2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
On 17 September 2008, Health Minister Chen Zhu stated tainted milk formula had "sickened more than 6,200 children, and that more than 1,300 others, mostly newborns, remain hospitalized with 158 suffering from acute kidney failure". By 23 September, about 54,000 children were reported to be sick and four had died. An additional 10,000 cases were reported from the provinces by 27 September. A World Health Organization official said 82% of the children made ill were 2 years of age or below. The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety said that 99 percent of the victims were aged under 3 years. Ten Hong Kong children were diagnosed with kidney problems, at least four cases were detected in Macau, and six in Taiwan. Non -human casualties included a lion cub and two baby orangutans which had been fed Sanlu infant formula at Hangzhou Zoo.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
The government said on 8 October it would no longer issue updated figures "because it is not an infectious disease, so it's not absolutely necessary for us to announce it to the public". Reuters compiled figures reported by local media across the country, and said the toll stood at nearly 94,000 at the end of September, excluding municipalities. Notably, 13,459 children had been affected in Gansu, Reuters quoted Xinhua saying Henan had reported over 30,000 cases, and Hebei also had nearly 16,000 cases.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
In late October, the government announced health officials had surveyed 300,000 Beijing families with children less than 3 years old. It disclosed approximately 74,000 families had a child who had been fed melamine-tainted milk, but did not reveal how many of those children had fallen ill as a result.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
Because of the many months before the scandal was exposed, the media suggest the official figures are likely to be understated. Kidney stones in infants started being reported in several parts of China in the past two years. A number of yet-to-be-officially-acknowledged cases were reported by the media. However, those deaths without an official verdict may be denied compensation. On 1 December, Xinhua reported that the Ministry of Health revised the number of victims to more than 290,000 with 51,900 hospitalized; authorities acknowledged receiving reports of 11 suspected deaths from melamine contaminated powdered milk from provinces, but officially confirmed three deaths.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
On characterisation and treatment of urinary stones in affected infants, the New England Journal of Medicine printed an editorial in March 2009, along with reports on cases from Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
Urinary calculi specimens were collected from 15 cases treated in Beijing and were analysed as unknown objects for their components at Beijing Institute of Microchemistry using infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The result of the analyses showed the calculi were composed of melamine and uric acid, and the molecular ratio of uric acid to melamine was around 2:1.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Melamine, Victims
In a study published in 2010, researchers from Peking University studying ultrasound images of infants who fell ill in the 2008 contamination found while most children in a rural Chinese area recovered, 12 percent still showed kidney abnormalities six months later. "The potential for long-term complications after exposure to melamine remains a serious concern", the report said. "Our results suggest a need for further follow-up of affected children to evaluate the possible long-term impact on health, including renal function."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies
Contaminated products found in the China AQSIS tests include baby formula products produced by the following companies, in order of highest concentration found. Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group, Shanghai Panda Dairy, Qingdao Shengyuan Dairy, Shanxi Gu Cheng Dairy, Jiangxi Guangming Yingxiong Dairy, Baoji Huimin Dairy, Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy, Torador Dairy Industry (Tianjin), Guangdong Yashili Group, Hunan Peiyi Dairy, Heilongjiang Qilin Dairy, Shanxi Yashili Dairy, Shenzhen Jinbishi Milk, Scient (Guangzhou) Infant Nutrition, Guangzhou Jinding Dairy Products Factory, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Yantai Ausmeadow Nutriment, Qingdao Suncare Nutritional Technology, Xi'an Baiyue Dairy, Yantai Leilei Dairy, Shanghai Baoanli Dairy, and Fuding Chenguan Dairy.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu
The scandal began with revelations of contamination of Sanlu milk products. The New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra, which owned a 43% stake in Sanlu, said they were alerted to melamine contamination on 2 August (almost a month before the issue became public), and have said to have pushed hard for a full public recall. Although there was an immediate trade recall, Fonterra said that local administrators refused an official recall. A Fonterra director had given Sanlu management a document detailing the European Union's permitted levels of melamine, but Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier has stated that at no time did Fonterra say small amounts of melamine were acceptable.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Warning signs ignored
From 2005 to 2006, an agent, Jiang Weisuo, from Shaanxi Jinqiao Dairy Company in northwest China reportedly publicly discussed his fears about unauthorised substances being added to competitors' milk. His complaints to regulators and dairy makers in 2005 and 2006 never yielded any result; his story was picked up by China Central Television, who ran a report complete with footage of adulteration in progress, yet the Shaanxi Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau said they failed to find evidence of wrongdoing.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Warning signs ignored
The bulletin board of the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) indicated a rare occurrence of kidney stones in children–all causally traced to Sanlu milk formula–was flagged by at least one member of the public in June 2008 and by a urologist in a paediatric hospital on 24 July 2008. Neither received definitive replies. The paediatrician, who specifically asked the AQSIQ to refer his observations to epidemiologists, was asked to refer his query to the health department.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Warning signs ignored
In June, Jiangsu media reported a two-month surge in the number of babies diagnosed with kidney disease; in July, a parent of a sick baby in Hunan questioned Sanlu's powdered milk and complained to the AQSIQ. Gansu Province sent a report to the Ministry of Health on 16 July to alert that one local hospital had identified an increase in the incidence of kidney ailments among babies in the months earlier, and that most victims had consumed Sanlu's baby formula. The health ministry sent investigators to Gansu in early August.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
Fonterra notified the New Zealand government on 5 September and three days later, the Prime Minister Helen Clark had Beijing officials alerted directly. News reports began circulating in China on 9 September, the news broke internationally a day later by Reuters. The state-controlled media report did not initially identify the company involved, postings on Tianya.cn, a Chinese social portal, named Sanlu as the culprit. Sanlu initially denied the allegations.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
A State Council investigation revealed Sanlu began receiving complaints about sick infants as far back as December 2007, but did no tests until June 2008. It said leading government officials in Shijiazhuang city had failed to report the contamination to provincial and state authorities (until 9 September) in violation of rules on reporting major incidents involving food safety.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
According to the People's Daily, Sanlu wrote a letter to Shijiazhuang city government on 2 August 2008, asking for help to "increase control and coordination of the media, to create a good environment for the recall of the company's problem products ... to avoid whipping up the issue and creating a negative influence in society".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
According to accounts confirmed by media reports and health officials, the company tried to buy off critics and cover up the contamination. In a memo dated 11 August, Beijing-based public relations agency Teller International advised Sanlu to seek cooperation with major search engines to censor negative information. The agency reportedly had repeatedly contacted key account staff at Baidu and proposed a ¥3 million (US$440,000) budget to screen all negative news. After the memo began circulating on the internet, Baidu denounced, in a communiqué on 13 September 2008, the approaches by said agency on several occasions, saying the proposal was firmly rejected, as it violated their corporate principles of unbiased and transparent reporting.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
Helen Clark said of the local government: "I think the first inclination was to try and put a towel over it and deal with it without an official recall." Western media speculated China's desire for a perfect summer Olympics contributed to the delayed recall of the baby milk, citing a guideline allegedly issued to Chinese media that reporting food safety issues, such as cancer-causing mineral water, was "off-limits" although the Central government denied issuing this guidance. Hebei provincial vice-governor said his administration was only notified by Shijiazhuang on 8 September.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Cover-up allegations
However, a journalist at Southern Weekend wrote an investigative report in late July for publication about infants who had fallen ill after consuming baby formula from Sanlu. Six weeks later, senior editor Fu Jianfeng revealed on his personal blog that this report had been suppressed by authorities, because of the imminent Beijing Olympics. While this was happening, Sanlu was honoured in a national award campaign called "30 Years: Brands that Have Changed the Lives of Chinese". The press release on the award, written by a senior public relations manager at Sanlu, passed as news content on People's Daily and in other media.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Sanctions
On 15 September, the company issued a public apology for the contaminated powdered milk; Sanlu was ordered to halt production, and to destroy all unsold and recalled products. Authorities reportedly seized 2,176 tons of powdered milk in Sanlu's warehouses. An estimated 9,000 tons of product had been recalled.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Sanctions
Tian Wenhua, Chairwoman and general manager of Sanlu and Secretary of the Sanlu Communist Party chapter was stripped of her party and functional posts during an extraordinary meeting of the Hebei provincial standing committee of the CCP; four Shijiazhuang officials, including vice mayor in charge of food and agriculture, Zhang Fawang, were reportedly removed from office. Shijiazhuang Mayor Ji Chuntang resigned on 17 September. Li Changjiang, minister in charge of the AQSIQ, was forced to resign on 22 September after the State Council inquest concluded he was responsible for the "negligence in supervision". Investigators also blamed the Shijiazhuang government. Local Party Secretary Wu Xianguo was fired on the same day.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Arrests
Sanlu general manager Tian Wenhua was charged under Articles 144 and 150 of the criminal code. A spokesman for the Hebei Provincial Public Security Department said police had arrested 12 milk dealers and suppliers who allegedly sold contaminated milk to Sanlu, and six people were charged with selling melamine. Three hundred kg of suspicious chemicals, including 223 kg of melamine, were confiscated. Among those arrested were two brothers who ran a milk collection centre in Hebei for allegedly supplying three tonnes of adulterated milk daily to the dairy; the owner of another collection centre which resold seven tons of milk a day to Sanlu, was arrested, and his operation was shut down.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Arrests
Zhang Yujun (alias Zhang Haitao), a former dairy farmer from Hebei, produced more than 600 tons of a "protein powder" mixture of melamine and maltodextrin from September 2007 to August 2008. He and eight other traders, dairy farm owners and milk purchasers who bought the powder from him were arrested in early October, bringing the total to 36.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Arrests
During the week of 22 December 2008, 17 people involved in producing, selling, buying and adding melamine in raw milk went on trial. Tian Wenhua, former Sanlu general manager, and three other company executives appeared in court in Shijiazhuang, charged with producing and selling milk contaminated with melamine. According to Xinhua, Tian pleaded guilty, and told the court she learned about the tainted milk complaints from consumers in mid-May. She then apparently headed a working team to handle the case, but did not report to the Shijiazhuang city government until 2 August.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Arrests
The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang sentenced Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping to death, and Tian Wenhua to life in prison, on 22 January 2009. Zhang was convicted for producing 800 tons of the contaminated powder, Geng for producing and selling toxic food. Geng Jinping managed a milk production center which supplied milk to Sanlu Group and other dairies. The China Daily reported Geng had knelt on the courtroom floor and begged the victim's families for forgiveness during the trial. The court also sentenced Sanlu deputy general managers Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi to fifteen years and eight years in jail, respectively, and former manager Wu Jusheng to five years. Several defendants have appealed.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Arrests
Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping were executed on 24 November 2009.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Effect on the company and bankruptcy
The value of the company plunged as a result of the scandal. On 24 September, Fonterra announced it had written down the carrying value of its investment by NZ$139 million (two-thirds), reflecting the costs of product recall and the impairment of the 'Sanlu' brand because of the "criminal contamination of milk". By 27 September, China Daily reported Sanlu was close to bankruptcy, and might be taken over by the Beijing Sanyuan Foods Company. The company is also facing lawsuits from parents (see Anger at Sanlu).


