-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com welcome to "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo with the news at this hour. chinese president hu jintao has expressed his determination to fight rampant corruption on the ruling communist party. hu made the pledge in a speech at a ceremony held in beijing on friday to mark the 90th anniversary of the party's founding. >> translator: we have to implement strict policies against corruption. otherwise we may lose the trust and support of the people. it's a critical issue for the party. >> hu stressed that china will

carry out political reforms in line with the country's situation, while acknowledging the citizens' rights are still not fully protected. china has adopted market principles under its one-party rule and overtook japan to become the world's second largest economy. the rapid growth has widened economic gaps and fueled inflation, causing popular dissatisfaction. hu jintao also expressed this. >> translator: it rests on a strong defense and a powerful military. the country must pursue a stronger defense as well as economic growth. this aircraft carrier seen last month is a signal of the ongoing buildup. they bought the carrier 13 years ago. the ship is being remodeled. military observers suggest the carrier may eventually be commissioned for training

purposes. yet other reports say the chinese military is secretly building an entirely domestic-made carrier in shanghai. china has been increasingly been visibly seen last month. in may the maritime patrol ships tried to turn back a vessel. the south china sea is believed to maintain and preserve oil and gas. it has become a source of frequent tension with other countries in the region. july 1st also marks the return of hong kong to china. on friday, 13 years of the reversion, tens of thousands of people took to the streets. they were demanding that the reveryjent pledges be fulfilled. more than 100,000 people are

estimated to have gathered for the march. even central hong kong. the protesters called for power to be returned to the people. they also demanded the right to vote for their own chief executive. such an election is called for under the basic law that was adopted when hong kong reverted to china, but it has nevereen upheld. >> translator: we're only a yes man to china. there is no freedom or democracy. >> translator: china is busy focusing on economic growth, but it's leaving the human rights issue behind. >> earlier in the day an official ceremony was held to celebrate the return. chief executive donald tsang said that closer ties with the mainland china were helping with the hong kong economy. he referred to the chinese yuan in hong kong. >> translator: china's one country/two system policy is working well for the territory. the operate over the

troubled fukushima daiichi power plant says it will revise manuals for the cooling system. as we've been reporting all week, the operation has repeatedly been suspended because of a number of human errors. tepco started the device which decon t. in the latest case, for instance, frenchmade device in the unit stopped automatically on thursday, but operations resumed five hours later. tepco said on friday that the stoppage may have been caused by flawed programming of water levels for a tank attached to the device. as a result of several snags the water recycling system was operating at 55% capacity as of tuesday. >> translator: we're using newly made and newly installed devices. it's understandable there are problems.

>> the operation is considered vital tory dugs the amount of radioactive water that's building up in the plant's compound. the water recycling apprentice has been installed by combined several technologies. eastern japan now in the grips of the heat of summer is facing an energy crisis. the accident at the fukushima daiichi power plant led to the shutdown of a number of reactors so between july 1st and september 22nd, businessings and households are being asked to cut their power consumption by 15% compared to last year. factories and others using 500 kilowatts or more are required to cut their consumption. the mandatory cuts will cut about 18,500 firms. violators could face fines up to $12,000. the mandatory fines will not apply to disaster-hit areas or hospital os. the elderly are also excluded.

this is lower than last summer's peak demand of 60 million kilowatts. the expected power shortages are prompting factories to shift their operations from weekend ends to weekdays. some are starting an hour earlier to take advantage of sunlight. in tokyo some of the biggest players in the entertainment industry are also prepared to do their part, and some families are showing good examples to achieve the go. nhk world's hiroki najima has the story. >> reporter: one of the most popular forms of entertainment in japan is pachinko. this simple-like game brings in $260 billion a year,but the parlors consume a lot of energy. in the wake of the march 11th disaster and ensuing energy crisis, the pachinko industry was an easy target.

