Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
US seeks more info from China on its nuke deal with Pak
The US has sought more information from China on its agreement to supply two nuclear reactors to Pakistan, saying the deal would need an agreement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. "We as a first step are looking for more information from China as to what it is potentially proposing," State Department spokesman, Mr P.J. Crowley, told reporters at his daily press briefing. He was responding to a question on last week's meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in New Zealand, wherein China informed the group about its decision to supply two additional nuclear power plants to Pakistan. "We did raise the issue during last week's Nuclear Suppliers Group. We continue to seek information from China regarding its future plans," Crowley said. He said there was no unanimous consensus at the meeting of the NSG, which operates by consensus. "We have a view that this initiative as it goes forward would need the agreement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group," Mr Crowley said.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
China, U.S. sign eight green technology deals
China and the U.S. have signed eight green energy deals to enhance cooperation in the sector, which experts believe will open doors for imports of high-end technology so far blocked by Washington.
The eight deals include aviation bio fuel, distributed energy systems using natural gas as fuel, smart meters and cellulosic ethanol.
Neither side disclosed the financial details of the deals.
The agreements followed conclusion of high-level strategic and economic dialogue between the two countries attended by among others U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
As the world’s two largest energy consumers, China and the US will also join hands for renewable energy development, said Zhang Guobao, head of National Energy Administration (NEA), adding that China will keep an open mind to develop the renewable energy sector.
The two countries have big potential for collaboration in the area, said Zhang.
“The US has advanced technology, and China has a huge market.”
The US and China will “take every angle” to ensure their cooperation in energy and environment, said US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.
The deals could set examples for global collaboration in increasing energy efficiency and protecting environment, state run China Daily quoted analysts as saying.
Development of renewable energy is a must for China one world’s emitter of green house gases to increase the use of non-fossil energy to 15 per cent of primary energy consumption by 2020, and to reduce carbon intensity by 40 to 45 per cent in 2020 from the 2005 levels.
In the renewable energy sector, China will continue to focus on the development of hydro, wind, solar, and biomass energy, Zhang said.
A series of Chinese and U.S. companies are involved in the eight deals.
“With China’s growing energy needs, our relationship with the CECEP represents a great opportunity to promote sustainable energy development through the optimal use of renewable energy generation with solar power,” said Mark Pinto, executive vice-president and corporate technology officer at Applied Materials.
The deals could also open up doors for high technology to emerging economies like India as U.S. was keen to step up exports in the sector to increase its earnings from exports which in turn could also help create more jobs for Americans.
Analysts said Sino-US cooperation on green energy would set a good example for other countries.
The eight deals include aviation bio fuel, distributed energy systems using natural gas as fuel, smart meters and cellulosic ethanol.
Neither side disclosed the financial details of the deals.
The agreements followed conclusion of high-level strategic and economic dialogue between the two countries attended by among others U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
As the world’s two largest energy consumers, China and the US will also join hands for renewable energy development, said Zhang Guobao, head of National Energy Administration (NEA), adding that China will keep an open mind to develop the renewable energy sector.
The two countries have big potential for collaboration in the area, said Zhang.
“The US has advanced technology, and China has a huge market.”
The US and China will “take every angle” to ensure their cooperation in energy and environment, said US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.
The deals could set examples for global collaboration in increasing energy efficiency and protecting environment, state run China Daily quoted analysts as saying.
Development of renewable energy is a must for China one world’s emitter of green house gases to increase the use of non-fossil energy to 15 per cent of primary energy consumption by 2020, and to reduce carbon intensity by 40 to 45 per cent in 2020 from the 2005 levels.
In the renewable energy sector, China will continue to focus on the development of hydro, wind, solar, and biomass energy, Zhang said.
A series of Chinese and U.S. companies are involved in the eight deals.
“With China’s growing energy needs, our relationship with the CECEP represents a great opportunity to promote sustainable energy development through the optimal use of renewable energy generation with solar power,” said Mark Pinto, executive vice-president and corporate technology officer at Applied Materials.
The deals could also open up doors for high technology to emerging economies like India as U.S. was keen to step up exports in the sector to increase its earnings from exports which in turn could also help create more jobs for Americans.
Analysts said Sino-US cooperation on green energy would set a good example for other countries.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
23 killed, 161 injured as tornado strikes China
At least 23 people were killed and 161 injured today when a tornado struck China’s southwestern Chongqing Municipality, damaging houses and crops.
The tornado — followed by torrential rains, hail storms and high winds — hit Dianjiang and Liangping counties at around 2:00 am (2330 IST), state—run Xinhua news agency reported.
“At least 23 people died and 161 others were injured,” it said quoting local government officials.
Liangping county was hit by a tornado and hailstorm, leaving six people dead and another 34 injured. Seventeen people died and 127 people were injured in Dianjiang county, according to rough statistics.
The municipal government has begun to carry out an emergency plan and started relief work. Officials were working to tally the number of dead and injured, as well as the number of homes damaged.
The injured people were being rushed to nearby hospitals while tents were being set up for those whose homes were destroyed.
The tornado — followed by torrential rains, hail storms and high winds — hit Dianjiang and Liangping counties at around 2:00 am (2330 IST), state—run Xinhua news agency reported.
“At least 23 people died and 161 others were injured,” it said quoting local government officials.
Liangping county was hit by a tornado and hailstorm, leaving six people dead and another 34 injured. Seventeen people died and 127 people were injured in Dianjiang county, according to rough statistics.
The municipal government has begun to carry out an emergency plan and started relief work. Officials were working to tally the number of dead and injured, as well as the number of homes damaged.
The injured people were being rushed to nearby hospitals while tents were being set up for those whose homes were destroyed.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
China quake kills 589, buries more
Soldiers and civilians used shovels and their bare hands to dig through collapsed buildings in search of survivors after strong earthquakes struck a mountainous region of China on Wednesday, killing at least 589 people and injuring more than 10,000.
The series of quakes flattened buildings across remote western Yushu county and sent survivors, many bleeding from their wounds, flooding into the streets of Jiegu township. State television showed block after devastated block of toppled mud and wood homes. Local officials said 85 per cent of the structures had been destroyed.
Residents and troops garrisoned in the town used shovels and their hands to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble much of the day. Several schools collapsed, with the state news agency saying at least 56 students died. Worst hit was the Yushu Vocational School, where Xinhua cited a local education official as saying 22 students died.
Footage on Qinghai Satellite TV showed bodies wrapped in blankets lying on the ground while rescuers pulled shards of concrete from a pancaked school building.
Crews set up emergency generators to restore operations at Yushu’s airport, and by late afternoon the first of six flights landed carrying rescue workers and equipment. But the road to town was blocked by a landslide, hampering the rescue as temperatures dropped below freezing. Tens of thousands of the town’s 70,000 people were without shelter, state media said.
The airport in Xining, the nearest big city some 530 miles (860 kilometers) away, was filled in the predawn hours on Thursday with Chinese troops in camouflage, firefighters and rescue teams leading dozens of sniffer dogs. They were whisked onto waiting buses for the difficult drive to the quake zone, which takes 12 hours under the best of conditions.
Yang Xuesong, a rescuer from Shandong province in eastern China, said his biggest concern was the altitude. “This is the highlands. I don’t know if the search dogs can get used to it,” he said.
While China’s military is well-practiced in responding to disasters, the remote location posed logistical difficulties. The area sits at around 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) and is poor. Most people live in Jiegu, with the remaining, mostly herders, scattered across the broad valleys. The small airport has no refuelling supplies, so relief flights were carrying extra jet fuel, reducing their capacity for hauling supplies, state media reported.
“The situation here is difficult. Most of the buildings have collapsed. A lot of people are seriously injured,” said Pu Wu, a Director of the Jinba Project. “We are scared. We are all camping outside and waiting for more tents to come.”
