. Acclaim for Luan Jujie: not for the gold medal, only for the love of country: Luan Jujie, the 50-year-old mother of three children, spent 15 months training and competing to rank number 42 in the world and number 1 in America after 36 branch matches before qualifying for the Olympic Games. What makes her so persistent? Luan Jujie said: "If the Olympic Games were organized anywhere else, I would not try out. I do so only because it is in Beijing, in my motherland."
The athletes who won the medals at the Olympic Games always win the most applause and good wishes. However, there is a group of people, who perennially work quietly and hard and who do not ultimately get gold medals, but exude an admirable Olympic spirit.
We should not forget all those who struggle for the Olympics, they are also Olympic heroes!
By People's Daily Online
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Remember the Olympic heroines without gold medals (5)
5. Wang Nan : the perfect curtain call accompanied by a silver medal:
On August 22, Wangnan got the silver medal in the women's singles table tennis final at the Beijing Olympic Games. Although she did not finish her career with a gold medal, she is still a 24-time world champion in her 23-year table tennis career.
The athletes who won the medals at the Olympic Games always win the most applause and good wishes. However, there is a group of people, who perennially work quietly and hard and who do not ultimately get gold medals, but exude an admirable Olympic spirit.
We should not forget all those who struggle for the Olympics, they are also Olympic heroes!
By People's Daily Online
On August 22, Wangnan got the silver medal in the women's singles table tennis final at the Beijing Olympic Games. Although she did not finish her career with a gold medal, she is still a 24-time world champion in her 23-year table tennis career.
The athletes who won the medals at the Olympic Games always win the most applause and good wishes. However, there is a group of people, who perennially work quietly and hard and who do not ultimately get gold medals, but exude an admirable Olympic spirit.
We should not forget all those who struggle for the Olympics, they are also Olympic heroes!
By People's Daily Online
Canadian PM cancels governor general's Beijing trip in anticipation of election call
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has cancelled Governor General Michaelle Jean's planned trip to Beijing for the Paralympic Games, amid speculations that an election call will be made in short time.
The Prime Minister's Office announced late Tuesday that OntarioLt.-Gov. David Onley will represent Canada in Jean's place at the Games, which open on Sept. 6.
The decision allows Jean, who was to depart on Sept. 5, to remain in Ottawa, in case Harper asks her to dissolve Parliament, observers say.
The move comes after Harper had suggested strongly that an early election may be called in the near future. At a press conference in Ottawa earlier on Tuesday, he had said his government was being forced into corners by oppositions.
"The country must have a government that can function during a time of economic uncertainty," Harper said.
"I think you really have increasingly in Parliament two different visions of where we should be leading the country, particularly during challenging economic times," he said.
The Liberals "have tabled an economic agenda that stands diametrically opposed to everything this government stands for..."he added.
Harper had set a fixed election date of October 19, 2009 shortly after he came to power in February 2006. But he said Tuesday that the date only applies to a majority government but not to his minority government.
Leader of the biggest opposition the Liberal Party Stephane Dion responded by accusing Harper of creating a "prefabricated emergency" so that he can rush to the polls at a time that is best for his own party.
"This prime minister is panicking, inventing reasons to call an election and break his word," Dion said Tuesday. The Liberals are the only group to have the chances of replacing the Conservatives.
Two other parties, the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois, have both indicated they want an election called.
Source:Xinhua
The Prime Minister's Office announced late Tuesday that OntarioLt.-Gov. David Onley will represent Canada in Jean's place at the Games, which open on Sept. 6.
The decision allows Jean, who was to depart on Sept. 5, to remain in Ottawa, in case Harper asks her to dissolve Parliament, observers say.
The move comes after Harper had suggested strongly that an early election may be called in the near future. At a press conference in Ottawa earlier on Tuesday, he had said his government was being forced into corners by oppositions.
"The country must have a government that can function during a time of economic uncertainty," Harper said.
"I think you really have increasingly in Parliament two different visions of where we should be leading the country, particularly during challenging economic times," he said.
The Liberals "have tabled an economic agenda that stands diametrically opposed to everything this government stands for..."he added.
Harper had set a fixed election date of October 19, 2009 shortly after he came to power in February 2006. But he said Tuesday that the date only applies to a majority government but not to his minority government.
Leader of the biggest opposition the Liberal Party Stephane Dion responded by accusing Harper of creating a "prefabricated emergency" so that he can rush to the polls at a time that is best for his own party.
"This prime minister is panicking, inventing reasons to call an election and break his word," Dion said Tuesday. The Liberals are the only group to have the chances of replacing the Conservatives.
Two other parties, the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois, have both indicated they want an election called.
