A Yangtze finless porpoise plays with its caretaker at the White Fin Dolphin Zoo in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, on April 18. Seven Yangtze finless porpoises are raised in the zoo.
　　Since March 3, 10 corpses of Yangtze finless porpoise have been found near the Dongting Lake in central China’s Hunan Province.
　　The Yangtze finless porpoise and white fin dolphin are the only two cetacean mammals in the Yangtze River and nearby fresh waters. Only a few thousand Yangtze finless porpoises still live in the Yangtze River, but are estimated to decrease by 5 to 10 percent every year.
　　Experts say that shipping, illegal fishing, sand excavation, climate change, river pollution, and competition from human beings for food, have all contributed to Yangtze finless porpoises’ decline.
　　“The Huangyan Island is an integral part of Chinese territory. There is no basis for the Philippines’ claim to the island and China cannot accept this claim.”
　　Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying, lodging a complaint over the harassment of Chinese fishermen by a Philippine naval ship near the Huangyan Island in the South China Sea with the charge d’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in China in Beijing on April 18
　　“Nobody has written down completely the changes Tibet has experienced in the past half a century. We are enjoying religious freedom. Our lives have been greatly improved. I want to tell readers our true feelings.”
　　Tibetan writer Cering Norbu, speaking about his new book on Tibet’s changes since the 1959 democratic reform at the London Book Fair on April 17
　　“China has done a lot to help ease disagreements between Sudan and South Sudan, and it will continue to work with the international community to push for reconciliation and talks.”
　　Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, expressing concern over rising tensions between Sudan and South Sudan at a press conference in Beijing on April 19 after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared war on South Sudan
　　“We are absolutely determined to make sure we have a safe and secure games and we put a lot of thought into how we can do that.”
　　Jeremy Hunt, British Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, saying that London is ready for the coming Olympic Games while attending a promotional activity for the games in Shanghai on April 18