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Effect on the company and bankruptcy
The Beijing Review said Sanlu expects to have to pay compensation claims totaling ¥700 million, and it became clear the company would be broken up and sold.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Sanlu, Effect on the company and bankruptcy
On 25 December, Shijiazhuang court accepted a creditor's bankruptcy petition against Sanlu. Media commentators expected the Sanlu distribution network to be sold.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Chinese majors
On 16 September, the AQSIQ released test of samples from 491 batches of products sold by all 109 companies producing baby formula. It said all 11 samples from Sanlu failed the melamine test. Sanlu, whose products sell at half the price of equivalents on the market, recorded the highest levels of contamination among all the samples tested, at 2,563 mg/kg or parts per million ("ppm"). Tainted samples were found among 21 other suppliers, where concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 619.00 ppm.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Chinese majors
There was melamine contamination in 10% of liquid milk samples from Mengniu and Yili, and 6% of those from Bright Dairy. On discovery of contamination, the three major producers were all stripped of their status as 'Chinese national brands'. Yili, Mengniu and Bright Dairy & Food Co. recalled tainted powdered milk and apologised in separate statements. Mengniu recalled all its baby formula, and trading in its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was suspended on 17 September. Shares in other dairy companies fell strongly the next day. Mengniu's CFO attempted to reassure consumers by offering a no-quibble refund on all products, and by drinking liquid milk in front of reporters in Hong Kong. He also said that its export products were less likely to be contaminated.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Chinese majors
On 30 September, the AQSIQ announced test results of a further 265 batches of powdered milk produced by 154 different companies prior to 14 September, where it found 31 batches produced by 20 domestic dairy companies were tainted with melamine.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Companies, Chinese majors
On 1 December, China's Ministry of Health issued an update, saying nearly 300,000 babies were sickened after consuming melamine-contaminated infant formula. In response to the surge of contaminated Chinese products, the United States Food and Drug Administration opened its first overseas inspection offices in November 2008, with bureaus in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Chinese industry
The State Council ordered the testing of product of all dairy producers, and to this end, some 5,000 inspectors were dispatched. The Chinese market has grown at an average annual rate of 23% since 2000. In 2006, milk production reached 30 million tons, ten times the volume of a decade before. It was valued at some ¥122 billion (US$18 billion) in 2007, and consumers had severely lost confidence in the industry.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Chinese industry
The events have exposed the often-incestuous relationship between local business and local government. In addition to the tax revenues to local authorities—Sanlu contributed ¥330 million in 2007, many companies invite local officials to become "silent partners" in their corporations—in return for "protection" at the political level; former Sanlu chairman Tian Wenhua was made honorary deputy to the Provincial People's Congress. The scandal has also highlighted structural problems of inadequate production volume, inherent quality issues, and poor production methods.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Chinese industry
The Inner Mongolia region produces over one-fourth of China's milk, and Mengniu and Yili have invested millions to establish state-of-the-art dairy facilities in its capital, Hohhot. The companies still rely on small-scale farmers for over 90% of their production because of the capacity constraint of the modern facilities. Both companies were said by farmers and agents to have habitually purchased milk which failed quality tests, for only two-thirds the normal price. A new policy was put in place on 17 September to stop that practice.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Chinese industry
Consumer panic resulting from the contaminated milk lessened demand for dairy products, causing hardship to more than 2 million Chinese farmers who had nowhere to sell their milk and no means by which to support their dairy cows. Farmers reportedly poured away milk and faced selling cows to a buyerless market.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Chinese industry
Since the scandal erupted, sales have fallen by 30–40% on a comparative basis, according to the Chinese Dairy Association. The Association estimates the financial effect of the order of ¥20 billion, and forecasts that confidence may take up to two years to be fully restored. In an effort to prop up sales and retain their market share, dairy firms have cancelled their common accord not to use promotions to fight the sales decline: substantial discounts (including BOGOF), free gifts and other point of sale incentives were being offered to shoppers. Their new products are conspicuously labelled "safety inspection passed" to allay consumer fears.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
Mengniu-Arla, joint-venture between Danish/Swedish co-operative Arla Foods and Mengniu halted production on 16 September 2008 after three of 28 tests taken from Mengniu showed traces of melamine; the contaminated batches had been recalled.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
Mengniu, milk supplier to Starbucks, was replaced by Vitasoy when the coffee retailer eschewed milk in favour of soya milk in its China operations. KFC also suspended selling Mengniu milk.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
Seoul-headquartered Lotte Group, a major snacks maker, recalled its Koala's March cookies in Hong Kong and Macau because of contamination, and promised to "look deeply into all the details of the manufacturing process" to preserve customer confidence. The range was also ordered off Dutch and Slovakian shelves. Its Chocolate Pie was seized when samples tested positive in Malta.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
On 29 September, British confectionery group Cadbury was forced to withdraw its 11 chocolate products in China on suspicion of melamine contamination, in turn causing it to close down its three factories in China. The recall affected the China markets, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Australia. Tests in Hong Kong found excessive amounts of melamine in China-made Dairy Milk products.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
On 30 September, Unilever recalled its Lipton milk tea powder after the company's internal checks found traces of melamine in the Chinese powdered milk used as an ingredient. Heinz recalled cases of baby cereal in Hong Kong after discovering they contained melamine. Nestlé's factory in Heilongjiang was also implicated: the Taiwanese Department of Health forced the delisting of six Neslac and KLIM products on 2 October for containing minute traces of melamine, although the minister said they did not pose a significant health risk.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Foreign operations in China
Since the milk crisis broke, Nestlé says it has sent 20 specialists from Switzerland to five of its Chinese plants to strengthen chemical testing. On 31 October, it announced the opening of a $10.2 million Beijing research and development centre, to "serve as the base and the reference in food safety for Nestlé in Greater China". Nestlé Chief Technology Officer said the centre was equipped with "highly sophisticated analytical tools for detecting trace amounts of residues and undesirable compounds like melamine or veterinary drugs or natural toxins".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Olympics
There were concerns dairy products consumed during the 2008 Summer Olympics may have been contaminated. Li Changjiang, the then Director of AQSIQ reassured the international community that all the food, including dairy products, was indeed safe. "We took special quality management measures aimed at food supply for the Games."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China
PRC Customs said exports of dairy products and eggs in 2007 were valued at US$359 million, a year-on-year increase of 90 percent. Since the news of the melamine contamination began to circulate, at least 25 countries stopped importing Chinese dairy products.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China
A number of countries had imposed blanket bans on Chinese milk products or its derivatives—among which wereBangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Gabon, India, Côte d'Ivoire, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, South Korea, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, and the United Arab Emirates —joining Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia which had also imposed specific bans on Chinese dairy products which tested positive for melamine.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, Hong Kong
The scandal led to an erosion of trust in locally produced infant formula and from then on, many Shenzhen residents and parallel traders travelled across the border to purchase powdered milk from Hong Kong shops. Lower confidence in Chinese production, combined with the relaxation of visa requirements for mainland citizens, had resulted in shortages of infant formula in Hong Kong for an extended time.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, Hong Kong
Because of a great public outcry, the Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 was passed in Hong Kong, prohibiting the unlicensed export of powdered formula, including milk and soya milk powder for infants and children under 36 months. According to the HK government, the regulation is not applicable to "powdered formula that is exported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person aged 16 or above leaving Hong Kong if the person did not leave Hong Kong in the last 24 hours and the formula does not exceed 1.8 kg in total net weight".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, Hong Kong
Although the Hong Kong government imposed a strict 2-can limit on the export of infant formula in March 2013, spurred price differentials caused by sales tax on the mainland and lax customs, trafficking activity including for powdered milk has continued, exacerbating the Hong Kong-Mainland conflict. The catchment area for traffickers spread from Fan Ling and Sheung Shui southward to Yuen Long and Tuen Mun, causing localist groups such as Civic Passion and Hong Kong Indigenous to take to the streets in direct action in 2015.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, European Union
On 25 September 2008, the EU announced a ban on imports of baby food containing Chinese milk. The European Commission also called for tighter checks on other Chinese food imports; isolated contaminated products were found in the Netherlands, and the French authorities ordered all Chinese dairy products off the shelves; Tesco removed White Rabbit as a precaution from its stores in the United Kingdom.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, United States Food and Drug Administration
In the United States of America, which was otherwise unaffected by the scares, the US distributor of White Rabbit candies recalled the product when samples found in Hartford showed traces of melamine. The candy's maker and subsidiary of Bright Foods, Guan Sheng Yuan, issued a recall to the 50 countries to which it exported.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Trade and industry impact, Outside mainland China, United States Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said while food containing melamine below 2.5 parts per million generally did not raise concerns, its scientists were "currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns". On 12 November 2008, the FDA issued a general alert against all finished food products from China, saying that information received from government sources in a number of countries indicates a wide range and variety of products from a variety of producers have been manufactured using melamine-contaminated milk was a recurring problem. In late November, after FDA found traces of melamine in one Nestle and one Mead Johnson infant product, the FDA concluded melamine or cyanuric acid alone, "at or below 1 part per million in infant formula do not raise public health concerns" in babies.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, International agencies
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) warned that children who ate large amounts of confectionery and biscuits with high milk content could theoretically be consuming melamine at more than three times above prescribed EU safety limits (0.5 mg/kg of body weight). The EFSA said children with a mean consumption of products such as milk toffee, biscuits and chocolate containing contaminated powdered milk would not be at risk, and adults would not be at risk even in the worst-case scenarios.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, International agencies
The World Health Organization, which was only notified on 11 September, asked Beijing why it took so many months for the scandal to become public, and to establish whether failure was deliberate or due to ignorance. WHO's representative in China, Hans Troedsson, said the issue of who knew what and when was critical "... Because if it was ignorance, there is a need to have much better training and education ... if it is neglect, then it is, of course, more serious."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, International agencies
Following a spate of mass national bans, the WHO urged national food safety authorities on 25 September 2008 to test Chinese dairy products for health risks before slapping on import bans or recalls. WHO and UNICEF also jointly decried the "particularly deplorable ... deliberate contamination of foods intended for ... vulnerable infants and young children" On 26 September, the WHO warned health officials around the world to be alert for dairy products of Chinese origin that could be tainted. Anthony Hazzard, the Western Pacific director of the World Health Organization said countries had been advised by the International Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN) to focus particularly on smuggled formula.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, International agencies
The WHO referred to the incident as one of the largest food safety events it has had to deal with in recent years. It says the crisis of confidence among Chinese consumers would be hard to overcome. It saw regulation failing to keep pace with the rapid development of the food and industrial production as opening the gates to all types of misbehaviour and malfeasance. The spokesman said the scale of the problem proved it was "clearly not an isolated accident, [but] a large-scale intentional activity to deceive consumers for simple, basic, short-term profits".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, International agencies
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan reminded Chinese mothers that babies not breastfed were being deprived of the best nutrition offered by nature, while risking being exposed to the effects of melamine. She added: "We need to try our very best to tell [mothers] the difference [between breast milk and formula]. Of course breastfeeding is the best food for babies." Chan said the melamine-in-milk scandal showed "the impact and power of globalisation" in food distribution and highlighted "the importance of seamless cooperation from farm to consumer".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at Sanlu
The case has brought anger and resentment towards milk producers and sowed uncertainty and confusion amongst the population. Queues formed outside Sanlu's offices for refunds. The Sanlu website was hacked several times and its name as displayed in the header bar changed to 三聚氰胺集团 ("The Melamine Group") in a play of words on the character "三" (number 3), which is the first word of Sanlu's Chinese name: 三鹿 (Three Deer); "Melamine" was also added as a product name by a hacker. As has been increasingly common practice, web users vented their anger on internet bulletin boards. Prevalent food scares have increased the number of online parodies circulated by netizens.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at Sanlu
Before the government began offering free medical treatment, some parents had reportedly spent small fortunes on medical care for their sick children. Children who fell ill before the scandal broke on 12 September were not entitled to free medical care offered by the State. Parents of two such victims, one from Henan and one from Guangdong, filed writs against Sanlu despite government pressure. Parents of the Henan child had claimed ¥150,000 for medical, travel and other expenses incurred after their child developed kidney stones.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at Sanlu
On 20 October, the parents of one baby who died from contaminated milk appealed to New Zealand for justice on TV ONE. They were quoted as saying the perpetrators of the milk scandal responsible for the death of their child deserved to "die a thousand deaths". A total of nine cases were filed against Sanlu in Shijiazhuang. Following weeks of discussions, and in the absence of a compensation plan, a group of 15 lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 100 families against Sanlu, seeking medical and other expenses as well as compensation for trauma and for death of an offspring.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
Resentment increased towards the country's leaders due to the perception that they were not troubled by the food security turmoil faced by ordinary citizens. In August 2008, Zhu Yonglan (祝詠蘭), Director of the State Council Central Government Offices Special Food Supply Centre (CGOSFSC), disclosed in a speech that her firm had been set up in 2004 to source high-quality, all-organic foodstuffs from farms working under the strictest guidelines, for supply to top political leaders, their families and retired cadres.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
"The State Council Party and State Organisations Special Food Supply Centre ... is supported by the State Council Logistics Base, Central Security Bureau farms, and supply bases spread over all 13 provinces, municipalities ... and autonomous regions. These bases supply the 94 ministries' and commissions' veteran cadres with high quality organic food products ... [ Our] products accord with the highest standards."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
... Everyone knows that at present average production facilities use large quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Antibiotics and hormones are used in the raising of animals. Aquatic animal products are raised in polluted waters. All of these toxins end up in the final food products (all kinds of produce, meat, dairy products etc.). It goes without saying that these are harmful when consumed by humans."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
Zhu Yonglan, Director of the CGOSFSC – speech to Shandong KR Biomedical, 18 August 2008