Source:Xinhua
Shanghai Cooperation Organization playing ever bigger role
"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has grown rapidly in the past few years and has become an important link in the contemporary international relations," Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon said in a recent interview with Chinese media.
The SCO, comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai.
In the past seven years, it has gradually become an efficient mechanism for maintaining its member states' common benefits and promoting their mutually-beneficial cooperation.
It has also grown into a major force in facilitating the realization of lasting peace, common advancement and has made crucial contributions to the establishment of a more just and rational international order.
"SHANGHAI SPIRIT" LAYS FOUNDATION FOR NEW RELATIONS AMONG COUNTRIES
The SCO's predecessor, the Shanghai Five Mechanism, originated and grew from the endeavor by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystanand Tajikistan to strengthen confidence building and disarmament in their border regions.
The Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions and the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions signed during the period of the "Shanghai Five Mechanism" have paved the way for terminating the Cold War in the region and launching regional friendly cooperation.
Last year, heads of state of the SCO inked the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation at a summit in Bishkek, putting the notion of "friendship from generation to generation and lasting peace" in a legal framework.
The Shanghai Spirit, which embodies mutual trust and benefits, equality, respect for cultural diversity and a desire for common development, has since been well recognized.
Kazakh Vice Foreign Minister Nurlan Baiuzakovich Yermekbayev said the new model of relations among countries established by theSCO determines the future outlook of the region.
"The SCO has been recognized as our shared home," he added.
NEW SECURITY CONCEPT MAINTAINS REGIONAL HARMONY
Since its establishment, the SCO has always viewed safeguarding security and stability as one of its major missions.
At a summit in 2006, the SCO also listed mutual trust and benefit, equality and mutual respect as the core elements of the framework of the new global security mechanism.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said the SCO members have joined hands in cracking down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as transnational organized crime, having played a key role in maintaining regional peace and stability.
Moreover, the SCO has demonstrated to the world its ability to address regional and international challenges and serve as a key pillar in the future multipolar world, Bakiyev added.
ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION ON HIGH GEAR
The Outline of Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation Among Member States signed by prime ministers of the SCO at a summit in 2003 holds great significance to the development of the organization, said Sun Zhuangzhi, an expert on central Asia and the SCO.
Sun said the signing of the document indicated that economy and security have become two key areas of cooperation for the SCO members, serving as the "dual wheels" pushing the organization forward.
Tajik President Rakhmon said the establishment of the Entrepreneurs' Committee and the Bank Syndicate was a crucial step for multilateral cooperation.
Apart from fighting terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug-trafficking and illegal immigration, the SCO should expand economic and trade cooperation and tap the potential of business opportunities.
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE INCREASING
In recent years, the SCO has accepted Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India as observers, established contact group relation with Afghanistan and got observer status in the United Nations General Assembly.
The SCO has also stepped up cooperation with such organizations as the UN Economic and Social Council, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the ASEAN.
The 8th annual summit of the SCO will be held in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe on Aug. 28.
The summit is the most important event for the SCO this year, and is significant for safeguarding regional and international security and stability, maintaining lasting peace and promoting regional prosperity and harmony.
At the upcoming summit, heads of state of SCO member states will sign the Regulations on SCO Dialogue Partner Status, which will be another major step taken by the group in the field of foreign diplomacy since it established the observer mechanism in 2004 and will lay the foundation for the SCO to cooperate with more countries and international organizations.
"I hope that more countries and international organizations would establish close ties with the SCO," Rakhmon said.
"Tajikistan is fully confident in the broad prospects of the SCO," the president added.
Source:Xinhua
The SCO, comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai.
In the past seven years, it has gradually become an efficient mechanism for maintaining its member states' common benefits and promoting their mutually-beneficial cooperation.
It has also grown into a major force in facilitating the realization of lasting peace, common advancement and has made crucial contributions to the establishment of a more just and rational international order.
"SHANGHAI SPIRIT" LAYS FOUNDATION FOR NEW RELATIONS AMONG COUNTRIES
The SCO's predecessor, the Shanghai Five Mechanism, originated and grew from the endeavor by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystanand Tajikistan to strengthen confidence building and disarmament in their border regions.
The Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions and the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions signed during the period of the "Shanghai Five Mechanism" have paved the way for terminating the Cold War in the region and launching regional friendly cooperation.
Last year, heads of state of the SCO inked the Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation at a summit in Bishkek, putting the notion of "friendship from generation to generation and lasting peace" in a legal framework.
The Shanghai Spirit, which embodies mutual trust and benefits, equality, respect for cultural diversity and a desire for common development, has since been well recognized.
Kazakh Vice Foreign Minister Nurlan Baiuzakovich Yermekbayev said the new model of relations among countries established by theSCO determines the future outlook of the region.
