CEA Has New Chief

Liu Shaoyong, former board Chairman of China Southern Airlines, China's largest airline by fleet size, has recently assumed office as Chairman of China Eastern Airlines Group (CEA).

Liu, 50, was recruited as a pilot in the air force in 1975, and after graduating from the China Civil Aviation Flight University in 1979, moved to the civil aviation industry. As chairman of China Southern Airlines in 2004, Liu personally flew the first-ever direct cross-straits charter flight.

Liu took over CEA at the end of 2008 when the giant carrier fell into difficulties after a management crisis over a pilot strike and huge losses in jet fuel oil hedging.

To resuscitate the beleaguered carrier Liu has initiated an in-house reform that includes 10-30 percent salary cuts for top managers and closed risk-taking and unprofitable units. CEA is also said to be in talks with smaller rival Shanghai Airlines about a possible merger.

Rear Admiral, Yao Zhilou, the newly appointed Vice Commander of the South China Sea Fleet, steered China's second flotilla toward the Gulf of Aden on April 2, to rotate the naval taskforce sent earlier to Somalia waters for escorting missions.

According to Yao, Somali pirates remain a major menace to trade in the Gulf seen from their rampant attacks on merchant ships recently, and the Chinese navy will cope with them under the resolutions of UN's Security Council.

Yao's 800-crew fleet, which set off from a naval base in Zhanjiang, port city of southern Guangdong Province, is comprised of one destroyer, one frigate, two helicopters, and special force units on board.

ARATS Adviser's Goodwill Visit to Taiwan

Senior adviser to the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), Lin Liyun, led a 23-member delegation on a 10-day visit to Taiwan on April 3, one day before the traditional Chinese Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Lin, 76, was born in Taiwan, but moved to live in Japan since her early childhood. Lin returned to settle in Beijing in 1952, where she served as Japanese-language secretary to late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, and contributed to talks on the restoration of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in 1972. Lin was elected a member to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for five terms.

The group's visit marks Lin's second trip to Taiwan in 60 years. She had previously visited her birthplace only once in 1999, and most of the group members were Taiwan-born senior citizens like Lin.

"The impact of the global economic crisis was still amplifying. Companies' profits shrinking, financial income reducing, job situation worsening... Only by building a clean and efficient government can we unite everyone as an entire force to cope with the crisis and get over it."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao stressing that

"supervision" is one of the key missions in 2009 for government organizations to tackle corruption amid the economic crisis, in a communiqué released by the State Council, China's cabinet, on April 8

"To now enact protectionist measures would be damaging to the world economy and the U.S. economy."

U.S. Senator John McCain in Beijing, appealing to avoid erecting further barriers to trade between the two nations facing global economic crisis, before his meeting with Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress

"This is no time for a retreat to protectionism or xenophobia."

Australia's Resources Minister Martin Ferguson backing stronger investment links with China in a April 9 speech to the mining industry in Melbourne, as Australia considers China's $19.5 billion tie-up with Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto Ltd.

"We will not go home empty-handed. We will return with our hands full of democracy. We want to touch it for once. Real democracy, not a fake one."

Former Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaking from exile abroad April 8 via video link to anti-government protestors that seek to topple the new Thai Government

"Shame on you!"

An Italian woman in the "tent city" screamed after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's breezy "assurance" that the homeless had all they needed and should see it as "camping trip" was in stark contrast to the experience of many survivors