China and Panama

Comments

chinapanama — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:59:04 +0000

The plan reminds me so much of the educational policy undertaken by some schools in Hong Kong, regarding the implementation of Putongua teaching in almost all classes. Well, I do believe learning the language will increase the competitiveness of the nation, but it should not be considered the “primary language” (just as putongua should never be the “primary language” of hong kong — the region should retain its distinctive local culture). The policy should also be implemented slowly.

Further recognition of Chinese in Panama

chinapanama — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:26:48 +0000

PANAMA SCHOOLS TO TEACH CHINESE

Panama is moving to make the teaching of Mandarin compulsory in all schools, in recognition of China’s growing importance in the world economy.

The Panamanian National Assembly has given conditional approval to the bill in the first of three debates.

The bill’s supporters say boosting the number of Chinese speakers will help increase Panama’s competitiveness.

China is the biggest single user of the Panama Canal that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The bill’s supporters recognise that English is the international language of business but say that with China’s increasing economic influence, Mandarin is set to be an indispensable language.

Panama has important commercial links with China, with bilateral trade running at $1bn (£500m).

The Central American nation also has diplomatic links with Taiwan, one of the few countries to do so.

The proposed legislation sets out a timeframe of 10 years for Mandarin to be taught in all schools.

The legislation proposes allowing the immigration of specialist Chinese teachers to help train local teachers.

Widened waterway

chinapanama — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 04:11:30 +0000

During its maiden voyage, The Scholar Ship sailed through the Panama Canal, and yes, one remark by student onlookers was that the canal was too narrow for its own good. I just wonder what the Scholar Ship students would say about this project ….

Latest news about Panama Canal

chinapanama — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:14:39 +0000

Shipyards urged to tap wider Panama Canal

Chinese shipyards have been urged to tap an opportunity thrown up by a project to widen the Panama Canal to design new vessels which use the waterway, according to an industry executive.

Work on the US$5.25-billion expansion started in September, and is expected to be completed in August 2014, in time for the centenary of the opening of the world’s most famous waterway.

The expansion will create a third set of larger locks of 55 meters wide against 33.5 meters now, and once completed is expected to result in the most cost-effective way to move freight in and out of the United States Midwest.

Shipyards in China, which is the largest exporter of sea-borne goods to the United States and a rising shipbuilding power, should quickly take advantage of this new opportunity, said David Tozer, business manager for container ships at Lloyd’s Register, a global ship classification society.

A study by Lloyd’s Register and Ocean Shipping Consultants has identified potential designs for “New Panamax” container ships with load capacities of at least 12,500 twenty-foot equivalent units but still capable of sailing through the canal, post 2014.

“Any owner who has an NPX ship in 2014 will make a lot of money. They will be ahead of the market,” Tozer told Shanghai Daily in a recent interview. “To order an NPX vessel for delivery in 2014, you need to consider the design now. This is a real opportunity for China’s yards.”

The cost of moving goods in an NPX-sized vessel will be about eight percent higher than by ultra-large container ships with capacities of up to 14,000 TEU, Tozer said. But ULCS will not be able to pass through the expanded waterway.

“The Chinese ship designers need to be considering NPX design standards (now),” he said. “They should be speaking to ship owners and the Panama Canal Authority about the possibility of (building and designing) bigger ships.”

More than 190 ships, each with a capacity of more than 10,000 TEUs, are now on the global order books, half of which have been ordered since May, Tozer said. Only a few of these vessels will not be able to transit via the widened canal, and most will be built by South Korean shipbuilders.

The Panama Canal expansion is expected to greatly change the pattern of sea-borne world trade, maritime experts said.

An official at the China Classification Society, which plans to set up a representative office in Panama next year, said Chinese shipyards have started looking at various factors in designing vessels that can sail through the widened Panama Canal.

The society provides services related to classification, safety, quality and risk management for the global shipbuilding industry.

Lloyd’s Register has won contracts with Chinese yards to classify new vessels with a total capacity of 8.5 million gross tons in the first 10 months of this year, a sharp jump from 1.6 million gross tons for the whole of 2006, a Hong Kong-based spokesman said.

An expanded canal could also be positive to China, the waterway’s second biggest user, industry experts pointed out. For example, it would enhance the nation’s energy security. A wider waterway will help reduce freight costs for the country to ship crude oil from South American countries such as Venezuela, which has agreed to increase oil supply to China.

