http://english.people.com.cn/ http://english.people.com.cn/images/en/top_logo_e.gif People's Daily Online http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/ 6892956 2010-02-10 19:37:33 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892956 2010-02-10 19:37:33 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892955 2010-02-10 19:34:56 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892955 2010-02-10 19:34:56 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892954 2010-02-10 19:30:31 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892954 2010-02-10 19:30:31 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892953 2010-02-10 19:28:48 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892953 2010-02-10 19:28:48 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892952 2010-02-10 19:27:19 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892952 2010-02-10 19:27:19 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892945 2010-02-10 18:20:43 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892945 2010-02-10 18:20:43 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892944 2010-02-10 18:19:36 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892944 2010-02-10 18:19:36 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892943 2010-02-10 18:18:06 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892943 2010-02-10 18:18:06 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892942 2010-02-10 18:17:15 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892942 2010-02-10 18:17:15 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892941 2010-02-10 18:16:23 &$Source: Xinhua&$ ...]]> &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892941 2010-02-10 18:16:23 &$Source: Xinhua&$ ...]]> &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892936 2010-02-10 18:15:14 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892936 2010-02-10 18:15:14 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892892 2010-02-10 17:01:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892892 2010-02-10 17:01:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892889 2010-02-10 17:00:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892889 2010-02-10 17:00:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892882 2010-02-10 16:59:20 6892882 2010-02-10 16:59:20 6892873 2010-02-10 16:56:58 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892873 2010-02-10 16:56:58 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892819 2010-02-10 16:23:45 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892819 2010-02-10 16:23:45 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892818 2010-02-10 16:23:01 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892787 2010-02-10 16:06:14 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892787 2010-02-10 16:06:14 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892776 2010-02-10 15:45:57 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892776 2010-02-10 15:45:57 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892775 2010-02-10 15:44:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892775 2010-02-10 15:44:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892756 2010-02-10 14:54:09 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892756 2010-02-10 14:54:09 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892754 2010-02-10 14:53:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892754 2010-02-10 14:53:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892753 2010-02-10 14:52:48 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892753 2010-02-10 14:52:48 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892751 2010-02-10 14:52:13 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892751 2010-02-10 14:52:13 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892750 2010-02-10 14:51:26 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892750 2010-02-10 14:51:26 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892749 2010-02-10 14:48:21 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892749 2010-02-10 14:48:21 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892711 2010-02-10 13:37:21 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892711 2010-02-10 13:37:21 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892668 2010-02-10 13:17:22 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892668 2010-02-10 13:17:22 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892657 2010-02-10 13:15:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892657 2010-02-10 13:15:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892652 2010-02-10 13:14:01 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892652 2010-02-10 13:14:01 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892631 2010-02-10 12:16:24 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892631 2010-02-10 12:16:24 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892623 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892623 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892622 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892622 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892621 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892621 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892620 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892620 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892619 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892619 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892618 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892618 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892617 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892617 2010-02-10 11:42:34 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892615 2010-02-10 11:38:38 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892615 2010-02-10 11:38:38 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892614 2010-02-10 11:38:12 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892614 2010-02-10 11:38:12 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892612 2010-02-10 11:37:31 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892612 2010-02-10 11:37:31 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892611 2010-02-10 11:37:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892611 2010-02-10 11:37:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892609 2010-02-10 11:36:15 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892609 2010-02-10 11:36:15 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892607 2010-02-10 11:37:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892607 2010-02-10 11:37:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892605 2010-02-10 11:34:49 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892605 