[quote="pryuen"][quote="buzzku"]

[size=109]how come these groups are [color=red]entirely white people[/color][/size]

[size=117][color=darkred]Yao Ming stood out again, set example and lead some Chinese celebrities, signed petitions to plead for an end to bear farming, as well as stopping the IPO listing of Guizhentang Pharmaceutical Company of Fujian. He also refused the invitation of Guizhentang for the Media/Celebrity Open Day to inspect/witness how bear bile were extracted from living bears.[/color][/size]

[quote]

http://www.gotran.com/news/show.php?itemid=3551

[size=150][color=red]Bear bile company fails
to quell criticism of abuse[/color][/size]

[size=109]2012-02-23
Global Times

A Fujian-based medicine company opened one of its live bear bile-extracting bases to the media Wednesday, in an attempt to quell criticism of its practices.

The issue highlights the conflict between the rise of animal welfare groups and some of the country's traditions.

Over 100 reporters visited the bear farm of Guizhentang Pharmaceutical Company in Hui'an county. Dressed in protective suits, hats and gauze masks, they were allowed to go inside rooms where bears above 3 years old were caged for daily bile extraction.

No foreign media were invited.

A Global Times reporter saw that while the bear was taking its meal, a worker injected a needle about 10 centimeters long into the bear's gallbladder area, and bile traveled through a tube into a container.

The process lasted less than one minute, and the bear did not struggle during the extraction.

"It does not hurt at all. It's like milking a cow or a baby suckling," Wu Ya, a secretary to the board of the company, told the visiting media. "It was not wounded, and the hole will heal."

It's the first time that the company revealed the extraction process to the public since its establishment in 1996. It came less than a month after Guizhentang's plan to get listed was disclosed on February 1, which set off an online uproar.

[color=red]A boycott against the company led by animal rights activists was launched, and a petition signed by several celebrities was submitted to the China Securities Regulatory Commission on February 14.[/color]

According to Guizhentang, the company farmed 470 bears last year and hopes to increase the number to 1,200 following the listing in order to step up annual production of bear bile to 4,000 tons. The company's website was hacked on Saturday night.
Bear bile is used in China and other Asian countries to treat fevers, liver disease, eye problems and other health issues.

[color=red]The Animals Asia Foundation (AAF), which was not invited to Wednesday's tour, accused the company of lacking sincerity.[/color]

"We feel sorry for Guizhentang. We had believed it was a very valuable opportunity for an on-site inspection. But now we don't think it's necessary to talk with the company any more," Zhang Xiaohai, external affairs director of the AAF, told reporters Wednesday following the event.

[color=red]Zhang told the Global Times that any means of bile extraction is inhumane, and reiterated the AAF's stance on banning bear-farming.[/color]

"The extraction can cause inflammation in the gallbladder of the animal and the bile from sick bears poses health risks to humans," Zhang said.

In a subsequent press conference, a panel of experts on medicine and zoology invited by Guizhentang stressed the importance of preserving traditional Chinese medicine.

Zhang Shichen, a professor at the Beijinag University of Chinese Medicine, said in the 1980s, people killed bears for bile before bear farmers used tubes to extract the bile for an entire day.

"Now, the extraction only takes place for a short time regularly," he said, adding that the tradition should not be dropped simply because of protests from some animal welfare organizations.

"So far, bear bile cannot be totally replaced by any kind of machine," Zhang Shichen stressed, calling for improvements in extraction to further reduce pain.

Currently, there are 68 bear-farming firms in China, down from more than 480 in the 1990s, and the number of bears used for bile extraction is around 6,000 to 8,000, according to Fang Shuting, director of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

[color=red]Former NBA star Yao Ming joined the campaign opposing bear-farming organized by the Beijing Loving Animal Foundation by signing his name on a petition.

He and his wife visited rescued bears in a base in Chengdu on Saturday.[/color]

With awareness of animal protection gaining ground in China, some animal rescue efforts have been seen as extreme and controversial.

On April 15, a group of dog lovers forcibly stopped a truck carrying over 500 dogs on the Beijing-Harbin expressway and bought the dogs from the truck drivers.

While many hailed the people as heroes, their rescue mission also encountered some measure of criticism.

"I am not against their goal of protecting animals, but breaking the law cannot be recognized or encouraged," Wang Lei, a Peking University law school professor, told the Global Times. [/size]

[size=117][color=darkred]Yao Ming flew into Guangzhou yesterday (probably from Taiyuan of Shanxi, as he was there with his team Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks for Game 3 of the playoff against Shanxi Fenjiu Zhongyu on Sunday night) to attend an activity of his endorser: Guangdong By-Health Biotechnology Co. Ltd.

In conjunction with the Global Children Nutrition Foundation (of USA) and the China Nutrition Society, Guangdong By-Health is launching a nation-wide project for improvement in nutrition of children of poverty-stricken areas.

As its official image spokesperson and ambassador, Yao Ming was asked to speak a few words, as well as officiating in the launching of the national campaign.

