Wen Jiabao's Appeal

China morning round-up: Wen Jiabao's appeal
Wednesday's newspapers report an appeal by Premier Wen Jiabao for public confidence to be sustained through expected economic difficulties in 2012.

"We must face the challenges with full confidence and overcome difficulties to achieve the target of making progress while maintaining stability," Mr Wen said during a tour in Hunan province over the first two days of the new year.

China Daily and People's Daily report Mr Wen's comments on the economy, while local papers such as Guangzhou's Southern Metropolis Daily focus on what the premier said about the Wenzhou train crash in July.

Hunan is home to a leading Chinese train builder, and Mr Wen said China had to keep going with its railway development - which includes high speed trains.

China needs development in high speed railway that is "safe, healthy and sustainable", Mr Wen said, as he visited the train builder.

Most Chinese language papers including the People's Daily also run a long review piece by Xinhua News Agency on their front pages on how the Communist Party has run the country in 2011 under President Hu Jintao's leadership.

Beijing's protest against a visit on Tuesday by Japanese local politicians to the disputed Senkaku islands - known in China as Diaoyu - has drawn considerable attention in local papers such as Beijing News, while coverage by the national China Daily went to the back pages.

Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News reports an attempt by Chinese activists to sail from Hong Kong to the islands soon after the news from Japan was confirmed. The fishing boat, however, was stopped from leaving Hong Kong waters by local marine police.

The Global Times reports further on the incident in which an Indian diplomat with diabetes fainted as he left a court house in Yiwu, China, accusing the Indian media of "stirring up" news.

China Daily and Beijing News also carry Xinhua's report on the restoration of international passenger services along the Mekong River after 13 Chinese sailors were killed in the area last October.

Hong Kong's newspapers including The Standard and Ming Pao Daily News continue their coverage on more spots at the brand-new government headquarters compound being found with the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease.

But the two papers also report a survey released by the French mystery shopping firm Presence on 30 of the world's most prestigious avenues, which ranks Singapore's Orchard Road at the top, but puts Hong Kong second last.

This is a result of the unfriendly attitude of salespeople and poor hygiene, the survey said.

Next door in Macau, as the government reveals an annual jump of 42% in gambling revenues, Macao Daily News hails the result as proof that the city is safely maintaining its status as the world's gambling capital.

Journal Cheng Pou, however, warns that the city's top industry is losing its attractiveness.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ------------From BBS