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FBIS3-43129_0 | RUSSIA: ACADEMICIAN DENIES EXISTENCE OF INTERNATIONAL BLACK MARKET FOR ORGANS | A Russian academician has publicly denied a Canadian film's charges that he offered human organs for sale. A Russian press report gives detailed explanations why the accusations are medically and logistically improbable. In a KOMMERSANT-DAILY article (23 Nov 93), Academician Valeriy Shumakov, the director of the Public Health Ministry's Scientific Research Institute for Transplantology and Artificial Organs, denies a Canadian film's claims that he offered human body parts for export. Shumakov calls the allegations an attempt to discredit Russian transplant specialists, who are beginning to attract patients from Europe. The film "Body Parts Business," which was broadcast on British and Canadian television in November 1993, urges international organizations to stop an alleged international black market in human body parts. According to a 25 November 1993 TRUD article, which takes its information from a report in the Belgian newspaper LE SOIR, the film alleges that organs procured from Russian kidnap victims, corpses in Moscow morgues, missing Honduran children, and Argentinian psychiatric patients and accident victims are being sold for transplantation or cosmetology research. TRUD, seconded by the Moscow newspaper KOMMERSANT-DAILY (23 November 93), says that the Canadian film describes large-volume sales of body parts for hard currency in Russia. Allegedly one firm sold 600 kidneys at 20,000 rubles apiece, and a second company sold 700 kidneys, hearts, and lungs; 2,000 eyes and 3,000 pairs of testicles. The film reportedly asserts that most of these organs are taken from unclaimed corpses in morgues, but some are removed from kidnapped Russians by rings of doctors working in well-guarded, secret locations. The contraband organs are reportedly shipped out of Sheremetyevo airport under forged documents. As reported in the KOMMERSANT-DAILY article, the BBC broadcast of the film included allegations by Bernard Cohen, director of Eurotransplant, a Netherlands-based organization that distributes organs to European transplant clinics, that Shumakov offered to sell him Russian organs. Shumakov, an eminent transplant surgeon, USSR State Prize laureate, hero of socialist labor, and academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, says that the rumor is an attempt by "certain forces in the West ... to compromise Russian transplantology because the entry of Russian surgeons into the international market would inflict significant injury on their Western colleagues" (KOMMERSANT-DAILY 23 Nov 93). Shumakov says that his institute collaborated for one year with Eurotransplant at Cohen's initiative. According to Shumakov, "relations became complicated" when the German physicians' association protested the possibility of a |
FBIS3-43132_20 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | million yen ($4.4 million) facility for recycling electric power and telephone cables. The equipment for this facility, which breaks up the cable and extracts the original vinyl, aluminum, and copper for reuse, was developed by a German company that Hosokawa acquired in 1987. (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 23 Dec 93 p 10) SOUTHEAST ASIA: Shortages of Electronic Parts in Southeast Asia - Because of the rapid appreciation of the yen, Japanese manufacturers of home electronics products have been moving their production bases to Southeast Asia. As a result, the demand for locally procured parts has grown, causing shortages and price increases. According to sources from the Japanese semiconductor industry, which has moved into Southeast Asia, the amount of orders received in Southeast Asia for semiconductors and electronic parts exceeds last year's by 30 to 40 percent. A private research agency forecasts that the semiconductor market in Asia, excluding Japan, will be 18 percent of the total world market and be worth about $14.3 billion for 1993. Currently, in Southeast Asia there is a severe shortage of 4- megabit dynamic random-access memory chips, which are used in personal computers. This has led to a purchase price of around $14 per chip, 11.3 percent higher than the second quarter of 1992, and 17 percent higher than the current price in Japan. Mitsubishi Electric Corp.'s Singapore branch is reported to be "unable to meet demand." (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 15 Dec 93 p 26) Tsubakimoto Opens Office in Thailand - Tsubakimoto Machinery and Engineering Co., Ltd. will open an office in Bangkok, Thailand in January 1994. Thailand has a favorable economic environment with a high growth rate, and Japanese companies are continuing to expand into Thailand as a production base. Tsubakimoto plans to supply all the machine parts these Japanese subsidiaries may need. The local office, managed by one Japanese and two Thais, will scout out local manufacturers who can supply parts; investigate the local market; and provide sales, delivery, and service for parts made for Thailand. This will be Tsubakimoto's third overseas location, following Seoul and Singapore. In the future, Tsubakimoto is planning to strengthen its overseas development, concentrating on Asia. (Tokyo NIKKEI SANGYO SHIMBUN 7 Dec 93 p 14) VIETNAM: Japanese Business Mission Goes to Vietnam - The Tohoku Productivity Center, the Tohoku Industrial Engineering (IE) Association, and the Miyagi Industrial Association are sponsoring an economic exchange mission to Vietnam from |
FBIS3-43132_23 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | Center, "In Vietnam, on top of low labor costs, the educational level is high, and petroleum, natural gas and other resources are plentiful. During this period when the shift to overseas factories is progressing, it makes sense to promote exchange." (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 4 Dec 93 p 24) Japan-U.S. Economic Relations - FEATURE: U.S. Officials Criticize Japan's Economic Bureaucrats -- SUMMARY: Reported criticism of Japanese bureaucrats by senior U.S. Government officials has "aggravated" the atmosphere in the framework talks between the two nations, according to press reports. One paper asserts that U.S. Ambassador Mondale has tried to "ease" U.S. positions in the talks so that the February meeting between President Clinton and Prime Minister Hosokawa will be successful. The 25 December NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN (NIKKEI) reports that recent criticism of Japanese bureaucrats allegedly made by "high-ranking White House officials" has caused "friction" between the two countries. U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Bowman Cutter have "openly criticized" Japanese bureaucrats on two key points, according to NIKKEI. The first is that Japanese bureaucrats have "fostered erroneous impressions" in the minds of Japanese Government leaders and the Japanese public by relaying "distorted" versions of U.S. proposals put forth during the framework talks. Second, they have criticized Japanese bureaucrats for "preventing" Japan from moving ahead with market opening measures, deregulation, and income tax reduction measures, NIKKEI reports. The 26 December ASAHI SHIMBUN asserts that at a 23 December briefing for foreign journalists, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Bowman Cutter stated that "Japanese bureaucrats tend to represent the best interests of their ministries rather than the views of the prime minister." According to ASAHI, he stated that Japanese bureaucrats have a "higher status" in the current U.S.-Japan talks because Prime Minister Hosokawa is "absorbed" with the political reform issue. He reportedly described Japanese bureaucrats as "obstacles" because "they have always functioned in the same way and cannot keep pace with rapid changes occurring in the outside world." According to the paper, he also criticized unnamed bureaucrats for "convincing" the Japanese public that the United States, as part of its efforts to introduce "objective criteria for trade" is demanding "market share" to open up Japan's markets. He also reportedly stressed that the U.S. side "has never once asked for import targets," ASAHI notes. NIKKEI on Reasons for U.S. Criticism - The 25 December |
FBIS3-43132_68 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | there were "problems" with PRC civil aircraft technology, however, and that the ROK would push for a three-way agreement with the United States and China instead. The new ROK proposal, according to HKS, is for the United States to supply the technology, South Korea to "contribute" capital, manufacturing facilities, and personnel, while China provides basic technology and a market for the product. The government source went on to state that Seoul will address the question of which of the "three" domestic aircraft manufacturers will be selected to participate in the project after talks with the United States and China move forward. In a follow-up article on 19 November, HKS claims this approach "clearly shows the [government's] intent of getting a hold over demand for aircraft in the Asia- Pacific region," in contrast to the original plan, which put priority on the ROK securing its own developmental technology. According to HKS, the new governmewnt stance renders the ROK companies' private arrangements to enter the market for mid-size aircraft "factually impossible." FEATURE: KEPCO Official Outlines Plans for Nuclear Power - SUMMARY: South Korea's nuclear power industry will double its present capacity upon completion in 2001 of eight new reactors, a Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) official has recently written. By 2006, nuclear facilities will reportedly generate nearly half the country's electrical power. Steps are being taken to secure the ROK's "independence" in this sector by indigenizing reactor technology, diversifying fuel suppliers, and developing the country's own uranium enrichment facilities. Seoul WONJARYOK SANOP (Atomic Power Industry) publishes in its November issue an overview of South Korea's plans for nuclear power development by Chong Po-hon, chief of KEPCO's Nuclear Power Industrial Group. The magazine states that in 1992, 5.65 million or 43.2 percent of the country's total electricity production of 13.10 million kilowatt hours was nuclear-generated, "the highest rate in Asia." Although only 31.6 percent of the generating capacity is nuclear, "high utilization rates of 84.5 percent in 1992, and 88.6 percent for the first nine months of 1993" for the nine reactors now producing electrical power in the ROK helped achieve this ratio. The reactors were identified in previous press reports as Kori units one through four located on the southern coast near Pusan, the first unit of which was completed in 1978; Uljin reactors one and two, on the country's east coast; and Yonggwang one and two on the west coast - |
FBIS3-43132_69 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | Power Corporation (KEPCO) official has recently written. By 2006, nuclear facilities will reportedly generate nearly half the country's electrical power. Steps are being taken to secure the ROK's "independence" in this sector by indigenizing reactor technology, diversifying fuel suppliers, and developing the country's own uranium enrichment facilities. Seoul WONJARYOK SANOP (Atomic Power Industry) publishes in its November issue an overview of South Korea's plans for nuclear power development by Chong Po-hon, chief of KEPCO's Nuclear Power Industrial Group. The magazine states that in 1992, 5.65 million or 43.2 percent of the country's total electricity production of 13.10 million kilowatt hours was nuclear-generated, "the highest rate in Asia." Although only 31.6 percent of the generating capacity is nuclear, "high utilization rates of 84.5 percent in 1992, and 88.6 percent for the first nine months of 1993" for the nine reactors now producing electrical power in the ROK helped achieve this ratio. The reactors were identified in previous press reports as Kori units one through four located on the southern coast near Pusan, the first unit of which was completed in 1978; Uljin reactors one and two, on the country's east coast; and Yonggwang one and two on the west coast - all light water reactors. Wolsong number one in Kyonggi-do became operational in 1983, and is South Korea's only heavy water reactor at present. The magazine reports that stricter environmental laws will cause South Korea to rely even more on nuclear power in the future. According to the article, eight more reactors will be built between 1995 and 2001 with a total capacity of 7.1 million kilowatts, which will "double" present capacity and provide 41.3 percent of the anticipated electric power demand (expected to grow by 10 percent annually). They include Yonggwang reactors three (1995) and four; the 700,000 kw heavy water Wolsong reactor number two in June 1997, and units three and four in 1998 and 1999; and the 1 million kw Uljin reactors three and four, also in 1998 and 1999. The magazine does not make particular reference to the eighth new reactor. A 14 October 1992 KOREA TIMES article, however, stated that nine new reactors were planned by 2001: two at Uljin, three at Wolsong, two at Yonggwang by 1996, and another two at Yonggwang by 2001. Between 2000-2006, six more reactors will be built, three on existing sites "and three on new sites to be determined," the |
FBIS3-43132_94 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | many of them expressing fear that their pay will be cut. In some areas, workers reportedly think that conversion to a shareholding system simply means divvying up state property and assets to individuals, and have raised "unrealistic demands." According to a Finance Ministry report, there have been demands that an enterprise be sold to its workers with only a 15-percent downpayment, with the rest to be paid back over 10 years. LAO DONG says that there are many reasons why the conversion of state enterprises into shareholding companies has been slow, but the major factor is that it has been made more or less voluntary. Furthermore, detailed and clear regulations and education concerning the policy have been lacking. Many mistakes have also been made in calculating the assets of enterprises to be privatized. LAO DONG asserts that the time has come for party and government organs at all levels to closely review the privatization program so that they can find ways to speed it up and boost the country's development. Air Traffic Control To Receive $26-Million Upgrade - The National Air Routes Administration Center (Civil Aviation Department) has just started construction of a short/long range communications and radar control station at Tan Son Nhat airport as the first step in building a communications/radar network for the Ho Chi Minh City FIR (Flight Information Region). The communications/radar network will consist of three stations: at Tan Son Nhat airport, on the Son Tra peninsula (Da Nang), and at Quy Nhon. The network stations will be equipped with RSM-970 long-range radars (450-km radius), TRAC-2000 radars with 150-km coverage, and Eurocat-200 signal processing centers produced by the French firm Thompson CFS. These three communications/radar stations will relay data to and from the Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control center via four satellite ground stations at Hanoi, Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh City. This project represents an investment of $26 million in equipment plus more than $2 million for construction work. When completed, the network will service not only domestic flights, but also flights between the Ho Chi Minh City control region and other air control centers (ACC) in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. In addition to this $26-million network, the National Air Routes Administration Center also plans to convert the NDB system (Non- Directional Beacons) at Moc Chau, Ninh Binh, and Long Khanh into Omnidirectional |
FBIS3-43138_0 | Yugoslavia--Bosnia-Herzegovina | Serbs Defy NATO Warning SUMMARY Shrugging off threats of NATO airstrikes, Serb leaders in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and Bosnia-Herzegovina have denied responsibility for taking the offensive in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnian Serb leaders flatly rejected NATO's call for the opening of Tuzla airport to humanitarian aid flights. END SUMMARY Reacting to the 11 January communique issued following the NATO summit in Brussels that warned of the possibility of air strikes to prevent the strangulation of Sarajevo and other threatened areas, Serb leaders and media have denied that Serb armed forces have gone on the offensive and complained that the international community has unjustifiably singled out the Serbs for punishment. Reaction in Belgrade Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Republic of Serbia in the FRY, described the "threats of bombing" Serbian positions as incomprehensible" because he said Bosnian Serb forces have "not waged war for more than seven months" and the "Muslim leadership" is "undoubtedly" responsible for recent "armed provocations" (Tanjug, 13 January). Milosevic similarly denied Bosnian Serb responsibility for recent armed conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina in a speech to the Geneva peace conference on 29 November (Belgrade radio, 29 November). He gave no indication in his most recent statements that he would attempt to persuade Bosnian Serb forces to desist from their shelling of Sarajevo and their interference with humanitarian shipments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Although the NATO communique issued a general warning to all sides about the possibility of air strikes, the Yugoslav media have asserted that the threat was part of a wider international campaign of unjustified criticism of the Serbs. A Tanjug commentator asserted that, "although the word 'Serb' was not explicitly mentioned," NATO had aimed its warning at the Bosnian Serbs. Echoing Milosevic's objections to the international community's criticism of the Serbs, the commentator complained of the unfair treatment of the Serbs. He maintained that "only the Serb side has so far fulfilled all it has been asked" at the peace talks but the international community "continues to make threats" to the Serbs alone "while looking with benevolence on the bloody fighting" between Muslims and Croats (Tanjug, 13 January). Bosnian Serb Defiance The Bosnian Serb leadership was unanimous in its rejection of the NATO communique's call for the opening of Tuzla airport to flights carrying humanitarian aid. The Serbs insisted that the Muslims would use the airport to smuggle arms for their army (Tanjug, 12 and 13 |
FBIS3-43142_31 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-001--EAST EUROPE | this regard too because it would require Polish borrowers to put up only 20 percent of the cost of a given project in order to qualify for the 25- percent matching contribution from STRUDER. As a result, Polish firms would only have to pay market interest rates on commercial loans covering 55 percent of project costs. Bielecki also noted that the government was trying to persuade Polish intermediary banks to keep their fee margins to a minimum when processing Western- backed loans. (Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 16 Sep 93 pp 1, 2) U.S. AID HISTORY REVIEWED: In late September, RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE ran a lengthy feature article by Andrzej Krzemirski profiling U.S. aid to Poland since 1989. Krzemirski recounted the tally of total U.S. aid to post- communist Poland and summarized the scope and nature of many individual aid programs. Since 1989, wrote Krzemirski, Poland has received $4 billion in U.S. aid, including $2.4 billion in debt reduction. He noted that most U.S. aid to Poland is delivered in the context of wider regional assistance programs and coordinated by USAID. The author profiled several aid programs and advised readers to consult the USAID office in Warsaw for details. In addition to democracy-building programs, such as those funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, Krzemirski described several U.S. aid programs aimed at promoting free-market reforms, including: --IRIS program (Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector) -- provides funding for technical assistance in writing legislation designed to enhance small, medium-sized business growth. --GEMINI program (Growth and Equity through Microenterprise Investment) -- funds technical assistance in promoting the growth of financial services. --Volunteer American experts are praised for making a "very important" contribution to finance and banking reform. --The Polish American Business Center in Warsaw -- promotes bilateral trade and U.S. investment in Poland. --RITE program (Removal of Impediments to Trade) -- funds technical assistance on eliminating trade barriers. --CDI program (Capital Development Initiative) -- funds efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in the power industry, telecommunications, and environmental protection. Krzemirski added a detailed overview of the lending and assistance programs managed by the Polish American Enterprise Fund, which was founded in 1990 with charter capital of $240 million. Krzemirski rated the Fund as the U.S. government's principal aid channel to Poland. He described the history of the Fund's direct and indirect lending and assistance programs to promote privatization and private sector growth and cited |
FBIS3-43142_53 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-001--EAST EUROPE | Ryrie. For example, he mentioned that IFC financing helped to set up the "Polish Business Advisory Service," which delivers management consulting services to small and medium- sized firms in Poland. The IFC has been active in Poland since 1987 and opened a Warsaw office in 1990. Since 1987, the IFC has disbursed a total of $270 million to finance 12 capital projects, including the modernization and renovation of a Warsaw hotel, the modernization and expansion of a consumer electronics plant, the construction of the Warsaw Corporate Center, and the modernization of a steel mill in the Warsaw area. Most of these projects involved joint ventures with other foreign partners. The IFC plans to expand investment programs in Poland. Current plans envision providing IFC financing for restructuring the PZU insurance firm and for road construction throughout the country. (Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 3 Jun 93 p 1) DEBT FOR ENVIRONMENT SWAP WITH FINLAND: In early June, a Polish- Finnish task force reached agreement on reducing Poland's $140- million debt to Finland by $15 million over the next three years in exchange for investment in various environmental cleanup projects. The capital can be tapped to finance up to 30 percent of the costs of projects, such as a recent one involving the installation of oil- spill cleanup gear on board two Polish ships. Finland holds 0.4 percent of Poland's total foreign debt. (Warsaw PAP in English 1033 GMT 3 Jun 93) BANKERS ANALYZE LOW USE OF WESTERN LOANS: In early June, Polish banking officials (including officers of the National Bank of Poland) attended a two-day conference to discuss reasons why the Polish economy has been slow to take advantage of loans from Western governments and international financial institutions. The conference was organized by the Polish government in cooperation with the EBRD, the EC Commission, the Polish National Chamber of Commerce, the Polish Industrial Development Agency SA, and UNIDO. The conference also served as a forum for marketing foreign loans to Polish businesses. Representatives from over 1,450 Polish manufacturing, construction, trade, service, and consulting firms attended the meeting. During the proceedings, these representatives signed a reported 300 loan agreements with officials representing foreign financial institutions. Conference participants heard the following breakdown of figures describing Poland's low absorption of Western loans: --Declared "loans and grants" since 1990 -- $8.3 billion, --Funds available at end of first quarter 1993 -- $6.1 billion, --Value of |
FBIS3-43143_1 | EURASIA: AIDS COVERAGE IN NIS PRESS | test systems for territories. Pokrovskiy thinks that the federal government may not fund the program at all in 1994-95. Other problems affecting the Russian AIDS control program, according to Pokrovskiy, are the failure of the AIDS centers to focus on prevention of sexual transmission of AIDS and the failure to allocate manpower and organize AIDS control institutions where the incidence is greatest (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA 1 Dec 93). HIV Incidence The number of Russian HIV carriers began to increase rapidly in 1993. Eighty new HIV carriers were identified, and 32 HIV-positive patients developed AIDS. Of the 692 HIV carriers detected in Russia, 124 are AIDS patients, 96 have died, and 435 are foreigners and have been deported (Moscow IZVESTIYA 3 Dec 93). The average age of the AIDS patients was 28, and the ratio of men to women was 8 to 1. Two of the HIV-infected were donors (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). According to Vadim Pokrovskiy, director of the Russian Center for AIDS Prevention and Control, the pattern of HIV transmission in Russia has changed. Starting in 1990 HIV has spread predominantly among Russian homosexuals and to some extent among intravenous drug users. Initially, the virus was spread primarily by foreigners or through medical negligence. Pokrovskiy predicts a sharp rise in incidence among drug users within the next two years (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). A front-page column in MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA lists the incidence of HIV carriers by city and oblast. Moscow leads with 125, 70 percent of whom are male homosexuals. Following it are three localities where the infected are primarily victims of medical negligence in 1988-89: Rostov Oblast with 109 carriers, Kalmykia with 98 and Volgograd Oblast with 72. HIV was sexually transmitted to most of the 59 St. Petersburg and 33 Moscow Oblast patients. Twenty territories have no identified AIDS carriers and the rest have a few each (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA 1 Dec 93). Testing Twenty-five million people were tested for AIDS in Russia during 1992, 21 million in 1993 (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93, KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA 1 Dec 93). For initial screening, laboratories use domestically produced test systems, which are less reliable than foreign systems. Specimens that test positive are sent to the Russian Scientific Methodological Center for AIDS Control, where foreign test systems and computer analysis are used to confirm the diagnosis. Positive results at this stage are retested and then confirmed by immune |
FBIS3-43153_3 | MAGHREB PRESS REVIEW No. 1 | Development, and the OECF. (London MEED 25 Dec 93) TUNISIA AL-HADATH Director Receives Threat Rabat daily AL-MAGHRIB has reported that the staff of Tunisian Arabic-language weekly AL-HADATH received a telephone call on 29 December directed at the manager-chief editor, demanding that he "stop writing about the (Muslim) brothers; otherwise he will suffer the same fate as Faraj Foudah." Additional threats were made on 30 and 31 December. AL-HADATH reportedly stated that management attached "little importance" to these threats, attributing them to "traffickers in religion" and to "plain assassins," and noting, "This strengthens our belief that we are on the right track--that of fighting for Tunisia." (Rabat AL-MAGHRIB 1 Jan 94) Health Services Statistics According to public health sector statistics, as of 1 September 1993 there were 1,579 general practitioners and 1,113 specialists providing medical services in Tunisia. The specialists numbered 243 surgeons, 86 gynecologists, 54 opthalmologists, 42 ear, nose, and throat specialists, and 44 radiologists; the remaining 523 were in other fields. In the private sector, there were reportedly 2,100 doctors, including 1,000 specialists. (Tunis LE TEMPS 19 Nov 93) Technical Cooperation Program The Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation reported that 694 individuals departed for Gulf and Western countries in 1993 as part of bilateral cooperation programs. Many of these technical programs were underwritten by international organizations such as the World Bank, the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, and the United Nations Development Program. One-third of the 694 came from the education sector, another third from the health sector, and the remainder from engineering, electrical energy disciplines, telecommunications, petroleum, agriculture, mechanics and computer science. The number of Tunisians currently employed by these programs in other Middle Eastern countries is as follows: Saudi Arabia (4,034); Oman (1,909); Qatar (502); UAE (404); Bahrain (111); Kuwait (87); and Yemen (62). Some 283 are employed in Western countries, including Europe, the United States, and Canada, with 114 of these working in France. (Tunis LE TEMPS 8 Dec 93) Olive Oil Surplus Reported According to LE TEMPS, olive oil production has been facing pricing, distribution, and stocking problems due to the domestic market's inability to absorb surplus quantities. Although production totals have been estimated at 320 million tons, exports will only absorb 110 million tons, with the remaining 210 tons to be sold on the local market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The article noted that the domestic olive oil market is |
