China said yesterday it would pay farmers more for rice and wheat, trying to raise output and cool surging inflation that threatens to fuel unrest ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Beijing has frozen retail prices of rice, cooking oil and other goods in an effort to rein in food costs that jumped 23.3 percent last month over the same month last year. But analysts warn that holding down prices paid to farmers will discourage them from raising production and easing shortages blamed for the increases.
The latest move is meant to "raise farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain and make progress in the development in grain production," the Cabinet's National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement announcing the change. It said minimum grain prices paid to farmers would rise by up to 9 percent.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) has said that cooling inflation is the government's top priority.
He says Beijing hopes to hold this year's overall inflation to 4.8 percent -- equal to last year's rate -- but economists say that looks unrealistic. They are forecasting full-year price rises of up to 6.4 percent.
"China should increase policy support" and give "stronger signals to mobilize and protect the initiative of farmers to plant crops," Wen said on Thursday during a nationwide video conference with government officials, according to the state Xinhua news agency.
Under the latest order, prices paid for rice will rise by 7 yuan (US$1) per 50kg to between 77 yuan and 82 yuan, depending on the type, the commission said.
Wheat prices will rise by between 3 yuan and 5 yuan to between 72 yuan and 75 yuan per 50kg.
The Cabinet also decided to spend an additional 20.6 billion yuan to subsidize farmers' purchases of seed, diesel, fertilizer and pesticide, Xinhua said. It said that would raise this year's total subsidies to 75.9 billion yuan.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique