Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition
?China honors top scientists.
?Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says Japan's recent acts on the Diaoyu Islands issue creates tensions and run against the trend of solving disputes through talks.
?The Chinese economy is said to have grown by 7.8 percent year on year in 2012.
?And international automakers admit that electric cars still have a long way to go before they can play a dominant role in the market.
Hot Issue Reports
?Explosions Expert and Radar Engineer Win China's Top Science Award
China's top science awards have gone to Explosions expert Zheng Zhemin and radar engineer Wang Xiaomo this year.
They were honoured for their contributions to scientific and technological innovation at an awarding ceremony earlier this morning in Beijing – in the presence of Chinese leaders Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping, Wen Jiabao, Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan.
88-year-old Zheng Zhemin is a member of both the Chinese Academies of Sciences as well as Engineering - devoting himself to research including elastic mechanics, explosion processing and underground nuclear explosions.
"I just think of myself as an ordinary scientific researcher. I want to thank the government and my fellow researchers for their support. However, I also feel a little anxious for receiving this award, because the award also equates responsibility."
74-year-old Wang Xiaomo meanwhile has been engaged in the research and design of radar for the past 30 years.
Also a meber of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, he's widely regarded as the "father" of airborne warning and control systems in China.
"I've been motivated by my interest in this field and also a sense of responsibility. Your country and people has given you this important task, so I think you shouldn't disappoint them."
China has given the annual award to elite scientists and researchers for 13 consecutive years since 2000.
Apart from the top science award, more than 300 other scientific projects and 5 foreign scientists have also been recognized for their contribution over the past year.
?Five Foreign Scientists Awarded China's Science & Technology Cooperation Award
The annual international science and technology cooperation award, initiated in 1994 is granted to foreign scientists, engineers, managers, or organisations making contributions to China's bilateral or multilateral scientific and technological cooperation.
This year, the five winners are:
American chemist Richard Zare.
Flemming Besenbacher from Royal Danish Academy of Sciences.
Shinichi Kurokawa, a Japanese accelerator scientist.
Michael Phillips, a mental health scientist from Canada.
and Lonnie Thompson, a glaciologist also from the US.
Ohio State University's Thompson is a senior researcher on glacier and old climate on high altitudes.
He started researching China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the roof of the world, in the early 1980s and contributed much to the study of the impact of climate change on this area.
Along with his Chinese colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he also co-launched the Third Pole Environment Program in 2009, which is dedicated to finding ways to slow down the melting and recession of glaciers at Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Himalayan mountains.
We now bring you a CRI exclusive interview with Lonnie Thompson, speaking to our reporter Wei Tong, shortly after receiving the award in Beijing.
?Japan Creating Diaoyu Islands Tension: China FM
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei says Japan's recent acts on the Diaoyu Islands issue creates tensions and run against the trend of solving disputes through talks.
"The Japanese side has continued to take negative acts on the Diaoyu Islands issue for a period of time, and organized its Self Defense Force planes to interrupt Chinese planes' normal flights. Such moves, which highlight military implications and create tensions, go against the trend that all the nations in the region should peacefully solve conflicts through talks."
However, Hong Lei also notes that China and Japan have "maintained contact on the issue," and that China holds a firm stance on safeguarding territorial sovereignty.
Relations between the two countries have soured since 2012 when the Japanese government said it would "purchase" part of the Islands in the East China Sea.
China insists the islands are part of its inherent territory.
?Indonesian Officials Confirm at least 11 Dead in Jakarta Floods, Thousands Left Homeless
At least 11 people are said to have been killed in the severe flooding which hit parts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
According to officials, the flood waters have covered nearly eight percent of the city, but the situation is beginning to ease up now.
Here's Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
"Latest reports shows that the total number of people living in shelters are 18,018 and 11 people have died. The focus of our rescue operation is now to save more lives."
Earlier, a burst in a canal sent a jet of dirty water into the heart of the capital, with soldiers struggling to stem the flow even with the use of excavators.
Jakarta's mayor Joko Widowo has declared a 10-day state of emergency.
