In This Edition

 

Chinese President Hu Jintao meets his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych at the start of a three day state visit intended to strengthen ties between the two countries.

 

Officials from regional as well as international organizations discuss ways of lending support to Libyan hopes for a brighter future.

 

Germany and France call for a quick solution to the impasse over a new aid package for Greece.

 

Delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have made little progress salvaging the Kyoto Protocol for fighting climate change beyond 2012 during two weeks of meetings.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

President Hu Meets with His Ukrainian Counterpart

Chinese President Hu Jintao has met his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych, at the start of a three day state visit intended to strengthen ties between the two countries.

 

The visit is the first to the Ukraine by a Chinese head of state in ten years.

 

The two leaders have held talks at the presidential residence outside Yalta.

 

Hu Jintao says China is committed to boosting cooperation with Ukraine.

 

"The establishment and development of relations and a strategic partnership between China and Ukraine, the development of our comprehensive cooperation, and the consolidation of an eternal friendship between our peoples - this is an established policy of Chinese government."

 

For his part, Yanukovych describes the Chinese leader's visit as a milestone in bilateral relationship.

 

"It is a great event for Ukraine, your visit is a landmark event for our country and for the Ukrainian people."

 

Hu Jintao flew to Ukraine from Russia's St. Petersburg, where he attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

 

The Chinese president is also scheduled to meet Ukranian parliamentary speaker Vladimir Litvin and Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov.

 

The visit is expected to include the signing of a declaration that outlines a new strategic partnership between the two nations.

 

The parties will also sign a number of agreements and contracts in the energy sector, the coal industry and the agricultural sector.

 

China-Ukraine relations have developed steadily since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1992.

 

Bilateral cooperation has deepened in recent years, with trade between the two countries reaching 7.7 billion US dollars last year.

 

International Officials Pledge Support for Libya's Transition

Officials from regional as well as international organizations have discussed ways of lending support to Libyan hopes for a brighter future.

 

Participants include Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, High Representative of the European Union Catherine Ashton and Chairperson of the African Union Jean Ping.

 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon participated in the talks via video conference.

 

The talks result in a statement, announcing the insistence of the international community on finding a solution to the hardship experienced by the Libyan people.

 

Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa,

 

"Discussed was the approach and policies required to put an end to the current Libyan conflict, along with the protection of civilians' rights, including the humanitarian aspect, and the move towards a political process which is based on accomplishing the hopes of the Libyan people."

 

EU High Representative Ashton says that her top priority is to explore ways of how to help Libyan people build a new government.

 

"For me especially, today has been about looking to how we're going to support the people of Libya into the future when they're building a new government, when they're looking to a country reinvigorated and where they wish to see democracy and support for human rights at the core of the lives that they will have."

 

The international meeting is the second such roundtable talks held in Cairo since the Libyan revolt erupted almost five months ago.

 

It also comes a day after Libyan TV aired an audio speech of the embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during which he vowed that NATO "will be defeated".

 

UN Security Council Approves Second Term for Ban Ki-moon

The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a second five-year term for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

 

Gabon's U.N. Ambassador Nelson Messone, president of the council, read a brief statement after the vote.

 

"The Security Council, having considered the question of the recommendation for the appointment of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, recommends to the General Assembly that Mr. Ban Ki-moon be appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term of office from 1 January 2012 to 31 of December 2016."

 

Ban Ki-moon, who is visiting Brazil, says he is "deeply honored" by the recommendation during a video statement from Brasilia.

 

"With this recommendation by the Security Council, I will humbly put myself for consideration by the General Assembly. It is an immense privilege to serve this great organization as Secretary-General, and I am grateful for the confidence and support."

 

Officially, U.N. secretaries-general are elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.

 

But the choice is determined by the five permanent veto-wielding council members-the U.S., China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom.

 

The 192-nation U.N General Assembly is expected to formally approve Ban Ki-moon's second term next week.

 

Van Rompuy Urges Quick Decisions on Greece Bailout

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says Greece's debt crisis has reached a crucial juncture, with Greece and the eurozone needing to make important decisions in the next few days.

 

After a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny in Dublin, Van Rompuy is urging all sides in Greece to find unity and act responsibly.

 

"Greece has to reach agreement in its parliament on a new package of measures. I call on all Greek partners to take their responsibilities at this crucial juncture and to act in a united manner. Subject to this, the IMF and the euro area will be able to disburse the next tranche of the program as already indicated by the IMF."

