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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| China Admits AIDS Epidemic Requires Urgent Measures |
| 2004-05-10 |
May 09, 2004 The Chinese government admitted Sunday that AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in China continues to be rapidly spreading and a "series of urgent measures" must be taken to curb the problem. The State Council, Chinese cabinet announced the new measures in a circular released Sunday. Just so long as they do not come to the international community for monetary or material assistance after creating the world’s largest medically caused AIDS epidemic. The bloodheads scandal is one of the most egregious cases of Chinese corruption and malfeasance in modern history. China reported its first case of HIV 19 years ago and the fight against the disease is being ramped up. Currently, there are 840,000 HIV carriers in China, with 80,000 suffering full blown AIDS. Some health organizations dispute these numbers, suspecting the number of people in China with HIV is much higher. Some health experts warn by 2010, the number of HIV positive people in the country could reach 10 million. China’s Vice Prime Minister Wu Yi, says China is at a "crucial stage", because the disease is threatening to jump from high risk groups into the general population. In the past, the Chinese government attempted to conceal information about HIV/AIDS in China. New measures to curb the disease in China include enhanced management of blood collection services with a crackdown on illegal blood collection. This is about all you’re going to hear of the bloodheads. According to the 12 page circular released by the government, China also plans to hold major governmental leaders responsible for AIDS spreading. They promised to severely punish officials breaching their duty or hiding epidemic reports. China has had 10 years to prosecute the bloodheads and those officials who accepted their graft. The turnaround on criminal cases is usually a lot shorter over there. Why no action? -------------------------------------- To make the situation more complicated and worse, only 9.1 percent of prostitutes were found to be using condoms frequently, and many HIV-positive prostitutes were also drug users, said the press release. The press release also disclosed, though giving no details, that some blood stations neither abided by standard procedures nor conducted HIV tests on blood while collecting blood plasma, causing a high rate of HIV infection among some blood sellers. -------------------------------------- Education will also be a key part of the new plan to curb AIDS with a wide range of measures to educate the public on prevention and risk. Don’t hold your breath over this. -------------------------------------- When asked if condoms could protect people from AIDS infection, only 31.5 percent of city residents and 23.5 percent of town residents answered "yes." The research showed that people regard contraception as the most important function of condoms, while only 3 percent of the respondents use condoms to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. Although some people are aware that AIDS exists in China, they still pay little attention to the use of condoms as protection against HIV infection. -------------------------------------- Earlier this year, China’s State Family Planning Commission revealed that Chinese men buy approximately three condoms per year and 30 to 40 percent of these condoms are defective. ... Also, Durex condoms at the local Ito Yokado, a Japanese department store, sell for 30RMB for a package of 12 condoms. Conversely, a package of locally produced, rather untrustworthy Jizzbons sell for 5RMB a package of 10. -------------------------------------- The daily wage is often less than 20 RMB, making condoms incredibly expensive to the ordinary person. So long as China continues to spend billions on building space rockets and missiles to point at Taiwan instead properly addressing this self-created plague, they should not qualify for one penny of foreign aid. China continues to rape the globe’s economic markets with theft of intellectual property and product counterfeiting. The fake formula scandal that has killed hundreds of infants is a perfect example of how China’s economic progress is paid for in human blood, both their own and of those abroad. The world’s headlong rush to capitalize upon China’s bottomless pool of cheap labor comes at an extremely high price to all. The international economy might benefit from boycotting these ruthless pirates until they make significant strides towards compliance with fair trade and patent laws. [Permission granted to crack wise about "jizzbon" condoms.] |
| Posted by:Zenster |
| #8 I actually agree with this post, but you can forget about the Wall Street Journal ever valuing rights over profit; they practically slobber over it ... ** "So long as China continues to spend billions on building space rockets and missiles to point at Taiwan instead properly addressing this self-created plague, they should not qualify for one penny of foreign aid. China continues to rape the globe’s economic markets with theft of intellectual property and product counterfeiting. The fake formula scandal that has killed hundreds of infants is a perfect example of how China’s economic progress is paid for in human blood, both their own and of those abroad." Damn straight. I've long suspected "the northerners back home" were obsessed with their "lost face and territories" and lacked the sense to move on the way we southerners have, but ...[/regionalist cracks] |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2004-05-10 12:45:14 PM |
| #7 I Peshawared this because its Zipster's rambling semicoherent opinions. It also displays his real agenda when he uses terms like 'fair trade'. I also found it racist. China is a developing country and you will find similar stories in any country at the same level of development. Disclaimer - I am a militant anti-communist and nothing would make me happier than the Chinese communist party being dumped, but AIDS aint going to cause it. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-10 10:29:24 AM |
| #6 Zenster: Also, Durex condoms at the local Ito Yokado, a Japanese department store, sell for 30RMB for a package of 12 condoms. These are close to US prices (4 bucks in China vs 6-7 bucks for Trojans in the NYC area) and 1.5 days' wages for the average Chinese worker in the booming coastal areas. (In the interior, that would be 3-4 days' wages - for a pack of condoms. Of course, in the interior, the high price of Japanese condoms would be a moot point, given that the Japanese department store that carries them wouldn't have a store out there, anyways). |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-05-10 10:11:10 AM |
| #5 actually Im thinking of softening on the whole Peshawar thing, anyway. Two reasons. 1. The way this site is now set up makes it easier to avoid the Peshawar posts and comments. 2. The overtly domestic politics posts act as a sort of flypaper, distracting the domestic politics trolls from the more serious threads. From now on I intend to only "Peshawar" a comment when its overtly about domestic politics AND is in the wrong place. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-05-10 9:45:05 AM |
| #4 I tend to agree with Frank G. The whole issue of Chinese govt deception, admission of error, and political consequences, while on the surface an internal Chinese issue, is ultimately of importance to the global strategic balance, if not directly to the WOT. I guess I see things from an American point of view, where the domestic politics of any country OTHER than the US is "international affairs" While I see the limits of this point of view, id still say that Chinese domestic politics is on topic in way that Canadian or British domestic politics are not. Which is not to say that I agree with all the comments above. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-05-10 9:40:56 AM |
| #3 I'd disagree, Phil B - internal pressures: AIDS, SARS, are exactly the kind of thing that could seriously change the Chinese Hegemon via popular uprising |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-10 9:30:57 AM |
| #2 Peshawar! |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-10 5:57:06 AM |
| #1 The only question... Will they blame this on the US, or on the Joos? |
| Posted by: someone 2004-05-10 3:09:12 AM |