Chinese Daily Photos, Videos & News!!

People spray each other with water from toy pistols to express good wishes for the New Year during a local traditional festival in Dongguan, Guangdong province on March 6, 2011.

These kids should do their country some good and bravely 'long march' themselves up to the northern part of China and combat drought by valiantly combating dry grounds with their revolutionary water-guns!

BEIJING - MARCH 10: Chinese military delegates arrive at the Great Hall of the People before a meeting for the plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) on March 10, 2011 in Beijing, China. The NPC will take place until March 14.

Hostesses pose for photos in front of the Great Hall of the People during an ongoing session of the National People's Congress, China's annual parliament, in Beijing on March 10, 2011.

A woman mourns for her loss after an earthquake jolted Yingjiang county in southwestern China's Yunnan Province on Thursday, March 10, 2011. The earthquake toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket in China's extreme southwest near the border with Myanmar on Thursday, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 150, officials and state media said. (AP Photo)

Residents tend to the injured after an earthquake jolted Yingjiang county in southwestern China's Yunnan Province on Thursday, March 10, 2011. The earthquake toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket in China's extreme southwest near the border with Myanmar on Thursday. (AP Photo)

BEIJING - MARCH 10: Two Chinese ethnic minority language translators work in the Great Hall of the People during a meeting for the plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) on March 10, 2011 in Beijing, China. The NPC will take place until March 14.

South Korean newspapers dated on March 9, 2011 carry stories and pictures of a Chinese woman, who was suspected of having affairs with South Korean diplomats in an alleged steamy sex-for-favor scandal that has rocked South Korea's consulate in Shanghai. South Korea's government said it has launched an investigation into an alleged steamy sex-for-favours scandal that has rocked its consulate in Shanghai. Media reports say three Korean diplomats based in China's biggest city were suspected of having affairs with the same Chinese woman, who allegedly used her influence over them in seeking visas for Chinese workers.

A beautician applies make-up to a model at the " 34th Guangzhou international cosmetics fair" in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, March 9, 2011. The cosmetics fair opened here Wednesday, with some 2,000 cosmetics makers worldwide bringing their products to the fair. [Xinhua/Yuan Hongwei]

Models display new products at the " 34th Guangzhou international cosmetics fair" in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, March 9, 2011. [Xinhua/Yuan Hongwei]

Rescuers search for survivors in a damaged building after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Yingjiang County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 10, 2011. The death toll has risen to 24 as of 7:00 p.m. Thursday, at least 207 others were injured, with 33 in serious condition. (Xinhua/Xiao Lin)

BEIJING – The death toll from an earthquake that hit Yingjiang County in southwest China's Yunnan Province Thursday noon has risen to 25, local authorities said.

So far, 250 people are confirmed injured in the 5.8-magnitude earthquake, with 134 in serious condition, the provincial civil affairs department said in a statement late Thursday.

The earthquake has toppled the homes of 1,039 families and left 4,994 others seriously damaged, mainly in the county seat near the border with Myanmar, it said.

The National Committee of Disaster Reduction, Ministry of Civil Affairs and Yunnan's provincial government have dispatched 9,700 tents, 15,000 quilts, 15,000 clothes and other materials to the quake-hit region.

Photos from the scene showed buildings that buckled, crushing their lower floors in Yingjiang county, Yunnan province. Police, firefighters and soldiers rushed to the area to pull out people trapped in the rubble, including a man and girl stuck in the stairwell of a four-story building, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.

Womens Day..

Originally Posted by bd popeye

News Headlines from across China - SINA English

China strives to evacuate nationals from Libya
2011-02-25 01:54:29 GMT2011-02-25 09:54:29(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

Rather sad situation there. At least PRC was able to get its citizens out of the chaos.

So far, I haven't read any detailed reports about the amount of PRC's investments lost in Libya. Whilst PRC is not the only foreign investor in Libya, it seems to be 1 of the largest. Haven't read any reports about the impact on PRC's oil imports either due to the chaos in Libya and other North African & Middle East oil exporters.

In other news, Microblogs raise social awareness in PRC:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...115526/1/.html

Microblogs raise social awareness in China
By Channel NewsAsia's Beijing correspondent Maria Siow | Posted: 10 March 2011 1207 hrs

BEIJING: Microblogging is making its presence felt in China, even though authorities have blocked popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Apart from serving as a networking vehicle, microblogging has also help raised social awareness and much more.

