Chinese "Twitter" Enhance Public's Supervision of Gov't

In China, the website weibo.com has gathered more than 140 million users since it was allowed to get online 2 years ago. In Chinese, weibo means microblog. Just like twitter, people can tweet or retweet short message on the site and follow other people. Message can spread very soon in short time.

A decade ago, the most favored medium for Chinese people to air their complaints was perhaps through the state-owned China Central Television network.

However, the Internet has superseded television as the most popular means for the airing of discontent, with microblogs leading the charge.

Microblogs came to prominence in China just two years ago, but have exploded in popularity. Sina Weibo, one of the country's most popular microblog providers, has allowed the country's citizens to supervise - and criticize - China's government in ways that were never thought possible before.

In comparison to microblogs, traditional media entities face technical and systematic restrictions in their efforts to observe and supervise the government. The Internet and its vast number of microbloggers are now able to make up for this deficiency, according to Zhan Jiang, a professor of journalism at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Microblogs make it easy for people to speak their thoughts in real-time, essentially making their public voices louder, according to Professor Zhan.

Sina Weibo was launched in August 2009. Since then, it has attracted more than 140 million registered users, with the number expected to exceed 200 million by the end of this year, according to the company.

Microblogging services enjoyed "explosive growth" in the first six months of this year, with the number of registered microblog users surging by 208.9 percent to reach 195 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

WIRED WATCHDOGS

A 2010 report quoted by the Beijing-based newspaper International Herald Leader said that more than one-fifth of the 50 most-discussed public events in 2010 were first reported on by microbloggers.

Traditional media outlets have blind spots in performing their role as "society's watchdog." However, microblogs have allowed ordinary citizens to fill in these gaps.

During the recent crises of confidence faced by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and Beijing's Palace Museum, microbloggers were the first to report on the scandals. Traditional media outlets scrambled to cover the stories after they broke online.

The RCSC came under fire following a scandal revolving around a young woman calling herself "Guo Meimei." The woman claimed to be a general manager for "Red Cross Commerce," a group that the RCSC said does not exist.

The woman posted photos on her microblog detailing her lavish lifestyle, provoking the ire of netizens who speculated that she might have funded her extravagant purchases by embezzling money from the Red Cross Society.

The Palace Museum was thrown into the spotlight after microbloggers accused it of concealing an incident in which an antique was damaged by a testing instrument due to an operational error.

Xie Yungeng, an expert on media economics and management at Shanghai Jiaotong University, said many officials are unaware of the powerful influence of microblogs. "They lack an awareness of new media. They are too arrogant to care."

BOOSTING TRANSPARENCY

Perhaps the greatest example of the power of the country's microbloggers came after last month's fatal high-speed train crash in the eastern city of Wenzhou. Forty people were killed in the accident.

Netizens took to their keyboards to express outrage over the way China's railway authorities handled the accident, while others offered condolences to the victims.

Following the public outcry, government authorities promised an "open and transparent" investigation regarding the cause of the crash, as well as increased safety checks for high-speed railways and slower operating speeds for high-speed trains.

The general offices of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, and the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued a circular 10 days after the crash, stating that information on major emergencies and items of public concern, such as government efforts and the results of official investigations, should be released to the public in an "objective and timely manner."

The People's Daily, the CPC's flagship newspaper, urged officials to answer questions from Internet users in a timely and accurate fashion and to brush up on their online communication skills in a recent article titled "How to Speak in the Microblog Era."

The article encouraged officials to address public concerns through online platforms and not to shy away from answering thorny questions. "Online performance reflects an official's all-around capability," the article said.

However, a survey quoted by the Guangzhou Daily newspaper earlier this week showed that 80 percent of the country's microblog users have doubts regarding the authenticity of information posted on microblogging sites.

Of the survey's 2,960 respondents, one-third believe that there is too much "negative and worthless information" posted on microblogs, while over 11 percent argued that the authenticity of the information posted on microblogs is difficult for most people to verify.