The local quake relief headquarters put the death toll at 589 and the injured at 10,000 by early Thursday morning, according to the Xinhua news agency. Wu Yong, Commander of the Army garrison, said the deaths “may rise further as lots of houses collapsed.” Hospitals were overwhelmed, and rescue teams were slowed by damaged roads, strong winds and frequent aftershocks.
Luo Song, a monk from a monastery in Yushu county, said his sister who worked at an orphanage told him three children were sent to a hospital but the facilities lacked equipment.
“She said the hospitals are facing a lot of difficulty right now because there are no doctors, they have only bandages, they can’t give injections, they can’t put people on intravenous drips,” the monk said by phone while on a visit to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Workers released water from a nearby reservoir whose dam was cracked by the quake, according to the China Earthquake Administration.
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao urged “all-out efforts” to rescue survivors and dispatched a vice-premier to supervise the effort. The government immediately allocated $30 million (200 million yuan) for relief, and mobilized more than 5,000 soldiers, medical workers and other rescuers, joining 700 troops already on the ground.
With many people forced outside, the provincial government said it was rushing 5,000 tents and 100,000 coats and blankets to the region, where average daily temperatures were around 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius).
The initial quake, measured at magnitude-6.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey and 7.1 by the China Earthquake Networks Center, hit Yushu at 7:49 a.m. (7:49 p.m. EDT, 2349 GMT). It was followed by five more tremors within three hours, all but one registering 5.0 or higher.
Residents of Jiegu, known by Tibetans as Gyegu, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the epicenter, fled dazed and sobbing as the ground shook, toppling houses, as well as temples, gas stations, electric poles and the top of a Buddhist pagoda in a park, witnesses and state media said.
“Nearly all the houses made of mud and wood collapsed. There was so much dust in the air, we couldn’t see anything,” said Ren Yu, general manager of Yushu Hotel in Jiegu. “There was a lot of panic. People were crying on the streets. Some of our staff, who were reunited with their parents, were also in tears.”
The series of quakes flattened buildings across remote western Yushu county and sent survivors, many bleeding from their wounds, flooding into the streets of Jiegu township. State television showed block after devastated block of toppled mud and wood homes. Local officials said 85 per cent of the structures had been destroyed.
Residents and troops garrisoned in the town used shovels and their hands to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble much of the day. Several schools collapsed, with the state news agency saying at least 56 students died. Worst hit was the Yushu Vocational School, where Xinhua cited a local education official as saying 22 students died.
Footage on Qinghai Satellite TV showed bodies wrapped in blankets lying on the ground while rescuers pulled shards of concrete from a pancaked school building.
Crews set up emergency generators to restore operations at Yushu’s airport, and by late afternoon the first of six flights landed carrying rescue workers and equipment. But the road to town was blocked by a landslide, hampering the rescue as temperatures dropped below freezing. Tens of thousands of the town’s 70,000 people were without shelter, state media said.
The airport in Xining, the nearest big city some 530 miles (860 kilometers) away, was filled in the predawn hours on Thursday with Chinese troops in camouflage, firefighters and rescue teams leading dozens of sniffer dogs. They were whisked onto waiting buses for the difficult drive to the quake zone, which takes 12 hours under the best of conditions.
Yang Xuesong, a rescuer from Shandong province in eastern China, said his biggest concern was the altitude. “This is the highlands. I don’t know if the search dogs can get used to it,” he said.
While China’s military is well-practiced in responding to disasters, the remote location posed logistical difficulties. The area sits at around 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) and is poor. Most people live in Jiegu, with the remaining, mostly herders, scattered across the broad valleys. The small airport has no refuelling supplies, so relief flights were carrying extra jet fuel, reducing their capacity for hauling supplies, state media reported.
“The situation here is difficult. Most of the buildings have collapsed. A lot of people are seriously injured,” said Pu Wu, a Director of the Jinba Project. “We are scared. We are all camping outside and waiting for more tents to come.”
The local quake relief headquarters put the death toll at 589 and the injured at 10,000 by early Thursday morning, according to the Xinhua news agency. Wu Yong, Commander of the Army garrison, said the deaths “may rise further as lots of houses collapsed.” Hospitals were overwhelmed, and rescue teams were slowed by damaged roads, strong winds and frequent aftershocks.
Luo Song, a monk from a monastery in Yushu county, said his sister who worked at an orphanage told him three children were sent to a hospital but the facilities lacked equipment.
“She said the hospitals are facing a lot of difficulty right now because there are no doctors, they have only bandages, they can’t give injections, they can’t put people on intravenous drips,” the monk said by phone while on a visit to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Workers released water from a nearby reservoir whose dam was cracked by the quake, according to the China Earthquake Administration.
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao urged “all-out efforts” to rescue survivors and dispatched a vice-premier to supervise the effort. The government immediately allocated $30 million (200 million yuan) for relief, and mobilized more than 5,000 soldiers, medical workers and other rescuers, joining 700 troops already on the ground.
With many people forced outside, the provincial government said it was rushing 5,000 tents and 100,000 coats and blankets to the region, where average daily temperatures were around 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius).
The initial quake, measured at magnitude-6.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey and 7.1 by the China Earthquake Networks Center, hit Yushu at 7:49 a.m. (7:49 p.m. EDT, 2349 GMT). It was followed by five more tremors within three hours, all but one registering 5.0 or higher.
Residents of Jiegu, known by Tibetans as Gyegu, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the epicenter, fled dazed and sobbing as the ground shook, toppling houses, as well as temples, gas stations, electric poles and the top of a Buddhist pagoda in a park, witnesses and state media said.
“Nearly all the houses made of mud and wood collapsed. There was so much dust in the air, we couldn’t see anything,” said Ren Yu, general manager of Yushu Hotel in Jiegu. “There was a lot of panic. People were crying on the streets. Some of our staff, who were reunited with their parents, were also in tears.”
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Google stops censorship in China
Google Inc closed its China-based search service and began redirecting Web searchers to an uncensored portal in Hong Kong, drawing harsh comments from Beijing that raised doubts about the company's future in the world's largest Internet market.
Google said it intends to continue research and development in China, as well as maintain a sales staff there, even after closing Google.cn and rerouting traffic to the unfiltered search site in Hong Kong.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over a range of issues, from Internet freedom to the yuan exchange rate, economic sanctions on Iran and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.
China reacted to Google's move by saying the Internet search giant was "totally wrong" and had "violated the written promise it made on entering the Chinese market," signaling a tough line over the dispute.
Analysts said it was possible Google's plans for other services in China, such as its Android smartphone software, could be endangered by this move, which moves the burden of censoring Google search results to Chinese authorities.
"We don't see this as reducing tension. We see this as increasing or ratcheting up tension between the two parties," said Colin Gillis, analyst at BGC Financial. "You sort of make China look like the bad guy and you think you're going to be selling Google phones? Good luck, we'll see how that goes."
Google had declared in January that it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits of freedom of expression during the past year.
"Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard," Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement," he said.
For the average mainland Chinese, the rerouting of search queries to google.com.hk is unlikely to make much difference unless they can get around government-imposed firewalls that block searches for sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama.
WHITE HOUSE DISAPPOINTED
The White House said it was disappointed that Google and the Chinese government were unable to reach an agreement that would allow the Internet company to continue operating its search services in China.
Mike Hammer, spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council, said the United States opposes censorship and is committed to Internet freedom, but stressed that the White House did not anticipate this issue would cloud relations between the two nations in other areas.
"The U.S.-China relationship is mature enough to sustain differences, and while we seek to expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest with China, we will candidly and frankly address areas of disagreement," he said.
China represents an important growth opportunity for Google, which has seen its growth slow in mature markets like the United States and Western Europe, even though it generates only a small portion of its nearly $24 billion annual revenue.