It would take only 24 days to transport crude from Venezuela to China using the Panama Canal against the 45 days sailing the Atlantic Ocean-Indian Ocean route now, industry officials say.

The 80-kilometer-long canal, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, was built by the United States which handed it over to Panama in 1999. The canal handles around five percent of the world’s trade. Around two-thirds of the cargo that passed through the canal is headed to or from the US.

(Shanghai Daily December 6, 2007)

Continued

chinapanama — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:25:06 +0000

While Chinese started as labors in Panama, some of them now play prominent roles in almost every sector of the nation, their successes having been acknowledged by the government itself. Among the many things mentioned in the article, the most notable is the collection of drawings, entitled Light of China, issued by the Chinese in Panama, which bears the congratulatory words of top Panama politicians. While the article is overtly reconciliatory and optimistic and might be seen as glossing over some of the conflicts that have persisted between Chinese and Panamanians, there are hard facts which are known to all and simply cannot be denied.

走近巴拿马华人(下)

2007年07月29日 17:01 来源：《侨务工作研究》

五、巴拿马政府对华人的评价

　　旅居巴拿马的华人在生活并不富裕的情况下，就设法为巴拿马社会做力所能及的奉献，经济条件改善之后，贡献就更加引入注目，出钱出人出力，在所不惜，向来受到巴拿马政府和人民的称颂。因此，华人多次荣获很高的荣誉。

　　这些荣誉既有当地政府授奖的，也有民间机构颁发的。比如巴波亚十字勋章、功勋市民、杰出女性以及各种专业技术奖项等。在巴拿马获得这些认可的华人数量众多。

　　1992年8月27日，巴拿马市政府颁布第43号决议，表彰早期华人和华人社团对巴拿马的贡献，并拟推动建立一座有关华工修筑巴拿马铁路和运河工程的纪念碑。

　　1996年10月15日，巴拿马国家邮政局专门发行一套以“巴拿马中的华人面貌”命名的纪念邮票。邮票共四张，上写中文春、夏、秋、冬。这是对华人贡献的充分肯定。巴拿马邮政局有史以来第一次以中英文发行邮票，华人在巴拿马的地位不言而喻。巴拿马第一夫人多拉·博伊迪女士亲自参加了纪念华人在巴拿马的首日封邮戳始盖仪式。首日封上贴有一张面值六角的有中国古代人物和家具图案的邮票，图案有浓厚的中华民族文化气氛。

　　2005年8月，在巴拿马侨界编写的大型画册《中华之光》印刷前夕，巴拿马国会主席埃利亚斯·卡斯蒂略和第一副总统兼外长莱维斯·纳瓦罗为画册分别撰写了贺词，埃利亚斯写到：“巴拿马人对中国人是有感情的。中国人对我们巴拿马的多种族财富和两洋铁路及运河的建设做出了贡献。我们坚信，这本画册将有助于加强两国人民之间的友好关系，有助于研究奠定两国人民坚固和传统友谊基础的历史根源，它将是一本有历史价值的参考著作。我们祝贺编写《中华之光》画册这个出色的创意，相信中国将成为中国经济发展的战略伙伴。”

　　莱维斯第一副总统兼外长于2005年10月26日写到：“这非常有意义，它意味着我们已经与人数众多的中国移民建立了兄弟般的友好情谊。中国移民同许多其他国家的移民一起生活在巴拿马这片狭小而热情的土地上。这同样意味着，我们的许多习惯都浸渗了博大丰富的中国文化。在此，我们对历时一年的中国人的纪念活动表示尊重、欢迎和庆贺，我们对勤劳的华人社团对中国发展做出的伟大推动和贡献表示高兴和感谢。因此，我们欣喜地祝贺《中华之光》这本有价值的画册的出版。这本画册将把巴拿马人民和中国人民之间曾经存在和继续存在的富有成果的关系作为永久证据留给后人。”

　　巴拿马领导人对《中华之光》画册的贺词强有力地表达了巴拿马政府和人民对华人的尊重和尊敬之情。

　　六、华人与巴拿马人友谊永存

　　正在和平发展的中国是巴拿马运河的第二大用户和科隆自由区转口货物的主要供应国，中国公司是运河两端在建码头的重要股东和拟建码头的主要感兴趣公司。中国与巴拿马两国的友好关系改变了华人的社会地位。二十一世纪的巴拿马华人已经不是十九世纪的巴拿马华人。巴拿马华人的活动半径已经超出做壮工范围，超出摆地摊范围。巴拿马华人不仅仅活跃在经济领域，而且正在向政治、文化、教育和科技领域深入。巴拿马华人正在改变着自我地位，正在建设着巴拿马。

