CRI 中国国际广播电台 2010-04-24（在线收听）

Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-04-24

Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.

In This Edition

With heavy snow and biting winds creating new challenges in the earthquake zone in Qinghai, health officials are now focusing in on epidemic prevention.

Security forces and agitated protesters face off at a major intersection in Bangkok after bloody grenade attacks rattled Thailand's chaotic capital.

Organizers of the 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition hail this year's event, dubbing it one of the most important auto shows in the world.

And authorities in Guangdong Province plan to charge business owners who operate neon signs and billboards for light pollution.

Hot Issue Reports

Health Official: No epidemic outbreak in Quake zone

With heavy snow and biting winds creating new challenges in the earthquake zone in Qinghai, health officials are now focusing in on epidemic prevention.

Liang Wannian with the Ministry of Health says medical staff and disease control experts are now ramping up their efforts to remove epidemic risks.

"A total of 308 disease control professionals, divided in 19 teams, were conducting disinfections in quake survivors' tents, monitoring water quality and epidemics such as plague, and spreading health information among the quake survivors."

Liang says that more than 6,600 tents in the quake area have been disinfected, and food and water quality has been secured in most part of the quake zone.

So far, no epidemic outbreaks have been reported in the Yushu region.

Meanwhile, despite the decreasing likelihood of finding more survivers more than a week after the earthquake, rescuers are making one last push to search for anyone who might still be alive in the rubble.

A group of rescuers have left the epicenter in the town of Gyegu, fanning out to smaller villages in the area to look for more survivors.

The death toll from last week's 7.1-magnitude earthquake currently stands at 2,192.

Thai protesters and security forces face off after attacks

Security forces and agitated protesters are faced off at a major intersection in Bangkok Friday, after bloody grenade attacks rattled Thailand's chaotic capital Thursday night.

Tharit Pengdith, director of the Special Investigation Department, has warned in a television broadcast that "all the attacks that have happened so far are considered terrorist acts."

"I would like to warn that those who are involved in these acts could face the highest penalty of death sentence."

Police and soldiers are standing guard at the mouth of Silom Road, which is at the heart of the capital's financial district.

Across the intersection, Red Shirt protesters have been screaming slogans and brandishing sharpened bamboo sticks.

Police at the intersection are urging the Red Shirts not to resort to violence.

Jeerapong Klongbut is a Second Company Commander with the city's riot police.

"I would like to tell our brothers and sisters from the Red Shirts not to engage in any violence, better to wait for the high ranking officials to negotiate before doing anything."

Red Shirt leaders say they're urging their people to do the same.

"We've told our fellow Red Shirts not to use any weapons in case of any attempt to take back the area, that we should just hold our ground without using weapons."

Meantime, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky says the situation in Thailand is being closely watched.

"The Secretary General is very concerned about……..to work to resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue."

A series of grenade blasts that hit Bangkok's business district killed at least one person and wounded at least 86 others.

Japan Whaling Reax as Int Whaling Comm proposes annual limits for whaling

The Japanese government is cautiously welcoming an International Whaling Commission proposal made Friday allowing whale hunts with strict limits for minke and other species, replacing a ban that's been in place since 1986.

Hirotaka Akamatsu is Japan's Fisheries Minister:

"We are pleased that the proposal formally allows for the coastal hunting of small whales which is something we've been insisting on for a long time, but our positions remain apart on the overall number of whales that are allowed to be killed, so we intend to negotiate hard from here on in."

Japan, Norway and Iceland have continued whaling under a variety of exceptions to the ban. The proposal would end those exceptions though, and instead strictly monitor all whaling.

The proposal would allow the hunting of 400 minke whales in the Antarctic each year for five years, then lower that limit to 200 for the following five years.

The proposal would also allow limited hunts of other species, including fin, bowhead and gray whales.

Environmental groups have been quick to criticize the proposal, saying it could lead to an eventual return to the large-scale whaling of the past, which devastated many species.

The International Whaling Commission is preparing for its general meeting in June, when it will debate and vote on the proposal.

