AOL in new tie-up with China firm

4月17日 星期一 美国东部时间(夏令时)6:22

路透社上海电  传媒业巨头时代华纳集团旗下的网络部门——美国在线(AOL)周一表示，已经和中国第二大传媒企业建立了联系，这是自其2003年退出中国市场后的第一次类似合作活动。

在新的合作关系下，宽带内容商上海文广集团(SMG)会为AOL.com中文站点提供素材，其受众主要是在美国的中文使用者。SMG宽频会提供实质内容给美国的传媒地带公司(MediaZone)，AOL中文站点的合作伙伴之一。

SMG副总裁张大钟在新闻稿中表示：“这次合作只是一个开端，将来会有更加重要的合作成果。”。他还表示，一开始合作的焦点将在免费产品和免费服务的领域，不过双方希望将来能够合作开发收费服务。

AOL在近十年中，一会儿进入中国，一会儿又退出，正映射出了它发展的过程：其全球财富在20世纪90年代的网络经济繁荣的时候聚集，接着又在2000年以后，随着网络泡沫被挤爆而不断蒸发。在2001年全球扩展业务的过程中，AOL高调进入中国，同中国最大的个人电脑生产商联想集团推进一项价值2亿美元的合作项目。但是在两年后，双方的合作宣告失败，因为没有能够获得足够的发展。

AOL在2004年向路透社透露，它已经就重新进入中国而展开对话。中国拥有超过1亿网民，是世界第二大互联网市场。但是AOL没有公布任何的商业交易。

当AOL重新回到中国的时候，它会发现，市场竞争已经十分激烈，其竞争对手既有本地的新浪(Sina Corp.)和搜狐(Sohu.com Inc.)，同样还有国际网络巨头，像雅虎(Yahoo Inc.)和微软(Microsoft)MSN服务。

Original News

AOL in new tie-up with China firm

Mon Apr 17, 6:22 AM ET

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - AOL, the online unit of media giant Time Warner Inc., said on Monday it has formed a tie-up with China’s number two media company, one of its first such pairings since it withdrew from the Chinese market in 2003.

Under their new relationship, the broadband content arm of Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will provide material for a Chinese language version of AOL.com aimed at Chinese speakers in the United States.

SMG Broadband will provide the actual material to U.S. firm MediaZone, which is a partner in the AOL Chinese language site.

“This partnership is just a beginning, with the major fruits still to come in the future,” said SMG Vice President Zhang Dazhong at a news briefing.

He said the initial focus will be on free products and services, but the companies hope to further cooperate to develop fee-based services in the future.

AOL has had an on-again-off-again relationship with China this decade, mirroring its global fortunes as it boomed during the dot-com bubble of the 1990s only to fade during the crash that followed starting in 2000.

The company charged into China in 2001 amid a broader global expansion, launching a $200 million venture with much fanfare with Lenovo Group Ltd., China’s largest PC maker.

But the pair scrapped the venture two years later after it failed to gain steam.

The company told Reuters in 2004 it was back in discussions to re-enter China — the world’s second biggest Internet market with more than 100 million Web surfers — but no deal was ever announced.

If it returns to China, AOL will find itself in a crowded market where local players like Sina Corp. and Sohu.com Inc. compete alongside global Web giants like Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft’s MSN service.

Hu: Taiwan Pro-Separation Forces a Threat

作者：亚利克萨·奥莱森 (Alexa Olesen)，美联社撰稿人

4月16日 星期日 美国东部时间(夏令时)5:10

美联社北京电  中国国家主席胡锦涛(Hu Jintao)在周日呼吁能够展开和对岸台湾方面新的对话，并警告说台独仍然是对台湾海峡两岸的和平和稳定最大的威胁。“只要反对和制止台独活动，就能够排除影响两岸的和平和稳定发展的最大威胁。”胡锦涛在和台湾反对党——国民党前主席连战(Lien Chan)的会面中提到。在国营电视台直播的这场会面中，胡锦涛还表示，大陆和台湾应该“尽快恢复平等对话”。

胡锦涛同前国民党主席，以及来自台湾的近200名政治、学术和商业领域的人士进行了一个小时的会面。这是北京方面孤立台湾总统陈水扁(Chen Shui-bian)的步骤之一，利用他所持的政治上的反对主张，使其作茧自缚。陈水扁强烈主张民主的台湾应该作为一个独立的个体，而反对派则支持最终的统一。

中国大陆方面同样也希望能够影响台湾的民意，通过对岛内关键的票源——农民阶层，在贸易上做出让步，以求对中共执政的大陆地区（台湾政策）的支持。北京方面在周六宣布对台湾进口的水果和鱼类削减关税。