FBIS3-43160_62 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-003--EAST EUROPE | Czech Republic were fake. The imitations cost between Kc400 and Kc990, while the only original Levi's 501 cost Kc1,800. (Prague MLADA FRONTA DNES in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 3 AU) AGRICULTURE SECTOR LOSING MONEY: State farms will end this economic year with a loss of Kc8,500 per hectare, cooperatives with a loss of Kc1,050 per hectare, and private farmers with a loss of Kc157 per hectare. This prognosis was presented by J. Netik, president of the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic, at a seminar held at the Prague Agricultural College on 7 December. Agriculture Minister Josef Lux, who also addressed the seminar, said that it was the government's responsibility to guarantee at least "minimum profit" for the best and average-performing agricultural enterprises. (Prague MLADA FRONTA DNES in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 14 AU) ELECTRICITY FROM WIND POWER: The Institute of the Physics of the Atmosphere of the Czech Academy of Sciences estimates that about three percent of the Czech Republic's electricity could be generated by wind-power plants. The turbines would have to be erected in altitudes above 700 meters, however, where current regulations mostly prohibit any construction activity for environmental reasons. The institute has built an experimental wind-power plant in the Krusne Hory (Ore Mountains) and will monitor its environmental impact over the next four years. According to Josef Stekl, the institute's director, the development of this source of energy is hindered by the "financial diktat" of the CEZ (Czech Power- Generating Works) company, the monopoly distributor of electricity, which procures electricity from small producers at one-third of the consumer price. As a result, it takes 16 years for the builder of a wind-power plant to recoup his investment. Wind-power generators who consume this electricity themselves recover their costs in one- third of the time. (Prague LIDOVE NOVINY in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 2 AU) MORE LAND SOWN WITH GRAIN: The growing procurement prices of cereals have prompted Czech farmers to increase the area sown with grain crops. Winter wheat had been grown on 754,802 hectares this year (20,161 hectares more than in 1992), rye on 66,976 hectares (increase of 1,471 hectares), and spring barley on 443,652 hectares (compared with 438,406 hectares last year). Between 1989 and October 1993, the price of alimentary wheat increased 49.5 percent, the price of feed wheat 55 percent, the price of malt barley 29.3 percent, and the price of feed |
FBIS3-43161_3 | Symposium Discusses Goals for China's Foreign Economic Relations | see China become a competitor, but rather wants China to always "fly in formation" following Japan's lead. According to Huang, the United States, on the other hand, is intent on imposing its political agenda on China. Criticism of the United States along these lines is a frequent theme in the articles. CICIR analyst Ke Juhan asserts that the United States is "politicizing" the economic relationship between the two countries. Ke says that conditionality on MFN, U.S. economic reprisals based on "unwarranted accusations" of China's violation of the MTCR, U.S. anti-dumping duties against Chinese exports, and U.S. unilateral reduction of China's textile quotas have all "harmed the bilateral relationship." Yan Xuetong, also of CICIR, agrees with Ke's contentions and further states, "Hereafter the United States will continue to use every pretext, including constant use of quota limitations and anti-dumping duties, to limit China's exports to the United States." Ke Juhan urges the United States to put the relationship on a more "practical" footing, stating that President Clinton's recent "intentions, statements, and actions" are beginning to improve the economic relationship with China and predicting that as more U.S. companies become involved with China economically, they will "play an active role" in improving the bilateral relationship. Among the articles on bilateral and regional economic relations, three on Russia and Europe by CICIR analysts stand out. Wang Lijiu asserts that now is the time for China to consolidate economic relations with Russia. However, according to Wang, both countries must work to formulate a unified and coordinated trade policy. Wang also proposes setting up a Sino-Russian joint venture bank to resolve outstanding trade payment issues and calls for increased technology trade between the two countries. In an article on economic relations with Eastern Europe, Qi Degang advocates using barter trade with cash-poor Eastern European countries to edge out Western competition for those markets. Finally, Guan Shufen characterizes prospects for economic relations with Western European countries as "cautiously optimistic." Sino-German economic relations will drive overall Sino-European economic development. On the down side, however, Guan sees increasing European trade protectionism, use of anti-dumping measures to protect domestic industries, and problems in Sino-French and Sino-British bilateral relations. APPENDIX I. The Status Quo and Prospects of China's Economy Opening to the Outside World: How To Meet Challenges and Open Up Ways Forward by Taking Opportunities "An Outline of China Economy Going Out Overseas" by Yan Xuetong (CICIR) "Briefing on |
FBIS3-43163_0 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-04--WEST EUROPE | Europe Economic Review: WESTERN EUROPE Vol. III, No. 4, 27 January 1994 Notice To Readers: FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY is a series published by FBIS Europe/Lat in America Group featuring brief summaries of foreign media reports on topical issues, compiled from the most recent sources available to FBIS. Europe Economic Review (EER) is a subseries of FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY published by the West and East European Divisions of Europe/Lat in America Group with contributions from FBIS overseas bureaus. The EER is intended to supplement coverage of European economic issues by the FBIS Daily Report for West and East Europe, and other FBIS publications. Foreign news, feature, and editorial reports selected for summary in this publication normally do not appear in other FBIS publications. The EER is published in two editions, one for Western Europe (also including media coverage of Canada and Turkey), and the other for Eastern Europe. Drawing primarily from domestic media sources of these countries but also using other foreign media where appropriate, the EER focuses on national and regional economic issues, such as economic competitiveness, regional economic integration, economic reforms and other changes in economic policies, and foreign trade and investment. FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY is a U.S. Government publication. Its contents in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the U.S. Government. All comment or analysis contained herein is attributable to the cited media source, unless otherwise indicated. Europe Economic Review TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE: Italy--Unemployment Benefits Package Passed CANADA New Central Bank Governor Takes Over; Commentary on Trade Minister McLaren FRANCE USTR Kantor 'Threatens' EU Audiovisual Policy; China-U.S. Textile Accord Impact Discussed; Bull Plan 'Irritates' EU Commission; INSEE on Privatization Impact on Employment; Private Yard To Build Navy Ships GERMANY Commentator Sees Recovery Producing Crisis; Telekom Starts Fiber Optic Link With East Europe; Hesse Creates Technology Innovation Foundation ITALY 3 Million New jobs Needed by 2000 SWEDEN Institute Says Future Looking Brighter ECONOMIC BRIEFS France FEATURE Italy: Unemployment Benefits Package Passed An article in IL MESSAGGERO reports that on 7 January the Council of Ministers approved the 4.2-trillion-lire unemployment bill sponsored by Labor Minister Gino Giugni, which is designed to bring temporary relief to the growing ranks of the unemployed. Although the package calls for government expenditures of 1.6 trillion lire for 1994 and 1.3 trillion lire each for 1995 and 1996, Giugni said that for the present, he can only guarantee the funds for |
FBIS3-43163_6 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-04--WEST EUROPE | "threats" by U.S.Trade Representative Mickey Kantor to apply trade sanctions against the EU in order to open the EU audiovisual market to U.S. products is "proof" that the United States wants to stop the EU from revising its audiovisual legislation. A further sign of U.S. intentions was the 11 January meeting which brought together two European deputies with Frank Tonini--a representative of U.S. film producers' chief Jack Valenti- -and John Newbeggin. Newbeggin is an assistant to David Putnam, British film producer and a member of the EU's taskforce on its planned audiovisual "green book." The article contends that this "sudden interest" by the United States in European politics is taking place at the same time the French Government is lobbying its European Union (EU) partners to extend the EU broadcast quota system and industry subsidies, and to transfer the legal responsibility for TV broadcasting decisions from the broadcasting country to the receiving country. The commentary notes that in shifting legal responsibility to the receiving country, such stations as Ted Turner's TNT would be inhibited from "inundating" Europe with U.S. broadcasts from Britain and U.S. broadcast freedom would be affected. (DiI) (Paris LE FIGARO Le Fig-Eco supplement in French 15-16 Jan 94 p VIII) CHINA-U.S. TEXTILE ACCORD IMPACT DISCUSSED--The textile accord signed in Beijing between the United States and China limiting the growth of Chinese exports to the United States may adversely affect the European Union (EU), according to an article in LA TRIBUNE DESFOSSES. The ability of the United States--China's largest textile market--to stem the "flood" of Chinese textiles entering that country is a "small tour de force" for President Bill Clinton's administration which used to advantage the "sensitive" issue of China's diverting textile trade through third countries to conclude the accord. The bilateral agreement will allow the United States to "impose a new balance" with the Chinese but may also allow it to "play the NAFTA card," argues Weil Besancon President Denis Weil. "Limiting Chinese textile export growth will allow the United States to favor trade relations with Mexico, where wage costs are competitive in textile production," Weil adds. While the United States will profit from this agreement, Europe may not. The EU is China's second largest textile market and EU industrialists fear the flow of Chinese textiles into the EU will accelerate as it diminishes toward the United States. Such an increase would aggravate the trade balance between |
FBIS3-43166_10 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | the November issue of FINANCE, the ministry's monthly journal, a report on the custom clearance prices of "30 consumer products" imported in September 1993. The MOF selected 30 consumer goods which it considers of "the highest interest" to consumers and, for the first time, published their prices separately from the detailed custom clearance data appearing in its monthly trade statistics. According to the report, the import prices for 25 of the 30 products dropped compared to September 1992, ranging from a 43- percent drop in the price of bananas, a 38.7-percent decline in the price of Italian dress shirts, a 5.6-percent drop for U.S. cigarettes, and a 4.5-percent drop for Scotch whisky. The weighted average of the 30 custom clearance prices dropped 14.8 percent compared to September 1992. The report concludes that the primary cause for the drop in import prices is the appreciation of the yen, which has appreciated by 16.1 percent, from 124 yen per dollar in September 1992 to 104 in September 1993. The report notes that some of the goods were paid for in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. For example, English tea was priced in British pounds, which depreciated about 30 percent against the yen, and Italian dress shirts were priced in Italian lira, which depreciated about 42 percent against the yen. Some goods were contracted for in yen, such as frozen tuna, American beer and cigarettes, and German automobiles, and their import prices "were not affected by the foreign exchange rate." The MOF report also contains Tokyo retail prices compiled by the Economic Planning Agency (EPA) as of October 1993 for 20 of the 30 imported consumer goods. The MOF claims that by comparing retail prices continuously, everyone will see the extent to which the benefits of a strong yen are distributed. The MOF urges consumers to "strictly monitor" trends in import and retail prices. According to the EPA data contained in the MOF report, the Tokyo retail prices of the 20 imported products "rarely reflect" the decreases in import prices. For example, the custom clearance price of Italian spaghetti dropped 35.7 percent, while the retail price dropped only 4.1 percent, and the custom clearance price of U.S. golf balls dropped 10.3 percent, but the retail price rose 1.0 percent. Of 16 imported consumer goods whose custom clearance prices had fallen, the retail prices of 13 goods dropped; two (U.S. beer and U.S. |
FBIS3-43166_12 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | cigarettes) remained the same; and one (U.S. golf balls) rose. Of the four products whose custom clearance prices had risen, the retail prices of two (oranges and tennis rackets) dropped, while two (EC-made electric shavers and lemons) rose. Environmental Issues: STA To Begin Underwater Cable Project To Track Seismic Activity -- The Science and Technology Agency (STA) this year will begin a 10-year project to lay an underwater fiber optic cable, fitted with seismometers, around the Japanese archipelago as part of a comprehensive marine environmental observation network to track and monitor undersea seismic activity. Basically the STA will use the fiber optic network in place of observation vessels and submarines to detect earthquakes and tidal waves and to provide timely, detailed information on their scale and potential impact. The STA also hopes to attach other sensors to the fiber optic cable to measure underwater temperatures, ocean currents, and earth plate and volcanic activity, as well as to collect data on the levels of carbon dioxide in sea water for research on global warming. The research results gained from the project will also be used to develop technology for using the optical fiber itself as a type of thermometer. Twenty public and private enterprises will participate in the STA project, including research organizations of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Transport, Tokyo University, NEC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Oki Electric Industry. The STA will spend the first five years of the project developing the basic technology related to the seismometers and developing methods to transmit the data. Then the agency will begin laying the fiber optic cable off the Japanese islands and later at deeper levels, closer to submarine trenches. (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 4 Jan 94 p 1) KEPCO, TEPCO To Provide Environmental Know-how To India -- Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) will provide environmental technology and know-how to the nine thermal power plants in India with a total generating capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts. The two companies will work with the public thermal power companies which manage the plants as part of an agreement reached at a 1992 meeting of power company executives from throughout the world. KEPCO will transfer its environmental technology and plant management know-how to control sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. TEPCO will provide guidance on improving the fuel efficiency of boilers to reduce |
FBIS3-43166_26 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | YOMIURI reports that Yokohama Machinery Trading once had representative offices in North Korea and Beijing. According to the 15 January SANKEI SHIMBUN, the TMP obtained documents revealing that employees of Yokohama Machinery Trading and Fuji Trading had traveled to North Korea via China several times in the past for "business negotiations." Anritsu, the manufacturer of the spectrum analyzers, is a major testing and measurement equipment manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo. According to the 14 January YOMIURI, Anritsu sells cable and radio communications equipment and measurement equipment to the Japan Defense Agency (JDA). MITI Surprised, MOFA Not Concerned About U.S. Reaction -- According to the 14 January evening editions of SANKEI SHIMBUN and other Tokyo papers, the Export Division of the International Trade Bureau of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), which administers COCOM-related issues, does not appear to have known about the case. MITI officials were surprised by the news and were "busy in emergency meetings all day," SANKEI SHIMBUN reports. MITI Minister Hiroshi Kumagai said in a press conference on 14 January that he had not been briefed, but instructed MITI officials to investigate the case and to come up with countermeasures as soon as possible. According to the 15 January NHK TV NEWS, a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented that "unlike the Toshiba Machine Case of 1987, where Toshiba Machine exported advanced milling machines to the then Soviet Union and allegedly helped the Soviets improve their submarines," this case would "not directly threaten U.S. national security," and therefore "the United States had not reacted so much to the case." JDA Concerned Over Suspected Use to Develop Missile -- The 14 January evening edition of YOMIURI SHIMBUN and other papers comment that the spectrum analyzers illegally exported to North Korea in 1989 "may have been used by North Korea to develop Nodong I missiles." According to YOMIURI, defense sources are "gravely concerned" about the case, stating that Nodong I missiles would be a considerable threat to Japan, since all of Japan's territory would be within the range of Nodong missiles if they are deployed. A JDA source commented to YOMIURI that "if the spectrum analyzers were used to develop the Nodong I, they must have been used to analyze engine vibrations and flight patterns." Also according to the 14 January YOMIURI, the TMP Public Security Department commented that the analyzers would be effective devices |
FBIS3-43166_74 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | were being made to attract "professionals" with advanced degrees able to collect and evaluate "economic and industrial intelligence." The paper added the NSP also plans to "augment this portion of the personnel it sends overseas." FEATURE: Press View Developments in ROK-Vietnam Trade -- SUMMARY: December marked the first-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Vietnam. Several articles published that month review recent developments in trade and investment between the two nations. One article notes the signing of an arbitration agreement, which would help in resolving any trade disputes that may arise as ROK trade and investment in Vietnam continue to grow. The 24 December HANGYORE SINMUN reports that South Korea became Vietnam's fourth largest trading partner and its third largest investor --based on total amount invested--in 1993. As of 24 December, ROK exports to Vietnam totaled $652 million, while imports totaled $81 million. This placed Vietnam 11th among nations with which the ROK has a trade surplus. HANGYORE lists the ROK's main exports to Vietnam as textile materials, non-metallic mineral products, steel, metallic products, chemical industrial goods, machinery, and electronics. The main imports from Vietnam are raw materials, such as coal and natural gas, and primary goods, such as agricultural products. With regard to investment, HANGYORE notes that the Overseas Investment Commercial Center of the Export-Import Bank of Korea handled 108 cases of investment in Vietnam over the past year. This was equal to 10.4 percent of all the cases the center handled during that period. While ROK investment in Vietnam has been concentrated mainly in light industry, HANGYORE says that there is a trend toward diversification into service industries. As of June, 23 companies- -both conglomerates and small and medium businesses (SMB's)--had set up 30 branch offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to HANGYORE, KOTRA (the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation) expects SMB's to move into export processing zones or set up industrial complexes in Vietnam. It also believes that ROK enterprises will have a hand in developing Vietnam's natural resources, such as iron ore, natural gas, and copper. Infrastructure projects may become good investment targets as well, according to the article. Yet HANGYORE observes that not all ROK ventures in Vietnam fare well. There are cases of businesses failing because they invested without having enough advance information about local conditions, of friction because of cultural differences, and cases of labor- management |
FBIS3-43169_10 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 93-054--EAST EUROPE | meeting held from 29 November to 3 December. Officials from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia took part in the talks, which were also attended by an EC Commission delegation. Slovenia, Ukraine, and Moldova will receive copies of adopted resolutions, Branimir Natov, deputy minister of environment and leader of the Bulgarian delegation, told a news conference in Sofia on 3 December. The meeting coordinated the final version of the draft convention, which is expected to be signed in the middle of 1994. The convention aims to achieve stable and balanced water management, including the protection and rational use of surfaceand ground waters, in the Danube basin. It will apply to an area of almost 817,000 square kilometers including the territories of 14 European countries. Bulgaria attaches special importance to the convention because of the serious pollution of the Danube's lower reaches, most sources of which are outside this country. The measures that the convention sets out will help reduce water pollution in the lower reaches of the Danube River. An international system of notification and control of pollution incidents will be set up. (Sofia BTA in English 1407 GMT 3 Dec 93 AU) SUGAR REFINERY PRIVATIZED: The Privatization Agency announced on 3 December that it had signed a bill of sale for the Kristal Svoboda Sugar Processing plant in Kameno, Burgas District, but declined to identify the new owner. The plant is the largest of its kind in the country, but at present it is operating far below capacity. (Sofia Khorizont Radio Network in Bulgarian 2000 GMT 3 Dec 93 AU) CONSTRUCTION WORKERS EMPLOYED IN GERMANY: 5,800 Bulgarian builders were employed in Germany in November, officials announced at the Bulgarian-German working meeting held at the Ministry of Construction in Sofia. The last two months saw a fulfillment of over 28 percent of the annual quota (of 2,000 workers a month). The sides will sign a protocol to specify the 1991 bilateral accord. (Sofia BTA in English 1521 GMT 4 Dec 93 AU) NEW TYPE OF CEMENT: The Granatoid Company near Pernik has begun producing a new type of cement, used for making stressed concrete. The material's strength has been enhanced. Experts say that it is suitable for building bridges. According to Deputy Director Panayot Panayotov, many companies have shown interest. (Sofia BTA in English 1521 GMT 4 Dec 93 AU) OVER 30,000 TOURISTS EXPECTED THIS WINTER: |
FBIS3-43173_0 | NEAR EAST/SOUTH ASIA: RELATIONS WITH CIS MUSLIM STATES, No. 1 | REGIONAL Turkey Fears Losing Oil Advantage to Moscow In an interview, Turkish economist Mustafa Sonmez expressed concern over developments in the route-selection process for oil and natural gas pipelines from Central Asia to Europe. Sonmez, who is known for his pipeline research, said that Russia's preference for Novorossiysk Port for both oil and natural gas would put control of the spigots in Russia's hands and cautioned operators and financing institutions to concentrate lobbying activities on avoiding such a possibility. Upon his return from a three-day international conference at Tampa, Florida at which the pipelines were a major topic of debate, Sonmez answered questions about how the Central Asia pipelines will affect regional economic and diplomatic balances and whether Turkey will be able to take advantage of the "golden opportunity" they represent. Sonmez said that Turkmenistan natural gas will help Turkey develop gas-fueled power plants and chemical facilities to meet the increased fertilizer requirement resulting from the irrigation side of the giant Southeast Anatolia (dam and irrigation) Project. Sonmez stated that the gas pipeline will create jobs, bring in $250 to $400 million annually in foreign exchange through transshipment, and produce up to $600 million annually in the export of goods and services, as well as the opportunity to "offset" the cost of gas used. According to Sonmez, four routes have been proposed: (1) Turkmenistan prefers a route to Eastern Anatolia via Iran, to avoid riling that neighbor; (2) Turkey prefers a pipeline under the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan and on to Anatolia, (3) while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which will finance the project, has tried to balance Muslim and Christian interests by supporting; a route passing through Armenia from Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan, or; (4) Azerbaijan-Georgia-Anatolia. Sonmez estimated that an oil pipeline from the Caspian to the Mediterranean would carry 40 million tons of crude oil per year, 25 million tons of which would be Azerbaijan oil. The 1,040-km line would intersect the existing Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline at Viransehir in Turkey and would cost $1.5 billion. He added that the Caspian- Mediterranean route would benefit Turkey by providing constant foreign exchange from offset and transit earnings and could be built with $400 million in capital and $800 million in credit (numbers as reported). (Istanbul NOKTA 3-9 Oct 93) Sonmez noted, however, that Russia does not favor this route and was denied its preferred route through the Turkish Straits because Turkey |
FBIS3-43183_0 | RUSSIA: ACADEMICIAN DENIES EXISTENCE OF INTERNATIONAL BLACK MARKET FOR ORGANS | A Russian academician has publicly denied a Canadian film's charges that he offered human organs for sale. A Russian press report gives detailed explanations why the accusations are medically and logistically improbable. In a KOMMERSANT-DAILY article (23 Nov 93), Academician Valeriy Shumakov, the director of the Public Health Ministry's Scientific Research Institute for Transplantology and Artificial Organs, denies a Canadian film's claims that he offered human body parts for export. Shumakov calls the allegations an attempt to discredit Russian transplant specialists, who are beginning to attract patients from Europe. The film "Body Parts Business," which was broadcast on British and Canadian television in November 1993, urges international organizations to stop an alleged international black market in human body parts. According to a 25 November 1993 TRUD article, which takes its information from a report in the Belgian newspaper LE SOIR, the film alleges that organs procured from Russian kidnap victims, corpses in Moscow morgues, missing Honduran children, and Argentinian psychiatric patients and accident victims are being sold for transplantation or cosmetology research. TRUD, seconded by the Moscow newspaper KOMMERSANT-DAILY (23 November 93), says that the Canadian film describes large-volume sales of body parts for hard currency in Russia. Allegedly one firm sold 600 kidneys at 20,000 rubles apiece, and a second company sold 700 kidneys, hearts, and lungs; 2,000 eyes and 3,000 pairs of testicles. The film reportedly asserts that most of these organs are taken from unclaimed corpses in morgues, but some are removed from kidnapped Russians by rings of doctors working in well-guarded, secret locations. The contraband organs are reportedly shipped out of Sheremetyevo airport under forged documents. As reported in the KOMMERSANT-DAILY article, the BBC broadcast of the film included allegations by Bernard Cohen, director of Eurotransplant, a Netherlands-based organization that distributes organs to European transplant clinics, that Shumakov offered to sell him Russian organs. Shumakov, an eminent transplant surgeon, USSR State Prize laureate, hero of socialist labor, and academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, says that the rumor is an attempt by "certain forces in the West ... to compromise Russian transplantology because the entry of Russian surgeons into the international market would inflict significant injury on their Western colleagues" (KOMMERSANT-DAILY 23 Nov 93). Shumakov says that his institute collaborated for one year with Eurotransplant at Cohen's initiative. According to Shumakov, "relations became complicated" when the German physicians' association protested the possibility of a |
