boosted by a Long March-3C carrier rocket on Feburary25, the 12th and 13th were sent by a Long March-3B carrier on April 30, while the 14th and 15th satellites were launched on September 19.
- Preschoolers mistreated 'for fun,' teachers detained
POLICE detained two female teachers at a kindergarten in east China's Zhejiang Province yesterday for allegedly abusing students "for fun" and then posting online pictures of the abusive acts.
Yan Yanhong, 20, an unlicensed teacher, was seen in a picture smiling beside a crying boy she allegedly had lifted up nearly 20 centimeters by the ears. Other pictures posted to the Internet showed children, aged between four and five, with their mouths sealed by tape, dumped head-first in a trash can, with their clothes stripped off as they danced and made to kiss each other. There were no reports of injuries.
Yan allegedly wrote "It's fine!" beside the Internet pictures.
In interviews with local media, Yan said. "I just played with them at that time" and "It was great fun. The picture was so interesting!"
Yan and another teacher, Tong Qingqing, who took pictures instead of stopping the abuse, were dismissed by the privately run Blue Peacock Kindergarten in Wenling City as soon as the scandal made headlines on Wednesday.
"Yan asked me to take pictures and I did. I didn't expect that these pictures would pose such great social influence," Tong said in a TV interview.
Local education authorities have also ordered teachers of the kindergarten to apologize to every family of students in the class in which the incident took place.
Yan was detained "on charges of picking quarrels and provoking troubles," according to a statement from the Wenling city government. The maximum penalty for that charge is five years in prison.
Yan was accused of stirring up troubles because China's child-abuse laws only apply to family members, leaving a loophole, police said. Current laws regarding the protection of minors rely on school administrators and education authorities to punish teachers. However, these laws are not always strongly enforced.
It said Tong, who took the pictures and uploaded them, has been put under a seven-day administrative detention.
"She has prob! lems in her moral quality," Wu Guojian, a local official, said of Yan. The kindergarten had failed to pass this year's educational evaluation, he added.
The kindergarten was ordered to rectify its practices. "Whether it will be closed down depends on how the rectification goes," the government's statement said.
Administrators of the kindergarten said they just heard about the case and couldn't provide any other details, Taizhou TV reported.
Two other cases of abuse of young children by teachers have come to light this week.
In Shanxi's provincial capital of Taiyuan, a five-year-old girl got dozens of slaps on the face within 10 minutes just because she couldn't add up 10 and one, media reports said. The teacher has been put under a 15-day detention, the preschool was ordered to shut down, and the 40-plus children were sent to other schools. The incidence has triggered an overhaul of preschools in Taiyuan.
A four-year-old boy in Shanxi's neighboring province of Shaanxi was cut on the wrist with a saw as punishment for not performing well when exercising.
Teachers in such cases usually get sacked, but the most severe punishment generally has been a 15-day administrative detention, according to media reports. Internet users said abuse won't be deterred by such light penalties.
"It would leave scars not only in the victims' hearts but also in other children," microblogger Chen Yuhang wrote. He also blamed education authorities for not supervising teachers and kindergartens well.
These scandals expose a lack of supervision and public investment in preschool education.
Government investment in preschool education accounts for just 1.2 percent of its total education expenditures, far less than the average of 6 to 8 percent in developed countries, according to Xinhua news agency.
Kindergartens are not part of China's nine-year compulsory eduction system, which enjoys strong government funding. A shortage of public kindergartens has led to the prolifer! ation of ! private schools, which often lack the supervision implemented in public schools.
Cost-cutting and financial pressures lead many private kindergartens to pay their teachers less than their public counterparts. An education official in Wenling said private kindergarten teachers earn about 20,000 yuan (US$3,172) annually, just one-third of the average salary for public teachers.
- Strangers help man, 102, eking out living
AT 102 years of age, Wang Zhenrong struggles to eke out a living selling shoe insoles on a Beijing street late into the night, gulping down a single cold bun for dinner and refraining from taking breaks for the bathroom or drinking water.
His story sparked widespread sympathy after it was posted on the Internet on Tuesday. People came in droves to buy insoles. For the first time in five years, Wang's insoles were sold out and he was able to go home early on Wednesday.
The widower, born in 1910, sews removable insoles during the day and sells them in the evening. Wang has three children, all retirees who are either unable or reluctant to care for him. His most frequent customers are sympathetic students from two nearby universities, who often buy more insoles than they actually need, bring him hot meals and help him at his "stall," an old baby carriage that also is his only means of transportation.
Wang's story has led many to consider the plight of elderly Chinese who have no one to take care of them.
