China continued to strengthen dairy product supervision during the week-long National Day holiday amid efforts to ensure food safety and restore public trust in milk supplies.
All the milk containing melamine had been withdrawn from sale in northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and consumers should be confident, according to the regional administration for industry and commerce.
More than 110,000 people were dispatched to examine milk products across the region. A total of 23,000 kilograms of milk powder and 30,000 kilograms of liquid milk were isolated, said Li Yan, the administration deputy director.
The regional product quality watchdog has sent officials to supervise production and tested more than 1,500 batches of milk products in more than 160 milk factories.
Yili and Mengniu, China's two leading brands based in Inner Mongolia, have made promises to ensure milk safety and are promoting their products to renew confidence among the public.
Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics. Experts say it was added illegally to watered-down raw milk to make it appear as if it had a high protein content. The tainted milk is known to have killed four babies and left 13,000 others hospitalized with kidney problems in China.
A total of 206 officials in Shaanxi Province were sent to monitor the production processes of 95 milk factories, said Zhang Fuhai, director of the provincial product safety watchdog.
"The products shall be put on sale only after they passed the strict sampling tests," said Qu Rui'e who was in charge of supervising the Oriental Dairy Co. Ltd. based in Xi'an, the provincial capital.
Statistics showed that the daily sales of milk products in the province increased by about 10 percent during the National Day holiday from late September.
North China's Hebei Province has started to destroy more than 400 tons of milk found to be contaminated with melamine. All the tainted milk had been sealed off before Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Hebei government had earmarked 316 million yuan in subsidies, paying dairy farmers 200 yuan per cow.
"We must crack down on illegal behavior, and we must protect the interests of the dairy sector. With the support of the government, enterprises are purchasing more milk and farmers are building up confidence," said Liu Daqun, head of the provincial agriculture department.
A nationwide inspection of baby milk powder was ordered on Sept. 11 after media reports that products from Sanlu and other Chinese brands contained melamine. Testing has been broadened from baby formula to other types of milk products.
The latest sample tests on 609 batches of liquid milk from 27 cities across China detected no melamine in newly supplied liquid milk on the market, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on Saturday.
In the previous inspection, on Sept. 30, officials tested 265 batches of adult milk powder produced before Sept. 14 by 154 companies, and the tests found 31 batches from 20 companies were tainted with melamine.
Source: Xinhua
Monday, October 6, 2008
Township officials killed in NE China traffic collision
Three township officials died and another two were injured on Sunday in an expressway crash in northeast China.
A car carrying the officials from a township of Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province, and a truck hit each other at about 10 a.m. at a toll gate on the Beijing-Harbin Express way.
Two other people in the car were injured and taken to hospital,said Tong Yibin, a traffic officer in charge of the section from the provincial capital, Harbin, to Shuangcheng.
Both vehicles were heading for Harbin, police said, without giving more details.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Source: Xinhua
A car carrying the officials from a township of Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province, and a truck hit each other at about 10 a.m. at a toll gate on the Beijing-Harbin Express way.
Two other people in the car were injured and taken to hospital,said Tong Yibin, a traffic officer in charge of the section from the provincial capital, Harbin, to Shuangcheng.
Both vehicles were heading for Harbin, police said, without giving more details.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Source: Xinhua
Inspectors posted to dairy factories for 24-hour supervision
China's quality supervision authority has dispatched more than 5,000 inspectors to carry out round-the-clock scrutiny at dairy factories in an effort to restore consumer confidence in the wake of the scandal over the melamine contamination of milk.
Wang Yong, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine , told Xinhua that the government would strive to ensure all dairy products manufactured after Sept. 14 were melamine-free and safe.
"Food safety concerns not only the health of the public, but also the life of business, " Wang said.
Wang, who took up the post last month after predecessor Li Changjiang was sacked, vowed to "make a substantial change in the production and distribution of dairy products".
Calling the site inspections an "unusual measure", he said 1,644 teams had covered all dairy producers across the country and would be present through the whole production process.
Inspectors would ensure all raw materials were stored properly, with the producers clearly marked and quality certified.
Chemicals including melamine and cyanuric acid, non-food raw materials, recycled foodstuffs and deteriorated raw materials would be weeded out, while food addictives must be registered with local quality supervision departments.
In-house quality control personnel must sample test every batch of goods under scrutiny by GAQSIQ inspectors, who could advise management to transfer or sack incapable quality control personnel, he said.
Inspectors would also see that factory laboratories and equipment met standards. Products for shipping or delivery must have complete production records and the endorsement of GAQSIQ inspectors.
Dairy producers unable to carry out laboratory tests in their factories were required to go to public inspection and quarantine institutions.
Only 12 food quality inspection institutions, all in Beijing, had been verified as qualified to test for melamine, the chemical used to cheat on protein tests of diluted raw milk.
Wang said the verification of other institutions was continuing and a longer list was expected to be released by the Certification and Accreditation Administration.
Enterprises producing or using melamine would be purged while inspection of exports would be tightened in line with the quality standards of import nations, he said.
