XIGAZE, Tibet, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Tibet Wednesday started construction on its fifth civil airport in the southwest China's autonomous region, according to local authorities.
The government would invest a total 480 million yuan (70 million U.S. dollars) in the airport in Xigaze, the second-biggest city in Tibet, said Xu Bo, head of the Civil Aviation Administration's Tibet Branch.
The inauguration ceremony on construction work of the Peace Airport, Xigaze Prefecture,southwestern Tibet, is held on April 29, 2009. (Xinhua/ Chogo) Photo Gallery
Construction work on the Peace Airport, at an altitude of 3,782meters, would be finished in two years, Xu told Xinhua.
Yan Ping, cheif commander of the construction work, said the airport was designed to handle 230,000 passengers and 1,150 tonnes of cargo and mail a year by 2020.
Xu Xueguang, secretary of Xigaze prefectural Party committee, said: "The civil airport will be an air corridor linking Xigaze with the outside world and inject new vigor into local social and economic development."
Photo shows a blueprint of the Peace Airport, Xigaze Prefecture, southwestern Tibet. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery
Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, said the airport would allow more people in other parts of the country to take flights to the autonomous region.
The airport, together with more railways and highways, would help to boost investment and tourism in Xigaze, Hao added.
It would the fifth civil airpot to be operational in Tibet, after Lhasa, Qamdo, Nyingchi and Ngari, according to Xu.
It also is among the 180 key projects in which the central government invested more than 70 billion yuan (10.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the five years through 2010.
People celebrate theinauguration of construction work of the Peace Airport on opening ceremony, April 29, 2009. (Xinhua/ Chogo) Photo Gallery
The Bangda Airport of Qamdo is 4,334 meters above sea level, making it the highest airport in the world.
China is also building a 254-km railway linking Xigaze with the regional capital Lhasa. Construction on the 11-billion-yuan Qinghai-Tibet railway's extension line started in 2008 and was expected to be completed in 2010.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, running 1,956 kilometers from Xining city in Qinghai province to Lhasa in Tibet, was officially put into operation in July 2006. It is the highest railway in the world and ended Tibet's history without railway.
Xigaze, in southern Tibet, has an population of 680,000 and is home to such renowned tourist sites as Sagya and Baiqoi monastories.
China to build regional airport in largest desert
URUMQI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- An airport for regional flight services will be built in 2015 in the hinterland of China's largest desert, Taklimakan, in the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang, a source with Xinjiang Airport (Group) Co., LLC, confirmed Saturday.
The project will cost 290 million yuan (42.46 million U.S. dollars), Duan Zixin, general manager of the company, said. Full story
Sanjiangyuan Airport to adopt RNP technology for navigation
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The nearly completed Sanjiangyuan Airport, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Qinghai Province, will adopt the technology of required navigation performance (RNP) for airport ground movement guidance and control.
The RNP technology, most advanced in China, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and aviation computers, can ensure accurate flights according to the preset course, effectively improving flight safety. Full story
Shangri-la Airport to open in May after extension
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The Shangri-la Airport in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is expected to open next month.
The extended airport will have an annual handling capacity of 1.2 million person-time passengers and 9,600 tons of cargo, according to the airport General Manager's Office Thursday. Full story
BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu Wednesday called for an intensified battle against narcotics crimes to ensure social stability and harmony in the country.
Prevention work lies in the core of narcotics control, Meng, also head of the National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC), said during a NNCC meeting.
The police chief hailed the anti-narcotics achievement China made in 2008.
The country's police busted 62,000 drug-related criminal cases involving 74,000 suspects in 2008.
A total of 4.4 tonnes of heroine, 6.2 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine (or "ice"), 2.2 tonnes of marijuana, 1.4 tonnes of opium and 0.8 tonnes of cocaine were seized by the police during the period.
Meng urged continuing to strengthen anti-narcotics education among the public in the country.
BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Six pandas from China's quake-ravaged Sichuan Province arrived in Beijing Wednesday to start their year-long display to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October.
Hua Ao, Jin Yi, Wen Yu, Xiang Ge, Shui Ling and Qing Feng were transported from the China Giant Panda research Center in Ya'an City and arrived at the Beijing Zoo after a flight of two and a half hours.