FBIS3-43186_20 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | million yen ($4.4 million) facility for recycling electric power and telephone cables. The equipment for this facility, which breaks up the cable and extracts the original vinyl, aluminum, and copper for reuse, was developed by a German company that Hosokawa acquired in 1987. (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 23 Dec 93 p 10) SOUTHEAST ASIA: Shortages of Electronic Parts in Southeast Asia - Because of the rapid appreciation of the yen, Japanese manufacturers of home electronics products have been moving their production bases to Southeast Asia. As a result, the demand for locally procured parts has grown, causing shortages and price increases. According to sources from the Japanese semiconductor industry, which has moved into Southeast Asia, the amount of orders received in Southeast Asia for semiconductors and electronic parts exceeds last year's by 30 to 40 percent. A private research agency forecasts that the semiconductor market in Asia, excluding Japan, will be 18 percent of the total world market and be worth about $14.3 billion for 1993. Currently, in Southeast Asia there is a severe shortage of 4- megabit dynamic random-access memory chips, which are used in personal computers. This has led to a purchase price of around $14 per chip, 11.3 percent higher than the second quarter of 1992, and 17 percent higher than the current price in Japan. Mitsubishi Electric Corp.'s Singapore branch is reported to be "unable to meet demand." (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 15 Dec 93 p 26) Tsubakimoto Opens Office in Thailand - Tsubakimoto Machinery and Engineering Co., Ltd. will open an office in Bangkok, Thailand in January 1994. Thailand has a favorable economic environment with a high growth rate, and Japanese companies are continuing to expand into Thailand as a production base. Tsubakimoto plans to supply all the machine parts these Japanese subsidiaries may need. The local office, managed by one Japanese and two Thais, will scout out local manufacturers who can supply parts; investigate the local market; and provide sales, delivery, and service for parts made for Thailand. This will be Tsubakimoto's third overseas location, following Seoul and Singapore. In the future, Tsubakimoto is planning to strengthen its overseas development, concentrating on Asia. (Tokyo NIKKEI SANGYO SHIMBUN 7 Dec 93 p 14) VIETNAM: Japanese Business Mission Goes to Vietnam - The Tohoku Productivity Center, the Tohoku Industrial Engineering (IE) Association, and the Miyagi Industrial Association are sponsoring an economic exchange mission to Vietnam from |
FBIS3-43186_23 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | Center, "In Vietnam, on top of low labor costs, the educational level is high, and petroleum, natural gas and other resources are plentiful. During this period when the shift to overseas factories is progressing, it makes sense to promote exchange." (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 4 Dec 93 p 24) Japan-U.S. Economic Relations - FEATURE: U.S. Officials Criticize Japan's Economic Bureaucrats -- SUMMARY: Reported criticism of Japanese bureaucrats by senior U.S. Government officials has "aggravated" the atmosphere in the framework talks between the two nations, according to press reports. One paper asserts that U.S. Ambassador Mondale has tried to "ease" U.S. positions in the talks so that the February meeting between President Clinton and Prime Minister Hosokawa will be successful. The 25 December NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN (NIKKEI) reports that recent criticism of Japanese bureaucrats allegedly made by "high-ranking White House officials" has caused "friction" between the two countries. U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Bowman Cutter have "openly criticized" Japanese bureaucrats on two key points, according to NIKKEI. The first is that Japanese bureaucrats have "fostered erroneous impressions" in the minds of Japanese Government leaders and the Japanese public by relaying "distorted" versions of U.S. proposals put forth during the framework talks. Second, they have criticized Japanese bureaucrats for "preventing" Japan from moving ahead with market opening measures, deregulation, and income tax reduction measures, NIKKEI reports. The 26 December ASAHI SHIMBUN asserts that at a 23 December briefing for foreign journalists, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Bowman Cutter stated that "Japanese bureaucrats tend to represent the best interests of their ministries rather than the views of the prime minister." According to ASAHI, he stated that Japanese bureaucrats have a "higher status" in the current U.S.-Japan talks because Prime Minister Hosokawa is "absorbed" with the political reform issue. He reportedly described Japanese bureaucrats as "obstacles" because "they have always functioned in the same way and cannot keep pace with rapid changes occurring in the outside world." According to the paper, he also criticized unnamed bureaucrats for "convincing" the Japanese public that the United States, as part of its efforts to introduce "objective criteria for trade" is demanding "market share" to open up Japan's markets. He also reportedly stressed that the U.S. side "has never once asked for import targets," ASAHI notes. NIKKEI on Reasons for U.S. Criticism - The 25 December |
FBIS3-43186_68 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | there were "problems" with PRC civil aircraft technology, however, and that the ROK would push for a three-way agreement with the United States and China instead. The new ROK proposal, according to HKS, is for the United States to supply the technology, South Korea to "contribute" capital, manufacturing facilities, and personnel, while China provides basic technology and a market for the product. The government source went on to state that Seoul will address the question of which of the "three" domestic aircraft manufacturers will be selected to participate in the project after talks with the United States and China move forward. In a follow-up article on 19 November, HKS claims this approach "clearly shows the [government's] intent of getting a hold over demand for aircraft in the Asia- Pacific region," in contrast to the original plan, which put priority on the ROK securing its own developmental technology. According to HKS, the new governmewnt stance renders the ROK companies' private arrangements to enter the market for mid-size aircraft "factually impossible." FEATURE: KEPCO Official Outlines Plans for Nuclear Power - SUMMARY: South Korea's nuclear power industry will double its present capacity upon completion in 2001 of eight new reactors, a Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) official has recently written. By 2006, nuclear facilities will reportedly generate nearly half the country's electrical power. Steps are being taken to secure the ROK's "independence" in this sector by indigenizing reactor technology, diversifying fuel suppliers, and developing the country's own uranium enrichment facilities. Seoul WONJARYOK SANOP (Atomic Power Industry) publishes in its November issue an overview of South Korea's plans for nuclear power development by Chong Po-hon, chief of KEPCO's Nuclear Power Industrial Group. The magazine states that in 1992, 5.65 million or 43.2 percent of the country's total electricity production of 13.10 million kilowatt hours was nuclear-generated, "the highest rate in Asia." Although only 31.6 percent of the generating capacity is nuclear, "high utilization rates of 84.5 percent in 1992, and 88.6 percent for the first nine months of 1993" for the nine reactors now producing electrical power in the ROK helped achieve this ratio. The reactors were identified in previous press reports as Kori units one through four located on the southern coast near Pusan, the first unit of which was completed in 1978; Uljin reactors one and two, on the country's east coast; and Yonggwang one and two on the west coast - |
FBIS3-43186_69 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | Power Corporation (KEPCO) official has recently written. By 2006, nuclear facilities will reportedly generate nearly half the country's electrical power. Steps are being taken to secure the ROK's "independence" in this sector by indigenizing reactor technology, diversifying fuel suppliers, and developing the country's own uranium enrichment facilities. Seoul WONJARYOK SANOP (Atomic Power Industry) publishes in its November issue an overview of South Korea's plans for nuclear power development by Chong Po-hon, chief of KEPCO's Nuclear Power Industrial Group. The magazine states that in 1992, 5.65 million or 43.2 percent of the country's total electricity production of 13.10 million kilowatt hours was nuclear-generated, "the highest rate in Asia." Although only 31.6 percent of the generating capacity is nuclear, "high utilization rates of 84.5 percent in 1992, and 88.6 percent for the first nine months of 1993" for the nine reactors now producing electrical power in the ROK helped achieve this ratio. The reactors were identified in previous press reports as Kori units one through four located on the southern coast near Pusan, the first unit of which was completed in 1978; Uljin reactors one and two, on the country's east coast; and Yonggwang one and two on the west coast - all light water reactors. Wolsong number one in Kyonggi-do became operational in 1983, and is South Korea's only heavy water reactor at present. The magazine reports that stricter environmental laws will cause South Korea to rely even more on nuclear power in the future. According to the article, eight more reactors will be built between 1995 and 2001 with a total capacity of 7.1 million kilowatts, which will "double" present capacity and provide 41.3 percent of the anticipated electric power demand (expected to grow by 10 percent annually). They include Yonggwang reactors three (1995) and four; the 700,000 kw heavy water Wolsong reactor number two in June 1997, and units three and four in 1998 and 1999; and the 1 million kw Uljin reactors three and four, also in 1998 and 1999. The magazine does not make particular reference to the eighth new reactor. A 14 October 1992 KOREA TIMES article, however, stated that nine new reactors were planned by 2001: two at Uljin, three at Wolsong, two at Yonggwang by 1996, and another two at Yonggwang by 2001. Between 2000-2006, six more reactors will be built, three on existing sites "and three on new sites to be determined," the |
FBIS3-43186_94 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 12 JANUARY 1994 | many of them expressing fear that their pay will be cut. In some areas, workers reportedly think that conversion to a shareholding system simply means divvying up state property and assets to individuals, and have raised "unrealistic demands." According to a Finance Ministry report, there have been demands that an enterprise be sold to its workers with only a 15-percent downpayment, with the rest to be paid back over 10 years. LAO DONG says that there are many reasons why the conversion of state enterprises into shareholding companies has been slow, but the major factor is that it has been made more or less voluntary. Furthermore, detailed and clear regulations and education concerning the policy have been lacking. Many mistakes have also been made in calculating the assets of enterprises to be privatized. LAO DONG asserts that the time has come for party and government organs at all levels to closely review the privatization program so that they can find ways to speed it up and boost the country's development. Air Traffic Control To Receive $26-Million Upgrade - The National Air Routes Administration Center (Civil Aviation Department) has just started construction of a short/long range communications and radar control station at Tan Son Nhat airport as the first step in building a communications/radar network for the Ho Chi Minh City FIR (Flight Information Region). The communications/radar network will consist of three stations: at Tan Son Nhat airport, on the Son Tra peninsula (Da Nang), and at Quy Nhon. The network stations will be equipped with RSM-970 long-range radars (450-km radius), TRAC-2000 radars with 150-km coverage, and Eurocat-200 signal processing centers produced by the French firm Thompson CFS. These three communications/radar stations will relay data to and from the Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control center via four satellite ground stations at Hanoi, Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh City. This project represents an investment of $26 million in equipment plus more than $2 million for construction work. When completed, the network will service not only domestic flights, but also flights between the Ho Chi Minh City control region and other air control centers (ACC) in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. In addition to this $26-million network, the National Air Routes Administration Center also plans to convert the NDB system (Non- Directional Beacons) at Moc Chau, Ninh Binh, and Long Khanh into Omnidirectional |
FBIS3-43192_0 | Yugoslavia--Bosnia-Herzegovina | Serbs Defy NATO Warning SUMMARY Shrugging off threats of NATO airstrikes, Serb leaders in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and Bosnia-Herzegovina have denied responsibility for taking the offensive in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnian Serb leaders flatly rejected NATO's call for the opening of Tuzla airport to humanitarian aid flights. END SUMMARY Reacting to the 11 January communique issued following the NATO summit in Brussels that warned of the possibility of air strikes to prevent the strangulation of Sarajevo and other threatened areas, Serb leaders and media have denied that Serb armed forces have gone on the offensive and complained that the international community has unjustifiably singled out the Serbs for punishment. Reaction in Belgrade Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Republic of Serbia in the FRY, described the "threats of bombing" Serbian positions as incomprehensible" because he said Bosnian Serb forces have "not waged war for more than seven months" and the "Muslim leadership" is "undoubtedly" responsible for recent "armed provocations" (Tanjug, 13 January). Milosevic similarly denied Bosnian Serb responsibility for recent armed conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina in a speech to the Geneva peace conference on 29 November (Belgrade radio, 29 November). He gave no indication in his most recent statements that he would attempt to persuade Bosnian Serb forces to desist from their shelling of Sarajevo and their interference with humanitarian shipments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Although the NATO communique issued a general warning to all sides about the possibility of air strikes, the Yugoslav media have asserted that the threat was part of a wider international campaign of unjustified criticism of the Serbs. A Tanjug commentator asserted that, "although the word 'Serb' was not explicitly mentioned," NATO had aimed its warning at the Bosnian Serbs. Echoing Milosevic's objections to the international community's criticism of the Serbs, the commentator complained of the unfair treatment of the Serbs. He maintained that "only the Serb side has so far fulfilled all it has been asked" at the peace talks but the international community "continues to make threats" to the Serbs alone "while looking with benevolence on the bloody fighting" between Muslims and Croats (Tanjug, 13 January). Bosnian Serb Defiance The Bosnian Serb leadership was unanimous in its rejection of the NATO communique's call for the opening of Tuzla airport to flights carrying humanitarian aid. The Serbs insisted that the Muslims would use the airport to smuggle arms for their army (Tanjug, 12 and 13 |
FBIS3-43196_31 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-001--EAST EUROPE | this regard too because it would require Polish borrowers to put up only 20 percent of the cost of a given project in order to qualify for the 25- percent matching contribution from STRUDER. As a result, Polish firms would only have to pay market interest rates on commercial loans covering 55 percent of project costs. Bielecki also noted that the government was trying to persuade Polish intermediary banks to keep their fee margins to a minimum when processing Western- backed loans. (Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 16 Sep 93 pp 1, 2) U.S. AID HISTORY REVIEWED: In late September, RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE ran a lengthy feature article by Andrzej Krzemirski profiling U.S. aid to Poland since 1989. Krzemirski recounted the tally of total U.S. aid to post- communist Poland and summarized the scope and nature of many individual aid programs. Since 1989, wrote Krzemirski, Poland has received $4 billion in U.S. aid, including $2.4 billion in debt reduction. He noted that most U.S. aid to Poland is delivered in the context of wider regional assistance programs and coordinated by USAID. The author profiled several aid programs and advised readers to consult the USAID office in Warsaw for details. In addition to democracy-building programs, such as those funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, Krzemirski described several U.S. aid programs aimed at promoting free-market reforms, including: --IRIS program (Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector) -- provides funding for technical assistance in writing legislation designed to enhance small, medium-sized business growth. --GEMINI program (Growth and Equity through Microenterprise Investment) -- funds technical assistance in promoting the growth of financial services. --Volunteer American experts are praised for making a "very important" contribution to finance and banking reform. --The Polish American Business Center in Warsaw -- promotes bilateral trade and U.S. investment in Poland. --RITE program (Removal of Impediments to Trade) -- funds technical assistance on eliminating trade barriers. --CDI program (Capital Development Initiative) -- funds efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in the power industry, telecommunications, and environmental protection. Krzemirski added a detailed overview of the lending and assistance programs managed by the Polish American Enterprise Fund, which was founded in 1990 with charter capital of $240 million. Krzemirski rated the Fund as the U.S. government's principal aid channel to Poland. He described the history of the Fund's direct and indirect lending and assistance programs to promote privatization and private sector growth and cited |
FBIS3-43196_53 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-001--EAST EUROPE | Ryrie. For example, he mentioned that IFC financing helped to set up the "Polish Business Advisory Service," which delivers management consulting services to small and medium- sized firms in Poland. The IFC has been active in Poland since 1987 and opened a Warsaw office in 1990. Since 1987, the IFC has disbursed a total of $270 million to finance 12 capital projects, including the modernization and renovation of a Warsaw hotel, the modernization and expansion of a consumer electronics plant, the construction of the Warsaw Corporate Center, and the modernization of a steel mill in the Warsaw area. Most of these projects involved joint ventures with other foreign partners. The IFC plans to expand investment programs in Poland. Current plans envision providing IFC financing for restructuring the PZU insurance firm and for road construction throughout the country. (Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 3 Jun 93 p 1) DEBT FOR ENVIRONMENT SWAP WITH FINLAND: In early June, a Polish- Finnish task force reached agreement on reducing Poland's $140- million debt to Finland by $15 million over the next three years in exchange for investment in various environmental cleanup projects. The capital can be tapped to finance up to 30 percent of the costs of projects, such as a recent one involving the installation of oil- spill cleanup gear on board two Polish ships. Finland holds 0.4 percent of Poland's total foreign debt. (Warsaw PAP in English 1033 GMT 3 Jun 93) BANKERS ANALYZE LOW USE OF WESTERN LOANS: In early June, Polish banking officials (including officers of the National Bank of Poland) attended a two-day conference to discuss reasons why the Polish economy has been slow to take advantage of loans from Western governments and international financial institutions. The conference was organized by the Polish government in cooperation with the EBRD, the EC Commission, the Polish National Chamber of Commerce, the Polish Industrial Development Agency SA, and UNIDO. The conference also served as a forum for marketing foreign loans to Polish businesses. Representatives from over 1,450 Polish manufacturing, construction, trade, service, and consulting firms attended the meeting. During the proceedings, these representatives signed a reported 300 loan agreements with officials representing foreign financial institutions. Conference participants heard the following breakdown of figures describing Poland's low absorption of Western loans: --Declared "loans and grants" since 1990 -- $8.3 billion, --Funds available at end of first quarter 1993 -- $6.1 billion, --Value of |
FBIS3-43197_1 | EURASIA: AIDS COVERAGE IN NIS PRESS | test systems for territories. Pokrovskiy thinks that the federal government may not fund the program at all in 1994-95. Other problems affecting the Russian AIDS control program, according to Pokrovskiy, are the failure of the AIDS centers to focus on prevention of sexual transmission of AIDS and the failure to allocate manpower and organize AIDS control institutions where the incidence is greatest (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA 1 Dec 93). HIV Incidence The number of Russian HIV carriers began to increase rapidly in 1993. Eighty new HIV carriers were identified, and 32 HIV-positive patients developed AIDS. Of the 692 HIV carriers detected in Russia, 124 are AIDS patients, 96 have died, and 435 are foreigners and have been deported (Moscow IZVESTIYA 3 Dec 93). The average age of the AIDS patients was 28, and the ratio of men to women was 8 to 1. Two of the HIV-infected were donors (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). According to Vadim Pokrovskiy, director of the Russian Center for AIDS Prevention and Control, the pattern of HIV transmission in Russia has changed. Starting in 1990 HIV has spread predominantly among Russian homosexuals and to some extent among intravenous drug users. Initially, the virus was spread primarily by foreigners or through medical negligence. Pokrovskiy predicts a sharp rise in incidence among drug users within the next two years (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). A front-page column in MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA lists the incidence of HIV carriers by city and oblast. Moscow leads with 125, 70 percent of whom are male homosexuals. Following it are three localities where the infected are primarily victims of medical negligence in 1988-89: Rostov Oblast with 109 carriers, Kalmykia with 98 and Volgograd Oblast with 72. HIV was sexually transmitted to most of the 59 St. Petersburg and 33 Moscow Oblast patients. Twenty territories have no identified AIDS carriers and the rest have a few each (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA 1 Dec 93). Testing Twenty-five million people were tested for AIDS in Russia during 1992, 21 million in 1993 (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93, KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA 1 Dec 93). For initial screening, laboratories use domestically produced test systems, which are less reliable than foreign systems. Specimens that test positive are sent to the Russian Scientific Methodological Center for AIDS Control, where foreign test systems and computer analysis are used to confirm the diagnosis. Positive results at this stage are retested and then confirmed by immune |
FBIS3-43207_3 | MAGHREB PRESS REVIEW No. 1 | Development, and the OECF. (London MEED 25 Dec 93) TUNISIA AL-HADATH Director Receives Threat Rabat daily AL-MAGHRIB has reported that the staff of Tunisian Arabic-language weekly AL-HADATH received a telephone call on 29 December directed at the manager-chief editor, demanding that he "stop writing about the (Muslim) brothers; otherwise he will suffer the same fate as Faraj Foudah." Additional threats were made on 30 and 31 December. AL-HADATH reportedly stated that management attached "little importance" to these threats, attributing them to "traffickers in religion" and to "plain assassins," and noting, "This strengthens our belief that we are on the right track--that of fighting for Tunisia." (Rabat AL-MAGHRIB 1 Jan 94) Health Services Statistics According to public health sector statistics, as of 1 September 1993 there were 1,579 general practitioners and 1,113 specialists providing medical services in Tunisia. The specialists numbered 243 surgeons, 86 gynecologists, 54 opthalmologists, 42 ear, nose, and throat specialists, and 44 radiologists; the remaining 523 were in other fields. In the private sector, there were reportedly 2,100 doctors, including 1,000 specialists. (Tunis LE TEMPS 19 Nov 93) Technical Cooperation Program The Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation reported that 694 individuals departed for Gulf and Western countries in 1993 as part of bilateral cooperation programs. Many of these technical programs were underwritten by international organizations such as the World Bank, the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, and the United Nations Development Program. One-third of the 694 came from the education sector, another third from the health sector, and the remainder from engineering, electrical energy disciplines, telecommunications, petroleum, agriculture, mechanics and computer science. The number of Tunisians currently employed by these programs in other Middle Eastern countries is as follows: Saudi Arabia (4,034); Oman (1,909); Qatar (502); UAE (404); Bahrain (111); Kuwait (87); and Yemen (62). Some 283 are employed in Western countries, including Europe, the United States, and Canada, with 114 of these working in France. (Tunis LE TEMPS 8 Dec 93) Olive Oil Surplus Reported According to LE TEMPS, olive oil production has been facing pricing, distribution, and stocking problems due to the domestic market's inability to absorb surplus quantities. Although production totals have been estimated at 320 million tons, exports will only absorb 110 million tons, with the remaining 210 tons to be sold on the local market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The article noted that the domestic olive oil market is |
FBIS3-43214_62 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-003--EAST EUROPE | Czech Republic were fake. The imitations cost between Kc400 and Kc990, while the only original Levi's 501 cost Kc1,800. (Prague MLADA FRONTA DNES in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 3 AU) AGRICULTURE SECTOR LOSING MONEY: State farms will end this economic year with a loss of Kc8,500 per hectare, cooperatives with a loss of Kc1,050 per hectare, and private farmers with a loss of Kc157 per hectare. This prognosis was presented by J. Netik, president of the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic, at a seminar held at the Prague Agricultural College on 7 December. Agriculture Minister Josef Lux, who also addressed the seminar, said that it was the government's responsibility to guarantee at least "minimum profit" for the best and average-performing agricultural enterprises. (Prague MLADA FRONTA DNES in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 14 AU) ELECTRICITY FROM WIND POWER: The Institute of the Physics of the Atmosphere of the Czech Academy of Sciences estimates that about three percent of the Czech Republic's electricity could be generated by wind-power plants. The turbines would have to be erected in altitudes above 700 meters, however, where current regulations mostly prohibit any construction activity for environmental reasons. The institute has built an experimental wind-power plant in the Krusne Hory (Ore Mountains) and will monitor its environmental impact over the next four years. According to Josef Stekl, the institute's director, the development of this source of energy is hindered by the "financial diktat" of the CEZ (Czech Power- Generating Works) company, the monopoly distributor of electricity, which procures electricity from small producers at one-third of the consumer price. As a result, it takes 16 years for the builder of a wind-power plant to recoup his investment. Wind-power generators who consume this electricity themselves recover their costs in one- third of the time. (Prague LIDOVE NOVINY in Czech 8 Dec 93 p 2 AU) MORE LAND SOWN WITH GRAIN: The growing procurement prices of cereals have prompted Czech farmers to increase the area sown with grain crops. Winter wheat had been grown on 754,802 hectares this year (20,161 hectares more than in 1992), rye on 66,976 hectares (increase of 1,471 hectares), and spring barley on 443,652 hectares (compared with 438,406 hectares last year). Between 1989 and October 1993, the price of alimentary wheat increased 49.5 percent, the price of feed wheat 55 percent, the price of malt barley 29.3 percent, and the price of feed |
