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Welcome to the Cathay Cafe's "In the News" Link!In the spirit of just simply wanting to know, we present our "Editor's Choice" of article clippings currently making the headlines in China. We hope they provide you with a glimpse of living on the most fascinating patch of the planet: China.
Articles: Only Healthy, Married Foreigners Can Adopt from China Starbucks Should be Verboten in Forbidden City, say Netizens China Toughens Crackdown on Corruption Fortune: Year of Pig Not So Amicable Text Messages Melt Thief's Heart 700 Million People Can Speak Putonghua Public toilets face another revolution
Only Healthy, Married Foreigners Can Adopt from China(China Daily) People who are obese, single or on anti-depressants will soon have no chance of adopting a Chinese child, foreign adoption agencies are reporting. Starting May 1, China is imposing new restrictions on foreign adoptions. The move comes as China is inundated with adoption requests from North America and Europe. Only couples who have been married for two years or more will be considered, even though Beijing used to allow unmarried foreigners to adopt. The rules bar parents who take medication for psychiatric conditions, including depression and anxiety. The new rules are in place to ensure that only the most "qualified families" are adopting Chinese children, explains one agency. Starbucks Should be Verboten in Forbidden City, say Netizens(China Daily) An online campaign initiated by a television host to drive Starbucks out of the Forbidden City has won the backing of more than half a million netizens, who see the presence of the coffee chain in the heart of Beijing as an insult to Chinese culture. Ever since Starbucks set up the outlet in 2000, it has courted controversy; and the new debate was triggered by Rui Chenggang, anchorman on the English channel. He wrote in his popular blog that "it is not globalizing, but trampling Chinese culture" to have a Starbucks in the Forbidden City, a symbol of Chinese civilization. He added that more than 300 multinational CEOs he had interviewed including Microsoft boss Bill Gates were surprised at the commercialization of the landmark. Rui said he met the Starbucks CEO Jim Donald at a summit in Yale University, and suggested he relocate the outlet. However, Donald said the decision was made by his predecessor; and that the chain was invited by the Forbidden City to open an outlet. Rui said he plans to write another letter to Donald, telling him that the company's withdrawal would win more respect from, and more patronage of, Chinese. His blog attracted 530,000 hits and comments have flooded the Web. Many called the outlet a "disgrace" and the Palace Museum, the administrative organ of the Forbidden City, a "slave of money". But the museum's spokesman, Feng Cheng'en, said part of the shop's rent is used for conservation. "The outlet has not done any damage, and blends in well with the surroundings," he told China Daily yesterday. "We allowed it because we wanted to have more international standard service provided." There are several Chinese restaurants in the Forbidden City and a dozen stands selling instant coffee. The museum received 8.76 million visitors last year, including 1.6 million foreigners. The museum can have the eating and drinking facilities, said Zhou Lin, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "There is no Chinese law or international convention that says a World Heritage site should not have good restaurants or coffee shops." Chen Yu, a conservation expert at the National Museum of China, said: "The Forbidden City is a heritage of the world. It doesn't matter if the coffee shop is American, British or Ethiopian as long as it is harmless." Before Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken also suffered from a clash of cultures. The American fast food chain opened an outlet in the Beihai Park, a royal garden neighbouring the Forbidden City, in 1993, but had to move out in 2002 after the contract expired as a result of public objections. China Toughens Crackdown on Corruption(Xinhua) BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday pledged a more severe and systematic crackdown on corruption in a key-note speech delivered at a national anti-graft conference. Hu, who is also the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the call at the Seventh Plenary Session of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), a three-day meeting that started on Monday. Acknowledging the progress the commission had made in the past year, Hu said the Party still faced an "arduous fight against corruption". Hu told senior Party officials and the 110 CCDI members attending the session that they should continue to work on investigating "major and high-level corruption cases" and sternly punishing crooked officials. China's anti-graft fight last year led to the downfall of several senior officials, including former Shanghai party chief Chen Liangyu,former Beijing Vice Mayor Liu Zhihua, and former top statistician Qiu Xiaohua. Chen was China's highest ranking official to fall in a corruption scandal in a decade. Hu called on government officials and Party cadres at all levels to establish a comprehensive system to prevent and punish corrupt officials, and to blend anti-graft efforts into the country's economic, political, and cultural developments. Olympic Dribs and Drabs(China Daily) 'Ello, 'Ello, what's all this then? It appears