　　综上所述，中国与巴拿马的友谊源远流长，在中巴关系史上，华侨和华人占有重要地位，对于促进发展两国间的友好交往和增进相互了解起到了桥梁作用。浩瀚的太平洋虽然把中国与巴拿马隔开，但旅巴侨胞的心永向祖国，始终关注祖国的变化。

　　巴拿马侨界保持着整体稳定，整体团结。他们有问题能坐在一起讨论，有分歧能通过协商解决，观点不完全一致的华侨华人能够一起举行首批华人抵达巴拿马150周年纪念活动就是明证。巴拿马种族广场、中华公园和中国公园的建立集中显示出华人在巴拿马的物质和文化特点，巴拿马城美洲大桥西端暸望台上的中国公园展示出巴拿马全体华侨华人的风采。

　　巴拿马华侨华人以中华民族利益这个大局为重，反“台独”，促统一。随着中国这个坚强后盾的和平发展，巴拿马华人将为祖籍国和居住国做出新的贡献，华人与巴拿马人的友谊之花将永远盛开。(作者：杨发金，系中国-巴拿马贸易发展办事处前代表，全文完)

More history

chinapanama — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:15:50 +0000

A Chinese article on Chinese in Panama, their history, their hardships, their successes. It gives far more definite statistics concerning its population – 5%. It also details the five waves of Chinese immigrants in different periods, all based on reliable Chinese historical documents: (1) the mass construction of the railroad in the 1850s; (2) when Panama served as the transit to Latin America and the Caribbeans; (3) canal construction by the French; (4) canal construction by the Amerians; (5) in the 1980s, soon after China adopted its open-door policy.“Panama is like a pearl …. the golden channel between Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.” In English, it has been far less common to find such a glamorous metaphor in describing the pivotal role played by Panama.hmmm …. about 35% of the entire population had some Chinese heritage, though some people might not be aware of it. So … I got many more remote relatives in Panama than I initially thought.

走近巴拿马华人(上)

2007年05月23日 18:49 来源：《侨务工作研究》

         巴拿马像一颗明珠镶嵌在中美洲地峡，被称为连接南北美洲的桥梁、沟通太平洋和大西洋的黄金通道。　

　     一、巴拿马华侨的人数、来源地与分布图　

         巴拿马全国人口为311.62万(截止2003年12月31日)，其中白人(blanco)占11%；黑人(negro)占13%；印地安人(indigena)占5.3%；华人(chino)占5%；印地安人与欧洲人混血人(mestizo)占63.7%；另有少量犹太人(judio)、欧洲人与黑人混血人(mulato)和黑人与印地安人混血人(zambo)。　　那么，这5%的华人是怎么来到巴拿马的呢？　　移居巴拿马的华侨人数有五个高峰。　　第一个高峰是美国人修建巴拿马铁路时期，来巴拿马的华人大约有两万。　　1850年，由美国业主从加利福尼亚州招募来巴拿马的华工约1000人。　　1852年至1856年，从中国大陆广东和福建省招募华工，经香港或澳门来到巴拿马的华工约两万人。这些华工除按契约修建铁路的一部分人之外，还有相当一部分散居到全国各地独立谋生。　　当时巴拿马全境总人口为128897人，纯华人总数占当地人口总数的16%左右。　　从中国大陆来的华工经过三个月的海上苦难之后，到达巴拿马湾，先到Taboga岛登陆，再转到巴拿马城小住，然后集体到Gamboa镇和Gorgona镇之后的Mat-achin镇常住，开始参与铁路的西半段工程的施工。　　华人抵达巴拿马的情况在书籍和报刊上有一些记载：　　1850年即有船只从中国大陆运送华工到巴拿马，死亡率高达24%(原载陈翰笙主编《华工出国史料》)。　　1852年美国从中国招募300人来巴拿马当劳工，因生活条件十分恶劣和传染病，有72人在途中死亡，到达巴拿马时只剩下228人(根据英国政府史料记载)。　　1853年425名中国人被招募到巴拿马当劳工，途中死亡96人，到达巴拿马时只剩329人(原载马士撰写《中国帝国对外关系史》)。