One of these microbloggers is 24-year-old Sun Yijing, a self-confessed mircoblogging addict. She spends several hours a day updating her status, and swopping stories with friends and followers.

"I'm interested in music and I also follow the microblogs of music lovers and critics. I've gained lots of music-related information," said Miss Sun.

Like users on Facebook and Twitter, microbloggers can share photos and videos, record voicemail, follow famous personalities and leave comments.

In the past year, the number of microbloggers has exploded to some 100 million.

To be a microblogger in China, all one needs is an email address, a password, and a username or pseudonym, and they are all set. However during this year's National People's Congress, one delegate was so worried that microblogging can be used to spread rumors that she has suggested that real names be used before one can sign up as a microblogger.

Recently, microblogs were used to save children from trafficking and abuse. Microbloggers were urged to take photos of children begging on the streets, post them online, so as to help parents search for missing children.

Another microblogger, Pan Yunbo, said: "Microblogs have also helped raised funds for children suffering from dreaded illnesses as some of these posts for help get re-posted. This allows more people to know and help, including hospitals, and this is really a good thing."

There are about 457 million internet users in China, and the government has recently identified microblogging as powerful drivers of public opinion. That is why in recent months, many government departments and police at the local level set up microblogs to interact with and obtain feedback from the public.

Zhang Zuoli, a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Delegate, said: "In the reconstruction of shanty dwellings, some local departments have turned to microblogging and other internet options to obtain opinion. Only when 80 or 90 per cent approval is given would the construction be carried out."

The highest ranking official to launch a personal microblog is Xinjiang party chief Zhang Chunxian.

Even though some have described the official moves as yet another online public relations stunt, others said that keeping such channels open is not a bad thing.

Like other forms of internet sites, microblogging is also subjected to control. In recent weeks, certain sensitive terms relating to the Middle East situation, and the Jasmine rallies, were blocked by the authorities.

This seems to be a clear sign that Beijing wants to strike a balance between tapping on the benefits, and avoiding the pitfalls, of new technology.

-CNA/ac

For the 1st time in PRC's history, their internal security budget exceeds the defence budget:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7222RA20110305

China internal security spending jumps past army budget
By Chris Buckley

BEIJING | Sat Mar 5, 2011 5:47am EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's spending on police and domestic surveillance will hit new heights this year, with "public security" outlays unveiled on Saturday outstripping the defense budget for the first time as Beijing cracks down on protest calls.

China's ruling Communist Party also issued its loudest warning yet against recent Internet-spread calls for "Jasmine Revolution" protest gatherings inspired by popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East.

The 13.8 percent jump in China's planned budget for police, state security, armed civil militia, courts and jails was unveiled at the start of the annual parliamentary session, and brought planned spending on law and order items to 624.4 billion yuan ($95.0 billion).

By contrast, China's People's Liberation Army budget is set to rise 12.7 percent to 601.1 billion yuan ($91.5 billion).

"This would be the first time that the openly announced domestic security budget has surpassed military spending," said Xie Yue, a political scientist at Tongji University in Shanghai. He called the figure a gauge of China's spending on what officials call "stability protection."

"This shows the rising costs of maintaining internal control," said Xie, who studies China's domestic security policies and spending. "This system is very sensitive to any instability or contention."

THE BLESSINGS OF STABILITY

The Beijing Daily, a Party mouthpiece, signaled that China would not relax its crackdown against Internet-spread calls for pro-democracy protests inspired by Middle Eastern uprisings.

"Everyone knows that stability is a blessing and chaos is a calamity," said the newspaper, which is the mouthpiece of the Communist Party administration for China's capital.

The bulk of China's spending growth on internal security and law and order comes from provincial and local government outlays, tables in the Chinese-language version of the Finance Ministry report showed. The central government's "public security" budget for 2011 is 161.7 billion yuan, a rise of 9.6 percent in that figure from 2010.

The budget figures and protest warning show how jumpy China's leaders are about potential unrest, despite robust economic growth and powerful security forces. The forces were on show in Beijing on Saturday, with police and troops stationed at nearly every major street corner.

Last year, central and local agencies spent 548.6 billion yuan on public security, more than the 514.0 billion yuan the government initially budgeted. As a result, actual spending on internal order last year was slightly higher than spending on national defense, which hit 532.1 billion yuan.

Chinese scholars have said spending on enforcing domestic security is diverting money from welfare spending and other initiatives that could ease causes of social unrest.