A 78-year-old woman from Henan Province in central China has been in the spotlight peddling her own paintings on the streets of the southern boom city of Shenzhen. The old woman lives with her husband in a hut in Shenzhen, saying they are too poor to survive in their hometown.
As 14 percent of Chinese are aged 60 or above, inadequate care for the elderly people has proven to be a serious problem. China had 190 million people at or above the age of 60 at the end of last year. By 2050, one-third of Chinese will be over 60 years of age.
- Safeguarding sovereignty
Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No.75 cruises in waters northwest of one of the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea yesterday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei confirmed that Chinese maritime surveillance ships conducted routine patrols in the territorial waters around China's Diaoyu Islands to safeguard the country's sovereignty. Also yesterday, China voiced stern opposition to Japan's joint military exercise operations with "extraterritorial nations," regarding a potential Japan-US joint military exercise in Okinawa.
- Fake classy liquors targeted
AUTHORITIES are cracking down on the manufacture and sale of counterfeit tegong liquor, a type of high-priced booze that is traditionally supplied to government organizations and other privileged groups.
The liquor, designated by a special logo affixed to the bottle, is sold at discounted prices on Taobao.com, the country's biggest e-commerce site, as well as regular liquor stores.
However, steep discounts have only been made possible through counterfeiting and other illicit practices, even extending to Moutai and Wuliangye, two of China's most well-known and most expensive liquor brands.
A Xinhua investigation indicated that a profiteering industrial chain is behind the phenomenon.
Xinhua reporters visited the office of a liquor distillery in the town of Maotai in Guizhou Province, also known as the original home of Moutai, a leading liquor brand in the nation.
The office housed a large variety of liquors, with many featuring tegong logos. Tegong means special supply.
"We can work out any liquor packages per your demands," said an office employee surnamed Yi. "We have more than 1,000 types of bottles and labels and you can choose whatever you like," he added.
Yi ushered the reporters into a room where about 100 liquor bottles with various tegong logos were on display.
Yi said one of the distillery's 50 yuan (US$8) bottles would normally be priced around 200 yuan. "You cannot buy such custom-made liquor products anywhere else on the market," he said.
The flood of tegong commodities on the market demonstrates poor consumption habits, as many Chinese mistakenly believe that the commodities with such labels are of higher quality, said Sun Yuanming, a researcher at the Chongqing Municipal Academy of Social Sciences.
China bans the use of names of military or government institutions for the commercial promotion of commodities, as is the case with the counterfeit liquor. However, there are no specific laws in place to punish manufacturers, sai! d Peng Yong, an official from the Guizhou's Administration for Industry and Commerce.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce recently joined hands with several ministries and organizations to work out a plan to eliminate fake tegong commodities. The SAIC said the overhaul will mainly focus on e-commerce websites that sell the products.
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- Late writer's birthplace plans ambitious project
EMINENT writer and scholar Lin Yutang's birthplace, Banzai, a mountainous town in Fujian Province, plans to spend about 3 billion yuan (US$481 million) building a "world literature town" to boost tourism.
Cai Xiaoyong, a Banzai Party official, said they started the project to match the late Lin's prominent literary status. The local government attracted 1 billion yuan (US$160 million) of investment two years ago as part of its "Lin-themed" cultural project.
A park to show Lin's childhood and to mark his popular novel "A Leaf in the Storm," dubbed a Chinese version of "Gone with the Wind," has been completed.
But people argued the government and developer have failed to show Lin proper respect as they just want to make money off of his name. Critics also feared the ambitious blueprint would be halted due to its high costs, Strait Herald, a Fujian-based newspaper, reported yesterday.
Yikun Investment Company, which is funding the project, said 3 billion yuan was just an estimate and that actual investment may be more.
"We wouldn't do it if we didn't forecast handsome returns," said Guo Huiling, a manager at the company.
Cai also ensured the public that Yikun is a trustworthy company and the government will keep a close eye on the development, the paper said.
Lin was born in 1895 and died in 1976. He was one of the most influential writers of his generation.
- Proposed law will protect the mentally ill
CHINA is mulling a long-awaited law for mental health, which is expected to better protect people's rights by prohibiting abuses of compulsory inpatient treatment.
The draft law was presented on Tuesday for a third reading at a four-day bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
It includes provisions on ensuring the safety of property belonging to patients with mental disorders, and more importantly, it is expected to eliminate abuses regarding compulsory mental health treatment and protect citizens from undergoing unnecessary treatment or illegal hospitalization.
The treatment of mental illness involves dignity and freedom, the basic rights of people, as it often takes extreme measures and restricts personal freedom. Mental illness can also undermine the reputation of the people concerned.