FBIS3-43215_3 | Symposium Discusses Goals for China's Foreign Economic Relations | see China become a competitor, but rather wants China to always "fly in formation" following Japan's lead. According to Huang, the United States, on the other hand, is intent on imposing its political agenda on China. Criticism of the United States along these lines is a frequent theme in the articles. CICIR analyst Ke Juhan asserts that the United States is "politicizing" the economic relationship between the two countries. Ke says that conditionality on MFN, U.S. economic reprisals based on "unwarranted accusations" of China's violation of the MTCR, U.S. anti-dumping duties against Chinese exports, and U.S. unilateral reduction of China's textile quotas have all "harmed the bilateral relationship." Yan Xuetong, also of CICIR, agrees with Ke's contentions and further states, "Hereafter the United States will continue to use every pretext, including constant use of quota limitations and anti-dumping duties, to limit China's exports to the United States." Ke Juhan urges the United States to put the relationship on a more "practical" footing, stating that President Clinton's recent "intentions, statements, and actions" are beginning to improve the economic relationship with China and predicting that as more U.S. companies become involved with China economically, they will "play an active role" in improving the bilateral relationship. Among the articles on bilateral and regional economic relations, three on Russia and Europe by CICIR analysts stand out. Wang Lijiu asserts that now is the time for China to consolidate economic relations with Russia. However, according to Wang, both countries must work to formulate a unified and coordinated trade policy. Wang also proposes setting up a Sino-Russian joint venture bank to resolve outstanding trade payment issues and calls for increased technology trade between the two countries. In an article on economic relations with Eastern Europe, Qi Degang advocates using barter trade with cash-poor Eastern European countries to edge out Western competition for those markets. Finally, Guan Shufen characterizes prospects for economic relations with Western European countries as "cautiously optimistic." Sino-German economic relations will drive overall Sino-European economic development. On the down side, however, Guan sees increasing European trade protectionism, use of anti-dumping measures to protect domestic industries, and problems in Sino-French and Sino-British bilateral relations. APPENDIX I. The Status Quo and Prospects of China's Economy Opening to the Outside World: How To Meet Challenges and Open Up Ways Forward by Taking Opportunities "An Outline of China Economy Going Out Overseas" by Yan Xuetong (CICIR) "Briefing on |
FBIS3-43217_0 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-04--WEST EUROPE | Europe Economic Review: WESTERN EUROPE Vol. III, No. 4, 27 January 1994 Notice To Readers: FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY is a series published by FBIS Europe/Lat in America Group featuring brief summaries of foreign media reports on topical issues, compiled from the most recent sources available to FBIS. Europe Economic Review (EER) is a subseries of FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY published by the West and East European Divisions of Europe/Lat in America Group with contributions from FBIS overseas bureaus. The EER is intended to supplement coverage of European economic issues by the FBIS Daily Report for West and East Europe, and other FBIS publications. Foreign news, feature, and editorial reports selected for summary in this publication normally do not appear in other FBIS publications. The EER is published in two editions, one for Western Europe (also including media coverage of Canada and Turkey), and the other for Eastern Europe. Drawing primarily from domestic media sources of these countries but also using other foreign media where appropriate, the EER focuses on national and regional economic issues, such as economic competitiveness, regional economic integration, economic reforms and other changes in economic policies, and foreign trade and investment. FOREIGN MEDIA SURVEY is a U.S. Government publication. Its contents in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the U.S. Government. All comment or analysis contained herein is attributable to the cited media source, unless otherwise indicated. Europe Economic Review TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE: Italy--Unemployment Benefits Package Passed CANADA New Central Bank Governor Takes Over; Commentary on Trade Minister McLaren FRANCE USTR Kantor 'Threatens' EU Audiovisual Policy; China-U.S. Textile Accord Impact Discussed; Bull Plan 'Irritates' EU Commission; INSEE on Privatization Impact on Employment; Private Yard To Build Navy Ships GERMANY Commentator Sees Recovery Producing Crisis; Telekom Starts Fiber Optic Link With East Europe; Hesse Creates Technology Innovation Foundation ITALY 3 Million New jobs Needed by 2000 SWEDEN Institute Says Future Looking Brighter ECONOMIC BRIEFS France FEATURE Italy: Unemployment Benefits Package Passed An article in IL MESSAGGERO reports that on 7 January the Council of Ministers approved the 4.2-trillion-lire unemployment bill sponsored by Labor Minister Gino Giugni, which is designed to bring temporary relief to the growing ranks of the unemployed. Although the package calls for government expenditures of 1.6 trillion lire for 1994 and 1.3 trillion lire each for 1995 and 1996, Giugni said that for the present, he can only guarantee the funds for |
FBIS3-43217_6 | FOREIGN PRESS SURVEY--FB PSE 94-04--WEST EUROPE | "threats" by U.S.Trade Representative Mickey Kantor to apply trade sanctions against the EU in order to open the EU audiovisual market to U.S. products is "proof" that the United States wants to stop the EU from revising its audiovisual legislation. A further sign of U.S. intentions was the 11 January meeting which brought together two European deputies with Frank Tonini--a representative of U.S. film producers' chief Jack Valenti- -and John Newbeggin. Newbeggin is an assistant to David Putnam, British film producer and a member of the EU's taskforce on its planned audiovisual "green book." The article contends that this "sudden interest" by the United States in European politics is taking place at the same time the French Government is lobbying its European Union (EU) partners to extend the EU broadcast quota system and industry subsidies, and to transfer the legal responsibility for TV broadcasting decisions from the broadcasting country to the receiving country. The commentary notes that in shifting legal responsibility to the receiving country, such stations as Ted Turner's TNT would be inhibited from "inundating" Europe with U.S. broadcasts from Britain and U.S. broadcast freedom would be affected. (DiI) (Paris LE FIGARO Le Fig-Eco supplement in French 15-16 Jan 94 p VIII) CHINA-U.S. TEXTILE ACCORD IMPACT DISCUSSED--The textile accord signed in Beijing between the United States and China limiting the growth of Chinese exports to the United States may adversely affect the European Union (EU), according to an article in LA TRIBUNE DESFOSSES. The ability of the United States--China's largest textile market--to stem the "flood" of Chinese textiles entering that country is a "small tour de force" for President Bill Clinton's administration which used to advantage the "sensitive" issue of China's diverting textile trade through third countries to conclude the accord. The bilateral agreement will allow the United States to "impose a new balance" with the Chinese but may also allow it to "play the NAFTA card," argues Weil Besancon President Denis Weil. "Limiting Chinese textile export growth will allow the United States to favor trade relations with Mexico, where wage costs are competitive in textile production," Weil adds. While the United States will profit from this agreement, Europe may not. The EU is China's second largest textile market and EU industrialists fear the flow of Chinese textiles into the EU will accelerate as it diminishes toward the United States. Such an increase would aggravate the trade balance between |
FBIS3-43220_10 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | the November issue of FINANCE, the ministry's monthly journal, a report on the custom clearance prices of "30 consumer products" imported in September 1993. The MOF selected 30 consumer goods which it considers of "the highest interest" to consumers and, for the first time, published their prices separately from the detailed custom clearance data appearing in its monthly trade statistics. According to the report, the import prices for 25 of the 30 products dropped compared to September 1992, ranging from a 43- percent drop in the price of bananas, a 38.7-percent decline in the price of Italian dress shirts, a 5.6-percent drop for U.S. cigarettes, and a 4.5-percent drop for Scotch whisky. The weighted average of the 30 custom clearance prices dropped 14.8 percent compared to September 1992. The report concludes that the primary cause for the drop in import prices is the appreciation of the yen, which has appreciated by 16.1 percent, from 124 yen per dollar in September 1992 to 104 in September 1993. The report notes that some of the goods were paid for in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. For example, English tea was priced in British pounds, which depreciated about 30 percent against the yen, and Italian dress shirts were priced in Italian lira, which depreciated about 42 percent against the yen. Some goods were contracted for in yen, such as frozen tuna, American beer and cigarettes, and German automobiles, and their import prices "were not affected by the foreign exchange rate." The MOF report also contains Tokyo retail prices compiled by the Economic Planning Agency (EPA) as of October 1993 for 20 of the 30 imported consumer goods. The MOF claims that by comparing retail prices continuously, everyone will see the extent to which the benefits of a strong yen are distributed. The MOF urges consumers to "strictly monitor" trends in import and retail prices. According to the EPA data contained in the MOF report, the Tokyo retail prices of the 20 imported products "rarely reflect" the decreases in import prices. For example, the custom clearance price of Italian spaghetti dropped 35.7 percent, while the retail price dropped only 4.1 percent, and the custom clearance price of U.S. golf balls dropped 10.3 percent, but the retail price rose 1.0 percent. Of 16 imported consumer goods whose custom clearance prices had fallen, the retail prices of 13 goods dropped; two (U.S. beer and U.S. |
FBIS3-43220_12 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | cigarettes) remained the same; and one (U.S. golf balls) rose. Of the four products whose custom clearance prices had risen, the retail prices of two (oranges and tennis rackets) dropped, while two (EC-made electric shavers and lemons) rose. Environmental Issues: STA To Begin Underwater Cable Project To Track Seismic Activity -- The Science and Technology Agency (STA) this year will begin a 10-year project to lay an underwater fiber optic cable, fitted with seismometers, around the Japanese archipelago as part of a comprehensive marine environmental observation network to track and monitor undersea seismic activity. Basically the STA will use the fiber optic network in place of observation vessels and submarines to detect earthquakes and tidal waves and to provide timely, detailed information on their scale and potential impact. The STA also hopes to attach other sensors to the fiber optic cable to measure underwater temperatures, ocean currents, and earth plate and volcanic activity, as well as to collect data on the levels of carbon dioxide in sea water for research on global warming. The research results gained from the project will also be used to develop technology for using the optical fiber itself as a type of thermometer. Twenty public and private enterprises will participate in the STA project, including research organizations of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Transport, Tokyo University, NEC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Oki Electric Industry. The STA will spend the first five years of the project developing the basic technology related to the seismometers and developing methods to transmit the data. Then the agency will begin laying the fiber optic cable off the Japanese islands and later at deeper levels, closer to submarine trenches. (Tokyo NIHON KEIZAI SHIMBUN 4 Jan 94 p 1) KEPCO, TEPCO To Provide Environmental Know-how To India -- Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) will provide environmental technology and know-how to the nine thermal power plants in India with a total generating capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts. The two companies will work with the public thermal power companies which manage the plants as part of an agreement reached at a 1992 meeting of power company executives from throughout the world. KEPCO will transfer its environmental technology and plant management know-how to control sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. TEPCO will provide guidance on improving the fuel efficiency of boilers to reduce |
FBIS3-43220_26 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | YOMIURI reports that Yokohama Machinery Trading once had representative offices in North Korea and Beijing. According to the 15 January SANKEI SHIMBUN, the TMP obtained documents revealing that employees of Yokohama Machinery Trading and Fuji Trading had traveled to North Korea via China several times in the past for "business negotiations." Anritsu, the manufacturer of the spectrum analyzers, is a major testing and measurement equipment manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo. According to the 14 January YOMIURI, Anritsu sells cable and radio communications equipment and measurement equipment to the Japan Defense Agency (JDA). MITI Surprised, MOFA Not Concerned About U.S. Reaction -- According to the 14 January evening editions of SANKEI SHIMBUN and other Tokyo papers, the Export Division of the International Trade Bureau of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), which administers COCOM-related issues, does not appear to have known about the case. MITI officials were surprised by the news and were "busy in emergency meetings all day," SANKEI SHIMBUN reports. MITI Minister Hiroshi Kumagai said in a press conference on 14 January that he had not been briefed, but instructed MITI officials to investigate the case and to come up with countermeasures as soon as possible. According to the 15 January NHK TV NEWS, a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented that "unlike the Toshiba Machine Case of 1987, where Toshiba Machine exported advanced milling machines to the then Soviet Union and allegedly helped the Soviets improve their submarines," this case would "not directly threaten U.S. national security," and therefore "the United States had not reacted so much to the case." JDA Concerned Over Suspected Use to Develop Missile -- The 14 January evening edition of YOMIURI SHIMBUN and other papers comment that the spectrum analyzers illegally exported to North Korea in 1989 "may have been used by North Korea to develop Nodong I missiles." According to YOMIURI, defense sources are "gravely concerned" about the case, stating that Nodong I missiles would be a considerable threat to Japan, since all of Japan's territory would be within the range of Nodong missiles if they are deployed. A JDA source commented to YOMIURI that "if the spectrum analyzers were used to develop the Nodong I, they must have been used to analyze engine vibrations and flight patterns." Also according to the 14 January YOMIURI, the TMP Public Security Department commented that the analyzers would be effective devices |
FBIS3-43220_74 | PACIFIC RIM ECONOMIC REVIEW -- 26 JANUARY 1994 | were being made to attract "professionals" with advanced degrees able to collect and evaluate "economic and industrial intelligence." The paper added the NSP also plans to "augment this portion of the personnel it sends overseas." FEATURE: Press View Developments in ROK-Vietnam Trade -- SUMMARY: December marked the first-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Vietnam. Several articles published that month review recent developments in trade and investment between the two nations. One article notes the signing of an arbitration agreement, which would help in resolving any trade disputes that may arise as ROK trade and investment in Vietnam continue to grow. The 24 December HANGYORE SINMUN reports that South Korea became Vietnam's fourth largest trading partner and its third largest investor --based on total amount invested--in 1993. As of 24 December, ROK exports to Vietnam totaled $652 million, while imports totaled $81 million. This placed Vietnam 11th among nations with which the ROK has a trade surplus. HANGYORE lists the ROK's main exports to Vietnam as textile materials, non-metallic mineral products, steel, metallic products, chemical industrial goods, machinery, and electronics. The main imports from Vietnam are raw materials, such as coal and natural gas, and primary goods, such as agricultural products. With regard to investment, HANGYORE notes that the Overseas Investment Commercial Center of the Export-Import Bank of Korea handled 108 cases of investment in Vietnam over the past year. This was equal to 10.4 percent of all the cases the center handled during that period. While ROK investment in Vietnam has been concentrated mainly in light industry, HANGYORE says that there is a trend toward diversification into service industries. As of June, 23 companies- -both conglomerates and small and medium businesses (SMB's)--had set up 30 branch offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to HANGYORE, KOTRA (the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation) expects SMB's to move into export processing zones or set up industrial complexes in Vietnam. It also believes that ROK enterprises will have a hand in developing Vietnam's natural resources, such as iron ore, natural gas, and copper. Infrastructure projects may become good investment targets as well, according to the article. Yet HANGYORE observes that not all ROK ventures in Vietnam fare well. There are cases of businesses failing because they invested without having enough advance information about local conditions, of friction because of cultural differences, and cases of labor- management |
FBIS3-43242_0 | More on ANC Reaction | Language: English Article Type:BFN [SAPA PR wire service issued by the African National Congress] [Text] ANC Press Statement on the Attack on the Heidelberg Restaurant, Cape Town The attack on innocent civilians in the crowded Heidelberg restaurant in Cape Town must stand condemned by all who value democracy, peace and freedom in South Africa. The loss of innocent life in such a cold-blooded manner is a grave indictment on our society. Such acts of naked terrorism serve only the interests of those who want to destabilise negotiations and prevent free and fair elections. As with all such attacks, whether they occur in the East Rand townships, in Natal or in the Cape, they must be immediately investigated and the perpetrators brought to book. It is regrettable that there seems to be a different response when such attacks occur in townships as compared with those that occur where whites are victims. In townships, when taverns or homes are attacked, it is attributed to "black on black" violence or party political rivalry, and virtually dismissed as routine. We commend the police for their high-level response to this criminal act, and would like to see the same level and intensity of response in the other instances of violence that claim so many lives daily. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the three women and a man, as yet unnamed, who lost their lives. We wish the injured a speedy recovery. The ANC will continue to do all in its power to bring an end to violence. Issued by: the Department of Information and Publicity, P.O. Box 61884, Marshalltown 2107, Johannesburg. 31 December 1993 |
FBIS3-43297_0 | 80 Killed in Natal Since 31 Dec | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Excerpt] Nineteen-ninety-four has had a violent start in Natal and on the East Rand, where at least 80 people have been murdered in crime related or politically motivated violence since Friday. More than 60 of the deaths occurred in Natal and KwaZulu. Many of the killings took place in the Natal Midlands where 10 people died in separate attacks near Ladysmith, six in Greytown, three in Mooi River, and one in Estcourt. On the violence-torn East Rand, at least 17 bodies were found in Katlehong, Thokoza, and Vosloorus over the weekend and this morning. In the latest incidence a man was shot dead in Vosloorus this morning. [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-43319_0 | Radio Reports Ethnic Clashes in Rural Areas | Language: French Article Type:BFN [Excerpts] Between 2 and 3 January, though the populations of Isale and Mugongomanga had been celebrating happily, 64 houses were set ablaze by the populations of the two communes who lived in total harmony last year. Christophe Nkurunziza visited Mugongomanga commune. [Begin recording] [Nkurunziza] Bujumbura rural is a province which had become peaceful after the tragic events experienced in Burundi. However, after the New Year's festivities, a resurgence of violence has been seen in the communes of Isale and Mugongomanga. The governor of the province of Bujumbura rural, Dr. Aloys Hakizimana, will give us the facts. [passage omitted] How many houses were burned, how many people died, and how many were injured? [Hakizimana] According to a report sent to me by the head of the Kibuye Zone on 2 January 32 houses were burned down with five people seriously injured and one very seriously. Three of them were transferred to [words indistinct] Kamenge while 15 others who were slightly injured were treated at the health center in Kibuye, and they have returned home. In Kibuye [words indistinct] we counted [words indistinct] 20 houses burned. In Mugongomanga, [words indistinct] reports of the commander of the district of Bujumbura say that ten houses were burned down. [end recording] After investigations, the number of houses burned down is put at 12 for Mugongomanga, while 52 were burned down in Isale. The reported violence has an ethnic connotation. The governor of the province of rural Bujumbura has this to say: [Begin Hakizimana recording] It is very clear. Mugongomanga Province is predominantly Tutsi while the Isale commune is predominantly Hutu. On both sides, in Mugongomanga and Isale, there are Hutu who fled some localities of Gisagwe where there were confrontations during the crisis. The second phase of the crisis was in Mugongomanga commune. In Mugongomanga there is a Tutsi population which was displaced, which fled Isale commune. So, it can be called ethnic. [passage omitted] [end recording] |
FBIS3-43346_0 | Clashes Reported Between Self-Defense Units, MK Group | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Report by Abbey Makoe] [Text] Three alleged MK [Spear of the Nation, ANC military wing] commanders were shot and burnt to death by their colleagues serving in self-defence units [SDU] in Katlehong on Sunday in what is believed to be an ongoing "war" between the two groups, residents said. The three, all MK commanders based in Ncala Section, were executed while visiting the family of slain "Commander Boja," whose body was found at the mortuary earlier on the same day, witnesses said. Boja had disappeared on New Year's Eve. The last time he was seen was in the company of the three "commanders," a neighbour said. A resident, who was part of a group that marched on the SDU's office in Mavimbela Section yesterday to protest against the clashes, was shot dead. Police confirmed the incident. Police said yesterday the death toll in Katlehong since New Year's Day stood at 16. Residents said hostilities between the SDUs and foreign-trained MK members based in Mavimbela and Ncala sections peaked on Sunday afternoon. The two sides, despite having fought heavily side by side in their "war" with members of the Inkatha Freedom Party, reportedly converged on their boundary -- Motaung Street -- and fired at each other. "They fought from 11AM until 6PM, when members of the Internal Stability Unit came with reinforcements," a witness said. Concerned residents spoke of kangaroo courts, in which suspects were tried and sentenced, even in their absence. Boja is alleged to have been killed by fellow commanders after he called for self-discipline. Most residents were concerned that the "war" was largely seen as ANC [African National Congress] against ANC in that the SDUs in both sections were run by MK commanders. But MK PWV [Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Vereeniging] regional chief of staff Mr. Viva Mkhonto yesterday said claims of MK soldiers leading the SDUs were not true. He said while MK members were part of the communities, they did not necessarily control the controversial township neighbourhood watch groups. Senior MK officers had by yesterday not gone to investigate the claims, which he said he knew about only from rumour. "We cannot act on information that is not verified by our commanders," Mkhonto said. |
FBIS3-43349_0 | Note Sent to Mozambique Protesting Attacks | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] The South African embassy in Maputo has delivered a note of protest to the Mozambican Department of Foreign Affairs regarding several attacks on South African tourists in Mozambique. The South African charge d'affaires in Mozambique, Mr. (John Sund), has also been in contact with the Mozambican minister of police. This followed incidents on the road past the Namaacha Border post between Swaziland and Mozambique where motorists have been allegedly harassed by members of the Mozambican police force and forced to pay bribes. A South African couple were forced off the road by an armed gang, assaulted, and had they car stolen near the Ressano Garcia Border post. |
FBIS3-43352_2 | * Polls Measure Preelection Tendencies * Majority Polled Still for Elections | with Indians. The homelands, self-governing regions, and rural areas were included. Some of the results of the poll that was made public this weekend include: - A total of 75 percent of the respondents said that right-wing extremists are going to unleash a war in the country; - Most South Africans are of the opinion that their lives are going to improve after the election. Only 8 percent of whites share this opinion as opposed to 73 percent of blacks; - Most of the people who are hopeful about the future are less well-off and a large majority of those who are under 35 years of age (59 percent). Less than half of the older people are optimistic; - There are great differences between whites and blacks in regard to 13 questions put to them. Of the 13 questions, the two groups agree on only one issue: that South Africa's foreign trade is going to improve. Most blacks believe that eight of the 13 problems will get better after the election, as opposed to whites, who believe that the situation in 12 of the 13 cases is going to get worse; - A full 80 percent--primarily blacks and whites--say they will "very probably" vote, as opposed to Indians and coloreds, who are not as eager; - The greatest concern is over political violence, crime, and the economy. About one-third of the respondents said that political violence is sometimes justified; - Men and women differ a great deal on this issue, however. Some 72 percent of women say there is never a justification for political violence in contrast to 63 percent of men. For the most part, it is the younger men who feel this way. There are significant differences among blacks. Some 53 percent of Xhosas said that violence is sometimes necessary, as opposed to only 18 percent of Zulus; - Black people are hopeful about the election in contrast to the feelings of whites that can be summed up as "anxious." Coloreds are hopeful for the most part as well, while Indians' feelings can best be summed up as "perplexed." 1 Question: How do see your life in the next few years? Responses: Overall: Better 61%; worse 18%; same 17% Blacks: Better 73%; worse 10%; same 13% Whites: Better 29%; worse 47%; same 21% Coloreds: Better 57%; worse 16 %; same 23% Asians: Better 49%; worse 23%; same 19% |
FBIS3-43395_0 | Conservative Party Says Country `Violence Paradise' | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Pretoria Jan 5 SAPA -- The "violence paradise" that the country had become vindicated the Conservative Party's [CP] predictions of anarchy, murder and robbery in the new South Africa, CP Chief Secretary Lem Theron said on Wednesday. Dr. Theron urged conservative-minded citizens to reject the Transitional Executive Council [TEC] and the interim constitution which had facilitated the chaos and to "let their voices be heard to counter the disaster of communist tyranny". The situation could be expected to deteriorate in coming months and years because Marxist Communist revolutionaries in Russia and Eastern Europe had proved they harbored no respect for life, he said. Dr. Theron said several newspaper reports published on Wednesday confirmed the fraud and the false expectations of a peace utopia created by State President F W de Klerk. These included reports on gangs armed with AK47s attacking flats; train violence; an African National Congress [ANC] admission that some self-defense units were out of control; vehicles being set alight after warnings; police fearing for the life of a teenager in a hijacked minibus, four robbers with a trail from Transkei to the Western Transvaal being linked to two murders; the ANC's determination to drive National Party members out of Soweto and several murders and robberies. The new South Africa had become a place where only communist rulers and their bribed facilitators would be able to live securely after the April 27 election, he added. "Repression, exploitation and possibly even penal camps are the destiny of those who dare to oppose the so-called peace democracy of Communism..." |
