Asia News Digest
Chinese President Tours Argentine Nuclear Tech Firm
Chinese President Hu Jintao spent the last leg of his trip to Argentina in Bariloche, where he toured the INVAP company, producer of state-of-the-art nuclear technology. There are already existing agreements between INVAP and the Chinese government, but the company noted in a Nov. 17 press release, that new agreements signed during the Chinese President's Nov. 16-17 visit would expand existing cooperation and "promote joint development of products between Chinese firms and INVAP, to meet both nations' domestic needs, as well as to export to third markets."
INVAP is owned by the province of Rio Negro, whose governor, Miguel Saiz, said he wanted to offer President Hu nuclear reactors as well as other scientific and medical equipment produced by the company. "We are so proud that President Hu Jintao chose to tour INVAP," the company's statement said. "We see in this, recognition of the quality of work done by our scientists and technicians, whose achievements have attained international importance."
China in 'Urgent' Need of Energy Transport
China remains in "urgent" need of energy and transport, an official of the state development and reform commission warned on Nov. 13 in Shanghai, according to the Peoples Daily Nov. 16. Jia Yinsong said that while China's coal production so far this year was up 16% over last year, at 1.285 billion tons, the state-owned coal mines are nearly mined out, and locally owned coal mines are extremely wasteful. Electricity generation was also up 15% year-on-year, but the 24 provincial power grids were unable to meet demand, he said, and had to cut power supplies. Last summer, shortfall was 30 million kilowatts.
Crude oil production in China was up just 2.9%, and imports up 36.2%, but the refining capacity of the China Petroleum Corporation and China Petro-Chemical Corp. has almost been reached, Jia warned, forcing China to have to import.
In addition, electric "power will be in great demand for the power grids of northwest and north China, and Sichuan-Chongqing, while east, central, and southern China power grids will be facing a shortage of power supply," the national China Central Television reported Nov. 13. "Among them, the east China power grid will be confronted with the most severe shortage of power supply." Electricity rates have already been raised twice this year, due to rising coal prices.
Northern China Lacks Sufficient Coal for Heat This Winter
Cities in northern China, both east and west, do not have sufficient coal supplies for the central hearing systems this winter, China Daily reported Nov. 15. Inadequate storage of coal for heating has become a common problem in this vast region, threatening winter heating supplies for 200 million urban residents, in 14 provinces, municipalities, and regions. Winter is extremely cold in north China, where the winds blow down from Siberia.
The problem is due to insufficient production and transport capacities for coal. China is the world's leading coal producer, producing 1.285 billion tons so far this year, but this is not enough. Due to rail bottlenecks, now more coal will be transported on the highwaysa much less efficient method.
India Looks to Russia for Energy Security
India's Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mani Shankar Aiyar, announced India's intention to invest $3 billion in Russian oil and gas fields, The Hindu reported Nov. 15. The investment will be split about equally between Sakhalin in the Russian Far East, and Kurmangazi in the Caspian region. Aiyar also successfully negotiated with the Iranians for India's ONGC Videsh to take a stake in the Yadarevan oil fields as part of a larger deal to purchase natural gas from Iran. India has made a handful of similar, but smaller, deals with other countries as well.
Pushing to take equity in foreign gas and oil fields is a new shift in India's policy in pursuing its energy security. It is expected that Aiyar would also co-opt private sector oil companies in the coming days, instead of championing only the state-owned ONGC Videsh.
Asian Health Ministers To Meet on Potential Pandemic
Asian health ministers will meet in Bangkok, Thailand Nov. 25-26 to devise joint strategies to combat avian (bird) flu, the World Health Organization announced Nov. 12.
"The recent avian influenza outbreak in several Asian countries continues to pose a serious threat," the UN agency said in a statement announcing the meeting.
The deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza emerged in Asia early this year, ravaging the poultry industry, and sparking a region-wide health scare. Authorities culled tens of millions of birds in an attempt to thwart the spread of the disease, which resurfaced in July.
