Toy Recall

This is funny because the truth really is that running with scissors is less dangerous than playing with Chinese made goods.

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Pollution turns Chinese river red

At least three tributaries of the Han river - a branch of the Yangtze - have been affected.

State media reported high levels of chemicals in the water.

China is increasingly concerned about its environment. A recent ban on plastic bags has led to the country's largest bag factory shutting down.

The Xinglong, Tianguan and Dongjing rivers were all affected by the pollution, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

A chemical spill is thought be the cause, but the source has not yet been identified and an investigation has been launched.

Gao Qijin, a water company official in Xinguo, Jianli County, told Xinhua that the water in the Dongjing river had become red with large amounts of bubbles.

Mr Gao said the company had detected the pollution on Sunday and immediately stopped drawing water from the river.

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This is significant to China because it gives a graphic example of China's polution is effecting the enviroment, and if this polution spreads to the Yangtze around 500 Millons peoples water supply will be tainted and unuseable to those people, this is a big deal in china and i plan on fallowing up if something big happens

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China to press North Korea

Rice urges China to press N Korea

Ms Rice met President Hu Jintao during her visitUS Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Chinese leaders to put pressure on North Korea to move ahead quickly with nuclear disarmament.

She was speaking during a two-day visit to Beijing, her first for over a year.

Ms Rice met President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, and held talks with foreign minister Yang Jiechi.

She also used the visit to raise the issue of human rights and criticise Taiwan's plans to hold a referendum on UN membership.

Ms Rice told reporters that she had held "very good discussions about a number of issues" with her Chinese counterparts.

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Condoleeza Rice met with Hu Jintao to urge China to press N. Korea to stop their nuclear program. This would be a huge step if China agreed to discourage N. Korea's nuclear program. China holds a huge deal of international influence and power and can be the most deadly force in the world if need be.

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Stories China's media could not write

By Michael Bristow BBC News, Beijing

When journalists at China's national broadcaster CCTV log on, one of the first things that pops up on screen is a notice about what not to report.

These notices are often short and seldom say who has authorised them, but they all contain strict instructions about how to report a story.

Journalists were recently warned off a health scandal, told how to report the death of Benazir Bhutto and had to steer clear of a Hollywood film story.

Censorship has been an everyday feature of news reporting in China for as long as the Chinese Communist Party has been in power.

But this wide range of so-called sensitive stories shows that, in China, any story on any subject at any time can still fall foul of the censor's red pen.

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This is very significant to china cause this shows how the communist party jumps in and censors may importaint storys because they don't protray china in a good way.

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China Pollution

China to log its worst polluters

Beijing hopes the survey will give a clear picture of pollution in China. China has begun an ambitious project to survey the country's major sources of pollution.

Factories, farms and other polluters will have to declare how much, and what kind of pollutants, they discharge.

The government admits it will be difficult to get companies to supply accurate data, so it is offering them immunity from fines and prosecution.

But even with this incentive, some say the system has flaws which will make it difficult to get accurate information.

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China is taking the responsibilty of their pollution. This is a very honorable thing for China to do especially after all the controversy about the Olympics and their poisonous dumplings. Maybe this will start a new world trend of logging pollution.

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China thinking of revoking one child rule

Family planning chief Zhao Baige told reporters she wanted an "incremental" change in the policy.

But there are not yet any specific proposals or a timetable for change, and she said some form of population control would remain in place.

Families in China's cities are restricted to one child, and those in rural areas to two children.
But the BBC's Dan Griffiths in Beijing says many wealthy Chinese are having large families and choosing to pay the standard fines for having more than one child.

Ms Zhao said it was common practice for some families in cities to have two or even three children.

And she expressed concern that China faces a huge disparity in numbers of females to males, as families in rural provinces continue to favour boys over girls.

"[In Henan there are] nearly 100 million people, but strongly influenced by the classical way, they want a son, and they are already very fragile environmentally," Reuters quoted her as saying.

