Beijing Today (January 16, 2004)

26.5 MB·English

by  Beijing Youth Daily Group

“When you perform in other villages, The coach’s decision to send the “I am happy to win the Women’s World
people often ask you to play pop music four national team members home Cup with my team, but personally, I am
and other songs.” Page 10 aroused a storm of controversy. happier to get the title of world’s best
Page 6 setter.” Page 9
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 2004 NO. 138 CN11-0120 HTTP://BJTODAY.YNET.COM
Season’s Greetings!
By Xiao Rong The second part focuses on top- Opera performer, made his reputa-
To mark the coming Chinese lu- ical feature stories. You can read tion in the role of Monkey King.
nar New Year, Beijing Today is pub- about talented foreign contestants As the coming year is the Year of
lishing a 24-page Spring Festival in the “2004 Arts from Our Land the Monkey, the third section tells
Special. Competition.” You can also learn you everything you ever wanted to
In the first part of our holiday about how local expats get the most know about monkeys and more.
special, we present information out of the traditional holiday. There Enjoy our holiday special and the
about dining, shopping, what’s on is also a run down on how Bei- coming Year of Monkey.
and special holiday activities, such jingers pray for New Year’s bless- Happy Spring Festival!
as traditional and modern temple ings. And you may be interested to Beijing Today will resume publi-
fairs. read about how Li Guang, a Peking cation on January 30.
Beijing Comes to Paris
By Su Wei something special for its cele- ture in France, which was pro- “With the development of
C
hen Xiaomei says she bration.” posed by top leaders of the two Sino-French ties in mind,
can think of no more Including Chen Xiaomei, a countries in 1999 and 2000 and three major events will be
exciting a way of resident of Xuanwu District, kicked off last October. held this year and the Chi-
celebrating her 50th Beijing, the parade will feature The opening ceremony of na-France Culture Year will
birthday on January 24 than 720 Chinese, including farm- the Culture Week featured continue. This year sees the
performing yangge, a Chinese ers, retired workers and school a photography exhibition on 40th anniversary of the estab-
folk dance, in a parade on the students as well as Peking op- Beijing’s history, with 86 pho- lishment of diplomatic ties be-
Champs Elysees in Paris. era performances, dragon and tos taken by French photogra- tween the two countries and
Deputy mayor of Paris, lion dances, martial arts show phers Albert Kahn and Herve in three weeks time, a series
Cell Pierre Schapira, was quoted and acrobatics. Bruhat. of commemorative activities
Paranoia
in local media as saying, “We The Beijing Culture Week Other programs include will be held in France. Chi-
believe that during the Year in Paris is the largest overseas television exchange between nese leaders will also visit
Phone of Chinese Culture, which is culture exchange that Beijing Beijing and Paris, a trade fair, France this year,” said China’s
currently underway in France, has ever organized. It is a key a book show and a cross-coun- ambassador to France, Zhao
the city of Paris should have part of the Year of Chinese Cul- try motor rally. Jianjun.
Hit movie triggers war of the sexes
By Sun Ming ever, Yan is betrayed by his cell
“Don’t take your wife phone records and messages.
or girlfriend to see “After watching the fi lm, people
Cell Phone, you’ll be become eager to check their part-
in trouble if you do!” The warn- ner’s cell phone for call records or
ing, only half joking, has become to browse through their short mes-
a commonly heard idiom among sages. They want to discover the
Chinese men who have seen the secrets behind their partner’s cell
popular new movie. phone,” Beijing Star Daily report-
Whether such concern is ex- ed last Tuesday.
aggerated or not, the movie Cell Liu Gang (a pseudonym) an
Phone (Shouji) has certainly be- employee of a computer company
come a hot conversation topic. in Zhongguancun, complained to
Last Friday, Beijing Today re- Beijing Today Monday that his
ported an incident in Tianjin, in wife has been “enlightened” by
which a couple, after watching the movie and says he regrets
the fi lm, got into a heated argu- taking her to see it.
ment that ended with the hus- “We got along well with each
band throwing his cell phone at other before, but we often quarrel
his wife’s head. The blow landed since seeing the movie. She has
her in hospital with a mild con- begun to check my cell phone!”
cussion. said Liu.
Some describe the fi lm, di- However, Liu’s wife Wei Xin
rected by Feng Xiaogang, as a “hor- (also a pseudonym) maintained
ror movie,” because it supposedly she is being reasonable when
makes women suspicious about she gave her side of the story to
their husband or boyfriend’s activi- Beijing Today on Tuesday.
ties, creates tension among couples “Sometimes he looked ner-
and even ignites family warfare! vous when his cell phone rang at
Unlike the usual New Year’s home. I didn’t really pay any at-
fi lms, which are generally char- tention to this before, but I be-
acterized by their light, feel-good came more alert after watching
themes, Cell Phone addresses some Cell Phone,” she said, “Like Yan
serious and quite disturbing Shouyi, my husband also often
themes. Up to January 7, the says he is in a meeting when I
national box-offi ce take for Cell call his cell phone.”
Phone, which opened on December Zhao Lin, 35, a laid-off worker,
17, had reached 45 million yuan. told Beijing Today Tuesday that Xuanwu District residents rehearse yangge folk dance at Guang’an Stadium on January 6. Photo by Liu Ping
Phone trickery before watching the fi lm, she had
Yan Shouyi (Ge You), is the no idea as to why she always
host of a TV talk show program. heard the recording “the person tricks to deceive her husband or from his movie, Feng responded fect a marriage unless there are legitimately required by police or
He uses various tricks with his you called cannot be reached” when friends. “Cell phones are high-tech that he wasn’t surprised at all. already major problems,” Li told court offi cials.
cell phone throughout the movie she called her husband’s cell phone. products. They bring convenience Feng explained that cell phones Beijing Star Daily last Tuesday. In another scene, Yan’s niece
in order to hide his secret love af- “I’m not sure whether my husband to your life, but also mean that have a very close relation with Artistic license claims that there is a new service
fair from his wife. has ever played the same tricks on you can be easily found, no matter people and many people own one. China Mobile, the country’s to reveal the precise location of
He takes the battery out to me,” she said. where you are,” says Jia, “We all According to the Ministry of In- biggest mobile business operator, a cell phone user. Even the room
make him “unable to be reached,” Jia Lihua (pseudonym), a col- need a bit of privacy.” formation Industry, the number held a news conference last Fri- the person is in could be iden-
and uses such excuses as being lege teacher in Beijing, says she Don’t take it seriously of mobile phone subscribers in day in Beijing to debunk two plot tifi ed. China Mobile said that
in the subway or an elevator to thinks that Cell Phone is very re- “Don’t take the fi lm too seri- China reached 260 million by the devices used in the fi lm. with currently available tech-
cover his “disappearance.” He de- alistic, which explains the wide- ously. But watch your behavior end of 2003. In the movie, Shen Xue (Xiu nology, the location of a mobile
letes incriminating messages be- spread reaction to it. “Some of afterward. If the fi lm dispels Li Mingshun, a marriage law Fan), Yan’s fi ancee obtained his cell phone (and presumably, the per-
fore he gets home, and tells his my friends and colleagues often what I call toxic factors, without expert with the China Law So- phone records at a mobile business son holding it) could only be de-
wife he is in a meeting if she calls use their cell phones to play sim- igniting an explosion, that would ciety, commented that couples site by simply producing her own termined to within 200 meters.
him while he is with his lover. And ilar tricks on their wife or hus- be ideal,” director of the fi lm Feng should be loyal to each other, but ID card. China Mobile said its us-
he often pretends the connection band,” Jia told Beijing Today on Xiaogang, told Beijing Star Daily that did not mean there should ers could rest assured that their EXECUTIVE EDITOR: ZHANG XIAOXIA
is bad and that he is unable to Tuesday. last Tuesday. be no privacy between them. “I private information would not be EDITOR: XIAO RONG
hear the caller. Eventually, how- Jia says she, too, has used such As to the crisis of trust aroused don’t think that a movie will af- disclosed to a third party, unless DESIGNER: LI SHI
■Under the auspices of the Information Office of Beijing Municipal Government ■Run by Beijing Youth Daily ■President: Zhang Yanping ■Editor in Chief: Zhang Yabin ■Executive Deputy Editor in Chief: He Pingping ■Direc-
tor of the Editorial Department: Liu Feng ■Price: 2 yuan per issue ■26 yuan for 3 months ■Address: No.23, Building A, Baijiazhuang Dongli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China ■Zip Code: 100026 ■Telephone/Fax: (010)
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TRENDS
2 (cid:1) (cid:2)
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITORS: XIAO RONG YU SHANSHAN DESIGNER: LI SHI
Third Suspected SARS Case Confi rmed
Public Security Review
Emergency 110 calls this week led Beijing
police to apprehend 94 people suspected of
committing crimes.
A 35-year-old man was con- Hospital on January 6. He was trans- On January 8, a 20-year-old restau- who had contact with the suspected Among the criminal cases reported this
fi rmed Monday afternoon as ferred to the No. 8 People’s Hospital rant waitress was confi rmed to be a sus- SARS case were also under close med- week, the number of pickpocket offences
the third new suspected SARS on January 9 and is currently receiv- pected SARS case in Guangzhou. ical observation. increased by 68 percent over last week.
case in China’s mainland, according ing treatment there. The woman from central Henan A 32-year-old freelance TV worker Taking advantage of the increasing fl ow
to the Guangdong Provincial Health Doctors said that the patient was Province reported symptoms of fever on in Guangdong who was the fi rst con- of travellers in the lead up to Spring Festi-
Department. currently recovering and was likely December 26 and is now under quar- fi rmed SARS patient in China’s main- val, some criminals have concentrated their
The man reported symptoms of to be allowed to leave the hospital in antine and receiving treatment in the land since the spring outbreak of the activities at railway stations, bus stations
fever on December 31 and was sent a few days, if he showed no further Guangzhou No. 8 People’s Hospital. epidemic in 2003, has been discharged and on transport lines.
to the Guangdong Provincial People’s symptoms. Meanwhile, a further 52 people from the hospital. (Xinhua News) Police warn that when travellers board
buses and trains, they tend to pay atten-
tion to the packages in their hands, forget-
Shrimp and ting about their mobile phones, wallets and
other items on their person. Criminals also
pick up packages when the owner is taking
Furniture
a nap or talking.
Other criminal activities include scalp-
ing train tickets, which are in hot demand
Producers Contest
by migrant laborers and students leave
Beijing for their homes.
US Anti-Dumping Beijing Railway Police have launched a
campaign against scalpers, and since last
December, have caught 377 scalpers and
Suits
destroyed 16 illegal ticket-selling stands.
By Yu Shanshan House Purchase
Chinese furniture manufacturers and
shrimp producers are condemning recent
Contract Amended
US anti-dumping measures.
The US International Trade Commis-
sion (ITC), in a 6-0 vote, ruled last Friday
By Wang Xiaoxiao
that Chinese manufacturers are dump-
The Beijing Municipal Administration of
ing bedroom furniture in the US market
State Land, Resources and Housing has adjusted
at unfairly low prices and damaging US
the regulations governing contracts for the
producers.
sale and purchase of commercial houses, it
The ITC’s ruling requires the US Com-
announced recently.
merce Department to start an investiga-
tion to determine an appropriate level Yandaixie Jie at Shishahai Photo by Photocome According to the administration, the changes
are aimed at coordinating with a regulation
of offsetting duties. The ITC will then Shishahai Renovation Set to Start
issued on December 1 last year that the area
hold a fi nal hearing mid-year and issue
of presold commercial houses should be priced
an injury determination in autumn this
according to the actual building area, as opposed
year.
to the fl oor space.
