Eideard

Wen Jiabao, Naoto Kan and Lee Myung-bak at evacuation center in Fukishima City
Daylife/AP Photo used by permission

The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea publicly munched on farm produce grown near the stricken Japanese nuclear plant on Saturday in a show of solidarity with Japan’s recovery efforts.

Premier Wen Jiabao of China and President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea arrived in Japan on Saturday for a two-day meeting that was expected to focus on resolving differences over Japan’s handling of the nuclear crisis.

China and South Korea have criticized Japan for spilling radiation into the air and sea, and have banned imports of farm products from areas near the plant, citing what they call inadequate checks for radiation. Japan says the restrictions are unjustified.

Before the meeting began in Tokyo on Saturday night, the Japanese prime minister, Naoto Kan, took the leaders to visit a refugee shelter in Fukushima, 40 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Before entering the shelter, a converted gymnasium, Mr. Kan steered the group to a table displaying strawberries, cucumbers and other produce grown in Fukushima Prefecture.

The leaders, who did not appear to have been surprised by the photo op, smiled and nibbled gamely. “Very delicious,” Mr. Wen said…

Before meeting Mr. Kan, the two visiting leaders also paid separate visits to the city of Natori, which was devastated by the tsunami.

“The warm feelings of the two leaders came through in their visits to disaster areas and an evacuation center,” Mr. Kan told reporters. “I’m glad they came.”

No doubt import restrictions to China and South Korea will be reduced following this meeting. The interesting bits will be – what else is resolved over the weekend?

The earthbound disaster has pushed Japan’s economy into an artificial recession. Individual Japanese corporations have started working their way out of the context of parts suppliers and individual enterprises both being handicapped by the damage to physical plant and infrastructure. Collective effort will be welcomed – no doubt – to aid Japan’s recovery.

Wen Jiabao and George Papandreou
Daylife/Getty Images used by permission

China has offered to buy Greek government bonds, in a show of support for the country whose debt burden pushed the euro zone into a crisis.

Wen Jiabao, the Chinese prime minister, made the offer on Saturday at the start of a two-day visit to Greece, his first stop on a tour of Europe.

During talks with George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, Wen said China would double its trade ties with Greece over the next five years, underscoring Beijing’s use of economic strength to win friends.

“China will undertake a great effort to support euro zone countries and Greece to overcome the crisis,” Wen said…

Chinese state entities have been generally conservative about investing in foreign financial markets and the Chinese government faces domestic political criticism over losses incurred by these entities during the global financial crisis…

A senior Greek government official said Wen made clear his offer concerned buying bonds only when the country returned to markets.

Greece, which is currently funded through a 110 billion euro ($150 billion) EU/IMF bailout, is only issuing short-term treasury bills for the time being…

This is a pretty good chuckle for anyone who was bored silly with the daily whine from witless Wall Street analysts over Greek debt. Because you know what will follow this announcement.

A daily whine from timorous Wall Street analysts over China buying Greek debt.

Time’s up!

China has ordered more than 2,000 highly polluting, unsafe or energy inefficient plants to shut down within two months.

Environmental campaigners welcomed the measure, saying the announcement went well beyond previous orders in naming specific facilities and outlining stiff penalties for firms that do not comply by the end of September.

The notice from the ministry of industry and information technology covers 18 industries including steel, paper, cement and dyeing, according to Shanghai Securities News and other media. It includes companies across the country and will affect parts of the Aluminium Corporation of China, better known as Chalco, and Hebei Iron and Steel Group, the country’s biggest steelmaker.

“There is no doubt this announcement is significant, especially because it is complete with real consequences; if they don’t meet the target they will be barred from obtaining loans, for example,” said Alex Wang, of the Natural Resources Defence Council…

Beijing’s target is to reduce energy intensity – the amount used to generate each unit of gross domestic product – by 20% from the 2005 level…

The list included 762 cement factories, 279 paper mills, 175 steel mills, 192 coking plants and an unspecified number of aluminum mills.

“Overdue” – often my comment on questions of environment – doesn’t quite fit.

It ain’t ever easy.

You get to shake hands with visiting out-of-work politicians
Daylife/Reuters Pictures

China is rebalancing its economy to focus more on domestic consumption than exports in order to achieve its growth target, Premier Wen Jiabao has said. Addressing an Asian regional forum in southern China, he announced a $10 billion fund for infrastructure projects in south-east Asia.

The Boao Forum for Asia has been dubbed the Oriental Davos…

Nearly two dozen Chinese government ministers are also in Boao to debate with other delegates on how to manage beyond the crisis and what role the emerging markets can play in reforming the international financial system.

Mr Wen told more than 1,600 delegates at the convention centre that China’s stimulus package was “already paying off” and that the situation was “better than expected…Investment growth has accelerated, consumption has increased quite rapidly and domestic demand continues to rise,” he said in his keynote speech.

The concept of a Forum for Asia was born out of the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s. It has served as a platform for China to push for closer integration with its Asian neighbours on the one hand and continued globalisation on the other. It is also, Shirong Chen, BBC China editor, adds, an indication that China is firming up its image as a regional leader in the face of the crisis.

Which doesn’t sit too well with Japanese politicians. Not that they’re enjoying any comparative success.

Wen – on the scene after the Sichuan earthquake struck

In a 2-hour conversation with Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in the heart of Beijing on 30 September, Wen, 66, spoke candidly and forcefully, without notes, on everything from social and economic development being the “wellspring” of science and technology to cultivating scientific ethics and reducing China’s reliance on fossil fuels. Here are highlights edited for clarity and brevity; a more complete version is posted on the Science Web site.

Bruce Alberts: You were famous all over the world for going to the site of the earthquake as a professional geologist immediately afterwards and having a great effect on China’s response. Could you tell us more about your response to the earthquake and what you see in the future in the way of earthquake protection for China?

Wen Jiabao: When the Wenchuan earthquake occurred on 12 May, I was sitting in my office. Beijing shook, too. My instinct told me it was an earthquake. I instantly knew this disaster would affect a large area and the devastation would be severe.

I decided to go to the scene immediately. I understood clearly the importance of the [initial] 72 hours and especially the importance of the first day in saving people’s lives. Simply put, the faster the better.

B.A.: I assume that what you did in the earthquake is related to your new campaign to implement something you call “The Scientific Outlook on Development.” I think most of us don’t understand exactly what that is. Could you explain what the plans are and how Chinese scientists are going to contribute?

W.J.: The number-one principle is to put people first. The second is comprehensive development, the integration of economic development with social development, the integration of economic reform with political reform, the integration of an opening-up and inclusive approach with independent innovation, and the integration of advanced civilization with traditional Chinese culture. Thirdly, we need to resolve the disparities–rich-poor disparity, regional disparity, and urban-rural disparity–in our country’s developmental process. Fourthly, sustainable development: That is, to meet the challenges of population, resources, and environmental protection faced by a population of 1.3 billion in its modernization process. We want to achieve sustainable development by adopting a resource-conserving and environment-friendly approach. These four goals cannot be achieved without science and technology or without innovations.

Plenty of depth to the abridged and the original interview. A political and scientific coup for Science magazine.

Good reading, as well. There was a talented translator or two involved somewhere inside the process.