Since his election last year, he is said to be under pressure to improve the drainage system in the low-lying capital, as well as fixing Jakarta's notoriously-bad traffic.
?China Sees 7.8 Percent GDP Growth in 2012
The Chinese economy is said to have grown by 7.8 percent year on year in 2012.
The figures from China's National Bureau of Statistics also show full-year gross domestic product reached nearly 52-trillion yuan – that's nearly 8.3-trillion US dollars.
At the same time, GDP growth in the fourth quarter 2012 rose to 7.9 percent, which reverses slowing growth for the last 7 quarters.
There were also sharp rises in fixed asset investment and industrial value-added output, while per capita disposable income in the cities is also on the rise.
For more on the latest numbers, Paul James earlier spoke with Professor He Ping, who's with the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University.
Now the National Bureau of Statistics – or the NBS has also predicted the price level for this year.
Ma Jiantang, director of the NBS, says prices could go up in 2013 due to monetary easing policies adopted by a number of developed countries as well as the high production costs here in China.
However, Ma also says there are other factors which could keep prices at a stable level.
"The good harvest last year will keep the prices stable this year. Meantime, the prices will not go too high as long as we still have excess industrial production capacity. According to our government's latest Central Economic work conference, we'll continue with active fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy. "
Ma Jiantang adds the government still needs to find the balance this year between curbing inflation and stimulating growth.
?NBS: Key Economic Data 2012
Meanwhile, CRI's Nathan Schlaboch went to the press conference of the National Bureau of Statistics and filed this report on the key economic data for the past year.
Friday's press conference saw the country's National Bureau of Statistics say China's Consumer Price Index - or the CPI which is used to guage inflation - increased 2.6 percent in 2012.
Financial commentator Ye Tan says the growth isn't far from expectations though.
"2.6 percent growth rate is in line with our expectation. CPI has experienced ups and downs in the past year. It fell below 2 percent at the lowest level. It rebounded quickly at the end of last year. And we worry it will climb to a higher level at the beginning of 2013."
CPI's growth rate for 2012 dropped 2.8 percentage points from 2011.
Meanwhile, China's industrial production increased 10 percent from a year earlier, representing nearly a 4 percent decline from 2011.
China's retail sales also grew over 14 percent year on year, but nearly 3 percentage points less than 2011.
China's fixed asset investment rose 21 percent year on year, but the growth rate was down over 3 percentage points from a year earlier.
Investment in the nation's central regions witnessed the fastest growth, followed by investment in the west, and then investment in the east.
The property sector also saw an investment rise of 16 percent, while the growth rate was 12 percentage points lower than in 2011.
Financial commentator Ye Tan again.
"I think the government will enlarge the supply of affordable housing this year. As for commercial building, it may extend the condition of last year: housing price of major cities may still rise, but it may face sliding in some smaller cities."
Housing price in Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province dropped nearly 50 percent over the past two years.
Other numbers released by the National Bureau of Statistics, shows China's urban population accounted for more than half of the country's total population by the end of 2012.
This number is up over 1 percentage points from a year earlier.
China's urban residents saw their average per capita disposable income increase close to 10 percent in 2012 after being adjusted for inflation.
This brings urban residents' average income to nearly 25 thousand yuan.
Rural residents' average per capita net income climbed 11 percent to some 8 thousand yuan last year.
For CRI, this is Nathan Schlaboch.
?A Long Road for 'Green' Cars
Some of the industry's most technologically advanced electric cars are on display at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Electric cars have progressed hugely in recent years, but automakers admit that the cars still have a long way to go before they can play a dominant role in the market, especially with regards to charging facilities.
Wang Xiao has more.
Electric cars presented by the world renowned automakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Ford highlighted the auto show's preview, with several models drawing visitors attention with their highly sophisticated technology, sleek designs, and stunning colors.
Cadillac enters the game with the new ELR. GM Global Vice President Bob Ferguson says it symbolizes the company's commitment to the plug-in vehicle.
"We believe in this technology. I think it's technology for today and tomorrow so we'll continue down this path with lots of enthusiasm."
