China and Taiwan announced on Thursday they would quickly resume talks that have been suspended for more than a decade, in the latest sign of a dramatic thaw in tensions between the rivals.
The agreement to gather in Beijing in two weeks came a day after Chinese President Hu Jintao met the head of the island’s ruling Kuomintang party, Wu Poh-hsiung, the highest-level contact since China and Taiwan split in 1949 .
Their historic meeting and the agreement to resume talks are part of a rapprochement that began when the Kuomintang defeated the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan’s presidential polls in March.
China on Thursday sent an official letter of invitation to sit down for the talks from June 11 to 14, with the focus to be on establishing direct flights between the two sides and allowing mainland tourists to travel to Taiwan.

“We hope the talks will make progress on the two issues to meet the expectations of people from both sides of the strait,” said the invitation letter from China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan was quick to accept the offer, a formality after Hu and Wu made a verbal agreement on the talks during their meeting in Beijing.

Chiang Pin-kun, chairman of Taiwan’s Strait Exchange Foundation, said the invitation came “at a right time” and he would lead a delegation comprising businessmen and officials for the negotiations.

China said the talks would be the start of regular consultations based on the so-called “1992 consensus”, according to its official Xinhua news agency.

That was a guideline for talks the mainland and Taiwan reached in 1992, in which each side could interpret the term ‘One China’ in its own way.

Based on that agreement, China and Taiwan held a landmark dialogue in 1993 in Singapore but they were never held in that form again, with the Chinese side suspending the process in 1995 amid acrimony between Beijing and Taipei.

The two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and China still claims Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification. It has in the past threatened to invade if Taiwan declares independence.

Those threats were ramped up during the reign of Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s previous president whose pro-independence rhetoric angered the mainland.

His successor, Ma Ying-jeou, who was sworn in as president last week, has taken a much more conciliatory approach with China than Chen.

Ma has called for the resumption of the dialogue, pledged to deepen economic links between the two sides and vowed not to enter an arms race with China.

During Wednesday’s meeting with Wu, Hu called for “peaceful development” in cross-strait relations and vowed “positive measures” to resolve any doubts or misunderstandings on the part of Taiwan.

He also held out the prospect of Taiwan finally being allowed to join some international organisations, and singled out the World Health Organisation.

China has previously blocked Taiwan’s attempts to join such organisations as a separate member because it insists the island falls under its domain.

Chinese analysts said tensions had clearly eased since Ma’s election, but cautioned that many pitfalls remained on the road to reconciliation, and that China’s military build-up near the island would not be scaled down.

“The mainland is confident in Ma’s attitude towards (not seeking) Taiwan independence. But there are still difficulties that need to be overcome,” said Zhang Wensheng, Institute of Taiwan Studies director at Xiamen University.

“As to the military build-up, it will continue because the military build-up is… aimed at (preventing) Taiwan independence.”

Wu’s meeting with Hu came in the middle of a six-day visit to China. The Kuomintang chairman on Thursday travelled from Beijing to Shanghai.

Article source:

The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: The group of 26 Malaysian tourists caught by the earthquake in China last Monday arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport early today.

They arrived via China Eastern Airline flight MU 539 at 12.50am and were greeted by about 20 family members, most of whom expressed relief at their relatives’ narrow escape.

“It was a harrowing few days for us because we lost contact with them,” said a relative, who declined to be named.

He expressed his gratitude to Wisma Putra, the Malaysian embassy in Beijing and other authorities for helping to bring their loved ones back home.

Also present were officials from the Foreign Ministry.
Some of the survivors were bussed back to their homes in Ipoh while the rest stayed with their relatives in Kuala Lumpur.

The group left Chengdu’s Shuangliu international airport yesterday for Shanghai before their flight to Malaysia.

Five days after the earthquake, the 26 were found safe in the small foothill town Maoxian, Aba.

On Saturday, all of them were airlifted by military helicopters to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, about 150km away.

They had been stranded in Maoxian since Monday, which is less than 50km from the epicentre of the quake in Wenchuan district, as the area’s infrastructure had been badly damaged.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy said it would open a condolence book from today to Wednesday, the period which the Chinese government has declared as national mourning days.

The book will be available at the embassy lobby from 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm on the three days.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Malaysians in Chengdu are rallying to help the victims.

David Siow, the chairman of Malaysian Association of Sichuan, said his staff at a fast food franchise had spent the last few days packing food and other essentials for victims of the quake.

Article source:

The New Straits Times

WENCHUAN, China (Reuters) - The death toll from China’s massive earthquake could soar to more than 50,000, state media reported on Thursday, as rescuers struggled to help survivors and hope faded for the thousands buried under rubble.