Wang also planned to put in place a set of systems securing scientific analysis, encouraging both public and private investigation and rewarding whistle-blowers.
He said fundamental work, such as establishing measurements and standards, accreditation and certification, quality inspection and quarantine as well as the utilization of data would be taken as priorities.
"Without the concerted efforts of local governments and enterprises, the safety of the general public could not be guaranteed," Wang said.
Under State Council regulations, food safety has been listed in the management targets of local government leaders above county level, which means incompetent officials face dismissal or disciplinary penalties.
A GAQSIQ statement released on Sunday said the latest sample tests, the seventh since mid-September, showed all of the 128 batches of baby formula under 38 brands in 10 provinces were found free of melamine.
Another 212 batches of milk powder under 84 brands in 21 provinces tested were also melamine free. Previously failed brands such as Yili, Yashili, Guangming Songhe, ChenGuan and Mengniu all passed the latest tests.
Department stores and supermarkets have been required to post the lists of qualified enterprises and their products, set up safe dairy counters and secure sufficient supply of quality milk products.
A nationwide inspection of baby milk powder was ordered on Sept. 11 after media reports that products from Sanlu and other Chinese brands contained melamine. Testing has been broadened from baby formula to other types of milk products.
Source: Xinhua
Wang Yong, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine , told Xinhua that the government would strive to ensure all dairy products manufactured after Sept. 14 were melamine-free and safe.
"Food safety concerns not only the health of the public, but also the life of business, " Wang said.
Wang, who took up the post last month after predecessor Li Changjiang was sacked, vowed to "make a substantial change in the production and distribution of dairy products".
Calling the site inspections an "unusual measure", he said 1,644 teams had covered all dairy producers across the country and would be present through the whole production process.
Inspectors would ensure all raw materials were stored properly, with the producers clearly marked and quality certified.
Chemicals including melamine and cyanuric acid, non-food raw materials, recycled foodstuffs and deteriorated raw materials would be weeded out, while food addictives must be registered with local quality supervision departments.
In-house quality control personnel must sample test every batch of goods under scrutiny by GAQSIQ inspectors, who could advise management to transfer or sack incapable quality control personnel, he said.
Inspectors would also see that factory laboratories and equipment met standards. Products for shipping or delivery must have complete production records and the endorsement of GAQSIQ inspectors.
Dairy producers unable to carry out laboratory tests in their factories were required to go to public inspection and quarantine institutions.
Only 12 food quality inspection institutions, all in Beijing, had been verified as qualified to test for melamine, the chemical used to cheat on protein tests of diluted raw milk.
Wang said the verification of other institutions was continuing and a longer list was expected to be released by the Certification and Accreditation Administration.
Enterprises producing or using melamine would be purged while inspection of exports would be tightened in line with the quality standards of import nations, he said.
Wang also planned to put in place a set of systems securing scientific analysis, encouraging both public and private investigation and rewarding whistle-blowers.
He said fundamental work, such as establishing measurements and standards, accreditation and certification, quality inspection and quarantine as well as the utilization of data would be taken as priorities.
"Without the concerted efforts of local governments and enterprises, the safety of the general public could not be guaranteed," Wang said.
Under State Council regulations, food safety has been listed in the management targets of local government leaders above county level, which means incompetent officials face dismissal or disciplinary penalties.
A GAQSIQ statement released on Sunday said the latest sample tests, the seventh since mid-September, showed all of the 128 batches of baby formula under 38 brands in 10 provinces were found free of melamine.
Another 212 batches of milk powder under 84 brands in 21 provinces tested were also melamine free. Previously failed brands such as Yili, Yashili, Guangming Songhe, ChenGuan and Mengniu all passed the latest tests.
Department stores and supermarkets have been required to post the lists of qualified enterprises and their products, set up safe dairy counters and secure sufficient supply of quality milk products.
A nationwide inspection of baby milk powder was ordered on Sept. 11 after media reports that products from Sanlu and other Chinese brands contained melamine. Testing has been broadened from baby formula to other types of milk products.
Source: Xinhua
Six more detained amid tainted milk scandal
Chinese police have detained six more suspects involved in the contaminated milk scandal that had caused deaths and kidney stones of babies.
The six, suspected of producing and selling the chemical melamine, were detained in Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China, the country's key milk production base, the municipal government said on Sunday in a notice.
It said the arrests were made during a thorough investigation in Yili and Mengniu, China's two major milk producers based in Inner Mongolia.
Tian Min, vice secretary general of the municipal government, said no more information was available so far and the police were interrogating the suspects.
He told Xinhua that investigation results are expected to be released in four to five days.
The dairy giant Sanlu based in the Hebei provincial capital Shijiazhuang in north China was the first company exposed in the tainted milk powder scandal. Many other milk products of various companies including Yili and Mengniu were later found being tainted by melamine, an industrial chemical that could make milk appear richer in protein than it actually is.
The tainted milk is known to have killed four babies and left 13,000 others hospitalized with kidney problems in China.
Source: Xinhua
The six, suspected of producing and selling the chemical melamine, were detained in Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China, the country's key milk production base, the municipal government said on Sunday in a notice.