In his report to the top legislature in October 2011, China's health minister, Chen Zhu, admitted the lack of protocols for compulsory treatment of mentally ill people was one of the major problems in mental health services.
Due to the absence of laws and procedures, some healthy people have been treated with unnecessary therapies for a nonexistent mental illness. Compulsory treatment has sometimes been used as a tool for people who have conflicts with their relatives, or even someone in power.
In addition, there are no limits placed on the number of patients mental hospitals can receive. Thus they can easily make profits by diagnosing a mental illness that doesn't exist and making money off treatments.
A well-known case from 2010 in Shandong Province saw a healthy man take a mental hospital and his wife to court.
After having marriage problems his wife tried to have him admitted to the mental hospital for compulsory treatment.
The court ordered the hospital to pay the man 5,000 yuan (US$791) as compensation for "violating the citizen's personal freedom."
Similar situations can be avoided i! f the draft law is passed by the top legislature.
The draft stipulates every mental illness diagnosis should be made by a qualified psychiatrist. Patients can decide to undergo treatment or not, and only those who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness and have the potential to harm themselves and others should be sent for compulsory inpatient treatment, the draft states.
- electricans
Pho-Tongrafica has added a photo to the pool:
天后廟道 Hong Kong
I talked to this old couple and found out about their story before I took this picture. I am hoping to print this in the darkroom and give it back to them next time I visit Hong Kong.
They are electricians, this is their shop for over 35 years. They haven't changed much, as I vaguely remember them from my childhood, everything around them has. They used to know most people in the nearby residential area, especially on New Eastern Terrace 「新東方臺」，where my old friend used to live. Whenever you have blown a fuse, or wanting any electrical work done, he is your man, Just call him on that same old analog phone and he would come right up to your flat. That's how he got to know everyone. He used to go out fixing things on most days while his dear wife looks after the store, preparing meals right there on the sidewalk.
Nowadays, the low-rise, no-lift, New Eastern Terrace has been demolished, most of the old buildings have been replaced by high-rises, pretty much all of the old residents have moved away. They don't know anyone in this area anymore, plus a large number of them now speak mandarin (dialect of Mainland China) which is not their tongue. The old boy can't move around so much, so he calls his son to go out for the odd jobs. Him and his lady now mainly sit in the same old store, on the same old steps, watching the world changing around them and strangers walking by… they do sell a light bulb or so everyday. - Hackers attempt to take advantage of 'Mo-mania'
THIS year's Nobel Literature Prize winner Mo Yan probably never expected "Mo-mania" would offer hackers the chance to harm others' computers or steal people's personal information.
Since winning the Nobel, Mo's books have sold out so fast both online and in bookstores that many readers have to wait for the books to be reprinted. Those who don't have the patience to wait have turned to online downloads, many of which are unauthorized and expose people to possible cybercrimes.
Hackers are increasingly targeting these websites and links in an attempt to spread viruses or lure netizens to disclose their personal details, police from several cities and provinces, including Shanghai, have said.
Police have found more than 2 million online links that claim to provide free downloads of Mo's books. They expect the figure to keep rising. Police warned netizens to be aware of hacker attacks.
To express his appreciation to Shanghai, Mo has sent some of his manuscripts to the city and they are among several being displayed in Putuo District Library as part of a Nobel Prize works exhibition, which opened yesterday.
Manuscripts of Mo's novels like "Frog" and "Big Breasts & Wide Hips" are on display. The library also has an unpublished version of "Frog" on display. Mo had once sent it to a Shanghai commentator to ask for advice.
His manuscripts will be a permanent display.
With Mo becoming a national sensation, his books have become bestsellers in book stores around the country.
"Aunt's Treasured Sword" is being reprinted after hitting stores in August.
- 哭泣的保時捷 | cry porsche
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- 打盹 | nod
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- Mo Yan's books top best-seller charts
CHINESE author Mo Yan saw his books top the best-seller charts in bookstores around the country after he won the Nobel Literature Prize two weeks ago.
"Aunt's Treasured Sword," a collection of Mo's short novels that hit the market in August, was sold out a few days after Mo's prize was announced on October 11. The publisher has ordered an immediate reprint.
About 20,000 copies of the book's second printing are being rushed to Xinhua Bookstores across the country. Shanghai readers are expected to find the book back on shelf as early as today. More copies will be delivered in coming weeks.
The book is one of 17 books written by the award-winning novelist and published by Shanghai Literature & Art Publishing House. It contains 15 of Mo's best short novels.
Swedish Academy member and sinologist Goran Malmqvist said Mo's short novels and mid-length novels are better than his other works and show his great control of words.
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