2010-02-10 11:34:49 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892604 2010-02-10 11:34:17 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892604 2010-02-10 11:34:17 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892603 2010-02-10 11:34:20 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892603 2010-02-10 11:34:20 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892579 2010-02-10 11:10:45 &$Source: Xinhua&$ &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892579 2010-02-10 11:10:45 &$Source: Xinhua&$ &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892542 2010-02-10 10:46:24 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892542 2010-02-10 10:46:24 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892540 2010-02-10 10:45:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892540 2010-02-10 10:45:29 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892533 2010-02-10 10:44:18 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892533 2010-02-10 10:44:18 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892531 2010-02-10 10:43:45 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892531 2010-02-10 10:43:45 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892472 2010-02-10 10:18:17 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892472 2010-02-10 10:18:17 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892471 2010-02-10 10:17:46 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892471 2010-02-10 10:17:46 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892464 2010-02-10 10:12:06 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892464 2010-02-10 10:12:06 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892459 2010-02-10 10:11:06 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892459 2010-02-10 10:11:06 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892457 2010-02-10 10:10:30 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892457 2010-02-10 10:10:30 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892456 2010-02-10 10:09:57 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892456 2010-02-10 10:09:57 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892441 2010-02-10 10:00:31 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892441 2010-02-10 10:00:31 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892439 2010-02-10 09:59:44 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892439 2010-02-10 09:59:44 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892438 2010-02-10 09:59:15 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892438 2010-02-10 09:59:15 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892437 2010-02-10 09:58:46 6892437 2010-02-10 09:58:46 6892434 2010-02-10 09:58:10 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892434 2010-02-10 09:58:10 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892433 2010-02-10 09:57:41 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892433 2010-02-10 09:57:41 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892431 2010-02-10 09:57:01 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892431 2010-02-10 09:57:01 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892429 2010-02-10 09:56:29 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892429 2010-02-10 09:56:29 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892428 2010-02-10 09:56:01 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892428 2010-02-10 09:56:01 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892425 2010-02-10 09:54:34 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892425 2010-02-10 09:54:34 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892424 2010-02-10 09:54:04 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892424 2010-02-10 09:54:04 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892421 2010-02-10 09:53:28 6892421 2010-02-10 09:53:28 6892419 2010-02-10 09:52:55 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892419 2010-02-10 09:52:55 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892418 2010-02-10 09:52:22 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892418 2010-02-10 09:52:22 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892416 2010-02-10 09:51:52 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892416 2010-02-10 09:51:52 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892385 2010-02-10 09:35:56 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892385 2010-02-10 09:35:56 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892383 2010-02-10 09:35:19 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892383 2010-02-10 09:35:19 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892382 2010-02-10 09:34:37 6892382 2010-02-10 09:34:37 6892378 2010-02-10 09:33:24 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892378 2010-02-10 09:33:24 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892376 2010-02-10 09:31:27 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892376 2010-02-10 09:31:27 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892353 2010-02-10 09:20:59 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892353 2010-02-10 09:20:59 &$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892346 2010-02-10 09:12:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892346 2010-02-10 09:12:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892343 2010-02-10 09:12:00 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892343 2010-02-10 09:12:00 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892341 2010-02-10 09:11:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892341 2010-02-10 09:11:22 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892337 2010-02-10 09:10:23 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892337 2010-02-10 09:10:23 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892331 2010-02-10 09:08:42 6892331 2010-02-10 09:08:42 6892329 2010-02-10 09:07:42 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892329 2010-02-10 09:07:42 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892325 2010-02-10 09:06:57 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892325 2010-02-10 09:06:57 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892322 2010-02-10 09:06:16 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892322 2010-02-10 09:06:16 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892321 2010-02-10 09:05:37 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892321 2010-02-10 09:05:37 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892318 2010-02-10 09:04:50 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892318 2010-02-10 09:04:50 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892317 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$A man attempts to dig his car out of the snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 9, 2010. The federal government announced it would remain closed on Tuesday and most schools planned to shut down as residents of the mid-Atlantic struggled to dig out f ...]]