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
Premier Wen Jiabao apologised to the nation, saying he felt "extremely guilty" about the poisoned milk products, in the same way he had previously asked the people's pardon for the deaths of coal miners, polluted drinking water, and train passengers stranded by the authorities' inadequate response to the severe snowstorm during the New Year.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Anger at political leaders
Author Qin Geng (秦耕) said: "The big picture in this case was the interest of one-party rule above anything, not that they would put the safety of the people first". Qin concluded that the Chinese public were told by state-controlled media that the contamination of milk was a well orchestrated process, and they "are very sad, very frightened and very concerned".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Chinese public, Quest for milk substitutes
Poorer consumers reliant on local infant formula, which was approximately half the price of imported brands, had been left without alternatives to feed their children. Many had lost faith in local brands, with others unsure of which brands were safe. Supermarket shelves had been swept bare from product recalls. Shops in Hong Kong reported a rush for imported formula from cross-border shoppers, with some retailers reportedly rationing their stocks. Some mainlanders were also reportedly rushing to import infant formula from Kinmen. Wet nurses enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in major cities. Some media reports have documented that Chinese sailors and expatriates have been buying local dairy produce in Australia to send back to relatives in China. It had been estimated in 2018 that up to 80% to 90% of infant formula purchased in Australia was destined for China.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Taiwan
The melamine food scare became a focal point against the warming relations between Taiwan's government and the Chinese government, and a major demonstration was held by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party on 25 October 2008 to voice dissatisfaction with Taiwan's increasingly closer ties with Beijing, notably related to the incident. Protesters fearful at reunification blamed the Kuomintang for the melamine scare, and criticised it for failing to stand up to China over the contamination. One citizen voiced concern that President Ma Ying-jeou's promise for closer ties with China would bring in more tainted products to Taiwan.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Taiwan
The Minister of the Department of Health, Lin Fang-you, was heavily criticised for raising the legally acceptable limit of melamine in food products from zero to 2.5 ppm. The public outcry subsequent to the move forced Lin to resign. His successor, Yeh Ching-chuan, announced a return to the original zero-tolerance policy to melamine.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Top leaders' comments
AQSIQ announced the revocation of all exemptions from inspection previously granted to dairy producers, who were asked to cease citing the privilege in their advertisements. The State Council ordered an overhaul of the dairy industry, and promised to provide free medical care to those affected. Formally, the State Council released its initial findings, and a top-level official apology of the incident both came on 21 September. Wen Jiabao apologised while visiting victims in hospitals.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Top leaders' comments
This incident made me feel sad, though many Chinese have been understanding. It disclosed many problems for government and company supervision of the milk sources, quality and marketing administration ... The government will put more efforts into food security, taking the incident as a warning. What we are trying to do is to ensure no such event happens in future by punishing those leaders as well as enterprises responsible. None of those companies without professional ethics or social morals will be let off.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Top leaders' comments
CPC general secretary Hu Jintao said on 1 October 2008: "Food safety is directly linked to the well-being of the broad masses and the competence of a company ... Chinese companies should learn from the lessons of the Sanlu tainted milk powder incident."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Top leaders' comments
On 6 October 2008, putting the blame on "illegal production and greed", the country's "chaotic dairy production and distribution order", and the "gravely absent supervision" for the crisis, the State Council announced new dairy industry regulations.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Top leaders' comments
On 9 October 2008, in an attempt to control the damage to Chinese dairy exports, officials at a World Trade Organization meeting insisted that contamination had been "accidental", directly contradicting the WHO observations. Chinese trade representatives criticised countries which have imposed blanket bans on Chinese food products. They urged member states to base import restrictions on scientific risk assessments, and to use official WTO notification mechanisms. On 11 October, Deputy Health minister Liu Qian stated that all the foreign companies' application for compensation for dairy products recall would be dealt with on a commercial basis, although government may use diplomatic channels if necessary, if problems were encountered.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Stepped-up inspection program
According to a senior quality inspectorate official, the government aimed to establish nearly 400 product testing centres within the next two years, and 80 of these would be food testing centres. Working groups were established in nearly every single province in order to set up new food testing centres and replace outdated equipment.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Stepped-up inspection program
On 24 September 2008, China's newly appointed AQSIQ chief Wang Yong said that the government would "carry out 'forceful' measures to deal with the chemical contamination"; its inspectors had removed 7,000 tonnes of melamine contaminated dairy products from shops all over China.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Stepped-up inspection program
On 4 October, the Ministry of Agriculture announced it had drawn up an emergency rescue plan with the Ministry of Finance to give special subsidies to dairy farmers seriously affected by the lack of demand following the contamination scandal; local governments had already drafted policies to stabilise the dairy industry; 150,000 officials had been sent to overhaul the entire supply chains from cattle feed to milk collection; 18,803 milk-collecting stations had been registered and checked by these officials.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Stepped-up inspection program
The ministry was reported to have investigated 98 dairy producers and farms, banned 151 illegal companies and indicted three manufacturers for feed containing melamine. During an investigation into melamine contamination at Yili and Mengniu in Hohhot, police arrested six more people for allegedly selling and mixing melamine into raw milk. The AQSIQ announced on 5 October that all tests showed all milk produced after 14 September were free from contamination. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine stated all dairy products made before 14 September will be tested for melamine. They gave notice to all supermarkets, shops, and all city, town and village-level vendors to urgently remove and seal up all powdered milk and liquid milk made before 14 September, pending further testing.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Stepped-up inspection program
Five government agencies, including the Ministry of Health, issued a joint statement on 9 October setting the legally acceptable level of melamine content in infant formula at 1 ppm (1 mg/kg), and at 2.5ppm in other dairy products (including milk) - in line with standards recognised by the World Health Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. A researcher at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that any amount exceeding 1 ppm would give reason to suspect its presence was intentional."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Public relations
On 26 September 2008, in order to quell the disquiet over the speech by Zhu Yonglan of the CGOSFSC regarding leaders' insulation from the food-security issues faced by the general population, Xinhua issued a brief statement, in Chinese, denying the existence of the Centre, the award, or any person named Zhu Yonglan, saying these were "purely rumours".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Public relations
On 16 September, the AQSIQ tests on baby milk powder produced by 109 companies showed 69 batches from 22 companies to be melamine-contaminated; the State Council attempted to reassure that formula produced by most companies in China was safe. It said: "the number of companies with melamine-tainted milk accounted for 20.18% of the total of powdered milk companies in China; the number of tainted batches accounted for 14.05% of the total batches tested." On 30 September, the AQSIQ said its tests on 265 batches from 154 companies showed that "only 18%" had tested positive for melamine: "of the 290 dairies nationwide 154 dairies, representing 87% market share, 134 of these dairies had tested negative for melamine."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Public relations
On 16 September, the AQSIQ published results of tests on 408 liquid milk producers, and found "most dairy products were safe to drink", although the test results showed nearly 10 percent of batches from Mengniu, Yili and Bright were contaminated.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Public relations
The government stressed that no new cases of melamine-related illnesses had been detected since 20 September, and that test results on samples from 31 brands of baby formula, 84 brands powder for adult consumption, and 75 domestic brands of liquid milk produced after 14 September did not contain melamine, the AQSIQ said. To demonstrate that its emergency measures had been effective, the Ministry of Agriculture said the rate of raw milk dumping because of the contamination scandal has decreased from 23.6% on 22 September to 4.6% on 1 October.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Censorship
Behind the scenes, China's media was ordered to tone down coverage of the unfolding scandal to prevent unrest. News editors were ordered to adhere to the official copy of Xinhua. Traditionally, media knows to avoid negative news coverage, and CCTV shifted reporting emphasis on the forthcoming launch of Shenzhou VII. The announcement of the AQSIQ test results was relegated to the final item on the CCTV evening news.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Censorship
The Wall Street Journal reported that the suppression of bad news had not improved since the scandal was uncovered: media rigidly adheres to the official line, as ordered; Chinese consumers were ill-informed about the extent of global recalls. It reported local journalists saying that discussion of the causes of the crisis, government responsibility, questions about government complicity with dairy companies, was strictly off limits.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Censorship
On 2 January, a website created by individuals protesting against Sanlu was also blocked by the authorities. A group of parents whose children were rendered ill by melamine-contaminated milk held a news conference to draw attention to the plight of their sick children; five were allegedly detained by police and taken to a labour camp outside Beijing. They were released a day later.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Censorship
In 2012, Jiang Weisuo, a 44-year-old general manager of a dairy products plant in Shanxi province, was rumoured to have been murdered in Xi'an city. It was Jiang who had first alerted authorities to the scandal. According to the Xi'an Evening News, Jiang died in hospital on 12 November from knife wounds inflicted by his wife, Yang Ping, but the purported murder by his wife was subsequently reported to be incorrect.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Pressure on the legal profession
A group of 90 lawyers from Hebei, Henan and Shandong—the three worst affected provinces—had made pro bono offers to assist victims, and a list of their names was published. Organisers of the group declared that they had come under pressure from officials to not get involved in the issue. The Beijing Lawyers' Association, a part of the Communist Party apparatus, asked its members "to put faith in the party and government". Other members of the group have reportedly received less subtle requests. Authorities are said to fear social unrest if lawsuits were unleashed. Pro -Beijing Hong Kong journal Ta Kung Pao reported that central authorities, fearful of the effect of mass lawsuits, held a meeting with lawyers' groups on 14 September, asking them to "act together, and help maintain stability".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Pressure on the legal profession