It said the arrests were made during a thorough investigation in Yili and Mengniu, China's two major milk producers based in Inner Mongolia.
Tian Min, vice secretary general of the municipal government, said no more information was available so far and the police were interrogating the suspects.
He told Xinhua that investigation results are expected to be released in four to five days.
The dairy giant Sanlu based in the Hebei provincial capital Shijiazhuang in north China was the first company exposed in the tainted milk powder scandal. Many other milk products of various companies including Yili and Mengniu were later found being tainted by melamine, an industrial chemical that could make milk appear richer in protein than it actually is.
The tainted milk is known to have killed four babies and left 13,000 others hospitalized with kidney problems in China.
Source: Xinhua
August figure of Taiwan's jobless highest in three years
Taiwan reported the most number of unemployed people in August compared with the same month in the previous two years, according to a local media report.
The number of "long-term" unemployed, referring to those out of work for at least one year, hit 63,000 in August, the report said, citing the latest figures from the Taiwan authorities.
Of these, 56 percent were aged under 30 and almost 30 percent were educated to college level or above.
Taiwan registered fewer than 40,000 long-term unemployed before2001. However, as the economy slides and more companies close, the problem has worsened.
In 2002, up to 100,000 people were jobless, and the figure dropped to 53,000 in August 2006.
The statistics of September was still being processed, the report said, warning that if it was to continue rising, the situation would be even more serious than expected.
Source: Xinhua
The number of "long-term" unemployed, referring to those out of work for at least one year, hit 63,000 in August, the report said, citing the latest figures from the Taiwan authorities.
Of these, 56 percent were aged under 30 and almost 30 percent were educated to college level or above.
Taiwan registered fewer than 40,000 long-term unemployed before2001. However, as the economy slides and more companies close, the problem has worsened.
In 2002, up to 100,000 people were jobless, and the figure dropped to 53,000 in August 2006.
The statistics of September was still being processed, the report said, warning that if it was to continue rising, the situation would be even more serious than expected.
Source: Xinhua
M6.8 earthquake hits Xinjiang
A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 degrees on the Richter scale hit Wuqia County, or Ulugqia County, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, on Sunday, at 23:52 pm, according to the National Seismological Network.
The epicenter was located in Wuqia, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, with its epicenter 110 kilometers away from the county town of Wuqia , 180 kilometers from Kashi City,10 kilometers from the Chinese border. The source of the earthquake was 33 kilometers underground.
Residents in Kashi also felt the strong earthquake, Xinhua reporter in Xinjiang said. There have been no reports of casualties so far.
Wuqia is located in the Pamirs, in the southwestern part of Xinjiang, and at the conjunction of the southern side of the Tianshan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains.
Wuqia, 1,500 kilometers away from Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang, was hit by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 22 this year and a 5.8 magnitude quake on Dec. 25, 2002.
Source: Xinhua
The epicenter was located in Wuqia, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, with its epicenter 110 kilometers away from the county town of Wuqia , 180 kilometers from Kashi City,10 kilometers from the Chinese border. The source of the earthquake was 33 kilometers underground.
Residents in Kashi also felt the strong earthquake, Xinhua reporter in Xinjiang said. There have been no reports of casualties so far.
Wuqia is located in the Pamirs, in the southwestern part of Xinjiang, and at the conjunction of the southern side of the Tianshan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains.
Wuqia, 1,500 kilometers away from Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang, was hit by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 22 this year and a 5.8 magnitude quake on Dec. 25, 2002.
Source: Xinhua
Aso visit to boost China-Japan ties
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is scheduled to visit China later this month, holding his first talks with Chinese leaders since taking office last month, the Japanese government announced yesterday.
Aso will meet with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao when he attends the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing on October 24 and 25, the Kyodo News reported.
During his visit, Aso is expected to affirm former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's goal of improving relations with China and stress the need to cooperate on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The two sides may also discuss cooperation on food safety and greenhouse gas emission reduction, the report said.
Aso's decision to visit China soon after taking office is a reflection of his willingness to continue on the track of improving relations with Beijing, analysts said.
"His upcoming trip to Beijing shows that he values Sino-Japanese ties just as much as his predecessors Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda did," said Wang Taiping, China's former consul general in Osaka.
"One message he will likely bring is his willingness to further deepen the mutually beneficial China-Japan strategic relationship," he said.
Aso, a former foreign minister, is very likely to reaffirm his predecessors' objective of further developing ties with the rest of Asia, especially China, he added.
Feng Zhaokui, a senior advisor to the National Society of Japanese Economic Studies, said Aso's visit to China once again showed Sino-Japanese ties are unlikely to be affected by the change of the Japanese premiership.
"Aso, once elected as the prime minister, is fully aware that he has to be pragmatic on foreign policy issues and put national interests first," Feng said.
"A stable and healthy relationship with China is clearly in Japan's interests."
Source: China Daily
Aso will meet with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao when he attends the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing on October 24 and 25, the Kyodo News reported.
