KUNMING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has called for more efforts to fight Yunnan's worst drought in 60 years when visiting the province in southwestern China.He urged local authorities to ensure water supply for urban and rural residents and for agricultural uses.He also asked local authorities to take more measures to limit the spread of forest fires.Hui visited several rural households to know if they had enough water. He also inspected affected crops, reservoirs and forests during his visit to Yunnan from Wednesday to Friday.Yunnan's drought has resulted in water shortages for locals, livestock and crops.The dry spell started in the autumn 2009 and has also hit neighboring Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.The seriousness, duration, areas affected and losses are rarely seen in history, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) said late Friday in a statement on its website.The ministry urged all affected regions to "take all possible means" to minimize the damages of the drought.The ministry also asked local civil affairs authorities of the four hardest-hit regions to report, on a 10-day basis, the number of people affected by the drought, people suffering from drinking water shortage, and people in need of government aid.
YINCHUAN, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for more efforts to promote social, economic development in the underdeveloped western areas of the country.Hu made the call during his three-day visit to northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from Sunday to Tuesday.This year marks the tenth anniversary of China's campaign to develop the west.Hu said the past decade witnessed a good beginning of and laid a solid foundation for the "West Development" drive and the next decade would be a crucial period for pushing forward the campaign. Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) visits Shizuishan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Hu Jintao called for more efforts to promote social, economic development in the underdeveloped western areas of the country during his three-day visit to northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from March 21 to 23To develop the west would remain one of the priorities in the 12th five-year plan starting 2011, during which the central government would provide more favorable policies and greater funds to western areas, Hu said.He called for transforming the economic growth pattern, and improving people's livelihood, as he visited local factories, farms, renovated shanty-towns and new villages housing farmers that had migrated to from virtually uninhabitable areas.In his visit to a successful company which manufactures rare metal products, Hu said the central government attached strategic importance to developing the new material industry. He called on companies to innovate technology, produce new products and implement new management practices.
NANNING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Twelve of the 14 cities in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are affected by drought, the regional flood-control and drought relief authority announced Monday.The drought had affected 522,967 hectares of farm land by March 11 and 1.76 million people were denied easy access to drinking water, 232,100 people more than seven days earlier, said a statement from the authority.About 870,900 head of livestock were also suffering a shortage of drinking water.Local meteorologists forecast that in most of Guangxi, temperatures would be 0.1 to 1 degree Celsius higher than average in March and April, and precipitation would be 20 percent less.The authority predicted the drought would worsen, as the peak season for water consumption in spring ploughing would begin soon.
BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) Chairwoman Chen Zhili Saturday stressed greater efforts to be made to improve effectiveness in safeguarding women's rights.Chen, also vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, made the remarks while attending a ceremony held in Beijing to mark the national week for safeguarding women's rights and opening of a special welfare phone hotline --12338 -- in this regard."To improve effectiveness, it is necessary to fully understand the significance of safeguarding women's rights from a perspective of advancing building a harmonious socialist society, and to combine it with diverse other activities meant to promote women's progress," said Chen.The hotline service is hosted by local women's federations in 1,000 counties of 10 selected Chinese provinces and currently available in those counties only. Such phone service will be extended to other parts of the country gradually.
ZHOUSHAN, Zhejiang Province, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Maritime police authorities in Shanghai and the eastern China provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang launched a joint anti-terror exercise Saturday in the run-up to the Shanghai World Expo.Seven naval vessels joined the maneuver, which was held in the waters off the Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang Province, said Qian Junmin, a senior officer with the maritime police force in Jiangsu Province.He did not say how many officers joined the exercise, which focused on shooting and other practices.Shanghai, which sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River on the East China Sea, has a coastline of more than 600 km with busy water traffic.For security considerations, the sea off Shanghai will be patrolled by armed boats and motorboats during the Expo, scheduled from May 1 to Oct. 31.
URUMQI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang has revealed that the government is preparing measures to boost the economic and social development of the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a four-day inspection to the region that ended on Sunday.Zhou mingled with local cadres, teachers and residents when visiting Kashi Prefecture, Urumqi, the regional capital, and Shihezi City. He stressed the issues of housing, education and employment should be appropriately resolved to ensure social harmony. Zhou Yongkang (R Front), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chats with residents in Kashi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 25, 2010. Zhou made an inspection tour in Xinjiang on Feb. 25-28.He told two separate symposiums in Kashi and Urumqi that the CPC Central Committee would hold a meeting in the first half of this year, at which major decisions would be made to boost Xinjiang's development and enhance its stability.Zhou said development should benefit people of all ethnic groups in the region.