Chang Boyang, one of the group of volunteer lawyers, said he had filed a suit in Guangdong against Sanlu on behalf of the parents of one victim. One was already filed in Henan. Chang said that Henan's justice department had ordered 14 Henan lawyers to stop helping the kidney stone victims, saying it had become a political issue. He claims he was told by the official to "follow the arrangements set out by the government", and was further threatened: "If this suggestion is disobeyed, the lawyer and the firm will be dealt with."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Pressure on the legal profession
Zhang Yuanxin, lawyer and officer in the Xinjiang Lawyers' Association said that the actions of certain departments in government have "set back the development of the legal profession". He said that it was "intolerable" for government to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary, denying the right of ordinary citizens to sue.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, PRC government, Pressure on the legal profession
An official said that central government had issued instructions placing the cases on hold, pending a decision on how to handle the cases in a unified manner. Furthermore, that court was instructed not to give any written replies or accept Sanlu-related cases in the meantime.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the economic root cause
Stratfor believed that the act of adulterating milk and baby food in full knowledge of potentially severe sanctions, including execution, seemed like "an act of desperation". It noted that in 2008 dairy farmers became squeezed by growing costs of livestock, feed, facilities, and government-imposed price caps. Mengniu's share price fell 12% since October 2007 because of higher costs of raw milk (due partly to rising costs of cattle feed) and price controls—anti-inflation measures targeted at the dairy sector announced on 16 January. Milk suppliers accordingly resorted to subtler cost-cutting methods to preserve diminishing profits.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journal said that Beijing's failures of food-safety act are "much more pernicious, and disgraceful, than at first it appears ... [not only has this] milk poisoned thousands of infants with melamine, it also poisons the society at large with fear". Lawyer Bill Marler, speaking at a food safety conference in Beijing, said that this food scare has harmed the "made in China" brand abroad. He remarked: "If this product had gotten into the United States, it would have been 'game over' for a lot of products in China."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
The similarities between China today and New York 150 years ago shouldn't come as a great surprise. Adulteration on such a scandalous scale occurs in societies with a toxic combination of characteristics: a fast-growing capitalist economy coupled with a government unable or unwilling to regulate the food supply. In such get-rich-quick societies, there is a huge temptation to tamper with food, particularly when margins are low. The rewards are instant, and it's not always easy for consumers to detect the difference between the pure and the doctored—particularly with a substance like milk, which we have been taught to trust implicitly.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
An op-ed in the New York Times compared this to the "swill milk scandal" in New York in the 1850s in which 8,000 children reportedly died when cows were fed swill and the milk produced was then whitened with plaster of Paris, thickened with starch and eggs, and hued with molasses.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
The hopeful news in all this is that in the process of creating so much toxicity both the distressed loans and the distressed food are teaching us important lessons about the limits of scale and regulation that support the massive globalisation of the last decade. We are learning that regulators have lost the ability, if they ever had it, to truly monitor the extent of the danger.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
An article published in the San Francisco Chronicle likened the regulatory failures of the milk scandal to the distressed assets in the subprime mortgage crisis, and questioned whether regulators in either case ever understood or truly monitored the extent of the danger.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
Louis Klarevas, a professor at New York University's Center for Global Affairs, said of the products on the list of potentially harmful products reaching the US in recent years were exclusive to China: "Yet as more large-scale labor markets compete for their share of international trade, the incentives to cut corners will increase and the temptation to overlook hazardous goods might become a more common occurrence."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the damage caused
In the 10 November 2008 issue of the Singaporean newspaperToday, Bill Durodié, then a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies responded to the possibility of more such incidents in the future due to the more liberal trading relations with China by saying: "exposing the Chinese to the world market is probably the fastest way of addressing these issues."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
Hu Xingdou (胡星斗), a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, said: "There hasn't been an effort to establish a moral foundation to the market economy, and this incident is the inevitable result." Hu urged the leadership to transform the way of thinking, to repair the system, rather than dealing with problems as they arise.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
The dairy scandal has raised the core question of whether the ruling Communist Party is capable of creating a transparent, accountable regulatory structure within a one-party system. Time Magazine cited many analysts saying the party's need to maintain control of the economy and of information undermines the independence of any regulatory system. One analyst, Willy Lam, a Senior Fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, indicated that CCP's pervasive control over political and economic resources has resulted in the absence of meaningful systematic checks and balances.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
"Institutions that could provide some oversight over party and government authorities—for example, the legislature, the courts or the media—are tightly controlled by CCP apparatchiks." A Beijing-based consultancy, Dragonomics, concurred that "the problem was rooted in the Communist Party's continued involvement in pricing control, company management and the flow of information". Independent regulation was lacking or ineffective as local industries were so intertwined with local officialdom.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
The Times reported that while one child in 20 in Shanghai could have kidney damage as a result of drinking contaminated formula milk, on the other hand, "like the emperors of old, the new communist elite enjoy the finest produce from all over China, sourced by a high-security government department."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
Access Asia, a Shanghai-based consumer consultancy, said Fonterra was a classic example of western executives in China "believ[ing] advice in business books that they must avoid making their local partners 'lose face' at all costs". It suggested that Fonterra paid a heavy price in write-offs, a wrecked business and public condemnation.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the power structure
Caijing said the crisis revealed that there had been a "serious dereliction of duty" at the AQSIQ, and that the government had failed as a "night watchman". Citing public consensus that government should limit itself to a supervisory role, it urged the construction of a regulatory system which addressed the role of regulators watching over the production process, avoiding over-regulation, 'regulatory capture' and abuse of power by regulators. "Keeping the market in order and ensuring independent law enforcement should be part of the mandate."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the culture of secrecy
David Bandurski, journalist and researcher at China Media Project, criticised the crippling media controls by the state combined with "runaway commercial greed", and said that the censorship "suppresses information critical to the well-being of ordinary Chinese". He asserted that increased press freedom needs to be a component of any strategy to deal with this and other future food-security lapses in China. Free media in China could compensate for the underdeveloped rule of law, and be important in keeping companies and regulators honest. Bandurski cited warnings in the 9 October 2008 issues of Nanfang Daily and the Information Times for consumers to be aware of that problematic dairy stock (that produced before 14 September) have reappeared in some stores under cover of aggressive promotions.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, Other third parties, On the culture of secrecy
Former senior party official Bao Tong said "the more dark secrets are exposed, the better. You can't cure the disease, or save the Chinese people, until you get to the root of the problem." "If the Chinese government tries to play down this incident, there will be no social stability in China, let alone harmony ... It will mean that this government has lost the most basic level of trust."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, On the Chinese social critics
As a reaction to and comment on the scandal, Chinese artist and video animation producer Pi San created "Little Rabbit, Be Good" as part of his popular Kuang Kuang video series. Though officially banned or forbidden by the Chinese government, clever use of Chinese web services such as Baidu allows Chinese citizens to access this and many other forbidden materials.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Response, On the relationship with Australia
Because of the high Chinese demand for quality Australian products, major Australian retailers implemented tin limits to control sales of baby formula, but reports of daigou shoppers flouting the system with people taking multiple tins of the formula before they’d been placed on shelves, and the daigou shoppers stripping shelves in groups of up to eight people, before Australian mothers could access the baby food. This daigou activity has been facilitated by the Chinese Navy and its warships.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Widening contamination
The search widened when some manufacturers tested positive despite reportedly not using Chinese milk. The Sri Lankan manufacturer of Munchee Lemon Puff biscuits, having tested positive in Switzerland, categorically stated that its powdered milk or milk products were sourced only from Australia, the Netherlands and Canada; similarly, Pokka products without milk or its derivatives from China were found by Vietnamese authorities to be contaminated.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Widening contamination, Chicken and eggs
Japanese and South Korean authorities' tests on imported powdered eggs from China found melamine contamination. Japan found melamine in frozen fried chicken imported from China. The South Korean supplies were traced to two companies in Dalian. On 26 October, Hong Kong authorities discovered 4.7ppm melamine in eggs from Dalian. Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health, York Chow, suspected the melamine came from feed given to the chickens that laid the eggs. On 29 October, Hong Kong authorities discovered a third batch of eggs containing excessive melamine. The Taiwanese Department of Health said that six batches of protein powder from Jilin and Dalian were found to contain 1.90 to 5.03ppm of melamine.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Widening contamination, Chicken and eggs
Agriculture officials speculated that adulterated feed given to hens could explain melamine in eggs. The Web sites of Xinhua and People's Daily both carried a story from the Nanfang Daily that mixing melamine into animal feed was an "open secret" in the industry: melamine scrap was mixed into an inexpensive "protein powder" resold to feed suppliers. People in the trade interviewed by BusinessWeek also confirmed it was common practice, and had been going on for "years", with most believing it to be non-toxic to animals. Melamine dealers said after Sanlu, the government started clamping down on melamine sales to food processing companies or to manufacturers of animal feed.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Widening contamination, Baking powder
Malaysian authorities determined that ammonium bicarbonate, not milk, imported from China was the source of contamination at Khong Guan and Khian Guan biscuit factory. Malaysian authorities said it was probable cross contamination of batches from Chinese companies Broadtech Chemical Int. Co Ltd, Dalian Chemical Industries and Tianjin Red Triangle International Trading Co, and did not suspect adulteration. On 19 October, Taiwanese authorities detected melamine in 469 tons of baking ammonia imported from China. Samples tested showed up to 2,470ppm of melamine.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Impact and response, International agencies
Jorgen Schlundt, head of food safety at the WHO criticised China's food-safety system for being "disjointed", saying that "poor communications between ministries and agencies may have prolonged the outbreak of melamine poisoning."