"When a goal as vast and vague as 'stability maintenance' becomes an obvious leadership priority, and there is money about, people will come rushing out of the woodwork arguing that the thing they want to do is critical to stability maintenance," said Murray Scot Tanner, a researcher who studies China's domestic security policies for CNA, a private research group in the United States.

Many foreign experts believe China's real military budget is much bigger. Xie, the Shanghai professor, said spending on "stability maintenance" was also far higher than official data.

China's most immediate security fear is the online move for "Jasmine Revolution" protest gatherings inspired by the political flux across the Middle East and North Africa, but protest calls in China have little chance of taking off.

Police have rounded up dozens of dissidents. Internet censorship also means that few Chinese residents are aware of the calls for protests spread by an overseas Chinese website.

"Those people intent on concocting and finding Middle East-style news in China will find their plans come to nothing," said the Beijing Daily commentary.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley, Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Magnowski)

Wonder what all that money is spent on given that the internal security budget isn't used to buy big budget items such as fighters, MBTs, warships and ballistic missiles?

Internal security refers to fighting crime as well as suppressing protests. Fighting crime is a virtue so why does the article have such a cynical tone? I bet a lot of countries spend more on their police forces than militaries. China's military spending is still less than 3 percent of its GDP, far lower than the United States' 4-5 percent.

Here's a Chinese article about increasing law enforcement efforts.

China to put more emphasis on law enforcement - China News - SINA English

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China will stress law enforcement even more after the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics has been established in the country, legislator Li Fei said Thursday.

"First of all, we will continue to publicize the knowledged of laws in the whole society and tell the public to protect their legitimate rights by using legal weapons," Li told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

Li serves as vice director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, and a member of the NPC Law Committee.

He said government officials and civil servants are the most important group of people who demonstrate law enforcement.

"We have set up various oversight mechanisms to supervise their work, such as the oversight system by the people's congresses," he said.

In addition, China has other oversight mechanisms, including the disciplinary inspection within the Communist Party of China, supervision from the public and the media, he said.

"All those are practised to ensure that civil servants at various levels strictly enforce laws," he added.

China's legislative goal of forming a socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics by 2010 was set forth at the Fifteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1997.X Top legislator Wu Bangguo announced Thursday that the goal had been fulfilled "on schedule," hailing it as a "major milestone" in the history of the development of the country's socialist democratic legal system.

"The formation of a socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics has generally solved the problem of having laws for people to follow," Wu said while delivering a work report of the 11the NPC Standing Committee.

He said the problem of ensuring that laws are observed and strictly enforced and that lawbreakers are prosecuted has become more pronounced and pressing.

Originally Posted by Geographer

Internal security refers to fighting crime as well as suppressing protests. Fighting crime is a virtue so why does the article have such a cynical tone? I bet a lot of countries spend more on their police forces than militaries. China's military spending is still less than 3 percent of its GDP, far lower than the United States' 4-5 percent.

Its a Reuters article, which probably explains its cynical tone.

As for military vs police spending, I doubt most countries spend more on their police than their militaries simply because police hardware is considerably cheaper than military hardware. Police don't operate super-sonic fighter jets, main battle tanks, advanced warships (including submarines for some navies) and in the case of the PLA, ballistic missiles.

Furthermore, the PLA is the largest standing military in the world. With an estimated 2.3 million military personnel. I don't suppose there are 10 times that number of internal security personnel in the PRC (i.e., 23 million) to account for the cost of internal security?

Chinese President Hu Jintao takes off his glasses during the opening session of National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2011. Premier Wen Jiabao on March 5 acknowledged 'great resentment' in China over growing income disparity, corruption and other problems, and vowed his government would work harder to meet public demands.

Chinese policemen ride segway's as they patrol Tiananmen Square outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Friday, March 11, 2011. Chinese justice officials are vowing to crush all threats to state security, social stability and the country's economy.

A military officer gets out from a bus as delegates arrive for a plenary session of the National People's Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Friday, March 11, 2011. Chinese justice officials are vowing to crush all threats to state security, social stability and the country's economy.

Chinese hostesses pose with an ethnic minority delegate prior to a session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11, 2011. China said that inflation remained stubbornly high at 4.9 percent in February, but authorities fearful of social unrest insisted they can deliver on a pledge to keep prices in check this year.

An accident site at Majiang County section of Shanghai-Kunming Freeway on March 10, 2011 in Majiang County, Guizhou Province of China. The truck fire started at the wheel and burned down 180 motorcycles on the truck, resulting in more than 1,000,000 RMB (152,000 USD) economic losses.

