An international tribunal's ruling that China has caused severe harm to coral reefs and endangered species in the South China Sea will not stop further damage to an already plundered ecoystem, scientists and academics said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and that it had breached Philippine sovereignty by endangering its ships and fishing and oil projects in the energy-rich waters. China claims more than 90 percent of the South China Sea, an area which accounts for more than a tenth of global fisheries production and is also claimed in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. "China will take no notice of the Hague ruling," Brian Morton, Emeritus Professor of Marine Ecology at Hong Kong University, told Reuters. "And it will be virtually impossible to restore the reefs given global warming and destructive fishing techniques continuing." William Cheung, associate … [Read more...] about South China Sea ruling won’t stop plundering of ecosystem, experts say
Chinese say
Jon Stewart’s humor a hit with millions of envious Chinese
Humor may not always translate well, but Jon Stewart is picking up millions of fans in China, where his gloves-off political satire is refreshing for many in a country where such criticism is a rarity - especially when directed at their own leaders. Recent popular sequences have included one in which Stewart lampooned the Chinese hackers who hacked into the New York Times computer system earlier this year, wondering if that was the best they could do. But far from squelching Stewart, CCTV even used one of his sequences on Guantanamo Bay to criticize Obama in a regular broadcast - a move widely derided by netizens. In China, however, such criticism tends not to be welcomed by the government. Dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who regularly criticizes the government for what he sees as its flouting of the rule of law and human rights, was detained for 81 days in 2011, sparking an international outcry. "There's nothing like political satire here," said David Moses, who studies and … [Read more...] about Jon Stewart’s humor a hit with millions of envious Chinese
China says lending down on-month in November
New loans issued by Chinese banks fell in November from the previous month, official data showed Wednesday, even as Beijing ordered them to boost lending to small businesses. China's state-owned banks gave out 562.2 billion yuan (US$88.24 billion) in new loans last month, compared with 586.8 billion yuan in October, the central bank said in a statement. The broadest measure of money supply, M2, was up 12.7 percent year-on-year, slightly lower than the 12.9 percent in October, the central bank added. The value of new loans beat analyst forecasts for 555 billion yuan, according to a Dow Jones Newswires forecast, and came after authorities ordered lenders to increase support for small businesses amid concerns about an explosion in underground lending. The China Banking Regulatory Commission said in October banks should ensure that the growth of loans for small businesses keeps pace with overall lending and to "boost support" for borrowers of less than five million yuan. Many … [Read more...] about China says lending down on-month in November
DPRK says consensus with China on nuclear talks
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said it has reached a consensus with China concerning the resumption of international talks on ending its nuclear arms programme, the DPRK official news agency reported. China has urged regional powers to put the March sinking of a Republic of Korea (RoK) warship behind them and return to the negotiating table to end a cycle of confrontation that has raised tension to new heights. Six-way nuclear talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China have been in limbo since 2008. Chinese state media said a delegation led by Beijing's chief nuclear envoy Wu Dawei visited Pyongyang earlier this week for talks on security issues and the six-party talks process. China, which had been the host of the six-way talks that began in 2003, has urged regional powers to "flip the page of the Cheonan incident" and quickly resume negotiations. Last month, after the UN Security Council statement did not directly … [Read more...] about DPRK says consensus with China on nuclear talks
China says no more “looting” in disputed sea
China will go after "looters" who look for treasure from sunken ships in the disputed East Sea without permission, but will face a tough job in doing so as the waters are so extensive, state media said on Friday. Some treasure seekers have used explosives to get at the porcelain, gold and silver contained in ships which have sunk around the Paracels archipelago, which lies on the maritime route of the old Silk Road, Xinhua news agency said. Vietnam claims sovereignty over the area called Hoang Sa in Vietnamese. "All the 48 cultural relics sites in the Paracels have been looted to various degrees," it quoted Wang Yiping, head of Hainan province's cultural heritage bureau, as saying. "Among them, 26 sites were seriously looted." Chinese authorities seized six small boats "hired by looters" in April near Hoang Sa, confiscating more than 1,400 pieces of porcelain, Wang added. However, three larger boats fled. "It remains a tough job to enforce the law around such a huge area, but we … [Read more...] about China says no more “looting” in disputed sea