两岸在1949年内战后处于分裂状态，并且没有建立官方的关系，但是中国大陆声称，台湾是中国领土的一部分。大陆承诺将和平地推进两岸统一，但是同时也威胁道，一旦台湾正式宣布独立，大陆将采取军事行动。两岸的最后一次以官方身份谈及统一是在1992年的香港，当时双方同意台湾和大陆同属一个中国的观点。北京方面表示，可以在一个中国的原则下同台湾政府开展会谈，但陈水扁表示拒绝。

连战在北京的行程还包括了参加一个为期2天的政府论坛，讨论有关两岸商贸的问题。口无遮拦的台湾副总统吕秀莲(Annette Lu)在周六批评连战“违背自己的良心”，在北京参加贸易论坛却回避对岸中国有几百颗飞弹（导弹）瞄准台湾这一事实。

Original News

Hu: Taiwan Pro-Separation Forces a Threat

By ALEXA OLESEN, Associated Press Writer

Sun Apr 16, 5:10 AM ET

BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday called for new talks with rival Taiwan and warned that the island’s independence advocates remained the greatest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan strait.

“Only by opposing and checking Taiwan’s independence forces can we eliminate the biggest threat harming the peaceful and stable development of ties across the strait,” Hu said during a meeting with Lien Chan, former chairman of Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist Party.

China and Taiwan should “resume talks on an equal footing as soon as possible,” Hu said during the meeting, which was carried live on state-run television.

Hu’s one-hour meeting with the former party head and nearly 200 Taiwanese politicians, academics, and businesspeople was part of a campaign by Beijing to isolate Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian by forging ties with his political opposition.

Chen strongly advocates a separate identity for the democratic island, while the opposition supports eventual unification.

China is also trying to sway Taiwanese public opinion in favor of the communist mainland by offering trade concessions that appeal to one of the island’s key voting groups, farmers. Beijing on Saturday announced tariff cuts on imports of fruit and fish from Taiwan.

The two sides split amid civil war in 1949 and have no official relations, but China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

The mainland has promised to pursue peaceful unification but also has threatened to attack if the island pursues formal independence.

The two sides last held official talks on unification in Hong Kong in 1992, when they agreed that the island and mainland were part of “one China.”

Beijing says it is open to talks with Taipei based on the “one-China” principle, which Chen has rejected.

During his stay in Beijing, Lien also attended a two-day government forum on cross-strait business.

Taiwan’s outspoken Vice President Annette Lu on Saturday accused Lien of “betraying his conscience” by attending the trade forum in Beijing and ignoring the fact that rival China is pointing hundreds of missiles at the island.

Taiwan key to China-US ties: former ambassador

作者：林赛·贝克 (Lindsay Beck)

4月14日 星期五 美国东部时间(夏令时)2:39

路透社北京电  中国方面在星期五，即胡锦涛主席即将访问美国前，表示台湾问题仍然是其与美国关系中最为重要的问题。

中国外交部副部长杨洁篪同时还表示，双方在经济和贸易政策上的分歧是可以解决的，相信这个问题将很有可能成为胡锦涛和布什总统会谈的主要议题。同时他否认了，中国的快速崛起会对世界其他各国产生威胁。但是他也保留了在台湾问题上的强硬态度，认为自1949年国共内战结束后台湾始终是中国的一个分裂在外的省。美国承认“一个中国”的原则，但是仍然是台湾最大的武器供应商，同时保证在这个拥有2300万人的民主政权统治下的小岛受到攻击的时候提供军事协防。

“台湾问题是中美关系中最重要、最敏感的核心问题。”身为前中国驻美大使的杨洁篪向新闻界表示，“我们呼吁中美两国合作来看待并反对台湾独立活动。”正当杨洁篪发表上述观点的时候，台湾反对派的政治人物正在北京同中国领导人会面，并促请台湾政府开放三通并扩大贸易范围。鼓吹台独理念的台湾总统陈水扁，以终止《国家统一纲领》来挑衅大陆方面，在大陆方面看来，这个是他走向台湾独立的一个步骤。

分析家表示，中国希望能够得到美国政府的在台湾问题上非常明确的支持。“对于双方领导人而言，最大的挑战并不在于有多可靠的承诺，而是双方如何能够共同努力并且成功促使陈水扁推动两岸关系的发展。”北京大学研究中美关系的专家朱峰表示。