FBIS3-43419_1 | Shootings, Explosions Occur Near Military Camp 5 Jan Opposition Denies Involvement | and private sector workers are not going to work today. A curfew was imposed from 1800 to 0600 on 5 January. The aim of the attack was reportedly to surround the Inter-Arms Regiment camp, the residence of President Eyadema, who was not there at the time. It all began around 1830 GMT when gunshots from automatic weapons punctuated by explosions were heard for two hours at various areas in Lome, especially near the military camp. The security forces' reaction enabled them to kill seven of the attackers. Some of them allegedly managed to flee to Ghana, from where they reportedly came. An active search has been mounted for the others. It must be noted that the attack occurred just a few hours after the arrival of the French military observers in Lome and had virtually the same characteristics as that of 25 March 1993, during which 23 people died, including four senior officers. [end recording] Mr. (Jean-Pierre Fabre), spokesman for the Union of Forces of Change [UFC] -- Mr. Gilchrist Olympio's party -- has given his reaction. He is refuting allegations that the 5 January attack on the Inter-Arms Regiment camp was the opposition's doing. He spoke to Raphael Mbadinga a few minutes ago. [Begin recording] [(Fabre)] Last night a reporter alleged that the attack was from the opposition wing which refused to take part in the parliamentary elections. Of course, I strongly protest these unfounded statements. The UFC has always said that conditions of security and fairness have not been met for holding parliamentary elections. In our view, the minimum requirements we laid down have not been met; therefore, we said that if they were not met we would not take part in the elections. I think the facts confirm our analysis that there has been a recurrence of violence in Lome, which began around 1830 on 5 January. Shots are still being fired now. [Mbadinga] No, no it ended at 2130.... [(Fabre), interrupting] No, no, I live in a suburb near the Aflao border and at 0600 this morning there were still shots. [Mbadinga] You say that the opposition has nothing to do with this violence. Does the opposition suspect there is a lead on that? [(Fabre)] I would not like to comment on that, but I am inclined to think there is a mutiny at the military camp. I am inclined to favor that theory. [end recording] |
FBIS3-43425_0 | Ethnic Clashes Resume in North; Many Deaths Reported | Language: French Article Type:BFN [Text] A bloodbath has occurred in northern Cameroon. Arab Shuwas and Kotokos are once again at loggerheads. According to various estimates, the death toll runs from 20 to 50. Jean Mater Ndi has more details. [Begin Ndi recording] Between 23 and 24 December, a Kotoko was killed by an Arab Shuwa in the Makere District in the extreme north of the country. In retaliation, Kotokos decided to exact revenge on the night of 25 December; they went from mere words to action. The Arab Shuwa village of Sulfa was attacked and the two communities are now fighting with cold steel weapons, arrows, and rifles. Several people were killed or seriously wounded on both sides. As is usually the case in this region, the Arab Shuwa reacted swiftly. The day after the attack, 26 December, they attacked all Kotoko villages around the (Ndjamonou) District. This is the second day of terribly violent clashes between Arab Shuwa and Kotoko with some sources stating 20 dead and seriously wounded, while sources close to official circles say the death may be as high as 50. Last year, clashes took place between the two communities and led to scores of dead and injured. [end recording] |
FBIS3-43451_0 | New Political Rights Organization Launched | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] A Political Rights Organization, the PRO, has been launched. The PRO, which was launched yesterday, will campaign for amnesty for rightwing political prisoners. In a statement, PRO Chairman (Avril Budd) said task groups have been formed to investigate the conviction of rightist political prisoners. The task groups will also investigate the reasons for the release of ANC [African National Congress] and PAC [Pan-Africanist Congress] prisoners who were arrested for crimes such as the King William's Town Golf Club attack and the St. James Church massacre. The statement says PRO intends to draw public attention to the plight of hundreds of policemen who were imprisoned and will also demand their immediate release. (Budd) says PRO wants the government to either charge or release right-wingers being held under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act. It will also ask for right-wing prisoners to be removed from the Soweto Prison where (Budd) claims they are at the mercy of the ANC-alligned police union, Popcru [Police and Prison's Civil Rights Union]. |
FBIS3-43473_1 | Update on Recent Events, Government Activities More on Assassination Attempt | the "News in Brief" program -- read by announcer] [Text] Yesterday at exactly 1820, while President Gnassingbe Eyadema and Prime Minister Joseph Kokou Koffigoh were holding discussions at the president's private residence in Lome District 2, groups of terrorists lying in ambush along the boulevard leading to the head of state's private residence opened fire at the presidential vehicle, which was on its way to the Togolese Inter-Arm Regime [RIT] camp. The vehicle was struck by a rocket, in addition to many bursts of gunfire. This vehicle -- which fortunately was not carrying the head of state -- managed to escape. Soon afterward, more automatic gunfire was heard in many places around the capital, mainly around the RIT camp, at the Dove of Peace roundabout, on Hydrocarbon Boulevard, and on the lower side of the lagoon, near Cinema Togo. In those places, the terrorists, who were in plain clothes and driving vehicles without any distinctive signs or license plates, shot at everything that moved, sowing panic among citizens who were mostly returning home from work. Security forces countered these attacks immediately. Another group of terrorists in a Nissan Patrol-like vehicle were intercepted at the junction of Boulevard Jean-Paul II and Akeyi Street, while heading to a private presidential residence in Lome District 2, where the head of state and the prime minister were holding discussions. The attacks [word indistinct] concentrated on the RIT, (Avedougouome), and Rapid Intervention Force [FIR] camps. Outside the FIR camp a Toyota pickup vehicle was intercepted and its cargo seized. The cargo consisted of a sizable amount of arms, including rockets, defensive grenades, 7.62-caliber ammunition and propelling cartridges [as heard]. A bus carrying attackers was intercepted at (Doudogome), and its passengers were arrested and taken to the gendarmerie. Another bus, which was following [words indistinct] of their attackers was found on the Kara Boulevard with only its driver, who was seriously injured. At the Aflao customs post, a Peugeot sedan car, which was trying to force its way into Ghana, was fired upon -- the driver was killed on the spot. The attackers, who were routed around 0330, tried to withdraw to the Ghanaian border. Clashes continued until early this morning. The provisional toll is as follows: Seven security forces' elements, three civilians, and about 30 attackers were killed, while 35 terrorists were arrested. Issued in Lome on 6 January. [Signed] The minister of national defense. |
FBIS3-43498_0 | `Serious' Incidents Between Gendarmes, Cattlemen Noted | Language: French Article Type:BFN [Text] Serious incidents have taken place between Fulani cattlemen and gendarmes in Ketou, in the Bonou subprefecture. Master Sergeant Moussa Adamou of the Bonou Gendarmerie Brigade almost lost his life during the squabble. He was saved by his colleagues, who rescued him from the Fulanis. Here with the details is Isidore Zinsou: [Zinsou] Indeed, for a few days now there have been persistent rumors concering the movements of Fulani cattlemen and their cattle towards the pastures in Gnahui-Zume, in Bonou subprefecture in the Oueme District. We remember the incidents that took place last year during their crossing of the region, incidents that left bitter memories in the district. This time, it is during the end of year festivities that the Fulanis cattelmen settled in Ketou in the Oueme district. Informed of the situation, the Bonou Gendarmerie Brigade sent a four-member team to the locality on 3 January, along with two members of the Association for the Development of the Bonou Subprefecture. The presence of the team on the field has merely reactivated the aggressiveness of the Fulanis, who were armed with sophisticated weapons. The result of the clashes is four wounded gendarmes and a pair of handcuffs that were taken away by the Fulanis cattlemen. The gendarme master sergeant was wounded on his forehead and arms. As for the members of the team, they were all beaten up with clubs by the Fulanis. The gendarmes seized nine 12-caliber cartridges and a sophiscated French-manufactured gun. According to some of the region's inhabitants, the Fulani assailants -- some 30 Fulanis armed with clubs and guns -- stormed certain houses searching for gendarmes. The same sources said that the Fulanis were ready to fight back any attack from the people of Bonou. It should be recalled that such incidents between the people of Oueme Valley and Fulani cattlemen are frequent every year in December. Last year, several people were killed in similar incidents. Let us simply wish for calm to return to the region. |
FBIS3-43576_0 | Radio Reports UNOSOM Troops Shoot Hospital Worker | Language: Somali Article Type:BFN [Text] The UN Operation Somalia [UNOSOM] troops stationed at the American Embassy building in Mogadishu last night at 2300 fired on a Banaadir Hospital worker who was in the hospital's doctors' residence. Mr. Amar Abdilleh Issaq, a senior nurse, had his left arm smashed by the UNOSOM troops' shots at Banaadir Hospital. The director of the Banaadir Hospital, Dr. 'Abd al-Razaq Hasan Ali, told journalists today that the UNOSOM troops fired on the hospital through a window facing the UNOSOM base at the American Embassy. The hospital director said that this appalling act by UNOSOM troops is inexplicable since in all situations hospitals and medical centers are to be spared from such acts. The UNOSOM troops are aware and have a written explanation of all the areas forming the main Banaadir Hospital. The director of Banaadir Hospital, Dr. 'Abd al-Razaq Hasan Ali, said these sort of acts have been committed in the past against the hospital by UNOSOM troops. He lastly called on world human rights organizations, world health organizations and others to condemn the annihilation of patients and doctors targeted by UNOSOM troops in breach of the international code for hospitals. |
FBIS3-43602_24 | Abacha Presents 1994 Budget, Comments on Politics | needed social services. Consequently, 1994 will witness more vigorous activity on the part of government in the provision of improvement of social services, especially in the area of transportation and road maintenance, schools management, public health, and other related infrastructure. Our approach to the provision of social services is derived from the philosophy of social sector management which views those services not merely as items of public expenditure but more importantly as investment in a better organized society, and ultimately as imperatives for future progress given their enormous multiply effect. Drug enforcement: Drug trafficking has become a monumental national embarrassment and a cancerous malaise which is a great source of concern for this administration. Nigeria is not a producer of drugs yet because of the indiscipline of some of our people, and their general tendency to get rich quick, have turned Nigeria into a notorious drug route. This attitude has an unhealthy effect on the image of this country. This administration therefore is determined to stamp out drug trafficking in all its ramifications. Categorically, government has decided to revamp and reorganize the national Drug and Law Enforcement Agency to make it more responsive to its responsibility. It is pertinent to note that the recent seizure of drugs with a street value of over $300 million within our shores lend credence to this our renewed and vigorous efforts to fight the incidence of drug trafficking. We appeal to the international community to cooperate with us in this our current drive to stem the drug trade from our shores and plead for the exchange of information and technical assistance toward the attainment of this objective. Henceforth, government will deal ruthlessly with drug traffickers and their agents and will not tolerate the damage drug trafficking and other antisocial behaviors done to Nigeria's image. Government is determined to ensure strictest obedience and the enforcement of stiffest penalties on offenders and assert no efforts will be spared to track down traffickers and their agents. Youth and sports: Government is committed to constructive programs of youth development for nation building. In pursuit of this noble goal, the Ministry of Education and Youth Development as well as the National Sports Commission will continue to develop appropriate youth programs to prepare our young men and women for productive adult life. The future of any nation depends on a well-articulated and effective youth policy which can only be ignored |
FBIS3-43658_0 | Hospital Sources Report 10 Dead After Clashes | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Yaounde, Jan 12 (AFP) -- Cameroon police used water cannon to drive off 100 students marching on the prime minister's office here on Wednesday to protest the death of some students killed in a road accident. The angry undergraduates said 15 of their fellows were killed when a minibus taking them to university was in collision at dawn with a truck on the outskirts of town. |
FBIS3-43713_15 | PAC Official Comments on Recent Issues, Events | trial, and does the PAC actually realize that there are some blacks who want to mislead our people into deeper oppression, for example the Buthelezis and some white people who are genuinely devoted to the struggle for example, the Joe Slovos of this world. South Africa is basically not just divided into good blacks and bad settlers, and I hope that you people will realize that. Thank you very much. [De Lille] Brenda, may I just say that if you know the history of the PAC and the history of the liberation movement, in the early 60's when there were no other channels open for them to pursue a peaceful change in this country, out of desperation and out of concern of getting the liberation and the freedom of our people, the movements resorted to the armed struggle. We in the PAC has [as heard] always believed that there's no ways that anybody can dictate to us what methods to use to free ourselves. The desperation and the dying and the maiming of our people calls for anything that, you know, you can use to free our people. We have, as the PAC, accepted the line of negotiations and we've not said that negotiations will be the only form of struggle that will bring liberation to this country. We've not made a revolution at the World Trade Center. But rather the various forms of struggle complement each other, and when they realize that there is a possibility that we might overthrow the existing regime through the ballot box, we then agreed to mutual cessation of hostilities early in June already. Thank you. [Hinds]From Bloemfontein, another caller. Mrs. Blom, good morning. [Blom]Good morning. I have a question for Mrs. de Lille. I remember a meeting she had with Dr. Allan Boesak in the Cape where she said among others: The white people have taken our country. Now we are just wondering, could she tell us what her origins are. Is she not also, in quotation marks, a settler? Thank you very much. [De Lille]What I said in Cape Town was quite correct, but all I can tell you is that I am a example of colonialism because my surname is of French origin, but if no French had come to this country then where does the surname come from? Many of our people have German surnames, have Spanish surnames. Now where |
FBIS3-43759_1 | Prime Minister, Cuban Envoy Meet, Discuss Politics | few months ago. The Cuban official noted that it is not enough that the two peoples should know and understand each other, adding that they must also seek to cooperate as advantageously as possible. The audience was also attended by Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister Venancio de Moura and the Cuban ambassador to Angola. Official bilateral talks began this afternoon. Roberto Robaina, who arrived in the Angolan capital this morning on his first official visit to this country in his capacity as Cuban foreign affairs minister, had already carried out part of his program before midday: He held a private meeting with Venancio de Moura, his Angolan counterpart and he visited the Cuban doctors at the Military Hospital. He and his team began official talks with their Angolan counterparts at the Foreign Affairs Ministry this afternoon. They discussed the internal situation in Angola and Cuba, bilateral friendship and cooperation ties, and the international situation but, before doing so, they delivered long speeches. Angolan Foreign Minister Venancio de Moura spoke first: [Begin Moura recording] After the talks we had this morning concerning the internal situation in our countries, we found we are motivated to do everything in our power to ensure that we continue working together to overcome the insufficiencies and difficulties our peoples and governments are facing at this stage. Those difficulties have often arisen from hostile behavior toward our countries. [end recording] In turn, the Cuban foreign affairs minister attached special significance to his diplomatic offensive in Africa, where he is on a tour of several countries. Minister Robaina noted that this was particularly the case in the context of the very complex and constantly changing world we live in. He added that in Cuba one cannot talk about a diplomatic offensive without mentioning Africa, a continent with which Cuba has long standing historic relations. [Begin Robaina recording] To my country -- and, I suppose, to Angola, too -- diplomacy at this stage means finding paths, opening doors, and finding solutions to our problems. We must seek advantageous cooperation and think along the lines that what might be a necessity to one side, might also be an opportunity for the other side to [word indistinct]. [end recording] Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Robaina is expected to wind up his visit to Angola tomorrow. Among other commitments, he is scheduled to call on President of the Republic Jose Eduardo dos Santos. |
FBIS3-43775_1 | Witness Says Opposition Leader `Falsely Accused' | Article Type:BFN [From the "Focus on Africa" program] [Text] It looks as if the Guinea-Bissau opposition leader, Joao da Costa, may escape a prison sentence altogether following a dramatic development of his trial on the charges of plotting a coup last year against the government of President Vieira. The trial began just over a week ago and da Costa and 16 others were in the dock. But today one of the main prosecution witnesses, an Army officer, took the stand to talk about the alleged plot, and the soldier's testimony came as something of a surprise, as Eduardo Lubao reports in this telex from Bissau for VOICES news agency: Army Sub-Lieutenant Amadu Mane withdrew his accusations against Joao da Costa in a testimony today at the military court in Bisalanka outside the capital, Bissau. Mr. Mane said he had not met Joao da Costa for two years since the time when Mr. da Costa left the ruling PAIGC [African Party for the Independence of Guinea- Bissau and Cape Verde] Party in order to form his own opposition party. He said the government security chief had persuaded him to falsely accuse Mr. da Costa of plotting a coup d'etat. Mr. Mane, who is now an outspoken critic of poor conditions in the Army, explained how he had shot Major Obolo da Pino in March last year after da Pino has tried to kill him. Maj. Obolo da Pino was a close aide to President Nino Vieira and head of one of the Army's crack military units. Mane denied government charges that the killing was aimed at sparking off a mutiny against the government. He described how he fled abroad after the shooting, was captured in neighboring Gambia, and flown back to Bissau under military escort. He said that the interior minister, Abubacar Balde; the director general of the government security services; the chief of the Presidency; and the commander of the Frontier Guard then persuaded him to accuse Joao da Costa of plotting a coup d'etat. Mane said they had told him several other arrested soldiers had already agreed to accuse Mr. da Costa of plotting a coup and that he would be freed after the trial if he went along with the story. Last week, several other witnesses who appeared before the military court withdrew earlier accusations against Mr. da Costa, saying they had been obliged to sign false statements. |
FBIS3-43865_0 | Cuban Foreign Minister Denies Arms Smuggling Charges | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] The Cuban foreign minister, Roberto Robaina, who is on a tour of African states, has said that his country is seeking stronger economic ties with other countries to counter the United States' trade embargo and the loss of its Eastern European allies. Speaking in Zimbabwe, Mr. Robaina said Cuba was looking for markets for its raw materials, and for new supplies of oil to replace imports from the former Soviet Union. The Cuban foreign minister, who arrived in Harare from the Angolan capital, Luanda, denied reports that Cuba planned to negotiate the supply of arms to Angola. |
FBIS3-43995_0 | 19 Jan Tuareg Attack in Mansou Leaves 7 Dead | Language: French Article Type:BFN [Excerpt] Niamey, 20 Jan (AFP) -- An attack carried out on 19 January in the Mansou locality near Tahoua (400 km northeast of Niamey) by the Tuareg rebel movement left seven dead, including four rebels, Niger national radio reported yesterday evening. The three other victims were two gendarmes and a native of the village, the radio specified. It explained that the attack was directed at the Manzou market and that all the attackers, on whom "coded documents" were found, had been killed. The last deadly operation carried out by the Niger Tuaregs dates back to 7 February, when 30 people were killed at Tassara (530 km northeast of Niamey). [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-44011_0 | Update on Events Surrounding Lusaka Peace Talks Radio on UNITA Plans at Lusaka Talks | Language: Portuguese Article Type:BFN [Text] Tomorrow, the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola [UNITA] are expected to resume the second round of the Lusaka peace talks. Analysts say the talks may face some difficulties, because rumors are going around that UNITA intends to derail the negotiation process. Joao Ligio, our correspondent in the Zambian capital, is on the telephone to give us more details: [Begin Ligio recording] It is three days now since Mulungushi Conference Hall has seen any activity in connection with the Angolan peace process. UN Special Representative Alioune Blondin Beye closed the hall's doors and left for Luanda on yet another charity mission. However, his absence has not meant that the government and UNITA teams have been idle. Instead, they have been working at finding consensus concerning the operation of the future National Police. To keep the talks going, before leaving, the UN special representative handed over to the negotiators the theoretical formulas that are contained in a document regarded as the final draft in a bid to reduce the gap between the two sides. Without meetings and without Blondin Beye constantly summoning them, the two sides now have more time to learn about the general situation (?in Angola), where the specter of war continues to loom large. Within this context, reports have been reaching Lusaka about certain developments on the battlefield. The effect of those reports has been to undermine the optimism that had marked these talks at one stage. It is known that the UNITA leader has called an emergency meeting of the UNITA Political Commission. That meeting began on 21 January and it is not being attended by any of the officials in the team to the Lusaka peace talks. (?He) has also issued a communique in which Cubans and Russians are accused of holding talks with the Angolan Government concerning a return of Cuban military forces to Angola. That communique adds that UNITA will not make any concessions in connection with the Riot Police issue. Such developments are in clear contrast with what a reliable source in the Black Cockerel movement has said: He asked journalists here in Lusaka not to mix the country's internal developments with developments at the talks. According to that source, the main obstacles concerning the specific principles that will govern the future National Police have been overcome and the next 24 working |
FBIS3-44045_0 | Cuban Foreign Minister Denies Troops Planned for Angola | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Windhoek January 21 SAPA -- Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Robaina, a veteran of the Angolan war, said on Friday his time spent fighting with the MPLA [Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola] and SWAPO [South-West African People's Organization] against UNITA [National Union for the Total Independence of Angola] and the SA Defence Force was one of the most important experiences of his life. He was a soldier near the Namibian border from April 1988 to April 1989 when Cuban forces went home at the implementation of UN Resolution 435 that ushered in Namibian independence. Mr Robaina denied reports from Zambia that claimed he said Cuba would again send troops to Angola in the event of foreign intervention on the side of the UNITA rebels, saying Havana had too many domestic difficulties to even consider it. He said the overnight disappearance of Cuba's traditional economic relations with the Soviet Union and East Bloc countries had left his Caribbean island in serious economic difficulty. Speaking in Windhoek at the tail end of a six-nation African tour, he cited ongoing "irrational persecution" and a trade blockade by the United States as a key factor in Cuba's strained financial status. There was no sign of any flexibility from the Clinton administration, he said, adding that Cuba was having to undergo a policy transformation in order to survive in a changed world. U.S. pressure was creating problems for eight in every ten international firms which tried to establish themselves in Cuba, Mr Robaina said. He said he was confident about a succesful conclusion to the Angolan peace talks dragging on in Lusaka, and hoped for a "happy ending" to the Angolan conflict. During his visit to Namibia, Mr Robaina concluded a visa exemption agreement and a trade pact which he said would further consolidate relations between the two countries. Cuba is expected to participate in Windhoek's international trade fair in April, and has invited Namibia to reciprocate in Havana in November. Introducing the Cuban on Friday, Namibian Foreign Affairs Minister Netumbo Ndaitwah said relations between Namibians and Cubans were "sealed in blood". |
FBIS3-44074_0 | Arms Fire Heard in Southern Suburbs | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Brazzaville, Jan 23 (AFP)--Heavy arms fire rocked the troubled southern suburbs of the Congolese capital Sunday [23 January], military sources said, as an army blockade of the area entered its second week. No reason was given for the renewed fire, after a three day lull, and apparent calm in the Bacongo and Makele-Kele districts. The two areas are controlled by groups opposed to the President Pascal Lissouba and have been at the centre of fierce political and ethnic violence that has turned Brazzaville into a powder keg. Around 115 people have been killed in clashes between supporters of Lissouba and opposition leader Bernard Kolelas. The blockade of the Bacongo suburb, launched by the army on January 17 after renewed violence and the kidnapping of an officer from the president's bodyguard, continued over the weekend in spite of fresh doubts over its chances of success. One officer close to Lissouba said the army blockade was "ludicrous" since the suburb could be supplied from Zaire by ship across the river border between the two countries. Interior Minister Martin Mberi called on official radio for the illegal army militias to allow free movement for diplomats, some of whom have been harassed by militias. The recent lull in fighting was preceded by a rocket attack Thursday which damaged a police station in the northern Ouenze area of Brazzaville. A second rocket attack blew out the windows of a bank in the same district, witnesses said. No casualties were reported from the attacks and it was unclear who was responsible. |