Bird flu has killed 20 people in Vietnam and 12 in Thailand. It has also been known to successfully jump the species barrier to mammals, infecting cats and tigers, and scientists fear the virus could latch onto the human flu virus and create a highly contagious, deadly strain.
Countries participating in the meeting are China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Thai King Calls for Peace in Southern Provinces
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej warned Nov. 17 that the kingdom's stability depends on the establishment of peace in the restive Muslim South, as police reported two more killings in the region.
Speaking before 510 newly-promoted police and army generals, the King, who usually intervenes into politics only in times of crisis, said the key to peace would be greater cooperation among security forces.
"With more serious and closer cooperation between police and soldiers, the violence could be reduced," the king said in a speech broadcast by state radio Nov. 18.
"Otherwise our nation could fail, which means the public would have no happiness or security," said the monarch, who has already called for a less "heavy-handed" approach in the South.
Thai Old Guard Critical of Prime Minister Thaksin
Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa, once a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, demanded Nov. 16, that the Premier apologize for the Tak Bai incident in which 87 Thai Muslims died from suffocation, or face a rally for his removal.
Sulak was referring to the incident Oct. 15 outside Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat province where six protesters were killed in a crackdown by security forces, and 87 detainees died after being herded into trucks for transport to a military camp.
Thais Cautiously Welcome UN Probe of Tak Bai Tragedy
The Thai government on Nov. 17 cautiously welcomed a bid by Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, to interview people involved in the Tak Bai tragedy, in which 87 people died.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's cabinet secretary Yongyuth Tiyapirat told AFP: "There is no problem in giving the facts, and we're willing to provide cooperation to every organization, but [Alston] should wait for the result from the independent commission."
Korea, Argentina Sign Economic, Cultural Agreements
South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner signed five agreements for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, following Roh's two-day visit to the Ibero-American country Nov. 14-15. The Argentines particularly stressed the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed between Korea's Eximbank and Argentina's Banco de la Nacion, which provides for a $30 million credit to finance imports of South Korean goods and services. Planning Minister Julio de Vido explained that the credit line's significance rests not so much in the amount, but in the fact that it comes just as Argentina is attempting to complete its debt restructuring plan with foreign bondholders. It is the first such financing offered since the country's December 2001 debt default.
The five agreements signed deal with economic, cultural, educational, and trade cooperation, including deals on energy and mineral resources. The two heads of state underscored their commitment to expanding cooperation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy as well. Kirchner told Roh that, "we must join our scientific and technical [capabilities] to help each other in technological and scientific development, sharing the challenge of creating new methodologies by which we can become more efficient in the creation of wealth."
Indian Premier Returns from Kashmir Empty-Handed
Despite efforts to appease the Kashmiris, and Islamabad, by withdrawing troops from the Line of Control separating the Indian- and Pakistani-held parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's well-orchestrated visit there ended up producing nothing. His arrival in the town of Srinagar on Nov. 17 was met with boycotts and shutting down of shops and commercial centers by the Kashmiris.
On Nov. 18, after the Indian Premier announced that he is ready to talk to Pakistan on Kashmir, the main separatist Kashmiri leaders made clear that no such talks would be possible until they talk to Pakistan first. Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, who have the capability to call the shots in the Indian-held part of Kashmir, said they also wanted a direct invitation from New Delhi for resumption of peace talks between the Kashmiris and New Delhi.
Not anticipating this aggressive proposal from the disgruntled Kashmiri leaders, Singh said the Hurriyat "demand was unfair," adding, "I have not laid down any precondition and I don't expect anyone else to lay down preconditions."
India-China Border Talks Reconvene
India's National Security Advisor J.N. Dixit was in Beijing to reopen two days of talks with Chinese Vice Minister Dai Bingguo Nov. 17-18, to resolve the China-India border dispute. The talks are to complete a process, began during former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to China in June 2003, which would settle the 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) of undemarcated border, through negotiations.
The two countries have not established a formal ceasefire line since the 1962 border wars, but in the latest round of talks, attempted to establish the basis for a formal border that could include swapping claims on Aksai China in the west, by China, and on Arunanchal Pradesh in the east by India.
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