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Impact and response, Chinese public and the trade
Public concerns have resulted in demand and egg prices falling throughout the country. Prices at a large Beijing wholesale market dropped 10%, and prices fell by 10% the day after news of the contamination broke in Hong Kong. Wholesalers have refused to stock products without melamine inspection certificates. The Beijing Youth Daily reported that farmers had been forced to slaughter tens of thousands of chickens.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Impact and response, Chinese public and the trade
In 2008, Zhao Lianhai (赵连海), a Chinese man whose son was sickened by tainted milk earlier that year, started a website called "Home for the Kidney Stone Babies" (结石宝宝之家, jieshibaobao.com), which helped families with children affected by tainted milk share their experiences, in part by maintaining a database of medical records. The website upset Chinese authorities, who detained Zhao in November 2009 and arrested him in December 2009.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Impact and response, PRC government
The Chinese government said that producers violating the law "could have their licenses revoked and be handed over to law enforcement organs". A senior Agriculture Ministry official said that of a quarter of a million feed-makers and animal farms inspected for melamine contamination, inspectors found more than 500 engaged in "illegal or questionable practices". Some 3,700 tonnes of feed with excessive melamine were seized.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Impact and response, PRC government
Hong Kong regulators have requested certification of exported eggs, but the central government has not yet mounted a centralised response; although mainland authorities already require eggs to be certified as free of avian influenza and Sudan red dye prior to export following previous food-safety scares, the AQSIQ has declined nationwide testing. Local government, for example Guangdong authorities, have increased random inspections at poultry farms. They declared to "harshly crack down on the unlawful behaviour of illegally manufacturing, selling and using melamine".