During his visit, Aso is expected to affirm former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's goal of improving relations with China and stress the need to cooperate on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The two sides may also discuss cooperation on food safety and greenhouse gas emission reduction, the report said.
Aso's decision to visit China soon after taking office is a reflection of his willingness to continue on the track of improving relations with Beijing, analysts said.
"His upcoming trip to Beijing shows that he values Sino-Japanese ties just as much as his predecessors Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda did," said Wang Taiping, China's former consul general in Osaka.
"One message he will likely bring is his willingness to further deepen the mutually beneficial China-Japan strategic relationship," he said.
Aso, a former foreign minister, is very likely to reaffirm his predecessors' objective of further developing ties with the rest of Asia, especially China, he added.
Feng Zhaokui, a senior advisor to the National Society of Japanese Economic Studies, said Aso's visit to China once again showed Sino-Japanese ties are unlikely to be affected by the change of the Japanese premiership.
"Aso, once elected as the prime minister, is fully aware that he has to be pragmatic on foreign policy issues and put national interests first," Feng said.
"A stable and healthy relationship with China is clearly in Japan's interests."
Source: China Daily
Charities need more assistance
Charity work in China needs more funding, more helping hands and more grassroots charitable organizations at local and rural levels, a senior official recently said.
"We should try our best to secure annual donations totaling 100 billion yuan ; about 1 million charity professionals, and 100 million volunteers and social workers; and further development of grassroots and rural charitable organizations," said Wang Zhenyao, head of the Social Welfare and Charity Promotion Department created earlier this month.
"These goals are possible to achieve, as can be seen by the way the Wenchuan quake changed the character and patterns of charity in China," said the official, who had been disaster and relief director of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for eight years before his new appointment.
"Chinese people have shown the world tremendous philanthropic potential with their donations and volunteerism."
This was demonstrated by the fact that 60 billion yuan had been donated for quake relief as of last month. The figure was expected to reach about 100 billion yuan by the end of the year, Wang said, adding: "This is historical."
When Wang set up the country's first charity office three years ago, he aimed for citizens to donate 50 billion yuan annually by 2010.
Last year, citizens and enterprises donated a total of 22.3 billion yuan in cash and in-kind donations - a 123 percent increase over the previous year, according to a report by the ministry.
The record high for donations after the earthquake has been the result of a growing awareness about charity.
"More orderly charitable activities and more inspired public participation have been cultivated along with charitable systems and policies," he said.
However, there is still a long way to go for people to actualize their philanthropic potential, he added.
In addition, unprecedented public attention has been given to questions of how to most efficiently and effectively use charitable funds through the government and organizations.
"It is time for a major adjustment of charity systems and for a better implementation of our policies," Wang said.
The new department's creation is indicative of the growing importance placed on charitable activities in China.
The new department would manage the welfare lottery, charitable activities, and donations and welfare projects for the elderly, disabled and children. It will draft rules on volunteers' work and develop a nationwide volunteer network.
Wang said his top priority is formulating more transparent and systemized methods, and mapping out donation evaluation standards for monthly and annual appraisals.
"If we have a clear understanding of every process from fundraising to donation use it will cut down on the time used for auditing and monitoring, and leave less room for corruption," he said.
In a talk given to local officials on the development of community-based charitable services, he encouraged them to cultivate grassroots charity organizations.
"They could be small organizations with only a few members encouraging people to help and support their neighbors," he said.
The director had addressed the need to solve the shortage of professionals in the field.
Only 18,000 people work for charitable foundations in China, compared to 1.2 million people in the United States.
"China has enough love and caring but does not have enough well-developed channels for people to express and show their love and caring," he said.
When he visited quake-affected areas on May 15, the director saw how thousands people from all over the country came forth to save lives and rebuild homes.
"In them, I see the future of the country's charity work."
He pointed out the size of the country's population is a boon, rather than a bane, to the country's philanthropic potential.
"Any major difficulty becomes minor when divided by 1.3 billion people. And any small donation becomes a tremendous contribution when multiplied by that number."
Source: China Daily
"We should try our best to secure annual donations totaling 100 billion yuan ; about 1 million charity professionals, and 100 million volunteers and social workers; and further development of grassroots and rural charitable organizations," said Wang Zhenyao, head of the Social Welfare and Charity Promotion Department created earlier this month.
"These goals are possible to achieve, as can be seen by the way the Wenchuan quake changed the character and patterns of charity in China," said the official, who had been disaster and relief director of the Ministry of Civil Affairs for eight years before his new appointment.
"Chinese people have shown the world tremendous philanthropic potential with their donations and volunteerism."
This was demonstrated by the fact that 60 billion yuan had been donated for quake relief as of last month. The figure was expected to reach about 100 billion yuan by the end of the year, Wang said, adding: "This is historical."
When Wang set up the country's first charity office three years ago, he aimed for citizens to donate 50 billion yuan annually by 2010.
Last year, citizens and enterprises donated a total of 22.3 billion yuan in cash and in-kind donations - a 123 percent increase over the previous year, according to a report by the ministry.