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This is very significant to China because if they change the one child rule, one Chinas' population will grow even faster and second that this rule has been around for years as a sign of communism and it shows how they are begging to change there ways

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Sharp jump in China trade surplus

China has introduced measures to cool exports China's trade surplus soared 22.7% in January as the economy continued to boom despite efforts to cool the rate of growth, official figures have shown.

The surplus - the gap between what China exports and what it imports - grew to $22.7bn (£11.5bn) last month, compared with $15.9bn a year earlier.

China's exports in January increased 26.7% to $109.7bn, the biggest year-on-year rise in six months.

Imports rose 27.6% to $90.2bn, the biggest increase in almost two years.

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This is very significant, because china is the world's fastest growing economy, now with inflation hitting China at a record rate, it is unclear what china will do to cool the economy with the olympics coming up, but i will fallow up on this one

US 'confident' over satellite hit

The US is confident that its shooting down of a disabled spy satellite with a missile managed to destroy its potentially toxic fuel tank.

Marine Gen James Cartwright said there was a 80-90% chance that the satellite's tank had been destroyed.

A fire ball, vapour cloud and spectral analysis indicating the presence of hydrazine all indicated that the tank had been hit, he told reporters.

The operation has been criticised by China and Russia.

"We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Gen Cartwright said at a Pentagon briefing hours after the missile was fired.

"We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."

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This is very significant to this region, not only just china but also russia. China and russia both have been very out spoken on this issue due to the fact that they are affraid that the US will start shooting down China's sattlites, China takes this test as a warning from the US and they say they're not backing down

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China defends arms sales to Sudan

China's special envoy on Darfur told the BBC that Beijing accounted for just 8% of Sudan's total arms imports.

Liu Guijin said the US, Russia and UK were the biggest arms exporters to developing countries including Sudan.

About 200,000 have died in the five years of conflict between rebels, the army and pro-Khartoum militias.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC's China analyst Shirong Chen, Mr Liu said Chinese weapons were not fuelling the conflict.

"Sudan is the third largest conventional arms producer in Africa next only to South Africa and Egypt.

"And there are seven countries selling arms to Sudan. So even if China stopped its sale, it still won't solve the problem of arms in Sudan," he said.

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This is significant to china because they are defending the sudeninese because china supports and sells them arms, with most all countries giving china greif about the situation in darfur people wish that china would quit selling arms to the sudan.

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Chinese Black Market

Five men are to appear in court in China charged with producing fake receipts that could have cost the state billions of dollars, state media said.

The men are accused of forging over one million receipts worth a total of $147bn (£72bn) at a factory in Guizhou province.

Police identified the fraud after seizing a batch of the fake receipts in August 2007.

It is the largest such case in over 50 years, a local security official said.

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This definately won't help China's inflation crisis. China has a lot of issues they need to reslove right now with the 2008 Olympics, the Darfur Crisis and the Chinese food crisis. There is an official black market of false reciepts in China and this is something that Chinese law enforcement need to stop.

2008 Olympics

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Who can trust Chinese food?

The US delegation has said it is planning to bring its own food for American athletes.

At a news conference in Beijing, a senior official, Kang Yi, said it was a pity that the US had apparently decided not to trust China's food.

Ms Kang insisted that the food served to athletes at the Olympics would exceed international health standards.

For China, a good Olympic Games means cheering spectators, record-breaking performances and athletes and fans all sitting down to enjoy some good Chinese-made food.

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After the incident regarding the toxic Chinese dumplings, America has decided to bring it's own food to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Who can blame them? America has enough problem with terrorists as it is. We don't need to get involved with this new form of Chinese bio-terrorism.

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China sends troops to diaster hit areas

Chinese President Hu Jintao has ordered all of the country's military forces to continue to support the reconstruction work in disaster-hit areas.

Armed forces should actively participate in the reconstruction of disaster-hit areas to help locals get their lives back to normal, according to a circular jointly issued by the General Staff Headquarters and the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

They should help local government to provide enough food, clothing, shelter and transport to victims, it said. Local troops that were affected by the snow disaster should be helped as well in their own reconstructions.

Nanjing Military Command has sent 10,000 soldiers to the eastern Jiangxi Province to carry out power system maintenance and reconstruction.