tokyo governor shintaro ishihara criticized it for its huge power consumption. >> translator: by wasting electricity, pachinko parlors and vending machines are ruining the japanese economy. >> reporter: the industry in eastern japan decided to reduce the amount of electricity it uses by more than 20%. parlors will be closing three times a month. they will also switch off 50% of their interior lights. >> translator: our earnings will drop by 10%, but considering the electricity shortage, it cannot be helped. >> reporter: some families are also making more efforts to cut down on energy consumption. since the earthquake on march 11th, this woman has reduced the amount of electricity she uses by more than 15% compared to last year.

she has planted climbing plants that now cover the walls of her house. the shade and vapor help lower the interior temperature by about two degrees. she used to be an avid hiker and camper. she's now making use of her outdoor experience to save energy. she bought solar-powered lanterns after the quake, which she takes outside to charge every day. once the batteries are full, she uses them indoors. she also bought oriental lanterns that uses candles to light her living room. together with an l.e.d. lamp, which consumes less electricity than a regular light, she's able to use the light.

as a mother of two, she saves on money and energy by mending clothes instead of buying new ones. now she's take it a step further and switching from an electric sewing machine to an old-fashioned pedal-powered model. >> translator: i'm a housewife raising kids. i can't afford to buy expensive energy-saving devices, but i believe a good idea will contribute to power reduction. >> reporter: households and businesses across eastern japan are being challenged to reduce their power consumption to help stave off blackouts this summer. the key to cutting energy usage isn't only ideas but also a willingness to help make a difference. hiroki najima, nhk world. tokyo.

they have mobilized about 2,500 workers in an attempt to bring the crisis under control. this doctor has been in charge of monitoring the health of the employees at the plant for many years. earlier this week he spent several days at the plant to examine the workers health. what tasks are the employees being require dodd and how are they coping physically and psychologically? we spoke with him earlier today right after he returned from the plant. the doctor has been monitoring the health of employees at the fukushima daiichi plant for about ten years. since the nuclear accident, workers have been struggling to repair the damage and lay down pipes and clear the rubble. the doctor has made two previous

visits to the plants since the accident in april and may. his primary aim was to evaluate the psychological health of the workers. he was surprised to find out that they were sleeping in crowded gymnasiums and were only being provided with instant mea meals. he suggested that the plant operator provide them with proper beds and fresh meals including vegetables. it has resulted in an improvement in the workers' conditions. he then made a third visit to the plant where he's val yalted the health of about 300 workers. doctor, more than 100 days have passed since the beginning of the crisis. have you noticed any change in the workers' working conditions? >> translator: when i made a visit to the plant in april, it was one month after the nuclear accident, and workers were desperatecember pratsperately t situation under control. when a long-term idea was

presented they had already been exhausted. but the living conditions have been improved since then. when i visited them in june, they didn't have to wear protective suits anymore, and the condition the in the gymnasium where workers are sleeping was comfortable enough, very close to ordinary living environment. >> are the workers able to take time off to recuperate? >> translator: the workers had not been able to take shower at all for some time after the accident first occurred, but now they're taking a shower every day. i think this is very important improvement as it gets hotter. >> many workers have experienced continuous radiation exposure. after the crisis began they raised the exposure limit from 100 millisieverts per year to

250 millisieverts. so far nine workers have been found to have exceeded that limit. it's not known if others have been affected. every worker has been issued a dough imter that measures on the outside of the body. but workers are also at rink of internal exposure. certain types of radioactive substances can affect their health if they're injected. it it's radiation exposure is certainly one of the primary concerns for the workers, i'm sure. what do you think is their current state of mind? >> translator: works are less concerned with radiation exposure now, but they'll be asked do different kinds of tasks in the future. they may have to get into a reactor building or get close to a reactor. they may have a growing of work concern about radiation exposure.

