Communist Party of China (CPC) and Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) must "hold hands" to cooperate and to prevent crisis across the Taiwan Strait, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC told a visiting delegation. Hu Jintao (R), General secretary of the Communist Party of China shakes hands with Lien Chan, honorary chairman of Kuomintang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 28, 2007. [Reuters]"Let us hold hands to cooperate, prevent Taiwanese independence and preserve cross-strait peace," Hu said in welcoming Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the KMT, who is attending the third annual Cross-Strait Economic and Cultural Summit in Beijing today and tomorrow. Lien and more than 300 party officials and business leaders arrived in Beijing yesterday after touring provincial cities where they were welcomed by local officials. Lien met with Hu in 2005, and again last year, ending more than 60 years of animosity with the Communist Party. This meeting "will be a reiteration of their consensus for party-to-party cooperation to promote cross-strait peace," Philip Yang, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said in a phone interview yesterday from Taipei. Win-Win The summit, which is focusing on direct flights, tourism and education, is taking place at a time when Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party is accelerating efforts to split China's sovereignty. "We must insist on a win-win goal," Lien said to Hu. "Building mutually beneficial relations is a global trend. We must work closer together to achieve this." Since Lien's historic meeting with Hu in 2005, Beijing has allowed Taiwanese professionals to be accredited on the Chinese mainland and given Taiwanese students equal treatment in mainland universities. Cross-strait charter flights for Taiwanese investors living on the mainland have been expanded to all major holidays. In addition, Beijing opened its markets for tariff-free imports of Taiwanese fruit. Pandas Rejected The mainland offered Taiwan a gift of a pair of pandas, which "President" Chen Shui-bian and his "government" rejected. Beijing also offered to allow the Olympic torch relay to cross Taiwan's soil as a sign of goodwill in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The DPP-led "government" has promoted Taiwanese ethnic identity and tried to eliminate mainland culture, a move contrary to the interests of most Taiwanese, Lien said in his opening speech to the summit. "The DPP has reversed growth, caused political tensions and isolation and escalated an arms race and economic marginalization for Taiwan," Lien said. The DPP's moves are "dangerous and escalate cross-strait military tensions," Jia Qinglin, chairman of the mainland top political advisory assembly, said at the beginning of the summit.
Chinese children have grown taller and heavier in recent years but their health is getting worse, a senior education official said on Wednesday, criticising pressure from parents and teachers to study. A pupil raises his hand to answer questions at a class in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, in this photo taken on April 6, 2005. "The inappropriate educational concepts, which put study ahead of anything else and impose great burden on pupils, have seriously affected their healthy growth," said Liao Wenke, an official in charge of youth development. "The endurance, strength and lung capacity of the children continue to fall - and rapidly, especially in the last 10 years," Liao told a news conference. The average height of children aged seven to 18 had increased by up to 1 cm in 2005 from 2000, and the average weight had also risen - but the performance in sports had declined. "Obese schoolchildren are increasing in numbers swiftly, and the percentage of myopia remains high," he said. China now has the world's second highest myopia rate among schoolchildren, blamed in part on too much study, and obesity among the young has become a major health concern. Chinese parents and teachers pressure children to succeed at an early age, with holidays and leisure time often sacrificed for homework to ensure success in college entrance exams. The education ministry had urged schools nationwide to pay more attention to sports and lighten children's burden by reducing homework and increasing exercise, Liao said. President Hu Jintao also emphasised the importance of sports for children this week, urging local governments to use "healthy competition" to shape Chinese youth.
BEIJING - The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, on Thursday asked its local offices to ensure cash supplies amid persistent snow to meet demand for the Spring Festival, which falls on February 7.Snow has disrupted transportation, making it hard to deliver cash to the branches.The central bank, in a circular, urged its local offices to help commercial banks in getting or storing cash.The heavy snow that has fallen since mid-January, the worst in 50 years in much of China, has paralyzed transportation, frozen the power grid and caused serious economic losses.It showed no signs of abating as forecasters warned of three more days of snow and sleet.