Twenty-seven US companies and four By Yu Shanshan (UNESCO), Yandaixie Jie is to be two stories, with a maximum height
unions in Virginia, North Carolina and 12 Director of Shishahai admin- turned into a traditional culture of nine meters. The confi rmation of area and the management
of related disputes should both refer to the construc-
other states have asked for duties from istration commission Lin Yi and trade street. Di’anmen Store will be demolished
tion area.
158 percent to 441 percent to offset what told the Beijing News The area covered by the plan to make way for a complex for tour-
The management of errors in the estimation
they claim to be dumping by 135 Chinese Monday that the fi rst phase of a ren- totals 69,000 square meters, and ism, restaurants, shopping and enter-
of the area should also refer to the construction
furniture manufacturers. ovation plan for Shishahai has been extends south from Gulouxi Dajie tainment.
area. If the error is greater than three percent,
Chinese furniture makers say the US settled. Yandaixie Jie will be the fi rst to Houmen Bridge, and west from Some one story residential build-
the buyer has the right to a refund.
manufacturing industry will not derive street to undergo refurbishment. Di’anmenwai Dajie to Houhai, ings on both sides of Yinding Bridge
Other changes stipulate delivery terms and
any benefi t from the dumping charges. Yandaixie Jie was a fl ourishing including Xiaoshibei and Dashibei will also be removed this year. More
preconditions of moving in. Only when all pre-
“Even if the high duty is imposed, commercial street at the end of the hutongs. grass areas will be added in front
conditions for moving in are all satisfi ed can the
no jobs would be created for the US Qing Dynasty and during the early All buildings over two stories of Guangfu Guan, east of Qianhai,
customers move into the new house. Also, the
industry,” said Liu Shande, manager of Republic of China. But now, the street will be demolished and there will and along the north bank of Beihai,
content of property services is to be added as an
Guangdong-based Jixiang Wood Products contains a mixture of shops restau- be a height limit of three meters west of Yinding Bridge.
attachment to the contract.
Company. rants and bars, and private houses. for one storey and six meters for Almost one third of the resi-
Although the contract is still not perfect, it
Orders would shift from China to According to the plan, the result two storey buildings. Buildings in dents in Yandaixie Jie will be relo-
now better protects the interests of house pur-
other countries like Malaysia, the Philip- of a cooperation project between Dashibei and Xiaoshibei hutongs cated, according to Lin. For those
chasers and owners, according to the adminis-
pines and Vietnam, he told Xinhua News the municipal government and the will be limited to one story. who remain, the government will
tration.
Agency. United Nations Educational, Sci- Buildings in Di’anmenwai and allocate money for the renovation
Deng Zemin, a lawyer with Yingdao Law
However, Liu said many Chinese jobs entifi c and Cultural Organization Gulouxi streets will be limited to of their homes.
Offi ce commented that all house purchasers
would be lost because of the unfair deci-
should pay attention to the blanks in the con-
sion.
tract. All blanks should be fi lled out after care-
Although declining to offer the com- Launch of ceed,” he said. China Considers ful negotiation. When some blanks have already
pany’s prices for exports, Liu said the The administration has a been fi lled by the developers, the buyer should
exported furniture make more profi ts mandate to decide whether to Measures against check in case of later disputes.
than those sold domestically. Anti-monopoly approve large-scale corporate
“We are not dumping. We export acquisitions within 90 working Service Industry
because the products can sell at higher days of receiving the application. Bird Flu
prices than at home,” he said. Agency Due It is also responsible for reg-
Meanwhile over 20 Chinese shrimp ularly publishing a list of oper- Convention Scheduled
producers are challenging a petition fi led ators that have “a dominant With an outbreak of bird fl u spread-
on December 31 by US competitors that market share.” ing through South Korea, Japan and
claims six countries, including China, had A national anti-monopoly Members of the agency will be Vietnam, Chinese authorities are pre- By Xiao Rong
dumped shrimp on the US market at administration is to be set up selected from professionals with paring to impose a ban on the import of The fi rst China International Service Indus-
below cost prices, triggering a plunge in in line with the new anti-trust broad experience in economics birds and certain goods from Japan and tries Convention and Expo is scheduled to be
the value of US-harvested shrimp from law to implement uniform com- and law, according to the offi cial. Vietnam. held from June 30 to July 3 in Beijing, the orga-
US $1.25 billion in 2000 to US $559 mil- petition rules for the Chinese Lu Fu, a professor from the Sources with the stock breeding and nizing committee announced at a press briefi ng
lion in 2002. market, a senior offi cial on China University of Political Sci- veterinary bureau under the Ministry of last Thursday.
China is expected to face the highest the law’s drafting panel said ence and Law, said the key issue Agriculture said the ban, similar to one The convention, consisting of symposiums
rate of duties – between 119 and 267 per- Monday. for the future is whether the pro- placed on birds and related products from and forums, will focus on four sectors of the ser-
cent – of the six countries named in the The agency will be estab- posed authority will have suffi - South Korea on December 22, could be vice industry, namely fi nance, logistics, tourism
suit. lished directly under the State cient power and independence to put in place within the week. and intermediary services. The exposition, to be
Chinese shrimp farmers from Guang- Council, said the offi cial, who deal with monopolies. In Guangdong Province, hygiene held at the Beijing Exhibition Center, will cover
dong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces have declined to be named. “The two elements are authorities have so far received no reports areas such as fi nancial products and services,
given notice to the ITC, via US lawyers, Drafting of the law, which has important to challenge the on infection cases, but have nevertheless modern logistics and intermediary service, and
that they intend to respond to the case. taken a decade, is expected to practices of some government imposed stringent surveillance measures, convention and exhibition services.
Shrimp exporters in Guangdong knew be completed this year and it departments that obstruct com- said Wang Zhiqiong, deputy director of Domestic and foreign government offi cials,
a year ago that the US alliance was con- will then be submitted to the petition,” he said. the provincial health bureau. leaders of major international organizations,
sidering lawsuits against Chinese shrimp National People’s Congress for The power is also necessary Meanwhile, chicken farms in and near experts and entrepreneurs will be invited to dis-
imports, and employed lawyers in Beijing, review, he said. when dealing with enterprises the province are also scrambling to take cuss the achievements and potential of China’s
Guangdong and Washington to prepare Drafting of the anti-trust with dominant market power preventive measures to prevent infection service industries.
for their case. law began in 1994, but there that often possess strong lobby- by the bird fl u virus. Jointly sponsored by the National Develop-
In a statement, an alliance of Chinese have been numerous revisions ing power, said the professor. Although the three countries are all ment and Reform Commission, the Ministry
shrimp producers said the US group’s because of controversies, However, a press offi cer from close to China, the panic in those coun- of Commerce, the China Banking Regulatory
claims were groundless, quoting a state- according to the offi cial. The a multinational company, who tries caused by bird fl u does not seem to Commission and the Beijing municipal govern-
ment by the American Seafood Distrib- drafting panel is composed of spoke on condition of anonym- have affected Chinese consumers. ment, the convention is aimed at providing a
utors Association, which said, “These offi cials in related departments ity, expressed concern about the “As the outbreak is not in China, there platform for international exchanges and coop-
countries can produce shrimp at a much and legal experts. legislation. is no reason for me to stop eating chicken,’’ eration for the upgrade of domestic service
lower cost through farming than can According to the draft code, “The company has been keep- said Beijing resident Jing Peng. industries.
(American) domestic fi shermen, who face the anti-trust administration’s ing an eye on the law drafting, According to a source with Shouhang
Northern European
very high and rapidly increasing fuel, portfolio will mainly include pol- which we fear will entitle the Guoli company, which has more than
gear, and labor costs.” icy-making, giving and with- government to limit foreign com- 30 chain stores in Beijing, the bird
“The domestic shrimp industry has drawing approval on affairs panies’ performance in China,” fl u outbreak abroad has not affected Travel Agencies Open
failed to anticipate the dramatic change related to anti-monopoly mat- she said. sales of poultry. “The chicken we sell is
in production methods from fi shing to ters, probing competition-related But the offi cial from the all domestic. People have been coming
farming,” the association added. activities of major enterprises drafting panel shrugged off and buying chicken, just as usual,’’ the By Wang Xiaoxiao
The European Union and Japan have and handling cases that violate such concerns, saying that the source said. Three northern European countries - Den-
recently clamped down on shrimp imports the anti-trust law. legislation does not target for- According to Bo Wen, of the China Cui- mark, Norway and Sweden, have opened travel
because of health concerns about antibiot- He elaborated that the anti- eign multinationals, but is sine Association, 99 per cent of restaurants service agencies recently in Beijing.
ics in farm-raised shrimp. That forced many monopoly authority under the rather aimed at guaranteeing a in the country use domestic chickens and The move follows the opening of travel agen-
exporters into the US market, and contrib- State Council will have the power fair, competitive environment. ducks. Ordinary people do not have to worry cies last year by nine other European countries
uted to the downward slide in prices. to determine the threshold of In a move to rein in adminis- about the disease, Bo said. last year, including France, Germany, Italy and
Guangdong is the most important large-scale mergers. trative monopolies, a big prob- “We have never stopped making efforts Austria.
shrimp producing area in the country. “If the enterprises involved lem for foreign companies in for the prevention of bird fl u,’’ said Li Chinese tourists will be able to travel to 12
Guangdong’s shrimp exports to the in a consolidation have a com- China, the law devotes a spe- Yan, of the Beijing station for veterinary countries in Europe from May. Negotiations on
United States are estimated to be worth bined annual sales turnover that cial chapter to regulate gov- health supervision and inspection. Such Approved Destination Status between China
US $100 million annually, which will be exceeds the determined thresh- ernment-related monopolistic efforts include the inspections of markets and other countries of the European Union
hit badly if the anti-dumping tariffs are old, then the merger will require activities, he added. where chicken and other poultry are sold, is still going on, but eventually, the whole of
imposed. the authority’s approval to pro- (Xinhua News) Li said. (Xinhua News) Europe is expected to be open to China.
DEVELOPMENT
3
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: SHAN JINLIANG DESIGNER: LI SHI
AOL Withdraws from Domestic Market Seven-Eleven Coming
to Capital
By Jill Ju
By Tony Shaw portal web services, but those ser- told China Central Television last Lenovo invested $25 million in
Competition in Beijing’s convenience store sector
China’s leading computer maker vices were never implemented. Friday that, the venture was initial- the website, but it was always far
is about to heat up now that giant Seven-Eleven is
Lenovo offi cially ended cooperation “To be frank, AOL did not under- ly aimed at becoming a portal web- from profi table and had few remain-
set to open its fi rst outlet in the Dongzhimen area.
with American Online after buying stand the actual situation in China,” site, but it was not able to carve ing employees before last week’s
“The fi rst 7-11 convenience store in Beijing will be
AOL’s 49 percent stake in FM365, a said Ma Xuezheng, Lenovo senior out a niche in competition with es- move was made. A company spokes-
opened this spring,” Seven-Eleven Beijing Corpora-
joint venture previously established vice president, in an interview with tablished portal news sites such as man announced at a press confer-
tion Deputy General Manager Li Yong told Beijing
by the two companies, last Wednes- Beijing Morning News last week, Sina and Sohu. Later, the company ence last week Lenovo would not
Youth Daily last week.
day. “which made it impossible for us to shifted its focus to education and fi - lose money in the takeover, as the
The US-based company operates the world’s
The move also marked AOL’s reach agreements.” nance, but failed to achieve success shares were bought at a price set in
largest chain of convenience store. Seven-Eleven
withdrawal from the Chinese Inter- Ma added the venture was in those areas or in its core busi- keeping with the total value of the
Beijing was granted approval to open local stores
net industry. AOL, a branch of AOL planned to provide narrowband ser- nesses of email and news service. joint venture’s assets.
on December 22 last year and received its offi cial
Time Warner, set up FM365 with vice to Chinese consumers, but the He added that AOL, part of the Ma remains optimistic about
license on January 2. The company is a joint ven-
Lenovo in mid-2001. rapid development of broadband in US’ largest media group, faced pol- the future of FM365. “We will leave
ture of Seven-Eleven Japan, which holds a 65 per-
The two sides initially promised China rendered that a severely lim- icy and business scope barriers, the company as it is for now, and
cent stake, Beijing Capital Union Group, holder
to invest $100 million each to pro- ited market. while Lenovo had no experience in I am convinced it can be success-
of a 25 percent share, and China Sugar and Wine
vide Lenovo users with dial-up Lü Benfu, an IT analyst who par- the Internet industry, two major ful when new opportunities arise,”
Industry Group.