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Contamination and response in 2009–2010
On 2 December 2009, China detained three employees of Shaanxi Jinqiao Dairy Company in northwest China suspected of selling 5.25 tons of melamine-laced powdered milk to Nanning Yueqian Food Additive Company, in Guangxi. On 30 December 2009, Xinhua reported continuing problems: powder and flavouring products sold by another company involved in the original scandal–the Shanghai Panda Dairy Company–were found to contain illegal levels of melamine; the dairy was closed and three of its executives arrested.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Contamination and response in 2009–2010
On 25 January 2010, it was reported that three food companies from Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong provinces had produced melamine tainted products in March and April 2009 and that the three companies were banned from selling products in Guizhou. On 10 February 2010 China's state council announced a food safety commission, consisting of three vice premiers and a dozen minister-level officials, to address the nation's food regulatory problems. The group aims to improve government coordination and enforcement and to solve systemic food safety problems.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Contamination and response in 2009–2010
As part of its ongoing effort to find and destroy any melamine-tainted milk remaining on the market, the Chinese government announced that it was recalling 170 tons of powdered milk laced with the industrial chemical which was supposed to have been destroyed or buried in 2008 but has recently found to have been repackaged and placed back into the marketplace.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Contamination and response in 2009–2010
In July 2010, Xinhua reported that authorities had seized 64 tonnes of dairy product contaminated with melamine from Dongyuan Dairy Factory, in Minhe County, in Qinghai, after authorities in Gansu discovered the contaminated powdered milk. Approximately 38 tonnes of raw materials had been purchased from Hebei, raising the possibility that traders had bought tainted milk that was supposed to have been destroyed after the 2008 scandal. Police have detained the owner and production director of the factory. Powdered milk produced in the plant was mainly sold in Zhejiang and Jiangsu, with only a small amount sold in Qinghai. Also, in Jilin, authorities were testing samples of suspect powdered milk produced in Heilongjiang.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Contamination and response in 2009–2010
At the end of June 2010, Beijing lowered the minimum protein level for raw milk, from 2.955 to 2.8%, to discourage dairy farmers from attempting to falsify the passing of protein tests. Wu Heping, secretary general of the Heilongjiang Dairy Industry Association noted that between 75% and 90% of raw milk in some provinces had failed to reach the old protein level standard (in place since 1986) in 2007 and 2008. He said that the new standard reflected "the reality of the domestic dairy farm industry". However, insiders believe this will not stop adulteration because milk price still depends on protein content.


