Tourist city denies renaming mountain after "Avatar" site

Chinese authorities of the tourist city of Zhangjiajie have denied accusations that they renamed a mountain after the sci-fi movie, Avatar. The first accusation came from users who felt that tourist authorities were "money oriented", and were "blindly worshiping western culture." Authorities stated that comparing a picture of China's South Sky Pillar' , and the movies' Hallelujah Mountain revealed evidence that graphic artist originated the idea here. Some, as the head of the tourist department, insist that it is a source of pride. Yet many locals do not agree; according to an online survey, 56,619 people rejected the name change, while only 5000 supported it. Some say that renaming this mountain has been for the interest of tourist attraction, and it was never intended for it to become a legal subject, or an official change.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-01/28/c_13154928.htm

New Pollution Reduction Targets Listed

For the past five years, China has been trying to reduce its sulfur dioxide(SO2) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions as part of their eleventh Five Year Plan. These two chemicals are the major sources of China's air and water pollution. The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) wants to reduce these emissions by 10% by the end of 2010. During the annual environmental protection conference in Beijing, the MEP stated that China's sulfur dioxide emissions have already been reduced by 10% at the end of 2009. Although China has been successful in reducing its SO2 and COD, China is still facing heavy-metal pollution. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has identified two new pollutants, nitrogen oxide, which causes acid rain, and ammonia nitrogen. These two new pollutants will be incorporated in China's next Five Year Plan (2011-2015). China is making a great effort in order to correct the excessive emissions of several different pollutants. With the fast rise in cars in the country, as well as other factors, these efforts will substantially help China as well as the environment as a whole.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-01/26/content_9376178.htm

Chinese Vice Premier Calls For More Resources For Rural Areas

http://www.yellowbridge.com/general/invoke.php?u=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/17/content_12826731.htm

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu wants more public resources for rural areas to enhance rural and agricultural development. Essentially he wants to balance out the public resources in the city and the country so the interests of farmers will be safeguarded in the process of development. As of right now, over seventy percent of Chinese live in rural areas, but more often then not government resources are given to better developed, wealthier urban areas.
Personally, I feel like this may be an empty promise with no backbone given to the majority by a politician who may or may not move forward with his speech.

China Issues Sharp Rebuke to U.S. Calls for an Investigation on Google Attacks

Are You Being Monitored?

China issued a scathing response to U.S. demands that it investigate the recent attacks by unidentified attackers on American computers from Chinese soil. China believes that suggestions that it condones or conducted the attack are attempts to "denigrate China". Google which issued an ultimatum after the attacks were discovered; they will leave China unless the government stops censoring its results. After Secretary of State Hilary Clinton called out China on Friday the country's response has turned. In the last few months China has become increasingly stringent on what Chinese citizens can view on the internet. An official for the State Council (which is the equivalent of American cabinet) Information Office defends China's positions as "totally correct". Harsh words came from the communist backed Global Times which said that the demands were “a U.S. government-initiated strategy with covert political intentions.” Although this appears to be a morality choice for Google, America has also done similar things such as monitoring e-mails and Internet activities after 9/11.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/world/asia/26google.html