Chengdu Military Command has sent 5,000 soldiers and officers, 100 trucks and three helicopters to repair and rebuild power systems and restore transport in the southwestern Guizhou Province.

The Second Artillery Corps currently has 300 electronic engineers repairing the transmission line in the central Hunan Province.

By Feb. 11, China's military had sent 6.43 million soldiers and officers and 18.69 million militia to help in the reconstruction.

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This article is very significant to China because as you could see by the volume of people that China sent to the diaster areas, the government said they sent 6.43 millon troops to the hit areas to help clean up and bebuild all that has been lost, this shows that china responds quickly to major diasters going on inside China.

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Chinese Winter Wonderland

The severe winter weather that has caused chaos in China in recent weeks has cost the economy more than $15bn (£7.6bn), says the Chinese government.

Homes, businesses and crops across the country have been damaged by the heavy snowfall, which is the worst China has experienced in five decades.

In addition, electricity and water supplies have been cut and rail services have had to be suspended.

The freak snowstorms have killed at least 107 people across the country.

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The severe snow storms in China is expected to cost 15 billion dollars. 107 people died because of the storm, 90,000 square miles of farmland was damaged and millions of insurance claims are pending. Electric workers are struggling to repair power supplies in most of the country.

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China "Regrets" Spielberg Action

China has expressed regret over film director Steven Spielberg's decision to pull out as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics over the Darfur issue.

The foreign ministry said "ulterior motives" may be behind criticism of its links with Sudan.
The director said his conscience would not allow him to continue in his role.

China has strong economic and military ties with Sudan, which campaigners say it should use to put pressure on Khartoum to resolve the Darfur crisis.

A UK newspaper has published a letter from 80 Nobel laureates and artists urging Beijing to help end the conflict.

Mr Spielberg's announcement late on Tuesday is Beijing's first big setback in staging the Olympics, analysts say.

The renowned director, who had been brought in as artistic adviser for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games, said his conscience would not allow him to continue in the role.

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Steven Spielberg, who was once a strong supporter and even the artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics, but he has now decided to back out. Due to the fact that China is not doing enough to solve the problem in China's strong economic and military partner Sudan, having to do with Darfur. The Chinese say this is the first set back for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

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China's dilemma over Darfur

China has worked hard over the past few months to show it is doing all it can to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.

It has appointed a special envoy, sent peacekeeping troops to the region and embarked on a publicity campaign to persuade others it is being responsible.

This was done in part to prevent anyone linking China's close relationship with Sudan to the Olympics Games.

But for Steven Spielberg it was still not enough.

His decision to withdraw as artistic adviser to the Games' opening and closing ceremonies will be seen as a huge blow.

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Beijing and Khartoum have always had economic and military ties, and now, there is a crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. China imports two thirds of Sudanese oil estimated at 500,000 barrels a day. China is also Sudan's largest arms supplier, indirectly linking China to this crisis. China wants to be seen as a "responsible" nation because of the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing. However, Steven Spielberg thinks China isn't doing enough to resolve the crisis and has withdrawn as the artistic advisor for the Olympics.

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China dumpling factory exonerated

Inspectors say they found no problems at a Chinese factory making dumplings which poisoned at least 10 people and put a girl in a coma in Japan.

A group from Japan toured the Tianyang Foods factory in Hebei province on Wednesday and reported that it was clean and well-maintained.

Japan has said the product may have been contaminated deliberately.

A senior Chinese official has said that activists opposed to improved Chinese relations with Japan could be to blame.

The case has caused huge media interest and public alarm in Japan, where dumplings are a popular product.

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An inspection group from Japan toured the manufacturing facilities of the dumplings and confirmed that the place was very clean. The Japanese believe the dumplings may have been deliberately poisoned because of the upcoming of the "eve on the Lunar New Year" in China; a time when millions of Chinese people will eat dumplings. Maybe this actually was an act of terrorism.

China's fear of Inflation!

Jan 31st 2008

Efforts to cool the economy may undo crucial reforms
Faced with rising consumer prices and signs of runaway growth.

The Chinese Communist Party in November issued a strongly worded statement vowing to stem inflation and slow investment.

