Susan Osman discusses the recent fishing boat collision near the Diaoyu Islands, a territory disputed by China and Japan since China's Qing Dynasty, and pressures on Sino-Japanese relations.
Susan Osman discusses the recent fishing boat collision near the Diaoyu Islands, a territory disputed by China and Japan since China's Qing Dynasty, and pressures on Sino-Japanese relations.
Japan has ordered the release of the 14 Chinese fishermen detained by Japanese in disputed waters last Tuesday. But though the men are now free- the latest incident has none the less put added strain on the relationship between two countries that have not always seen eye to eye. BON’s Kelda Yuen has more.
China's economy is firmly in the fast lane - and poised to become the world's second largest this year. But millions of rural residents still live under the poverty line. Sylvia Gunawan has more on government efforts to improve the lot of those who haven't yet benefited from China's boom times.
China's government has pledged to boost rural development in an effort to bridge the economic gap between rich and poor. It says it will continue to enhance financial support for farmers and improve agricultural subsidy systems. However, currently, there are an estimated 40 million farmers in China living on less than $1 a day - the official UN poverty line. The central government says budget priority should be given to infrastructure in rural areas, and programs aimed at improving rural residents' livelihood.