　　1853年另一条船运800名华工来到巴拿马(原载陈翰笙主编《中华帝国对外关系史》)。

　　1853年巴拿马铁路公司招工代理用一条只能装450人的船装进700名华工(原载马士撰写《中国帝国对外关系史》)。

　　1854年4月1日，《巴拿马明星报》第二版刊登华工抵达巴拿马的消息：“‘海巫’号帆船船长G.W.Francer和Dorrance医生运载705名华工从汕头出发，经过61天的航行，于3月1日中午抵达港岸。‘海巫’号此行顺利，船程中仅11名华工死亡，安全抵达巴拿马港口的有694人，其中4人伤残，全部是男性华工，看来身体状况良好。”

　　自1849年至1854年，运送到巴拿马修建铁路的华工达4000人(原载陈翰笙主编《中华帝国对外关系史》)。

　　关于“Matachin”镇名，人们普遍认为是由于华工在此地集体自杀或自杀人数太多事件而得名的“Mat-achino”一词的缩写。

　　历史学家Duval Miles Jr.考证了Matachin是“Mata”-“Chino”缩写的说法。他指出，根据美国加利福尼亚斯坦福大学1907年12月25日学报上刊登的G.W.Devis撰写的《运河记录》一文中写到，在《山在移动》一书中，Matachin镇名已经出现在1678年发表的地图之上。就是说，华工到达Matachin镇172年之前，此镇已经叫作马塔钦镇了，其名字实际上与华工自杀无关。Matachin原为非洲一种古老舞蹈的名称。镇名可能与华人到达之前的早期贩卖黑人有关。

　　第二个高峰是巴拿马作为去拉美和加勒比地区的中转站时期，滞留在巴拿马的华人约有两万人。据陈泽惠《十九世纪盛行的契约华工制》第177页记载，到十九世纪七十年代中期，中转过程中留在巴拿马的华工多达25000人。

　　第三个高峰是法国修运河时期的5000人。据清廷《外务部档》光绪十四年出使美、西、秘大臣张荫恒的奏折称，“(1888年)广东客民赴役(指华工参加开河工程)者两千人”。光绪三十二年九月出使美、秘、古、墨大臣梁诚致农工商部函称，“(十九世纪八十年代至九十年代，法国公司)又陆续运去几千名华工开凿巴拿马运河”。

　　可见法国人开凿运河期间，使用华工人数应在5000人左右。

　　第四个高峰是美国人修运河时期的约5000人。据《清季外交史料》第178页记载，二十世纪初，美国继续“该处开河，华民众多”。据清廷《外务部档》记载，1906年美国所属巴拿马运河局从南洋文厘拿埠首批运进2500名华工开河。据美国留学生林葆恒等致清廷外务部禀呈，(美国于1906年)派其代理周超、汤辅民等到中国直接招募华工。

　　根据巴拿马官方公布，在美国人开凿运河期间，华工总人数不会超过5000。

　　第五个高峰是上个世纪八十年代，合法来到巴拿马的有两万人。

　　第一代华人是铁路工程施工之时或竣工之后定居在巴拿马的华人。第二代华人是巴拿马作为中国大陆和拉美国家的中转站时留居在巴拿马的华人。这两代华人是巴拿马华人的基础和主体，开凿运河的两个时期移民并不太多。当年来巴拿马当华工的人95%以上来自中国大陆广东省，他们签订合同之后先去香港或澳门，再乘船渡过太平洋来到巴拿马。

　　据巴拿马官方人士的习惯说法，华人人数占巴拿马全国总人口约5%，即15万。据巴拿马移民局于2004年公布的数字，带有中国姓的巴拿马华人占全国人口的10%，即30万。但在巴拿马历史上的居民登记过程中，由于官僚们对中国人姓和名的无知及种族歧视，不少中国人丢失了中国姓，只剩下了甚至连自己都不知的部分中国血统。谭坚先生在《巴拿马华侨150年移民史》一书写道：“35%的(巴拿马)人口可以在他们的家族谱系中找到中国人的血缘”。巴拿马前总统吉列尔莫·达拉先生与本文作者交谈时强调华侨和华人人数约占人口总数的30%，并声明，“我说这话与我夫人安娜·梅·冯是中国人无关”。