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Notes
For verification purposes, the following are relevant citations in Chinese from the Caijing article dated 29 September 2008


2008 Chinese milk scandal, Notes
For verification purposes, the following are relevant citations in Chinese from the Nanfang Daily article dated 9 October 2008


2008 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2008 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix was the fourth round of the 2008 MotoGP Championship. It took place on the weekend of 2–4 May 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit.


2008 Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round four has concluded.


2008 Chinese winter storms
The 2008 Chinese winter storms (2008年中国雪灾、2008年中国南方雪灾) were a series of winter storm events that affected large portions of southern and central China, where it does not usually snow severely or extensively, starting on 25 January 2008 until 6 February 2008. The systems affected most of the area with heavy snows, ice and cold temperatures causing extensive damage and transportation disruption for several thousand travelers. It became China's worst winter weather in half a century. According to some media sources the storms were directly responsible for at least 129 deaths.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Cold snap and blizzard
The series of severe winter events started on 10 January when a large dome of cold air enveloped most parts of China, causing much precipitation in the form of heavy snow west of the coastal areas, where the temperature was dropped to slightly below 0 °C (32 °F). The provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui and the municipality of Shanghai were hardest hit. Some received their worst snowstorms in seventeen years while some experienced their worst in five decades. After the first wave of precipitation had passed through, snow continued to fall throughout several days following, accompanied by bitterly cold weather.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Cold snap and blizzard
Snow was even reported in the country's largest true desert, the Taklamakan, where the snow and record low temperatures near −25 °C (−13 °F) lasted 11 consecutive days and killed livestock. At one point, the temperature dropped to −32 °C (−26 °F), breaking the January 2006 record of −26.1 °C (−15.0 °F), though the historical temperature series in this observatory is very short (started in 1996). The snow depth exceeded 4 centimetres (1.6 in) at times in the center of the desert according to the Tazhong Observatory. According to Xinhua, it was the first time that snow covered the entire desert at the same time.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Causes
According to scientists at China's National Climate Center and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), these winter storms in China have been mainly related to abnormal atmospheric circulation and La Niña, and are not directly linked to climate change. The China Meteorological Administration mentioned that the 2007-08 winter was the coldest recorded across the country since 1986-87, with a one-month period during the winter storm event that was 2.5 degrees Celsius below normal.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Damage
The snow storm caused extensive damage to a vast number of low-rise buildings, the roofs of which collapsed, killing occupants inside. It was estimated that about 223,000 homes were destroyed and 862,000 others were damaged. CNN also reported that 500 meter-long auto plant in Xiangtan had its entire roof collapsed.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Damage
The power system of China was also severely affected by the adverse conditions. Widespread power outages were reported. In Chenzhou, which has a population of 4.6 million, it was reported that the entire city had no power or water for over nearly two weeks, including government buildings and hospitals, while telecommunications cables and Internet networks were also damaged. In Fuzhou, Jiangxi, it was reported that the city lost power for about 3 weeks. At one point, seventeen of the thirty-one provinces and autonomous regions of China had to endure reduced power supplies.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Damage
Beginning 1 February, all of Shanghai's skyline night lights were shut off to support relief efforts and was not be resumed until the storm was declared officially over. In Guizhou, officials said it could take up to five months to fully mend the power grid. Xinhua reported that electricity across most of the 170 worst hit counties was restored by the Chinese New Year. Coal reserves were also down to emergency levels and stockpiles were only sufficient for eight days of power generation.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Damage
The snow storm also damaged water supply equipment. For instance, in Wuhan, up to 100,000 people were out of running water when several water pipes burst, cutting the supply to local households. In the Guangxi region, about 239,000 were also having problems on accessing drinking water. Moreover, during the first week, there were significant mandatory evacuations and an estimated 827,000 people were evacuated across fourteen provinces, affecting a total population of about 78 million. In total over two weeks, according to Xinhua, 1.8 million residents were relocated elsewhere.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Damage
In addition, 870,000 pigs, 450,000 sheep and 85,000 head of cattle were killed by the storm. In addition, 18,600,000 acres (75,000 km2) of forest were destroyed  6,800,000 acres (28,000 km2) of bamboo, 11,500,000 acres (47,000 km2) of wood and 15,000 acres (61 km2) of saplings. The freak storms are especially painful because they hit warmer parts of China that have little experience with snow. Many communities lack necessary equipment to handle the heavy snowfall.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation
Transportation was also heavily affected as the storms hit during the busiest travelling season of the year, Chunyun preceding the Lunar New Year. Nearly 180 million people, more than the population of Russia, travel throughout the country during the holiday. According to Xinhua, in early February, millions of Chinese are travelling from the major cities to the countryside to celebrate the Spring Festival, a traditional celebration where the Chinese people return to their families, which falls on 7 February this year.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Railway
Heavy snow damaged the Jingguang railway from Beijing to Guangzhou. Tens of thousands of people (on occasion as many as 500,000 to 800,000 at once) were left stranded at several railway stations across southern China, including Guangzhou railway station. It was estimated that nearly 6 million railway passengers in total were stranded during the period while about 8,000 cargo trains were delayed. Backlogs at that station where masses of people were waiting desperately to return home lasted several days.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Railway
Many of the travellers took refuge in an emergency shelter at the China Import and Export Fair exhibition center where at times the mass of people was about the size of three to four entire football fields. Goods were distributed to stranded travellers including free water bottles and lunch boxes of rice, chicken legs and cabbage that were sold at about a dollar each.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Railway
Red banners were installed at one station encouraging some travellers to abandon their travel plans and nearly half a million of them cancelled their trips after lengthy waits. Xinhua reported that 11 million migrant workers in the Guangdong area received ticket refunds. Most of the rail service resumed on 31 January but heavy fog on 3 February caused further delays particularly in Hunan. The lengthy delays occasionally caused clashes between travellers, police and soldiers.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Highway
Several main highways including in Shanxi and Henan as well as Jingzhu Expressway, the main highway connecting the capital Beijing and Guangdong province, were shut down. Seven of the eight highways connecting Hunan and Guangdong were closed and all public highways in Anhui were closed. The road closures disrupted transportation of goods across several areas of the country where there were concerns of significant food shortage as the storm also did significant damage to crops.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Water transport
Water transportation was also affected as 10 boats at the Shanghai port which contained goods were stuck and unable to unload because of the snow.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Transportation, Airport
About 60,000 bus riders were stranded at various highways and 19 major airports at 10 cities were also closed at one point. 10,000 at Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou were stranded after 55 flights were cancelled. In total, about 3,250 flights were cancelled and another 5,550 were delayed. All provincial bus services in Jiangxi were halted. The Chinese Public Safety Ministry mentioned that about 1 million police officers were dispatched to keep the roadways open but numerous trucks were stranded in many areas. 100 diesel locomotives were also dispatched in attempt to get stranded trains back into service.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Fatalities
According to CNN, 63 were killed as of 31 January due to the effects of the storm, many of them because of the cold or collapsed roofs. The toll was later risen to at least 107 according to Xinhua. Among the fatalities, 11 were killed by a bus accident in Anhui in which the bus flipped into a ditch on January 21. Another crash on 28 January killed at least 25 when a bus plunged into an icy road near Zunyi City.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Fatalities
Three electricians were killed in Hunan while attempting to remove snow and ice from power lines and were named "revolutionary martyrs" by the government. As there was a gradual restoration of train services, stampedes  killed at least one person in Guangzhou. Chinese officials mentioned that medical teams treated about 200 000 sick and injured people while 60 died from the cold. 11 electricians were also killed while restoring power across the country, but it wasn't clear if they were included in the official death toll of 60 people killed in accidents and building collapses blamed on the storms.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Economic impact and costs
The Chinese economy, which has experienced rapid growth over the past thirty years, was also affected by the winter event. According to the BBC, the country's civil affairs ministry estimated that the costs to the country's economy were about 54 billion Chinese yuan but the cost rose to 80 billion yuan as of February 7. Damage estimates as of February 13 were at about 111 billion yuan. Insurance companies across the country received tens of thousands of compensation cases including half a million from the hardest hit regions.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Economic impact and costs
Analysts also mentioned that extensive loss of crops (of over 40,000 km²) including fresh vegetables and fruit resulted in a substantial inflation of food prices. At least 11 provinces reported significant price increases after the loss of millions of crops. The price for box lunches increased fivefold across many areas in the aftermath.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Economic impact and costs
During the month of January, the country's producer price index hit a three-year high with a rise 6.1% including a near 30% surge in crude prices, near 9% in fuel, raw materials and power prices and a 7 to 10% increase in diesel oil, kerosene and gasoline prices. In addition, food prices climbed by 10% to as much as 18% during the month and significantly affected the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The inflation rate itself reached 7.1% the highest since September 1996 where it hit 7.4%.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Economic impact and costs
In addition, productivity at numerous factories was affected. Among them, steel and aluminum production were scaled back due to a significant shortage of raw materials and loss of production of about 50,000 tonnes of lead and zinc was forecasted in Hunan. Telecom companies had significant repair costs as about 10,000 kilometers of lines were affected. The Ministry of Information Industry mentioned that this has affected 33 million users and cost at least 80 million yuan up until 27 January. Other sectors affected were hotels, airlines and auto sales while other businesses had disruption in the supply of products because of transportation delays. The Chinese government mentioned that the storm would not have a significant long-term effect on the general economy but would not be without significant short-term problems.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Economic impact and costs
The winter weather may have been responsible for a 7% drop of the Shanghai Composite Index due to concerns at the effects of transport breakdowns and power shortages. However, the storms happened at the same time as significant worldwide stock market volatility due to concerns of a recession in the United States. Energy-related stocks rose as much as 23% due to the rise of profits because of the weather woes.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Government response
The winter storms marked the largest national mass mobilization since the 2003 SARS crisis and is comparable in size to the relief efforts of the 1998 Yangtze River Floods. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao issued an apology to citizens regarding the situation in a public televised appearance at a railway station in Changsha, Hunan. He mentioned that the electrical system would be first to be fixed before restoring normal train operations for Lunar New Year holiday travellers. The severe weather also led to an emergency meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China chaired by General Secretary Hu Jintao to discuss ways in order to control the situation.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Government response
About 300,000 troops and 1.1 million reservists were deployed to assist relief efforts and snow removal across various parts of affected regions. The government also announced a $700 million (2008 USD) plan for helping farmers who had their crops destroyed by the winter weather. In addition, the government spent over 330 million yuan for local disaster relief operations. On 1 February, Premier Wen held a State Council meeting to discuss matters related to the snowstorms, and immediately afterwards flew out to Hunan to inspect relief efforts. General Secretary, President Hu visited various coal mines to urge them to help end power shortages.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Government response
There were also reports that China would invest significantly in better forecasting and cooperation between weather departments in the event of future storms as there were reports of criticism of the weather agencies. According to the China Meteorological Administration, there are plans to invest nearly 2 billion yuan (US$300 million) for the improvement of the weather forecasting work, which was reportedly approved by the State Council, the Chinese Cabinet.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Government response
In addition, several weather experts from the meteorological office told that the country was not properly prepared to face a winter weather event of this magnitude. Some had praised northern parts of the country for their emergency plans in unusual weather. but have criticized those from southern parts. The Chinese Meteorological Administration also added that officials were not expecting such a lengthy episode of severe winter weather with an extensive impact across a large area.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Effects, Government response
Premier Wen Jiabao spent Chinese New Year in Jiangxi while inspecting relief efforts.


2008 Chinese winter storms, Foreign and interior aid
The Red Cross Society of China reported that they received at least 60 million yuan in donations and provided donations of food, medicine, quilts, coats and tents. In addition, some other events including an opera performance raised additional funds for the areas affected. In addition, several foreign countries across the world had offered monetary assistance for the relief efforts.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake
The 2008 Chino Hills earthquake occurred at 11:42:15 am PDT (18:42:15 UTC) on July 29 in Southern California. The epicenter of the magnitude 5.4 earthquake was in Chino Hills, c. 28 miles (45 km)  east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Though no lives were lost, eight people were injured, and it caused considerable damage in numerous structures throughout the area and caused some amusement park facilities to shut down their rides. The earthquake led to increased discussion regarding the possibility of a stronger earthquake in the future.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake
The Chino Hills earthquake was caused by oblique-slip faulting, with components of both thrust and sinistral strike-slip displacement. Preliminary reports cited the Whittier fault as the active cause, but the quake was later determined to have been generated by the "Yorba Linda trend," as identified by Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson. Its epicenter was within 3 miles (4.8 km) of Chino Hills and its hypocenter was c. 15.5 kilometers (9.6 mi) deep. Initial estimations of the moderate main shock reported it as magnitude 5.8, but this was later revised to magnitude 5.4. The main shock was reportedly felt as far south as San Diego, and Tijuana, Mexico, and as far east as Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the strongest earthquake to occur in the greater Los Angeles area since the 1994 Northridge earthquake.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake
As reported by The Orange County Register, three microearthquakes, all less than magnitude 3.0, occurred in Anaheim Hills, 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Chino Hills, two months before the Chino Hills earthquake. There was an unusually low amount of seismic activity in Southern California in the week prior to the quake. Between July 20 and July 26, 2008, there were no earthquakes in Southern California exceeding magnitude 3.0, thus there was speculation that the wane in seismic activity was a precursor to a possible larger event.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Impact
The Chino Hills earthquake caused no deaths or significant damage due to the physical location of its epicenter. Most of the infrastructure in the Chino Hills area is relatively new and well suited to withstand a large quake. Unlike previous earthquakes in the region—such as the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, which caused serious structural damage and fatalities—this quake caused only minor damage. However, the high volume of telephone use following the shock overloaded provider capacity and disrupted service into the afternoon.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Impact
Amusement rides at Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood and Knott's Berry Farm were evacuated and temporarily shut down. California State University, Fullerton suffered some damage in its older, inadequately engineered buildings. In Orange, the Chapman University School of Law was evacuated after a water pipe was ruptured. Pipes on a Macy's department store in Westfield Topanga ruptured during the tremor flooding the store which closed for a couple of days in order to be repaired. A light fixture damaged by the shock started a small fire in the Westfield MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana; since the fire was in an empty movie theater, nobody was harmed.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Impact
A gap was reported on California State Route 91 near Anaheim Hills, c. 7 miles (11 km) southwest of the epicenter, but the California Department of Transportation concluded that the gap did not pose a danger. A minor landslide near the freeway caused some traffic congestion, but structural damage was reported. Caltrans replaced an expansion joint on an Interstate 5 truck overpass at the El Toro Y Interchange. The roof of Placentia's public library nearly collapsed; afterwards, the building was closed for repairs.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Impact
Electrical outages were reported in Chino, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar and Pomona. Over 2,000 people lost power after a fire broke out at a La Habra power station, but electricity was restored that afternoon. Los Angeles International Airport reported a ground radar system outage along with a broken water heater, causing flooding in the checked luggage preparation area of Terminal 7. Minor injuries from falling ceiling tiles were reported at a medical clinic in Brea.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Aftershocks
Approximately 100 minor aftershocks and one presumed foreshock were reported within two days after the earthquake, 27 of which occurred within an hour after the earthquake. Four aftershocks of at least 3.0 in magnitude were reported—the first, nine minutes following the initial earthquake, was the largest at magnitude 3.8; and two others, occurring over two hours later, were recorded at magnitude 3.6. Twenty-eight aftershocks of at least 2.0 were reported.