 

In contrast to social and political turmoil in Greece, Van Rompuy praised the manner in which Ireland is coping with its EU-IMF bailout.

 

"I heard with satisfaction that the implementation of the EU-IMF assistance program of 85 billion euros for Ireland is well on track, and that current targets are being met and that economic recovery is underway."

 

Van Rompuy acknowledged the necessity to reach a deal on reduction of interest rates Ireland must pay on emergency funding.

 

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has campaigned on the interest rate issue, promising to fight Brussels.

 

Germany and France Urge Quick Solution for Greece Bailout

Germany and France have called for a quick solution to the impasse over a new aid package for Greece.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Greek government must quickly make a decision on the austerity package required for the fresh bailout.

 

"It means that we need to solve the current problems. Let me say very clearly once again: the sooner we solve them, the better. This means that we need a new program for Greece in light of the new situation. This requires Greece to fulfil its duties."

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy shares the same view with Merkel.

 

"France and Germany have the same position on Greece and on the euro zone. France's and Germany's commitment to defend the euro's stability is total. We urge the Greek government to pursue reforms and privatizations."

 

Sarkozy indicated the second bailout program for Greece would need the backing of the European Central Bank and may include voluntary private sector involvement.

 

Russia to Cement Trade Ties with Spain

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev assured Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of strong trade ties in the World Economic Forum in St.Petersburg on Saturday.

 

Medvedev said Russia was very interested in continuing its cooperation with the EU, despite the recent ban on vegetable imports in the wake of the fatal E. Coli outbreak.

 

"It is very important for us to understand what is going on in Europe, what is going on in certain economies, what is going on with our close partners, because the European Union is a major trade partner for Russia with a trade volume of more then 300 billion U.S. dollars. And for sure, Spain takes a significant place in these relations."

 

Meanwhile, Zapatero assured Medvedev that EU still viewed Russia as a major partner despite the recent row over the vegetable imports ban.

 

"Russia is a social, political and commercial partner which is vital for the European Union from the point of view of energy security and from the point of view of global security. That is why the Spanish government is working hard to develop its political relations with Russia."

 

Russia has signed a number of cooperation agreements with Spain during the meeting, in total estimated at 800 million U.S. dollars.

 

Little Progress Made in UN Climate Change Conference

Delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have made little progress salvaging the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol for fighting climate change beyond 2012 during two weeks of meetings.

 

The executive secretary of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, said there is still a joint effort to resolve the issue.

 

"Governments are realizing that the link between mitigation under the convention and under the protocol needs to be dealt with in order to come to a global solution. And it is precisely that link that is going to require high level political attention during this year."

 

She said negotiations about climate are the "the most important negotiations the world has ever faced", which cannot be solved with one meeting, with one agreement.

 

The Kyoto Protocol which binds almost 40 nations to cut emissions until 2012 is at risk of dying due to lack of support. Developing nations accused rich nations of breaking promises to extend Kyoto. The Alliance of Small Island States said that progress in Bonn has been "hampered by parties with the biggest historical responsibility for emissions", meaning rich nations that have burnt carbon-emitting fossil fuels since the 18th century Industrial Revolution.

 

Japan, Canada and Russia said they will not make cuts in an extended Kyoto and are demanding a new global deal with greenhouse gas curbs to be observed by all, including emerging nations led by China and India.

 

Kyoto backers led by the European Union say they are unwilling to go it alone and will extend the pact only if all major emitters sign up for curbs.

 

Juergen Lefevre is the head of the EU delegation.

 

"A scenario where the EU commits to a second commitment period in absence of a robust package on the side of the convention is simply not feasible. It would not be balanced and it would not be acceptable to the EU."

 

High Food Price Will Continue: OECD&FAO

A joint report released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization says that while high food prices would decrease slightly over the coming year, they would remain around 20 percent higher than last year.

 

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the agricultural outlook but the full impact of drought conditions still lingers.

 

Gurria called for ministers to create the Agricultural Market Information system to implement wiser policies and improve early warning systems.

 

He questioned the role of financial markets in the rise of food prices and said new policies must be implemented to avoid similar reactions in the future.

 

"Are financial markets helping the problem or are they making the problem worse? Well, it depends on how you use them. But let me tell you something, uncertainty - meaning lack of information - breeds volatility. It breeds speculation."

 

Meanwhile, FAO Director General Jacques Diouf said the world's focus should return to agriculture.