杨洁篪将中美关系视为世界上最重要的双边关系，并且表示双方在贸易问题上迅速膨胀的分歧和中国的人民币问题能够得到解决。一个由中国副总理吴仪率领的贸易代表团，会签署总额超过160亿美元的采购合同。杨洁篪认为：“这一点证明了中美双方完全能够合理地解决双方的贸易摩擦。”这次陪同胡锦涛访问的将不会有企业家，但是代表团成员将包括商务部长薄熙来和国家发展和改革委员会主任马凯。

虽然美方对中国的军费开支超过两位数的增长表示忧心忡忡，但是杨洁篪表示，这次访问将不会有军方代表随行。他同时说，公布国防政策白皮书，并且邀请外国军事观察家来访，显示出中国始终坚持和平发展的道路。

Original News

Taiwan key to China-US ties: former ambassador

By Lindsay Beck

Fri Apr 14, 2:39 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Friday that Taiwan remained the most important issue in its relations with the United States, days before President Hu Jintao heads to Washington.

Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also said differences on trade and economic policies, which are expected to dominate talks between Hu and President Bush, could be resolved and countered suggestions that China’s rapid rise posed a threat to the rest of the world.

But he reserved his strongest comments for Taiwan, which China has considered a breakaway province since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

The United States recognizes the "one-China" policy, but it is also the biggest arms supplier to Taiwan and has pledged to defend the democratic island of 23 million in case of attack.

"The Taiwan question is the most important, most sensitive core issue in the China-U.S. relationship," said Yang, who is also a former ambassador to Washington.

"We call on the United States to work together with China to oppose and counter secessionist activities on the part of Taiwan," he told a news conference.

He was speaking as Taiwan opposition politicians met Chinese leaders in Beijing and urged Taiwan to allow regular direct flights and expand trade.

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who advocates independence, has alarmed China with moves such as shelving guidelines on eventual reunification, which Beijing sees as a steps toward formal secession.

China will be seeking a clear show of support from Washington on Taiwan, analysts say.

"What the challenge is to both leaders is not how solid reassurances will be, it’s how both can work together to try and manage the issue should Chen try to push the relationship," said Zhu Feng, an expert on China-U.S. relations at Peking University.

Yang called ties between Beijing and Washington "one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world" and said differences over a ballooning trade gap and the value of China’s currency could be managed.

A trade delegation led by Vice Premier Wu Yi that will yield deals worth more than $16 billion also proved "it is completely possible for China and the United States to properly handle trade friction," Yang said.

No business leaders will be accompany Hu, but Commerce Minister Bo Xilai and Ma Kai, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, will be among those in his delegation.

Yang said military personnel would also not be on the trip, despite concerns in Washington over double-digit increases in China’s military spending.

Publishing policy papers on defense and invitations to foreign military observers showed China was committed to peaceful development, Yang said.

Berlusconi fraud claims overshadow Prodi poll win

4月13日 星期四 新加坡时间21:17

法新社罗马电  意大利陷入了越来越严重的不确定之中，现任总理西尔维奥·贝卢斯科尼(Silvio Berlusconi)声称，在选举过程中存在广泛的舞弊现象。而竞选获胜的罗马诺·普多迪(Romano Prodi)则开始了新政府的组建步伐。

贝卢斯科尼要求对所有60,000个投票站的选票进行更为深入的复查，同时有超过100万的选票被认为可能存在问题。之前在宣布普多迪获胜后，贝卢斯科尼要求对43,000张争议选票进行重新点算。

上周三晚间在会见总统卡洛·阿泽利奥·钱皮(Carlo Azeglio Ciampi)后，贝卢斯科尼向媒体表示：“选举结果必须也一定会改变，因为在许多地方、甚至整个意大利都笼罩在无休止的选举操纵之中”。先前，他告知钱皮总统，在周日和周一两天的选举中，有数不清的违规行为。

在贝卢斯科尼和总统钱皮的70分钟的会面中不清楚双方交谈了什么。但意大利媒体引用政府消息说，贝卢斯科尼希望钱皮签署一份特殊政令，要求史无前例地重新点算全部110万张问题选票，相信钱皮拒绝了这个要求。

经济学家表示，目前的僵局对普罗迪即将组建的中左政府毫无帮助，使其无法顺利地大踏步地改善经济。“这对新政府而言，绝对不是一个好的开端。”美国银行的经济学家马修·夏拉特(Matthew Sharratt)警告说，在意大利新政府宣示就职前，会面临可能长达两个月的政府行政机构瘫痪的局面。