The record high for donations after the earthquake has been the result of a growing awareness about charity.
"More orderly charitable activities and more inspired public participation have been cultivated along with charitable systems and policies," he said.
However, there is still a long way to go for people to actualize their philanthropic potential, he added.
In addition, unprecedented public attention has been given to questions of how to most efficiently and effectively use charitable funds through the government and organizations.
"It is time for a major adjustment of charity systems and for a better implementation of our policies," Wang said.
The new department's creation is indicative of the growing importance placed on charitable activities in China.
The new department would manage the welfare lottery, charitable activities, and donations and welfare projects for the elderly, disabled and children. It will draft rules on volunteers' work and develop a nationwide volunteer network.
Wang said his top priority is formulating more transparent and systemized methods, and mapping out donation evaluation standards for monthly and annual appraisals.
"If we have a clear understanding of every process from fundraising to donation use it will cut down on the time used for auditing and monitoring, and leave less room for corruption," he said.
In a talk given to local officials on the development of community-based charitable services, he encouraged them to cultivate grassroots charity organizations.
"They could be small organizations with only a few members encouraging people to help and support their neighbors," he said.
The director had addressed the need to solve the shortage of professionals in the field.
Only 18,000 people work for charitable foundations in China, compared to 1.2 million people in the United States.
"China has enough love and caring but does not have enough well-developed channels for people to express and show their love and caring," he said.
When he visited quake-affected areas on May 15, the director saw how thousands people from all over the country came forth to save lives and rebuild homes.
"In them, I see the future of the country's charity work."
He pointed out the size of the country's population is a boon, rather than a bane, to the country's philanthropic potential.
"Any major difficulty becomes minor when divided by 1.3 billion people. And any small donation becomes a tremendous contribution when multiplied by that number."
Source: China Daily
Man of action takes new helm
Wang Zhenyao's office looks like a battlefield command station.
On the wall behind his desk hangs a large poster printed with the four levels of disaster response.
To the right hangs a large satellite map of Beichuan county, one of the areas hit hardest by the May 12 earthquake.
"How we respond to a disaster is similar with how we react in a war," Wang said.
He had been the top disaster and relief official during the most devastating quake in three decades before assuming his current post last month as head of the Social Welfare and Charity Promotion Department.
Under orders from Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu, Wang and his staff set up an office in Chengdu on May 15.
He had set foot in nearly every quake-affected county within 15 days.
"We fought hard, responded quickly and effectively, and we won," he said of the disaster relief work.
He said the success was due to a number of factors.
"It was because the country spent years establishing natural disaster rescue and relief systems, building up charitable organizations, advancing ideas stemming from international cooperation, developing technologies, and coordinating among various ministries and the military."
In 1998, the State Council issued the China Disaster Reduction Plan . And in 2005, the country set up a national commission on disaster reduction and prevention with coordinating offices at local levels.
The ministry has developed a four-level emergency-response system, which ensured the delivery of food and goods to quake victims within 24 hours, he said.
"It is hard to win a battle like this without experience or coordination."
Although he has long known China has more natural disasters than any other country, Wang said he was shocked by the scale of the earthquake, and by the rescue and relief efforts it required.
"So many people died. The survivors asked for food, water and tents," he recalled.
The most challenging moment was when Sichuan's provincial government asked him for 3 million tents on May 21, he said.
"Our stocks were running out, and there was no time to manufacture enough tents," he recalled.
Previously, the demand for tents had averaged about 10,000 every year.
In response, Wang and his office developed a strategy in which each province would assist one quake-affected county. The move proved effective, he said.
"The 21 provinces were like 21 big cranes, and the problem was solved in three days," he said.
Wang said many losses could have been avoided if disaster-prevention measures had been observed.
He often cited the example of Sangzao high school, where about 2,300 faculty members and students made it out of the building unscathed because they had run fire drills before.
Only 5 percent of Chinese have ever done a fire drill, he said.
Source: China Daily
On the wall behind his desk hangs a large poster printed with the four levels of disaster response.
To the right hangs a large satellite map of Beichuan county, one of the areas hit hardest by the May 12 earthquake.
"How we respond to a disaster is similar with how we react in a war," Wang said.
He had been the top disaster and relief official during the most devastating quake in three decades before assuming his current post last month as head of the Social Welfare and Charity Promotion Department.
Under orders from Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu, Wang and his staff set up an office in Chengdu on May 15.
He had set foot in nearly every quake-affected county within 15 days.
"We fought hard, responded quickly and effectively, and we won," he said of the disaster relief work.
He said the success was due to a number of factors.
"It was because the country spent years establishing natural disaster rescue and relief systems, building up charitable organizations, advancing ideas stemming from international cooperation, developing technologies, and coordinating among various ministries and the military."
In 1998, the State Council issued the China Disaster Reduction Plan . And in 2005, the country set up a national commission on disaster reduction and prevention with coordinating offices at local levels.
The ministry has developed a four-level emergency-response system, which ensured the delivery of food and goods to quake victims within 24 hours, he said.
"It is hard to win a battle like this without experience or coordination."