While Google is the world's top search engine, it held only an estimated 30 percent share of China's search market in 2009, compared to home-grown rival Baidu Inc's 60 percent. Google's decision on Monday, therefore, won't have an immediate impact on earnings, analysts say.
Shares of Google, which have fallen more than 6 percent since it announced plans to stop censoring search in China in January, closed Monday's trading session down $2.50 at $557.60. Shares of Baidu, which have soared more than 40 percent during the same timeframe, finished up $10.07 at $579.72.
SINCE 2006
Google has operated Google.cn in the mainland since 2006, and employs about 600 employees in China, with roughly half working as engineers.
The company acknowledged that the ultimate size of its sales team in China will partly depend on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access the Hong Kong site.
"Google is attempting to get around that self-censorship by operating search out of Hong Kong. But we've seen the Chinese government restrict access to other countries before and I don't necessarily see why that necessarily changes by going to Hong Kong," said Kaufman Brothers analyst Aaron Kessler.
China censors the Internet by requiring domestic operators to use filters to screen out banned images and words, and also operates a "firewall" to frustrate users trying to access overseas websites that are deemed unacceptable.
Reuters reporters in Beijing were automatically taken to google.com.hk from google.cn, and when they tried to search that site for sensitive words such as dissident "Liu Xiaobo" or "Dalai Lama," the search results are blocked.
Google said its decision to re-route traffic to an uncensored Hong Kong site in simplified Chinese that is specifically designed for users in mainland China is "entirely legal."
A former British colony, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and enjoys more freedom, including an uncensored Internet, than mainland China.
But Google acknowledged that the Chinese government could at any time block access to the services, which include Google search, news and images.
Google said it intends to continue research and development in China, as well as maintain a sales staff there, even after closing Google.cn and rerouting traffic to the unfiltered search site in Hong Kong.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over a range of issues, from Internet freedom to the yuan exchange rate, economic sanctions on Iran and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.
China reacted to Google's move by saying the Internet search giant was "totally wrong" and had "violated the written promise it made on entering the Chinese market," signaling a tough line over the dispute.
Analysts said it was possible Google's plans for other services in China, such as its Android smartphone software, could be endangered by this move, which moves the burden of censoring Google search results to Chinese authorities.
"We don't see this as reducing tension. We see this as increasing or ratcheting up tension between the two parties," said Colin Gillis, analyst at BGC Financial. "You sort of make China look like the bad guy and you think you're going to be selling Google phones? Good luck, we'll see how that goes."
Google had declared in January that it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits of freedom of expression during the past year.
"Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard," Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement," he said.
For the average mainland Chinese, the rerouting of search queries to google.com.hk is unlikely to make much difference unless they can get around government-imposed firewalls that block searches for sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama.
WHITE HOUSE DISAPPOINTED
The White House said it was disappointed that Google and the Chinese government were unable to reach an agreement that would allow the Internet company to continue operating its search services in China.
Mike Hammer, spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council, said the United States opposes censorship and is committed to Internet freedom, but stressed that the White House did not anticipate this issue would cloud relations between the two nations in other areas.
"The U.S.-China relationship is mature enough to sustain differences, and while we seek to expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest with China, we will candidly and frankly address areas of disagreement," he said.
China represents an important growth opportunity for Google, which has seen its growth slow in mature markets like the United States and Western Europe, even though it generates only a small portion of its nearly $24 billion annual revenue.
While Google is the world's top search engine, it held only an estimated 30 percent share of China's search market in 2009, compared to home-grown rival Baidu Inc's 60 percent. Google's decision on Monday, therefore, won't have an immediate impact on earnings, analysts say.
Shares of Google, which have fallen more than 6 percent since it announced plans to stop censoring search in China in January, closed Monday's trading session down $2.50 at $557.60. Shares of Baidu, which have soared more than 40 percent during the same timeframe, finished up $10.07 at $579.72.
SINCE 2006
Google has operated Google.cn in the mainland since 2006, and employs about 600 employees in China, with roughly half working as engineers.
The company acknowledged that the ultimate size of its sales team in China will partly depend on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access the Hong Kong site.
"Google is attempting to get around that self-censorship by operating search out of Hong Kong. But we've seen the Chinese government restrict access to other countries before and I don't necessarily see why that necessarily changes by going to Hong Kong," said Kaufman Brothers analyst Aaron Kessler.
China censors the Internet by requiring domestic operators to use filters to screen out banned images and words, and also operates a "firewall" to frustrate users trying to access overseas websites that are deemed unacceptable.
Reuters reporters in Beijing were automatically taken to google.com.hk from google.cn, and when they tried to search that site for sensitive words such as dissident "Liu Xiaobo" or "Dalai Lama," the search results are blocked.
Google said its decision to re-route traffic to an uncensored Hong Kong site in simplified Chinese that is specifically designed for users in mainland China is "entirely legal."
A former British colony, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and enjoys more freedom, including an uncensored Internet, than mainland China.
But Google acknowledged that the Chinese government could at any time block access to the services, which include Google search, news and images.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Google might close Chinese operations by April
U.S. internet giant Google Inc. might close its operations in China next month after a row over a hacking attack that apparently originated in China, a state media report said on Friday.
The Shanghai-based China Business News quoted an executive with an unidentified advertising agency linked to Google as saying the US firm had decided to “pull out” of China from April 10.
The newspaper also quoted an unnamed China-based Google employee as saying the company might announce its decision on Monday.
The report did not say if any withdrawal would involve only the closure of Google’s main Chinese website or include the ending of other operations in China.
Last week, the Chinese government warned Google that it would have to “bear the consequence” if it went ahead with a threat to stop censoring search results in China, which has strict government controls on the internet.
It was not clear if the two sides had held talks since Google announced plans in January to review its operations in China.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as saying last week that the company was in “active negotiations” with the Chinese government, but Chinese officials declined to confirm that any talks had taken place.
Google’s Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, announced in January that the company planned to stop self-censoring its Chinese search engine even if that meant abandoning China’s market.
The Shanghai-based China Business News quoted an executive with an unidentified advertising agency linked to Google as saying the US firm had decided to “pull out” of China from April 10.
The newspaper also quoted an unnamed China-based Google employee as saying the company might announce its decision on Monday.
The report did not say if any withdrawal would involve only the closure of Google’s main Chinese website or include the ending of other operations in China.
Last week, the Chinese government warned Google that it would have to “bear the consequence” if it went ahead with a threat to stop censoring search results in China, which has strict government controls on the internet.
It was not clear if the two sides had held talks since Google announced plans in January to review its operations in China.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as saying last week that the company was in “active negotiations” with the Chinese government, but Chinese officials declined to confirm that any talks had taken place.
Google’s Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, announced in January that the company planned to stop self-censoring its Chinese search engine even if that meant abandoning China’s market.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Twitter working on Chinese registration page
Twitter is working on a way to allow Chinese users to sign up to the social networking site in their own language, a co-founder of the site said Monday night, but access to the popular site remains blocked in the country.
Jack Dorsey said at a panel that Twitter is “hard at work” on allowing users to register in Chinese. Dorsey was responding to a question from Chinese avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei.
Ai has been an outspoken critic of Chinese authorities and their continuing efforts to impose censorship. He said he spends about eight hours a day on Twitter.
“I need a clear answer, yes or no?” he said to Dorsey, who joined the conversation via satellite.
“Yes, it’s just a matter of time,” Dorsey responded, citing limited staff and technical constraints as challenges for setting up the Chinese registration page.
Dorsey, Ai and Richard MacManus, founder of technology blog ReadWriteWeb, were part of a discussion on digital activism at the Paley Center for Media. People from all over the world also participated via Twitter, with their tweets displayed on a large screen behind the panelists.
The conversation came only a couple of days after it was reported that Google was “99.9 percent sure” to close its search engine in China because of stalled negotiations over censorship. Google has about 35 percent of the Chinese search market. The panelists praised the decision, calling it courageous and inspiring.