They arrived at their enclosure at Beijing Zoo at 7 p.m.. Some of them staggered out of the transportation cage and went slowly into the pen and others were dragged out.
"They are in good shape both physically and psychologically," said Zhang Jinguo, vice head of the zoo.
He said the six 2-year-old pandas were carefully selected because they are "lovely, highly adaptable and good looking."
Zhang said the zoo would ensure the pandas had sufficient food of 150 kg fresh bamboos and 12 kg bamboo shoots every day, along with apples, milk powder and carrots.
"They will make their first public debut on May 1," he added.
It is not the first time that pandas from Sichuan have been airlifted to Beijing.
Eight pandas were flown to Beijing last May to add cheer to the Olympics. They returned to Sichuan in March.
MACAO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- After signing an agreement to fund 36 reconstruction projects in Chinese mainland's quake-hit Sichuan province, the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Wednesday announced that it will continue to finance another 23 projects there.
The 23 new projects, including 16 education ones, and four health and three sports facilities, will cost the SAR government 1.13 billion yuan (166 million U.S. dollars) and were scheduled to be completed between 2009 and 2011, according to a press release from the SAR government.
Previously, the SAR government has signed agreements with the Sichuan provincial government, under which the SAR will pay 2.09 billion yuan (307 million dollars) to fund the 36 reconstruction projects in Sichuan. So far, the SAR government has announced the funding of some 59 reconstruction projects in Sichuan, the cost of which amounts to 3.22 billion yuan (474 million dollars).
The magnitude-8.0 quake that occurred in Sichuan last year left more than 69,000 people dead and damaged numerous buildings. The SAR government and the government-run Macao Foundation have respectively promised to pay five billion yuan and 500 million yuan in financial assistance to the southwestern Chinese province.
As for the rest of the promised funds, the Sichuan provincial government is drawing up the third batch of reconstruction projects and will soon propose them to the SAR government for financing, according to the press release.
BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A man convicted of the killing of a Beijing police in 2006 officer was executed by gunshot Wednesday, according to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court.
Zhang Xinlei, 24, was sentenced to death in November last year for killing 39-year-old Tang Chengwen, a police officer in the suburban Mentougou district on Oct. 22, 2006.
Zhang, along with his cousin, Zhang Xinliang, and a third man, Lu Haihong, accelerated their van laden with stolen cables through a road checkpoint set up by the police, the court had heard. Tang chased and managed to stop the van, but was beaten to death by the cousins.
The court meted out death sentences to both the cousins, but gave Zhang Xinliang a two-year reprieve. The cousins were also found guilty of sabotaging public telecommunications facilities and theft.
Lu was sentenced to five years in jail.
The three stole 197 meters of telecommunications cables on the night of the murder. Phone services to 106 households were cut off.
Another four people were given jail terms from 18 to 30 months for harboring the men, the court said.
The cousins, both from central China's Henan Province, were arrested within four days of the murder in their hometown.
Zhang Xinlei was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for theft by a court in 2005.
KUNMING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a landslide in southwest China's Yunnan Province rose to 20 Wednesday as the last five bodies were recovered, local government sources said.
Two people earlier believed missing have been found as they were not at the scene when the landslide occurred at 12:40 p.m. Sunday at Xiaoba Village, Weixin County of Zhaotong, after almost four days of torrential rain.
The landslide destroyed two buildings of the Huajiaba Coal Mine at the site. Two injured people were in stable condition in hospital.
The four-day search concluded in the late afternoon, Tang Guoqian, head of the county publicity department, told reporters.
Each family of the victims would get 250,000 yuan (36,500 U.S. dollars) in compensation, Tang added. The victims were coal mine managers and miners from Zhaotong, which administers Weixin, and from Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality.
Local government officials said the landslide was the result ofunsafe quarry production.
Another landslide occurred an hour earlier in Linfeng Township, Weixin County, killing four passers-by.
HARBIN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 3,000 people are battling a forest fire that has killed one person and injured four others in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a spokesman for the provincial government said Wednesday.
The spokesman did not say whether they were professional firefighters or local people fighting the blaze.
The emergency office of the provincial government said earlier that 3,347 people, including 1,245 forest policemen, were working to control the fire which was reported on Monday.