> &$A man attempts to dig his car out of the snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 9, 2010. The federal government announced it would remain closed on Tuesday and most schools planned to shut down as residents of the mid-Atlantic struggled to dig out from a blizzard that dumped two feet (0.6 metres) of snow on the region.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)&$&$ The National Weather Service predicted that another 10 to 20 inches (25 centimeters to 50 centimeters) of snow would fall on northern Virginia and eastern Maryland, including Washington, D.C., through Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, could be slammed with 3 to 7 inches of snow on Tuesday and an additional 8 to 12 inches on Wednesday, and other major cities such as Boston and New York City also expect some snow, said the services. Federal government agencies and schools are closed on Tuesday for a second day, and hundreds of flights were canceled as airlines consider the impact by the severe weather situation. &$ &$Falling snow is lit by vehicles headlight as the second major snow storm to affect the Atlantic coast in five days hits the nation's capital in Washington, February 9, 2010.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)&$&$ &$&$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892317 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$A man attempts to dig his car out of the snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 9, 2010. The federal government announced it would remain closed on Tuesday and most schools planned to shut down as residents of the mid-Atlantic struggled to dig out f ...]]> &$A man attempts to dig his car out of the snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 9, 2010. The federal government announced it would remain closed on Tuesday and most schools planned to shut down as residents of the mid-Atlantic struggled to dig out from a blizzard that dumped two feet (0.6 metres) of snow on the region.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)&$&$ The National Weather Service predicted that another 10 to 20 inches (25 centimeters to 50 centimeters) of snow would fall on northern Virginia and eastern Maryland, including Washington, D.C., through Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, could be slammed with 3 to 7 inches of snow on Tuesday and an additional 8 to 12 inches on Wednesday, and other major cities such as Boston and New York City also expect some snow, said the services. Federal government agencies and schools are closed on Tuesday for a second day, and hundreds of flights were canceled as airlines consider the impact by the severe weather situation. &$ &$Falling snow is lit by vehicles headlight as the second major snow storm to affect the Atlantic coast in five days hits the nation's capital in Washington, February 9, 2010.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)&$&$ &$&$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892316 2010-02-10 09:03:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892316 2010-02-10 09:03:53 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892313 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892313 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892311 2010-02-10 09:03:13 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892311 2010-02-10 09:03:13 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892308 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892308 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892303 2010-02-10 09:01:48 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892303 2010-02-10 09:01:48 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892301 2010-02-10 09:20:16 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892301 2010-02-10 09:20:16 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892298 2010-02-10 08:59:17 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892298 2010-02-10 08:59:17 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892283 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892283 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892282 2010-02-10 08:57:32 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892282 2010-02-10 08:57:32 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892276 2010-02-10 08:56:54 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892276 2010-02-10 08:56:54 &$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892275 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892275 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892272 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892272 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ...]]> &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892271 2010-02-10 08:55:59 &$Source: Agencies&$&$&$ 【1】 【2】 【3】 【4】 【5】 【6】 【7】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 6892270 2010-02-10 08:55:59 &$PAYING FOR A SCREW-UP &$&$ Toyota knew how to run a textbook recall. When Toyota launched its Lexus brand in 1989, the long-awaited LS400 was hit by a series of glitches, including a tail lamp prone to overheating. The recall threatened to kill the luxury brand in its cradle. Toyota suspended production and ramped up output of replacement parts. Its California-based sales arm sent representatives out to pick up every one of the 8,000 LS400s that had been sold and provide owners ...]]> &$PAYING FOR A SCREW-UP &$&$ Toyota knew how to run a textbook recall. When Toyota launched its Lexus brand in 1989, the long-awaited LS400 was hit by a series of glitches, including a tail lamp prone to overheating. The recall threatened to kill the luxury brand in its cradle. Toyota suspended production and ramped up output of replacement parts. Its California-based sales arm sent representatives out to pick up every one of the 8,000 LS400s that had been sold and provide owners with a free loaner while repairs were under way. The cars were returned washed and with a full tank of gas. Lexus dealers and customers were impressed by the attention and the brand went on to outsell BMW and Daimler AG in the U.S. market over the next two decades. That record of success made Toyota dealers deeply loyal -- and rich. It also drew investment from listed dealership groups that bet Toyota franchises would continue to outsell and out-service the rest of a wildly cyclical industry. As of end September, 2009, Houston-based Group 1 Automotive drew 39 percent of its new-car sales revenue from its Toyota stores. At Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation it was 21 percent. For Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based Penske it was 20 percent. "Toyota is struggling with being the largest automaker in the world. It certainly has issues, but you have to give them credit. They face reality. They deal with it," AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said in September, before the first of two massive recalls. In part because Toyota had kept a tight lid on the number of its dealerships, the franchises remained far more profitable than U.S. car dealerships. In 2008, during a recession, the average Toyota dealership sold four cars a day. The average Ford dealer sold one. In a pep talk last month partly aimed at its dealers, Toyota pledged to contain the damage to its brand from the recall announced in September for the risk that floor mats could trap accelerator pedals. "A product recall is an opportunity to reconnect with customers in ways we haven't before and to re-prove ourselves in their eyes," Inaba said on January 12 in a speech in Detroit. But four days later -- a Saturday -- Toyota's safety staff in Washington called NHTSA to let the agency know it had discovered a flaw with an accelerator manufactured by CTS Corp, an Indiana supplier that the automaker had begun to use in 2005 during its fast-growth phase. The problem: the CTS-built accelerator -- a $15 part -- could become stuck in some cases due to wear and moisture, Toyota had found. The bigger problem: the flaw affected over 2 million vehicles and the automaker had not yet fully figured out a way to fix it quickly. On Tuesday, January 19 Inaba, Toyota U.S. sales chief Jim Lentz and others were summoned to Washington. NHTSA officials say they said they wanted prompt action. Toyota's executives called back several hours later to say that they were launching a recall. The announcement on Thursday, January 21 looked bad for Toyota. But the situation turned dire the next Monday. U.S. safety regulators told Toyota it would have to take the unprecedented step of suspending sales of eight models while it rushed to find a fix.&n ]]> 6892268 2010-02-10 08:55:59 &$CRACKS IN THE ARMOR &$&$ In October 2007, Dave Champion, director of auto testing for Consumer Reports in Connecticut, was confronted by a shocking result from the magazine's influential survey of subscribers. "After years of sterling reliability, Toyota was showing cracks in the armor," Champion recalled. In a bombshell, the non-profit magazine dropped the V6 version of the Camry and two other vehicles from its recommended list. About the same time in Bloomington, Illinois, a ...]]> &$CRACKS IN THE ARMOR &$&$ In October 2007, Dave Champion, director of auto testing for Consumer Reports in Connecticut, was confronted by a shocking result from the magazine's influential survey of subscribers. "After years of sterling reliability, Toyota was showing cracks in the armor," Champion recalled. In a bombshell, the non-profit magazine dropped the V6 version of the Camry and two other vehicles from its recommended list. About the same time in Bloomington, Illinois, a team of number-crunching accident investigators was seeing a worrying pattern. A team known as CRASH at privately held insurer State Farm had noticed a spike in accidents involving Toyota vehicles including the top-selling Camry. State Farm, the largest U.S. auto insurer, notified U.S. regulators of the pattern. "If we believe a vehicle played a significant part in causing damages, we go back to the manufacturer," said spokesman Kip Diggs. "We tell them 'We believe your product is faulty and you need to pay us for the damages.'" "When you start to see significant claims activity that indicates there may be widespread problems with a product, that's when you go to NHTSA," said Diggs. "There had to have been significant activity, a noticeable trend for that to happen." Elsewhere, Toyota insiders and rivals had also begun to note other signs of distress in an organization that had started the decade with a goal to double its global market to 15 percent. The implicit outcome was understood by everyone in the industry: overtaking GM as No. 1. On the cusp of hitting that benchmark, some inside Toyota began to worry. To their minds, the goal had always been intended as one of Toyota's audacious stretch targets, like Watanabe's vision of a car that would clean the air. Toyota had even dropped it as a target, but now it was happening. "We feel more comfortable being behind someone else and not No. 1," said Yoshi Inaba, who was summoned out of retirement to set right U.S. operations. By 2007, Toyota's U.S. sales had rocketed by 80 percent from the start of the decade. Market share had almost doubled from just under 9 percent to 16 percent. In unit sales terms, it was as though Toyota had absorbed a second automaker the size of Honda and the bulge was still moving through the snake. "The checks and balances started to break down," said Vikas Sehgal, an auto industry expert and partner at Booz & Co. "At some point, the dis-economies of scale come into play." At the same time, Toyota found itself struggling to inculcate newcomers in the company's unique culture -- The Toyota Way. Kazuo Akatsuka, 55, saw the generational change first-hand and worried at the signs of change at the Tsutsumi plant where they build the Prius. Akatsuka worried that a new crop of temporary workers, some sporting piercings and dyed-hair, might just be working for a paycheck. They might not have bought into the Toyota Way, he said. "The people that were so precise, the people that sweat and built this company are no longer here. And to a certain degree I feel that passion has not been passed on," he said. "I feel like that attention to quality is gradually being forgotten." To keep the Toyota Way alive, workers& ]]> 6892267 2010-02-10 08:55:59 6892266 2010-02-10 08:55:59 &$GETCHA BOOTS ON &$&$ One of the organizing principles of Toyota's industrial ideology is that you have to "genchi genbutsu" a problem. In Japanese that means you have to go to the place, to touch the thing itself. You have to meet the customer, lift the hood, get your hands dirty. Walk, don't talk, Toyota instructs its workers. It is a phrase that Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder, is fond of trotting out. "Quality is Toyota's lifeline," he said in his first public appearance in the United States after becoming Toyota's president in June. In its relentless quest for quality, said Toyoda, the company had to live and breathe the two big ideas that had made it great: "customer first" and "genchi genbutsu." Some of Toyota's first U.S. production workers hired for its flagship plant in Kentucky two decades ago joked that they heard that latter phrase differently in English. To them, it sounded like "Getcha boots on." After