FBIS3-44109_0 | Current State of Industry Assessed as `Gloomy' | Language: Portuguese Article Type:BFN [ From the "Voice of Resistance of the Black Cockerel" program] [Text] We are in 1994. The present state of the Angolan industry is truly gloomy and worrisome because of an almost total paralyzation of productive activity during 1993, reducing production levels to less than 30 percent. This situation, created by the destruction of infrastructure, lack of raw materials, and the obsolete state of equipment, caused major imbalances in the present economy, which is characterized by an ever increasing inflation. The occupation of some industrial areas by the warmongering National Union for the Total Independence of Angola [UNITA], such as Huambo, the second biggest industrial province in the country, influenced to a large extent the low level of production registered during 1993, particularly in the fields of food, beverages, and confection. In financial terms, the industrial sector received $35.4 million for operational programs on a quarterly basis, but the Angolan industrial sector needs $700 million for its rehabilitation. Of the $35.4 million, more than $8 million were used to obtain raw materials, mainly wheat and corn flour, yeast, and wheat grain. The remaining amount was given to companies that had raw materials but needed other essentials to produce commodities. Importing raw materials served as a foundation for the Angolan Industrial Association to hold trade fairs to exhibit products produced in the country. Strategies and priorities to reorganize and develop Angolan entrepreneurship and privatizations were defined in 1993, although the process has been moving slowly. Measures liberalizing prices and giving management autonomy where possible, were also implemented. Thus, work is under way to transform state units into commercial elements. There are still some difficulties. These include the fact that an adequate economic atmosphere does not exist, the need for a consolidated and experienced entrepreneurship, as well as shortage of equipment, financial resources, technology, and management. In the very short-term, the fundamental objective is to be able to increase the utilization of available resources in the fields of industry, capital, and labor, thus guaranteeing minimum levels of efficiency. Accordingly, the government's strategy in 1994 should be to make use of good points and eliminate weak points. Good points are an abundance of natural resources, excellent conditions to obtain energy at low prices, the geopolitical situation, and the agricultural, livestock, and fishery [word indistinct]. Weak points would be the war situation, the destroyed industrial sector, excessive bureaucracy and restrictions |
FBIS3-44124_0 | Foreign NGO's Say UN Body Involved in Child Prostitution | Language: Portuguese Article Type:BFN [Text] The independent MEDIAFAX publication reported today that in December of last year four foreign nongovernmental organizations [NGO's] in Mozambique protested to UN Special Representative Aldo Ajello that UN Operations in Mozambique [Unomoz] personnel were allegedly involved in child prostitution in this country. MEDIAFAX reports that the four NGO's come from the United Kingdom, the United States, Denmark, and Norway. Those organizations believe they have good reason to believe that some Unomoz soldiers are sexually exploiting children. Those organizations also noted that if such behavior is proven, then it is in violation of Article 34 of the Child Rights Convention. Those organizations have called on UN Special Representative Aldo Ajello to take measures to investigate the matter and act to protect the children. |
FBIS3-44128_0 | Vice President Intervenes in Party Power Struggle | Language: English Article Type:BFN [From the "Focus on Africa" program] [Text] Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU-PF [Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front], has begun a nationwide restructuring exercise in the run-up to the election of provincial officials and the full national party congress later this year. But the exercise has uncovered divisions and personality clashes and rivalries within the party at the local level. One of the worst scrabbles has been in Masvingo Province, where rival government ministers and their followers have been involved in a good two months of mudslinging, but now the party top brass is stepping in to heal the rift, as Rachel Rawlings reports from Harare: [Begin Rawlings recording] The vice president, Simon Muzenda, has called for an end to what he called this nonsense about factions and ordered the two sides to sit down and thrash out their differences. The bickering is between Minister of Mines Eddison Zvobgo and Provincial Governor Josiah Hungwe, supported by Minister of Higher Education Stanislaus Mudenge. They and their followers have been battling for control of ZANU in Masvingo since October, accusing each other of being political (?upstarts) bent on hijacking the party. Mr. Muzenda's peace effort didn't appear to get off to a good start. At yesterday's meeting governor Hungwe's supporters turned up in force, but only managed to [words indistinct] faction. There are rumors in the Mashonaland West. A false rape charge brought against the local party candidate could have been politically motivated, while Manicaland Provincial congress had to be postponed because some delegates claimed local party elections had been rigged. In the eastern town of Mutare, the party restructuring exercise was postponed because of apathy amongst eligible delegates, and there have also been problems in Matabeleland. Despite the widespread local bickering, the party's hierarchy has until recently made little comment. It appears Mr. Muzenda who comes from Masvingo, had intervened in a row there to prevent a coordinated attack from provincial level against the national hierarchy. There were reports of a secret meeting between one of the Masvingo factions and a local politician from Matabeleland, where they discussed lack of development in the two provinces, and the formation of a common front to push the government to provide more resources. Mr. Muzenda criticized such talk as very dangerous, saying what it really means is the government, which you are part of, has done nothing and, therefore, should be removed. |
FBIS3-44230_0 | Rebel Radio Reports `Violent' Demonstrations 26 Jan | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Today morning, the notorious youthwingers of MRND-CDR [Republican National Movement for Democracy and Development, and Coalition for the Defense of the Republic] numbering 50 and 100, backed by the gendarmes, staged violent demonstrations blocking the road from Kacyiru [Kigali outskirts] to the headquarters of UNAMIR [UN Assistance Mission to Rwanda] and committed acts of terror against both motorists and pedestrians. It all started at around 0930 AM when armed youthwingers of MRND- CDR converged at 100 meters from CND [National Development Council] building where RPF [Rwanda Patriotic Front] officials reside, and erected barricades in the roads. The notorious supporters of MRND-CDR began to pull people out of cars, confiscated things, smashed windscreens, and forced the owners of vehicles to walk on foot. According to an eyewitness, one person was violently pulled out of the car and slashed with a panga [machete]. The attackers accused the victims of being tall, and therefore a Tutsi, according to them. All these acts of terror took place in the presence of security forces, the local paramilitary gendarmes. The gendarmes seemed concerned with the security of the perpetrators of violence instead of administering law and order. The only vehicles allowed to pass were those of RTLM [expansion unknown], a radio station used by MRND-CDR, and that of Mr. [name indistinct] the secretary general of MRND-CDR party, which passed in the area several times. At around 1100 AM, the MRND-CDR gang stopped an RPF vehicle which was taking an RPA [Rwandan Patriotic Army] officer to the headquarters of UNAMIR to meet Brigadier General Romeo Dallaire [UNAMIR commander]. In order to pass, the RPA soldiers escorting the officer had to shoot in the air to disperse those manning the illegal roadblock. When the RPF vehicle returned from the headquarters of UNAMIR, it was again stopped by the MRND-CDR youth. When the RPA soldiers tried to pass they were shot at by the gendarmes who had led an ambush nearby. The RPA returned fire and they drove home. The gendarmes continued shooting and bullets hit the CND building in which the RPF officials reside. Contrary to reports by Radio Kigali nobody was injured by the bullets during the exchange of fire. The only casualty reported was the person cut with a panga by the MRND-CDR youthwingers. According to UNAMIR regulations, demonstrations are supposed to take place 1.5 km away from the RPF residence. |
FBIS3-44262_0 | Reports of Violence in Natal, East Rand 27 Jan | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Natal Johannesburg SAPA in English at 0821 GMT on 27 January reports that "at least four more people have died violently in Natal, bringing the provincial toll to at least 29 since Friday last week, police said on Thursday. An unidentified man was shot and killed by gunmen when he resisted an attack in the Mtubatuba district of Mfekayi on the north coast on Wednesday afternoon. KwaZulu Police [KZP] said the motive for the killing was not known. Thomas Shongo, 26, was shot and killed while walking past the kwaMashu men's hostel, north of Durban, on Tuesday night. Less than an hour later, Ndukuzempi Mahlobo was shot and killed at the hostel by three gunmen. The KZP said he had apparently refused to participate in a strike. Edmond Mthethwa was shot and injured when he and a friend were driving through the Silverstream area of Kranskop in northern Natal on Tuesday." East Rand Johannesburg SAPA in English at 1046 GMT on 27 January reports that "four men were killed on the East Rand on Wednesday, police reported. Two bodies were found with gunshot wounds in Katlehong and a third, so badly decomposed it could not be determined how the man had been killed, was found in veld near the Natalspruit railway station. Spokesman Lt Deon Peens said in a statement on Thursday police shot dead the fourth person when an Internal Stability Division foot patrol came under fire in Katlehong's Mokoena section. The patrol took possession of an AK-47 rifle and magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition." "On Tuesday, police said, Matheus Mnguni of Kwathema, Springs, was shot in the right arm and leg by gunmen." |
FBIS3-44289_0 | Premier Lien Chan on Southeast Asian Tour Meets With Malaysia's Mahathir | Language: English Article Type:BFN [By Danielle Yang] [Text] Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 31 (CNA) -- Republic of China [ROC] Premier Lien Chan met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed in Kuala Lumpur Friday [31 December]. During the half-hour meeting, the two discussed a wide range of political and economic issues, including the ROC's entry into the East Asia Economic Caucus (EAEC) and its bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a dialogue partner. Chairmin Hsiao Wan-chang of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Fang Chin-yen, and Government Information Office Director-General Jason Hu were also present at the meeting. Lien will also visit other high-ranking officials during his three-day stay in Malaysia. Lien arrived in Kuala Lumpur Friday on a private visit, seen by the local press as the most important step in ROC's bid to promote ties with countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. Two-way trade between Taiwan and Malaysia totaled US$3.29 billion in the first 11 months of 1993 with Malaysia enjoying a US$250 million trade surplus. Lien will fly to Singapore for a three-day visit Sunday. |
FBIS3-44298_3 | Foreign Minister Qian Interviewed at Year's End Views U.S. Relations, Achievements | in an economic recession since the beginning of the nineties; the economies of some countries have become stagnant, whereas the economies of others have grown at a very slow pace or posted zero and negative growth. Unemployment rates in the West are high. This has caused social unrest and spawned a post-Cold War syndrome. [announcer-read passage on Russia's political and economic problems omitted] The problem with Russia seems to be that the difficulties it encountered following the change in political power and in economic restructuring are far greater than previously anticipated. Russia is our largest neighbor. Because it is our neighbor, we of course hope the situation there will stabilize as soon as possible and its economy will develop gradually. [announcer-read passage on the world's political and economic situation following the end of the Cold War omitted] [Correspondent] The international situation has undergone major changes following the end of the Cold War. What kind of impact do you think the new international situation will have on China's future development? [Qian] The situation arising in the wake of the Cold War has posed new challenges to all countries. However, the successful maintenance of world peace is the most important thing. During these past two years -- 1992 and 1993 -- our country's economy began the course of rapid and healthy development. This precisely demonstrates the importance of the maintenance of world peace; this situation is very conducive to China's development. [Correspondent] What diplomatic achievements do you think China has achieved this year? [Qian] Diplomacy is the extension of domestic affairs. Because our country's domestic situation is very good, the situation on our diplomatic front is likewise very good. More than 30 foreign heads of states and government leaders, as well as over 50 vice presidents, vice premiers, and foreign ministers, have visited China this year. Our diplomatic activities are relatively active; a total of 158 countries have established diplomatic relations with us. The emphasis of our diplomacy is to strengthen relations with our neighbors and establish good-neighborly relations with them; to strengthen unity and cooperation with developing countries; and at the same time to establish economic and trade relations with countries throughout the world. Two major events of great importance took place last November. One was German Chancellor Kohl's visit to China, and the other was the meeting between Presidents Jiang and Clinton. These two events signified that Western powers have |
FBIS3-44300_0 | Vice Foreign Minister Discusses World Situation | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Report on interview with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei by correspondents (Deng Xiujian) and (Shi Yan); place and date not given; from the "Current Affairs" program] [Excerpts] Negotiation and conflict, progress and setback; it all happened over this outgoing year. To review the year's development, our reporters (Deng Xiujian) and (Shi Yan) interviewed Vice Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei and two international affairs researchers. Here is (Lin Shaowen) with this year-end special "Global Briefing 93." Vice Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei says that 1993 is the second post Cold War year. The world on the whole is gradually becoming a multipolar system. He admits that instability is on the rise, although a new world war is unlikely in a short time. Tian Zengpei says one important change in 1993 was the rise of the Asia-Pacific region in terms of political and economic importance. Tian Zengpei says the rapid and steady economic growth in Asia has become the focus of world attention and contrast with the recession elsewhere, especially in the industrial world. The national GNP in major Asian nations rose by 7.1 percent in 1993. He says the combined total economic strength of Asian nations around the Pacific Rim is now one quarter of the world total. This has forced many countries to adjust their foreign policies. The U.S. Government has gradually shifted its foreign policy focus to the Asia Pacific as President Clinton believes that it will play a most important role in the U.S. economy. Signs show Japan is returning to Asia economically. With half of its overseas investment in East Asia, Japan has surpassed U.S. as the leading investor in the area. European countries such as Germany have also adopted new policies toward Asia. In contrast, industrialized countries all suffer from a kind of post Cold War syndrome. Tian Zengpei says many western countries suffer from the longest economic recession since World War II. This caused social problems and political instability. Public demonstrations continue. Some ruling parties which have been in power for long period were crushed at the polls. Some government leaders have to be replaced. The vice foreign minister calls it the second most important characteristics of the year. [passage omitted] Vice Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei says regional economic cooperation is most valued. The European Community has approved the Maastrict Treaty on closer European union. The United States, Canada, and Mexico endorsed |
FBIS3-44301_2 | `Yearender': `Advances, Setbacks' in Sino-U.S. Trade | U.S. enterprises in obtaining protection for intellectual property rights. In March this year, Chinese and U.S. Government delegations reached a relatively satisfactory understanding on how to implement the memoranda on products made by prisoners.... Wang Tianming stated: Of the problems and difficulties facing Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations, the first is the annual reviewing and approval of most-favored-nation [MFN] treatment, which causes a sense of instability and insecurity among U.S. industrialists and businessmen. This way of doing things has a direct bearing on the trade cooperation between China and the United States. On the intellectual property rights issue, although China has made great efforts, the United States still declared it was altering China's listing from a nation under general observation last year to a key nation on the list. The United States still restricts export of high-tech products to China and has not yet lifted the sanctions imposed upon it. At the same time, the United States has imposed more and more new restrictions on the import of Chinese products. Textiles are the traditional major commodities China exports to the United States. The Sino-U.S. agreement on textiles, currently in force, is to expire by the end of this year. Both sides have held three rounds of talks on signing a new agreement. Because the United States persisted in demanding that the Chinese accept totally the penalty article in the anti-corruption provision, which was in violation of international norms, and the article which one-sidedly stressed U.S. rights, the talks made no progress. Wang Tianming pointed out: It is not strange that there are problems and differences in the economic and trade activities between China and the United States. It is necessary for both sides to seek a solution through dialogue and on the basis of mutual benefit and cooperation rather than using sanctions as a means to put pressure on the other. Putting pressure on others will solve no problems. Wang Tianming said: As for the coming year, it is of great significance to accelerate China's reform and to open up to the outside world. As far as the economic and trade fields are concerned, reform will be carried out in areas such as the foreign economic and trade structure and systems covering foreign investment, banking, taxation, and foreign exchange. The state will promulgate a dozen economic laws and regulations next year, including the foreign trade law, the foreign investment law, |
FBIS3-44302_0 | Various Issues Examined as XINHUA `Yearender' U.S. Policy `Undergoing Readjustment' | Language: English Article Type:BFN ["Yearender" by Ying Qian: "U.S. Foreign Policy Undergoing Readjustment"] [Text] Washington, December 31 (XINHUA) -- As the first U.S. president after the ending of the cold war, Bill Clinton has made noticeable readjustments in the U.S. foreign policy in 1993, the first year of his administration. Among the changes, the most important is to take the economic issue as a matter of national security and place it at the center of U.S. foreign activities. With the cold war over, the military threat posed to the U.S. by the former Soviet Union no longer exists and the strategy of global confrontation with the Soviets pursued by the U.S. Government in the past 40 years has lost its real significance. On the other hand, the U.S. is declining in its economic power with an enormous amount of resources put into the nuclear arms race, serious economic and social problems and a high unemployment rate in three consecutive years. Since taking office in January, President Clinton has taken economic recovery as the first priority of his administration and made efforts to push forward an "economic diplomacy" with the aim of expanding overseas markets, increasing exports of U.S. goods and services, cutting deficits in U.S. foreign trade and creating more jobs for Americans. As part of the efforts, the Clinton government made a three- pronged assault in the last few months to ensure success in three major aspects of vital interests to his country. First, through extensive and arduous lobbying, it won congressional approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to pave the way for the creation of the world's largest free trade bloc with Canada and Mexico. Second, after bitter bargaining, the United States reached a compromise with the European Community in the seven-year-long Uruguay-Round multilateral trade talks by the final deadline of December 15. If these two achievements still bear the trademark of the previous government, the move to develop relations with Asian countries is mainly a Clinton initiative. The sustainable economic growth in Asia, especially East Asia, since the 1980s has made the region the most prosperous part of the world. The vast market in Asia and its potentials have no doubt a strong appeal to the rest of the world, including the United States. Therefore, Clinton has changed a practice usually adopted by his predecessors soon after he entered the White House -- he |
FBIS3-44304_1 | Various Issues Examined as XINHUA `Yearender' Detente, Turbulence `Still Exist' | the possibility of a world war is decreasing, it shifted its defensive emphasis "from preparations for nuclear war to tackling regional wars." Meanwhile, the integrated European Common Market was officially inaugurated at the beginning of this year; the North American Free Trade Agreement was ratified at the end of this year; the informal leadership conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization was convened; and various regional economic organizations among Asian, African, and Latin American countries were formed and consolidated. Second, more importance has been attached to coordination and dialogue in international relations. The Chinese and U.S. presidents had their first formal talks in more than four years, while the Uruguay Round of the GATT multilateral negotiations, which had dragged on for seven years, eventually reached an agreement in December. All this indicates the desire for and capability of coordination between concerned parties. In 1993, a major breakthrough was achieved in solving the Middle East, South African, and Cambodian issues -- the three hot spots whose problems had remained unsolved for a long time. The people's yearning for peace and hatred of war have prompted many troubled areas of the world to seek political solutions instead of military confrontation. Third, international arms reductions and arms control have made some new progress. The United States and Russia formally signed the second stage of START -- the START II Treaty -- and 115 nations including the United States, China, and Russia signed the convention banning the use, production, and stockpiling of chemical weapons. The United Nations began to implement the agreement on transparency in armaments which was passed in 1991. Although problems remain regarding the implementation of the agreement and the convention, the moves are conducive to detente. Besides, the world's total spending on the military in 1993 decreased for the sixth successive year, and the decline in this spending is continuing. On the other hand, the world of 1993 has been plagued with contradictions, wars, and conflicts. Regional disputes, collisions, and unrest have been on the rise and have combined to form interference that kept pounding at the international environment, thus creating an unstable world. This can be seen in the following manifestations: The contradiction overshadowed by the struggle for hegemony between the two superpowers in the past came to light further; frictions were frequently triggered by new changes in the political, economic, and military forces in the world after the end |
FBIS3-44374_0 | `Peace Charter' Dissident Yang Zhou Freed | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Beijing, Jan 3 (AFP) -- Yang Zhou, dissident founder of the China "Peace Charter" movement, was freed late last week after being held in detention for seven weeks, he said Monday. Yang, 49, from Shanghai, was arrested in Beijing on November 15, the day after the signing by nine dissidents of a document calling for multi-party politics and democracy in China. He was initially placed in a detention centre in Beijing but was transferred December 5 to one in Shanghai, he told AFP by telephone. "After I have recuperated a bit, because my health deteriorated in prison, I plan to resume my activities with the Peace Charter and also with the human rights movement set up last year in Shanghai and which we want to get officially registered," he said, following his release on Friday. Yang, who has always been in the forefront of the struggle to defend human rights in China, spent two years in jail for his role during the 1979 Democracy Wall movement. He was also the author of a letter written in 1990 to Communist Party Secretary General Jiang Zemin calling for the liberation of all political prisoners. Yang said he had no news of another Peace Charter signatory, Qin Yongmin, from Wuhan, central China, who was also arrested on November 15. Ma Shaohua and Zheng Xuguang, two human rights activists and members of a monitoring group in Xian, central China, were questioned two weeks later for holding a meeting in Beijing with Charter dissidents. During that meeting the two movements decided to coordinate their efforts to promote democracy by legal and non- violent means. Their initiatives on these issues were the most significant since the crushing of the 1989 democracy movement in Beijing. |
FBIS3-44375_0 | Further on Release | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Shanghai, Jan. 3 KYODO -- Chinese authorities have released a prominent human rights activist who was detained in November after unveiling a draft "Peace Charter" promoting political reform. Yang Zhou, 49, told KYODO NEWS SERVICE in a telephone interview that he was taken into custody in Beijing on November 14 and held through December 31 at detention centers in both Beijing and Shanghai. He said he was treated badly at both centers. Yang was among nine people taken into custody after signing the draft charter intended to stimulate a national dialogue on bringing democracy to China. All were released the following day except for Yang and another dissident Qin Yongmin. Qin, from the central city of Wuhan, gained attention earlier for campaigning against Beijing's bid for the 2000 Olympic Games. His whereabouts are unknown. Yang said the charter aims to promote nonviolent political reform in China in contrast to some pro-democracy groups that advocate violent revolution to achieve their goals. The charter advocates nonviolence and cooperation with the Communist Party, which it describes as the only force capable of leading a peaceful transition to democracy. It also calls for increasing individual rights, striking political crimes from the legal code and releasing political prisoners. Yang, who is from Shanghai, was previously jailed for three years for his role in the democracy wall protest movement of the late 1970s. |