Internet access, online radio and ticipated in the creation of FM365, reasons for the venture’s failure. she said.
Li said his company plans to open 150 stores
in Beijing, many of which will be open 24-hours-a-
day. Seven-Eleven planned to enter the local mar-
Gold
ket last year, but the approval and arrangement
process took longer than expected, he added. De-
spite the chain’s size and fame, its success is not
guaranteed. An article in Beijing Daily last week
Monkey commented that cold weather and short days could
take real bites into convenience store sales during
the winter.
Seven-Eleven entered the China market in
Fever Guangzhou and Shenzhen in 1992 and has since
opened around 150 stores in those areas. However,
the company opted not to expand its presence
into Shanghai because it arrived later than rival
chains.
FedEx-DTW Opens
Express Station
Local citizens
queued up for By Su Wei
hours to On Sunday, FedEx-DTW, a joint venture logistic
purchase popular company set up by FedEx Express (FedEx) and
gold jewelry with DTW, announced the opening of its second express
monkey designs station in Beijing, located in the Beijing Economic
at the Caibai and Technological Development Area at Yizhuang.
market near “The new express station will not only enhance
Caishikou last FedEx’s services in Beijing through shortening ship-
Thursday. ment delivery times, but also perfect the express
Photo by Jia Ting delivery infrastructure in Yizhuang and upgrade
the development zone’s logistics distribution stan-
dard,” said Eddy Chan, FedEx regional vice presi-
dent, China.
Mercedes-Benz Recalls 17 Sedans in China The around 1,500-square-meter Yizhuang ex-
press station has 37 employees and 25 delivery ve-
hicles, enough to cover all pick-up and distribution
services in areas south of Chaoyang Lu. “With this
new center at the core of logistics routes southeast
Mercedes-Benz, a unit of Ger- son said. “For this reason, Mercedes- seat belts will be replaced, for free, turers, as there is no precedent for of the Fifth Ring Road, development of express ser-
man-US auto giant DaimlerChrys- Benz has decided as a precaution to if necessary.” such a system in China. vices in Tongzhou District, the Daxing Development
ler AG, on Monday announced plans check all of these vehicles. To date, Mercedes-Benz’s recall follows “We should follow internation- Area and southern Beijing is certain to speed up
to recall 17 potentially faulty se- we have not received any specifi c similar moves last year by several al practices, as China’s car market soon,” added Chan.
dans sold in China. complaints from customers.” other foreign automakers – includ- is growing very rapidly,” said Du
Yahoo! and Sina Setting Up
The move is part of the compa- Mercedes-Benz has reported the ing Japan-based Honda and Nissan Fangci, deputy secretary-general
ny’s global recall of 33,000 vehicles. situation to both the General Ad- – in China. These voluntary recalls of the China Association of Auto-
Auction Joint Venture
The vehicles being recalled are ministration of Quality Supervision, have come as the Chinese Govern- mobile Manufacturers. He called
C, CLK and E-class sedans pro- Inspection and Quarantine of China ment prepares to implement a na- the recall system just one aspect of
duced between August and October (AQSIQ) and the China Consumer tional vehicle recall system later vehicle security management, and
By Xiao Shan
last year, a spokesperson from Mer- Association, the spokesperson said. this year, according to the AQSIQ. added national law concerning ve- Yahoo! and Sina, China’s leading portal website,
cedes-Benz’s Beijing offi ce said yes- “We are gathering information from While vehicle recalls are rela- hicle security was badly needed in announced on Wednesday the signing of a defi nitive
terday. our sales networks ... so we can tively common in other major mar- China. agreement to establish a joint venture to provide
“There were isolated cases in ensure prompt and proper commu- kets, especially in the US, the EU Domestic automakers must im- auction-based e-commerce services for small- and
which the seat belts failed to click nication with the owners of the ve- and Japan, they remain a sensitive prove product quality, Du concluded. medium-sized businesses and individuals in China.
into place correctly,” the spokesper- hicles,” she added. “These vehicles’ issue for domestic vehicle manufac- (Xinhua) The move marks Sina’s fi rst venture into the on-
line auction arena. The domestic portal announced
in its statement that the new service would com-
Store Ushers bine its leading brand and huge domestic client
Exhibition Center Seeks Profi ts
base with Yahoo!’s global recognition and proven e-
commerce expertise gained from running successful
in New from Auto Market Move auction services in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Through the joint venture, Yahoo! and Sina will
create a comprehensive auction-based e-commerce
Drug Retail platform and provide both fi xed-price and bid-price
By Shan Jinliang local exhibition areas had left
sales models for consumer goods. The exact terms of
Last December’s announce- the CISTCC nearly unused for a
the deal were not disclosed.
ment by the management of long time.
Model The new service will carry both brands and
the Beijing Asian Games Vil- He continued that the auto
should be available to Chinese Internet users by
lage Auto Market of plans to market seemed a perfect direc-
mid-year.
move the facility to Changping tion as auto sales continue to
Online auctions have boomed in China in recent
District this May has opened a rocket in Beijing.
years, highlighted by the purchase of leading do-
By Xiao Rong potential gap in the local auto In a telephone interview mestic online auction company Eachnet last year by
With last Friday’s opening of a new market. with Beijing Today on Tuesday,
US-based Ebay for $150 million.
kind of drugstore that sells both med- Aimed at capitalizing on that Beijing Asian Games Auto Mar-
icines and daily use commodities at move, an exhibition center lo- ket General Manager Su Hui Sanyuan Launches Dairy
only a 10 percent profi t margin, local cated near the original Asian was not as optimistic about
pharmacy chain Develche effectively Games Village Auto Market an- the center’s prospects. “Good Base in Hebei
launched a new business model in nounced its entry into the auto location does not necessarily
Beijing. sales sector last Sunday. translate to business success,”
The 1,500-square-meter Tianhuide Mr. Gao, a senior offi cial with he said. “For example the By Tony Shaw
Drugstore stands at the northwest cor- A lion dance troupe performs for the the Auto Square of China In- Wangfujing Auto Port (a down- Beijing Saiyuan Food Corp. General Manager
launch of the new Tianhuide discount
ner of Huayuan Qiao on the West ternational Science and Technolo- town auto sales center) has not Guo Weijian announced last Saturday that his
pharmacy near Huayuan Qiao.
Third Ring Road and stocks and sells gy Convention Center (CISTCC), been very successful.” company would invest 30 million yuan to set up
Photo by Iceberg
over 8,000 kinds of medicines, as well which stands north of Madian He also warned that the shift a major dairy production base in Qian’an, Hebei
as cosmetics, fl owers, health food, baby supermarket-style drugstore at Liuli Qiao told Beijing Times on Mon- is risky because auto sales in Province as a way to overcome milk shortages that
products and eyeglasses. Qiao in Haidian District, the compa- day that the center’s fi rst and Beijing are overheated, or un- plagued the company this September.
“We aim to provide consumers a ny’s 218th branch. second fl oors would be devoted naturally strong, and the mar- The new base is one part of the company’s push
convenient platform for buying both Develche established Beijing’s fi rst to auto shows, providing enough ket itself is not fully mature. to enlarge its presence in Beijing’s market and na-
medicine and general health care prod- discount drugstore, which sells medi- space to accommodate nearly 100 The Beijing Asian Games tionwide since it was listed on the Shanghai Stock
ucts. This drug retail model marks cines at average markdowns of 25 per- different car brands. Auto Market, the leading auto Exchange in September last year.
a new concept in the domestic mar- cent, in March 2002. Since then, the The center signed rental sales center in the capital, was Other domestic dairy giants including Bright,
ket, and our 10 percent profi t margin company has opened nine more dis- agreements with automakers forced to relocate to a new site in Yili and Mengniu have also established bases in
should set the bottom line in the med- count pharmacies, forcing other local late last year and the new Auto Qijia Town, Changping to make Hebei.
icine retail industry,” boasted Zhang drug retailers, especially state-owned Square is slated to open this room for a venue for the 2008 The Qian’an dairy base, run by Hebei Qian’an
Yukuan, chairman of Develche Drug- stores, to lower their prices. May, according to Gao, but the Beijing Olympics. Dairy Corp., was established with investment from
store Co., at a press conference held Zhang revealed that another three center’s convention department The new facility will be mas- Sanyuan Food and Austrian Sanyuan Trade Corp.,
for last Friday’s opening. Tianhuide supermarket-style drug- told Beijing Today on Tuesday sive, nearly three times the size and its daily production should be equal to 10 per-
However, Zhang’s company is not stores are in the works. “With the that work on the new project has of the original. Su hoped im- cent of total daily dairy production in Beijing.
the only in town to implement this opening of Beijing’s drug retail market yet to begin. proved services, including auto Guo said milk shortages are a key problem in
kind of pioneering business model. to foreign and domestic private capi- Gao explained that the busi- part sales, auto repairs, test Sanyuan’s road to success. Qian’an, 440 kilometers
On the same day, Gold Elephant, one tals, it’s crucial for local drug retailers ness shift was intended to push drives and dining options could from Beijing, offers the twin advantage of massive
of the city’s four biggest state-owned to upgrade to more competitive busi- the center into profi tability, as counter any negative fallout from milk supply and low costs, according to a report in
chain drugstores, opened a similar ness models,” he said. the fi erce competition between the relocation. Shanghai Youth Daily on January 8.
OUTLOOK
4
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHAO PU DESIGNER: LI SHI
World Bank Plans Yuan Bonds
Tokyo, January 11 (AFP) China, it said. the World Bank that promotes If yuan-denominated bonds fi nancial market.
- The World Bank plans to Beijing has previously private sector investment in are issued, the risk from Issuing yuan-denominated
issue yuan-denominated bonds allowed neither international developing countries. exchange rate fl uctuations is bonds will lower the risk from
to raise funds for development fi nancial institutions nor for- The funds will go to public lowered in the event the Chi- exchange rate fl uctuations for
projects in China, the Japanese eign banks to issue yuan- projects in China and to private nese government revalues or both China and the World
daily, Yomiuri Shimbun said. denominated bonds in the fi rms, as well as being used for fl oats its currency in the Bank. Furthermore, China can Former Enron fi nance chief Andrew S. Fastow
The Bank has already begun country, the daily said. technological assistance. future. use the opportunity to perfect arrives at the federal courthouse Wednesday,
talks with the government and The Washington-based The bank is negotiating its laws regulating domestic January 14, 2004 in Houston. AP Photo
Analyst’s Take:
the People’s Bank of China with global fi nancial body is consid- with China on the volume, fi nancial institutions and bank Former Enron Exec Pleads
an aim to start issuing the ering raising funds in China for timing and period for the Allowing the World Bank to bonds. China is also likely
Guilty
bonds by December, the news- spending on development proj- bonds, which it wants to carry issue yuan-denominated bonds to relax the terms on foreign
paper said. ects, it said. long maturities. in China will further the devel- institutions and banks’ issuing
Houston, January 14 (AP) - Andrew
If the plan is carried out, Under the plan, the yuan- It has so far procured funds opment of the bond market bonds.