i think workers are exposed to four types of stresses. first is a risk of radiation exposure as i already mentioned. second is the fact that they themselves are the victims. they lost homes and cars and they are concerned about the future of their company. thirdly, many of the workers lost their loved ones and co-workers to the quake. and, lastly, they somewhat feel guilty about being the employees of tokyo electric power company, the company which caused the nuclear accident. they feel sorry for the people in the communities around the plant. so i think they are four stresses for the workers. >> as the rainy season continues

into summer, temperatures are starting to climb over 30 degrees celsius and even hotter days are expected in the coming months. what does this mean for workers' health? >> translator: when workers wear the masks, it's so hot and they become drenched with sweat. it was so hot on thursday that they could wring the sweat out of their underwear after work. i told them to drink a lot of water because it's hard to work the long hours in the hot weather. and recently they started working earlier in the morning and finish by noon. in the gymnasium where they sleep, ten units of air conditioners have been installed and cool air is being circulated and blown from above. i went there at night on wednesday and thursday and saw air conditioning offering comfortable environment. i think it's useful in terms of

work efficiency and workers' health. as it gets hotter in coming months, the companies should consider continue monitoring workers' conditions so that the workers will not suffer from exhaustion or heat stroke. next we go to our bureau in bangkok. we're joining with a special report before thai's go to the polls on sunday. >> hello from the thai capital where we're in the final week before this week's general election. thais are closely watching whether it will set off the nation's long-running political conflict. we report on the prospects for sunday's poll and its aftermath. >> reporter: the election campaign is in full swing across thailand. the two major parties vying to lead the next government are fired up. the incumbent prime minister has

been on a nationwide tour. his strongest support comes from wealthy and middle-class voters but he's also reaching out to low-income households. he's asking voters to choose between him and his arch rival. >> it's a choice for the thai people to decide on whether they want a government that works for them or a government that will vote for taxing. >> reporter: his opponent in the red corner is 44 years old, the sister of a former premier is running for office for the first time. she's won the hearts of the rural poor, the main supporters of thaksin. she touted her business background makes her the perfect choice to manage the country. >> my skill came from the business side. i think this is the right timing

for thailand to need someone who has the skills to help the country, to execute the campaign, and solve the problem that is still pending for the last two years. >> reporter: since thaksin was removed from power, thailand has become more divided than ever. political and social differences reached boiling point last year when 90 people were killed and about 1,900 wounded on the streets of bangkok. with the election approaching, voters have mixed expectations about what will happen next. >> translator: the situation has been so bad in the past. if everyone could reconcile, it would be better for the country. >> translator: i think it's going to be tough after the election.

i'm not sure what is going to happen and who will be the next government. >> reporter: support for another party at 52% with 34% supporting the democrats. even taking into account a margin of error, it seems the opposition has the upper hand. many wonder whether thailand ll have its first female prime minister, but they are also concerned about the possibility of political instability on such a decisive day for the country. nhk world, bangkok. a central figure in thailand's divided politics is former prime minister thaksin shinawatra. various groups have repeatedly clashed since his ouster in 2006. whether the election can restore unity is now a key question.

speaking in dubai where he lives in self-imposed exile, thaksin told nhk his views of this weekend's poll. >> i think she performed much better than anyone can expect, including myself. because she love the people. when she stays with the people, she's happy, even with a tough job and really an abrupt change for her life, but she can adjust it quite well because she loves people. i think we each have some ideas. when she's with the people, she's happy, even with a tough job. she has her own ideas. she has her own talent, which is

really -- i'm very pud. it's not just only because of her bringing me back but because of the reconciliation process that reconciling the difference between the people in thailand. and reunite. it should be a byproduct of the reconciliation. i miss her but i'm not desperately that i will have to go back regardless. i'm not that desperate. i have something to do. i do some business. do i some gold and platinum mining in africa and other countries. i can advise, even though i'm not in thailand, but if i were in thailand, i could do more. that's all. and i'd like to do some work that benefits the country and the people. p it's time to come togher and concile. at have to thepeople's ally

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> "nsl is launching a new segment this friday and won't want to lose it. the world aheadlmi the impact of th11th earthquake and tsunami and japan's ebud. that's "the road ahead" every friday night at 8:00 a 11:00 japan time don't forget to ms has our broadcast for this hour on "newsline." we'll be back with more ns lfn hour.m michio kijiman tokyo. thank you for watching bye-bye.