At the time market players paid scant attention to it. But as the State Council's increasingly stringent policies show no signs of letting up even in the face of global financial turmoil, players in China's property and equity markets are at last waking up to the harsher reality.

In recent weeks both housing and stock prices have started to retreat from their irrationally exuberant highs.

Chinese policymakers, however, should be careful of what they wish for.

Falling asset prices could bring back an old problem that many thought had been conquered: bad debts in the banking system. Meanwhile, inflation is reviving throwback elements of state economic planning.

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As many people know China's economy is in a massive boom and growth had been through the roof, but the chinese government is fearful, they are afraid of inflation, which could set back they're recent economic boom back dramasticly stock prices have begin to fall as well as the housing market inside China, The China blog will be watching this situation very carefully in the coming months and will report back.

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Chinese Take Out

This is another cartoon about the epic saga of harmful Chinese goods. The goods do a lot more harm than help to the customers as seen above. Examples include choking on toys and being killed by toxins in toothpaste and dog food. While this cartoon may be a little farfetched, the Chinese goods still pose as a serious safety issue. In recent news, Chinese dumplings have caused illness in dozens of Japanese citizens.

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Taiwan set to hold UN referendums

Taiwan will hold two referendums next month on joining the United Nations, the island's election commission says.
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The commission's secretary-general, Teng Tien-yu, said the votes would be held on 22 March, the same day as the forthcoming presidential election.

The two referendums have been proposed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang.

Taiwan has no seat at the UN, having lost it to China in 1971. Its attempts to regain membership have been blocked.

Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government fled to the island as the Communist Party swept to power.

The island's latest attempt to rejoin the UN, for the first time under the name Taiwan, was blocked in September.

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This article is very importaint to China because Taiwan has been claimed by China since the end of the Civil War in 1949 and Taiwan hasn't had a seat in the UN since 1971 due to China blocking it's membership. Taiwan wishes to change this. On March 22 when they vote not only for the president but they also vote to see if want to rejoin the UN.

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Rotten Food: Poisoned on Purpose?

Dumplings poisoned 'on purpose.'

Chinese dumplings which were laced with pesticide and made at least 10 Japanese people ill were probably poisoned on purpose, Japan's health minister says.
The frozen dumplings were contaminated with a highly toxic organophoshate pesticide methamidophos.

"Judging from the circumstantial evidence, we'd have to think that it's highly likely to be a crime," Yoichi Masuzoe told reporters.

The issue has triggered intensive media coverage and public alarm in Japan. Japanese police say they want to work with their Chinese counterparts to investigate how the dumplings, known as gyoza in Japan, were poisoned.

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Japanese officials now believe that the toxins found in the Chinese made dumplings were put there intentionally because of circumstantial evidence. China, however, still denies that the dumplings are unsafe at all, but they recalled the product anyway. Could this be the beginning of terrorist activities in China? Causing the illness of ten Japanese people could be a very serious biological terrorist attack.

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China Frees Hong Kong Journalist

A Hong Kong journalist who was jailed in mainland China on spying charges has been released after serving less than half a five-year sentence.

Ching Cheong was detained in 2005 and sentenced to five years in jail in a case that angered human rights groups.

Chinese officials accused him of buying information and passing it to Taiwan - charges his family and his employer, Singapore's Straits Times, rejected.

He is now returning to Hong Kong to spend Lunar New Year with his family.

The Hong Kong Journalists' Association said the terms of his sudden, unexpected release are not yet known, and it is unclear whether he will have his full political rights restored.

"We are glad that Ching Cheong has been released early," said the association's general secretary Mak Yin-ting.

"But we regret that while he was innocent he was still put in jail and we hope it won't happen again."

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This article is significant to China because, as you can see the Chinese held Ching Cheong a journalist for Singapore's Strait Times. They arrested him because he was suspected to be spying on China's political, economical and military affairs and giving that information to the Taiwan government. In reality he was only trying to collect documents on the former leader of China Zhao Ziyang. China has yet to say why he was relesed early but his family is glad to have him home for Chinese new year.

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