Man Commits Suicide by Subway in Shanghai

In Shanghai, a middle-age man died Sunday morning after jumping off a subway platform and being struck by a moving subway car, local police said.

According to eyewitness accounts and footage from the subway station's security cameras, a man jumped onto the tracks at the Yishan Road subway station at 6:45 a.m. He was hit by a train approaching the station and died after being rushed to a local hospital.

Police have not been able to identify the man, but initial probes indicate that the death was a suicide。

Farmer Jailed for Assisting Friend Suicide

Zhong Yichun was an elderly farmer from east China's Jiangxi Province. He never expected that helping his friend Zeng Qingxiang to commit suicide would bring him a two-year prison sentence.

Zhong buried Zeng last October as part of an agreement they made regarding Zeng's suicide. Zeng overdosed on sleeping pills and laid in a hole in the ground; Zhong called out to him 15 minutes later to ensure that he was dead before burying him.

A police investigation showed that Zeng suffered from a mental illness and had begged Zhong to help him commit suicide several times.

In May of this year, the Longnan County People's Court sentenced Zhong to two years in prison after convicting him of criminal negligence resulting in the death of another person.

Zhong did not confirm Zeng was dead before burying, the court found. An autopsy report showed that Zeng died from suffocation instead of from an overdose of sleeping pills, which meant that he was still alive when he was buried.

Zhong insisted on his innocence and appealed the sentence. However, the Intermediate People's Court in the city of Ganzhou rejected his appeal earlier this month.

The case has aroused a nationwide discussion on euthanasia. In China, euthanasia is prohibited by law. In Zhong's case, it didn't matter whether or not he had a criminal motive to kill Zeng, as his legal punishment would've been doled out regardless of his intent.

However, the center of the debate revolves around the definition of Zhong's behavior - was it a case of intentional homicide, or simple negligence?

Zhong's case reflects one of the key concerns regarding euthanasia shared around the world.

Governments in the Netherlands, Belgium and some states in the United States have legalized assisted suicide. However, most governments regard it as a form of criminal homicide.

Even in the Netherlands and Belgium, it is still technically considered to be homicide, although it is not prosecutable if the doctor meets certain legal conditions.

The Supreme Court of India ruled in March that hospitals may offer "passive euthanasia" to patients with terminal diseases under the supervision of courts. The ruling marked the first time for euthanasia to be legally permitted in India.

"If euthanasia can be accepted by the general public, it is an advancement of both society and morality," said Ma Xuesong, a scholar from the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

Ma said the gap between China and places that legalized euthanasia lies in the quality of medical service and legislation.

Euthanasia, a very complicated issue that involves many factors such as jurisprudence, ethics and medical technology, is difficult to handle in practice.

Some experts argue that China is not prepared or mature enough to legalize euthanasia.

Lin Cunbao, chief partner of the Baohui law firm in Guangdong, said those who are against euthanasia hold the view that the right to life is above other considerations.

Yan Sanzhong, director of the Department of Law at Jiangxi Normal University, said China should analyze the basic principles of its criminal law and take steps to gradually promote the legalization of euthanasia.

"China should first accumulate judicial experience in handling cases regarding euthanasia. The Supreme Court can then come up with judicial interpretations and guidance and finally legalize euthanasia at the proper time," said Yang.

Whose mum is this girl?

This old woman want to give her husband a surprise. So she asked her daughter to do something on her face.

Taiwan's former leader dehydrated over hunger strike

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian was hospitalized for dehydration Saturday, a hospital official said, after he went on a two-day hunger strike to protest his detention over graft charges.

Television footage showed police officers moving a pale-looking Chen, with his eyes closed, on a gurney into the Taipei County Hospital in Banciao in suburban Taipei.

Tucheng Detention Center -- where Chen has been held since November on corruption charges -- said in a statement that Chen was transferred to the hospital after he showed signs of dehydration Saturday morning. It said he refused water and solid food for two days.

