China in the News

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed the visit to George's school in Shanghai. It was fascinating to see first hand the similarities and differences in the Chinese and American education systems. It was interesting that they all wore uniforms based on what grade level they are in. Sometimes I think that some type of uniform would be good for our students. I also really enjoyed the tour given by the student hosts and hostesses. They were delightful and so friendly. I was impressed with their English speaking abilities. It seems they have a variety of extra curricular classes to encourage students with a specific talent to excel such as dance, basketball and art. Some of the students live on campus and I think it would be difficult to live away from home at such a young age. Since there is only 1 child per family, the parents want to give their child every advantage possible. It was an eye opening experience and thank you to George for arranging it.

[Anonymous]

There was an article in USA Today that China Admits tainted food link - wow! Chinese authorities acknowledged for the first time that ingredients exported to make pet food contained a PROHIBITED chemical - melamine, which is used to make plastic. This chemical was responsible for harming all the pets. The government is willing to cooperate with the US and help investigate the recall. They sealed off the company headquarters of Binzhou Futian Bio-technology, which exported rice proteins concentrate to the USA for use in pet food. They also found cyanuric acid, a chemical related to melamine used in cleaning pools, was found in the wheat glutein that was exported to the US. The agency said that melamine, a chemical high in nitrogen, might have been added to the grain products to make them appear higher in protein than they were.

This presents a very diffcult situation to inspect and solve due to China's vast and fragmented food-processing industry. It also increases the liklihood of future problems. THere is also a growing concern on food safety among the consumers in China, where mass poisonings from tainted products are common. China is such a large country with such a large population and agricultural production is is by individual farmers on a very small scale. There are so many farmers and food producers that it is a great challenge to inspect all foodstuffs and teach people better agricultural standards.

This is another area where China could benefit from the US. If we are to work as a partnership with CHinese companies, we need to make sure their standards meet US standards, especially when it comes to food consumption. Many people heard the story about the glass of red wine!

[Anonymous]

There was an article in Money & Investing about how companies are buying out small Chinese businesses rather than making large acquisitions. China has attracted bucketfuls of cash in recent years from private-equity firms eager to participate in the country's transformation to a market economy, including the privatization of droves of state-owned companies. India's rising middle class and sizzling economic growth are also pulling in private money.

This reinforces what we heard at the US embassy that China and the US's economy are intertwined and they are becoming more and more interdependent on each other. Maybe now would be a good time to invest in a Starbuck's in Lijiang??

[Anonymous]

The Population Development Plan for the 11th Five-Year Plan Period (2006-2010) and 2020 was released recently, saving that China's goal is to control its totoal population under 1.36 billion in 2010, and to attain a more balanced sex ration. The report continues to state that China still needs to pay more attention to social equality, especially the gap between the cities and country, and ease the pressures from the great shifting population.

[Anonymous]

Recently on our trip to China, many of us noticed the difference in traffic laws and the frequency of children riding on motocycles without helmets. An article from China daily, April 28, 2007, refers to 35,000 children who are 14 years of age or younger, who have been killed or injured in road accidents each year in China. The survey was compiled by the China Center for Disease Control (CDC) and went on further to say that almost half of these children are being injured in Bejing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and are between the ages of 5 and 9. Also, more than 90 percent of those reported injuries and fatalities were a result of either poor weather or careless driving and road crossing. I do remember that some of the most fearful moments on our field study involved crossing busy streets that did not have drivers who were willing to stop for pedestrians. We felt, on occasion, as though we were putting our lives at stake, just to make it to the other side of the road. Why did the tourist from P.V. not cross the road? Because she was chicken. The results of the survey indicated that the majority of the accidents can be prevented. It would seem to me, that with the influx of people coming in for the upcoming Olympics, this might be a key issue to address.
As far as application to education is concerned, many of my students are just now getting behind the wheel of a car to work toward their license. A lesson which can be addressed globally.

Susan Pavelka Gregg

web site: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/28/content_862388.htm

[Anonymous]

Talking about cars and traffic, there is an interesting article from Chinadaily.com called "Beijing car ban cut air pollutant by 40% - study."

Officials kept 800,000 cars off the road last year and saw a 40% decrease in nitrogen oxide in the air. The results were even visible from space. As we know, since China is worried about the quailty of air for the 2008 Olympics, they are planning to repeat the car ban this summer and again next year. They are also considering banning all private cars along with shutting down chemical plants during the games.

[Anonymous]

Today show also ran a segment last week and China and cars. With more and more Chinese buying cars, there has been a huge increase in traffic accidents, since many of the drivers are first time drivers. The government is pushing really hard for drivers education type programs for adults.

[Anonymous]

For those of us with pets - the pet food recall had now been linked to China. They are allowed to use additives not allowed in the U.S..