The fire engulfed several forest farms in Yichun and Heihe cities.
More than 6,000 hectares of land have been razed in Yichun, said Xu Zhaojun, the city's Communist Party chief.
The burnt area in Heihe is still being assessed.
At least 30 homes in Shangganling Forest Farm in Yichun have been destroyed and more than 1,800 residents have been evacuated.
Wang Aiwen, vice mayor of Yichun, said that high temperatures and strong winds in the next two days in the region are expected to make the fire fighting more difficult.
BEIJING/MIANYANG, April 29 (Xinhua) - An online plea for the public to mourn the 80,000 people dead or missing in last year's devastating earthquake is being spread rapidly among Internet users, less than two weeks before the first anniversary of the disaster.
"Make sure you plant chrysanthemums in your garden on May 9," reads the message, posted at kaixin001.com, a Facebook-style social networking website based in Beijing where office workers enjoy buying virtual property ranging from slaves to luxury cars and houses, and planting trees and flowers in their gardens.
"The flower takes 68 hours to bloom, so on May 12, we'll be mourning those who died in the quake," it says.
It also advised everyone not to steal others' chrysanthemums, as most members of the free access website enjoy harvesting and selling others' plants to make virtual money.
The message, which first appeared at kaixin001.com at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, had been forwarded to 221,810 people and received 611,600 clicks by 3 p.m.
The nation's memory of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake is still fresh and overshadows the forthcoming three-day Labor Day holiday starting Friday.
Large crowds of reporters, social workers and volunteers have poured into the quake zones in the western provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, hoping to share local people's woes and give a helping hand, in one way or another.
GUITAR BAND IN WHEELCHAIRS
Every day at 6:30 p.m., Yan Peng and his eight schoolmates begin their daily guitar course in a makeshift classroom of Changhong Training Center on the suburbs of Sichuan's Mianyang City, the temporary campus of Beichuan High School that toppled in the quake.
"I've always loved the guitar, though I never learned to play before the quake," said Yan, a quiet, bespectacled 17-year-old.
Yan was among the first to flee the ramshackle school building, but soon returned to save his classmates, and ended up in the ruins himself. He lost his right leg. The school suffered nearly 1,000 dead.
Four months after the quake, the school received a special gift from Beijing-based Capital Normal University: 15 guitars and some volunteer teachers -- all music majors of the university who take turns teaching in Mianyang.
"This is the best we could do to help these students," said Sheng Xue, a junior student whose volunteer service began two weeks ago.
Yan is among the nine most avid learners who have persisted. All of them bear injuries. Some are permanently confined to a wheelchair.
Besides music, Liu Min said she also loved volleyball, though she could only play on wheelchair these days. The 17-year-old recalls with affection a meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao last November, when she led the band to sing "You and Me", the theme song of the Beijing Olympics.
"I used to be healthy and sportive," said Liu, who had wanted to be a police officer but now plans to major in law.
NEW HOMES BUILT ON HORSEBACK
Wei Songping and his horse left at daybreak to carry cement for the villagers: a fleet of seven horses was all the 17 families in the mountainous Liangjiashan Village rely on to transport building materials for their new homes.
"It's not because we don't have manpower or vehicles," said Wei. "But no vehicle can make it along the only path down the mountain, which is merely a meter wide."
Liangjiashan was a mountain-top village separated from the county seat of Wenxian in Gansu Province only by a river. Almost every home was destroyed in the quake and the whole village had to be relocated to a hillside township closer to the county seat.
"I can't stand overburdening my mule," said villager Li Zhanlin. "The animals take turns taking a day off every three days."
In nine months, Li's mule carried 40,000 bricks, 12 tonnes of cement and 20 cubic meters of sand that have now become his family's five new houses.
His neighbor Liang Baocheng, however, lags far behind. "I have to finish building the new home by the end of June. My son is about to get married this year." In rural China, parents traditionally hold themselves liable for building new homes for their adult sons.
"Local authorities held geological surveys and confirmed the new site was safe from quakes," said Liang, who said the government was doing a "great job". "They could do better, though, by paving the road. If only the path was two meters wide, we could have moved into new homes earlier."