Although he has long known China has more natural disasters than any other country, Wang said he was shocked by the scale of the earthquake, and by the rescue and relief efforts it required.
"So many people died. The survivors asked for food, water and tents," he recalled.
The most challenging moment was when Sichuan's provincial government asked him for 3 million tents on May 21, he said.
"Our stocks were running out, and there was no time to manufacture enough tents," he recalled.
Previously, the demand for tents had averaged about 10,000 every year.
In response, Wang and his office developed a strategy in which each province would assist one quake-affected county. The move proved effective, he said.
"The 21 provinces were like 21 big cranes, and the problem was solved in three days," he said.
Wang said many losses could have been avoided if disaster-prevention measures had been observed.
He often cited the example of Sangzao high school, where about 2,300 faculty members and students made it out of the building unscathed because they had run fire drills before.
Only 5 percent of Chinese have ever done a fire drill, he said.
Source: China Daily
Central gov't investigates deadly N China landslide
The State Council, China's Cabinet, is launching an investigation into a landslide that killed 44 people in the northern Shanxi Province in August.
A 49-member team, headed by State Administration of Work Safety deputy director Wang Dexue, consists of senior officials from the Ministry of Supervision, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Shanxi provincial government.
The landslide toppled a waste dump of a local iron mine and buried Sigou Village on Aug. 1. Its severity was initially down played by local authorities.
Eleven bodies were found Aug. 16, and the death toll given by the local government stopped there. Families complained at least 30 others had been trapped under more than 800,000 cubic meters of rocks and waste from the mine.
After public anger over the accident grew, the central government sent investigators to Loufan September 20.
Rescue work has now ended and the final death toll stands at 44,the Taiyuan city government said during a meeting with the central government investigation team Monday.
During a site survey of the iron mine on Sunday, Wang Dexue said the accident was a result of human error. Workers at the iron mine dumped too much waste on loose earth and local safety authorities failed to evacuate villagers in time.
The exact number of people trapped in the landslide was unknown for weeks because most of the victims were migrants and were not registered at the local public security bureau.
The official website of the Loufan county government said Sigouvillage had 276 migrants as of November 2007, including 150 from the northwestern Gansu Province and 56 from the neighboring county of Jiaocheng.
They made about 100 yuan a day by collecting pieces of iron ore from the dump and reselling them.
The waste dump, within 200 meters from the village, belongs to Jianshan Iron Mine. It was operated by Taiyuan Iron and Steel Company Ltd.
Chinese law states, such dumps should be at least 500 meters from residential areas and should have embankments or walls to contain dust or prevent landslides. The dump near Sigou, however, had none.
The Loufan county government had planned to relocate Sigou Village but villagers and mine authorities could not agree on compensation. Villagers said the newly planned village didn't have enough arable land to sustain farmers.
Loufan county is about 97 kilometers from Taiyuan's city center.
Source: Xinhua
A 49-member team, headed by State Administration of Work Safety deputy director Wang Dexue, consists of senior officials from the Ministry of Supervision, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Shanxi provincial government.
The landslide toppled a waste dump of a local iron mine and buried Sigou Village on Aug. 1. Its severity was initially down played by local authorities.
Eleven bodies were found Aug. 16, and the death toll given by the local government stopped there. Families complained at least 30 others had been trapped under more than 800,000 cubic meters of rocks and waste from the mine.
After public anger over the accident grew, the central government sent investigators to Loufan September 20.
Rescue work has now ended and the final death toll stands at 44,the Taiyuan city government said during a meeting with the central government investigation team Monday.
During a site survey of the iron mine on Sunday, Wang Dexue said the accident was a result of human error. Workers at the iron mine dumped too much waste on loose earth and local safety authorities failed to evacuate villagers in time.
The exact number of people trapped in the landslide was unknown for weeks because most of the victims were migrants and were not registered at the local public security bureau.
The official website of the Loufan county government said Sigouvillage had 276 migrants as of November 2007, including 150 from the northwestern Gansu Province and 56 from the neighboring county of Jiaocheng.
They made about 100 yuan a day by collecting pieces of iron ore from the dump and reselling them.
The waste dump, within 200 meters from the village, belongs to Jianshan Iron Mine. It was operated by Taiyuan Iron and Steel Company Ltd.
Chinese law states, such dumps should be at least 500 meters from residential areas and should have embankments or walls to contain dust or prevent landslides. The dump near Sigou, however, had none.
The Loufan county government had planned to relocate Sigou Village but villagers and mine authorities could not agree on compensation. Villagers said the newly planned village didn't have enough arable land to sustain farmers.
Loufan county is about 97 kilometers from Taiyuan's city center.
Source: Xinhua
Notice of soliciting articles on 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up
The Communist Party of China made a major policy decision on reform and opening-up at the Third Plenum of its 11 CPC Central Committee held in late 1978 and opened a new historical period for China's reform and opening-up. In the last three decades, earth-shaking changes have taken place in China, and many foreign friends have also personally witnessed this epoch through their direct or indirect contact or engagement with the country.
