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No.7 Harmful matters found in New Zealand imported milk powder
Nerve- harming botulism-causing bacteria, was found in the products sold by world's fourth largest dairy producer Fonterra on Aug 3, 2013, marking an end to the "safety" label of foreign infant formula sold in China.
The bacteria had contaminated 40 tonnes of its whey protein, most of which was sold to manufacturers in China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia, to make their own products including milk powder. A wide-scale recall of its products was announced after that.
China is a key market for Fonterra, companies that were affected include Shanghai Yanjiu; Wahaha Health Food and Wahaha Import & Export; Coca-Cola (China) and Abbott.
On Aug. 4, China banned all milk powder and whey protein imported from New Zealand. Hong Kong recalled 80,000 cans of Cow & Gate baby formula. Vietnam and Russia have banned the import of milk powder and whey protein from Fonterra after the botulism scare.
No. 8 Communist Party policy tone-setting meeting kicks off
The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee kicked off from Nov. 9 to 12 in Beijing.
The Third Plenum approved a decision on major issues covering almost every aspect of the nation's reform and development in the next decade. It outlines a path for china's market-oriented reforms and indicates an expanded role for market forces to determine economic outcomes.
In its blueprint, the government unveiled a guideline to reform income distribution mechanisms, pledged to enact fiscal and land reforms, relax investment controls and let the market play a “decisive role in allocating resources. One-child policy is to be eased, major steps to reform State-owned enterprises will be taken.
Meanwhile, the plenum agreed to establish a new central leading group responsible for the overall design of the reform. The national security committee also came into force after the meeting, in a bid to better coordinate security issues as the Communist Party expands its military reach and faces growing dissent at home.
No.9HK imposes milk powder export ban
The Hong Kong government implemented the milk powder exit ordinance since 1 ^st^ , March, 2013 to bar outbound transport of more than two tins of infant formula.
The amended Import and Export Regulation 2013 prohibits the unlicensed export of powdered formula, including milk powder for infants and children under 36 months. Also, no more than the amount of 1.8 kilograms milk powder can be carried while leaving Hong Kong for a person aged 16 or above in the least 24 hours. Violators are liable on conviction to a fine of HK$ 500,000 and to jail for two years.
The restriction responds to HK’s sharp shortage of milk powder due to the widespread cross-border trading, stemming from the fear of poor quality infant formula on the Chinese mainland. It has also aroused a strong debate of detriment to the city's free trade policy and interests of local parents.
No. 10Thailand protests persists as Yingluck calls for snap election
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatea dissolved parliament and called a snap election in response to demonstrations launched by the anti-government protest leaders. The government announced that the election date will be on February, 2, 2014.
However, the protest leaders said that dissolving parliament is not their aim. Suthep Thaugsuban, the anti-government protest leader, was eager to establish a “People’s council, consisting of so-called "good people" to replace the government. Yingluck said that would be unconstitutional and undemocratic.
Thaugsuban continued to lead a march to Yingluck’s offices at Government House. There were 160, 000 protesters converged according to Police.
The opposition party leader Abhist Vejjajiva said the massive protests left the government little choice and he hoped the Prime Minister to return power to people.
The protesters not only wanted Yingluck to leave but also to get rid of the influence of her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatea, who is believed to still exerting influence on the government.