Ai said he wants Chinese translation on Twitter so users who are able to get past the firewall can read tweets.
Since it was founded in 2006, Twitter has emerged as a tool for digital activism in messages of no more than 140 characters. Ai has used it to demand answers about the number of young children who were killed in the Sichuan earthquake.
Last April, protesters in Moldova used Twitter when mobile phones and news television stations went down, rallying as many as 10,000 people to one demonstration. And tech-savvy Iranians turned to Twitter to protest the disputed presidential election.
Dorsey said he has no idea how Twitter would get around the firewall. He admitted he didn’t know the site was blocked in the country until three weeks ago when he was prepping for the event.
When asked whether he would give user information to the Chinese government, he said he hoped the company could work with the U.S. government to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Step one is translation, getting the site accessible in a Chinese version,” said Dorsey. “That’s something the company is really pushing to do.”
But moving into the country is something “that’s very difficult to do,” he said.
Jack Dorsey said at a panel that Twitter is “hard at work” on allowing users to register in Chinese. Dorsey was responding to a question from Chinese avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei.
Ai has been an outspoken critic of Chinese authorities and their continuing efforts to impose censorship. He said he spends about eight hours a day on Twitter.
“I need a clear answer, yes or no?” he said to Dorsey, who joined the conversation via satellite.
“Yes, it’s just a matter of time,” Dorsey responded, citing limited staff and technical constraints as challenges for setting up the Chinese registration page.
Dorsey, Ai and Richard MacManus, founder of technology blog ReadWriteWeb, were part of a discussion on digital activism at the Paley Center for Media. People from all over the world also participated via Twitter, with their tweets displayed on a large screen behind the panelists.
The conversation came only a couple of days after it was reported that Google was “99.9 percent sure” to close its search engine in China because of stalled negotiations over censorship. Google has about 35 percent of the Chinese search market. The panelists praised the decision, calling it courageous and inspiring.
Ai said he wants Chinese translation on Twitter so users who are able to get past the firewall can read tweets.
Since it was founded in 2006, Twitter has emerged as a tool for digital activism in messages of no more than 140 characters. Ai has used it to demand answers about the number of young children who were killed in the Sichuan earthquake.
Last April, protesters in Moldova used Twitter when mobile phones and news television stations went down, rallying as many as 10,000 people to one demonstration. And tech-savvy Iranians turned to Twitter to protest the disputed presidential election.
Dorsey said he has no idea how Twitter would get around the firewall. He admitted he didn’t know the site was blocked in the country until three weeks ago when he was prepping for the event.
When asked whether he would give user information to the Chinese government, he said he hoped the company could work with the U.S. government to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Step one is translation, getting the site accessible in a Chinese version,” said Dorsey. “That’s something the company is really pushing to do.”
But moving into the country is something “that’s very difficult to do,” he said.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Twitter working on Chinese registration page
A Twitter page in a computer. Twitter is working on a way to allow Chinese users to sign up to the social networking site in their own language. File Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar
Twitter is working on a way to allow Chinese users to sign up to the social networking site in their own language, a co-founder of the site said Monday night, but access to the popular site remains blocked in the country.
Jack Dorsey said at a panel that Twitter is “hard at work” on allowing users to register in Chinese. Dorsey was responding to a question from Chinese avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei.
Ai has been an outspoken critic of Chinese authorities and their continuing efforts to impose censorship. He said he spends about eight hours a day on Twitter.
“I need a clear answer, yes or no?” he said to Dorsey, who joined the conversation via satellite.
“Yes, it’s just a matter of time,” Dorsey responded, citing limited staff and technical constraints as challenges for setting up the Chinese registration page.
Dorsey, Ai and Richard MacManus, founder of technology blog ReadWriteWeb, were part of a discussion on digital activism at the Paley Center for Media. People from all over the world also participated via Twitter, with their tweets displayed on a large screen behind the panelists.
The conversation came only a couple of days after it was reported that Google was “99.9 percent sure” to close its search engine in China because of stalled negotiations over censorship. Google has about 35 percent of the Chinese search market. The panelists praised the decision, calling it courageous and inspiring.
Ai said he wants Chinese translation on Twitter so users who are able to get past the firewall can read tweets.
Since it was founded in 2006, Twitter has emerged as a tool for digital activism in messages of no more than 140 characters. Ai has used it to demand answers about the number of young children who were killed in the Sichuan earthquake.
Last April, protesters in Moldova used Twitter when mobile phones and news television stations went down, rallying as many as 10,000 people to one demonstration. And tech-savvy Iranians turned to Twitter to protest the disputed presidential election.
Dorsey said he has no idea how Twitter would get around the firewall. He admitted he didn’t know the site was blocked in the country until three weeks ago when he was prepping for the event.
When asked whether he would give user information to the Chinese government, he said he hoped the company could work with the U.S. government to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Step one is translation, getting the site accessible in a Chinese version,” said Dorsey. “That’s something the company is really pushing to do.”
But moving into the country is something “that’s very difficult to do,” he said
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
‘Missing girls' increasing in East Asia: UNDP
The problem of “missing girls'' – a scenario where more boys are born than girls, as girl foetuses are presumably aborted, and women die from health and nutrition neglect – is growing in the Asia Pacific. Birth gender disparity is greatest in East Asia, where 119 boys are born for every 100 girls.
China and India together account for more than 85 million of the nearly 100 million “missing'' women estimated to have died from discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition access or pure neglect – or because they were never born in the first place, “Power, Voice and Rights – A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific,'' a report brought out by the United Nations Development Programme here to mark the International Women's Day said.
One-tenth of women in the region report being assaulted by their partners, and a majority of women who do work – up to 85 per cent of South Asia's working women – are engaged in unstable low-end work in the informal economy. Few women hold property. Although women predominate in agriculture, they head only 7 per cent of farms, compared to 20 per cent in most other regions of the world.
The region is far behind where it could be on basic issues, such as protecting women from violence, upholding entitlements to property – even allowing people to divorce in an informed and reasonable way.
Few countries have adopted or implemented laws prohibiting violence against women, despite widespread evidence of discrimination and assault.
Nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 per cent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, though 30 to 40 per cent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse, the report said.
Too often, customs or religious beliefs have become a rationale for laws and legal systems to ignore or soft peddle or even justify issues such as discriminatory inheritance practices and the multiple forms of violence that specifically target women, the report said.
China and India together account for more than 85 million of the nearly 100 million “missing'' women estimated to have died from discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition access or pure neglect – or because they were never born in the first place, “Power, Voice and Rights – A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific,'' a report brought out by the United Nations Development Programme here to mark the International Women's Day said.
One-tenth of women in the region report being assaulted by their partners, and a majority of women who do work – up to 85 per cent of South Asia's working women – are engaged in unstable low-end work in the informal economy. Few women hold property. Although women predominate in agriculture, they head only 7 per cent of farms, compared to 20 per cent in most other regions of the world.
The region is far behind where it could be on basic issues, such as protecting women from violence, upholding entitlements to property – even allowing people to divorce in an informed and reasonable way.
Few countries have adopted or implemented laws prohibiting violence against women, despite widespread evidence of discrimination and assault.
Nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 per cent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, though 30 to 40 per cent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse, the report said.
Too often, customs or religious beliefs have become a rationale for laws and legal systems to ignore or soft peddle or even justify issues such as discriminatory inheritance practices and the multiple forms of violence that specifically target women, the report said.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Earthquake jolts parts of North-eastern India, China, Nepal
An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale on Friday rocked India’s northeast as well as parts of China and Nepal, triggering panic and forcing people out of their homes.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the tremor was felt at 10.15 a.m. in Assam and other northeastern states, besides in Nepal and China.