three months of busy and sometimes frustrated exchanges with Toyota's U.S. staff on safety issues, the U.S. Department of Transportation decided last December to try a very Toyota tactic to get the automaker's attention. Medford got his boots on and headed to Japan. In a crowded meeting hall in Toyota's headquarters on December 15, Medford and two other senior NHTSA officials first delivered what amounted to a remedial lesson in U.S. safety regulation for about 100 Toyota engineers and executives, a primer in how the system is supposed to work. Then the Americans retired to a conference room to hammer home the no-nonsense warning to a smaller group. Across the table was Toyota's top officer in charge of quality, Hiroyuki Yokoyama, and the head of the engineering team that handled consumer complaints, Shinji Miyamoto. In a company that built its reputation on an almost paranoid obsession with quality, Yokoyama and Miyamoto were the keepers of the flame. Toyota knew that NHTSA officials were also scheduled to meet with Honda and Nissan and Japan's transport ministry so they were blindsided by this kind of tough meeting. "A ]]> 6892265 2010-02-10 08:55:58 【1】 【2】 【3】 【4】 【5】 【6】 【7】 &$&$ &$ ]]> 6892263 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892263 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892260 2010-02-10 08:56:03 &$European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso(2nd R Front) poses with new European commissioners in Strasbourg, France, on Feb. 9, 2010. The European Parliament voted and approved the new EU Commission on Feb. 9. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)&$&$ The European Parliament (EP) elected the new European Commission (EC) by 488 votes to 137, with 72 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The vote took the form o ...]]> &$European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso(2nd R Front) poses with new European commissioners in Strasbourg, France, on Feb. 9, 2010. The European Parliament voted and approved the new EU Commission on Feb. 9. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)&$&$ The European Parliament (EP) elected the new European Commission (EC) by 488 votes to 137, with 72 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The vote took the form of a single ballot on the whole college of commissioners, consisting of one commissioner from each of the 27 European Union (EU) Member States. The new 27-member commission led by Jos Manuel Barroso will stay in office until October 31, 2014. By way of comparison, Barroso's first commission was voted into office in November 2004 by 449 votes to 149, with 82 abstentions. "This is the first time in our history that we are appointing the European Commission in our capacity as a real co-legislator," EP's President Jerzy Buzek said during the debate held on Tuesday morning. "This is the dawn of a new decade, with a new way of working for the European institutions," he said. Barroso stressed that accountability to parliament is " crucially important for the commission's democratic legitimacy." The present exceptional times, with the economic crisis, climate change and energy security issues, meant that now was "a time for boldness," Barroso said. "We need strong European institutions to tackle these challenges and it was up to the commission and parliament acting together to ensure that the EU is more than the sum of its parts," he added. The election vote was preceded by hearings of the commissioners- designate organised by the committees of parliament in January and February. Each committee sent an evaluation letter on the respective commissioner-designate to the Conference of Presidents, a body consisting of the EP President and the political group leaders. All these evaluations were positive, and on February 4 the Conference of Presidents gave the go-ahead for the vote to take place. &$&$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892260 2010-02-10 08:56:03 &$European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso(2nd R Front) poses with new European commissioners in Strasbourg, France, on Feb. 9, 2010. The European Parliament voted and approved the new EU Commission on Feb. 9. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)&$&$ The European Parliament (EP) elected the new European Commission (EC) by 488 votes to 137, with 72 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The vote took the form o ...]]> &$European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso(2nd R Front) poses with new European commissioners in Strasbourg, France, on Feb. 9, 2010. The European Parliament voted and approved the new EU Commission on Feb. 9. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)&$&$ The European Parliament (EP) elected the new European Commission (EC) by 488 votes to 137, with 72 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The vote took the form of a single ballot on the whole college of commissioners, consisting of one commissioner from each of the 27 European Union (EU) Member States. The new 27-member commission led by Jos Manuel Barroso will stay in office until October 31, 2014. By way of comparison, Barroso's first commission was voted into office in November 2004 by 449 votes to 149, with 82 abstentions. "This is the first time in our history that we are appointing the European Commission in our capacity as a real co-legislator," EP's President Jerzy Buzek said during the debate held on Tuesday morning. "This is the dawn of a new decade, with a new way of working for the European institutions," he said. Barroso stressed that accountability to parliament is " crucially important for the commission's democratic legitimacy." The present exceptional times, with the economic crisis, climate change and energy security issues, meant that now was "a time for boldness," Barroso said. "We need strong European institutions to tackle these challenges and it was up to the commission and parliament acting together to ensure that the EU is more than the sum of its parts," he added. The election vote was preceded by hearings of the commissioners- designate organised by the committees of parliament in January and February. Each committee sent an evaluation letter on the respective commissioner-designate to the Conference of Presidents, a body consisting of the EP President and the political group leaders. All these evaluations were positive, and on February 4 the Conference of Presidents gave the go-ahead for the vote to take place. &$&$Source: Xinhua &$&$ ]]> 6892259 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892259 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892255 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]> 6892255 2010-02-10 11:42:35 &$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ]]>