Hello, , and welcome to this edition of CRI Roundup. I'm Wu Jia in Beijing.
Let's take a look at some of the major events that has taken place in China and around the world in the past week.
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China vows to reconstruct within 8 years the regions hard hitby the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan.
The world's leading financial institutions say that the earthquake will not affect the promising prospects for overall economic development in China.
Eight Olympic pandas welcome visitors to the Beijing Zoo.
US Senator Barack Obama clinches the democratic presidential nomination.
And UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on the international community to deal with the current world food crisis through urgent and comprehensive effort.
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China has begun making a plan to reconstruct the earthquake-hit regions of Sichuan Province. The reconstruction process is expected to be completed within 8 years.
Tang Kai, a senior official with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, gives the details.
''In the first three years, we hope that the quake region can recover to its prior level through the building of infrastructure, public facilities and residential housing. During the five following years, we are looking for economic and social development in the quake region.''
The ministry is presently planning the scale and location of reconstruction, including transportation infrastructure and other public services. In addition, they will assess the extent of damage to the cities, especially those with a long history and important culture.
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But a current challenge for the quake region is the Tangjiashan barrier lake. It was formed by the earthquake when rocks and mud blocked the river and is now in great danger of bursting its banks as the water level continues to rise.
Chinese Permier Wen Jiabao emphasizes that the safety of the people in the area is the top concern.
''This is a critical moment for the Tang Jiashan barrier lake. We will not allow any human casualties during the drainage process. It is our obligation to make sure that everyone is safe.''
Experts say the chances that the lake will break through its banks have risen because of uncontrollable factors including aftershocks, rain on the upper reaches and the instability of the mud and rock dam.
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Some of the world's leading financial institutions report that the recent earthquake in has not changed the promising prospects of overall economic development in China.
Robert Wihtol is China's Resident Mission for the Asian Development Bank.
''At the moment, the ADB does not see any reason to review or revise our economic growth assessment of 10% for the Chinese economy.''
China has announced that it will continue to adopt a tight monetary policy to curb a potential surge in the country's consumer price index brought about by the earthquake.
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This week the Olympic torch relay made its way through Hubei and Hunan Provinces in Central China as well as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the southern part of the country.
Before each leg of the relay, one minute of silence was observed for the victims of the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan. Donation boxes were set along the relay route.
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Eight giant pandas from the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwest China began meeting visitors at the Beijing Zoo on Thursday to help welcome the approaching Olympics.
Both domestic and overseas visitors rushed to see the Olympic pandas from the earthquake-stricken Sichuan Province.
''I've been reading about the earthquake. It was so sad. The pictures were so sad. Yes, I have donated upstairs, and I bought a whole bunch of panda stuff.''
The "Olympic pandas" were selected from among 16 candidates at China's Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong, which is only 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the May 12th earthquake and has been seriously damaged.
According to their keepers, the 2-year-old baby pandas are adapting well to their new surroundings, and have all put on weight. They will stay in Beijing until November.
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In other parts of the world,
US senator Barack Obama clinched the democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, taking a historic step toward his goal of becoming the first African-American president of the United States.
"Because of you, tonight I can stand here and say, that I will be the nominee of the presidential election of the United States."
Obama is presently seeking a running mate. Democratic strategist Peter Fenn believes that Obama's best possible choice would be his former rival Senator Hillary Clinton.
Meanwhile Hillary Clinton has decided to end her presidential campaign. She says she will support Obama's candidacy and urged democrats to focus on the general election in November.
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the international community that dealing with the current world food crisis is a "fight that we cannot afford to lose."
Ban Ki-moon made the remark at a UN-hosted summit on the food price crisis in Rome this week.
"I think that there is an urgent need to establish a greater degree of international consensus and agreed policy guidelines on biofuel production, which takes full account of food security, income and energy needs at all levels of our countries."
The UN chief adds that about 20 billion US dollars is needed each year to boost food production and combat hunger.