Five needy college students in Central China's Hubei Province are being denied further financial aid because they never expressed their thanks to the benefactors who helped them pay their bills last year.The beneficiaries, in Xiangfan, were said to have been indifferent to their sponsors because they never called, wrote or even thanked them for the financial support they had received, local media reported.Sina.com asked more than 200,000 people what they thought of the subject Wednesday, and more than 83 percent of respondents said they thought it was right to cut off the financial aid to the students. Roughly 9 percent said they did not agree and the rest said no comment.Under the aid program, organized by the Xiangfan Federation of Trade Unions and Xiangfan Women Entrepreneurs Association last August, 19 businesswomen offered financial support to 22 needy college students.Each benefactor promised to give 1,000-3,000 yuan (0-400) every year to each student for the next four years.The federation sent letters to the students and their families before they enrolled in college, suggesting they occasionally write letters to their sponsors to brief them on their studies. However, two-thirds of the students failed to do so.Some of the businesswomen refused to sponsor the students this year because they said "some students were cold-blooded"."The situation is embarrassing. Most of the students have a strong sense of pride. They lack a proper and optimistic attitude toward others and society. Maybe, some of them took the sponsorships for granted because they thought they were good students and deserved the support. That's why they didn't think to say 'thank you'."Zhou Ping, deputy chairperson of Xiangfan Federation of Trade Unions"We cannot refrain from eating for fear of choking on the food. It will not help these disadvantaged students to cut off their support. If they have faults, they should get help correcting them. Financial aid and other kinds of charity should focus on helping escape their difficulties, both spiritually and materially. "Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor of Renmin University of China in Beijing"Financial resources are limited, and many students are waiting to share them, so there is no room for ungrateful citizens who might have no will to repay society. There are many examples of impoverished students who spend their financial aid on luxury products, which discourages others from offering them donations."Li Chengpeng, a media commentator"I support cutting off the aid. The benefactors do not feel the value of their good deed and the beneficiaries do not feel grateful for the help. If the relationship is to be maintained, it might be harmful to both sides."Zhu Jun, a lawyer
BEIJING -- The dumpling poisoning incident in Japan has been proved to be an individual contrived case, not caused by pesticide residue, said China's quality watchdog on Thursday.The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said at a press conference that it made the conclusion after finding no harmful chemicals in relative products and samples and no abnormal operations by the Chinese producer.Japanese media reported on January 10 that people fell ill in December and January after consuming frozen meat dumplings produced by Tianyang Food Plant based in north china's Hebei Province.
The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) logged 3.962 billion patacas (around 495 million U.S. dollars) in total revenue in January 2008, up 37 percent year-on-year, the government said. The latest statistics released by the SAR government showed that a major share of the total revenue for January 2008 came from direct gaming taxes, which saw an increase of 30.9 percent year-on-year to 3.09 billion patacas (386 million U.S. dollars). Thanks to the booming gaming industry in the island city, which has seen the opening of its 28th casino by the end of 2007, Macao's gaming taxes grew by 48 percent over the previous year to 29.3 billion patacas (3.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2007, leading to an overall surplus of 21.8 billion patacas (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) in public finance, according to official statistics. In its latest research report released Friday, the Bank of China Macao Branch forecast that due to the dynamic development of gaming and tourism industries and ballooning fixed-asset investment in the city, Macao's GDP will keep a growth rate of 13 percent in 2008, which is lower than the 27 percent rate of the previous year.
武汉seo排名优化
Nanjing - Four people died and 16 were injured when a snow-laden fuel pump shelter in Nanjing suddenly collapsed on Sunday afternoon, according to local sources.The accident took place around 2:30 pm at the Sinopec Wujiang fuel pump station in Pukou District of Nanjing, the Jiangsu Province capital, when one van, one sedan and six motorbikes were refueling.The station ceiling, with a floor area of 1,430 square meters, suddenly gave way to the thick snow that had accumulated on it over the past few days. When it hit the ground, it engulfed all the vehicles and people beneath it, said information from the city government.It was not immediately known whether any station service workers were in the accident.The victims were all rescued from the debris and rushed to hospital immediately. Four later died from their injuries. The others were hospitalized.The accident is under further investigation.
Wu Bangguo,chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,delivers a speech during the seminar marking the 10th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law in Beijing June 6, 2007. [Reuters]The central government will continue to support Hong Kong in developing a democratic system that suits its conditions, but any reform must be gradual and in accordance with the Basic Law, top legislator Wu Bangguo said yesterday in Beijing. Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, made the remarks at a seminar marking the 10th anniversary of implementing the Basic Law. The Basic Law is the constitutional document for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). It enshrines the key concepts of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and "a high degree of autonomy". Wu said events have proved, and will continue to prove, that the principle of "one country, two systems" is workable and feasible and the Basic Law is a sound law able to withstand the test of time. He emphasized that Hong Kong must uphold State sovereignty and ensure prosperity and stability while enjoying a high degree of autonomy. Being an SAR directly under the central government, "Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is not intrinsic, but authorized by the central government". "It only has as much power as authorized by the central government. There is no so-called residual power." But Wu said the central government will never interfere in affairs within the purview of the autonomy of the SAR. Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said at the seminar that the SAR has retained its international features, rule by law and various kinds of freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law after its return to the motherland. "With State care and assistance, we have strived to display our unique advantages and made significant achievements widely recognized by the international community," Tsang said. The Basic Law has laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong's economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihood, he added. Former secretary of justice Elsie Leung added that to achieve the ultimate goal of universal suffrage, and maintain prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the relationship between the central government and Hong KongLeung said Hong Kong has made gradual progress in democracy in accordance with the Basic Law over the years. Since its return to the motherland in 1997, the number of members in the Election Committee, which elects the chief executive, has grown from 400 to 800; and they are from different social strata and sectors. In the Legislative Council, the number of directly elected seats has also increased from one-third in the first term to half in the third term. The Basic Law itself is a result of broad participation of Hong Kong citizens as well, Wu said, pointing out that 23 of the 59 members of the drafting committee were from Hong Kong. The full text of the draft law was made public twice for public comments. Different social strata, sectors and groups in Hong Kong came up with nearly 80,000 comments and proposals. "In other words, each and every article of the Basic Law represents the broad consensus of Hong Kong society," Wu said.