To this end, People's Daily Online sponsors the solicitation of articles . You are invited to share your stories about China, and your contributions can be a photo, an episode of affection or comradeship, a story, a personal trip or even a souvenir, so as to share with us things about the country's changes and development.
I. Sponsor:
People's Daily Online English/Russian/Japanese/Spanish, Arabic channels
II. Participating objects:
Readers, both Chinese and aliens who are interested in China's reform and opening-up
III. The duration for contributions:
Deadline: 31 December 2008
IV. Points for attention:
1. Topics: Human interest story; written thought or reflections, blessings or wishes; and figure photos.
2. Genre and writing requirements:
Your article should be written in English, Russia, Japanese, French, Spanish and Arabic languages with no special limits to set on the genre and the number of words; photos, stories, written reflections, blessings or wishes, poems or any other things relating to China will all do. The timing for the theme of your works should be confined to the past three decades of reform and opening-up from 1978 to 2008.
3. Please send stories to english@peopledaily.com.cn
IV. Excellent stories will be published at the websites in corresponding languages of People's Daily Online.
To this end, People's Daily Online sponsors the solicitation of articles . You are invited to share your stories about China, and your contributions can be a photo, an episode of affection or comradeship, a story, a personal trip or even a souvenir, so as to share with us things about the country's changes and development.
I. Sponsor:
People's Daily Online English/Russian/Japanese/Spanish, Arabic channels
II. Participating objects:
Readers, both Chinese and aliens who are interested in China's reform and opening-up
III. The duration for contributions:
Deadline: 31 December 2008
IV. Points for attention:
1. Topics: Human interest story; written thought or reflections, blessings or wishes; and figure photos.
2. Genre and writing requirements:
Your article should be written in English, Russia, Japanese, French, Spanish and Arabic languages with no special limits to set on the genre and the number of words; photos, stories, written reflections, blessings or wishes, poems or any other things relating to China will all do. The timing for the theme of your works should be confined to the past three decades of reform and opening-up from 1978 to 2008.
3. Please send stories to english@peopledaily.com.cn
IV. Excellent stories will be published at the websites in corresponding languages of People's Daily Online.
China discovers oil, gas well in Bohai Bay
China National Offshore Oil Company Limited announced Monday it had found a new oil and gas well in east China's Bohai Bay.
The well, named Bozhong 35-2-2, is located to the east of the Yellow River mouth. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3,235 meters.
During the drill stem test, the well flowed at an average rate of 560 barrels of oil per day.
The CNOOC Ltd. has made several oil and gas discoveries in the Bohai area this year, including wells named BZ 35-2, KL 3-2 and KL10-1.
CNOOC Ltd. holds 100 percent interests of the new discovery and has successfully completed the drilling process, according to the company.
Listed in Hong Kong and New York, CNOOC Ltd. is the subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corp., the country's largest offshore oil producer.
CNOOC produced 72.9 million barrels of crude oil and 112.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the first half of the year, up 7.1 percent and 12.8 percent from the same period last year, respectively.
Source: Xinhua
The well, named Bozhong 35-2-2, is located to the east of the Yellow River mouth. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3,235 meters.
During the drill stem test, the well flowed at an average rate of 560 barrels of oil per day.
The CNOOC Ltd. has made several oil and gas discoveries in the Bohai area this year, including wells named BZ 35-2, KL 3-2 and KL10-1.
CNOOC Ltd. holds 100 percent interests of the new discovery and has successfully completed the drilling process, according to the company.
Listed in Hong Kong and New York, CNOOC Ltd. is the subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corp., the country's largest offshore oil producer.
CNOOC produced 72.9 million barrels of crude oil and 112.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the first half of the year, up 7.1 percent and 12.8 percent from the same period last year, respectively.
Source: Xinhua
Large molybdenum mine found in south China
A large field containing rich deposits of rare molybdenum has been found in south China's island province of Hainan, local authorities said here.
Molybdenum is a hard, silvery mineral mainly used in toughening alloy steels and softening tungsten alloys. It is used in aviation, construction and military material manufacturing industries.
The proven reserves of the mine in Baoting County are estimated at 254,000 tons worth of more than 100 billion yuan , making it one of the 10 largest molybdenum mines in the country, according to a statement from the Hainan Provincial Mining Association on Sunday.
Hainan Jinzhoucheng Molybdenum Co. Ltd, which received the exploration rights of the mine last year, is expected to invest 1.5 billion yuan to build it into a top five molybdenum company in China with an annual production capacity of 10 million tons.
The mine is expected to produce 7,000 tons of molybdenum annually with sales revenue of 1.3 billion yuan. The infrastructure construction will be completed in two years.
Source: Xinhua
Molybdenum is a hard, silvery mineral mainly used in toughening alloy steels and softening tungsten alloys. It is used in aviation, construction and military material manufacturing industries.
The proven reserves of the mine in Baoting County are estimated at 254,000 tons worth of more than 100 billion yuan , making it one of the 10 largest molybdenum mines in the country, according to a statement from the Hainan Provincial Mining Association on Sunday.
