AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Sunday 26th October

Pro-independance demonstration in Taiwan. (By Wu Baihua/The Epoch Times)

In this Bulletin…

- Half a million Taiwanese people object to closer ties with China;
- CCP discriminates against ill children; and
- Race for the White House heats up.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China.
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According to the Chinese regime’s China State Population and Family Planning Commission, the total Chinese population will reach 1.45 billion by 2020, and peak at 1.5 billion around 2033.

According to statistics, China’s current population is 1.32 billion, and in the next 10 years; the net increase will be 130 million.

In 2007, the elderly population over the age of 65 took up 8.1 per cent, and will reach 11.2 per cent in 2020. In the 2040s, the aging population will peak at 320 million, representing 22 per cent of the total population.

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An estimated 500,000 supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took to the streets on Saturday October 25, voicing their opposition to the Kuomintang administration’s policies regarding China.

They complain that the current government has increased ties with Mainland China at the cost of Taiwan’s status as a sovereign nation.

The large scale demonstration comes before Chen Yunlin, the Chairman of Mainland China’s Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait, plans to visit next month.

The regime in Mainland China still regards Taiwan as its territory, and thus doesn’t recognize President Ma Ying-jeou as the President of Taiwan. At the same time, many Taiwanese feel the President fails to stand up to the Beijing regime.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast.
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Throughout China, Daycare centers in many provinces have banned children tested positive for Hepatitis-B (HVB). Over 100 mothers pleaded for help in a petition to Yandong Liu, a cabinet member within China’s state council who represents their department of education.

There are at least 120 million carriers of HVB in China, comprising roughly one-tenth of the country’s population. Even though transmission of the disease most commonly takes place during pregnancy from mother-to-child, many provincial governments have still banned infected children from daycare centers, to prevent further spreading by casual contact.

One mother stated, “Our children are no different from others except that they carry this virus. We understand the school’s concern. However, children receive a free HVB vaccine at school, so the ban of HVB-positive children from school is outdated!”

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Macao governor Edmund Ho Hau-wah officially started the legislative process of implementing Basic Law Article 23 on October 22.

Since the reunion of Hong Kong and Macao, Beijing has never stopped attempting to implement Article 23, the anti-subversion law that prohibits foreign political groups from conducting activities that jeopardize “state security.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pushed for Article 23 in Hong Kong in 2003. This triggered a massive demonstration of a half million people in 2003, and the legislative process was stopped in Hong Kong indefinitely.

The most highly contested feature of Article 23 is its vague definition of a “political group,” which could include any religious or human rights group.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network.
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Obama leads McCain by 49 per cent to 44 per cent among likely U.S. voters in the daily tracking poll, which has a margin of error of 2.9 points.

Obama, 47, took the lead in most national polls in recent weeks as the financial crisis and plunging stock market seized center stage ahead of the Nov. 4 election.

McCain, 72, appeared slow to respond to Obama ‘s financial message but in recent days has ramped up the economic themes of his own campaign. On Saturday the Arizona Republican warned voters of the dangers of what he termed a Democratic take-over in both the White House and Congress.

Obama has countered by seeking to link McCain’s proposals to the policies of outgoing Republican President Bush, who fares very poorly in public approval ratings.

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The worst financial crisis in 80 years has forced countries to work together to find ways to help shore up a financial system crippled by banks fearful of lending to each other.

But with evidence mounting that Europe is already in recession, analysts fear that cooperation in shoring up banking systems could be threatened as governments begin to turn their attention to reviving domestic demand.

Governments have pledged around $4 trillion to support banks and restart money markets to try to stem the crisis and are considering tougher financial rules to guard against any repeat.

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“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”