Fastow, chief architect of the off-the-
the World Bank will be the fi rst based bonds will be issued mainly in dollars for loans to in this country, and will pro- – Xing Guanghua, analyst
books deals that brought down Enron,
international fi nancial institu- through the International large projects in China, such as vide an opportunity for the ren- of the China International
pleaded guilty along with his wife
tion to issue such bonds in Finance Corporation, an arm of railway construction. minbi to enter the international Finance Corporation
Wednesday in a deal that could lead
prosecutors to the top of the corporate
ladder at the scandal-ridden company.
The former fi nance chief accepted
World’s Largest his 10-year prison sentence and will
help prosecutors build a case against
the executives who once occupied the
most opulent offi ces on the company’s
top fl oor: former chairman Kenneth
Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling.
Cruise Ship The plea bargains represent the
biggest breakthrough yet in the two-
year investigation into a scandal that
led to the energy giant’s collapse and
rocked Wall Street and Washington
alike.
Sets Sail
Bush Plans 2015 Moon
Landing
Washington, January 14 (AP) -
President Bush, envisioning “new
journeys to the worlds beyond our
own,” unveiled a plan on Wednesday
to send astronauts to the moon, Mars
and beyond on missions sure to cost
hundreds of billions of dollars and
stretch the bounds of technology. He
called for a manned lunar landing as
early as 2015.
Bush’s election-year initiative rep-
resents the boldest space goals since
John F. Kennedy laid the groundwork
for the Apollo program that landed
Americans on the moon in 1969.
US, China to Lead Economic
Recovery
United Nations, January 14 (AFP)
- The United States and China are
leading the way towards a 3.5 per-
London, January 13 (AP) - The world’s largest 14-day journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, its fi rst Its 2,600 passengers will have the run of six res-
cent surge in world economic growth
cruise ship, Queen Mary 2, set sail for the United voyage with fare-paying passengers. taurants, fi ve swimming pools, an art gallery and a
expected this year, the UN said.
States on its maiden voyage, carrying 2,600 passen- The new cruise liner took more than fi ve years to movie theater that doubles as a planetarium.
After setbacks caused by the SARS
gers who paid up to $48,000 for the privilege. build. It is 1,138 feet long and 238 feet high – as tall as Fares for Queen Mary 2’s fully booked maiden voyage
crisis and the war on Iraq, national
The 150,000-ton Cunard Line vessel on Monday a 21-story building. It will take over the trans-Atlan- from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, began at $4,400
economies gathered steam in the second
left the southern English port of Southampton on the tic duties of the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner. per person for 14 nights and rose to $48,310.
half of 2003 and that trend will continue
in 2004, it said in an annual report.
“The world economy is gaining
Bank of England Sued Korean Bodyguards Head for Iraq momentum,” it said. “The global eco-
nomic recovery is being driven mainly
by the United States but increasing
January 13, (FT) - The The bank hit back at family, the New Korea Total Service (NKTS), a pri- contributions from a number of other
Bank of England came under the allegations, saying it vate security service provider, on Sunday announced economies are becoming evident.”
unprecedented legal attack believed the “highly implausi- it will dispatch 50 bodyguards this month and
on Tuesday over its role in ble claim” was “not only mis- another 50 next month to establish a branch offi ce US Tech Firms Improve in
one of the world’s biggest conceived but outrageous”. in Iraq. Patent Ranking
banking frauds, as liquida- It said: “The claim defi es The 100 bodyguards will execute security-related
tors of the collapsed Bank of common sense in several missions such as escorting foreign businessmen and San Jose, California, January 12 (AP)
Credit and Commerce Inter- respects. It is self-evident non- providing security surveillance services, according - IBM Corp. received vastly more US
national launched an (cid:1)850m sense to allege that when to Chang Jin-suk, an offi cial in charge of business patents than any other company last
claim for damages in Lon- the bank granted BCCI SA a operations at the NKTS. year, and three other American technol-
don’s Royal Court of Justice. licence in June 1980, it knew, “All of those to be dispatched to Iraq are former ogy fi rms improved in an annual rank-
Lawyers for Deloitte & believed or suspected that a members of the Special Warfare Command and they ing of private sector patents by the US
Touche, acting for BCCI cred- bank which survived for 11 have been training for anti-terrorist missions for the Patent and Trademark Offi ce.
itors, told a packed courtroom years would probably collapse past fi ve months in Kapyong (Kyonggi Province),’’ Six of the top 10 companies in
they would “seek to demon- causing loss to depositors.”. January 11, (The Korea Times) - A South Chang said in an interview. the 2003 list were Asian, including
strate that over a consider- Korean security service fi rm will send 100 body- The South Korean bodyguards will be heavily divisions of Japanese consumer elec-
Media Report:
able period of time the Bank guards to Iraq to carry out security missions for armed with pistols, rifl es and machine guns, accord- tronics giants Hitachi and Sony, and
of England deliberately ran This is the fi rst time the international businesses in the war-torn country. ing to Chang. The company is working to obtain a South Korea’s Samsung, according
away from seeking suffi cient Bank of England has had Following their dispatch of fi ve bodyguards to permit from the provisional government of Iraq to to a report released Monday by the
information about BCCI”. to defend itself in London’s Jordan last month to protect the country’s royal conduct business and to arm their bodyguards. Department of Commerce agency.
Gordon Pollock, QC, said high court. No one has ever The four remaining companies were
the bank, and offi cials in its successfully sued the Bank of SK Chairman Jailed American.
the government. Corporations’ excessive reliance on
supervisory department, took England in the past. It seems IBM was No. 1 for the 11th consecu-
banks is considered to be another major cause for
a “fi rst slippery step” when the Bank of England has tive year, with 70 percent more patents
the recent fi nancial crisis in South Korea.
they agreed to license BCCI statutory immunity against than No. 2 Canon. General Electric Co.,
Seoul, January 10 (AFP) - The chairman of Furthermore, internal dealings between compa-
in 1980, in spite of doubts claims of negligence. So it which fi nished eighth in the 2002 rank-
South Korea’s third largest conglomerate, SK nies are common practice in a large family-oriented
which had been raised about will be a long, hard battle ings, didn’t make the 2003 top 10 list.
Group, has been jailed on charges of allegedly corporation. As a result, some large shareholders
its management, founder and for Deloitte & Touche to push
syphoning off one billion dollars from a group often pursue their own interests by using their priv-
operations. the bank to penitence. unit, prosecutors said. ileged power in the corporation, and consequently Morgan Stanley Fined
He said the bank then The lawsuit is not only
Son Kil-Seung, who also served as the head cause fi nancial losses for other shareholders.
cold-shouldered the two “hon- about money. The scandal Paris, January 12 (Reuters) - A
of the infl uential Federation of Korean – Wang Zheng, researcher of the
ourable options” of revoking may drag down some British Paris court on Monday found US
Industries, a lobbying arm of the coun- Asian Department, Chinese Academy
that licence or taking over full authorities, and could investment bank Morgan Stanley
try’s conglomerates, was jailed late of Social Sciences
supervision of BCCI, rather damage the reputation of the guilty of defaming global luxury leader
Friday. His fi rst appeal hearing is
than relying on regulators in British government. Media Report: LVMH in a landmark ruling which,
expected within a few months.
Luxembourg. – Xinwen Wanbao if upheld, could change the face of
Son, 62, was charged with drawing Since the beginning of the new year,
investment research.
788 billion won (US$666 million) from the judicial organs in South Korea have
Following a 14-month legal battle,
SK Shipping without permission from been taking strong measures in fi ghting
the Paris Commercial Court upheld alle-
the board of directors between April corruption, and have arrested or jailed
gations by LVMH that Morgan Stan-
1998 and August 2002 and having it a few parliament members and chiefs of
ley’s equity research had been biased
invested in overseas futures. some large corporations.
He was also charged with illegally Son Kil-Seung Six South Korean parliament mem- against it, and awarded 30 million euros
($38.5 million) in compensation.
diverting another 249 billion won from SK bers were arrested in the early morning of
The fi ve-judge tribunal under
Shipping and funnelling it into an SK Group unit in January 10. The six parliament members are from
Judge Jean-Pierre Eck also appointed
1998, according to the Prosecutor General’s Offi ce. various parties and they were charged with accept-
an “expert” to evaluate the extent
ing illegal political funding and bribes. Another two
Analyst’s Take: of material damages against LVMH,
parliament members were issued with summons to
which said it had evidence that could
Many large corporations in South Korea are appear in a hearing at a later time.
prove these damages would exceed 70
Bank of England in London family-oriented and they maintain close ties with – Xu Zhijian, Legal Daily
million euros.
CITY
5
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: SUN MING DESIGNER: LI SHI
Masses Homeward Bound
Hot Line Set Up to Help
Kids of Single Parents
By Zhang Ran started down her current path
By Wang Xiaoxiao transportation started on January Province, learned that all train could only get a standing room
The capital’s fi rst hotline after serving as the attorney
With the holiday around the 7 and should last for about 40 days. tickets for Wednesday were sold ticket. He decided to hold off on
aimed at addressing the in a murder case in 1995 in
corner, planes, trains and auto- More than six million people are out and he would have to wait the purchase. “I’ve been stand-
needs of children of single which a boy killed his father
mobiles around the nation are expected to travel through Beijing another 12 hours for tickets set ing for a whole year. This time, I
parent families went into op- after his parents divorced. She
fi lled to the gills, a condition only during the festival season, accord- to go on sale at midnight. want to go back home sitting on
eration last Thursday at the was convinced that the frac-
exacerbated in the capital by last ing to the Beijing Railway Bureau. Yang Xinli, who works in Shu- a seat,” he explained.
number 6235 6688. turing of the family spoiled
Sunday’s unexpected snow. In spite of the 238 new tickets win- nyi District, told Xinhua on Jan- A major factor behind the tight-
The hotline is staffed by the young man’s heart and led
This year’s arrival of Spring dows at local railway stations, it is uary 11, “I work as a tea server ness of train tickets is the prolif-
more than 30 volunteers, to the tragedy.
Festival two weeks earlier than still pretty diffi cult to buy a ticket. at a pool hall and have to stand eration of black market seat sales,
who range int age from 19 The hotline’s fi rst call
normal means that students on After standing in line for two for 12 to 13 hours a day. Standing despite the fact that the prices
to 70 years old. “I want to came from a 15-year-old boy
winter break and migrant work- hours in the light snow and in line for a train ticket was real- of illegally purchased tickets are
help people who have had whose parents divorced two
ers will all be heading home at the biting wind last Sunday morn- ly tiring.” When he fi nally got to regularly infl ated by hundreds of
similar problems to me,” said years ago. “I will talk with
same time. According to the Minis- ing, Zheng Guangshu, a 34-year- the ticket window after queuing yuan and local police crack down
Guanxin (pseudonym), a law the boy in person, because
try of Railways, the rush on mass old migrant worker from Anhui for over one hour, he was told he hard on scalpers.
student, child of a single par- there is a lot we have to do
ent family and the youngest before he will really feel bet-
of the volunteer counselors. ter,” Gao said.
Festival Celebrates Gao Yujing, the creator According to the Beijing
of the hotline, has devoted Evening News, incomplete
herself to a career as a statistics indicate that there
professional counselor for are at least 10 million chil-
single-parent kids over the dren living in single parent
Plum Blossoms past eight years. families in China and that
“We need more jurispru- number increases by 500,000
dent volunteers,” she said. Gao each year.
‘Yellow Teeth’ Village
to Get Potable Water
By Wang Xiaoxiao steps in drilling a new well
The people of remote Hu- for the village. Subsequent
jiaying Village in Yanqing tests of that well’s water
County will receive potable showed it had a fl uoride con-
water for the fi rst time in tent well within the range of
memory just before Spring government limits.