Rescue workers look for survivors in a collapsed apartment block in Dujiangyan in Sichuan province May 15, 2008. The death toll from China’s massive earthquake could soar to more than 50,000, state media reported on Thursday, as rescuers struggled to help survivors and hope faded for the thousands buried under rubble. (REUTERS/David Gray)

Already some 20,000 are confirmed dead as a result of Monday’s 7.9 magnitude quake and 25,000 remained buried in areas rescuers have struggled to reach, battling landslides, buckled roads, collapsed bridges and wet weather.

The Communist Party leadership told officials to “ensure social stability” in rescue efforts, as the quake spawned rumours of chemical spills, fears of dam bursts and scenes of collective desperation.

Rescuers in the city of Dujiangyan, in the worst-hit province of Sichuan, wrapped corpses dragged from the rubble in tarpaulins and sped them to morgues.

They were so busy that a notice outside one collapsed school asked parents to search for missing children in shifts.

About 130,000 army and paramilitary troops assisted the search and rescue effort in Sichuan, sifting through dozens of towns turned to rubble.

But three days after the quake, hopes of pulling survivors from the ruins dimmed and the waves of rescuers appear to be hampered by lack of specialised equipment.

Still, there were moments of joy and relief. “Thank you, thank you,” one 22-year-old said after she was eventually pulled to safety, covering her face against the light in Dujiangyan. She had been trapped, unable to move, under the ruins of a hospital.

FOOD AND WATER

The strains from tens of thousands of homeless were also growing.

“There is enough food but not enough water. We have only had bottled mineral water the past few days, nothing to cook with,” said Wang Yujie, a teacher whose school withstood the quake.

More aid was arriving and efforts at coordination were also improving, with Sichuan setting up a hotline for victims and ambulances with Beijing licence plates on the roads.

More than 12.5 tonnes of relief goods had been airdropped and scores of helicopters were flying in rescuers and aid.

Official said quilts, tents, food and satellite phones were needed most. The Health Ministry’s Gao Qiang said medical needs ranged from basics like bandages and antibiotics to sophisticated equipment such as ventilators and kidney dialysis machines.

In some villages near the badly hit area of Beichuan, angry residents complained they had had little to eat and were forced to drink contaminated water.

Many are sleeping outside or in makeshift shelters where the lack of water and blocked toilets has raised fears of disease, but Gao said there had been no reports of epidemics.

But new threats emerged from damaged dams.

Minister for Water Resources, Chen Lei, said such damage was widespread and sounded far from assured in comments put on the ministry Web site (www.mwr.gov.cn) on Thursday.

“… Damage from the quake is extensive and the hazards are unclear,” Chen said in the speech to officials.

And the minister blamed more than nature for the dangers.

“Because the management systems of hydro-power stations are not smooth and information channels are blocked, the extent of their damage is unclear,” Chen said.

TRIUMPHS AMID DISASTER

Premier Wen Jiabao, a geologist himself, has made emotional appeals from the disaster zone urging on workers and comforting orphaned children. On Thursday visited Qingchuan, where landslides had blocked the flow of two rivers.

The disaster area is also home to China’s chief nuclear weapons research lab in Mianyang, as well as several secretive atomic sites, but no nuclear power stations.

The China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corp reported that several of its facilities in Sichuan were damaged.

The report on its website (www.cnecc.com) did not mention any radiation leaks. A Western expert with knowledge of the Mianyang lab said it was not likely the facilities were at serious risk.

Amid the devastation, there were still small triumphs.

Rescuers reached a 62-year-old man after an all-night search, prompting a round of applause from onlookers, who took pictures with their mobile phones.

A teenage girl was freed from the rubble of her school, but at the cost of both her legs which doctors had to amputate.

Thirty-three tourists from Britain, the United States and France were airlifted out of a panda reserve, but Xinhua said 893 foreign tourists remained trapped. One German was among the victims, the Foreign Ministry said.

Offers of help were pouring in.

Chinese rushed to blood banks in Beijing, with at least 3,300 people in the capital donating blood in a single day.

China also welcomed supply flights from rival Taiwan and a relief team from Japan to help rebuild after the quake that is the worst to hit China since 1976 when up to 300,000 died.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard, John Ruwitch, Lindsay Beck, Guo Shipeng and Sally Huang)

TheStar News

THE Malaysian Uber Cup squad defied the odds in the playoff round for quarter-final berths, knocking out second seeds Japan 3-0 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.

The Malaysians showed no after-effects of their demoralising 2-3 defeat by Denmark just a day earlier when they overpowered the Japanese for the first-time ever in the Uber Cup Finals.

By booking a spot in the last eight against South Korea today, the Malaysians equalled their best-ever achievement in the Finals accomplished in 2004, also in Jakarta. Then, they bowed out 0-3 against China.

Yesterday, Wong Mew Choo and Julia Wong redeemed themselves after their losses against the Danes by delivering two crucial points.