simply maintaining law and order in Beijing is not enough for the city's police force, because soon they will have to be able to do it in English. According to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, by 2008 police officers must be able to speak simple English and high-level officers must speak it well. In addition, last June the city's "110" emergency call center initiated a two-year English training program to improve the language competence of the operators. Rooster BoostersWang Hong, a young man from Central China's Henan Province, painted 2,008 roosters, hens and chicks in different expressions on a 200-meter-long paper scroll to express his excitement about the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. He chose to draw the rooster, one of the 12 animals in the Chinese lunar calendar, because it has positive meanings in both China and Western countries. It took Wang three years to complete his work and he told reporters last Tuesday that he will soon present his painting to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. (Dahe Daily) Rogge's 2007 WishesPresident of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge has posted his New Year wish list on IOC's official website. Rogge said that his main hope for 2007 was to make further progress in clamping down on doping in sport. He also expressed his wish that the growing trend of child obesity in developing countries could be reversed as these children take up a more active lifestyle. Rogge expressed his optimism about the final preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. (Beijing Daily) Kissinger's BlessingIn a congratulatory letter on the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-based Civilization Magazine, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger spoke very highly about the preparations for the Beijing Olympics. Kissinger recalled the exciting moment when Beijing won the hosting rights of the 2008 Olympic Games on July 13, 2001, when he was one of the honorary, non-voting members of IOC. He also expressed his full confidence that Beijing will be a successful host of the event. (Beijing Daily) Bikes of BlessingA group of 20 students from the Amateur Cyclists Association of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics will set off on a cycling expedition to Hong Kong January 26. This is their special way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and the sixth anniversary of Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Olympics. The students are currently riding their bikes to places in Beijing such as Tian'anmen Square, Beijing's Silicon Valley - Zhongguancun, and Wangfujing Business Street, to collect passers-by's signatures and blessings for the coming Olympic Games. They will bring these blessings together with the Olympic spirit to Hong Kong. (The First) Fortune: Year of Pig Not So Amicable
HONG KONG - Sunday marks the start of the Chinese New Year and it's a lucky one for those starting out in life. But the rest of us are in for a rough ride. Expect epidemics, disasters and violence in much of the world. The Year of the Pig will not be very peaceful," said Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of trying to achieve health, harmony and prosperity by using specific dates, numbers, building design and the placement of objects. The pig is one of 12 animals (or mythical animals in the case of the dragon) on the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, which follows the lunar calendar. According to Chinese astrology, people born in pig years are polite, honest, hardworking and loyal. They are also lucky, which is why many Chinese like to have babies in a pig year. "Any children born in The Year of Pig will receive help from others throughout their lives," Lo said. Ronald Reagan was a pig. So are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Woody Allen and Elton John. Not to mention Hillary Rodham Clinton. But a word of caution to the presidential candidate. The pig finished last in the race that determined the zodiac's order, behind the dog. Other animals in the zodiac are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey and rooster. The zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle, and each year is associated with the five elements that Chinese mystics make up the universe: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Pig years can be turbulent because they are dominated by fire and water, conflicting elements that tend to cause havoc, Lo said. "Fire sitting on water is a symbol of conflict and skirmish," he said. "We'll also see more fire disasters and bombings." He noted that the Russian AK-47 rifle, a weapon of choice among insurgents around the world, was invented during a pig year. "So it will not be surprising to see more gunbattles, murder with guns and bombing attacks in 2007," he said. Malaysian feng shui master Lillian Too agreed. "I wish I could say that there won't be natural disasters, but I am afraid it could be as bad as last year," she said. "There could be epidemics," she said. "I am very worried about bird flu. Eat healthy foods and take care of your health." Few Chinese seemed to be worried about the warnings, though, as they prepared for their biggest bash of the year - Saturday's Lunar New Year's Eve - celebrated by one-fifth of the world's population. It's an occasion to have family feasts, buy new clothes and exchange red envelopes stuffed with gift money. Not everything about the future looks bleak. Most soothsayers said the world economy will continue to boom, though they advise people to be cautious about their investments. "Because of the water element in the Year of the Pig, the economy will continue to grow, which also paves the way for another round of interest rate hikes," said Peter So, a celebrity fortuneteller in Hong Kong. Text Messages Melt Thief's Heart