Quan Li, founder of "Save China's Tigers", plays with "Miss X tiger" in the Lory Park Zoo, South Africa, March 7, 2011. Now the little female tiger, born on Jan. 31, 2011, is soliciting name in China. (Xinhua/Li Qihua)

Customers shop on Thursday at a Mannings store in Hong Kong, where five shoppers were involved in a physical altercation over baby formula powder. [Photo/China Daily]

Hong Kong/Beijing - Five people involved in a physical altercation over baby formula powder in Hong Kong on Wednesday were convicted of fighting in a public place by a local court on Thursday.

The two women and three men had been arrested before their conviction by the Eastern Magistrate.

The clash started at a chain store in Wan Chai, where people rushed to buy imported baby formula when the store opened in the morning.

Visitors take part in a parade in Hong Kong Disneyland in Hong Kong, south China, March 10, 2011. Hong Kong Disneyland launched a new Magic Access membership on Thursday, with the price ranging from 370 to 2,400 Hong Kong dollars, up 30 to 40 percent compared to the previous membership plan. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaowei)

As for military vs police spending, I doubt most countries spend more on their police than their militaries simply because police hardware is considerably cheaper than military hardware. Police don't operate super-sonic fighter jets, main battle tanks, advanced warships (including submarines for some navies) and in the case of the PLA, ballistic missiles.

Furthermore, the PLA is the largest standing military in the world. With an estimated 2.3 million military personnel. I don't suppose there are 10 times that number of internal security personnel in the PRC (i.e., 23 million) to account for the cost of internal security?

You might be surprised how big and expensive police forces are in the United States. They are the lion's share of city budgets, then you have to add in county PDs, state PDs, the FBI, ATF, Secret Service. Since the article includes prisons and judicial systems, you have to include all the county jails, state prisons, federal prisons, and judicial system with staff.

If you look at the City of Chicago's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2009 (CAFRs are available to the public online for nearly every medium and large city in the United States), we see that public safety expenditures are $1.8 billion, 62 percent of the entire Chicago budget. Public safety includes fire, not sure about EMS, but they are peanuts compared to the police. This is typical for city that does not have their own school district. New York City includes a school district so public safety will take up a smaller chunk of their budget.

My point is that it is not surprising that China would spend more on their police force than military. I could just as easily spin it by saying this means China is more peaceful, that their military spending is less than their police spending.

Horrible bus crash in the Bronx NYC this morning.. killing thirteen residents of Chinatown NYC returning from a casino tour in Connecticut. My condolences to the families that lost loved ones.

More than a dozen people were killed in a horrific crash early Saturday when a discount bus flipped on a Bronx highway and careened into a metal traffic pole, officials said.

The top of the World Wide bus, which was returning to the city from the Mohegan Sun casino, was sheared off when it hit the sign alongside the New England Thruway just after 5:35 a.m.

Officials said 13 people died and another 20 were hospitalized after the sickening impact - which may have been caused by a hit-and-run driver.

Read more: Bronx tour bus crash kills at least 13 people after bus slams into pole and is split open


"The bus was cut into two parts by the \[pole\]," said a survivor, Victor.

"I saw a lot of death," said Victor, as he sat dazed in the emergency room at Jacobi Medical Center. "People were crying. People were screaming."

Investigators said the bus was traveling south on I-95 and near the city line at the time of the catastrophic crash.

Cops were searching for a tractor-trailer believed to have made contact with the bus in the moments before the deadly crash.

The bus appeared to careen out of control, slam into a guardrail and then overturn on the highway near Exit 14, the ramp for the Hutchinson River Pkwy.

It skid on its side for about 250 yards and crashed directly into the massive traffic sign - and the steel pole tore through the bus' front windows.

Read more: Bronx tour bus crash kills at least 13 people after bus slams into pole and is split open


Chung Ninh woke up to a nightmare.

The 59-year-old was napping aboard a city-bound World Wide Bus after a night at casino when the vehicle suddenly careened out of control early Saturday. Ninh opened his eyes to the sights of gushing blood, flying glass - and far worse

Read more: Survivors of Bronx bus crash that killed at least 13 recount horrific scene at moment of impact

"A man was screaming who had two arms cut off," the Chinatown resident recounted just hours after the wreck that killed 13 people and injured another 20.

"I helped some people," said Ninh, whose hand was cut by one of the shattered bus windows. "A lot of people dead. A lot of blood all over the people."