Festival. As Beijing Today According to team leader
fi rst reported on November Zhu Yongjun, the drills ran
28, they have long suffered day and night for around half
as a result of the over-fl ou- a month so that residents
ridation of local groundwa- could get access to good wa-
ter, a problem that has led ter as quickly as possible.
to widespread severe dental Cai Qiaosheng, a senior
problems and other compli- geological engineer from the
cations. Beijing Institute of Geosci-
The good news came on ences Engineering, said the
the heels of many media re- well was 85 meters deep and
ports on the village’s plight the temperature of its water
that led to donations pour- was 14.5(cid:1). After fi nal checks
By Ju Ming plum tree cultivation and new and exciting things are in store
ing in from around the coun- are completed by the expert
The 2004 Beijing Plum Blossom Festival opened yesterday for this year’s event. Two of the trees on show are over 300
try as people hoped to help team, the laying of the pipe-
in the Tulip Garden on Dongwei Lu in Chaoyang District. The years old.
the residents of Hujiaying. line system will begin and the
event is the largest plum exhibition in Beijing and involves near- Aside from the beauty of the blossoms themselves, the gar-
Last Sunday, a team from people of Hujiaying should
ly 2,000 plum trees of 109 varieties. den has been landscaped exquisitely, with fl owing water, a small
the Beijing Geological Re- be drinking fresh, healthy
After hosting the city’s fi rst plum blossom festival last bridge, a wooden hut and dramatically-shaped rocks adding to
search and Reconnaissance water as they ring in the
year, the Tulip Garden has emerged as a center for fl owering the feel of tranquility and peace. Photo by Cui Jun
Institute fi nished the fi nal Year of the Monkey.
Eyes of the Tiger
Citizens Come to
Heading Out on
By Zhang Ran To help her see clearer,
New Year’s Eve
Aid of Beggar Girl Guests at the Hangzhou the Hangzhou Maoyuan-
Wild Animal Zoo in Zhejiang chang Glasses Shop was com-
Province have fallen in love missioned to forge a special
By Yu Shanshan
Though most people in the with a very rare four-eyed pair of glasses for the tiger.
By Dong Nan capital still like to spend their tiger – a young cat that has The unusual specs cover
By getting a handicapped girl away from begging New Year’s Eve in traditional whimsically been wearing a 300 degrees and use a frame
on the streets of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, style, meaning at home with pair of glasses since Janu- from a pair of swimming gog-
some warm-hearted citizens of that city actually man- the family, making dumpling ary 8. gles that has been molded to
aged to save her life last week. and watching CCTV’s Spring Lulu, a Northeastern ti- fi t Lulu’s face.
Since last November, the girl had begged from an Festival programs, increasing ger raised at the zoo, was The glasses have not
overpass in the Xinshi area of Guangzhou’s Baiyun numbers of Beijingers are be- born with serious cataracts. worked as well as hoped be-
District. Her legs were blackened, too thin to support ing lured by convenience and After undergoing surgery to cause they easily fog up,
her weight, and covered in lesions and wounds. Some- fun to dine out. remove the cataracts last De- though the makers plan to
one was clearly delivering her to the overpass every As the Year of the Monkey cember 20 at the Zhejiang solve that problem by sim-
morning and then taking her away in the evenings. nears, popular restaurant No. 2 Hospital, she developed ply drilling two small holes
One man, surnamed Liu, noticed that the condi- chains such as Quanjude, farsightedness. in the lenses.
tion of the girl’s legs was growing worse by the day. Caigenxiang, Huatian and
He fi gured that there had to be someone away from Meizhou Dongpo are busily
the scene exploiting the girl as an effective way of handling calls to their New
making money. Year’s Eve dinner reservation
On January 2, Liu carried the girl from the over- hotlines, while managers of
pass and took her to see a doctor. He then sent her to other restaurants and hotels
the home of some family friends, where a Mr. Lin and are implementing all kinds of
his wife took care of the girl and tried to talk to her. creative ideas for attracting
Eventually, she opened up and told them about her diners.
experiences. The Beijing Hotel has met
Her name is Gong Xuanxuan and she was bought surprisingly positive response
Photo by Xiao Jiafa
from her family in Fuyang, Anhui Province, by a man Let the Fish Go Free to a new policy of allowing
nicknamed “Three Teeth,” who forced her to beg. He also customers to bring their own
infl icted many of the wounds on her legs and body. booze on New Year’s Eve. “We
Later, Gong told the Guangzhou-based Information have booked more than 100
Times that on good days she could earn around 100 By Ma Jianfei reservations,” Tian Yu from
yuan. When she did not take in that much, “Three Teeth” Nearly 41,000 artifi cially bred young Chi- the hotel’s marketing depart-
beat her badly. Gong also revealed that “Three Teeth” nese sturgeon were released into the Yang- ment told Beijing Youth Daily
had two boys begging for him on the city streets. tze River near Shashi, Hubei Province last on Monday.
Doctors at the Guangzhou Youhao Hospital con- Thursday morning in what was the largest Discounts and gifts are
ducted thorough examinations of Gong’s health and release of the fi sh in the past fi ve years in common draws put to use at
told the Information Times her handicap was the re- that area. many establishment, includ-
Lulu’s special glasses were crafted from swimming goggles.
sult of a disease affecting her spinal cord. The hos- The Chinese sturgeon species has been ing the Beijing Yunlingzhic-
Photo by Liang Zhen
pital announced that treating the girl would cost on the earth for approximately 140 million hun Restaurant and outlets
Park Launches Chunjie Carnie
around 100,000 yuan. years, making it one of the oldest known of the Taoranju chain. Every
Liu and Lin, both of whom have refused to publi- surviving vertebrates. family that dines at Taoranju
cize their full names since domestic media picked up According to Wei Qiwei, a researcher at will receive one free bottle By Liu Jing Journey to the West and Snow
the story, are in their 30s and regular businessmen. the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Insti- of prized Maotai brand liquor Parades, displays of mod- White.
They told the Information Times that they planned to tute under the Chinese Academy of Scienc- and qualify to take part in a el dinosaurs and performing A grand opening ceremo-
open an orphanage to help more children forced to be es, all the sturgeon released this time were lucky prize in which everyone clowns will create a festive ny will be held Wednesday
beggars. about two months young and 10 to 15 centi- will take home something. environment at Beijing morning, and every day from
“Many people are willing to help others, but sim- meters in length. Even fi ve-star hotels are Amusement Park’s huge car- October 1 to 7 parades of do-
ply giving child beggars money is not a solution. We Scientists inserted tiny digital chips two joining the fray, hoping to at- nival to celebrate Chinese mestic and foreign perform-
are trying to gather strength from the people to help millimeters long and one millimeter wide tract customers with discount New Year from January 21 ers decked out as cartoon
more children like Gong Xuanxuan,” said Liu. into the bodies of each fi sh in order to re- rates on rooms and special to 28. characters will wind through
A reporter from the Information Times went to search their patterns of movement and life stay packages. For example, The whole park will be the park.
Gong’s hometown and discovered several people there cycle. Since 1998, the institute has released the Shangri-la hotel has cut fi lled with over 1,00 cartoon Entrance tickets cost 80
involved in the trade of children for begging. Fuyang about 210,000 immature Chinese sturgeon the price for a standard dou- art works, most based on be- yuan each and grant access
police have subsequently begun an investigation into into the Yangtze. ble room from US$200 to just loved children’s tales from to more than 25 entertain-
the matter. 688 yuan. China and abroad, such as ment venues in the park.
VOICE
6
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: XIAO RONG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
Keep Your Eyes
on the Ball
By Wang Xiaoxiao
China has always taken
considerable pride in its
mighty table tennis teams
so it caused quite a stir when
four players were expelled from
the national team and sent home
in disgrace. Their sin? They had
fallen in love.
On January 2, chief coach Cai
Zhenhua, announced that the
players had been infl uenced by
love and thus couldn’t concen-
trate on their training. The play-
ers were Bai Yang, 19, reportedly
the girlfriend of men’s world No.
1 Ma Lin, and 17-year-old Fan
Ying who is apparently in a re-
lationshiop with ITTF Pro Tour
Finals winner Wang Hao. World
No. 9 Li Nan, 21, and her boy-
friend Hou Yingchao, 21, were
also dismissed. However, Ma Lin
and Wang Hao were allowed to
remain. The coach said their
training had not been so badly
affected. Besides, they’re China’s
best players and the team really (cid:1) (cid:2)
needs them.
It came as a surprise to Coach
Cai when his decision was greet-
ed with nationwide derision and
argument. Complaints fl ooded
the nation’s press the very next
day. The media focused on the
perceived injustice of Ma and
Wang being allowed to stay in
Coach Cai Zhenhua the team. A theme of human
rights was even brought up. Do
the players not have the right to
Moral Bank fall in love?
Because the state team has
already begun intensive train-
ing in preparation for the Olym-
Largely Ignored pics, their opinions are collected
mainly from local newspapers.
Voices from the national team:
Cai Zhenhua, chief coach
By Zhang Ran No wonder there are so few Cai Zhenhua told Jiang Huai
Zhejiang Industry Univer- students who have come to Morning News that the confl ict
sity is starting to wonder the “bank” to claim a reward; between emotions and career had
whether opening a “moral they have not lost their moral long been a problem in team
bank” was such a great idea sense. This is a misuse of the management. Although love can
after all. The aim was to word moral. Moral means ful- help lighten the pressure for
offer various rewards for good fi llment of social responsibility team members, it also affects the
deeds, but the bank’s “presi- and assisting others without training situation and the state
dent” He Xingzhou admitted expecting a reward. Moral of mind during the matches, he
that not too many people have behavior is not some kind said. “We made such a decision (cid:3) (cid:4)
shown any interest. of deposit that can be lent not just for these four members
A campus campaign named or exchanged. The campaign but also as a warning to the whole
“moral bank” was launched at launched by Zhejiang Indus- team. The punishment might be the coaches are very dictatorial.
Zhijiang College, Zhejiang In- try University is itself immor- a little too much for them but You just have to follow every-
dustry University on Novem- al. It just stores what the in comparison to the team and thing they say without any ob-
ber 5th, 2003. students have done and pays national honor, it is nothing. We jections. Why do so many good
Every freshman received a them back later. It could have hope that the dismissed mem- athletes go abroad and seek a
fancy blue card which they a bad effect as it could distract bers can realize and correct their better career?
could use to record their vari- people from genuinely moral mistakes in time and fi nally re- Profi les of the team members:
ous good deeds and claim re- behavior. turn to our team.” When asked (cid:1)Bai Yang, born on June 13,
wards for them. The rewards He Jie, editor of CCTV why Ma and Wang were still in 1984, was the ladies’ doubles run-
include being given priority Morals can not be balanced the team, Cai Zhenhua said he ner-up in the 2003 Croatia Open
when applying for part-time by money. If you just do good had to make a choice for the good and mixed doubles runner-up in
jobs on campus or various deeds for the sake of a re- of the team. the 2003 World Table Tennis cham-
training programs, an oppor- ward, morals are not morals Lu Yuansheng, coach of the wom- pionships.
tunity to receive free tickets any more. en’s team (cid:2)Ma Lin, born on February 19,
for various contests and lec- Wei Chaoxian, professor of “The team has actually con- 1980, was the men’s singles and dou-
tures and getting free news- education at Zhejiang Univs- sidered making this kind of deci- bles champion in the 2002 Ameri-
papers and magazines. ity sion for a long time and has just (cid:5) (cid:6) can and German Open, men’s singles
So how come no-one’s in- Systems are more power- been waiting for the right time,” champion at the 2002 Poland and
terested? The moral campaign ful than morals and any noble Lu Yuansheng told Xin Min Eve- Denmark Open and men’s doubles
even triggered off a dispute behavior and spirit, without ning News. “To dismiss the four understand the decision; the na- athletes can’t have partners. It’s champion at the 2002 Holland Open.
about whether it was moral it- being guaranteed institution- members is a special manage- tional interest comes fi rst,” said inhuman to forbid them from be- He was also the men’s champion in
self. Opinions follow: ally, is short-lived. The moral ment method of the team in this Bai Yang in an article in Oriental ing in love. But maybe the coach- the Asian Games in 2002 and mixed
He Xingzhou, president of bank is a good way to try and special year with the Olympics Sports Daily. es are right and it isn’t good for doubles champion in the 2003 World
the moral bank systematically guarantee mor- coming up. Whether the China Voices from the public: their training or ability in com- Table Tennis Championships.