In Wenxian, one of the hardest-hit areas in Gansu Province, about 35,000 families are rebuilding homes in the mountains. At least half of them rely only on horses, according to the county government.
"The horses have to toil for as long as the rebuilding may take," said Liang. "Our homes are built on horseback."
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Flowers are constantly seen these days in the ruins of Beichuan, the Sichuan county that perished in the quake. The scarlet corn poppies and yellow and white chrysanthemums seem to be mourning for the dead and welcoming a safer new Beichuan.
People in Sichuan, young and old, are taking their time to shake off their nightmarish past.
In Anxian County, Lin Xingcong and his bride are giving finishing touches to their new home. "We'll plant orchids here," Lin said as he pointed to the clearing between two houses, "with seeds from my old home."
Nine-year-old Xiao Daipeng, a primary school pupil in Shifang City, forced a smile as he subconsciously touched the stump of his right leg. "I wish I could score better in science class," he said when Xinhua reporters asked what was in his dreams.
"In the future? I wish I could find a good job," said Xiao.
HONG KONG, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Customs announced Wednesday that they seized about 10 kg of met amphetamine in an anti-drug trafficking operation on Tuesday.
On April 28, customs officers intercepted an incoming private vehicle at Lok Ma Chau Control Point for clearance and uncovered the drug in the baggage of the three passengers in the vehicle.
Three of the arrested, two Malaysian men and one Malaysian woman, aged between 27 and 36, will be charged with trafficking a dangerous drug. The male driver, a 41-year-old local resident, has been released on police bail pending investigations.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking is a serious offense. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of 5 million HK dollars.
XINING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three workers are ill after a chlorine gas leak at a chemical plant in Qinghai Province on Tuesday, an official with the factory said Wednesday.
The gas leaked for five minutes at about 8 p.m. from a crack in a chlorine pipeline in Tiantai Sodium Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Huangzhong County, said Jing Yichen, Communist Party of China chief at the company.
The gas spread to a neighboring plant where more than 100 employees were working or having dinner.
Nineteen workers who showed symptoms of headaches, nausea, coughing, and eye irritation were taken to hospital Tuesday. Four more workers were hospitalized Wednesday morning.
All are migrant workers from Sichuan Province in southwest China.
Yue Yongping, one of those affected, said he smelt a strong odor at the time and felt pain in his eyes and throat. He also had difficulty breathing.
Zhang Fu, a doctor with the No.1 People's Hospital of the county that treated the poisoned workers, said they were stable and recovering.
Jing said his workers immediately closed the leaking pipeline for repair and the company would pay the medical costs for all the sick workers.
PARIS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Shanghai TV Station on Tuesday presented a DVD of a documentary on the Shanghai World Expo 2010 to international exposition officials.
The documentary, "World Expo Dream Over a Century," was jointly produced by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and the Shanghai Media Group.
The documentary explores the relationship between the exposition to be held in Shanghai next year and the civilization of mankind, especially the link between China's hosting of the event and the country's overall development.
The documentary was presented to V.G. Loscertales, secretary general of the Bureau of International Expositions, the organization that sanctions world's fairs.
Loscertales expressed thanks for the DVD and praised the documentary. He said it was particularly significant in summarizing the history of the World Expo.
TAIYUAN, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Dewen, a villager from Huairen County of China's north Shanxi Province, has been thinking of moving for years. In his brick cottage, cracks stretch from the ground to the roof -- and keep widening.
"Maybe one day, we will be buried in our dream," says the 38-year-old plowman living with his wife, daughter and son.
In China, the biggest coal producer and consumer in the world, a quarter of the coal is mined in Shanxi Province, where 9 billion tonnes of coal has been produced since 1949. Subsidence affects 5,000 square kilometers and Zhou's village, Wangbianzhuang, is one of the 676 villages suffering serious problems.
In 2006, cracks emerged in the ground around the village. "They widen like beasts' mouths," says Zhou, "and some villagers have hurt their legs getting stuck in them."
Zhou said at least a dozen of houses in the village bear cracks at the moment. "We have to fill the cracks with cement, but who knows how long the house will hold out?"