Yao Ming was also awarded to be the Ambassador of Charity for Guangdong By-Health Biotechnology Co. Ltd. spearheading future charity events/activities of By-Health.[/color][/size]

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[size=117]
[color=red]The 2012 London Olympc Games is just a few months away.[/color]

[color=darkred]As the official sponsor and partner of China's Olympic organizing committee, BMW held a BMW 2012 Olympic project launching ceremony last night (March 3) in the Haixinsha Park (the venue where the opening and closing ceremony of 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games were hled) in Guangzhou.[/color]

[color=red]As BMW's image spokesperson and ambassador, Yao Ming also attended the launching ceremony.[/color]

[color=darkred]In the launching ceremony, BMW announced that they will sponsor 4 national teams of China:

• BMW will sponsor China's fencing team and sailing team for the Olympics and other major international competitions.
  


• Mini Cooper (under BMW) will sponsor 2 winter sports national teams: China's freestyle ski team and snowboard team.

With the aim to dig and develop future talents for China in sports, BMW also announced that they will co-operate with the Youth Sports Division of the State Sports General Administration and will launch a series of Youth Olympic Development Programs, and is committed to the development of the followisng three sports among young people.

• The first project is about youth basketball. China Charity Federation BMW Warm-Heart Fund will join hand with Yao Ming Foundation to co-organize a nation-wide primary school basketball tournament, which will encompass 40 primary schools (which include the various Project Hope primary schools that Yao Ming Foundation had built, and those primary schools that had introduced the BMW sponsored community program).
  


• The second project is about junior golf, a sports that had been officially reinstated to the 2016 Olympic Games. BMW is committed to open clinics to train junior golfers of China, and host junior Golf Open to cultivate and nurture future golf talents for China.
  


• The third project is about figure skating. BMW will join hand with the Winter Sports Management Center of the State General Administration of Sport and Olympic champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo to screen, select, train and develop young talents in figure skating with the goal to develop China's future champions.

[/color][color=red]A few photos of Yao Ming in the above event.[/color][/size]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/auto/pics/hv1/79/210/988/64298329.jpg[/img]

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How much does the endorsement for BMW worth for Yao Ming?

[size=117]

[color=darkred]Well, now that Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks is eliminated out of the playoff, Big Yao can now take some time out for practicing his golf.

This morning (March 9), he was seen practicing golf in a Shanghai golf club.[/color]

[color=red]And Yao Ming has now his own tailored made golf clubs and bag: Taylormade Rocketballz RBZ !!!

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/360/36015/3601561_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

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[size=117]


[color=red]China's soccer season started yesterday.[/color]

[color=darkred]In Shanghai, alot of soccer fans came out to support their local soccer team Shanghai Shenhua in Shanghai Hongkou Stadium as well as to witness the debut of French striker Nicolas Anelka, the biggest name in the Chinese Super League. [/color]

[color=red]But they were bitterly disappointed as Nicolas Anelka did not even make the bench due to a knee injury.[/color] [color=darkred]The 33-year-old only showed up at the Hongkou Stadium last night, sitting in the stands. Coach Jean Tigana (another French) said that Anelka had not been practicing for the past week due to the injury.

Shanghai Shenhua eventually salvaged a 1 ~ 1 draw against a visiting Jiangsu Sainty.[/color]

[color=red]The fans were disappointed not able to see Nicolas Anelka playing....but they nevertheless got their consolation, as they were instead able to see Yao Ming !!![/color]

[color=darkred]Without advanced notice, Yao Ming was there too in Hongkou Stadium (he received an invitation from Shanghai Shenhua management to come and watch the game).[/color]

[color=red]So the TV media instead of interviewing Nicolas Anelka all rushed to interview Yao Ming !!![/color][/size]


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[size=117]
[color=red]After watching soccer yesterday, it was another day of sports for Yao Ming !!![/color]

[color=darkred]It's the last day of the 2012 ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Championships.

This afternoon, Yao Ming and Ye Li showed up in the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre to cheer and rave support for the Chinese speed skaters competing against strong opponents from South Korea, USA, Canada and others.[/color][/size]

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[size=117][color=darkred]
Princess of Monoco, Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert II of Monaco was in town and Yao Ming accompanied her to visit the Shanghai Pudong Special Education School this afternoon.[/color]

[color=red]A few photos of Charlene Wittstock playing volleyball with the kids, and a photo of Yao Ming accompanying her visit.[/color][/size]

[img]http://i2.sinaimg.cn/ty/cba/2012-03-12/U7779P6T12D5978544F44DT20120312185013.JPG[/img]

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[quote]

[size=150][color=red]PRINCESS OF MONACO AND RETIRED CHINESE
BASKETBALL STAR YAO MING VISIT CHILDREN
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS[/color][/size]

[size=109][b]March 12, 2012

(REUTERS

[size=117][color=red]MORE photos of Yao Ming and Ye Li [/color][color=darkred]accompanying Princess of Monoco, Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert II of Monaco during their visit to the Shanghai Pudong Special Education School yesterday afternoon.[/color][/size]

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