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Chinese Students Abroad: 1.21 million in 30 Years

According to Ministry of Education, in 1978 there were 860 Chinese students who departed China for education abroad. 30 years later, a total of 1,211,700 Chinese students went overseas for higher education, 319,700 of which have returned to China. 657,200 are currently in various bachelor, master or PhD programs abroad. 

In 2007 alone, 144,000 left China for education abroad.  8,853 of them were sponsored by the State.

Source: Xinhua, April 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2008-04/30/content_8078255.htm

EV 71 Outbreak in Anhui; 20 deaths and 1,884 Infected

As of April 29, 2008, Fuyang City in Anhui reported 1,884 cases of infections of Enterovirus 71, with 20 deaths, according to China Center of Disease Control. No new deaths reported in the past 5 days. Early March, People’s Hospital of Fuyang City admitted 5 infants with similar symptoms. Bewteen March 27 and 29, all 5 died.  Panics among parents ensued.  On April 15, local authorities issued a statement that several infants died of respiratory diseases and that none of these cases were related to each other. On April 23, EV71 was determined as the cause of deaths.

Source:
Xinhua, April 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/30/content_8080131.htm
Xinhua, April 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/30/content_8077180.htm
Nanfang Daily, April 30, 2008
http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/southnews/jwxy/200804300055.asp

Consumer Price Index at 11-Year High

National Bureau of Statistics issued its forecast alerts for the past 12 months on April 30, 2008. Consumer price index (CPI) has been yellow for the seventh consecutive month. CPI was 6.2% in September 2007 and hit 8.3% in March 2008. Consumer price index is now at 11-year high. Fiscal Income has been red for the 11th consecutive month.

Source:
National Bureau of Statistics of China, April 30, 2008
http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/jdsj/hgjjjqzs/t20080429_402477229.htm
Xinhua, April 30, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/30/content_8082313.htm

Serious Inflation Threat is a Reality

Fast rising food prices and continued expansion of capital investment and consumer spending are a real threat for serious inflation across-the-board in China’s economy, according to this article published in Outlook Weekly, a subsidiary of Xinhua News. In the first two months of 2008, the prices of meat related products have risen 43.3%, with 70.3% on pork meat alone, on top of the already high 31.6% and 53.9% increases in year 2007. Other products such as vegetable oils and oil-bearing crops have also seen 40-50% price increases over the same two month period. The grain price, in the mean time, has only risen 5.9% during the same period but is expected to catch up soon as pressure is mounting from the double digits monthly rise in the prices of agricultural materials since December 2007. Capital investment that has been growing at a fast pace of a 25% annual increase for the past five years, coupled with the recent rapid increase in consumer retail spending, 18% and 20.6% for two recent quarters respectively, means that all-out inflation has become a serious reality.

Source: Outlook Weekly, April 29, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2008-04/29/content_8068646.htm

China UniCom to Promote Firewall Service for Cellular Messaging

China UniCom announced today that it would introduce a “Firewall” service for its Cellular Messaging users throughout China to combat the problem of “junk” messages. Through technological innovation, this automatic service allows incoming messages to be filtered based on pre-selected key words, according to one senior engineer of the state-owned company. The company also announced a platform for users to report “unhealthy” messages that can be analyzed and reported to the authorities automatically. According to China’s Internet Association for Anti-Junk Mails Working Committee, cellular phone users in China have received a total of 353.9 billions junk messages in 2007, a 92.7% increase from 2006.

Source: Xinhua, April 29, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/29/content_8075377.htm

Chinese Students Facing Charges and Deportation û Scuffles in the Olympics Torch Relay

Five Chinese students in Australia are facing charges and potential deportation due to scuffles at the April 24 Olympic Torch Relay event, according to Australian Chinese Website, Snowpear on April 29, 2008. Chinese students are hoping the matter would be resolved via diplomatic channels. Apparently the Chinese embassy and consulates in Australia have been unwilling to get involved stating they had nothing to do with the incident.

Source:
Snowpear.com, April 29, 2008
http://www.snowpear.com/viewnews-12014.html
Renminbao, April 28, 2008
http://renminbao.com/rmb/articles/2008/4/28/47553b.html

Chinese Foreign Minister Publicly Associates Taiwanese Independence groups with Tibetan protests

In a meeting with journalists on April 17 during a visit to Japan, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stated, “I emphasize that the Tibetan issue is China’s internal affair. The Chinese government has already made great efforts (in resolving the Tibet issue), communicated with the world about the situation of Tibet, and organized foreign diplomatic officials and journalist to visit Tibet. It has already confirmed through investigation that the serious criminal riot in Tibetan area is produced at the Dalai faction’s organized instigation and by the collusion of Taiwanese independence group with Tibetan Secessionists.”

Source: Boxun, April 29, 2008
http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/04/200804290219.shtml

What Tibetan Issue Is and Is Not? Headlines from Xinhua news

April 29: The “Tibetan Issue” Is Not a Religious Issue [1]
April 28: The So-Called “Tibetan Issue” Is the Product of Imperialists’ Invasion of China [2]
April 26: The “Tibetan Issue” Is Not a Ethnic Issue [3]

Source: Xinhua, April, 2008
[1] http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-04/29/content_8071115.htm
[2] http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/28/content_8067628.htm
[3] http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-04/26/content_8055913.htm