JINAN: A thief has returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he stole from a woman after receiving 21 emotional text messages from her, a local newspaper reported. Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China's Shandong Province, did not think her text-message campaign would move the thief to return her belongings. A young man riding a motorcycle had snatched her bag, which contained her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan ($628), as she was riding her bicycle home on Friday morning, according to Qilu Evening News. Pan said she initially considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her colleague's cell phone, but was disconnected. So she began sending text messages. "Hey, buddy. I'm Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you," wrote Pan in her first text message, which didn't get a response. "Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To err is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything," Pan wrote in another message. She gave up hope after sending 21 text messages without a reply and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan stumbled over a package that had been left in her courtyard it was her stolen bag. Nothing had been taken from it. "Dear Pan: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so tolerant even though I stole from you. I'll correct my ways and be an upright person," said a letter that had been left with the bag. Xinhua 700 Million People Can Speak PutonghuaSource: China Daily More than half of Chinese people can speak Putonghua (Mandarin), while nearly 70 percent of urbanites are fluent in the spoken form, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education. The survey, which canvassed 500,000 people, showed that 53.06 percent of them can effectively communicate verbally in Putonghua. The fluency rate in cities was 66 percent while in rural areas it was 45 percent. Although the Chinese share the same written form Chinese ideograms or characters, which have been in use for 3,000 years the pronunciation of identical characters differs from region to region. This means people who cannot communicate verbally can do so by writing Chinese characters which have the same literal meaning. Putonghua, which literally means "common talk", is taught in every school in the country and is China's standard lingua franca. Most Chinese can speak in the two forms. They can speak putonghua and the dialect of their home region. The survey also found that 56.76 percent of Chinese men can speak Putonghua, while 49.22 percent of women speak it. About 70 percent of people between the age of 15 and 29 speak Putonghua, while only 30.97 percent between the age of 60 and 69 can speak it. The survey was conducted in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. University student volunteers are also being encouraged to go to the countryside to help rural primary and middle school teachers improve their Putonghua. Experts Pore Anxiously over Beijing English Menus(Xinhua) English language experts say that, with the 2008 Olympics less than 500 days away, there is still a long way to go before standard English translations of the names of dishes and drinks sold in Beijing restaurants can be finalized. Garbled and misleading English signs in tourist spots have long confused English speakers in Beijing. Problems range from obscure abbreviations, word-for-word translations of Chinese characters into English, improper omissions and misspellings. But what confuses them even more are English menus in Beijing restaurants. Liu Yang, vice director of the Beijing foreign affairs office, told reporters Wednesday that his office has invited English language experts from the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore to join the English menu translation work team. "They are finding the work challenging," said Liu, adding that Beijing has already publicized standard English signs for museums, scenic spots and subways. Liu said that Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme has been using the internet to identify the most accurate English names for Chinese dishes, and is working on a list of more than 1,000 dish and drink names. Beijing claims to have 4.87 million residents who can speak English, accounting for 32 percent of the total population in the municipality. Statistics indicate that around 2.85 million foreign tourists came to Beijing last year and the number is expected to top three million this year. Fried Crap' Flushed Away In Beijing Clean-up