The first ever white paper on political parties pledges multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Released Thursday by the Information Office of the State Council, the white paper, entitled "China's Political Party System", explains in detail the formation, characteristics and development of the system and its role in economic and social development.Multi-party cooperation is a political system that suits China's conditions, the paper says."China will not mechanically copy other countries' political party systems," the document says, adding that the history of modern and contemporary China has proven that blind emulation of the political or party systems of other countries will not succeed.Zhuang Congsheng, director of the research office of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, said multi-party cooperation is different from the two-party or multi-party systems in Western countries and the one-party system practised in some other countries. China has established a unique political party system and its own way to fulfill democracy, he said.In China, the ruling party and other parties share the same ideal and same objectives, said Zhuang.The white paper says multi-party cooperation has created a new form of political system in the world.Under this system, the CPC and other parties work closely together and supervise each other, instead of opposing each other, with the CPC ruling the country and the other parties participating in State affairs according to law.By the end of 2006, 31,000 people who were not CPC members and those without party affiliation took up government posts at and above the county level, the paper says.Among them, 18 served as deputy chiefs in the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and ministries, commissions, offices and bureaus directly under the State Council.Minister of Health Chen Zhu and Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang - both educated in Europe - are the first non-CPC members appointed to the Cabinet since the 1970s.Apart from the CPC, there are eight parties in China: Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, China Democratic League, China National Democratic Construction Association, China Association for Promoting Democracy, Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, Jiu San Society and Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.Xinhua contributed to the story
The country's roaring stock market and soaring property prices have generated wealth for so many that the mainland now has more billionaires than any place other than the United States, according to a list released Wednesday.The list has 106 US dollar billionaires, compared with 15 last year and none in 2002, according to the popular annual The Hurun Rich List - compiled by Shanghai-based independent analyst Rupert Hoogeperf.Out of the top 10, nine own listed companies - six are real estate developers and two also derive a large percentage of their wealth from real estate, indicating that the country's economic growth is largely driven by construction and manufacturing.The total wealth of the 800 richest Chinese reached 9.3 billion, or 16 percent of the country's GDP last year. Their average wealth more than doubled in the past year to 2 million."China's richest have reaped windfalls from a sharp hike in property prices and the burgeoning stock markets," said Hoogeperf.But Beijing-based investment banker Andrew Zhang said: "The list shows up bubbles in the economy. The rich have accumulated their wealth with little technology, branding or international networks."Yang Huiyan - the 26-year-old woman who was No 1 on Forbes wealth list released this week - remains top on the Hurun list with a personal fortune reaching .5 billion, transferred from her property developer father.Her fortune comes from a 59.5 percent stake in Country Garden Holdings, a South China real estate developer founded by her father. The company's initial public offering in Hong Kong in April raised the equivalent of .9 billion and its shares closed Wednesday at HK.12 - more than double the IPO price.She is followed by 50-year-old Zhang Yin, last year's topper, who saw the value of her shares in Nine Dragon Paper triple to billion following a surge in the Hong Kong stock market.Xu Rongmao, 57, owner of Shimao Property Holdings Ltd comes in at No 3. He has seen his wealth grow to .5 billion, up .5 billion from last year.Huang Guangyu, 38, who founded Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings and owns unlisted property businesses, is fourth with billion.Guo Guangchang, whose Fosun Group has investments in property, retail, steel, pharmaceuticals and mining, rejoins the top 10 for the first time in four years after raising .5 billion from a Hong Kong listing in June.Surging share prices created much of the wealth of those on Hoogewerf's list.Nine made it due to shareholdings in Minsheng Banking Corp - the most prominent creator of super-rich of any Chinese company.Ping An Insurance (Group) Co, China's second-largest life insurer, and Western Mining Co, a zinc and lead miner, were each responsible for the wealth of seven on the list.