The epicentre was plotted in western Xizang in China’s Tibet region, 164 km from Kathmandu and 219 km from Gangtok. The India Meteorological Department plotted the epicentre at latitude 28.5 degrees north and longitude 86.7 degrees east in its preliminary report.
The tremor jolted homes in Assam’s main city Guwahati, besides several other places in the region.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the tremor was felt at 10.15 a.m. in Assam and other northeastern states, besides in Nepal and China.
The epicentre was plotted in western Xizang in China’s Tibet region, 164 km from Kathmandu and 219 km from Gangtok. The India Meteorological Department plotted the epicentre at latitude 28.5 degrees north and longitude 86.7 degrees east in its preliminary report.
The tremor jolted homes in Assam’s main city Guwahati, besides several other places in the region.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
China launches strict new Internet controls
BEIJING China’s technology ministry moved to tighten controls on Internet use on Tuesday, saying individuals who want to operate Web sites must first meet in person with regulators.
The state-sanctioned group that registers domain names in China froze registrations for new individual Web sites in December after the state media complained that not enough was being done to check whether sites provided pornographic content.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that ban was being lifted, but would-be operators would now have submit their identity cards and photos of themselves as well as meet in person with regulators and representatives of service providers before their sites could be registered.
It said the rule was aimed at cracking down on pornography.
China has the world’s biggest online population, with 384 million Internet users. The government operates the world’s most extensive system of Web monitoring and filtering, blocking pornographic sites as well as those seen as subversive to communist rule.
The new regulations come as the government is in talks with Google Inc. about whether the U.S.-based Internet giant will be allowed to continue operating in China after saying in January it would no longer cooperate with the country’s Web censorship. The two sides have given no details of the status of their discussions.
Chinese authorities have launched repeated crackdowns on online pornography and the government says nearly 5,400 people were detained last year.
The state-sanctioned group that registers domain names in China froze registrations for new individual Web sites in December after the state media complained that not enough was being done to check whether sites provided pornographic content.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that ban was being lifted, but would-be operators would now have submit their identity cards and photos of themselves as well as meet in person with regulators and representatives of service providers before their sites could be registered.
It said the rule was aimed at cracking down on pornography.
China has the world’s biggest online population, with 384 million Internet users. The government operates the world’s most extensive system of Web monitoring and filtering, blocking pornographic sites as well as those seen as subversive to communist rule.
The new regulations come as the government is in talks with Google Inc. about whether the U.S.-based Internet giant will be allowed to continue operating in China after saying in January it would no longer cooperate with the country’s Web censorship. The two sides have given no details of the status of their discussions.
Chinese authorities have launched repeated crackdowns on online pornography and the government says nearly 5,400 people were detained last year.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Google claim on hacking groundless, says China
China has denied claims by Google that a spate of hacking attacks that targeted the company originated from two Chinese universities.
In January, the Internet giant said it had faced cyber-attacks targeting the E-mail accounts of several Chinese human rights activists. Google has since announced it would stop censoring its search-engine in China, and possibly close down its China operations.
Universities
American investigators have reportedly traced the attacks to two Chinese universities — the well-reputed Shanghai Jiaotong University, known for its computer science programme, and the little-known Lanxiang vocational college.
In its first official response to Google's claims, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the allegations were unfounded.
“Reports that these attacks came from Chinese schools are totally groundless and the accusation of Chinese government involvement is also irresponsible and driven by ulterior motives,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang.
“According to law”
He added: “China administers its internet according to law, and this position will not change. China prohibits hacking and will crack down on hacking according to law.”
The Chinese government restricts access to politically-sensitive websites, and foreign companies registered here are required to follow China's censorship policies. China has the world's biggest and fastest-growing internet market, with more than 380 million Internet users.
The New York Times had reported on Thursday that the cyber-attacks had been traced to two Chinese universities and specifically to a computer science class taught by a Ukrainian professor at Lanxiang in northern Shandong province.
Both universities have strongly denied any involvement. Li Zixiang, Lanxiang's head, said the school was a vocational school that taught “cooking, auto repair and hairdressing”. Lanxiang had no Ukrainian teacher, he said.
In January, the Internet giant said it had faced cyber-attacks targeting the E-mail accounts of several Chinese human rights activists. Google has since announced it would stop censoring its search-engine in China, and possibly close down its China operations.
Universities
American investigators have reportedly traced the attacks to two Chinese universities — the well-reputed Shanghai Jiaotong University, known for its computer science programme, and the little-known Lanxiang vocational college.
In its first official response to Google's claims, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the allegations were unfounded.
“Reports that these attacks came from Chinese schools are totally groundless and the accusation of Chinese government involvement is also irresponsible and driven by ulterior motives,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang.
“According to law”
He added: “China administers its internet according to law, and this position will not change. China prohibits hacking and will crack down on hacking according to law.”
The Chinese government restricts access to politically-sensitive websites, and foreign companies registered here are required to follow China's censorship policies. China has the world's biggest and fastest-growing internet market, with more than 380 million Internet users.
The New York Times had reported on Thursday that the cyber-attacks had been traced to two Chinese universities and specifically to a computer science class taught by a Ukrainian professor at Lanxiang in northern Shandong province.
Both universities have strongly denied any involvement. Li Zixiang, Lanxiang's head, said the school was a vocational school that taught “cooking, auto repair and hairdressing”. Lanxiang had no Ukrainian teacher, he said.
Monday, February 22, 2010
'Pak should take effective action against anti-India groups'
Ahead of the Indo-Pak talks this week, India made it clear that process of normalisation of ties with Pakistan can be sustained only by "effective action" against groups there calling for jihad against India.
"...calls of jihad, hostility and aggression continue to be made openly against India. This reflects the real and tangible difficulties that we face in dealing with Pakistan," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said, delivering the key note address at the 3rd International Institute of Strategic Studies-MEA Dialogue here on Monday.
She also emphasised that "effective action against such groups" by Pakistan is an "absolute must" if the process of normalisation that India desires with Pakistan was to happen.
Referring to the talks in New Delhi on Thursday with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, Ms. Rao said India is making "another sincere attempt" to initiate dialogue with Pakistan.
"We hope we can build, in a graduated manner, better communication and a serious and responsive dialogue to address issues of concern between our two countries," she said.
Describing terrorism as the pivotal security challenge for India, Ms. Rao said terror groups implacably opposed to India continue to recruit, train and plot attacks "from safe havens across our borders."
Terming Pakistan's steps against terrorism as "selective," Ms. Rao demanded that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror strikes are brought to justice expeditiously and act decisively to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its territory.
"Under pressure and faced with the threat of terrorism in its own country, Pakistan has initiated some steps to fight this scourge. But these steps are selective," the Foreign Secretary said, adding that distinctions between Taliban, Al Qaeda and terrorist outfits such as LeT were now meaningless.
"...they are now in effect fused both operationally and ideologically. We have consistently maintained that Pakistan should bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack to justice and in a transparent manner," she said.
Ms. Rao also noted that terror groups implacably opposed to India continue to recruit, train and plot attacks from "safe havens across our borders."
"The greatest threat to peace and stability in our region emanates from the shelter terrorists find in the border of Afghanistan-Pakistan and in Pakistan itself," she said.
To a question on what she expected from the talks, Ms. Rao said: "I think, I should leave any comment, till after the meeting."
Asked whether Kashmir would figure at the talks, she said "the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is something we must discuss bi-laterally and resolve peacefully. But at the talks our core concern is terrorism and it is essential to focus on it. We will move in a manner, slow and deliberately."
On Afghanistan
On Afghanistan, Ms. Rao said India's focus is on development activity with the aim to build indigenous Afghan capacities and institutions.
"This will enable an effective State system to improve the delivery of goods and services to Afghan people. Our assistance, now over US$ 1.3 billion, is spread over a large number of provinces in Afghanistan," she said.