The bus roof was sliced off when the skidding vehicle fell on its side and slammed into a metal highway sign on I-95 in the Bronx.

Read more: Survivors of Bronx bus crash that killed at least 13 recount horrific scene at moment of impact


It was headed to Chinatown at 5:45 a.m. with passengers returning from the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn.

Fellow survivor Jose Hernandez said only eight of the bus passengers escaped the carnage unscathed.

"The rest were dead or screaming for help," said Hernandez, 49. "We tried to help people, but there was a lot of twisted metals in the way."
Hernandez recalled seeing horrific sights, like one woman with a missing arm.

Ninh, who escaped through an emergency exit in the rear of the bus, said the horrific crash occurred in the blink of en eye.

"I was a half-second - very fast, and the bus stopped," he said. "Everything was all black at first. I couldn't see anything."

mlysiak@nydailynews.com

Read more: Survivors of Bronx bus crash that killed at least 13 recount horrific scene at moment of impact

Originally Posted by Geographer

You might be surprised how big and expensive police forces are in the United States. They are the lion's share of city budgets, then you have to add in county PDs, state PDs, the FBI, ATF, Secret Service. Since the article includes prisons and judicial systems, you have to include all the county jails, state prisons, federal prisons, and judicial system with staff.

If you look at the City of Chicago's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2009 (CAFRs are available to the public online for nearly every medium and large city in the United States), we see that public safety expenditures are $1.8 billion, 62 percent of the entire Chicago budget. Public safety includes fire, not sure about EMS, but they are peanuts compared to the police. This is typical for city that does not have their own school district. New York City includes a school district so public safety will take up a smaller chunk of their budget.

US$1.8 billion sounds like a lot. But in Purchasing Power Parity terms for American labour costs, that's hardly surprising for a large city such as Chicago. In comparison, the labour costs of a PRC policeman is perhaps 15% that of his American counterpart (depending on which city in PRC).

As for police forces costing most of an American city's budget, that's because the city don't pay for military cost. This is different in PRC where the internal security and military cost all come under the state.

Furthermore, the US military budget is ~US$600+ billion (more than the cost of 300 Chicago PD). I don't think all the cost of police, fire safety, judiciary, etc in US cost that amount.

Originally Posted by Geographer

My point is that it is not surprising that China would spend more on their police force than military. I could just as easily spin it by saying this means China is more peaceful, that their military spending is less than their police spending.

The PRC leadership themselves acknowledged that this is the first time that they are spending more on internal security than military.

And if it is down to spin, any writer can just as well as that internal security is deteriorating in PRC that has caused the massive rise of the internal security budget in recent years. The spike in 2008 was attributed to Beijing Olympics. The spike in 2009 was attributed to sensitive anniversaries (20th anniversary of Tiananmen, anniversary of Tibet incident, etc). So what is the spike in 2010 attributed to? (The attribution in the various years is well documented.)

Emergency personnel investigate the scene of a bus crash on Interstate-95 in the Bronx borough of New York Saturday, March 12, 2011. At least thirteen people died when the bus, returning to New York from a casino in Connecticut, flipped onto its side and was sliced in half by the support pole for a large sign.

A Chinese woman poses in a store in the quarter of Derb Omar in Casablanca on March 10, 2011. Derb Omar has become the Chinese business quarter.

Taiwan opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen greets supporters at a press conference in Taipei on March 11, 2011. Tsai, chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, announced her bid to run in the 2012 presidential election.

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou gives the keynote speech at the American Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, marking its 60 years in Taiwan, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, in Taipei, Taiwan. During the speech, Ma continued to express the island's hopes of military procurement from the U.S. , where advanced F-16 C/D fighter jets sit at the top of their list.

Passengers wait on the platform after trains lay off in reaction to a tsunami alarm in Keelung of Taiwan, southeast China, March 11, 2011. Following a strong earthquake in Japan Friday, Taiwan had earlier issued a tsunami alarm, but later sounded the all clear after foreseeing no disasters despite several small tsunamis in the afternoon. (Xinhua)

A newlywed couple plants a tree together in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei province, March 12, 2011. A total of 20 couples joined the tree-planting event to mark China's 33rd Arbor Day. [Photo/Xinhua]

What does the New York bus crash have to do with China? Were the passengers predominately Chinese?

Originally Posted by Geographer

What does the New York bus crash have to do with China? Were the passengers predominately Chinese?

I heard it happened near Chinatown area, so majority of the passengers aboard were ethnic Chinese.