母亲节：灾区妈妈与孩子在网络中共度
Quake Mothers See Their Children Again in Mothers' Day Video Calls
灾区妈妈们与儿女通过网络共渡母亲节
On the first Mother's Day, since last May 12th Sichuan earthquake, 23 mothers held a video conference, with their children on Sunday.
It's the first time, they have seen each other for months.
The children used to study, at a middle school in Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the earthquake. After the school was damaged, about 1,300 students, were sent to a school, in the southern province of Guangdong.
"Mom is very happy to see you today. In two months the reconstruction of your school will be completed."
The students survived last year's quake, where over 5,000 students, were confirmed dead or missing.
The worst-hit Beichuan County, reopened on Sunday to residents, to mourn the dead. The county will be open for four days.
The magnitude-eight quake, killed over 69,000 people.
About 18,000 remain missing.
China has also launched a campaign, to counter disasters.
The government will release its first white paper on disaster prevention and reduction on May 12th, the country's first national disaster prevention day.
In Sichuan Province, residents are distributing books and handouts on construction guidelines, evacuation plans, landslide prevention and pest control, following disasters.
And China's eastern city of Shanghai, will focus on evacuation exercises, to prepare thousands of students, for fires, quakes and typhoons.
Reconstruction of the quake-hit area, is also underway.
China has begun building an expressway, that will link Wenchuan County and Yingxiu Township.
China has likewise been renovating a railway, linking Sichuan and neighboring Shannxi Province.
The Baoji-Chengdu route, is a key north-south railway line in west China.
It had been used, to transport relief goods, to Sichuan after the quake.
Gov't Urges Regulation of Karaoke Music Royalties Collection
政府敦促对卡拉OK版权费收取机构的监管
China's national copyrights watchdog is urging better carrying out of regulations on Karaoke music royalties after they found out that artists have barely benefited even two years after the state authorities decided to better protect their interests.
Two years ago, China's National Copyrights Administration, gave approval to the entertainment industry to charge Karaoke bars for royalties.
Shortly after the policy went into effect, an association allegedly representing the industry started charging 12 yuan, or a little less than 2 dollars, on every Karaoke operator in the country.
But people in the music industry claim they haven't benefited much.
Sun Yue is one of the pop singers with household fame.
"Never have I received any money from the association."
It is estimated that over the past two years, the China Audio-Video Copyright Association has collected more than 80 million yuan in the name of royalty charges.
Ma Jichao is association deputy chief:
"Half the royalty money goes to our operating expenses. Of the rest, we have to split with a third party. It's complicated."
The third party he refers to is a company that the association hires to collect royalties.
However, government regulations forbid the association from getting any third party involved in the operation.
Wang Ziqiang is a department chief at the National Copyrights Administration.
"The China Audio-Video Copyright Association is a non-profit organization, so it should not have let a commercial company to take charge of its business. They must establish their own collection mechanism."
He stressed that the association should always remember that its prime mission is to represent the interests of the entertainment industry.
