Message date: 2008-08-20
Students in China's quake-hit Sichuan start new semester
Primary and middle school students in some areas affected by the May 12 earthquake in China's southwestern Sichuan Province marked the start of their new semester on Wednesday. Thousands of pupils in Beichuan and Anxian, the worst-hit counties, returned to their schools for registration to make up classes halted by the devastating quake that killed nearly 70,000. "The country has exempted me tuition fees and I only need to pay 135 yuan (about 20 U.S. dollars) for notebooks and ac ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
FM: Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to focus on security, economy
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit will focus on security, economics and cultural cooperation. Heads of state attending the summit will lay out the major tasks for the next phase on promoting SCO cooperation on security, economics, culture and foreign affairs, according to a senior official of the ministry in a written statement when briefing President Hu Jintao's upcoming foreign tour of three nations and the summit ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Chinese legislator calls for further cooperation with Southeast Asia
Visiting Senior Chinese legislator Zha Peixin on Wednesday called for further cooperation between China's top legislature and parliaments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Speaking at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly's (AIPA) meeting, Zha, head of the Chinese parliamentarian delegation, said the National People's Congress of China (NPC) is willing to expand exchange and cooperation with the parliaments of Southeast Asian countries, in order to create a mutual b ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
China Enterprises Index surges 4.34 %
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index surged 464.72 points, or 4.34 percent, to close at 11,179.16on Wednesday. The H-shares index, initiated in August 1994 and readjusted on March 10, 2008, tracks the overall performance of 42 Chinese mainland state-owned enterprises listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Hang Seng China H-Financials Index also went up 573.51 points, or 4.12 percent, to close at 14,502.98. The H-Financials Index, initiated on Nov. 27, 2006, readjusted o ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
China corporate goods prices up 0.7% in July month-on-month
The Chinese corporate goods price (CGP) index, also called the wholesale price index, rose 0.7 percent month-on-month in July, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on Wednesday. According to the central bank, the CGP index rose 9.4 percent year-on-year. The index reflects the price change of products traded among corporations and traces overall price fluctuation together with the consumer price index (CPI). According to the PBOC, agricultural product prices in July rose ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Legislative head: Macao's legislature works well with gov't
Relations between the Legislative Assembly of Macao Special Administration Region (SAR) and its government is "generally good", said the Assembly's President Susana Chou at a press conference held on Wednesday. She pointed out that ever since the establishment of the SAR's Legislative Assembly nine years ago, it has been working well with the government, despite some minor clashes between the two sides on some issues. The SAR's Basic Law clarifies the leading role of the executiv ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
At least 10 injured in E China plant fire
At least 10 workers were injured when a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at a chemical plant in east China's Zhejiang Province, a local government official said. The blaze was triggered by inflammable chemicals in a storehouse of Hangzhou Hi-tech Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. in the Haihong Science and Technology Industrial Park in Hangzhou, the provincial capital. The injured had been in hospitalized and all were in stable condition. The fire was now under control. An inv ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Chinese president extends condolences on death of Zambian leader
President Hu Jintao of China expressed his condolences Wednesday over the death of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. In a message to Zambian acting President Rupiah Banda, Hu expressed deep sorrow on behalf of the Chinese government and people to the late president's family and all of Zambia. Mwanawasa was an outstanding leader and statesman of Zambia and a close friend of the Chinese, Hu said, noting that he had visited China several times. While adhering to the one Chin ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Value of retail sales in Macao surges 43% in fist half
Macao's value of total retail sales amounted 9.15 billion patacas (1.14 U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, a remarkably increase of 43 percent year-on-year, according to the figures Wednesday released by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). DSEC information indicated that the value of retail sales for the second quarter of this year rose by 40 percent from the same period of last year to 4.6 billion patacas (575 million dollars), with retail sales of watches, cloc ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
China to set up counseling hotlines in all major cities
China has started a pilot program that aims to set up counseling hotlines in all major cities to help the growing population suffering mental stress amid rapid social and economic changes. Provinces in the more affluent eastern part of the country and in interior areas where finances allow should start pilot hotlines in one or two cities or prefectures by the end of this year, the Ministry of Health said in a notice posted on its website. In small, lightly populated provinces, h ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Chinese Premier meets Estonian counterpart on sidelines of Beijing Games
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday met Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympic Games. Wen first extended a welcome to Ansip, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday to watch events, and congratulated Estonian athletes for their excellent performance at the Games. "I heard that yesterday you joined Estonians celebrating until midnight your athletes winning a gold and a silver in discus and rowing," Wen said. With a throw of 68.82 meters, ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
China mourns Zambian president's death
China on Wednesday expressed profound condolences over the death of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. "We are in deep sorrow for President Mwanawasa's death, and convey sincere sympathy to the Zambian government and people and the Mwanawasa family," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference. President Mwanawasa was an outstanding leader and statesman of Zambia, and made important contribution to Zambia's political stability and economic construct ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
China urges France to respect its concern over Tibet-related issues
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Wednesday urged France to respect China's concern over Tibet-related issues. "We hope that France would prudently handle related important and sensitive issues," Qin told a regular press conference. Responding to a question on French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's expected meeting with the Dalai Lama in France on Friday, Qin said the Chinese government's policy on the issues related to Tibet is clear and consistent. He e ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
President of Iceland arrives in Beijing for Olympics
Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday for the Olympic Games. &$&$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more
Hong Kong stocks rebound sharply on China market upsurge
Hong Kong stocks reversed early losses and rebounded sharply on Wednesday as the market expected China to loose macro control measures to stabilize the stock markets and the economy. The benchmark Hang Seng Index weakened 95.58 points, or 0.46 percent, to open at the day's lowest 20,388.79 but was soon lifted out of negative territory by the strong performance of stock markets in the Chinese mainland amid reports of China's economic stimulus plans. The market extended its gains b ...Publication date: 2008-08-20 more