贝卢斯科尼得到自由同盟(House of Freedoms)中两个政党的支持，分别是全国联盟(National Alliance)和北部联盟(Northern League)，而天主教民主中心(Christian Democrat UDC)的领导人则保持沉默。《晚邮报》(Corriere della Sera)援引其领导人、即将离职的议会发言人——皮耶尔·费尔迪南多·卡西尼(Pier Ferdinando Casini)的说法，“在接下去的两个月里面，我们不能继续这样下去。”

胜利者普罗迪已经得到了包括法国总统雅克·希拉克(Jacques Chirac)在内的一些国外领导人的祝贺，但是作为贝卢斯科尼的盟友，美国总统乔治·（小）布什(George W. Bush)还没有发来祝贺，同样没有表示祝贺的还有教宗本笃十六世(Pope Benedict XVI)。

将在4月28日开始运作的新一届议会的首要工作就是选举出新总统。意大利媒体担心，由于议会的分裂会使讨论陷入漫长的过程之中。普罗迪在下议院选举中以25,000票的优势获胜，根据意大利选举法，无论得票差距多少，都将获得55%的席位。而在上议院（参议院）中中左联盟则拥有两席的优势。但是在意大利最高法院确认选举结果的合法性之前,目前的结果都只是暂时的。意大利媒体表示在周日或周一前，相信不会宣布结果。

Original News

Berlusconi fraud claims overshadow Prodi poll win

Thursday April 13, 9:17 PM

ROME (AFP) - Italy has stumbled deeper into uncertainty as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi alleged widespread fraud at the polls and election winner Romano Prodi forged ahead with plans for a new government.

Berlusconi, who initially demanded a recount of 43,000 contested votes after Prodi won, called for a wider check of returns from all 60,000 polling stations, as well as more than one million votes deemed invalid.

Prodi, leader of a centre-left coalition, accused Berlusconi of delaying tactics and told supporters at a victory rally in his home city of Bologna that the media magnate politician should "go home".

"The result must, and will, change because there has been endless vote rigging in different places, all over Italy," Berlusconi told reporters late Wednesday after making a visit to President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to inform him of "innumerable irregularities" in the two-day election Sunday and Monday.

"Did you think you’d got rid of me?" he joked.

It was unclear what transpired at the 70-minute meeting with the president, but Italian newspapers citing government sources said Berlusconi had hoped to get Ciampi to sign a special decree ordering an unprecedented recount of the 1,100,000 spoiled votes. Ciampi is believed to have refused.

Berlusconi has kept up a barrage of electoral fraud allegations and refused to concede defeat for his centre-right government ever since the results Tuesday showed Prodi as the narrow winner.

Economists warned the stalemate would do little to help Prodi’s incoming centre-left government to kick-start an ailing economy.

"It’s not a good start for the new government," said Bank of America economist Matthew Sharratt, who warned that Italy faced a likely two months of "administrative paralysis" before a new government could be sworn in.

Raj Badiani, economist with Global Insight, said the standoff would have "no immediate impact" on the economy but could affect recent positive consumer and business confidence figures if allowed to drag on.

"Obviously if the situation drags on, we could then see another year in which growth is close to zero," he said.

Berlusconi has the backing of two of his House of Freedoms allies, the National Alliance and Northern League, although the third — the Christian Democrat UDC — has maintained a dignified silence.

"We can’t go on like this for the next two months," the Corriere della Sera quoted Christian Democrat UDC leader, outgoing parliament speaker Pier Ferdinando Casini, as saying.

Prodi pressed ahead with talks with his coalition partners on forming a government, and sought to give an impression of a smooth transition to power.

Following Berlusconi’s allegations, he made a late-night phone call to Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu, whose ministry was responsible for overseeing the vote.

Prodi told reporters Thursday Pisanu had told him: "Relax, and have a good Easter."

"The situation seems calmer, because I know there’s nothing to worry about. We need patience, but in the end, this is democracy," Prodi said.

The victor said he had received congratulations from foreign leaders, including French President Jacques Chirac, but none yet from US President George W. Bush — an ally of Berlusconi — and Pope Benedict XVI.

But Prodi’s admission Wednesday that Italy will have to wait until May for a new government has done little to quell the growing sense of a political crisis.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Italy’s president, whose duty it is to swear in the new government, ends his seven-year term of office on May 18. Ciampi, 85, has said he wants his successor to do the swearing in.

The first task of the new parliament, which is due to convene on April 28, will be to elect the new president. The Italian press feared drawn-out negotiations because of the parliamentary divisions.