According to the Bureau of Land and Resources of Shanxi Province showed that 151 people died in 362 geological accidents in the five years to 2006, and 70 percent of the accidents were blamed on over-mining.
Another problem is the ground water. "Water levels in the wells get lower and lower. It's not enough for my family, let alone the crops," says Zhou.
The government has reinforced and built houses as well as supplied drinking water for 231,000 rural residents since April 2007. A subsidy of 5,000 yuan (733 U.S. dollars) is given to each rural resident if he or she relocates.
"I heard that the new houses are very beautiful, and they are built near the county seat," says Zhou. "But we need to pay another 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (1,466 to 2,932 U.S. dollars) ourselves -- that would pay for three years' tuition for my two children."
Zhou adds that without a livelihood, he and his wife could not afford the higher cost of living near the country seat.
Previously, in the slack farming season, Zhou drove coal trucks for local mines to neighboring Hebei Province, earning an extra 3,000 yuan (440 U.S. dollars) every month.
However, the number of mines in Shanxi Province has been cut from about 10,000 in the early 1990s to a little more than 2,500, to modernize production and reduce accidents. The number is expected to fall to about 1,000 next year.
This means an end to the "second jobs" of many rural people. "Most of the coal trucks are locked in garages now, and I have been staying home all this year," Zhou sighed.
Zhang Zhong, head of the Bureau of Land and Resources of Huairen County, says the county government is working with the rural credit cooperatives to provide small loans to farmers to help them move into new homes.
Zhang says local officials are also planning to organize villagers to develop forestry and livestock breeding to create jobs, as the moving of local residents will start later this year.
The county has also invested 40 million yuan (5.87 million U.S. dollars) to help build houses and wells, as well as enhance infrastructure in the new residential area.
"With the loan and the government's help, my family can move while I am looking for a job as a driver in the county seat," says Zhou.
However, Wang Hongying, head of the energy institute of Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, says preventing "ecological migrants" becoming "jobless migrants" is only a small step in solving the problems of mined-out area.
"To root out the problems, coal mining enterprises must have clear responsibilities for ecological protection before they start the business, and they should make a deposit for this according to their output," he says.
CHONGQING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Environmental protection and firefighting staff in southwest China have begun cleaning a river polluted by a coal tar spill from a local chemical company.
About 80 percent of the spill on a 400-meter-long stretch of the Jiuyuan River in Tongliang County, Chongqing Municipality, had been cleared as of Sunday morning, the county government said.
The river is on the upper reaches of the Jialing River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway.
About 50 tonnes of coal tar from a tank of Jiuyuan Waterproof Materials Company based in Jiuyuan Village, flowed 100 meters into the river at around 5 a.m. Saturday, the county's Environmental Protection Bureau said.
The spill also made air in the area smell bad, but no evacuation was made.
"The strong irritating smell disrupted my sleep," said Xu Zhilan, a villager.
The bureau said it had banned residents from using water from the river. Local residents rely on wells for drinking water.
The spill has been blocked with straw, quilts and foam to avoid spreading downstream.
Environmental protection officers are continuing to investigate the cause of the leak.
The factory had stopped production before the incident, said Wang Dong, an official of Hufeng Town. The stored coal tar was due to be transferred to other areas.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
CHENGDU, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China has begun building an expressway that would link two places worst hit by last May earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province -- Wenchuan County and Yingxiu Township.
The 52-kilometer expressway, which will allow motor vehicles to run at 80 kilometers per hour, will have two lanes in each direction. Construction of the project began Saturday and is scheduled to be completed by 2012.
The expressway includes 30 bridges and eight tunnels. Total investment is expected to reach 4.99 billion yuan (730.6 million U.S. dollars), according to Sichuan Provincial Communications Department head Gao Feng.
Wenchuan County was the epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12 last year and Yingxiu is a town under Wenchuan's administration.
The two areas are now connected by a 56.6-kilometer two-lane highway. The expressway is
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (2nd R. front) gestures while visiting the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital, which accepted Chinese mainland's first confirmed A/H1N1 patient surnamed Bao, in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Monday called for enhanced vigilance and strict steps against the A/H1N1 influenza after the country's mainland reported its first case.