FBIS3-44397_0 | PRC, US Examine Illegal Export of Socks `Federal Register' Cited | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Beijing, January 4 (XINHUA) -- A U.S. Government investigation has confirmed that the Qinghe stocking factory of Beijing's Number One Prison has never exported its products to the U.S. The investigation report, which was published last month in the U.S. Government publication "FEDERAL REGISTER," has put an end to a two-year probe into rumors of exports of prison-made goods from China to the U.S. On March 27, 1991, during his visit to the stocking workshop of the prison factory, U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf tried to take away several semi-finished products with the intention of keeping them, but he was stopped. Later, before they left the prison, the warden gave each of the visitors including Frank Wolf five pairs of stockings as souvenirs. But several days later Wolf claimed that stockings produced by the Beijing prison had been exported to the U.S. After he returned home Wolf displayed the stockings at a hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate as "proof" that China had exported prison-made products. Despite the fact that the Chinese side immediately clarified the truth of the matter, Wolf closed his eyes to the facts and continued to spread his allegations on many occasions. Two years later, in March 1993, the U.S. Embassy to China made a request to the Chinese department concerned for embassy officials to be allowed to visit the Beijing Number One Prison. On March 30, 1993 the Chinese department concerned arranged a visit by three U.S. Embassy officials to the prison. During their visit the embassy officials said that they had made a detailed inquiry about Wolf's allegation and they would report their conclusion to the American government. Later, in the summer of 1993, Wolf again spread his lies at a press conference held in the U.S. and accused China groundlessly. After repeated requests by the Chinese department concerned, the U.S. Government published the investigation conclusion in "FEDERAL REGISTER" on December 13, 1993, which conforms to the facts. Speaking about reform-through-labor products, a Chinese Government spokesman said that the policy of the Chinese Government is very clear. "Reform-through-labor enterprises have no right to conduct foreign trade," he said. "Since China and U.S. reached an understanding about banning imports and exports of prison labor products, the Chinese side has always abided by the agreement. And facts are the best proof," the official added. |
FBIS3-44444_0 | Nuclear Plants Fuel `Dynamic Economic Growth' | Language: English Article Type:BFN [By staff reporter Liu Weiling: "Fueling Growth With Nuke Power"] [Text] China is speeding nuclear power plant construction to fuel its dynamic economic growth. By the year 2000, the country's nuclear power plants will have a capacity of 6 million kilowatts while new plants with another 6 million kilowatts in capacity will be under construction, You Deliang, a spokesman of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said yesterday. China's first nuclear power station, at Qinshan in Zhejiang Province, is now safely and efficiently operating, You added. And, by the end of this year, experts predict it will have generated 1.73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity since it was linked to the national grid in December 1991. Work on Qinshan's second phase, two generators with a capacity of 600,000 kilowatts each, has also begun. Meanwhile, Generator No 1 at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station is expected to go into commercial operation soon, while Generator No 2 will go into commercial operation before next June. Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, near Shenzhen in Guangdong is the country's first joint-venture nuclear power plant. Its two generators are designed to generate 10 to 12.6 billion kilowatthours of electricity a year, he said. The power will be sold to Guangdong Province and Hong Kong to support their economic development. CNNC President Jiang Xinxiong said the establishment of the two power stations was a milestone for China's nuclear power industry. The Chinese began late in this field and must strive to make advances to fuel the country's economic growth, he said. China's booming economy has also provided a huge market for nuclear energy, Jiang said. Provinces, especially in Southeast China's coastal areas, consider nuclear power an important means to meet their increasing energy demands. Jiang said the corporation had also made big strides in developing nuclear fuel. A production line, introduced from France to produce pressed [as published] water reactor (PWR) nuclear fuel has been built and is due to go into production next year. Jiang said CNNC's industrial output in 1993 rose 37.7 percent compared to last year. In addition, CNNC is trying to grab a share of the international market by exporting its nuclear power generators. Pakistan is negotiating with China to import a second 300,000- kilowatt generator now that the first one is being built. |
FBIS3-44445_3 | Nuclear Industry Briefs on Achievements | an option for clearing the energy "bottleneck" in China, especially in the southeast coastal provinces and regions. The achievements in nuclear scientific research have been remarkable. Over the last 10 years, the nuclear industrial established has won state-class science and technology prizes for 330 projects. Research and designing work on the 300,000-kw Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, research into controlled nuclear fusion for China's No. 1 convector, the construction of a tandem accelerator laboratory, ground heap leaching technology in mineral and metallurgical fields, and the technology of separating uranium isotopes through centrifugal means have all yielded a number of significant scientific and technological achievements. It is learned that the key scientific research project for constructing a 600,000-kw nuclear plant is making good progress. Research into the disposal of radioactive wastes generated by nuclear installations has yielded results in various stages. What is even more eye- catching is that new breakthroughs have been made in enriched uranium production technology and equipment. The production line for producing components for a 900,000-kw pressurized water reactor imported by the 812 Plant from France has already been completed and has been appraised and examined by the French side. It will acquire production capacity next year and provide replacement fuel for the first furnace in the Daya Bay Nuclear Plant. Our country has also actively developed and utilized nuclear and related technologies to serve national economic construction. At present, our country has developed a number of pillar-type nonmilitary industries by using those technologies, including chemical fertilizers, titanium dioxide, metal magnesium, and fire alarms. The output value of items for nonmilitary use now accounts for more than 70 percent of the total output value of the nuclear industry. The application of radioactive isotopes in agriculture, industry, and medicine has created "nuclear agriculture," "nuclear medicine," and other specialized sciences. The radiation processing industry is developing in our country with an annual output value of more than 400 million yuan. All these have shown that nuclear technology has unnoticeably entered our daily lives. Meanwhile, our country has also actively strengthened economic and foreign trade work in the field of nuclear technology. Our country has exported nuclear products, nuclear technology, and nuclear engineering for peaceful use. We have exported nuclear power stations and nuclear reactors for research purposes to Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, and other countries [deng guo jia 4583 0948 1367], and China's nuclear-electric technology is now entering the international market. |
FBIS3-44473_0 | Vanadium, Titanium Extraction, Processing Stressed | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Panzhihua, December 30 (XINHUA) -- China is to step up the exploitation of vanadium and titanium resources in its southwestern part through absorbing more overseas funds and technology. The resources are concentrated in an area called Panzhihua in Sichuan Province. More funds will be poured into the renovation project of an existing titanium separation plant, which is capable of producing 100,000 tons of titanium concentrate a year, and a titanium dioxide extraction plant. By the year 2000 the annual output of titanium concentrate will reach 300,000 tons and that of titanium dioxide, 25,000 tons. A high-grade titanium extraction plant will also be built to further process the 300,000 tons of titanium concentrate into 100,000 tons of high-grade titanium slag, according to the development blueprint. In addition, more vanadium extraction plants will be built by the end of this century in a bid to produce 100,000 tons of vanadium slag and 22,000 tons of vanadium pentoxide a year. Qin Wanxiang, mayor of Panzhihua, told XINHUA that the city is co-operating with some domestic research institutes to study ways to extract from tailings scandium, which, like vanadium and titanium, is widely used in the space, electronics, petrochemical and medical industries. Statistics show that more than 20 million tons of vanadium, or 63 percent of China's total reserves, and 890 million tons of titanium, or 93 percent of China's total titanium reserves, are located in the Panzhihua area. The vanadium deposit is the third-largest and that of titanium is the largest in the world. Twenty-eight years of construction have made Panzhihua a medium- sized city and the largest metallurgical center in southwest China. Products including high-grade iron and steel, vanadium slag and titanium concentrate have been exported to Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. However, due to the small scale of technology and investment so far, the utilization of vanadium and titanium is still in the primary stage, according to the mayor. The products are mainly sold as low-grade raw materials and the production capacity is low. Qin said that the Ertan hydroelectric power station on the Yalong river, which is expected to be completed by the year 2000, will provide sufficient electricity for the new development plan. |
FBIS3-44491_2 | Dissidents Reportedly Given `Heavy' Sentences | had committed their "crimes" less than three years after being released from re-education through labour camps. Yao Kaiwen, who was an individual entrepreneur upon his detention, spent 18 months in a labour camp after having been found guilty in early 1990 of trying to smuggle himself out of China. And Gao, who used to work at a pharmaceutical factory, was given a two-year term in August 1989 for taking part in the pro-democracy movement. Members of China's dissident community said last night they were shocked by the severity of the sentences. Friends of Gao and Yao said they belonged to the relatively radical fringe of the democracy movement. "There is no evidence to suggest the front has ever had more than four or five active members," a Shanghai source said. "That adherents of the front do not seem to have ruled out acts of violence in their theoretical discussions does not mean they will actually commit them." The source added that even if accusations made by the prosecution were true, the punishment was severe because the organisation had never put their ideas into action. Meanwhile, on New Year's Eve, authorities in Shanghai freed Mr. Yang, one of nine dissidents who put down their names to a draft of the peace charter released in Beijing on November 14. The so-called peace charter movement espouses "national reconciliation" through a non-violent campaign for a multi-party system. Mr. Yang, whose activism dates to the late 1970s, was detained by Beijing police hours after the release of the document. The dissident was held in a centre for tramps and transients in Beijing until December 5, when he was taken under guard to a similar facility in Shanghai. However, another signatory of the charter, Wuhan-based activist Qin Yongmin, who was arrested together with Mr. Yang, is believed to be detained in the central China city. Mr. Yang, who said he lost a tooth and a few kilograms during his ordeal, said it was illegal for the authorities to hold him in a centre for illegal migrant workers. "I had no recourse to the judicial process and I was not allowed to contact my family," he said in his Shanghai apartment yesterday. Mr. Yang said he would continue his non-violent campaign for democracy, warning that Beijing's continued refusal to tolerate the peaceful expression of dissent could spawn acts of violence by more radical factions of the movement. |
FBIS3-44503_1 | Review of Guangdong Radio `Hotline' Program | employer refused to pay but tried to persuade her to stay with the parlor during the current high season. Miss Pan says she herself is also facing a similar case at the moment. 4. A Mr. Zhang, a migrant laborer working in Guangzhou and planning to pay a home visit during the Spring Festival season, calls in to urge the traffic control authorities to pay more attention to keeping good traffic order during the present passenger high season. He complains that many drivers who are eager to make more money always try to take as many passengers as possible and drive as fast as possible, without paying the least attention to traffic regulations. 5. A Hong Kong-style Cantonese pop song is broadcast during a break. 6. A young man called Little Ma calls in to complain that construction work going on in Huadu city near Guangzhou is causing very serious air pollution. He calls for more attention to the air pollution problem and urges construction companies concerned to carry out their duty to minimize pollution. 7. A Miss Liu says she often comes across motorcades on highways around Baiyun Airport and, whenever such motorcades pass by, the police never fail to drive other road users out of their way. She says most motorcades are convoys for high-ranking government officials who claim to be servants of the people. She compares these motorcades to emperors' and senior mandarins' convoys in imperial China of the past. As civil servants, officials should try to minimize the inconvenience caused to the public while they are travelling, she says. 8. A French song is broadcast before the brief newscast. 9. Newscast at 1100 GMT. 10. Commercial break. 11. The "Today's Hotline" program resumes at 1109 GMT. A Mr. Jiao calls in to complain that the bus fare varies tremendously, from 8 to 15 yuan, for a trip between Guangzhou and Heshan. He wonders why the public bus company does not set a uniform bus fare for the route. 12. A Miss Sun, who recently experienced a road accident, calls on the police to intervene promptly in settling disputes arising from traffic accidents. 13. Commercial break. 14. A Mr. Zhang calls in to review the results of the Dongfeng Road traffic control program that has been implemented for three months. 15. The program host dedicates a song sung by Hong Kong songstar Jacky Cheung to this Mr. |
FBIS3-44525_1 | EC's `Anti-Dumping Measures' on Foreign Goods | are of long-term duration, according to EC officials. The commission has also voted to keep up the momentum of a package of anti-dumping measures adopted five years ago. The anti-dumping list, put forward by the EC commission Monday, covers polyester fibers manufactured by South Korea, Turkey and Taiwan and ferrosilicon from Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Venezuela. Chinese made photo-albums, lighters and paracetamol (a kind of aspirin) are also included in the list. Apart from albums, a number of other Chinese goods have been placed under permanent anti-dumping tariffs since 1988. Under relevant EC laws, "permanent anti-dumping measures" are normally effective for a term of five years and the EC commission decides to continue or cancel the measures when they reach the end of the five-year term, in accordance with changes in the marketplace. The term "market changes" here normally means that under strict anti-dumping measures, the competitiveness of foreign goods is greatly weakened and imported goods are taking an increasingly smaller share of the EC market. The anti-dumping measures in the past either generally expired or were reduced at the end of the five-year term if they genuinely achieved the desired target. But, as the EC is still locked in a serious recession and there is no sign of recovery, the EC commission has decided to maintain or prolong the anti-dumping measures adopted five years ago as they are regarded as very effective in having protected European business interests. In 1988, Chinese exports of paracetamol to the EC soared to 234 tons and the community rushed to impose a price limit of six dollars a ton upon the drug at the end of that year. As a result the figures declined sharply in 1992 to only 61 tons. But the EC commission now believes that the European market should be protected continually and has proposed maintaining the imposition of anti-dumping tariffs upon the import of Chinese paracetamol. Analysts here believe the EC's anti-dumping measures are designed to protect Europe's market, business and economy which have been hit hard by the lingering recession. But analysts warn that the community may have forgotten that while restricting the sale of foreign goods, it has at the same time built up a barrier against its own exports. Meanwhile, the EC has been under fire from abroad for repeatedly increasing subsidies which are intended to stimulate its exports and spur an economic recovery in Europe. |
FBIS3-44527_1 | Li Ruihuan Addresses CPPCC Meeting | conscientiously carry it out. Now I would like to discuss several views. The Third Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee was another extremely important meeting held in the course of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization in our country. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, held in December 1978, effected the strategic shift of the stress of work throughout the party, marking the great beginning of reform and opening up in our country. At that time, the stress of reform was put on rural areas. The Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee, held in October 1984, adopted the "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on the Reform of the Economic Structure," indicating that the reform of the economic structure, with the stress on urban areas, was in full swing. The Third Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, held last month, adopted the "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Some Issues Concerning the Establishment of a Socialist Market Economic Structure," signaling that the reform of the economic structure in our country has entered the period of combining package reform with breakthroughs in key areas. This "decision" represents a profound summing up of historical experiences since the founding of the PRC, especially a profound summing up of experiences in reform and opening to the outside world over the past 15 years; and it is an overall plan for establishing a socialist market economic structure in our country as well as the program of action for reforming the economic structure in the nineties. Striving to carry out the tasks set out in the "decision" and to effect the transition from the old economic structure to a new one is of great practical and far-reaching historical significance for further liberating and developing the productive forces; accelerating the pace of reform, opening up, and modernization; and promoting the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Establishing and improving a socialist market economic structure is a great system-engineering project, a great practice of history- making by the Chinese people. In this process, it is inevitable to encounter many hardly predictable difficulties and unusually complicated situations. We must keep a clear head and make a full assessment of and preparations for all of this. We must understand that it is an entirely new undertaking to establish a socialist market economic structure. Human society thus |
FBIS3-44541_0 | Role in International Competition `Increasing' | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Beijing, January 5 (XINHUA) --- China is becoming increasingly involved in worldwide economic competition by exporting its own goods, technologies, labor services and capital, according to a researcher at the China Foreign Policy Studies Center. In an interview with XINHUA today, Yan Xuetong noted that commodities exports furnish the best example of what he calls "two- way exchange between the Chinese and world economies." Yan estimated that such exports may reach 91 billion U.S. dollars in 1993, up from 85 billion in 1992 and compared with a mere 9.74 billion in 1978 when the policy of reform and opening to the world became official. "There was an annual average growth of 18 percent between 1978 and 1992," he said. "In 1978, China ranked 32nd among all countries in terms of annual commodities exports and in 1992, it advanced to the 11th." Manufactured goods now account for at least 80 percent of China's exports. In 1978, however, the bulk of China's exports were primary products, he added. China was a pure importer of technologies before 1981 when, for the first time, it signed six contracts on technological exports. Since then, the country has concluded 1,100 contracts, involving 3.4 billion dollars. However, Yan was far from being satisfied, noting that the 1992 transactions -- 1.4 billion dollars -- was only two percent of the country's commodities exports. Export of capital was also something new for China. By the end of 1982, the country had invested 37 million dollars in 43 projects abroad. By the end of 1992, Yan said, China's overseas investment had snowballed to 1.85 billion dollars in 4,117 projects. "Few Chinese-funded projects are in commerce or trade meant for direct profits," he noted. "Instead, 86 percent of the Chinese investment has gone to projects producing iron ore and other raw materials to make up for domestic shortages." At the end of June 1993, 157,000 Chinese workers were working abroad to perform labor service contracts, mostly in construction and other manual labor jobs. Yan, an economist trained at the University of California at Berkeley of the U.S., held that China should start organizing the export of intellectual labor services by making use of its eight million scientists and engineers. "Economically, the country is linked with the world, and has to prepare itself for closer links," concluded Yan, who serves as deputy director of the center which |
FBIS3-44546_2 | Government `Ready' for Exchange Rate Fluctuations Free Conversion of Renminbi in Trade Must Be Realized Before Readmission to GATT | exchange rates has pros and cons, and they have to sell their foreign currency earned to banks according to the swap rate and buy foreign currency from banks according to the swap rate, but the system has become more reasonable. He said: Whether or not the time is ripe to unify the exchange rates should be determined by whether or not renminbi is a stable currency, whether or not there is a balance of international payments, whether or not the central bank's intervention capability is strong, and whether or not the relationship between domestic demand and supply is governed by the mechanism. Controversy over the question of whether or not the time is ripe remains. Some people question that with the emergence of trade deficits, a huge domestic demand, an extremely high degree of fixed-asset investment, and insufficient competitive power of domestic products, if large fluctuations of the exchange rate will occur following the unification of the exchange rates. But Qin Chijiang said: The unification of exchange rates is a very courageous measure, and as long as the government is mentally prepared and appropriately utilizes policies and measures, there is no need to fear, even if large fluctuations occur. Free Conversion of Renminbi in Trade Must Be Realized Before Readmission to GATT Responding the question of what measures the government would prepare, Qin Chijiang cited an example and said: The government has reduced the tariff rates of certain imports and this helps stabilize the exchange rate. When fluctuations occur in the foreign exchange market, the central bank will interfere with foreign exchange. If there is large domestic demand for foreign exchange, the central bank can also take the measure of tightening the supply of currency and putting less renminbi into circulation, and, as a result, the prices of renminbi in exchange for foreign exchange will naturally rise. As unification of the exchange rates is the first step of free conversion of renminbi, when will free conversion be realized? Director Qin said: Free conversion of renminbi in trade must be realized before we are readmitted to GATT, whereas free conversion of renminbi in nontrade activities will depend on improvement of domestic management standard and will take a longer time, but it is not possible to realize free conversion of capital because there is a great domestic demand for capital and the outflow of domestic capital through free conversion is not allowed. |
FBIS3-44558_0 | `Big Achievements' Made in Geological Prospecting | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Beijing, January 3 (XINHUA) -- Geological prospecting in China scored big achievements in 1993, an official from the ministry of geology and minerals said today. According to the official, experts have appraised various geological structures of 18 blocks in the northern Tarim basin and 19 geological formations which could be oil-bearing. He said that since the late 1960s, geologists have been wondering whether there are oil deposits in China's paleozoic marine strata. But this question has been resolved with discovery in the past nine years of 14 oil and natural gas fields in the Tarim basin. In the East China Sea, too, high-yield wells began to work, with a single well yielding a daily output of up to 650 cubic meters of crude oil and some 227,000 cubic meters of natural gas. Geologists found six promising geological formations during a geophysical investigation in the South China Sea. Well-drilling will start next year, according to the official. In Tibet's Yangbajain area abounding in geothermal water resources, China found its hottest well with a top temperature of 262.03 degrees centigrade at its deepest point. At present, the yangbajain geothermal power station provides Lhasa, capital of Tibet, with 40 percent of its electricity supply. For mineral prospecting, the official disclosed, 89 key mineral deposits have been discovered and some 20 minerals' reserves have proved much greater than expected, including manganese, copper, bauxite, gold and silver. |
FBIS3-44564_0 | Premier Lien Chan on Southeast Asian Visit Meets Singapore Officials | Language: English Article Type:BFN [By C.T. Liang and Lilian Wu] [Text] Singapore, Jan. 4 (CNA) -- Republic of China [ROC] Premier Lien Chan began his second full day of visit in Singapore Tuesday [4 January] by golfing with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and other officials. Before the round of golf, Lien had breakfast with Goh, Trade and Commerce Minister Yeo Cheow Tong, and Environment Minister Mah Bon Tan, during which they discussed joint development projects on Mainland China's Hainan Province. Lien said that petroleum and minerals would be the main products worth developing on Hainan, and suggested that Taiwan and Singapore establish a company financed by Taiwan and manned by Singaporeans to process and export the products. Goh and other Singaporean officials expressed interest in the proposal, and Lien asked Hsiao Wan-chang, chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, to keep in touch with the Singaporean side on the matter. Lien arrived in Singapore Sunday for a four-day visit following his private visit in Malaysia. Lien attended a dinner party hosted by President Ong Teng Cheong Monday night, and will attend one given by Senior Minister Li Kuan Yew Tuesday night. Also attending the dinner Monday were Deputy Minister Lee Hsieng Loong, Foreign [as received] Affairs Minister Jayakumar Shunmugam, Trade and Industry Minister Yeo Cheow Tong, Labor Minister Lim Boon Heng, Information and the Arts Minister Ker Sin Tze, and Singapore Trade Representative in Taipei Chai Chong Yi. During his stay in Singapore, Lien has met with nearly every cabinet official, and this will help boost substantial relations between the two countries, observers said. Lien's mission is comprised of Hsiao, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Fang Chin-yen, and Jason Hu, director-general of the Government Information Office. Hsiao said Lien admired the public works, purchasing system, rapid transit network and financial services sector in Singapore, and was impressed by Malaysia's rapid economic development. Lien's mission will return to Taipei Wednesday. |
FBIS3-44604_0 | Beijing TV Airs Mao Centenary Documentary Part Twelve | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Beijing Central Television Program One Network in Mandarin at 1210 GMT on 24 December broadcasts the twelfth and final part of the documentary entitled: "Mao Zedong." The final part, which lasts for 50 minutes, is entitled: "Later Years," and focuses on Mao's role in the Cultural Revolution and Deng Xiaoping's rehabilitation. After video shows an on-screen prologue read by an unidentified narrator: "Mao Zedong said: The youth of today and tomorrow will appraise the revolution according to their own criterion of values...." the documentary begins with video of an interview with Nobel laureate Lee Tsung-dao recalling his 1974 meeting with Mao, during which Mao regretted he had not continued the pursuit of natural sciences. In fact, the narrator says, due to Mao's failing health, from the early seventies on he did not even study his favorite subject -- social sciences. Then, as video shows historical footage of Mao attending the 10th CPC National Congress in 1973, his former head nurse Wu Xujun recalls the ailing Mao being unable to stand up from his chair on the rostrum to receive a standing ovation from congress delegates. The narrator says: According to the accounts of Mao's doctors, he was stricken with one ailment after another in his later years, which put "the old man with ceaseless aspirations" in the face of "new contradictions." As the video shows historical footage of Mao's funeral, as well as shots of the Mao memorial hall in Tiananmen Square, the narrator explains: Mao always viewed the issue of life and death in a lighthearted and humorous way. In a conversation with Edgar Snow in 1965, he said he had no way of knowing what the youth of today and tomorrow would aspire to, but he added that future generations would appraise the revolution according to their own criterion of values. This view conforms with the objective law on social development. However, in his later years, Mao failed to match his theory with practice. A year after the conversation with Snow, he began the Cultural Revolution. While the video shows historical footage of Red Guards shouting slogans and cheering Mao in Tiananmen Square, the narrator says: "Mao Zedong should bear chief responsibility for the decade-long calamity brought about by the Cultural Revolution in China. Of course, Mao's purpose in initiating the mighty mass movement was not to destroy the socialist state he himself founded. |