We use the title moral bank al behavior. team can get good results has Sun Shen, a student basketball petitions. But I have to say that (cid:3)Wang Hao, born on Decem-
because it sounds attractive. Zheng Danyang, bank clerk a lot to do with daily manage- player in Renmin University I respect our athletes. They have ber 1, 1983, was the men’s singles
People who have done good of CIBC ment.” I know in a professional sacrifi ced so much and are he- champion in the 2003 Croatia
deeds should get rewarded. What are morals? The only Jin Lufang, Fan Ying’s former coach team it is a very strict rule that roes for our country. Open, men’s singles champion and
The idea is to try and turn just criterion is whether it is in the Jiangsu women’s team athletes can’t have partners, Horia, a Romanian working for SC member of the winning men’s team
moral ideas into action. So far, benefi cial for society. Maybe Hai Xia Dushi Bao quoted Jin especially in their own team. Sinorom Tipografi e in the 2003 Asian Championships
the good deeds we’ve regis- the system is not perfect, but Lufang as saying she understood My mum and my dad are an ex- I think the punishment is not and men’s doubles runner-up in the
tered were mainly some volun- it can be improved in prac- the move and that she hoped it ample. They were both profes- fair. If under some special cir- 2003 World Table Tennis Champi-
tary activities organized and tice. would help Fan Ying understand sional basketball players and cumstances you can punish those onships.
conducted collectively by class- Lin Sen, a student from her current problems and return had to be seperated into differ- who are in love, then all those in (cid:4)Fan Ying, born on February
es or departments. Individual Peking University to the state team as early as pos- ent teams after they fell in love. love should be punished. So why 12, 1986, was the ladies’ doubles
students don’t seem to be so The idea of a moral bank sible. She said even members of I have a boyfriend in the uni- are Ma Lin and Wang Hao still champion in the 2002 Austria
interested. Maybe some stu- is an absurdity. Morals and the Jiangsu province team were versity men’s basketball team in the team? Open.
dents have done good deeds markets are totally different not allowed to have boyfriends but my coach has reminded me Yu Yang, Xin Yuan Chen Trade (cid:5)Li Nan, born on June 17,
but were too shy to claim a re- systems. A perfect market has or girlfriends. Jin felt it was a that I mustn’t allow it to affect Company Ltd. 1982, was a member of the win-
ward. little to do with morality. How- straight choice between emotions me. You can’t judge whether I don’t think it’s simply ning ladies’ team and ladies’ sin-
Chen Shaofeng, professor of ever, moral behavior is based and a career as an athlete. it’s human or cruel because it’s a matter of dismissing some gles runner-up in the 2003 Asian
Ethics, Peking University. on inspiration. One noble act Bai Yang been accepted in the sport field members. Perhaps there’s some Championships.
The so-called moral bank of behavior can inspire anoth- “I knew this day might come for so long. other reason behind it? But (cid:6)Hou Yingchao, born on June
is not an inspiration for mor- er. The idea of combining the even before the decision was an- Yin Pei, a clerk working for a foreign that is of course just my guess. 15, 1982, was a member of the win-
al behavior, but a market. two things is ridiculous. nounced because the team doesn’t company The Chinese sports system is ning men’s team in the 2003 Asian
allow this kind of thing. I totally I feel sorry to hear that our not so human and sometimes championships.
PROBE
7
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: SUN MING DESIGNER: PANG LEI
Get Outta My Way!
By Dong Nan
A physical and psycholog-
ical survey of private
car owners conducted
last month by Qianfu Health-
care Center and Beijing Star
Daily turned up some unnerv-
ing results. Most drivers suf-
fered varying degrees of mental
or physical problems, which
could well affect their safety Mental problems suffered by people involved in accidents What are the most common problems?
and that of other road users.
One hundred private car
owners were involved in the
obsessive-compulsive 5522
survey. Most of them were
“white collar” workers, involved hostility 5511
2255%%
in technical fi elds or manage-
somatization 4433
ment staff. Their ages ranged
21.74%
from 20 to 58, and on average 20.65% paranoid ideation 3388
they had been driving for eight 19.57% 19.57% 19.57%
years. 18.48% ootthheerr 3388
Mental problems
% interpersonal sensitivity 3377
Only 36.1% of the partici- 3 %
pfpbpresarooy nmbcsthuls eo fmaflweonsrgey.iir n c3eag0 nl .f o9paot%rsuioc n ebwmdalee abmrtnleeoys f, obamauens ned nfd fitr t hvetaeoeel 22.8 4.13% 16.30% 18.48% 18.48% 4.13% 19.57 13.04%% dapnseypxcireehtsoystiicoinsm 2233 2266 3344
rest showed signs of six to ten 1 1 6 1100
9
different conditions. %% . phobic anxiety
1
These mental problems in- 3.26% 33 1
44 e (based on the number of respondents who had the disorders)
ccpspaloinseuvmyrxedsci-peoehcl ntooaymali,so nlhog pstomiusecs nlaatsisltil iibviptzteriyarvo ,ot diupibtiohgysln,ehoo dm brte disc(pep) rar,oh e,nn oysixb nssisiiteoceebtnasryy--l,, nnsooinnveee-5.5.co m pulsiv hostilitsyo m atizatiaonnoid ideatoinoanl sensitivity othersdepression anxiety BwaedrAe mh aowbniilgtls in thge t6o2 fi plel opoluet wthheo eday rsievisgeingrshifi t ch, atahnvete fcaeocyntec tehprnarot fbsrlooe mmm sat nhiyes
paranoia, psychoticism and oth- ses par ers ■traffi c accidents “sports and exercise” section, point of view of traffi c safety.
er problems relating to sleeping ob erp ■minor tangles nearly one half said they nev- Suggestions
and eating. nt er or seldom do any exercise. Liu Ping said there were two
Liu Ping, director of the i Among the 50 who fi lled out the ways to deal with the mental
Nursing Department of Qianfu smoking habits section, 70% problems found in the survey:
Healthcare Center, told Beijing time will be wasted. Some- How many kinds of mental problems do said they were smokers. Of the dealing with them by confront-
Today that it was common for 51 who fi lled out the drinking ing them oneself, or seeking
times, if the driver in front of
people to have several mental drivers have? habits section, one third said help from doctors.
me stops for the yellow light,
problems; but if there are more they drank every day. “Above all, people should try
I will feel angry.”
than six it’s a cause for con- “I admit that I seldom take to learn how to adjust their
“There are many different
cern. However, she pointed out exercise,” said Yin Shiying, mood by themselves, especially
reasons why drivers have 1100
that the symptoms among par- Sometimes I try to do some people who have a lot of pres-
these mental problems,” said
ticipants in the survey were 99 99 to keep my weight down, but sure and responsibilities. They
Liu Ping. “Of course, traffi c
not too serious. I can never stick to it. But I should try to change the way
jams should to be blamed,
The most common problems don’t smoke or drink alcohol. they think when facing trou-
but pressure from work and
were obsessive-compulsive dis- 77 77 And if I am too busy to get bles, or transfer their attention
family should not be ignored.
order (found in 53.6%), hostility 66 enough sleep, I will make up to other things temporarily,”
What’s more, we fi nd that
(52.6%), somatization (45.4%), for it at the weekend.” said Liu. “Trivial things like
the mental problems are most
paranoia (39.2%), interperson- Ninety-two people partici- deep breathing and listening to
concentrated in people aged
al sensitivity (38.1%), and de- 44 44 pated in the physical examina- music can also be very helpful.”
30 to 39,”said Liu. “This group
pression (35.1%). are the main earners in so- 33 33 tion. The top three problems If “self-help” fails, Liu advis-
In the survey, 35 people ad- were weight (54.3% were over- es seeking professional help.
ciety and have to take more
mitted to having been involved weight), sight problems (43.5%) She pointed out that many
responsibilities. It seems they
in traffi c accidents, while 32 and fatty liver (37%). private car owners are bosses
have more problems than peo-
said they had been involved in Han Jiaru, doctor of the or high-ranking offi cials and
minTohre t apnagrtleicsi.p ants fi lled in a ple of other ages.” oonnee ttwwoo three ffoouurr fifivvee ssiixx sseevveenn eeiigghhtt nniinnee tteenn SHeeravlitchec aDreep aCretmnteenr t soaf iQd iathnafut tuhnewseil lkiningd sto o fr epveeoapll ea anrye porftoebn-
form about their attitude to though the general health of lems they might have. But
driving. The results showed the participants was fi ne, the sometimes a doctor is needed.
that 68.7% were “unwilling to problems should not be ig- If necessary, doctors can pre-
How many people have abnormal psychology?
stop the car when the light nored. The main reason was scribe medicines to control or
turns yellow”; half of them that although the living stan- alleviate the condition.
(age) 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59
“can’t keep patient in traffi c dards of the car owners were As to the physical problems,
jams”; 48% “won’t give way to normal 2 6 12 2 reasonably high, their eating Liu suggested that private car
aggressive drivers”; and 18.5 somatization 9 19 10 6 habits were not so healthy owners should pay more atten-
% admitted that they resented obsessive-compulsive 13 20 12 7 and many of them did not get tion to exercise, a healthy diet
having to avoid pedestrians interpersonal sensitivity 9 18 5 5 enough exercise. Another prob- and living habits. She stressed
and non-motor vehicles. depression 7 16 8 3 lem is that they spent so much that as social intercourse is a
“Certainly I will not stop time in the car where the air is common part of white collar
anxiety 7 14 3 2
my car when the light turns stale. This is bad for the brain workers’ lives, a healthy ap-
hostility 12 20 13 6
yellow,” said Yin Shiying, a and can cause problems like proach is all the more impor-
phobic anxiety 2 6 1 1
private car owner in her thir- dizziness. tant.
ties. “Since the traffi c jam is paranoid ideation 10 15 9 4 Han said that though there Sources: Qianfu
always so bad, if I have to psychoticism 4 12 5 2 was no direct evidence showing Healthcare Center and
wait for the next green light, others 8 16 8 2 that driving can damage one’s Beijing Star Daily
FOCUS
8
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: SUN MING DESIGNER: PANG LEI
An Accident or Murder?
wife Liu Zhongxia, 45, were driv-
ing a tractor carrying green on-
ions to a market in downtown
Harbin. When they passed a
labor market in the city, in
avoiding an oncoming car their
tractor scraped a BMW which
had stopped by the roadside. One
of the ropes tying the onions got
tangled on the wing mirror of the
BMW, so the tractor dragged the
car forward by about 1.5 meters.
According to the indictment,
Su Xiuwen, 45, the driver of the
BMW, and her elder sister Su
Xiuqin, got out of the car and
used their handbags to hit Dai Su Xiuwen
and Liu, even though Liu kept
apologizing. Persuaded by sur-
rounding people, Su and her el-
der sister stopped and got back
in the car several minutes later.
