AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Sunday 13th December

In this Bulletin…

- Toxic milk still being produced in China;
- Taiwan to improve protection of human rights; and
- Pacific Island nations disappear from UN Climate Conference globe.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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The general manager and two other employees of a dairy in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province have been arrested for trying to sell toxic milk powder.

In a scandal exposed last year, more than 300-thousand children were poisoned after drinking melamine-tainted milk. According to official Chinese statistics at least six children died, although the real number may be higher.

Chinese state-run media cited a police report, saying the men sold five and a quarter tons of tainted milk powder to a company in Guangxi Province. None of the tainted milk is believed to have reached store shelves.

Melamine makes the protein content of food appear higher, but poses a serious health risk for anyone who consumes it.

NTDTV has more on this story.

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The Kazakh section of a new pipeline that will deliver Turkmen natural gas to China’s western Xinjiang province was opened on Saturday.

China’s president attended the ceremony at the headquarters of Kazakh state energy firm KazMunaiGaz.

The pipeline is the first major export route for Central Asian natural gas to China. Beijing has spent years trying to gain access to the region’s vast energy supplies. The Chinese regime sees the pipeline as a major victory for its Central Asia policy .

The Turkmen government has said China will eventually import up to 40 billion cubic metres of gas per year through the pipeline.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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A free-trade proposal with China is causing concern for businesses in Taiwan.

Under the leadership of President Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan’s current administration helped to initiate the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement.

One major concern is that manufacturing industries would relocate to China where both raw materials and labour are much cheaper. There are also worries that Taiwan’s market would be inundated with poor-quality products from China.

One businessman told SOH many involved in low-tech industries feel the government doesn’t care about them. The government seems determined to sign the trade agreement with China without consulting anyone else, he added.

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Taiwan’s president opened a human rights and cultural park in Taipei County on Saturday.

President Ma Ying-jeou said his government will do its best to improve the way human rights issues are handled in the future.

Addressing the ceremony, Ma said the opening of the park is a landmark in Taiwan’s transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic society.

The president apologised on behalf of the government for the persecution of many democracy activists in the past. He also pledged to take concrete and swift action to further protect human rights in Taiwan.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network

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Thai authorities have seized a North Korean cargo plane it says was carrying weapons to an unknown destination.

It is believed that the plane had made an emergency request to refuel at Bangkok airport. The Thai Air Force said the plane had taken off from the North Korean capital Pyongyang,.

Military investigators said rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and other weapons were found aboard.

Thai officials said they had acted on a tip-off from foreign intelligence. Unconfirmed reports have suggested the plane was heading to Pakistan or Sri Lanka.

The five crew members were also detained.

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The omission of dozens of Pacific Island nations from a huge globe on display at the climate change talks in Copenhagen has disturbed their representatives.

Many small islands such as the Cook Islands or the Maldives were left off the 15-foot UN Climate Conference globe

The Cook Island delegate said they should be on the globe as they were attending the summit and sea level rises cause by climate change would have a huge impact on their islands.

The Pacific Island nations are members of the Alliance of Small Island States. The group’s 43 members fear that rising sea levels could wipe them off the map if the world temperature rise exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Watch NTDTV for more.

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