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Response
There was speculation that the Chino Hills earthquake may have been a foreshock to a larger earthquake. The Southern California Seismic Network's Aftershock Probability Report, produced minutes after the event, stated that "Most likely, the recent mainshock will be the largest in the sequence. However, there is a small chance, c. 5–10%, of an earthquake equal to or larger than this mainshock in the next 7 days."


2008 Chino Hills earthquake, Earthquake, Response
Geologists at the United States Geological Survey and Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast suggest that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 or larger will almost definitely occur somewhere in the state within the next 30 years. then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "This earthquake reminds us to be prepared. [ ...] We were very fortunate that there were no serious injuries or property damage." Additionally, registration for the Great Southern California ShakeOut, a regional earthquake drill scheduled to occur on November 13, 2008, increased significantly in the aftermath of the earthquake.


2008 Chivas USA season
The 2008 Chivas USA season was the club's fourth season of existence, and their fourth in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The club competed in the MLS's Western Conference, where they finished in first place, in their Conference, qualifying for the Playoffs for the second time.


2008 Chivas USA season, Competitions, MLS, Results summary
Last updated: October 16, 2007Source: Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2008 Chorley Borough Council election
The Chorley Borough Council elections took place on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election.


2008 Chorley Borough Council election, Wards, Chorley North West ward
N.B. Percentage change in Chorley North-West is taken from when a Snape last faced the electorate.


2008 Chorley Borough Council election, Wards, Heath Charnock and Rivington ward
N.B. Percentage change in Lostock is taken from when Margaret Iddon last faced the electorate.


2008 Christmas massacres
The Christmas massacres took place on 24–27 December 2008, when the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan rebel group, attacked several villages in Haut-Uele District, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The massacres were the fifth deadliest act of terrorism in world history.


2008 Christmas massacres, Attacks
The LRA attacks followed the beginning of a joint military operation on 14 December, led by the Ugandan army with support from the Congolese, Southern Sudanese, and Central African Republic armies. The Ugandan army attacked the LRA headquarters in Congo's Garamba National Park, near the border with Sudan.


2008 Christmas massacres, Attacks
Following this attack, the LRA dispersed into several groups, each of which targeted civilians along its path. The rebels carried out the most devastating of their attacks from 24 December, waiting until people had come together for Christmas festivities, then surrounding and killing them by crushing their skulls with axes, machetes, and large wooden bats.


2008 Christmas massacres, Attacks
Media reports indicated that more than 620 people were killed, many of them hacked into pieces, decapitated, or burned alive in their homes. Several people reportedly had their lips cut off as a "warning not to speak ill of the rebels", and two three-year-old girls suffered serious neck injuries when rebels tried to twist their heads off.


2008 Christmas massacres, Attacks
More than 20,000 people were reported to have been displaced by the attacks, and at least 20 children were abducted by the LRA. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that as many as 225 people, including 160 children, might have been abducted and more than 80 women raped.


2008 Christmas massacres, Attacks
According to Human Rights Watch, "the similar tactics and the near-simultaneous attacks indicate this was a planned operation meant to slaughter and terrorize as many civilians as possible". The LRA has denied responsibility for the attacks; an LRA spokesman suggested that LRA defectors who had joined the Ugandan army may have been responsible.


2008 Christmas massacres, Death toll
On 29 December 2008, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that 189 people had been killed on 26–27 December. Caritas International has put the death toll at over 400, while Human Rights Watch reported that at least 620 civilians were killed between 24 December and 13 January.


2008 Christmas massacres, Reactions
On 30 December 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned "the appalling atrocities reportedly committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in recent days". The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo also condemned the attack and airlifted Congolese soldiers to Faradje to prevent further attacks. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees said the situation was "catastrophic". The European Commission condemned the attacks and called on the LRA "to immediately cease all criminal acts against the innocent people". Caritas International said it was "shocked" by its staff reports of the massacres.


2008 Christy Ring Cup
The 2008 Christy Ring Cup was the 4th annual second tier hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. Carlow beat Westmeath in the final after extra time. Carlow were beaten by Laois the bottom team in the Liam McCarthy Cup and played in the Christy Ring Cup again the following year as a result.


2008 Christy Ring Cup, Format
Each team in the group played each other once in the first phase. The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarter-finals. The bottom team in each group went into the relegation play-offs.


2008 Christy Ring Cup, Results, Relegation play-offs
Due to a restructuring of the hurling championships the following year, the relegation playoffs were subsequently rendered meaningless as all four teams involved were relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup for 2009.


2008 Christy Ring Cup Final
The 2008 Christy Ring Cup final was a hurling match played at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland on 3 August 2008 to determine the winners of the 2008 Christy Ring Cup, the 4th season of the Christy Ring Cup, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams. The final was contested by Carlow of Leinster and Westmeath of Leinster, with Carlow winning by 3-22 to 4-16.


2008 Christy Ring Cup Final
There was nothing to separate the sides in the opening half, with Carlow recovering from an indifferent start to level matters by the break at 1-10 apiece. Derek McNicholas rattled the net for Westmeath while Craig Doyle bagged Carlow's goal.


2008 Christy Ring Cup Final
A scoring blitz on the resumption of play saw Carlow score 2-4 without reply in the first ten minutes. Robert Foley and Doyle found the net as Carlow led by ten points. Westmeath reduced the deficit to just three points with ten minutes remaining, helped by 1-2 from star forward Brendan Murtagh. Carlow edged further in front as full-time approached but in an amazing five minutes of stoppage time Westmeath forced extra-time with a goal from John Shaw and a last gasp converted penalty from Murtagh which ended the contest in normal time at 3-18 to 4-15. A missed penalty for Westmeath in the third minute of extra-time ultimately proved costly. Paul Greville got the only score in the first period with a point for Westmeath, but four unanswered points in the second period from Carlow claim the title.


2008 Chrono Champenois – Trophée Européen
The 2008 Chrono Champenois – Trophée Européen was the 10th running of the Chrono Champenois - Trophée Européen, a women's individual time trial bicycle race. It was held on 14 September 2008 over a distance of 33.4 kilometres (20.8 miles) in France. It was rated by the UCI as a 1.1 category race.


2008 Chrono des Nations
The 2008 Chrono des Nations was the 27th edition of the Chrono des Nations cycle race and was held on 19 October 2008. The race started and finished in Les Herbiers. The race was won by Stef Clement.


2008 Churchill Cup
The 2008 Churchill Cup took place between 7 June and 21 June 2008 in what was the sixth year of the Churchill Cup. Six rugby union teams took part: Canada, England Saxons, Ireland A, Scotland A, the USA, and an Argentinian XV.


2008 Churchill Cup, Participation
The entry of an Argentinian XV into the competition stems from a decision by the New Zealand Rugby Union not to assemble its 'A' team, the Junior All Blacks, in 2008; as a consequence, the New Zealand Māori, who have taken part in the last three Churchill Cup tournaments, replaced the Juniors in the Pacific Nations Cup and were not available for the Churchill Cup.


2008 Churchill Cup, Format
The teams were split into two pools of three teams each. Within each pool, the teams played one another once. All six teams participated in a finals day: the two pool winners competed in the final for the Churchill Cup, the two runners-up played in a Plate final, and the two bottom-placed teams competed for a Bowl.


2008 Churchill Cup, Venues
After the 2007 tournament, which was the first to be played outside of North America, the 2008 tournament returned to North America again. The pool games were played at three venues in Ontario, Canada: Fletcher's Fields, Markham; Twin Elm Rugby Park, Nepean; and Richardson Memorial Stadium, Kingston. Finals Day took place at Toyota Park, Chicago.


2008 Cidade de Guimarães Trophy
The 2008 Cidade de Guimarães Trophy was a Portuguese football competition that took place between 1–4 August 2008 and featured Vitória Guimarães, Benfica, and Paris Saint-Germain. Benfica won in the final match against Vitória Guimarães.