　　这15万华人指的是其相貌特征是中国人的华人，不包括已经与当地印第安人、白人、黑人和其他种人混血的华裔。若从1850年算起，混血之后再混血，传到第四代之后，已经看不出有中国人的相貌特征了。

　　从事修路开河的华工的劳动和生活范围主要在铁路沿线或运河沿线的村镇之中。随着工程进展与结束，华人逐渐向逐步繁荣的巴拿马城和科隆市两地集中。巴拿马城始终是华人定居人数的龙头老大，但科隆市华人数不比巴拿马城少多少。1885年3月31日，一场大火和几乎同时发生的一场暴动使科隆市华侨财产严重受损。于是部分华侨从头开始创业，部分华侨则转战到正在开垦香蕉业的牛口省。居住在巴拿马城的华人有的移居内地，如贝诺诺美镇进行发展。二十世纪七十年代和八十年代来，巴拿马的新侨大部分在原居住地上扩展；二十一世纪，几乎巴拿马的每一个省都有华人的身影。

　　若华人总数按15万计，这15万人中约10万为广东省花县人，3万为广东省恩平、开平、台山、新会等四县人，1万为中山县人，其余来自清运、从化、鹤山、赤溪、顺德、番禺、南海、三水等地区。所以，旅居巴拿马的侨胞大都讲广东话。七十年代以后，一些来自中国其他地区如浙江、福建、辽宁、北京、湖南、山东、河北和河南的民营企业家在巴拿马扎根，华人聚会时讲普通话的人多了起来。广东侨胞除自己努力学讲普通话之外，还教育子女学讲普通话。

　　中国远洋运输集团总公司、中国银行股份有限公司、中国港湾建设集团总公司、中国海运集团总公司、中国深圳中兴电讯公司等大型国有企业都向巴拿马派驻常设机构，派来的业务人员均为各大公司精英，都具有高学历。100多位公派人员的到来不仅对巴拿马华人成份有所影响，而且使在公共场合中讲普通话的人更多了。

　　二、巴拿马华侨的经济状况

　　华人自1850年抵达巴拿马之后，绝大部分参加修铁路工程。根据劳工合同，每个月工资为25美元，被公司扣除伙食费、日用杂费和归还从中国到巴拿马的船费之后，实际上可以领取4到8个美元。这些农工或非专业壮工稍有积蓄便转向商业领域，凭借绝顶聪明的头脑和日夜辛苦劳动，先做点小本生意，摆个小摊，跑个外卖，沿路兜售，而后拥有固定的地点，便办起食品店、水果店、杂品店，地点先是铁路沿线的小镇，随后向铁路沿线两侧和两端的人聚处发展。经营方式从摆摊、跑卖发展到批发。经营范围扩大到洗衣店、五金店甚至小型制造业。也有部分华人一到巴拿马就涉足铁路工程以外的经济活动，凭借不知疲倦的努力，先给别人打工，后办自己的生意，从无到有，从小到大。

　　据张荫恒著《三洲日记》记载，十九世纪八十年代，“(巴拿马)仰望龙旗招展，则华人酒楼也，车经开河之地，畚锤未缀，华人沿街列肆，卖食物，不一而足。”

　　华人抵达巴拿马不到30年，一些华人不仅在经济上站稳脚跟，而且生意亦初具规模。巴拿马城的永和昌、华安、永利成、朱氏公司、三环公司等大商行已是全国有名的大型公司。例如，郑始发于1885年来到巴拿马，1903年接管父亲郑昆俊的生意，经营进出口业务，并在上海和香港开设郑氏分公司，担任首届中国商会主席，被公认为当时侨界首富，其威望之高，以至于被中国政府任命为巴拿马商务代表。

　　1909年7月25日，出使美国、墨西哥、秘鲁和古巴的大臣伍廷芳于11月15日顺道考察巴拿马华商情形的奏折中称，“(二十世纪初)华侨在该埠(巴拿马城)贸易约三千人，商多工少，营业颇称发达”。

　　1909年12月6日，清廷和硕亲王在关于拟设巴拿马总领事馆的奏折中称，“(在巴拿马)中国侨商数千，投资千万，几握其全国商务权之半”。

　　1910年4月18日，中国驻巴拿马总领事欧阳庚致外务部呈参信中写道，“我华民商务之在巴国者，以巴京(巴拿马城)为最大，次则个啷埠(科隆市)。由巴京至个啷埠开河一带，火车所经共华里一百四十余地，华民店铺约300家，零星散处各埠者亦不下百十家，约共3000余人”。