"The SCO has been recognized as our shared home," he added.
NEW SECURITY CONCEPT MAINTAINS REGIONAL HARMONY
Since its establishment, the SCO has always viewed safeguarding security and stability as one of its major missions.
At a summit in 2006, the SCO also listed mutual trust and benefit, equality and mutual respect as the core elements of the framework of the new global security mechanism.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said the SCO members have joined hands in cracking down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as transnational organized crime, having played a key role in maintaining regional peace and stability.
Moreover, the SCO has demonstrated to the world its ability to address regional and international challenges and serve as a key pillar in the future multipolar world, Bakiyev added.
ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION ON HIGH GEAR
The Outline of Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation Among Member States signed by prime ministers of the SCO at a summit in 2003 holds great significance to the development of the organization, said Sun Zhuangzhi, an expert on central Asia and the SCO.
Sun said the signing of the document indicated that economy and security have become two key areas of cooperation for the SCO members, serving as the "dual wheels" pushing the organization forward.
Tajik President Rakhmon said the establishment of the Entrepreneurs' Committee and the Bank Syndicate was a crucial step for multilateral cooperation.
Apart from fighting terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug-trafficking and illegal immigration, the SCO should expand economic and trade cooperation and tap the potential of business opportunities.
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE INCREASING
In recent years, the SCO has accepted Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India as observers, established contact group relation with Afghanistan and got observer status in the United Nations General Assembly.
The SCO has also stepped up cooperation with such organizations as the UN Economic and Social Council, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the ASEAN.
The 8th annual summit of the SCO will be held in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe on Aug. 28.
The summit is the most important event for the SCO this year, and is significant for safeguarding regional and international security and stability, maintaining lasting peace and promoting regional prosperity and harmony.
At the upcoming summit, heads of state of SCO member states will sign the Regulations on SCO Dialogue Partner Status, which will be another major step taken by the group in the field of foreign diplomacy since it established the observer mechanism in 2004 and will lay the foundation for the SCO to cooperate with more countries and international organizations.
"I hope that more countries and international organizations would establish close ties with the SCO," Rakhmon said.
"Tajikistan is fully confident in the broad prospects of the SCO," the president added.
Source:Xinhua
Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit opens in Dushanbe
Leaders from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathered in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe Thursday for a summit, which will focus on security, economic and cultural cooperation among the member states.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders attending the summit will exchange views on current major international and regional issues and discuss how to resolutely fight the three forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism through intensive coordination, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry officials.
At the meeting, the leaders will also discuss ways to promote the integrity of SCO member nations through free trade and facilitated investment, the officials said.
The leaders are expected to sign a political document on SCO members' common position on a series of major international and regional issues and the regulations on dialogue partner status.
They are also expected to issue a joint communique on the achievements of the summit, and sign some other cooperation documents on security and economy.
"I believe the summit in Dushanbe will effectively promote peace and stability in the region and be an important meeting to expand the organization's influence and deepen practical cooperation in various fields," a senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official has said earlier.
Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India are observers of the organization.
The SCO member states cover an area of over 30 million square kilometers, or about three fifths of Eurasia, with a population of1.455 billion, about a quarter of the world's total.
In the past seven years, the SCO has made important contributions to strengthening mutual trust among its members, deepening pragmatic cooperation and safeguarding regional security and stability.
Source:Xinhua
Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders attending the summit will exchange views on current major international and regional issues and discuss how to resolutely fight the three forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism through intensive coordination, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry officials.
At the meeting, the leaders will also discuss ways to promote the integrity of SCO member nations through free trade and facilitated investment, the officials said.
The leaders are expected to sign a political document on SCO members' common position on a series of major international and regional issues and the regulations on dialogue partner status.
They are also expected to issue a joint communique on the achievements of the summit, and sign some other cooperation documents on security and economy.
"I believe the summit in Dushanbe will effectively promote peace and stability in the region and be an important meeting to expand the organization's influence and deepen practical cooperation in various fields," a senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official has said earlier.
Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India are observers of the organization.
The SCO member states cover an area of over 30 million square kilometers, or about three fifths of Eurasia, with a population of1.455 billion, about a quarter of the world's total.
In the past seven years, the SCO has made important contributions to strengthening mutual trust among its members, deepening pragmatic cooperation and safeguarding regional security and stability.
Source:Xinhua
Philippine Senate to ratify ASEAN charter this year
The Philippines Senate is likely toratify the charter of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations before the end of the year, possibly in timefor the regional group's annual summit, a lawmaker said on Thursday.
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said that she will submit next month her committee report recommending Senate concurrence with the ASEAN charter, Philippine TV network ABS-CBN said in an on-line report.