FBIS3-44612_1 | Official Involvement in Kidnappings Decried | in the middle of the 1980's, and have increased greatly in the 1990's. According to statistics provided by the Guangdong provincial procuratorial organs, from 1990 to 1992 the incidence of such cases increased 52 percent. Information from Shanghai shows that in the first quarter of last year, cases classified as of the "hostage type" exceeded by 50 percent the total number of such cases in the previous year. These are just the figures of cases for which files have been opened by the procuratorial organs, and the "hostage-type" cases for which files could not be opened should be even more. The "hostage-type" cases were caused mainly by disputes in commercial and trading activities, and kidnapping a hostage was the last resort to force someone to pay an outstanding debt. Those who were kidnapped were from different walks of life. Judged in terms of status, they included factory heads; managers; deputies to people's congresses; members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; soldiers; and businessmen from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Judged from the angle of age, they included babies several months old and elderly people of advanced age. Judged from the relations of those involved in debts, they included parents, wives, sons, daughters, inferiors, relatives, and good friends. As has been pointed out, among those who participated in kidnapping activities were many party and government officials, as well as cadres and policemen from public security and judicial departments. There is a high-sounding excuse for them to get involved in the "hostage-type" cases: Investigating economic crime. Thus, there is a legal cover for kidnapping hostages -- arresting lawbreaking elements -- and there is a dignified package for forcing someone to pay an outstanding debt -- recovering economic losses. A relevant person analyzed the situation and said that there are profound and complicated economic and social reasons behind the "hostage phenomenon." One main reason is that the development of the commodity economy has greatly increased commercial and trading activities in the community, and the laws and regulations, as well as law enforcement and supervision work, have failed to keep pace. In some localities, it is difficult to file a lawsuit, and in particular, it is very difficult to open a file for a case that does not involve a large amount of debt, while it is difficult to carry out the verdicts in some cases. Some creditors find that their legitimate rights |
FBIS3-44637_1 | Article on Macroeconomic Regulation, Control II. The Content and Scope of Macroeconomic Regulation and Control III. Problems in the Present Macroeconomic Regulation and Control | balance between aggregate demand and aggregate supply; 2) the problem of big economic structures such as the proportion between industry and agriculture, the proportion between various industrial departments, the relationship between industry and trade, and the relationship between production development and construction of infrastructure; 3) the problem of competition on an equal basis, that is, opposing monopoly and maintaining fair competition on an equal footing; 4) the problem of the relationship between equality and efficiency, that is, maintaining social justice and equality and preventing over-polarization while ensuring a certain efficiency; 5) the problem of public services or social consumption, such as basic public utilities, elementary education, public health and national defense and security; 6) the problem of the natural and social environment in economic development, such as the ecological balance, resource protection, environmental protection, and the protection of citizens' lives and property. The solution to all these problems depends mainly on the government's macroeconomic regulation and control rather than mainly or completely on the spontaneous acts of enterprises and individuals under the influence of the market mechanism. It is a general law that market economy needs macroeconomic regulation and control, and socialist market economy is no exception. Why should market economy pay attention to and strengthen macroeconomic regulation and control under the condition of socialism? This is determined by its own characteristics. First, public economy, especially state-owned economy, plays a leading role in social economy. It needs to concentrate all social forces to carry out overall, major economic construction that concerns the national economy. This not only requires the strengthening of macroeconomic regulation and control, but also makes it possible to carry out macroeconomic regulation and control. Second, it is to eliminate poverty and move toward prosperity together. Being the inherent requirement of the socialist system, it sets a higher demand for the relationship between efficiency and equality than in other countries that practice market economy. Consequently it will depend more on macroeconomic regulation and control over the state's policy for income distribution to solve this problem. Third, the transition from a highly centralized planned economy to a socialist market economy. It is a long process of exploration. It is not possible to depend solely on decentralizing powers to enterprises to achieve this aim. It should depend on macroeconomic regulation and control and powerful administrative interference by the government. Fourth, in the process of modernization from a big agricultural country |
FBIS3-44649_1 | Minister Examines Development of Power Industry I. The Power Industry Cannot Move Out of the "Bottleneck" Condition If It Merely Follows the Course of Conventional Development II. To Effect "Unconventional" Development, It Is Necessary To Concentrate on Deepening Reform, Transforming Management Mechanisms, Optimizing the Operational Structure, and Enhancing Efficiency III. With the Standardized Joint-stock System, It Is Necessary To Strengthen Leadership, Boldly Carry Out Experiments, and Make Steady Advances | system, adopting the standardized joint-stock system, promoting the separation of the government from the enterprises, transforming the enterprise management and operation mechanisms, and establishing a modern system for the power producing enterprises. In particular, it is necessary to actually intensify marcocontrol, further increase investment, expand the scope of raising funds and inviting foreign investment for running power plants, quicken the pace of the electricity price reform, raise the debt repayment capacity of the power plants, promote economical and effective use of electric energy, substantially enhance the economic efficiency of the enterprises, further emancipate the productive forces in the power industry, and eventually create favorable conditions for effecting a benign cycle in the development of the power industry. Therefore, "unconventional" development not only indicates quantitative increases but also qualitative leaps; it not only requires a high growth speed but also a rationalized operational mechanism. I. The Power Industry Cannot Move Out of the "Bottleneck" Condition If It Merely Follows the Course of Conventional Development The power industry can also develop in a conventional pattern, but in such a large country as ours, it will never be able to meet the needs of economic development and the needs of the people in their daily lives. In 1949, in the mainland, the total electricity generating capacity was only 1.86 million kw, and the annual electricity output was 4.3 billion kwh. After the founding of New China, through nearly 40 years' construction, in 1987, the capacity of installed generators and the electricity output both leaped to the fourth place in the world. It is expected that by the end of this year, the national installed capacity will have exceeded 180 million kw and the annual power output will have exceeded 800 billion kwh. This means that at present, two day's average power output in the whole country is equivalent to the whole year's power production in 1949. However, while power production was increasing rapidly, most areas of the country were still facing increasingly serious power shortages. The "bottleneck" constraint from power shortages on our country's modern construction continued to be aggravated. We can say that the localities which achieved higher economic growth rates and made quicker development in the power industry were also facing the most serious power shortages. We cannot say that the state did not attach importance to the power industry in the more than 40 years after liberation; nor can we |
FBIS3-44650_0 | Power-Generation Capacity Goal Over Target | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Beijing, January 6 (XINHUA) -- China installed power generators with a total capacity of more than 12 million kw last year, five percent over the state's target. According to the State Planning Commission, altogether 62 sets of medium- and large-size generators were constructed and put into operation, bringing the country's overall generating capacity to more than 180 million kw. China has vowed to speed up its power construction to remove the bottleneck the present inadequate setup has on economic growth. Statistics show that the country's electrical power production in 1993 surpassed 800 billion kwh [kw hours]. More emphasis has been put on the installation of medium- and large-size generators instead of the smaller ones in a bid to raise generating efficiency. Meanwhile, the utilization of water energy featured high in China's power endeavor last year; hydropower generators with a capacity of more than three million kw, or 25 percent of the total installed last year, were built. Officials at the State Planning Commission said the government has extended preferential treatment to boost the development of the power industry. Likewise, they said, local governments have increased their investment in power projects. |
FBIS3-44656_3 | Agriculture Minister Speaks on Crops, Rural Economy | and increase the unit yield this year. The sown acreage must be at least 1.65 billion mu. Efforts should be made to readjust the plan in various regions and the types of crops that they grow so that there will be large acreage for rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, and miscellaneous crops of good quality. Preferential measures should be taken so that the principal grain-producing regions can stabilize their grain production. As for cotton production, we must be determined to reverse the unfavorable trend, reinstate the former acreage, draw up rational plans, and increase the unit yield so that the level of a normal year can be maintained. Second, we must make great efforts to develop the production of nonstaple foods. As for animal husbandry, we must stabilize pig production and increase the percentage of fowl as well as the beef and mutton output among the total meat production. As for fisheries, efforts should be made to develop aquatic breeding and to increase the output of well-known, special, and quality products as well as new products. The comprehensive control of diseases of prawns and other aquatic products must be properly organized. Efforts should be made to control prawn disease as quickly as possible. As for vegetable production, the size of acreage in the outskirts devoted to vegetables must be maintained, a system for ensuring vegetable acreage should be established, and efforts should be made so that vegetable acreage will not be misused. Third, great efforts must be made to develop township and town enterprises. The development of these enterprises should be directed at increasing economic returns; the development should be compatible with the state's industrial policy; and the relationships between growth and returns, between quantity and quality, and between development and improvement must be properly handled. Township and town enterprises in the east should be restructured so that they can yield higher returns and are export-oriented. Their industrial structure and product mix must be readjusted so that their technology will be higher, the quality of their goods will be better, their operating size will be larger, and their returns will be higher. We must speed up the development of township and town enterprises in central and western China and speed up the formulation of the "Demonstrative Projects on Cooperation Between Township and Town Enterprises in Eastern and Western China." The first group of demonstrative projects must be finalized early this year. |
FBIS3-44667_0 | Nuclear Corporation Head Views 1993 Achievements | Language: Chinese Article Type:BFN [Report on New Year interview with Jiang Xinxiong (5592 1800 7160), general manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation, by staff correspondent Lu Zhenhua (7120 2182 5478); place, date not given: "Jiang Xinxiong on China's Nuclear Industrial Development"] [Text] The year behind us was one that saw the comprehensive development of the China National Nuclear Corporation. How strong is the momentum of development for the corporation in this new year of progress, both in reform and opening up and in economic development? With this question in mind -- a question that concerns many readers -- this correspondent interviewed Jiang Xinxiong, general manager of the China National Nuclear Corporation. "Speeding up structural reform and promoting development, both in science and technology and in economic power -- these are the targets for our corporation in the new year," said Jiang Xinxiong by way of opening the conversation, and already holding forth: "Only thus can we match with the corporation's line of thinking on development, genuinely maintain our status as a hi-tech force commensurate with our country's nuclear status, build a new nuclear- powered electricity system and a nuclear industrial system capable of meeting the demands of national energy development, and create a diversified operating mode and production force with a greater market share. Only then can we make new contributions to the development of the nuclear industry in the next century." Showing deep gratitude to the tens of thousands of the corporation's workers, he said: "In 1993, thanks of the efforts of one and all, we scored good results." Since its second grid- connected generation last March, the Taishan nuclear power plant has maintained steady, high-power operations, generating a total of 1.73 billion kwh by the end of last year, reaching 65 percent of its capacity. This feat has received good comments from experts inside and outside the country. The work design on the second-phase project is in full swing, and an almost 1,000-m tunnel has been bored. The No. 1 generating unit of the Daya Bay nuclear power plant is operating normally, achieving its full-load operating capacity on 27 November 1993. Jiang also stressed that the corporation's research and development department had achieved a number of results, nine of which were awarded Eureka Prizes at the 42d Brussels International Invention Fair. China's uranium enrichment technology and equipment also have achieved breakthroughs. China has built up a workshop |
FBIS3-44670_1 | International Strategists Discuss Issues | conflicts were emerging. The Russian situation and its future strategic tendency also attracted serious attention. Third, there was a multitude of contradictions within the Western world, and the leading position of the United States was being continuously weakened. The contradictions among the United States, Japan, and Western Europe developed further. The process of multipolarization in the world was accelerating. The domestic and foreign policies of the United States were still undergoing adjustments. Fourth, the world was in a period of adjusting military strategies, and the main tendency was: The strategies mainly aimed at major wars were being replaced by strategies mainly aimed at minor wars; preparations against enemies in reality were shifted to preparations against potential rivals in larger numbers; the building of large strong forces was being shifted to the building of modern crack troops able to react rapidly. Fifth, China's economic development and social stability enhanced the nation's international status. When looking to future tendencies in the international situation, people expressed the following opinions: First, hegemonism and power politics remain in the world, but the process of multipolarization has been quickened. In particular, Germany and Japan are seeking the status of world powers, and this tendency will become more obvious in the future. Second, the danger of "neo-interventionism" will increase. Because regional conflicts will occur frequently, international interventions and peace-keeping actions will substantially increase. This will provide opportunities for some big powers to seek hegemony. The struggle against interventionism will be a major aspect of international struggle in the future. Third, the strength of the developing countries will continue to grow. The regional economic organizations in Asia, Latin America, and Africa will further develop. Economic cooperation will bring about political coordination and will give rise to some regional dialogue organizations. They will share common interests in safeguarding independence, opposing power politics, and striving for the establishment of an international political and economic order. The comrades attending the meeting unanimously agreed that in the contemporary world, comprehensive national strength will form the foundation for a country's strategy, and that economic strength is the foundation of comprehensive national strength. Therefore, we must continue to carry out the party's basic line of taking economic construction as the central task, properly handle our own affairs, and join the people throughout the world in striving for the establishment of an international political and economic order characterized by peaceful coexistence, equality, and mutual benefit. |
FBIS3-44679_0 | U.S. Report on PRC Prison Exports | Language: Chinese Article Type:BFN ["Short commentary" by Cang Mang (5547 5413): "A Wise Move"] [Text] The U.S. Government journal, FEDERAL REGISTER, recently published the findings of an investigation which acknowledged that the Qinghe sock factory did not export its products to the United States, and that this is unlikely to happen in the future. Hence, the so-called "case of Beijing's Prison No. 1 exporting goods to the United States" -- which was concocted in 1991 by Wolf, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives -- has finally come to light. In Sino-U.S. trade and other bilateral ties, problems and misunderstandings of one kind or another may occur; this is quite natural. The problems can be resolved easily and misunderstandings can eventually be dispelled as long as the two sides respect each other and hold consultations based on equal footing, with sincerity and cooperation. With a serious and earnest attitude, the U.S. Federal Government, in cooperation with the Chinese Government, meticulously investigated and eventually drew realistic conclusions on the case, which had remained "unsettled" for more than two years. On the question of prison goods, the policy of the Chinese Government is clear and its measures are resolute. As early as 10 October 1991, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economy and the Ministry of Judiciary jointly promulgated the "Regulations Reiterating the Ban on Export of Prison Goods." According to the provisions, prison enterprises do not have the right and are not allowed to carry out activities involving foreign trade and economy. Responsible officials of the Chinese departments concerned, emphasized this position on numerous occasions. Since the signing in Washington on 7 August 1992 of the "Memorandum of Understanding on Banning Exports of Prison Goods" between the representatives of China and the United States, the Chinese side has strictly enforced the relevant provisions of the memorandum. Meanwhile, China's concerned departments also offered positive cooperation to U.S. political figures, including Representative Wolf, during their visits to Beijing's Prison No. 1. All of this fully indicates the sincerity of the Chinese side in resolving the question of prison goods. In recent years, U.S. Government and public figures have visited China one after another. Through what they have seen and heard, most of them have gained a practical understanding and an objective and a just appraisal of the tremendous progress made in China's reform over the past decade or so, which has further |
FBIS3-44712_0 | Areas Told To Spend More Fighting Endemic Diseases | Language: English Article Type:BFN [By staff reporter Zhu Baoxia: "Localities Told to Spend More on Disease Control"] [Text] Local governments are being urged by the State to take new steps to eradicate the various endemic diseases that currently threaten the health of more than 500 million Chinese farmers. Chen Minzhang, the Minister of Public Health, stressed on Wednesday in Beijing that provincial governments should further increase their budgets for endemic disease control and people from all walks of life must be persuaded to join the national campaign against endemic illnesses. Endemic diseases--including snail fever, iodine deficiency diseases (IDD), the plague, and endemic fluoresces--have been reported in 2,413 counties, or 85 percent of the counties in China. Chen made the remarks at the founding of the Endemic Diseases Society of China. The society is a nongovernmental organization composed of specialists in endemic illnesses and volunteers from different State departments, institutes and industrial enterprises. The society was founded to help spread State policies and regulations on endemic diseases control and launch publicity campaigns. It will also organize academic exchanges to introduce new techniques on prevention and cure of the illnesses to grass-roots health workers. The minister said he hoped a national endemic disease control network will be established as a result of the work of the society. Snail fever, or schistosomiasis, a parasitic illness eliminated in the early 1950's, reappeared in the early 1980s. Currently, endemic snail fever is rampant in 381 counties in the country. More than 3.6 billion square meters of land in China's lake and mountain regions are still infested with snails putting 40 million people in danger. The most serious epidemic cases are in rural areas and in poor counties. In 1991, the disease was found in 1,212 counties, accounting for 43 percent of the country's total. About 300 million people are threatened, 26 percent of the total population. There are 43 million dental fluoresces patients and 1.6 million skeletal fluorosis victims. IDD, like endemic flouride poisoning, is prevalent in all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions except Shanghai. IDD has become one of the major factors affecting the mental development of Chinese children. On the same day, a deputy provincial governor of Shanxi Province said the provincial government has decided to allocate an additional 1 million yuan (about $175,000) annually starting this year for endemic disease control in the province. The regular budget for the work in Shanxi, |
FBIS3-44712_1 | Areas Told To Spend More Fighting Endemic Diseases | the founding of the Endemic Diseases Society of China. The society is a nongovernmental organization composed of specialists in endemic illnesses and volunteers from different State departments, institutes and industrial enterprises. The society was founded to help spread State policies and regulations on endemic diseases control and launch publicity campaigns. It will also organize academic exchanges to introduce new techniques on prevention and cure of the illnesses to grass-roots health workers. The minister said he hoped a national endemic disease control network will be established as a result of the work of the society. Snail fever, or schistosomiasis, a parasitic illness eliminated in the early 1950's, reappeared in the early 1980s. Currently, endemic snail fever is rampant in 381 counties in the country. More than 3.6 billion square meters of land in China's lake and mountain regions are still infested with snails putting 40 million people in danger. The most serious epidemic cases are in rural areas and in poor counties. In 1991, the disease was found in 1,212 counties, accounting for 43 percent of the country's total. About 300 million people are threatened, 26 percent of the total population. There are 43 million dental fluoresces patients and 1.6 million skeletal fluorosis victims. IDD, like endemic flouride poisoning, is prevalent in all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions except Shanghai. IDD has become one of the major factors affecting the mental development of Chinese children. On the same day, a deputy provincial governor of Shanxi Province said the provincial government has decided to allocate an additional 1 million yuan (about $175,000) annually starting this year for endemic disease control in the province. The regular budget for the work in Shanxi, one of the provinces in China that has a major problem with endemic diseases, is 1.4 million yuan about ($245,000) each year. The province has five kinds of endemic diseases in 107 counties and prefectures, 81 per cent of the province's total. Some 3.4 million of the residents, or 12 percent of the province's total population, suffer from the various illnesses. Zhang Weiqing, the deputy provincial governor, said the provincial government is to loan some 3 million yuan (about $526,000) each year to help develop health-related industrial enterprises. The province is to subsidize scientific research institutes by as much as 500,000 yuan (about $87,000) each year for carrying out research in the field. Researchers who achieve outstanding results will be rewarded. |
FBIS3-44752_5 | `Yearender' Views Global Military Situation | possibly intensify centrifugal forces among the Western countries, which could finally become a new challenge to the United States. Russia, which is in the midst of deep economic and political crises, is still declaring its wish to preserve its position as a major world power. While reducing its military forces by a big margin, it has preserved a plan to modernize its strategic nuclear forces. Moreover, the vast numbers of large, medium, and small countries also form a latent force that cannot be neglected. In recent years, they have made positive efforts to promote regional military cooperation in order to resist intervention by foreign forces. Although for a short period to come there will be no fundamental changes in contests of military strength throughout the world, judging from a long-term point of view, this will be an important factor promoting the development of multipolarization in the world's military situation. 3. With the end of Cold War, important changes have taken place in the security concepts of many countries and the role of economic factors in international affairs is increasing. As various countries have shifted the focus of their attention to domestic economic construction and have become increasingly interdependent in the economic field, they more frequently consider interstate relations from the angle of economic interest. In their security policies, almost all countries take security in economic affairs as their main objective, while submitting military construction to the needs of economic construction. However, the rise of economic factors does not mean the role of military power in international affairs is not important. First, the role of military power is still considered seriously by various countries, especially the major powers. In consideration of their economic interests, some countries have attached greater importance to the protection of offshore resources and trade routes. After achieving successful development in the economic field, they have accelerated the pace of arms development. Some countries in the Asia-Pacific region and some Arab countries in the Middle East countries have been increasing their military expenditure over the past few years. Second, amid economic competition, nationalist sentiments are also growing. As a result, some countries have attached greater importance to bolstering their military strength in an attempt to make up for their inadequate economic strength and use this as an important means to protect their interests. Lastly, various big Western powers still regard military strength as a deterrent force and means |
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