[Anonymous]

Today's business section of the LATimes has an interesting article about a Chinese entrepreneur who is meeting resistance in changing unhealthful food practices in rural China. In an area not too far from Xian, a beekeeper has been trying to clean up the honey business. All he is asking is that local beekeepers follow a few simple rules. First, no antibiotics in their colonies; the drugs can make people sick. Second, no storing honey in metal containers; those can taint the honey with lead. Many beekeepers are hostile to his efforts. Last Saturday a gang of 15 local beekeepers ambushed Sun Baoli, beat him and left him with a mild concussion.

Is this a problem for us? Most certainly. Last year, China said it exported $3.8 billion worth of food to the U.S. In light of the recent pet food contamination, that U.S. regulators say contained tainted Chinese ingredients, China's food safety standards have become an issue for us as well. President Hu Jintao said that "China must produce more chemical-free foods and do a better job of ensuring that producers follow safety standards." Even when standards have been set, making them known to millions of far-flung peasants is an enormous task!

No one knows what percent of Chinese beekeepers still use antibiotics and metal containers. Some believe the figure to be as high as 70%. Some producers and traders don't care about ensuring quality for the domestic market. Sun Baoli believes that international standards would be the best thing.

[Anonymous]

It appears that China is determined to control spitting. During the weekend, more than 50 people in Beijing have been fined for spitting according to officials in charge of the the city's image. The government is now anxious to correct this embarrassing habit before the start of next year's Olympic Games. Maybe, the next time we return to China, this habit will no longer be so wide spread.

[Anonymous]

It is interesting to note that China supports the UN in continuing to play a leading role in Iraq. Just recently, Chinese Foreign Minters Yang Jiechi announced that the Chinese government is ready to substantially reduce and forgive the debts owned by Iraq while giving a grant of 50 million yuan (6.5 million J.S. dollars) to Iraq in 2007. The grant will be used to provide assistance in Iraq's public health and education.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone see Column One in the LATimes today? There's a new "bestseller" in China. Yu Dan, a professor, has turned Confucian teachings into a Chinese version of "Chicken Soup for the Soul", with her publication of her popular book (Insights on the Analects) last year.
Summary of the article: For 2,500 years+, the Confucian doctrines of filial piety, moral rightousness and hierarchical relationships were the guiding principles of life and government in China. Then Mao declared Confucianism counterrevolutionary. Today, China is charging ahead with economic growth and social change, but many Chinese believe China has lost its moral and spiritual anchor and is in the midst of an identity crisis and spirtual crisis. " The only value system we have today is money," says one cultural commentator. Everybody is looking for the Chinese way of life. Perhaps this explains the popularity of her book - a modern day application of Confucius' teachings. Yu's book has sold more than 3 million copies in just four months, making publishing history in China. It beat out the country's other top seller - Harry Potter! Even President Hu Jintao is preaching a "Harmonious Society" based on Confucian values of unity, morality and respect for authority. The Communist Party's legitimacy is at stake as it tries to contain ramifications of a growiing income divide, rampant corruption and rising social unrest. Rehabilitating Confucianism allows the government to show it cares about resolving these social conflicts in a benevolent way without ceding too much ground in terms of political freedom and reform.

[Anonymous]

It was just calculated that Beijing received a total of 4.86 million tourists from home and abroad in the past seven days resulting in an increase of 8.4 percent over last year. As a result, 146 tons of garbage was collected in Tain'anmen Square during the weeklong May Day holiday. This amount was nine times more than usual causing Beijing to mobilize more than 2,000 sanitation workers each day. Now, what do you suppose they do with all of the trash after it is collected? Plus, I am glad that our visit did not take place during this holiday time. We were fortunate that Tain'anmen Square was virtually an open area for us during our visit!

[Anonymous]

If you did not see enough of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, you will have another opportunity in 2008. The exhibition will be held first in the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art from May 18 to October 12. It will then be moved to a museum in Georgia in November 2008. This is a great opportunity for all of us since this museum is so close. Mark your calendars so you do not forget since the date is not until next year. This will be the first time that China allows more than 20 pieces of state-level terracotta treasures to be displayed overseas. Some of the pieces will include warriors, archers, foot soldiers, military officers, and civilian officials. Other artworks will also be on display.

[Anonymous]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070509/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_beijing_safe_water

BEIJING - Avoid drinking tap water during the 2008 Olympics — unless you're living in the Olympic Village. That was the advice from a high-ranking Beijing official on Wednesday, explaining the city's attempt to "guarantee water safety" for the Olympics.

He acknowledged the billions spent to clean and modernize the Chinese capital haven't been enough to provide potable tap water.

"The quality of the water provided by the water plants is safe enough," said Bi Xiaogang, vice director general of the Beijing Water Management Bureau.

The water is contaminated during the secondary supply process, in the transfer of water. Therefore it is not safe to drink from the tap," Bi said. "We are still working on upgrading the secondary facilities. But in the Olympic Village we will provide safe drinking water from the tap."

[Author]

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