Japan found Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane in frozen string beans imported from China Yantain Beihai Food Corporation. A woman in Tokyo was hospitalized after eating the string beans. Testing of unopened string bean packages of the same brand showed elements of DDT.
Source: BBC, October 15, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_7670000/newsid_7672400/7672456.stm
Confucius Institutes are instrumental in bringing China and Africa closer, reported Xinhua. There are 21 Confucius Institute in 13 African countries. 10 of them have started operation with 2,000 students, the remaining in preparation stage. The State headquarters of Confucius Institutes in Beijing have provided significant support to these Confucius Institutes in terms of Chinese teachers, financial support of over $3 million, donations of over 30,000 textbooks and multimedia items.
There are 271 Confucius Institutes throughout the world in 77 countries and regions.
Source; Xinhua, October 7, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/07/content_10159634.htm
Chinese companies have invested in over 140 projects and created 11,000 jobs, quoted Xinhua from Zambia Times. Investment tends to concentrate on agriculture, machinery processing, mining and tourism, totaling over $80 million.
Source: Xinhua, October 6, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-10/06/content_10156158.htm
On September 24, Germany’s government-funded international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) revoked Zhang Danhong’s official title as the deputy chief of its Chinese division after her public defense for Beijing’s human rights policy and Internet censorship.
Four days before the Beijing Olympics, Zhang hailed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) practice of article three of Universal Declaration of Human Rights unmatched by any other political force. She also likened Beijing’s blocking of Falun Gong and Tibetan movement websites to Germany’s restriction on child pornography or right-wing extremist sites. She has since been taken off the air by DW.
On September 16, eight Chinese-German scholars wrote to the Parliament of Germany for an investigation of Beijing’s infiltration into DW. Days later, Autorenkreis der Bundesrepublik, a well-known writers association, sent a joint letter of 58 writers, including 2002 Nobel Laureate in Literature Imre Kertesz, criticizing the “serious structure problems” within the broadcaster and calling for a thorough checkup of possible CCP members in its Chinese operation.
DW, a.k.a. “German Waves,” is similar to international broadcasters such as the BBC World Service, Radio Canada International, Voice of America, and Radio France Internationale. Zhang remains in DW as an editor and resumes as an anchor of a radio program.
Source: The Epoch Times, September 26, 2008
http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/9/26/n2275894.htm
On Tuesday October 7, a group of officials and educators from China and African countries were in Beijing to attend the Conference on African Confucius Institutes Development. Zhou Ji, the Education Minister, told the conference that, "We have given full support to the African side in establishing the institutes and improving teaching."
The Chinese government had allocated more than 3 million U.S. dollars to help establish institutes in Africa. They employed more than 20 language teachers and had about 30,000 textbooks, publications, audio and video programs. Ten of the 21 planned Confucius Institutes in 13 African countries have already opened. They are jointly run by African and Chinese colleges with support from the Chinese government.
China began to set up Confucius Institutes abroad in 2004. To date, 271 Confucius Institutes have been founded in 77 countries and regions.
Source: Xinhua, October 7, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-10/07/content_10159634.htm
Xinhua quoted a report by Zambia Time on October 6 claiming that Chinese companies has invested in more than 140 programs in Zambia and created 11,000 jobs for the local residents. China has become the biggest source of foreign investment for the country. China’s investment in Zambia covers a broad area, mostly on agriculture, machinery, mining, and tourism.
Source: Xinhua, October 6, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-10/06/content_10156158.htm
Xinhua again criticized the Dalai Lama for advocating “Tibetan Independence” and Congressman Wolf in a September 30 article at its official website. Xinhua stated that teaching Tibetans science classes in Chinese Mandarin enhances Tibet heritage, not as the Dalai Lama said, destroys the ancient, unique Tibetan language. Moreover, by advocating Tibetan Independence, the Dalai Lama mixes politics and region, and is in violation of the principle of separation of powers adopted in democratic countries, said Xinhua. Xinhua rebutted Congressman Wolf’s Congressional testimony which stated the building of Potala Palace Square destroyed Tibetan culture, citing his August 1997 trip to Tibet.
Source: Xinhua, September 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-09/30/content_10134219.htm
China will further develop its relations with Russia, India and Brazil as well as maintain good relations with Western countries, said Yang Jiechi, China’s Foreign Minister in a Communist Party journal, Qiu Shi addressing "unprecedented opportunities and challenges” after the Olympics. “China will continue the good momentum of development with the United States, Europe, Japan and other Western [countries] and properly handle conflicts and differences, and strive to enhance mutual trust and common interests. At the same time we should further enhance the strategic dialogue and cooperation with Russia, India, Brazil, and other emerging great powers to expand the new space of diplomacy for us as agreat power.”
Source: Qiu Shi, September 16, 2008
http://www.qsjournal.com.cn/qs/20080916/GB/qs%5E487%5E0%5E10.htm