In between, the gamble to split the doubles combinations paid handsome dividends when Lim Pek Siah teamed up with Wong Pei Tty to stun the more fancied Satoko Suetsuna-Miyuki Maeda 21-15, 21-18 in the first doubles.

Mew Choo set the ball rolling for Malaysia with a clinical 21-17, 21-18 victory over Eriko Hirose in just 41 minutes.

The decision to balance up the strength of the two pairs by breaking up the first ranked combination of Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui worked wonders. And Eei Hui and Ng Hui Lin were not required to play the second doubles match after the tie went dead in favour of Malaysia.

Against the athletic Suetsuna-Maeda, Pek Siah-Pei Tty banked on their vast experience to remain in control and make it 2-0 for Malaysia.

It was left to Julia to clinch the winning point, and she did not disappoint against Yu Hirayama.

After taking the first game 21-15, Julia lost focus and lost the second tamely at 10-21. She was also on the ropes in the rubber, trailing 6-11 at the court changeover. But concerns over a repeat meltdown that let to her defeat by Denmark’s Nanna Brosolat Jensen proved unfounded.

After a pep talk from Mew Choo and also coach Rashid Sidek, the Malaysian number two fought back and levelled the score at 13-13. Both players traded points until 19-19 before Julia pulled away to seal a famous win.

“I lost my way midway through the second game and the decline continued at the start of the third game,” said Julia.

“Mew Choo’s advice to me was to be more patient with my attacking game. I was rushing into making attacks and this allowed Hirayama to exploit the situation. I heeded the advice and regained control and was determined to fight back and never gave up.”

Rashid said that Malaysia can expect a much tougher hurdle against third seeds South Korea today.

“After China, the Koreans are the next toughest opponents to play in the Uber Cup. They have all-round strength and they also have more experience in their side. But our confidence is high after defeating Japan and we are hoping to put on another good performance in the quarter-finals,” he said.

Fourth seeded Malaysia had to go into the playoff round, involving second and third-placed teams in groups, after finishing as the runners-up in Group Y behind Denmark and ahead of New Zealand.

Article source:

TheStar News

PETALING JAYA: The men’s singles will be the pride of China in the Thomas Cup Finals.

They have three Olympians in their side – Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai and Chen Jin. And China are certainly the team to beat for the top contenders – Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and Denmark – in the Final, which begin on Sunday in Jakarta.

Although their men’s doubles department has improved, China’s hopes of winning the Cup for the seventh time hinge heavily on the strength of their singles players.

Based on current rankings, Lin Dan, Chunlai and Chen Jin are the favourites and the trios are determined to put China on the right track as far as their preparations for the Olympic Games in Beijing are concerned.

Chen Yu is their reserve men’s singles player but he is unlikely to be fielded in crucial ties.

China have named three pairs – Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, Guo Zhengdong-Xie Zhongbo and He Hanbin-Shen Ye. But only the former world champions and All-England winners Cai Yun-Haifeng have the better shots at contributing a point.

Third seeds Malaysia may meet China in the semi-finals if they finish as the winners in Group B, which also has South Korea and England. But if Malaysia end up as group runners-up, they can only meet China in the final. That would require them to eliminate Indonesia in the quarter-finals and Denmark in the semi-finals.

National singles coach Misbun Sidek said that it would be a blow for top seeds and defending champions China if their singles players crumbled in Jakarta.

“It is all a matter of prestige for China in the Finals. They have showed the world their greatness in the men’s singles by qualifying a maximum of three players for the Beijing Olympics. They get the chance again to boast of their strength in the singles in the Thomas Cup,” he said.

“China have strong doubles pairs too but we can take them on. It is still an open game as far as the fights in the doubles are concerned. But China are good to win a tie from the singles matches. Probably, the point their rivals can steal is the second singles (against Chunlai).”

At the 2002 Finals in Guangzhou, Chunlai turned out to be China’s weak link. He was beaten by Mohd Hafiz Hashim in the second singles and Malaysia went on to win the semi-final tie 3-1.

However, China came back strongly to win the Cup in the last two editions in Jakarta (2004) and Tokyo (2006).

Hafiz will be making his fourth trip to the Finals and his team-mates are Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif.

On paper, Malaysia’s chances of beating China are slim but Misbun said that it was not an impossible task.

“It is all about playing a psychological game. Malaysia may be rated lower in world rankings or skills but I believe that team spirit and self-believe could make the difference for,” he said.

“We have to hope for both our doubles to win and get the singles to steal a point. The hope may be on Chong Wei but it will not easy for him against Lin Dan.

“I think that Choong Hann and Hafiz can get the better of their opponents if they really put their hearts into it. They did well in the ABC (Asian Championships) last month and I hope that they have not raised false hopes.”

Article Source:

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/5/7/sports/21166801&sec=sports