But then an unexpected trag-
edy occurred. “The BMW driven
by Su suddenly hurtled towards
Liu who was standing in front of
the vehicle and ran her over. The
car didn’t stop. Su continued to
drive forward for about ten me-
ters, hitting 12 other people. The
car came to a stop when it hit a Guan Mingbo
Dai Yiquan sits in front of a picture of his wife. Xinhua Photos tree by the roadside. Liu died on
the spot,” reads the indictment.
By Sun Ming However, on December 20 last Deliberate?
Ac ourt verdict following a year, the Harbin Daoli District Su was detained by Harbin
traffi c accident in Har- People’s Court decided that it police two days after the inci-
bin, Heilongjiang Prov- was an accident caused by Su’s dent. The case aroused strong in- any connection to them.
ince, has attracted intense public failure to control the car properly, dignation among local people in “Some indignant people still
scrutiny from all over the coun- instead of an intentional crime. Harbin. Most thought that Su insist that the verdict was the re-
try in the past few weeks. Su was sentenced to two years’ had deliberately run Liu over be- sult of legal corruption. A BMW
Su Xiuwen, 45, killed one per- imprisonment with a three-year cause of her rage. is a symbol of wealth in this
son and injured 12 others when reprieve. She didn’t appeal. Dai Qingjiang, the nephew of country,” said Southern Weekend
she drove a BMW into a crowd The verdict sparked outrage Dai Yiquan, said that a witness last Friday.
in Harbin in October last year. A and a rumor started to cir- had told him that Su threatened “People should take responsi-
tractor, driven by the dead victim culate that Su was related to kill Liu before getting into the bility for what they said,” Guan
and her husband, had scratched to a high-ranking official in car, Heilongjiang Daily reported Mingbo, Su’s husband, told Xi-
the wing mirror of Su’s car. Su Heilongjiang Province. People on October 18 last year. Howev- nhua News on Sunday. “Many
got out to beat and scold the cou- took to the Internet to express er, the witness did not come for- netizens’ comments have no ba-
ple. She then got back into her their opinion that Su’s sen- ward to say this in court. sis at all.” At the same time,
car and drove into them. She tence was lenient thanks to Harbin Daoli District People’s Guan said that he felt very sor-
claimed it was an accident, but her wealth and connections. Court opened the hearing into ry for what had happened. “After
many people suspect it was a Run over the case on December 20. Su the traffi c accident, I contacted
The BMW driven by Su Xiuwen didn’t stop until it hit a tree by the roadside.
Photo by Photocome simple case of road rage, and In the morning of October 16 and her lawyers insisted that Dai and the family members of
then murder. last year, Dai Yiquan, 46, and his Su made a mistake by stepping the people injured. I tried my
on the accelerator instead of the best to provide compensation.”
brake pedal. “I didn’t plan to No witnesses
kill her. I will never drive a car No witnesses were willing to
again,” Su said in court. “I was come forward. Liu’s husband Dai
By Xiao Rong Rechargeable or Not? really fl ustered. I wanted to re- Yiquan didn’t even bring a law-
In the name of consumer verse, but the car moved for- suit against Su. It was Harbin
rights, a retired worker from wards. So I tried to hit the brake Procuratorate which brought a
Chongqing municipality is pedal, but I stepped on the ac- public prosecution against Su on
taking on Duracell China for celerator instead.” A verdict of October 27 last year.
indicating that its disposable Chongqing consumer sues Duracell accidental death was announced Dai refused to accept any in-
alkaline batteries shouldn’t be later that day. terviews from the media until
recharged. The court decided it was a last Thursday. “It might be a
“We tried recharging a pair later I found the case might be always obey relevant laws and lation on alkaline batteries for traffi c accident rather than an poem spreading on the Internet
of Duracell alkaline batteries helpful to reduce battery costs for regulations in China,” he said, warnings against recharging al- intentional crime. But the ver- that really touched Dai. The
instead of just throwing them consumers,” said Ye Guang, who stressing that the warning not kaline batteries is because the dict aroused controversy. poem expressed the author’s deep
away as usual and it turned out agreed to help Chen investigate to recharge alkaline batteries regulation is aimed at battery “It’s completely incredible,” commiseration to Liu,” Shenyang
to be okay,” Ye Guang, an assis- the case free of charge. is used on Duracell products performance rather than safety, Wang Qi, a lawyer told Shenyang Today reported last Friday.
tant to the plaintiff Chen Rui, Ye, a well-known local worldwide. according to Wang Jinliang, vice Today after the hearing. Wang Dai told the newspaper that
told Beijing Today. “The warn- counterfeit investigator in Shu confi rmed to Beijing To- director of the China Light In- said he believed that Su inten- Su’s husband Guan Mingbo had
ings on the Duracell packaging, Chongqing, regards the lawsuit day that Duracell had present- dustry Institute of Electrochem- tionally ran Liu over. “The brake paid him more than 90,000 yuan
and on most other batteries, are as important for public welfare. ed evidence to the court last ical Power Sources. pedal of the BMW is much wid- (US$11,000) in compensation
violating the consumer’s right to He bought fi ve to six brands of Wednesday, including a letter Wang told Beijing Today that er than the accelerator. I do not and the other 12 injured people
know and merely encouraging alkaline batteries in local mar- from the China Battery Industry a new battery safety require- think a driver would be unable were paid about 180,000 yuan
further battery consumption to kets and found they all had Association claiming that indeed ment will take effect this Febru- to tell the difference.” (US$22,000) in total.
boost their sales.” similar warnings to the one on alkaline Zinc Manganese batter- ary. “The requirement does warn The Traffi c Police Depart- “Some rumors said that I ac-
The lawsuit is probably the Duracell battery packages. So ies should not be recharged. that alkaline batteries should ment of Harbin Public Security cepted one million yuan from
fi rst of its kind in China, even he looked up the state regula- Cao Guoqing, vice secretary- not be recharged and all cell Bureau said it believed that Su Guan, and that that’s why I gave
though there have been previ- tions on alkaline batteries. Ye general of the China Battery producers are required to make caused the accident by mistake. up bringing a lawsuit against his
ous cases related to battery safe- says he failed to fi nd any re- Industry Association, admitted such warnings on their packag- “It’s possible for her to hit the wife. It’s not true. It was because
ty problems. quirement that manufacturers that the association had pre- ing,” he said. wrong pedal when she was so I couldn’t fi nd anyone willing to
Yuzhong District Court in should warn against recharging sented evidence to the court as However, Ye Guang believes he rattled. After investigation, we testify. I really don’t understand
Chongqing Municipality an- alkaline batteries. to the non-rechargeable nature is standing up for consumer rights found that Su is not so good at why no one promised to provide
nounced that the hearing will “How can battery producers of alkaline batteries. rather than for industry interests. driving and not familiar with testimony in court,” said Dai.
be held next month. offer such misleading warn- “Disposable alkaline batter- If he wins, Ye said, he would con- the BMW which belonged to her Dai told the newspaper that
“Misleading” warning? ings, unless just for the obvious ies are totally different from re- tinue suing other battery produc- husband’s company,” Shenyang Guan had often visited his family
After buying two LR6 Dura- reason that it increases sales? chargeable batteries in terms of ers to make them revise their Today quoted a policeman as after the traffi c accident. “We’re
cell alkaline batteries last May, Battery producers should in- structure and safety, so they can- warnings, “or to at least make it saying last Monday. virtually friends now,” said Dai.
Chen Rui saw the warning “Do dicate specifi cally the proba- not be recharged. This is com- clear under what circumstances Su’s husband Guan Mingbo “Anyway, my kids and I still have
not recharge, connect improp- bility of risks, like explosions monly accepted in the industry recharging of alkaline batteries admitted to police that he helped to live in the world.”
erly or dispose of in fi re in or- or leakages, so that consumers worldwide,” he said. can lead to risks.” his wife get a driving license Dai’s daughter Dai Jie, 16, ac-
der to prevent possible risk of themselves can decide for them- Cao cited several examples of “If we lose the case,” he said, “I through bribery in 1997. Su had cepted an interview from Wen-
leakage or explosion.” So he selves whether to try recharg- explosions in recent years due to will consult and may even charge learned to drive from her 22-year- zhou News, a website in Zhejiang
was surprised to fi nd several ing the batteries.” the misuse of alkaline batteries the State Intellectual Property old daughter last year. Province, last Wednesday. “I don’t
kinds of chargers in local mar- Ye also points out the by consumers. His association has Bureau for their approving sev- “I’m truly repentant, even want to think about the case any
kets claiming to apply to LR6 massive benefi t to environmen- been helping several battery man- eral patents for disposable alka- though I really did not intend to more. I don’t care whether Su
alkaline batteries. tal protection that could be ufacturers in handling complaints line battery chargers.” cause the accident,” Su told Xi- gets one year or 10 years in pris-
He then consulted a recent achieved if people didn’t simply and lawsuits in which consumers Ye looked on the website of nhua News last Thursday. “I am on. It is not important at all since
copy of the Modern Electrical En- throw out their batteries when claimed compensation. the Bureau and found four kinds a victim as well. I can’t go any- my mum is not here.
gineering Guidebook published they were used up. “It’s really unfair for battery of patents for such chargers. where now,” she said. “My mother was 45 years old
by Guangdong Science and Tech- Commonly accepted producers. They have been re- “If alkaline batteries really Corruption? when she was killed and Su Xi-
nology Publishing House, which Yang Guosheng, acting lawyer quired by state and industry cannot be recharged then how Just days after the accident, a uwen is 45 years old as well.
said that the LR6 alkaline bat- for Duracell China, told Beijing standards to give public warn- could disposable alkaline bat- rumor that Su was the relative But their fate is different. Su
tery can be recharged between Today that he had been ordered ings that alkaline batteries tery chargers gain their patent of some high-ranking offi cial in drives an expensive BMW and
30 and 45 times. not to accept any interviews from should not be recharged. But fac- approval?” Heilongjiang Province began to my mother now can’t even sell
Chen bought a charger and the media by the company head- ing battery injury accusations, Cao Guoqing says safety spread rapidly on the Internet. onions,’’ said the daughter.
tried recharging some used-up quarters in the US. they still have to pay compensa- comes fi rst. “Once the alkaline The Traffi c Police Depart- A new investigation into the
Duracell LR6 alkaline batteries. Beijing Today contacted Shu tion. There is a great need to ed- batteries are recharged, there ment of Harbin Daoli District case is now underway. The press
They worked fi ne afterwards. Hai, from the law affairs depart- ucate Chinese consumers about are always potential risks of ex- Police Station, Han Guizhi, the offi ce of Harbin Municipal Gov-
“At fi rst I suspected that Chen ment of Gillette Co., the parent battery use,” Cao says. plosion or rupture. So for the chairman of Heilongjiang Provin- ernment said on Saturday that
Rui wanted to speak up for char- company of Duracell. “We are a Priorities sake of consumers, all battery cial Political Consultative Confer- the political and law department
ger manufacturers when he fi rst company that is highly respon- The reason there are no re- products should adhere to safe- ence, and Ma Shujie, the deputy of Harbin has begun looking into
came to seek help from me. But sible towards consumers and we quirements in the state regu- ty requirements,” he said. chairman all denied that Su had Su’s case.
FACE
9
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail:[email protected] EDITOR: SHAN JINLIANG DESIGNER: PANG LEI
Best Setter Gets Ready
P
h
o
to
b
y
S
u
n
Y
a
li
By Shan Jinliang Two years later, Chen Zhonghe Medal and 2003 Asian Champi- periods of absence from home.