　　根据《巴拿马·共和国百年》一书记载，1908年，巴拿马城商业活动的82%被外国人经营，其中零售业的79%被中国人控制。这一统计说明在90多年以前，华人就掌握了巴拿马商品零售的大半个天下，也说明华人凭借自己的刻苦耐劳和百折不挠的精神，既在巴拿马稳定地生活着，又给巴拿马经济增添了活力，不少华人成了商界杰出人士。

　　华人抵达巴拿马一百年之后，即进入二十世纪五十年代，其后代已经不只是劳工、农工或零售商了。随着自我经济发展和受教育水平提高，华人开始涉足巴拿马经济的所有领域，如金融业、房地产业、建筑业、餐饮业、制造业、批发零售业、进出口贸易、旅游业、环保业等，几乎在各个行业都有顶尖人物出现。

　　华人在事业有成之后考虑回报社会。始于1998年的中华总会电力通慈善捐款，每年均在6万美元之上，受到巴拿马社会各界好评。2005年度捐款高达10万美元，其中黄国贤先生一人独捐4万美元，花县同乡会捐款2万美元，中山同乡会捐款5000美元，华人爱居住国之心光芒四射。(作者：杨发金，系中国-巴拿马贸易发展办事处前代表，未完待续)

poison …

chinapanama — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:19:18 +0000

While the abundance of articles on poisoned toothpastes from China reflect badly on the country, and the could be a political reason behind the proliferation of such attention to these incidents, one must admit that more stringent controls and monitoring are necessary in China. This is not only about toothpastes. People in Hong Kong remember those China-made toys and accessories which really give a bad name to the country …. Let’s hope that similar things wont happen in the future.

Panama spits out ‘poison’ Chinese toothpaste

chinapanama — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:03:21 +0000

Panama spits out ‘poison’ Chinese toothpaste

A brighter smile with diethylene glycol

By Lester Haines → More by this author

Published Tuesday 22nd May 2007 13:47 GMT

Find out how your peers are dealing with Virtualization

Two brands of Chinese-made toothpastes were last week pulled from shelves in Panama after authorities discovered they contained potentially-fatal diethylene glycol, AP reports.

Diethylene glycol is commonly used as a cheap substitute for glycerine, and in this case apparently to prevent the offending toothpastes from drying out.

In large doses it can be fatal, as attested by the deaths of around 50 people in Panama last year who drank a cough medicine which, instead of pharmaceutical grade glycerine, used diethylene glycol as the suspension agent.

In this case, however, the diethylene glycol was apparently clearly labelled on the “Excel” and “Mr Cool” toothpastes, supplied by the Hengxiang-based Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co. After a sharp-eyed customer spotted the offending ingredient, University of Panama experts confirmed it comprised around 2.5 per cent of the toothpastes – not considered enough to pose a health risk, but sufficient to provoke the powers that be to warn consumers off the products.

Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co’s general manager Chen Yaozu confirmed to AP that his firm had exported toothpaste containing diethylene glycol to Panama, but said the chemical was “permitted under Chinese rules and was safe in small amounts”. He added: “I can say I am very confident about our product’s quality.”

If Chen’s confidence is justified, then he has nothing to fear from a Chinese probe aimed at cleaning up the image of the country’s related export markets – valued at $30bn. An unnamed official at the Danyang branch of China’s food and drug inspection agency “confirmed the investigation into the toothpaste suppliers, but gave no details”.

The Panamanian toothpaste scare is just the latest in a long line of diethylene glycol-based health alerts. Back in 1937, the Elixir Sulfanilamide Incident claimed more than 100 lives in 15 US states, prompting the rapid introduction of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

In 1990 diethylene glycol killed 339 Bangladeshi children who took a paracetamol syrup containing contaminated glycerine, while a similar product did for 85 Haitian kids in 1995-6.

In case you were wondering just how nasty diethylene glycol can be, the Haitian cases were mostly characterised by “nonspecific febrile prodromal illness followed within two weeks by anuric renal failure, pancreatitis, hepatitis, and neurologic dysfunction progressing to coma”. ®

Toxic medicine in Panama traced to China

chinapanama — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:58:53 +0000

updated 12:21 p.m. ET May 6, 2007

NEW YORK – A Chinese factory was the source of a counterfeit chemical that killed dozens of people in Panama after it was used in human medications, a newspaper reported.