To a question on clandestine activities in the neighbourhood in respect of "nuclear terrorism", Ms. Rao said India would tackle it through the U.N. process.
"India has initiated on the issue in cooperation with Russia. The matter has been moved to the US and US President Barack Obama is expected to endorse the initiative this year," she said.
On China
She said there is both competition and collaboration in the dynamic equilibrium of India's relationship with Beijing.
Key elements in the India-China relationship like imbalances in bilateral trade, the unresolved boundary question, our dialogue on water resources with regard to the trans-border rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Sutlej point to the complex and evolving nature of our dialogue, she said.
"In our own region, which remains geo-politically unstable, China has an enduring strategic relationship with Pakistan, and a growing presence in other neighbouring countries.
Ms. Rao said: "We are conscious of these leverages that China has developed in our region and realize fully that our relations with China cannot be uni-dimensional, or seen through a narrow prism."
Sri Lanka
Ms. Rao said India's political relations are close, trade and investment have increased exponentially, and there is broad-based engagement across all sectors of bilateral cooperation.
"We view the conclusion of the military operations against the LTTE as providing an opportunity to finally achieve a lasting political settlement acceptable to all communities, including the Tamils, within a united Sri Lanka," she said.
Bangladesh
"India's relations with Bangladesh have acquired further substance and scope in recent months, particularly after the very successful visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January this year," Ms. Rao said.
"Our security related cooperation has developed positively as also our cooperation in infrastructural development in Bangladesh, for which we have announced a USD 1 billion concessional Line of Credit," she said.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
IMF sees recovery but there are caveats
The International Monetary Fund in the latest update to its World Economic Outlook sees economic prospects across the globe improving substantially. While some of its previous reports had said that the worst of the crisis was over and that recovery was on, the latest update (January 26) points out that the recovery is much faster than anticipated.
In fact, compared to its last update (October 2009), the IMF has significantly marked up its forecasts for several countries and regions.
Global output is forecast to go up by 3.9 per cent and 4.3 per cent in 2010 and 2011, respectively, above the October forecasts of 3.1 per cent and 4.2 per cent. Advanced economies too are expected to fare better than originally anticipated, with growth rates of 2.1 per cent and 2.4 per cent for 2010 and 2011, respectively. Last year, these economies (as a group) contracted by 3.2 per cent. The U.S., which had a negative growth of 2.5 per cent, will post positive growth rates of 2.7 this year and 2.4 per cent in the next year.
India, China lead
However, in what has by now become common knowledge, it is the developing countries led by China and India that have picked up the slack and remain in the forefront of the global recovery. According to the IMF, the category “Emerging markets and developing economies” will grow by 6 per cent and 6.3 per cent in 2010 and 2011. China and India lead the table with projected growth rates of 10 per cent and 7.7 per cent, respectively, in 2010 and 9.7 per cent and 7.8 per cent in 2011.
The sharp recovery in these two countries has been well recognised. Already many countries in the region are benefiting from China’s growth. Japan’s exports have turned positive after a long slump mainly because of the demand from China. The fact that the Indian economy has been on an even keel even during the worst phase of the recession and has now entered a higher growth trajectory has rekindled capital flows, both foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign institutional investment (FII).
The IMF report, while being more optimistic about global economic prospects than at any time during the past two crisis ridden years, nevertheless sounds a caution or two. Advanced economies are still dependent on government stimulus measures, which obviously cannot be continued indefinitely. Sooner than later, private demand must take over. The timing of the exit — when individual countries could withdraw the stimulus and other ‘anti-crisis’ measures — is best left to individual countries.
In many countries, the stimulus measures cannot be withdrawn immediately. Some of them risk a return to recession if such measures are withdrawn soon. There are some positive signs, to be sure.
Financial markets have rebounded since the lows of last March. Economic conditions have improved and the wide ranging policy actions of governments have helped. Risk appetite has returned and capital markets have reopened. In the U.S., consumption demand has been surprisingly strong and has contributed to the rebound in confidence. In all advanced economies, inflation is expected to be contained.
Challenges remain
However, policymakers still face extraordinary challenges as they seek to unwind the unprecedented fiscal, monetary and financial support they provided to keep their economies and financial markets from collapsing. High unemployment rates, rising public debt and high levels of individual indebtedness in some countries present further challenges to the recovery.
Due to the still fragile nature of recovery, fiscal policies should remain supportive of economic demand in the near term. Fiscal stimulus planned for 2010 should be implemented in full. However, in many countries, there are growing concerns about fiscal sustainability. Countries should, therefore, work towards devising strategies for exiting from the stimulus packages.
Financial sector reform
A crucial task ahead for policymakers in the developed countries is to repair the badly damaged financial sector. Policymakers will also need to move boldly to reform the financial sector with the objectives of reducing the risks of future instability. Attention should also be bestowed on how the potential fallout of financial crises would be borne in future, while at the same time making the sector more effective and resilient.
In a special message to India and other emerging economies, the IMF says that these countries will have to design policies to manage a surge of capital inflows.
Macro-prudential policies can be used to address the potential of bubbles at an early stage by limiting a build-up in risks.
Dark forces in Pak won't succeed: PC
Terming militant groups in Pakistan as "dark forces", Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday said New Delhi was watching the activities of terror outfits in Pakistani Kashmir but stressed they won't succeed in their anti-India designs.
"Let me draw your attention to the Feb 4 meeting of militant groups in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which was attended by the Laskhar-e-Taiba and the Hizbul Mujahideen. It is clear that these groups are anti-India and want annexation of Jammu and Kashmir... These dark forces will not succeed," said Mr Chidambaram.
He was giving his opening remarks at the internal security conclave for state chief ministers held here.
The home minister was referring to the Muzaffarabad rally organised by the Lashkar jehadi outfit through its banned frontal organisation the Jama'at-ud-Dawaah on Thursday.
Attended by the Hizbul Mujahideen chief, the jehadi meeting vowed to revert to the "Kashmir freedom cause" and continue supporting a separatist campaign in the insurgency-riven state of India.
Chidambaram said infiltration attempts from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir had gone up.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Cold war era regulations hampering India-US relationship
The cold-war era policies restricting technology transfer is coming in the way of strengthening and deepening of America’s relationship with India in the 21st century, a top Obama Administration official has said.
“Right now we are in a really -- building, frankly, on the work of the last administration and that before, we are at a really critical and important point in our partnership with India,” said Michele Flournoy, the Undersecretary of Defence for Policy.
“India is, you know, a country with whom we share many interests, many values. We are deepening our military cooperation,” she said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations -- a Washington-based think-tank.
“And yet, as we try to sell them equipment that they’re very interested in, we’re getting hung up on these technology-transfer issues that are really a legacy of the Cold War and have nothing to do with our modern relationship with India and the kind of partnership we’re trying to build there,” Ms. Flournoy said with a sense of frustration that the Obama Administration is not able to sell the type of military equipment required by India because of such outdated laws enacted by the Congress during the cold war period.
“Trying to explain this to them (India) is very difficult when we don’t have a lot of confidence in the system as it is today,” Ms. Flournoy said, hoping that the Department of Defence would be trying to engage itself with the Congress on this issue this year.
“The problem we see is, on the one hand, for the technologies that we really, really want to protect, the system isn’t always as good on enforcement and pursuing violations as it should be,” she said.
“For technologies that are -- you know, at the same time, we tend to undermine our own economic competitiveness and our ability to build partner capacity and work with allies by protecting all kinds of things that are really now freely available, or trying to protect things that are pretty much arguably freely available on the open market,” she observed.
“I mean, the Secretary (of Defence) likes to use the example of having found some things on the protected-items list that, you know, you could go to Beijing -- to the Radio Shack in Beijing and buy,” the Undersecretary of Defence pointed out.