The lawmaker said that she "expects Senate concurrence before the end of the year."
"If all ten member states ratify the charter by December, it will enter into force in 2009. Thus, ASEAN will ratify its constitution even ahead of the European Union, whose charter was rejected by two countries," she said.
Of the ten ASEAN members, seven have already ratified the charter, while three countries, including the Philippines, are in the process of ratification.
The ten ASEAN members are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
"The charter also enshrines the so-called ASEAN Way of settling differences, meaning consultation and consensus. This is the basic decision-making principle in ASEAN," she said.
"The main tangible result of the charter will be the creation of an ASEAN Economic Community. This means the creation of a single market and product base. In the ASEAN Economic Community, there will be free flow of goods, services, investments, and capital. It will also facilitate movement of business persons, professionals, talents, and labor," she said.
"The emergence of China and India as economic powers has created new realities for ASEAN. The ASEAN Economic Community will keep the Philippines competitive alongside these two Asian giants.The ASEAN Economic Community will be established by 2015," Santiago said.
Source:Xinhua
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said that she will submit next month her committee report recommending Senate concurrence with the ASEAN charter, Philippine TV network ABS-CBN said in an on-line report.
The lawmaker said that she "expects Senate concurrence before the end of the year."
"If all ten member states ratify the charter by December, it will enter into force in 2009. Thus, ASEAN will ratify its constitution even ahead of the European Union, whose charter was rejected by two countries," she said.
Of the ten ASEAN members, seven have already ratified the charter, while three countries, including the Philippines, are in the process of ratification.
The ten ASEAN members are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
"The charter also enshrines the so-called ASEAN Way of settling differences, meaning consultation and consensus. This is the basic decision-making principle in ASEAN," she said.
"The main tangible result of the charter will be the creation of an ASEAN Economic Community. This means the creation of a single market and product base. In the ASEAN Economic Community, there will be free flow of goods, services, investments, and capital. It will also facilitate movement of business persons, professionals, talents, and labor," she said.
"The emergence of China and India as economic powers has created new realities for ASEAN. The ASEAN Economic Community will keep the Philippines competitive alongside these two Asian giants.The ASEAN Economic Community will be established by 2015," Santiago said.
Source:Xinhua
Chinese TV viewers lost, fussy in wake of Olympics
In the three days since the closing of the Olympics, many Chinese viewers who had been glued to the live broadcast of the Games over the past 17 days were feeling lost and prone to whining, according to psychological and educational experts.
Psychologists noted many viewers, who might still be obsessed with the sporting events, were unable to make a quick shift of their daily focus away from the Olympics to their pre-Games routine after the fast pace of the long-awaited Olympiad.
Lin Ye, a Shanghai-based psychological consultant, said clinical experience showed sports fans were prone to undergo a period of depression in the wake of major international sports events, such as the Olympics and the World Cup.
Through watching the same match, TV viewers and their families shared fun and excitement so that their home atmosphere became better; they temporarily forgot about worries in their work, he said.
When the Olympics ended on Sunday, they had to return to normal life and face the worries in their work, but often they were unable to adjust their mood so quickly, said Ye, who called this phenomenon "the Olympic Syndrome."
Psychological and educational experts said white-collar employees and students were among those seriously affected by the syndrome. These groups had often chosen to spend as much time as possible watching the Games by cutting time for sleep and eating.
Yang Xiaowei, a researcher on primary education at the East China Normal University, suggested those affected by "the Olympic Syndrome" could participate in more outdoor activities and make more friends to turn their attention away from TV.
In addition, they should reschedule their time and have more rest, she said.
Source: Xinhua
Psychologists noted many viewers, who might still be obsessed with the sporting events, were unable to make a quick shift of their daily focus away from the Olympics to their pre-Games routine after the fast pace of the long-awaited Olympiad.
Lin Ye, a Shanghai-based psychological consultant, said clinical experience showed sports fans were prone to undergo a period of depression in the wake of major international sports events, such as the Olympics and the World Cup.
Through watching the same match, TV viewers and their families shared fun and excitement so that their home atmosphere became better; they temporarily forgot about worries in their work, he said.
When the Olympics ended on Sunday, they had to return to normal life and face the worries in their work, but often they were unable to adjust their mood so quickly, said Ye, who called this phenomenon "the Olympic Syndrome."
Psychological and educational experts said white-collar employees and students were among those seriously affected by the syndrome. These groups had often chosen to spend as much time as possible watching the Games by cutting time for sleep and eating.
Yang Xiaowei, a researcher on primary education at the East China Normal University, suggested those affected by "the Olympic Syndrome" could participate in more outdoor activities and make more friends to turn their attention away from TV.
In addition, they should reschedule their time and have more rest, she said.
Source: Xinhua
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