The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions that records and interviews revealed the poison was first sold by Chinese companies that exported it as 99.5 percent pure glycerin. The source of the chemical was then obscured as middlemen in Spain and Panama removed the names of their suppliers from shipping documents — a practice used by distributors to ensure continued business.

Panama’s government health agency used the substance to produce medicines, not realizing that it was diethylene glycol, a chemical cousin of antifreeze that can cause kidney and neurological damage if ingested.

The Times said investigators in four countries identified Taixing Glycerine Factory as the maker of the poison. That company’s certificate of analysis said the shipment was 99.5 percent pure, the Times reported.

The sale of the syrup was brokered by a unit of a state-owned business in Beijing, the article said. From there, it went to a distributor in Barcelona, Spain, and on to a dealer in Panama.

No one in China has been charged with causing the Panamanian deaths. An unidentified Chinese drug official told the Times that investigators tested the Taixing Glycerine Factory’s product and found it contained no glycerine. But a spokeswoman for the drug agency said the company had not broken any laws.

Wan Qigang, the legal representative for the factory, told the Times last year that the company made only industrial-grade glycerin. But more recently it has been advertising 99.5 percent pure glycerine on the Internet, the Times said. Wan declined to answer further questions.

Concerns about the safety of imports from China rose in the U.S. after pet food containing a Chinese ingredient was found to be tainted with another industrial chemical, melamine. The poison has killed or sickened an unknown number of dogs and cats and led to the recall of more than 100 brands of pet food.

A recent post on Wikipedia

chinapanama — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:08:43 +0000

Ethnic Chinese in Panama

Ethnic Chinese in Panama, also variously referred to as Chinese-Panamanian, Panamanian-Chinese, Panama Chinese, or in Spanish as Chino-Panameño, are Panamanian citizens and residents of Chinese origin or descent.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The community of ethnic Chinese in Panama began to form in the latter half of the 19th century. The first group of Chinese labourers arrived in the country on 30 March 1854 by way of Canada and Jamaica to work on the Panama Railroad.^[4] By the early 20th century, they had already come to play a crucial role in other sectors of the economy as well; they owned over 600 retail stores, and the entire country was said to depend on provisions from their stores.^[3] The community faced various challenges, including a 1903 law declaring them as “undesirable citizens”, a 1913 head tax, a 1928 law requiring them to submit special petitions in order to become Panamanian citizens, and the revocation of their citizenship under the 1941 constitution promulgated by Arnulfo Arias.^[3]^[4] However, their citizenship was restored in 1946 under the new constitution which declared all people born in Panama to be citizens. Immigration slowed during the 1960s and 1970s, but resumed during the reform and opening up of China, as Deng Xiaopeng‘s government began to relax emigration restrictions.^[4] The older Chinatowns, such as the one at Salsipuedes, have become of less importance in the Chinese community recently. Though they were described as “hives” of activity in the 1950s and 1960s, the opening of large department stores reduced the importance of Chinese retailers, and as the years went on, many closed their shops; a few retailers of Chinese products remain in the area, staffed by recent immigrants.^[2]

As of 2003, there were estimated to be between 135,000 and 200,000 Chinese in Panama, making them the largest Chinese community in Central America; they are served by thirty-five separate ethnic representative organisations.^[5]^[6] Their numbers include 80,000 new immigrants from mainland China and 300 from Taiwan; 99% are of Cantonese-speaking origin, although Mandarin and Hakka speakers are represented among newer arrivals.^[4]^[5] In the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, many mainland Chinese fled to Panama by way of Hong Kong on temporary visas and short-term residency permits; estimates of the size of the influx ranged from 9,000 to 35,000.^[7] The latest wave of immigrants are less educated than earlier arrivals, and their presence has caused internal tensions within the Chinese community.^[4] Tensions have also arisen due to external factors; the government of the People’s Republic of China vies with the Republic of China on Taiwan for influence among the local Chinese community, hoping to gain formal diplomatic recognition from the Panamanian government; both sides have funding the building of schools and other community facilities and donating Chinese textbooks at costs of millions of dollars.^[6]

[edit] Notable individuals

Bruce Chen, pitcher for the Texas Rangers^[8]
Shey Ling Him Gordon, Panama’s delegate to the Miss World 2007 competition^[9]