The hospital's Deputy Superintendent Yang Chang-bin told reporters that Chen was suffering from "slight dehydration" but was conscious and had cooperated with medical staff.

Chen vowed earlier this week to go on a hunger strike to protest his detention. He previously went on two other hunger strikes in jail, but ended them after his wife and family pleaded with him to preserve his strength.

The 58-year-old Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen are standing trial on charges of embezzling NT$104 million ($3.15 million) while in power, receiving bribes worth at least $9 million in US currency in connection with a land deal, and laundering part of the funds by wiring the money to Swiss bank accounts.

The couple was indicted on new graft charges earlier this week. Prosecutors said they also took NT$290 million ($8.8 million) in bribes from 2002 to 2005 from a local banker.

Chen may face life in prison if convicted.

Yang recommended that Chen stay in the hospital for an unspecified period of time for further monitoring.

He said they will be examining Chen for his "complaint of angina." Local media had reported earlier this week that Chen complained in court about suffering from the heart condition.

Mainland's first H1N1 flu case

The country is on high alert after the first case of H1N1 flu on the mainland was confirmed Monday and the authorities began isolating people who might have had contact with the patient.

A 30-year-old Chinese man surnamed Bao, who returned from the United States over the weekend, tested positive for A (H1N1) influenza, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told a press conference. He is reported to be in a stable condition.

Bao is the second confirmed case of the epidemic in China. On May 1, a 25-year-old Mexican man tested positive in Hong Kong.

State leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Monday called for stepped-up vigilance and action.

The State Council, or the Cabinet, which held a meeting to discuss further steps to prevent the spread of the disease, said strict quarantine measures must be applied to people, goods and vehicles entering the nation from countries that have reported H1N1 cases.

Epidemic monitoring and reporting systems will be strengthened for early discovery and timely treatment, it added.

Bao, a student at the University of Missouri, flew from St Louis to Tokyo on Friday. He took flight NW029 and landed in Beijing on Saturday before catching flight 3U8882 to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, the same day.

He showed flu symptoms during the domestic flight and after reaching Chengdu, took a taxi to a hospital for a check-up, and tested positive for the virus. He was later shifted to the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital, the Sichuan health department said.

The cabin crew, Bao's girlfriend and father as well as the taxi driver who took him to hospital have been isolated for further observation.

"Bao's temperature has fallen to normal," Mao Qun'an, MOH spokesman, said Monday. "He is recovering and in a stable condition."

The authorities are "doing their utmost" to locate all the people who had close contact with the patient, including 233 passengers on the Tokyo-Beijing flight and 150 on the Beijing-Chengdu flight.

The government has launched a nationwide hunt, sending mobile phone text messages and issuing public announcements in both Chinese and English to locate the passengers.

Of the 233 passengers who flew from Tokyo to Beijing, 106 were foreigners, including 25 Japanese, said Deng Haihua, a Ministry of Health spokesman.

The Sichuan health department said Monday that it had tracked down 138 of the 150 passengers on the domestic flight and placed them under medical observation.

Experts have urged the government to raise the alert level and enhance quarantine measures at domestic transportation terminals.

But Deng said the confirmed case is "an individual import", and the ministry has not found any patients who contracted the flu in the country.

The current priority is still to enhance tracking, checking and quarantining those who had close contact with the infected, Deng added.

"We have the situation under control."

Guan Yi, a microbiology professor at University of Hong Kong, said: "China is a densely populated country with insufficient public health infrastructure, which means many problems and difficulties will arise along with a worsening epidemic."

For example, he said, the government has to formulate a detailed medicine distribution plan to suit different epidemic situations.

He also suggested the central government have temperature checks at railway stations and long-distance bus terminals in addition to airports.

Hong Kong started temperature checks at its airport on April 28.

Thirty countries have reported 4,694 cases, including 53 deaths, the WHO said Monday. The number of cases on Sunday was 4,379. Mexico has reported 1,626 human cases, including 48 deaths. The United States has reported 2,532 human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 284 cases, including one death.

