ShangHai by Day

China Takes Credit for Sudan Allowing UN Peacekeepers

China's special representative on Darfur says the Chinese government's dialogue with Sudan was key to Khartoum agreeing to allow United Nations peacekeepers into the conflict-ridden Darfur region. As Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing, China has become more active in trying to resolve the Darfur conflict after facing criticism for putting economic concerns above human rights.

Liu Guijin

China's special envoy on Darfur Liu Guijin said Thursday that Sudan's agreement last month to allow U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur "could not be separated" from the Chinese government's efforts on the issue.

"From the highest leader in China to relevant foreign ministry officials, we have always used our method of using our words and made use of every opportunity and channel in every aspect of work, especially with the Sudanese government," said Liu.

Khartoum for months dragged its feet on a U.N. plan to allow thousands of peacekeepers into Darfur to relieve overwhelmed African Union forces. Last month it finally signed approval for a hybrid force of AU and U.N. troops.

Liu visited Sudan and other African nations last month. He says the deployment will begin, at the earliest, at the end of this year, pending Khartoum's agreement on a date.

China has resisted sanctions against the African nation despite accusations Khartoum has supported militias responsible for mass killings and rape in Darfur that Washington has called "genocide."

President Bush has taken a "wait and see" attitude to Sudan's agreement to the U.N. deployment.

Liu says western nations should stop doubting Sudan's intentions and be more welcoming of the steps forward.

He compares Khartoum to a naughty child who needs to be rewarded for good behavior.

"It's just like a child. If you judge him to be a bad child, when he does something good you should give him a little encouragement and say some nice things," said Liu.

Human rights organizations say China, which buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports and sells arms to Khartoum, is more interested in money than in human rights, an accusation Beijing denies.

Liu says China was doing its best to ensure weapons sold to Khartoum did not end up in the wrong hands.

He says attempts to politicize Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics by linking it to the Darfur situation could only be due to ignorance of China's efforts to resolve the conflict or from people maintaining a "Cold War" ideology.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and two million made homeless since 2003 when rebels and government forces began fighting in Darfur.

Hong Kong Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Return to China

Chinese leader Hu Jintao, center, sings with other performers during the variety show in Hong Kong, 30 Jun 2007

Chinese President Hu Jintao is leading celebrations in Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of its reunification with China. The Chinese leader says democracy is growing in the territory but did not specify when the city would have universal suffrage. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from Hong Kong.

The territory kicked off July 1 with a flag-raising ceremony at the site of the historic change of sovereignty 10 years ago.

Hong Kong is celebrating with colorful parades, variety shows, and fireworks.

But alongside the grand government-organized celebrations, tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents are expected to march for democracy Sunday. As in the last four years, the protesters demand the right to directly elect their leaders.

In his speech Sunday morning, Chinese President Hu Jintao says democracy in Hong Kong is growing in an orderly way.

But he did not mention any timetable for universal suffrage.

Mr. Hu says the central government will remain committed to the principle of "one country, two systems" and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.

The "one country, two systems" arrangement lets Hong Kong keep its capitalist economy and Western-style courts and civil liberties. China's ruling Communist Party has say over the city's political structure.

The city's top leader, the chief executive, is selected by about 800 voters approved by Beijing, and half the city's legislature is directly elected by the public.

A new Hong Kong cabinet was also sworn in Sunday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang says his government will be "more open" and more democratic". Tsang, who originally took office two years ago after his predecessor resigned, promised to introduce proposals on a democracy roadmap during his term.

He also promised to do more to address concerns of a growing income gap, worsening pollution and heritage preservation.

Until the handover to China in 1997, Britain ruled Hong Kong for 156 years.

Hong Kong Bird Market Closed After Discovery of Avian Flu

Hong Kong's government has temporarily closed the city's famous pet bird market after a bird for sale there was found to be carrying the H5N1 avian flu virus. Authorities say they will step up measures to combat bird flu, including a crackdown on the smuggling of birds into Hong Kong. Claudia Blume reports.

Hong Kong's famous Bird Garden in the city's busy Mongkok district usually bustles with residents bargaining for exotic birds as pets and with tourists who love the market's lively, colorful atmosphere. Now, a grim-looking guard at the entrance of the market makes sure no one enters.

The shutters of most of the 70 shops are down. A few, mostly elderly, vendors sit around with nothing to do.

They have put up a banner that sums up their feelings.

One of the vendors reads aloud, "This tourist spot has been turned into a ruin."

This woman says that her life is very hard right now. She says she does not have any customers and cannot earn any money.

Hong Kong's health officials closed the bird market about two weeks ago after a starling there was found to be carrying the H5N1 avian flu virus. All birds in that shop were removed and the market vendors were asked to thoroughly clean and disinfect their stalls. Hong Kong's agriculture and fisheries department has been collecting and testing samples from bird stalls to test for avian flu viruses.

Eric Tai, a veterinarian working for the department, said "Our last batch of samples for this exercise was collected earlier this week and if things go well, when everything is negative, showing there is no virus around, when that result comes out, then we will be opening the market again." 

When the market opens, the department will introduce stricter regulations to ensure that all birds on sale are from approved sources, have valid health certificates and have been legally imported into Hong Kong. Tai says the agricultural department will step up its cooperation with customs officials.

"With these few methods we hope that the origin of the bird will be safe, and that we will be able to trace the source and that there will be no birds from unknown sources entering our licensed premises," he added.

Chinese children handle ducks at a market in Loudi, central China's Hunan province, 10 June 2007 file photo

The starling carrying the bird flu virus had no health certificate, raising suspicion it might have been smuggled into Hong Kong.

Hong Kong aggressively tests for bird flu after an outbreak in 1997 jumped to humans and killed six people, the first human cases ever recorded from the virus. More than 12 wild birds have died from avian flu in the territory this year.

The H5N1 virus has spread throughout Asia and into Africa and Europe. More than 150 people have died from the disease; most caught the virus after handling sick birds. While human infections are rare, many scientists fear the virus could mutate so it can spread easily among humans, causing a pandemic