Li Jinhua, the Auditor General of China’s National Audit Office, stated that in 2006 the central government had questionable losses in the amount of 12 billion yuan due to corruption and mismanagement.
Pork Safety Concerns Chinese Consumers
Chinese consumers are worried about the unhealthy ingredients added to their daily food. This worry is reflected in a recent Internet BBS posting about unethical pig feeding and the heated discussion it caused in Internet forums across China.
China Has a Shortage of Judges
According to Legal Weekly reprinted by the official Xinhua site on July 27, 2007, some provinces in China are experiencing a serious shortage of judges. "In many courts in cities and prefectures such as Huahua and Xianxi in Hunan Province, we are missing over one-third of the needed judges," reported the article.
Beijing Prisons Get Ready for the Olympics
As part of China’s celebration of the one-year countdown to the Olympics, the Beijing Prison Administration launched a two-week celebration campaign in all the prisons under its jurisdiction. Inmates are reportedly pledging good behavior to support the government for a flawless Olympics.
Beijing TV (BTV) Producer of the News Paper Stuffed Dumplings Detained for Fabricating News
On July 8, 2007, the special program “Transparency” on the BTV life channel (BTV-7) and “Beijing News” of BTV-1 reported about “Paper Stuffing Dumplings” at Beijing breakfast booths. On July 18, however, “Beijing News” of BTV-1 declared that the report was “fabricated.” The producer of the report has been detained. BTV expressed a deep apology to society. The “Transparency” program appears to have been shut down and the website cannot be accessed.
Olympic Athletes Who Fail Background Checks Can’t Enter China
Security will be tight for the Olympics. "Beijing’s Olympics Intelligence Center will conduct background checks and risk assessments on all athletes attending the Olympics in Beijing." "Once found questionable, the person will be denied a visa and barred from entering China. No explanations will be provided."
Hu Jintao Sees Many Challenges Ahead
On June 25, 2007, Hu Jintao, the Communist Party Secretary, the President of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission spoke at the Central Party School of the Communist Party in Beijing. Hu’s speech has not been made public, but People’s Daily issued a series of editorials on the speech. The most recent editorial, published on August 15, 2007, is titled, "Promoting Chinese Style Socialism amid Challenges." [1]
Nightmares for Young Girls in China: Increasing Cases of School Teachers Raping Students
In China, teaching has always been regarded as a highly respectable and honorable profession. However, in recent years, the number of teachers who rape and harass young students has increased, thus tarnishing that image. On Jan 1, 2005, the New York Times reported that an elementary school teacher, Li Guang, in Xinji, Gansu raped 26 students, the oldest being 14. In 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Education reported 10 cases in which teachers from multiple provinces raped young students. In June, 2007, a middle school teacher in Tongwei, Gansu was executed for raping 18 young female students. The increasing frequency of such cases reflects the shift in moral values from traditional Chinese culture to Chinese Communist Party culture.