Beijing looks to dampen demand for scarce water

Cheap water may start to dry up in arid Beijing as the city considers raising its price to consumers in a bid to dampen demand.

The city says it needs to pull the plug on heavy consumption because of a five-year delay in a major water diversion project that was to have brought ample supplies to the thirsty city.

"The current prices are not sustainable for a water-scarce city like Beijing," said Professor Wang Dangxian, a researcher with the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

"Raising the water prices in Beijing has practical needs," said Wang, who said water costs Beijing residents only about one-fifth of the amount paid by residents of the world's other major cities.

As a short-term fix, Beijing brought in around 225 million tons of clean water from Hebei province before the Beijing Olympic Games last year.

The city paid 600 million yuan ($88 million) for the water but did not raise prices for the consumer.

However, the city has been looking for long-term solutions and hopes to import 1 billion tons of clean water each year from the Yangtze River.

Beijing has now heard that the project, expected to be completed next year, will not flow until 2014.

The reason for the delay is thought to be related to the redistribution of water and relocation of residents along the 1,400-km channel that will link Central China's Hubei province with Beijing, Tianjin and neighboring provinces.

Following news of the delay, policymakers have been drawing up plans to conserve water in Beijing, including the expansion of surface and underground reservoirs and the raising of water prices for domestic and commercial users.

Cheng Jing, head of Beijing's water resources bureau, said on Sunday the city will raise its water price this year for the fifth time since 2001 in a bid to promote conservation.

Heavy users such as car-washes and saunas will continue to be charged at a new, higher, rate while industrial users will likely have limits placed upon them.

Other water-scarce cities, including Shanghai and Shenyang, have recently decided to put a higher price tag on clean water.

"Beijing is one of the most water-scarce cities in China, but it has built up one of the most advanced networks of diverse water sources, including surface and underground resources, to safeguard the security of supply," said Zhang Shouquan, deputy director of the Beijing water resources bureau, in an earlier interview with China Daily.

10 killed in road accident in southwest China

A road accident involving a truck and a motor tricycle in southwest China's Yunnan Province has claimed the lives of 10 people, the provincial public security department said Tuesday.

The accident occurred at 8:34 a.m. Monday in Lushui County when the truck loaded with lumber and the motor tricycle with 10 people on board collided head-on.

The motor tricycle then fell about 320 meters off the cliff, killing the six men and four women on board. The vehicle was destroyed. (May 12)

S. China City axes plans to ban pole dancing

DONGGUAN, Guangdong: Karaoke clubs and bar owners in this industrial hub were celebrating Monday after a potential ban on pole dancing was deleted from a new regulation.

Bosses had feared the worst when an initial draft of a new local government rule for entertainment and recreational venues barred the performances.

But the move was scrapped for the final version, which was released at the weekend.

"The initial draft to disallow pole dancing aimed to nip erotic performances in the bud," said an official surnamed Wei at the culture, broadcasting and press bureau. "But we've found no law in China that forbids pole dancing, so we decided to delete the very stipulation."

The new regulation will be in force for five years and the U-turn over the ban will be a massive boon for entertainment companies in the city, which is in Guangdong province, an area already seriously affected by the global financial crisis.

Liang Shao'ai, who runs a karaoke bar in nearby Chang'an town, was ecstatic.

He told China Daily Monday: "Pole dancing is very popular among the youth here. If the performances were not allowed our business would definitely be hit.

"Pole dancing is not an erotic performance. It is a healthy performance as long as the organizer does not make it erotic.

"At least we don't need to reshape our facility or think up new acts to attract customers. You know, the business this year is much poorer than before."

Wei said the regulation has other aspects that will prevent any erotic performances at the city's venues, including a detailed stipulation to make "all balconies transparent" to people on the street outside.

The local government will also launch a crackdown on some 200 unlicensed facilities this year, targeting illegal performances, venues with safety issues and infringements on intellectual property rights by karaoke bars.

China Map

Map of China

Notice:Taiwan is a part of China. There is only one China.