Hainan Jinzhoucheng Molybdenum Co. Ltd, which received the exploration rights of the mine last year, is expected to invest 1.5 billion yuan to build it into a top five molybdenum company in China with an annual production capacity of 10 million tons.
The mine is expected to produce 7,000 tons of molybdenum annually with sales revenue of 1.3 billion yuan. The infrastructure construction will be completed in two years.
Source: Xinhua
Over 60% foreigners believe China will be the world's largest economy in the next 20 years
In recent days, the large-scale survey "China in the eyes of the world " was released in Beijing. The main recipients of the survey are foreigners who came to China during the Olympic Games. A detailed questionnaire on their impression of China and their awareness of Chinese culture, the Olympic experience, as well as impression of China's economy and so on is given to the recipients. The survey involved recipients from more than 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Australia. Survey results show that through Beijing Olympic Games, people from all over the world not only deepened the understanding of China, but were full of expectation for the future development of China.
Most of the foreigners not only praise China's economy at present, but also are very optimistic about China's future economic development. More than 60% of foreigners think China will become the world's largest economy in next 20 years.
A high proportion of foreign respondents used to have very limited knowledge of China's present development. During the Olympics, foreigners who came to China greatly changed their perception of Chinese economy, particularly in people's living standards and economic development level. Foreigners did not expect China to have achieved so much. China's economic development is so impressive that after foreigners came to China, various indicators of their evaluation of China's economy saw obvious increase.
China's economic development leads to a substantial rise in China's brand awareness, and China's brand culture made rapid integration into the world. The results of this survey show that Lenovo, China Mobile and other Chinese brands are well known among foreigners and the awareness of these two brands reached 58% and 52%. As China's fast-moving consumer goods brand, Yili has won 14% of awareness in foreigners through its Olympic sponsor marketing strategy which is relatively high. During the Olympics, Li Ning, as one of those who made most prominent marketing performance, ranked at the forefront of the investigation of the "most impressive brand during the Olympics". This shows that the Li Ning brand uses small awareness-winning costs but made relatively big impression, which is inseparable from Li Ning's personal influence and the impact of the Olympics on brand awareness.
It is worth noting that although China's economy has grown rapidly, 64% of foreign respondents believe that China's economic development comes at a cost, such as environmental problems. China's environmental protection efforts have been recognized, though there is still a long way to go to gain wide acceptance. Of the comparative survey on the same issue, Chinese people show a much more optimistic view of the country's economic development. 60% of the respondents think that China's economic development is a sustainable, healthy and rapid development.
By People's Daily Online
Most of the foreigners not only praise China's economy at present, but also are very optimistic about China's future economic development. More than 60% of foreigners think China will become the world's largest economy in next 20 years.
A high proportion of foreign respondents used to have very limited knowledge of China's present development. During the Olympics, foreigners who came to China greatly changed their perception of Chinese economy, particularly in people's living standards and economic development level. Foreigners did not expect China to have achieved so much. China's economic development is so impressive that after foreigners came to China, various indicators of their evaluation of China's economy saw obvious increase.
China's economic development leads to a substantial rise in China's brand awareness, and China's brand culture made rapid integration into the world. The results of this survey show that Lenovo, China Mobile and other Chinese brands are well known among foreigners and the awareness of these two brands reached 58% and 52%. As China's fast-moving consumer goods brand, Yili has won 14% of awareness in foreigners through its Olympic sponsor marketing strategy which is relatively high. During the Olympics, Li Ning, as one of those who made most prominent marketing performance, ranked at the forefront of the investigation of the "most impressive brand during the Olympics". This shows that the Li Ning brand uses small awareness-winning costs but made relatively big impression, which is inseparable from Li Ning's personal influence and the impact of the Olympics on brand awareness.
It is worth noting that although China's economy has grown rapidly, 64% of foreign respondents believe that China's economic development comes at a cost, such as environmental problems. China's environmental protection efforts have been recognized, though there is still a long way to go to gain wide acceptance. Of the comparative survey on the same issue, Chinese people show a much more optimistic view of the country's economic development. 60% of the respondents think that China's economic development is a sustainable, healthy and rapid development.
By People's Daily Online
Deadly knife attack in south China
A man killed three people and injured four others during a family dispute in Shenzhen Monday.
The man was captured on site by police who received reports of the attack, said an officer with the local police bureau.
He stabbed his wife first, injuring her after a quarrel at about 1 a.m. and then went to a nearby grocery where he killed the owner and his wife.
He continued the attack by killing a woman who was walking past the store. Three others were also slashed in the street.
The injured are at the hospital.
It was not known at present what caused the man to be so violent. An investigation is under way.
Source: Xinhua
The man was captured on site by police who received reports of the attack, said an officer with the local police bureau.
He stabbed his wife first, injuring her after a quarrel at about 1 a.m. and then went to a nearby grocery where he killed the owner and his wife.
He continued the attack by killing a woman who was walking past the store. Three others were also slashed in the street.
The injured are at the hospital.
It was not known at present what caused the man to be so violent. An investigation is under way.
Source: Xinhua
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