Prodi squeaked into power by a margin of 25,000 votes in the lower house Chamber of Deputies, where a bonus system under Italy’s electoral law automatically gives his Union coalition 55 percent of the seats regardless of the margin of victory.

The Union also has a two-seat majority in the upper house Senate.

The results are considered provisional until Italy’s supreme court, the Corte di Cassazione, rules on their validity.

Italian media said a ruling was not expected before Sunday or Monday.

Expelled star Wang makes humble return to China

4月10日 星期一 美国东部时间(夏令时)2:36

路透社北京电  王治郅作为中国的首位NBA球星，由于拒绝出战2002年亚运会而被开除出国家队，他在星期一终于回国并道歉。而中国则试图在北京奥运会前与所谓“问题明星”达成和解。

王治郅在2001年和达拉斯小牛队签约，为后进NBA的中国球员姚明和孟克·巴特尔铺平了道路。以上这三个球员，被认为是在NBA中的中国“长城”。而正是当初开除他的中国篮球协会，敞开胸怀欢迎他。

“我们始终对重视和爱惜球员的天赋”，周一在CBA（中国篮协）的官方网站上，它的发言人说，“国家队的大门始终向优秀并愿意报效祖国的球员敞开。”

28岁的王治郅，作为前八一火箭篮球队队员和一名现役军人，在机场为他背弃中国的行为做出公开道歉。在CBA的官方网站上援引了他的道歉：“当时我太年轻、不成熟，正因为这一点，我做出了一个完全错误的决定。但是，这几年在深刻的反省下，以及在军方、篮协领导的帮助下，我已经深刻认识到以前所犯的错误。“

事实上的封杀

中锋王治郅2月份在美国与CBA副主席李元伟进行会面了几次后回到了中国，之前王治郅已经在本赛季前被迈阿密热浪队所放弃。

尽管姚明在休斯敦火箭队的职业生涯很成功，并且在当地媒体被当作头条新闻。但是，对王治郅即便是相对而言不成功的球场表现，在报道上仍然受到事实上的限制，直到今天仍然如此。

虽然能否进入国家队还不能确定，但是CBA表示，主动权在王治郅手中。同时还表示，“是否能够再次入选国家队取决于他的能力、心理状况和身体状态。”

中国体育当局对那些逃避国家义务的运动员的前景表示黯淡，包括奥运跳水冠军田亮在内的许多“问题明星”被列入黑名单中。然而，根据最近的媒体报道，中国会重新召回对那些原来被放弃的国家队运动员，为2008年北京奥运会组成是最强大的队伍。王治郅回国前，中国优秀的网球选手彭帅也同国家和解，之前她曾经抱怨过国家义务过重。

Original News

Expelled star Wang makes humble return to China

Mon Apr 10, 2:36 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s first NBA star, expelled from the national team for skipping the 2002 Asian Games, made an apologetic return on Monday as China seeks to reconcile with "problem stars" ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Wang Zhizhi, who paved the way for Chinese NBA players Yao Ming and Menk Barteer when he signed for the Dallas Mavericks in 2001, was welcomed back with open arms by the China Basketball Administration, the same body that expelled him.

The three became known as China’s "Great Wall" in the NBA.

"We have always placed importance on and cherished talent," a CBA spokesman said on its official Web site on Monday.

"The door of the national team has always been open to those excellent athletes willing to pay back the motherland."

The 28-year-old former player and army official with the Ba Yi Rockets military team publicly apologized at the airport for turning his back on China.

"At the time I was young and immature," he was quoted on the CBA Web site as saying.

"Because of this, I made a very wrong decision.

"Through these years of painful reflection and with the help of leaders of the army and the CBA, I have deeper recognition of the mistakes I’ve made in the past."

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The center’s return follows several meetings with CBA vice-president Li Yuanwei in the United States in February after he was dumped from the NBA’s Miami Heat team prior to the current season.

Whereas Yao Ming’s NBA career with the Houston Rockets has prospered and makes daily headlines in local media, there has been a virtual blanket ban on coverage of Wang’s relatively unsuccessful stint in the world’s top league — until today.

His return to the national team has not been confirmed, but the CBA stated that the ball was firmly in Wang’s court.

"Whether he plays for the national team again will depend on his capability, mental and physical conditions," the CBA said.

Chinese sporting authorities take a dim view of athletes shirking national duty, having black-listed a number of problem stars, including Olympic champion diver Tian Liang.

However, recent media reports have said that China would reach out to national athletes it had cast off in order to field the strongest possible team for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Wang’s return follows China’s recent reconciliation with promising tennis player Peng Shuai, who had complained of being stifled by national duties.