The three main whaling nations - Japan, Norway and Iceland - annually kill about 3-thousand whales, 10 times as many as in 1993.

Beijing Auto Show Opens, Automakers Fight for a Share of the World's Largest Auto Market

Organizers of the 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition are hailing this year's event, dubbing it one of the most important auto shows in the world. CRI's Larry Chen was at the opening on Friday, and reports that the scale of this year's exhibition seems to mirror this country's overall auto market.

Light News

National Energy Administration: Energy Use Increase in Q1

Energy consumption and generation here in China was up significantly in the first quarter of the year.

Zhou Xi'an from the National Energy Administration, says the recovery from the global economic slowdown is going to see China continue to see an increase in its energy consumption rates through the second quarter.

"Based on consistency of macro-policy, and the ongoing stimulus projects, we project that the economy will keep a stable growth through the second quarter and even the first half of the year. Demand from both at home and abroad continues to recover, which will support the energy demand."

China's power generation in the first three months increased 24 percent compared to the same period last year.

Coal demand is also on the rise, given the increased production of steel and cement in China.

Yang Lan Appointed as UNICEF Ambassador

Well known broadcast journalist and entrepreneur Yang Lan has been appointed as United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, Ambassador in China, making her the first Ambassador to be appointed by the UNICEF office in China.

"I am delighted to be appointed as the first UNICEF Ambassador in China and feel a certain responsibility to this cause. I hope that through my efforts and the media outreach all of society will start to notice these children and hear their voices."

UNICEF China says it's enlisting Yang Lan's support for public advocacy on key children's rights issues such as support for children of migrant workers, abandoned children, ending discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS – among many other urgent issues.

Unicef's representative in China, Nwe (pronounced WAY) Yin Yin says Yang Lan is a role model.

"She's also and excellent model of philanthropy and social work and promotion of the causes of the most vulnerable children in China."

Yang Lan will visit UNICEF projects in the most remote rural communities in China, support awareness raising programs and appear at key public events.

World Book Day-The End of the Book?

Friday was World Book Day, an event that dates back almost 100 years. But in today's digital age of podcasts, blogs and electronic reading devices, is the final chapter being written for the book? CRI's Dominic Swire went to an event in Beijing to 'read the tea-leaves' for the future of the printed book.

Experts say fines on neon signs will raise light pollution awareness

Provincial authorities in Guangdong are now going over a plan to charge business owners who contribute to light pollution with their blinding neon signs and billboards. As we hear from Li Ningjing, while many are wondering if this policy could become the norm in many Chinese cities, some sociologists are suggesting that the potential move in Guangdong is, at least, sheding some light on the issue.

Media Digest

From the Washington Examiner: While his poll numbers in the states aren't what they used to be, some Chinese entrepreneurs must be hoping the "Obama brand" holds strong internationally.

A nightclub named after the American president, the Obama Entertainment Club, opens Monday in Shanghai, China. Details about how exactly the club is Obama-themed still are scarce, though promotional materials found by the blog Shanghaiist tout that the club "will bring international glamour, excitement and refined luxury to the Shanghai entertainment scene."

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An editorial by Matt Mulnar from nycaviation.com has gained a prominent position on 'the drudge report's front page. It reads: On a day when many Americans will be reflecting upon how they can reduce their impact on the environment, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will board separate jets in Washington on Earth Day morning to fly 250 miles up the east coast to New York, where they will land at separate airports to attend separate events within a few miles of each other. The parallel visits of Air Force One and Air Force Two will delay dozens, if not hundreds of commercial flights at Kennedy and LaGuardia and other nearby airports as no-fly zones are implemented. Jets will be forced to circle and burn more fuel as they wait for the VIPs to come and go. Their security contingents consisting of dozens of cars, SUVs and helicopters will burn even more. Throw in thousands of commuters' cars and delivery trucks sitting idle in traffic as law enforcement closes large swaths of the city and you have yourself a very Earth-unfriendly day.