 

"Everybody agrees, and it's point number one, that unless we increase investment in agriculture, we will continue to have an imbalance between supply and demand."

 

E.Coli Found in Stream in Frankfurt

Authorities in Germany's state of Hesse say there is no danger to the public after the deadly E.coli strain is found in a stream in Frankfurt.

 

A more harmless strain had been found on salad produce at a farm near the river and may have been contaminated by contact with the water.

 

The Ministry of Social Affairs says there is no danger to the city's drinking water supply and as long as the public adhere to basic advice there was no present danger from the bacteria.

 

Stefan Gruettner, Hesse's minister of social affairs.

 

"we have already sent out warnings: not to swim in flowing waters. The swimming lakes are not affected by this and are checked regularly. At the same time we have sent out a warning not to use the water for watering. You'll need permission to do so. And we continue to recommend particular attention to general hygiene but this is not a situation we would call dangerous."

 

3,400 people are thought to have been infected by the E.coli bacteria so far, which has killed 38 people but is on the wane.

 

SIFF Special Part 4: Film Masters Say Elite Production Values Will Always Be Crucial

Over the past century, a technology revolution within the film industry has forced filmmakers to answer the same question again and again: do we still need elite production values that maintain high artistic standards? Is creativity still valued?

As Su Yi reports, the answer given by the film masters at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival is an affirmative Yes.

 

Right at the beginning of this decade, at least three things were bringing new hope to the film industry as well as threatening traditional production methods: portable screens, the drift toward corporate studios and hot money.

 

Golden Bear winner, Chinese director Wang Quanan admits that while capital energizes China's film market, it also creates a harsher environment for creativity.

 

Director of the Oscar-winning film 'Rain Man,' Barry Levinson, says this problem is universal.

 

"I think we are in a time right now especially with the unfortunate changes of corporatization, because with corporatization, it basically only wants to make what they believe it is gonna be the most popular movie that you can make. There is always the unknown about the filmmaking. There is always the surprise. You cannot predict those things. You can only make the movies that you have passion about, and sometimes they work."

 

Levinson says the film industry has been losing its creative urges.

 

He says some transnationals show a seemingly unstoppable creativity today is simply because their pioneers are still there, like Apple's Steve Jobs.

 

"That pioneer experience that was part of the early days of filmmaking has vanished as it is replaced by a corporate sensibility."

 

News Group's Rupert Murdoch says this changing time makes good creativity more valuable than ever.

 

"Without compelling content, these electronic devices are merely expensive playthings. Explosion of digital means the works of all filmmakers right here has never been more valuable."

 

"In the end of the day, it comes down to this balance, a very, very delicate balance between the passion of an artist and the economic reality that exists. That collision is an age-old thing. The tipping point is that you don't want to sell out your own creative sensibility just for the money, because they do recognize there is a spirit to the work and it is in there someplace."

 

For CRI, I'm Su Yi reporting from Shanghai.

 

China to Implement National Plan for Priority Development Zones

 

China is to implement a national plan for priority development zones which group state-owned land into 4 types: optimal, key, restricted, and not-for-development. It means that different yardsticks will be used to assess the performance of different areas.

 

For example, in the optimal development zones, economic structure, consumption of resources, environmental protection and innovation in science and technology will be the most important factors. On the other hand, the degree of industrialization and the level of urbanization will be the major factors assessed for the performance of key development areas.

 

Policies related to finance, investment, industries, use of land, population, ethnic groups, environmental protection and climate change will be judged according to different requirements in different zones.

 

An editorial from the China Daily argues that the mechanism will change the current situation, where gross domestic product is worshipped as the sole development goal for all localities.

 

The article says the mechanism is long overdue as the contradiction between economic growth and the deteriorating environment has become increasingly sharp, with issues relating to resources becoming more important.

 

The article points out that China can no longer afford to seek growth without considering the cost to the environment, the depletion of resources and the development potential for future generations.

 

The article points out that energy and resources consumption per unit output of GDP in China is much higher than that of developed countries, and more than 70 percent of the country's rivers are polluted to different degrees. The lack of water has become a bottleneck for the further development of most cities.

 

The author believes the plan is a significant contribution to the country's sustainable development if well implemented since industrial projects and urbanization will be strictly prohibited in nature reserves in the new management mode.

 

The articles notes that rebalancing the interests of different localities with different development functions will be key to the success of the plan given local protectionism, as well as the enthusiasm that local government leaders' have for economic growth.