Inside China Today – Sunday 25th July
Flood waters several metres high swamped major cities in Sichuan, as the most powerful rainstorms in 50 years hit the region.
- Sichuan swamped by floods and rains
- Sichuan quake victims shocked by housing costs
- Land seizures spark Suzhou protests
- Calls of support during July 20th anniversary
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Sichuan swamped by floods and rains
The deadliest floods in a decade have inundated large swathes of Sichuan Province. Towns in Guangan, Tongjiang and Dazhou are on the verge of being swept away. The highest recorded water level was over 2.8 metres according to the Office of State Flood Control.
The Office stated this is the biggest flood in Guangan City in nearly 200 years. A staff member spoke to SOH (recording):
“59,600 people have been evacuated, and 3000 homes have toppled, not including the old city district, which includes 1,200 homes. 14 acres of farmland have been destroyed. They’ve been twenty-eight landslides and 5.9 billion Yuan worth of losses.”
That’s equivalent to 867 million US dollars. Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 18th July
Human rights lawyer Zhang Kai has been barred from leaving China to attend a conference in the US.
- CNC World network a propaganda tool
- Zhang Kai barred from leaving China
- Proposed landfill causes major stink among Guilin residents
- Disease devastates pig population in Guangxi village
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CNC World network a propaganda tool
The newly launched CNC World network has been accused of being mere propaganda. On July 1st, China’s state-owned Xinhua News Agency officially launched its ‘CNC World’ program. A 24 hour a day English language news channel set to broadcast in the Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.
Cheng Xiaonong, the Chief Editor of ‘Modern China Studies’ a US based magazine, has accused the network of being part of the government’s propaganda efforts. The station is alleged to be part of the Chinese Propaganda Department’s ‘Grand Foreign Propaganda’ project. A policy aimed at pushing and extending the reach of Chinese media into Western countries.
Cheng Xiaonong spoke to SOH about the media situation in China and the role of CNC World (recording):
“Xinhua is the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, intending to spread propaganda abroad with viewpoints from a communist angle. There is no independent media in China, all media is under direct control of the Chinese authorities. This project intends to establish media glorifying the CCP in different countries. They want to use the local language and its people to write articles to glorify the regime, thinking this will improve the bad image they have portrayed in other countries.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 11th July
Greenpeace is suing Wal-Mart for selling genetically modified rice.
- Spoiled rice: Greenpeace vs. Wal-Mart
- New law firm to fight injustice
- CCP Secretary selling off village properties
- ‘Global Quit the CCP’ day draws response from mainland Chinese
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Spoiled rice: Greenpeace vs. Wal-Mart
Greenpeace is suing global retail giant Wal-Mart for illegally selling transgenic rice in China. An attorney for the organization filed the complaint on the 28th of June, at the Luohu People’s Court in Shenzhen, home of China’s Wal-Mart headquarters. The claim was accepted, but additional materials need to be provided to support the case for trial.
Wang Weikang, the Director of Food and Agriculture Project for Greenpeace said, ‘We randomly surveyed several supermarket’s rice sales and found that a Wal-Mart store in Changsha, Hunan Province was selling transgenic rice.’ Greenpeace contacted Wal-Mart but received no reply.
Wang Weikang said (recording):
“No transgenic rice is permitted for legal production and sale inside China. Selling transgenic rice at Wal-Mart is illegal. We found that Wal-Mart in Great Britain and other countries promised consumers to stay away from transgenic products. So, this merchant is actually following a different standard than other countries. This is not respectful to the request of the Chinese consumer.” Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Sunday 4th July
Environmentalist Li Li highlights the devastation wrought by unregulated manufacturing industries along China's major rivers.
- Villagers scramble for water as pollution worsens
- Nanping hit by torrential rain, authorities cover up
- Land rights protest leaves one villager crushed
- Teachers stage kneel-down protest
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Villagers scramble for water as pollution worsens
Pollution continues to plague China’s water sources. Waste from manufacturers is a major contributor to the problem. To avoid polluted water, villagers have funded drilling operations for cleaner underground sources. They’ve been seeking cost effective methods of locating water sources but have surprisingly met with resistance from authorities.
Polluted rivers are filled with manufactured waste, which contain heavy metals, blue algae, and lead. The problem is widespread covering several provinces, including Guangzhou, Jiangsu, and Hunan. The worst affected source is the Yellow River, which flows through the Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia provinces.
Environmentalist Li Li spoke extensively to SOH about China’s pollution problems. One of the major contributors was a lack of proper waste disposal mechanisms. Often manufacturers lack water purification systems, farmers overuse chemical fertilizers, and garbage disposal systems are ineffective. Continue reading »
Inside China Today – Saturday 26th June
Hong Kong businesses along the Pearl River are nervous of the repercussions following wage increases at Foxconn and Honda in China. (Payton Chung/Flickr)
- Chinese wage hikes cause headaches in Hong Kong
- Greedy companies send pharmaceutical costs soaring
- Mudslides in southern China kill hundreds
- Renowned doctor pursues justice at Supreme Court along with petitioners
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Chinese wage hikes cause headaches in Hong Kong
Unease sweeps through mainland China as Hong Kong businesses along the Pearl River Delta are impacted by workers strikes over pay rise issues at Foxconn and Honda.
According to the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association (HKSME), it’s estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 Hong Kong businesses will go bust by the end of 2010. The global financial crisis of 2008, has seen close to 10,000 Hong Kong firms declare bankruptcy, leaving 40 to 50,000 businesses to bunker down and ride out the pay rise storms; more closures may indeed occur.
President of HKSME, Mr Liu Dabang, said that since May this year, Guangzhou increased the minimum wage by 20% to 920 Yuan. Foxconn’s increase raised the minimum wage to 2,000 Yuan. Hong Kong businesses around the district will be greatly affected. Continue reading »