It’s been a long wait, both for took over as coach of the nation- onship Gold Medal, and she was “My parents are not in good
Chinese volleyball fans and al team, and he promptly chose also awarded the title of best set- health,” she told Beijing Today re-
for Feng Kun. But on No- Feng as his setter. Feng could ter at the 2003 Montreux Vol- gretfully. Since 1990, Feng’s fa-
vember 15 last year, Feng, 25, hardly believe the news and had leyball Masters, the 2003 World ther has been collecting reports
captained China to their fi rst to be shown the squad list of the Grand Prix and, of course, at the and memorabilia about her ca-
Women’s Volleyball World Cup in national volleyball team before 2003 World Cup. reer, from Shishahai Sports School
18 years. she really took it in. Gearing up for the Olympics training to the last game of the
It was a moment Feng had Feng still felt her setting skills After winning the World Cup, 2003 World Cup. Feng says this
dreamed of since she was a little were lacking but she was good at Feng only got 10 days’ vacation support from her parents’ has had
girl. She was inspired by the Chi- the other four main techniques of and soon was back to her club a lot to do with her success.
nese women’s teams that dom- a volleyball player: serving, pass- side, Beijing Volleyball Team. Though volleyball is a big part
inated the sport, winning the ing, spiking and blocking. For With little time to cooperate of her life, Feng told Beijing To-
World Cup in 1981 and ‘85, the long periods she played as a sub- with her local colleagues and a day she might not pursue it as
World Championships in 1982 stitute. “It was a tough training shortage of mature players, the her lifelong career. “I prefer free
and ‘86, and taking Olympic gold period for me,” Feng recalled. “I Beijing team got only one vic- careers, and journalism might be
in 1984. Rivals like Brazil and was not in a good mood so I cut tory and suffered fi ve defeats. a good choice,” she said. “And I
the USA have come to the fore my long hair off.” As the setter and soul of the also hope to study an MBA in the
since then, but now China has Chen believed Feng would im- team, Feng had to bear most of future.”
returned to the pinnacle of the prove if he found a proper training the pressure. Feng and her team In her spare time, she lives the
game and is eagerly anticipating method for her. In the meantime now have to beat Fujian the life of a normal young woman,
the Athens Olympics. she kept training from 2 pm to 9 day after tomorrow to have any shopping for fashionable clothes
Feng might be the main wom- pm and went home with books on chance of staying in the Group A on the weekends, and spending
an now, but she’s had to fi ght the game at night. Volleyball League. holidays traveling with her fam-
to win her place in the team. In “Sometimes I got sick of volley- As the setter for the national ily, as far as Xinjiang and Tibet.
2001, she was chosen to play as ball and was reluctant to train,” she team, Feng is having to get used At her birthday party in 2000,
the main setter of the national told China Consumer Journal last to responsibility and pressure. she made a prayer that she would
team, responsible for organizing November. “I would even change Her next goal is the 2004 Olym- get into the China National Vol-
the team’s attacking moves. At a round plate for a square one pics in Athens. She is full of op- leyball Team. So far, her dreams
fi rst she felt frustrated and in- when dining out because I hated timism. “I think the 2003 World seem to be coming true.
adequate in the role, but she re- seeing anything round. Actually, I Cup championship was just When Beijing To-
paid coach Chen Zhonghe’s faith just needed some time off.” the fi rst trophy for us, day asked what
in her by scooping the title of the Training remained tough. and there will be many wish she had
world’s best setter at the 2003 Photos by Hu Jinxi Feng suffered a hand injury more to come.” made for her
World Cup. “I am happy to win which delayed her progress and A quiet life 2003 birth-
the Women’s World Cup with my she had to endure some harsh Now in the lime- day, she re-
team, but personally I am happi- teammates such as 1.97-meter- when Feng reached the age of 13 words from the coach about her light more than ever, fused to
er to get the title of world’s best tall Zhao Ruirui - Feng im- she became a member of Beijing passing skills. Feng was reluctant divulge.
setter,” she said. pressed coach Zhang Qin of Volleyball No. 1 Team. She soon Big break to let the exposure “The wish
People around her attribute Beijing Shishahai Sports School, became the main force since there Feng made her debut in the break up her quiet might not
her success to her persistence a semi-professional school. was a shortage of squad players 2001 World Women’s Volleyball life. So after training, come true if I
and calm state of mind, but hard At the age of 10, Feng decided in the team. At 17 her rapid prog- Grand Prix and soon recovered she spends as much time tell you now. If
work has been vital. Feng’s col- she was destined for a career in ress continued as she was called her confi dence. Taller than most as she can at home with it does, then I will
league Chen Yang told Beijing volleyball and she begged her par- up to the China national volley- setters, she displayed her ex- her family, to compensate tell you.”
Today that she practiced harder ents to allow her to pursue it, ball team, coached by Lang Ping cellent skills in blocking, spik- for the long
than most of the other players. rather than focusing on tradition- who had helped China’s national ing and an improved range
From track and fi eld to volleyball al academic pursuits. Feng said to volleyball team win their fi rst of passing skills. She had
Born in 1978 in Beijing, Feng her mother, “This is my fi rst real World Cup in 1981. found her best form since
was greatly inspired by her fa- opportunity in my life, and I want However, 1999 brought her joining the national
ther, an avid sports fan. She to make good use of it.” Her moth- crashing back to earth as she team, Chen said.
became fond of track and fi eld er later said she was surprised was not selected by new nation- She learned a
sports and her parents sent her at such an adult announcement, al volleyball coach Hu Jin. Feng lot from the games
to a sports class when she was and Feng told Beijing Today she still remembers crying alone in at the Grand Prix. In
in grade three at primary school. could not explain why she said it. the dormitory as her colleagues the game with tra-
One day when she was seven She just knew she was following headed out for group practice. ditional rivals Japan,
years old, Wang Guifang, a coach her main interest. Feng’s father says she was in Song Nina, the veteran set-
in the volleyball class, thought So Feng’s mother agreed, on a bad mood for a while, but these ter withdrew, giving Feng
she could be a good volleyball condition that Feng stop playing days she’s philosophical about the chance to show her
player and she persuaded Feng’s volleyball if she didn’t make suffi - that reverse. “It wasn’t unex- game. China won and went
parents to allow Feng to become cient progress in the sport. Feng’s pected,” Feng says. “I wasn’t play- on to fi nish as runners up in
her student. Wang thus became parents said one day before she ing at the required level, and to the competition.
Feng’s fi rst volleyball coach. went to Shishahai Sports School ensure success at the Olympic From 2001 to 2003, she won
By 1986, Feng was playing vol- that she could give up if she found Games in Sydney it was under- a number of international prizes
leyball for one or two hours most the going too tough, but there standable for Hu to select senior together with the team, includ-
days after school and she came to were no doubts in Feng’s mind. players.” ing the 2001 Montreux Volley-
love the sport. Despite being rel- Ups and downs Like her idol Deng Xiaoping, ball Masters Fourth Place, 2001
atively short - at least compared Things went smoothly at Feng was resolved not to be World Grand Prix Silver Medal,
to some of her current national Shishahai Sports School, and ground down by minor defeats. 2002 World Grand Prix Silver
LEGACY
10
JANUARY 16, 2004
E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: ZHAO PU DESIGNER: LI SHI
Beijing Art
Museum Reopens
By Chen Ying
A ceremony marking the
‘I’m worried
reopening of the Beijing
Art Museum was held
the ancient
Tuesday afternoon. After an
almost two-year
music will
reconstruction costing more
than 20 million yuan,
disappear
visitors will again be
admitted to the museum
altogether,
from tomorrow.
The museum occupies
since the
part of Wanshou Si (the
Temple of Longevity), by
young people
the northern section of the
West Third Ring Road. The
have no
temple was originally built
in 1577, during the reign of
interest in
Emperor Wanli of the Ming
Dynasty.
learning it.’
The municipal
government declared
– Jia Tingxin
Wanshou Temple one of the
city’s key cultural heritage
sites in August 1979. This is
the second time renovation
work has been carried out
since it was founded in April
1985.
The museum’s collections
mainly focus on painting,
Jia Tingxin (fourth from left) leads the daily rehearsal. Photos by Hu Jinxi
Centuries-old Folk Music calligraphy, porcelain,
weaving and embroidery of
the Ming and Qing
dynasties, ancient coins of
China and foreign countries
and modern Chinese and
Japanese painting and arts
Fading Out and crafts.
The museum has
refurbished all its exhibition
halls and rearranged its
collection. The exhibition is
now arranged into three
sections: Buddhist art of the
Ming and Qing dynasties,
By Zhao Pu end of the Ming Dynasty,” says disbanded, their scores burned 400 yuan, we need several Porcelain art of the Ming
Folk music that has been Jia. That is what his uncle, a and instruments destroyed. The thousand yuan to replace the and Qing dynasties and Arts
handed down from former member of the group, costumes they wore were made old instruments.” and Crafts of the Ming and
generation to generation told him. into quilts. “Everything was A bigger problem facing the Qing dynasties.
for over 400 years in Baimiao, “But nobody knows why or destroyed,” says Jia. group is a lack of new blood. “To thank those migrant
a village in Beijing’s Daxing how they taught the Buddhist Traditional music in the No young, aspiring musicians workers’ contribution to the
District is dying. music to our ancestors. There village was silenced for 20 years. are joining the group these days development of Beijing and
There are now only 13 are no records about the origins It was not until 1985 that fi ve to take the places of the older welcome visitors from other
members of a folk music group, of the group. The music was old musicians decided to start Few people can read the ancient members who are putting down parts of China, the museum
all over 50 years old, who just handed down from one again and the music group was scores today. their instruments and leaving will offer them a 50 percent
can follow the music scores generation to the next.” Jia is reestablished. At fi rst, they had one by one. discount during Spring
handed down by their ancestors. the fi fth generation in his family no money to buy instruments, other villages tour to other According to tradition, new Festival,” said museum
The group often performs for to play in the group. but the local villagers gave places to earn money, Baimiao members can only join on the curator Yang Ling at the
villagers during festivals, The music uses an ancient their support and donated 500 musicians stay at home. They fi rst day of the 10th lunar ceremony.
according to 63-year-old Jia notation called gongchi, one yuan with which they bought only perform locally, and never month. But few young people
Tingxin, the group’s musical of many types of traditional instruments and began to revive accept invitations to perform are interested in this ancient
director. musical scores used in China. their music. commercially. music, and nothing of note has
“I’m worried the ancient Dating back to the Tang They resumed performances “When you perform in other happened on this date for many
music will disappear altogether, Dynasty, gongchi uses seven during festivals and played at villages, people often ask you years.
since the young people have no notes: Liu, Wu, Yi, Shang, local people’s weddings and to play some pop music and Last year, two men in their
interest in learning it,” Jia told Che, Gong, Fan. It employs funerals free of charge. They other songs. The older musicians 20s’ did come to join the group
Beijing Today in an interview on various symbols to indicate used tips from grateful in our group won’t accept that, as new apprentices, but after
Sunday. the scale and rhythm of the newlyweds and other patrons they just stick to our traditional their initial appearance, they
Taught by monks music, which is played on to establish an activity fund. music,” says Jia. “Moreover, we failed to show up for subsequent
Of the many folk music eight kinds of traditional In the past twenty years, they joined the music group as a rehearsals. “They said they were
groups based in the villages instruments, including wind and have recalled more than 80 old hobby – it’s for fun, not money.” busy with study and work,” says
around Beijing, Jia claims percussion instruments. melodies, and taken on several However lack of funds is Jia.
Baimiao’s is the oldest, with a Renaissance apprentices. a big problem, Jia concedes, The old musicians still get
history of over 400 years. The group did not survive the New crisis “We want to buy some new together at 7:30 every evening for
“The music was taught by Cultural Revolution unscathed, Currently, the group has 13 instruments to replace the old a two-hour rehearsal, “But I don’t
two monks visiting our village as their music was deemed to be members, ranging in age from ones, but we have no money. know how many more years we
from Tanzhe Temple, around the Buddhist in color. The group was 53 to71. While groups from Today a yunluo (gong) cost can carry on for,” says Jia. Photo by Aily