“So, we really need a scrub of the whole system to build higher walls around the true crown jewels that we’re trying to protect and create a more open and transparent and workable system for the rest. That’s really what we’re aiming for,” Ms. Flournoy said.
“Right now we are in a really -- building, frankly, on the work of the last administration and that before, we are at a really critical and important point in our partnership with India,” said Michele Flournoy, the Undersecretary of Defence for Policy.
“India is, you know, a country with whom we share many interests, many values. We are deepening our military cooperation,” she said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations -- a Washington-based think-tank.
“And yet, as we try to sell them equipment that they’re very interested in, we’re getting hung up on these technology-transfer issues that are really a legacy of the Cold War and have nothing to do with our modern relationship with India and the kind of partnership we’re trying to build there,” Ms. Flournoy said with a sense of frustration that the Obama Administration is not able to sell the type of military equipment required by India because of such outdated laws enacted by the Congress during the cold war period.
“Trying to explain this to them (India) is very difficult when we don’t have a lot of confidence in the system as it is today,” Ms. Flournoy said, hoping that the Department of Defence would be trying to engage itself with the Congress on this issue this year.
“The problem we see is, on the one hand, for the technologies that we really, really want to protect, the system isn’t always as good on enforcement and pursuing violations as it should be,” she said.
“For technologies that are -- you know, at the same time, we tend to undermine our own economic competitiveness and our ability to build partner capacity and work with allies by protecting all kinds of things that are really now freely available, or trying to protect things that are pretty much arguably freely available on the open market,” she observed.
“I mean, the Secretary (of Defence) likes to use the example of having found some things on the protected-items list that, you know, you could go to Beijing -- to the Radio Shack in Beijing and buy,” the Undersecretary of Defence pointed out.
“So, we really need a scrub of the whole system to build higher walls around the true crown jewels that we’re trying to protect and create a more open and transparent and workable system for the rest. That’s really what we’re aiming for,” Ms. Flournoy said.
Nuclear energy key to climate change: Obama
US President, Barack Obama, on Wednesday said nuclear energy and clean coal energy technology is key to the successful fight against climate change and on the latter it is important to bring India and China on board.
“I know it’s controversial in some quarters, but if you’re serious about dealing with climate change then you’ve got to take a serious look at the nuclear industry,” Mr. Obama said at a Town Hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire.
“If you are serious about climate change, you’ve got to figure out is there technology that can allow us to sequester coal and the emissions that are set out,” he said.
The reason for that is not just for the US, Mr. Obama observed.
“China is building a coal-fired plant once a week, just about -- India is doing the same -- because coal is cheap,” he said.
“Unless we can come up with some energy alternatives that allow us to franchise that technology so that they are equipped to burn that coal cleanly, we’re going to have problems no matter what we do in this country when it comes to the environment,” Mr. Obama said.
So technology is the key, he argued. “We can make significant profits and create huge jobs just upgrading traditional technologies”.
“Then you’ve got the whole clean energy sector, which is ready to take off if we provide the kind of seed capital, the kind of R&D credits that are necessary,” he said.
Mr. Obama said this recession almost killed a lot of US homegrown clean energy sectors.
“You talk to the wind industry or the solar industry, if we hadn’t passed the Recovery Act and all the support for clean energy, a lot of them would have completely gone under and we would have been ceding leadership as we already have, unfortunately, to a lot of countries like Spain and Germany and Japan that are doing a lot more work on it“.
“So this is a huge engine for job creation, and we’ve got to make those investments,” he said.
Mr. Obama said the US is one of the least efficient advanced economies when it comes to energy usage.
“It is estimated that we could probably lop off 30 per cent of our energy consumption just on efficiency without changing our lifestyles significantly“.
I say “significantly” because you’d have to start buying LED batteries or LED light bulbs. But it’s still a light bulb. You don’t have to sit in the dark. You don’t have to use gas lanterns. You just have to make the investment.
“And one of the things that a company like ARC Energy is doing is trying to bring down the unit cost for each of those light bulbs,” he said.
“I know it’s controversial in some quarters, but if you’re serious about dealing with climate change then you’ve got to take a serious look at the nuclear industry,” Mr. Obama said at a Town Hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire.
“If you are serious about climate change, you’ve got to figure out is there technology that can allow us to sequester coal and the emissions that are set out,” he said.
The reason for that is not just for the US, Mr. Obama observed.
“China is building a coal-fired plant once a week, just about -- India is doing the same -- because coal is cheap,” he said.
“Unless we can come up with some energy alternatives that allow us to franchise that technology so that they are equipped to burn that coal cleanly, we’re going to have problems no matter what we do in this country when it comes to the environment,” Mr. Obama said.
So technology is the key, he argued. “We can make significant profits and create huge jobs just upgrading traditional technologies”.
“Then you’ve got the whole clean energy sector, which is ready to take off if we provide the kind of seed capital, the kind of R&D credits that are necessary,” he said.
Mr. Obama said this recession almost killed a lot of US homegrown clean energy sectors.
“You talk to the wind industry or the solar industry, if we hadn’t passed the Recovery Act and all the support for clean energy, a lot of them would have completely gone under and we would have been ceding leadership as we already have, unfortunately, to a lot of countries like Spain and Germany and Japan that are doing a lot more work on it“.
“So this is a huge engine for job creation, and we’ve got to make those investments,” he said.
Mr. Obama said the US is one of the least efficient advanced economies when it comes to energy usage.
“It is estimated that we could probably lop off 30 per cent of our energy consumption just on efficiency without changing our lifestyles significantly“.
I say “significantly” because you’d have to start buying LED batteries or LED light bulbs. But it’s still a light bulb. You don’t have to sit in the dark. You don’t have to use gas lanterns. You just have to make the investment.
“And one of the things that a company like ARC Energy is doing is trying to bring down the unit cost for each of those light bulbs,” he said.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
China warned US President against meeting Dalai Lama
China on Tuesday warned US President Barack Obama against meeting the Dalai Lama, saying it would "seriously undermine" Sino-US ties -- the latest salvo in an escalating row between the two powers.
Beijing also said no progress was made in the latest round of talks between Chinese officials and envoys of the Buddhist monk, saying the two sides remain "sharply divided" on the future of the Himalayan region.
The comments came after the first negotiations between the two sides in more than a year, which wrapped up at the weekend. The envoys of the Dalai Lama returned to their exile base in India on Monday.
The exiled monk, whom China accuses of seeking independence for his homeland, is due in the United States this month for a visit that includes a stop in Washington, but a meeting with Obama has not been announced.
Such a meeting would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations," Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Communist Party body that handles contact with the Dalai Lama, told a news conference.
"If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and cooperation between China and the United States," Zhu said.
"We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse," he added.
The warning added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, with relations already badly strained over US arms sales to Taiwan, Google's threat to leave China, and a host of trade and currency disputes.
Obama was roundly criticised at home for avoiding a meeting with the Dalai Lama ahead of the US leader's maiden trip to China in November.
Illustrating the divide over Tibet, Zhu blasted the monk as a "separatist" and "troublemaker" bent on inciting world hatred of China over its control of his mountainous homeland.
The Dalai Lama rejects such charges, saying he seeks only greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule. He has warned Tibetan culture is in danger of being extinguished.
Zhu indicated the secretive talks between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys -- the ninth round since the dialogue began in 2002 -- made no progress.
"As in previous rounds of negotiations, the positions of the two sides are sharply divided," said Zhu of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
Zhu said the Tibetan side stuck to a memorandum it submitted during the last round in November 2008 that insisted their autonomy demands were in line with China's constitution, but slammed the document as an "independence" ploy.
He said the talks could not move forward if the Dalai Lama "continues to devote himself to anti-China propaganda and sabotage on the international stage."
The Tibetan envoys, who flew to China on January 25, held meetings with Chinese officials first in the central province of Hunan and then in Beijing at the weekend, the Dalai Lama's senior secretary Chhime Chhoekyapa told AFP.