沈阳什么时候检测早孕
KHARTOUM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) and the Chinese National Energy Administration on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on China-Arab energy cooperation mechanism.The two sides singed the MoU at the end of the 2nd conference of the China-Arab Energy Cooperation of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum in Khartoum Thursday.Delegates to the conference had discussed the energy issue including nuclear and renewable energy, stressing the importance to develop all sorts of energy to meet the needs.China and the AL reached consensus to conduct cooperation in the energy sector, and the two sides would strengthen cooperation in the fields of petroleum, natural gas, electrical power, renewable energy and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.In the meantime, the two sides have agreed to hold the 3rd China-Arab Conference on Energy Cooperation in China in 2012.Representatives of the Arab States' energy ministries, the AL, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), the Arab Atomic Energy Commission, the Chinese National Energy Administration and some Chinese companies took part in the three- day conference.
BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu was among 13 people who on Sunday became new members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body.Their memberships were approved by a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, which closed on Sunday.The three-day meeting also appointed Qian Yunlu as secretary-general for the third session of the 11th CPPCC National Committee and 21 others as vice secretary-generals. The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu (front R) attends the 8th National Congress of the China Buddhism Association in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 1, 2010.The annual session will begin on March 3.
BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its three-day session Friday, after approving the National Defense Mobilization Law and an amendment to the Copyright Law.President Hu Jintao signed decrees to publish the new Law and the amendment to the Copyright Law, which will take effect on July 1 and April 1 respectively.The concluding meeting was presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.The National Defense Mobilization Law "is significant for enhancing the country's national defense building, strengthening mobilization ability for national defense, as well as for safeguarding national security and ensuring economic and social development," Wu said.The top legislator warned of the "pressing task" of ensuring food safety, and called for improving the country's food safety supervision network.Final preparations were made during the bimonthly session for the upcoming 11th NPC annual session.The session was a very important meeting for expressing ideas about how the country could further develop, Wu said.He urged all the NPC Standing Committee members to listen to the opinions of NPC deputies who would attend the annual session, and fully respect their democratic rights.The Standing Committee approved the draft agenda of the upcoming annual session and a work report by the 11th NPC Standing Committee which is to be delivered by Wu at the session.The top legislature Friday appointed Wu Shuangzhan, Peng Xiaofeng, Liu Yongzhi, Liu Zhenwu, Ge Zhenfeng, and Fu Tinggui as vice chairpersons of six special committees under the NPC respectively.The Credentials Committee of the NPC Standing Committee examined the qualification of deputies to the 11th NPC. The total number now stands at 2,981, Wu said.The standing committee confirmed Friday the qualification of five senior officials including Sun Zhengcai, Wang Rulin, Sun Chunlan, Padma Choling, and Luo Huining as newly-elected deputies to the 11th NPC.They were elected in Jilin and Fujian provinces, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Qinghai Province.Members of the NPC Standing Committee also agreed to expel Chen Shi, former county head in Wuchuan county in southwest China's Guizhou Province, from the national legislature for his suspected violations of law and discipline.The top legislature also ratified a bilateral consular agreement with the Philippines.Wu Bangguo also presided over a special lecture Friday afternoon to help members of the NPC Standing Committee better understand the importance of technology innovation in supporting the country's sustainable development.
BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 53.36 million Mu (about 3.56 million hectares) of crops in China had been affected by severe drought by Saturday, said the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. The drought, mostly in China's southwestern provinces including Yunnan and Guizhou, had damaged crops and caused water shortage to both people and livestock.In Yunnan, the worst drought-stricken province, up to 31.48 million Mu of crops had been affected, with 11.53 million Mu seriously damaged and 6.16 million Mu destroyed. About 5.97 million people and 3.59 million livestock are suffering from water shortage.A farmer walks on the cracking bottom of a pond in Shilin County, southwest China's Kunming City, Feb. 2, 2010The drought had also started to affect China's northern regions, as several northern provinces had not seen rainfall for nearly 40 days with signs of drought showing up in farmlands.The Office urged authorities in drought-hit areas to step up efforts in fighting drought and ensure water supply for people and agricultural uses.It would also seek financial support from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance to ensure water supply and improve irrigation facilities for the drought-stricken population, said the Office.About 640 million yuan (93.7 million U.S.dollars) had been allocated with 8.95 million people and 150,000 water trucks mobilized to fight the drought as of Saturday, watering 8.14 million Mu of crops and providing temporary water supply to 6.76 million people and 3.33 million livestock, data from the Office showed. A villager is waiting for water supply in Changkou County, southwest China's Kunming City, Feb. 2, 2010.