After an anti-spitting campaign and a toilet modernisation drive, the Olympic clean-up of Beijing is spreading to the city's badly translated English signs and menus, which is likely to mean fewer perplexed visitors but less fun for expatriates. A crackdown on poor English could mark the end for "pubic toilets", "racist parks" and entreaties for people to "show mercy to the slender grass". Orders to "Beware Safety" and "No Shit" face a similar fate, as does a notorious caution about wet floors: "The slippery are very crafty." These odd signs are under the spotlight as municipal officials dispatch linguists on to the streets to minimize the risk of confusion to foreigners and domestic embarrassment during the 2008 Games. "Some of the translations in China aren't clear or even polite," said Liu Yang, director-general of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages programme. "The government realized that if they weren't changed, the city would lose face." More than 6,500 signs have already been edited or replaced, and the focus is now turning to food. According to its website, Mr Liu's group had hoped to provide official names for "all dishes and drinks served in the city's restaurants" by the end of January, but it has yet to achieve this. Standardizing translations will drain some of the colour from the dining experience. In many restaurants, deciphering translated menus offering delights such as "Acid Food" and "Fried Crap" is half the fun. For the uninitiated, Pockmarked Grandma Chen's Tofu is a spicy pork dish, while "Regal Paw Conquering Everything Under Heaven" can inspire poetic musing as well as gastric palpitations. Grand Celebration Marks One-year Countdown To The 2008 Olympic GamesFrom: http://en.beijing2008.cn (The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games) (BEIJING, August 8) -- Tiananmen Square turned into a festival of jubilation Wednesday night as people from across China and from around the world gathered to celebrate the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...1! As the countdown clock in front of the Chinese National Museum struck the exact moment of the one-year countdown, fireworks lit the sky. Scenes from the simultaneous celebrations citywide and in the Olympic co-host cities were broadcast on a large projection screen. A number of senior officials joined in the celebration at Tiananmen Square, including Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the tenth NPC and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee; Liu Qi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee and President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG); Hua Jianmin, State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council; and Chen Zhili, State Councilor and BOCOG First Vice-President. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge presented Beijing 2008 Olympic Games invitation letters to various National Olympic Committees (NOCs). At around 8:10pm, as the "Olympic Anthem" played in the background, the Chinese national flag, the IOC flag, and the flag of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were brought in to join the flags of over 200 National Olympic Committees onstage. The presidents of the Greek, Canadian, British, Russian, and Chinese National Olympic Committees accepted the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games invitation letters from Mr. Rogge as representatives of NOCs. Speaking to the audience, Wu Bangguo said the Olympic Movement is dedicated to the pursuit of peace, friendship and progress and it holds "Citius, Altius, Fortius" as its motto. It plays an important and unique role in maintaining world peace, promoting friendship among people, and enhancing the development of world sport and culture. It is a century-old dream of the Chinese people to stage an Olympic Games. By hosting the Olympic Games, we intend to further promote the Olympic spirit, world peace and development; we intend to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and the people of the world for more extensive exchanges and cooperation; and we intend to encourage the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to work more vigorously for building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects. Wu noted that to stage a high-level Olympic Games with distinguishing features is the solemn commitment the Chinese Government and people made. We will strengthen cooperation with the IOC and give full support to the preparatory work to ensure a successful Beijing Olympic Games. We welcome athletes, coaches, officials, spectators and journalists to participate in, observe and report the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And we will provide quality services for them in accordance with Olympic standards, and create favorable conditions to facilitate their work, visit and participation in competitions. Wu expressed belief that with our close cooperation and concerted efforts, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will add splendor to the Olympic Movement! In his speech, Mr. Rogge said, "The world is watching China and Beijing with great expectation. The athletes also have great expectations and they are all looking forward to competing in the state-of-the-art Beijing venues." Rogge also stated that China would greet the world with an entirely new image. "Beijing and China will not only host a successful Games for the world's premier athletes, but will also provide an excellent opportunity to discover China, its history, its culture, and its people, with China opening itself to the world in new ways." Rogge believes that through cultural exchange and mutual respect and understanding, Beijing citizens, the Chinese people, and the people of the world will all be winners at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Liu Qi stated in a speech that the Olympic Games has pushed forward many facets of improvements in Beijing including economic and social development, environmental quality, quality of life, societal