The Dalai Lama, 75, fled his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule. That came nine years after Chinese troops were sent to take control of the region.
Since the 2008 round of talks, China has maintained a tough crackdown in Tibet launched following a wave of anti-Chinese unrest that erupted in March of that year and which Beijing blamed on the Dalai Lama.
Several people have reportedly been executed for their roles in the violence, and earlier this month China named a military veteran, Padma Choling, as Tibet's new governor.
Zhu said another round of talks "depends on the Dalai Lama."
Beijing also said no progress was made in the latest round of talks between Chinese officials and envoys of the Buddhist monk, saying the two sides remain "sharply divided" on the future of the Himalayan region.
The comments came after the first negotiations between the two sides in more than a year, which wrapped up at the weekend. The envoys of the Dalai Lama returned to their exile base in India on Monday.
The exiled monk, whom China accuses of seeking independence for his homeland, is due in the United States this month for a visit that includes a stop in Washington, but a meeting with Obama has not been announced.
Such a meeting would "seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations," Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Communist Party body that handles contact with the Dalai Lama, told a news conference.
"If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and cooperation between China and the United States," Zhu said.
"We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China's internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse," he added.
The warning added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, with relations already badly strained over US arms sales to Taiwan, Google's threat to leave China, and a host of trade and currency disputes.
Obama was roundly criticised at home for avoiding a meeting with the Dalai Lama ahead of the US leader's maiden trip to China in November.
Illustrating the divide over Tibet, Zhu blasted the monk as a "separatist" and "troublemaker" bent on inciting world hatred of China over its control of his mountainous homeland.
The Dalai Lama rejects such charges, saying he seeks only greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule. He has warned Tibetan culture is in danger of being extinguished.
Zhu indicated the secretive talks between China and the Dalai Lama's envoys -- the ninth round since the dialogue began in 2002 -- made no progress.
"As in previous rounds of negotiations, the positions of the two sides are sharply divided," said Zhu of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
Zhu said the Tibetan side stuck to a memorandum it submitted during the last round in November 2008 that insisted their autonomy demands were in line with China's constitution, but slammed the document as an "independence" ploy.
He said the talks could not move forward if the Dalai Lama "continues to devote himself to anti-China propaganda and sabotage on the international stage."
The Tibetan envoys, who flew to China on January 25, held meetings with Chinese officials first in the central province of Hunan and then in Beijing at the weekend, the Dalai Lama's senior secretary Chhime Chhoekyapa told AFP.
The Dalai Lama, 75, fled his homeland after a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule. That came nine years after Chinese troops were sent to take control of the region.
Since the 2008 round of talks, China has maintained a tough crackdown in Tibet launched following a wave of anti-Chinese unrest that erupted in March of that year and which Beijing blamed on the Dalai Lama.
Several people have reportedly been executed for their roles in the violence, and earlier this month China named a military veteran, Padma Choling, as Tibet's new governor.
Zhu said another round of talks "depends on the Dalai Lama."
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
China rejects hacking charges
China on Tuesday dismissed as "groundless" India’s charge that Chinese hackers had attempted to break into sensitive Indian government computers, a week after American internet giant Google levelled a similar allegation against it.
“I can say that these accusations are groundless” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters when asked to comment on National Security Adviser M K Narayanan’s reported comments that Chinese hackers may be involved in a December 15 attempt to penetrate Indian government computers, including that of his office. “The Chinese government is firmly against hacking activities and will deal with relevant cases in accordance with the law” Ma said.
He also claimed that China itself was the “biggest victim” of hacking activities.
Narayanan had told ‘The Times’ that his office and other government departments were targeted on December 15, the same date when Google reported cyber attacks originating from China. He said the attack came in the form of an e-mail with a PDF attachment containing Trojan virus.
“I can say that these accusations are groundless” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters when asked to comment on National Security Adviser M K Narayanan’s reported comments that Chinese hackers may be involved in a December 15 attempt to penetrate Indian government computers, including that of his office. “The Chinese government is firmly against hacking activities and will deal with relevant cases in accordance with the law” Ma said.
He also claimed that China itself was the “biggest victim” of hacking activities.
Narayanan had told ‘The Times’ that his office and other government departments were targeted on December 15, the same date when Google reported cyber attacks originating from China. He said the attack came in the form of an e-mail with a PDF attachment containing Trojan virus.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
China tells Google to obey laws after exit threat
Google must obey China’s laws and traditions, Beijing said on Tuesday, an indication officials won’t budge in negotiations after the search giant threatened to pull out of the country if Internet restrictions aren’t relaxed.
The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu were the first from Beijing that referred directly to Google Inc. since it threatened to shut down its China-based site over censorship and alleged e-mail hacking.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” Mr. Ma said.
Google’s announcement on January 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
The Chinese government imposes strict Internet controls that communist leaders believe they need to protect their monopoly on power. Beijing blocks access to Web sites abroad run by human rights groups and dissidents and material deemed subversive or pornographic.
Google said last week it is hoping it can persuade the Chinese government to agree to changes that would enable Google.cn to show uncensored search results. If a compromise isn’t worked out within the next few weeks, the company intends to shut down its search engine and pull out.
Google has said it would hold talks with the government over the issue. Mr. Ma told a regular news conference he did not know if any talks had been held.
A pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on Google’s e-mail, maps and other services based abroad, which could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate for a Google withdrawal by blocking access to its U.S. site.
Chinese filters blocked Google’s main site outright in 2002. Scientists pleaded that they needed it to find information online, and the government of then-President Jiang Zemin relented and eased access.
Google said last week that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Mr. Ma said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The head of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba - in which Google rival Yahoo Inc. has a significant stake - said on Tuesday that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of the Chinese market.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma, chief executive of the Alibaba Group, commenting on the challenges in China.
“China will set the rule of game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules,” Mr. Ma told a business conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yahoo closed its offices in China several years ago when it sold much of its business to Alibaba Group. Yahoo retains a 39 percent stake in Alibaba, which represents one of Yahoo’s most valuable assets.
China’s online population has soared in recent years to 384 million people, bigger than the entire population of the United States. Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc., with a 35 percent market share to Baidu’s 60 percent.
The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu were the first from Beijing that referred directly to Google Inc. since it threatened to shut down its China-based site over censorship and alleged e-mail hacking.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” Mr. Ma said.
Google’s announcement on January 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
The Chinese government imposes strict Internet controls that communist leaders believe they need to protect their monopoly on power. Beijing blocks access to Web sites abroad run by human rights groups and dissidents and material deemed subversive or pornographic.
Google said last week it is hoping it can persuade the Chinese government to agree to changes that would enable Google.cn to show uncensored search results. If a compromise isn’t worked out within the next few weeks, the company intends to shut down its search engine and pull out.
Google has said it would hold talks with the government over the issue. Mr. Ma told a regular news conference he did not know if any talks had been held.
A pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on Google’s e-mail, maps and other services based abroad, which could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate for a Google withdrawal by blocking access to its U.S. site.
Chinese filters blocked Google’s main site outright in 2002. Scientists pleaded that they needed it to find information online, and the government of then-President Jiang Zemin relented and eased access.
Google said last week that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Mr. Ma said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The head of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba - in which Google rival Yahoo Inc. has a significant stake - said on Tuesday that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of the Chinese market.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma, chief executive of the Alibaba Group, commenting on the challenges in China.
“China will set the rule of game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules,” Mr. Ma told a business conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yahoo closed its offices in China several years ago when it sold much of its business to Alibaba Group. Yahoo retains a 39 percent stake in Alibaba, which represents one of Yahoo’s most valuable assets.
China’s online population has soared in recent years to 384 million people, bigger than the entire population of the United States. Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc., with a 35 percent market share to Baidu’s 60 percent.