Electric car manufacturers at the show concede that the cost of an electric car is currently substantially more than a normal gasoline car, but they also believe that the electric cars are worth the extra expense.
Kevin Layden, director of electrification engineering of Ford company, is one of them.
"The electric car is right now at a significant premium. I think we're at 39,000 US dollars for a Focus Electric here, versus I would say a similarly equipped gasoline Focus is in the 27,000 US dollar region. And what you do have to look at is the features, so when you start comparing like for like similarly equipped vehicles, its price isn't skyrocketing."
Although price may not pose a big concern to potential customers, the lack of charging stations and the long time it takes for electric cars to charge remains a big sticking point.
GM's newly developed electric car, only achieved half its estimated sales in the US market last year, while sales the Nissan LEAF, produced by the Japanese auto manufacturer Nissan Motor Company, didn't even manage half of its forecast sale volume in the US market last year.
GM's Kevin Kelly concedes that they are hoping to find solutions to help drivers power up.
"We are working with utility partners as we can to help them understand where most of our owners are, where they're charging most of the time, where we're seeing our vehicles ending up in the population. So we're working to let them know that information so that we can get infrastructure put smartly in deployment".
Auto experts say that the installation of more charging facilities would not only bring a boost to the popularity of electric cars, but is in itself a huge potential market.
For CRI, I'm Wang Xiao.
CHINA DAILY
Netizens call for cheaper 'no-seat' train tickets
Citizens are calling for lowering the cost of train tickets that do not offer a seat, but railway authorities say the price is already at rock bottom.
The price of no-seat tickets cost the same as those for hard-seat tickets currently in China.
A railway official says the ministry does not try to profit from no-seat tickets, but during the travel rush, there is a high demand for such tickets, as many people won't make it home otherwise.
A recent online poll shows over 90 percent of nearly 27,000 respondents say the ministry should not charge passengers without seats the same price as those with seats.
They supported a plan calling for the railway to sell no-seat tickets at half price.
Some say they were quite surprised to see that migrant workers who bought no-seat tickets had to rest in washrooms and even under seats during the trip, which may sometimes goes beyond 20-hours, but have to pay the same money as those who have a seat.
They suggest the Ministry of Railway is a public service provider and should improve the ticketing system and charge a different price for no-seat tickets.
GLOBAL TIMES
Housing projects prone to corruption
While sky-high house prices are making home ownership a distant dream for many ordinary Chinese, some officials are taking advantage of the government's housing plans.
The latest scandal involving a former village head accused of the misallocation of 136 resettlement houses.
The houses were intended to be compensation for farmers whose houses had been demolished by the government to make way for construction.
In another case, a former director of the housing administrative bureau in Henan was found to own 31 houses.
China's affordable housing project was subsidized by the government and designed for low-income groups.
However, official statistics in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, show that from 2005 to 2009, only one third of the affordable houses were offered to citizens in need.
The rest were suspected to be taken by people by illegal means.
Industry insiders say some government departments or officials will keep the affordable houses for themselves during the approval process.
They say developers also often retain a certain amount of houses for their own interests.
Experts say officials should strengthen self-discipline and, at the same time, government information should be more transparent to bolster public monitoring.
BBC
Donated genetic data 'privacy risk'
Researchers have identified people in the US who anonymously donated their DNA for use in medical research - raising concerns about privacy.
They could uncover a person's identity using records of donated DNA coupled with other readily available sources of information on the internet.
It was made possible because of large "genetic genealogy" databases which help people trace their family tree.
These genetic markings are a useful tool when investigating a family tree as they are passed from father to son and are used in "genetic genealogy" databases.
Researchers from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research used this freely available data to create a computer programme which could match unique markers to surnames.
This was used to hunt through an academic database - the 1,000 genomes project.
It contains the entire genetic code of volunteers who donated their DNA anonymously. The only record is of the donor's age and their home state.
The computer programme, however, could now work out surnames as well. This was enough, combined with a basic internet search, to work out the identities of people. |