harmony, and public manners. He also said that this final year would be a critical phase in getting ready for the Games. "We will follow through on the guidance of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao and put all our efforts into being fully prepared in all areas," Liu said. The goal is to achieve a "high-level Olympic Games with distinguishing features." Liu Peng -- Minister of China's State General Administration of Sport, President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and Executive President of BOCOG -- also spoke at the celebration, saying that in the coming year "we will use the opportunity to disseminate Olympic knowledge and spread the Olympic spirit." He also emphasized fitness for the entire population of China in light of the Olympics, so that more people would be able to enjoy the benefits of health, enthusiasm, and happiness. Both Chinese and international artists and art groups gave brilliant performances during the celebration. Also, Chinese musicians performed the songs selected from the Beijing 2008 Olympic song competition, with a celebration finale performance of "Beijing United." More than 10,000 people attended the celebration at Tiananmen Square, hosted by Wang Qishan, the Mayor of Beijing and Executive President of BOCOG. Chinese Police To Clampdown On Tourism-related Crimes During Golden Week Holidayswww.chinaview.cn 2007-10-01 BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Public Security has called for the utmost efforts of Chinese police at all levels to crackdown on tourism-related crimes during the upcoming National Day holiday. The holiday period is one of the country's major tourism weeks, during which many people travel to tourist destinations across the country. In a notice released on Saturday, the ministry said that it will join hands with related departments to strengthen the supervision and patrol of tourist sites and tourism facilities in a bid to weed out "hidden dangers." Hard strikes will be given to activities including pornographic activities, gambling, drug taking, forced buying and selling, swindling and squeezing, and maltreatment of tourists at scenic spots, according to the notice. Violations of public security, including theft, explosions and unexpected accidents, must be guarded against, and extra efforts should be made to seize illegal guns and explosives, the notice added. The National Day which falls on October 1 each year was first officially prolonged to a week-long holiday in 1999. The National Day holidays have become a "golden week" for the economy with more people being encouraged to travel across the country. During the last National Day holidays, Beijing alone reported a total 4.32 million visitors. Public toilets face another revolution(China Daily)
Most hope only for a clean place with some water. But the country is taking changes to bathrooms across the nation a little further. A new standard for design and construction of city public toilets will soon be released. Zhang Yue, a senior official with the Ministry of Construction unveiled the plan during the 4th World Toilet Summit, which opened yesterday in Beijing. Not only will a new classification method be introduced, but more detailed and higher requirements will be created for public toilets. At the same time, China is seeking more hygienic and environmentally-friendly toilets. "We will focus on developing the technologies and products that save water and energy," Zhang said. Infrared sensors to control water flows in toilets and basins are also recommended. China still has to reduce the size of water tanks, said Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization. Another challenge is to improve the waste treatment capacity. Currently about 45 per cent of the waste from domestic public toilets cannot be disposed through underground waste water pipes. And the country does not have enough treatment plants, said Tao Hua, vice-president of the China Association of Urban Environmental Sanitation. Last year, more than 30 million tons of excrement and urine that could not be disposed through pipes was collected and transported in China. Only 25 million tons were finally disposed properly. "An important goal is to build more ecological toilets," said Liang Guangsheng, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission. In the last two years, Beijing has built nine waste treatment plants, bringing the number to 11. The latest one is in Haidian District, with a daily handling capacity of 800 tons. As the host for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing will pour more money into lavatory renovation and reform in the next three years. And each year it will renovate 400 public toilets. "The focus will be the 30 historic and cultural protection areas in the city's south and the hutong areas," Liang said. By 2008, the city is expected to have more than 3,700 high-quality public lavatories, said Liang. The country's lavatory reform is also extending to rural areas and special groups. Methane toilets, double-vat funnel type toilets and double-grid pattern toilets are being introduced in different rural areas. "We are exploring some lower-cost types of toilets that can be accepted by rural people and are environmentally friendly," said Tao.
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Few people in China expect that behind those doors marked "Ladies" or "Gentlemen" there will be a gleaming mirror, soft music and a pleasing fragrance.