"We must attach great importance to the fact that the flu epidemic is still spreading in some countries and regions, and that China has discovered one case," Hu said after learning about the latest development of the epidemic.
He ordered governments at all levels to spare no efforts to put all emergency response measures in place in order to curb further spread of the disease.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (2nd L) communicates with the confirmed A/H1N1 patient through video at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital, which accepted Chinese mainland's first confirmed A/H1N1 patient surnamed Bao, in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 11, 2009.(Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Photo Gallery
A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao, who recently returned from the United States, tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza early on Monday, becoming the first such case reported on the Chinese mainland.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang visited the flu patient, medical staff and people under medical observation Monday in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province.
Li conveyed the concerns and greetings of President Hu and Premier Wen to them, listened to reports on flu prevention and control by the local health authorities and inspected the treatment, prevention and control work.
He called for enhanced prevention and control of the A/H1N1 influenza "in a spirit of taking responsibility for the mass's health" so as to ensure public health and safety.
The 30-year-old patient was at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital. Those who had close contact with him were isolated for observation.
The patient is currently in a stable condition with a normal body temperature, and is "recovering", the health ministry said.
Li came to the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital and saw the patient who lived in a negative pressure isolation room via video.
He asked doctors about Bao's condition and treatment in detail and told medical staff to treat the patient scientifically in line with a preset plan so that he could recover soon.
Li asked medical staff to enhance self-protection and prevent hospital infection and the spread of the disease.
Some medical staff of the Sichuan People's Hospital where Bao went to after getting off the plane, were under medical observation in a hotel as these doctors and nurses had close contact with Bao during his stay in the hospital. Li came to the hospital to see them.
Holding a phone, he had a conversation with the medical staff under observation, asking them about their health and expressing his concern for them.
Li extended his gratitude to them for their "contribution to the flu prevention and control work as "they promptly discovered the flu case." He encouraged them to "maintain an optimistic attitude" and cooperate to complete the quarantine so as to return to work as early as possible.
Some medical staff under isolation said the quarantine measures were "quite necessary" and were "conducive to protecting their and all the people's health."
Visiting the Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Li said this first mainland case of the A/H1N1 influenza had been confirmed "in a very short period of time" after "instant diagnosis and consultation."
He told staff to follow the case, promptly analyze the development of the disease, sum up experience and improve emergent measures so as to offer scientific backup to the flu's prevention and control.
Li said after the A/H1N1 flu was found in some countries, the central government took emergency measures to ensure stability.
"Sichuan Province also took effective prevention measures but the overall situation is still arduous," he said.
He asked local authorities to care for the wellbeing of the people under observation and offer psychological consultation to them.
Further measures should be taken to "enhance entry-exit inspection and quarantine and step up technological preparation and material storage."
He stressed that transparent prevention and control work was vital to ensure people's right-to-know and prevent panic.
"Domestic and international studies show that the A/H1N1 flu is preventable, controllable and treatable," Li said, adding "public education should be strengthened to enhance people's ability for disease prevention so as to ensure a normal life order, smooth and relatively fast economic development and a harmonious and stable society.
The State Council held a meeting Monday to discuss further steps for the prevention of the disease.
Officials at the meeting, which was presided over by Premier Wen, agreed that China faces a "complicated and grave" situation as the epidemic has yet been controlled globally and new cases kept emerging.
Strict quarantine will continue to be adopted for people, goods and vehicles entering its border from countries that have reported the A/H1N1 cases.
Epidemic monitoring and reporting systems will also be strengthened for early discovery, early reporting, and timely diagnosis and treatment of patients, if there is any, according to the meeting.
Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu
Beijing seeks passengers on plane that carried mainland A/H1N1 flu patient
An ambulances carrying the ones isolated for observation for the A/H1N1 influenza drives into the Guomen Hotel in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. Beijing started to quarantine passengers who had been on the same flight with the first case of A/H1N1 influenza reported in Chinese mainland on Monday. A male surnamed Bao, who recently returned from the United States, tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza and was "recovering" in Chengdu according to the Ministry of Health on Monday. The Beijing health authoroties were seeking 143 passengers who were on the Tokyo-Beijing flight NW029 together with Bao.(Xinhua/Li Wen) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Beijing health authorities are seeking 143 passengers who were on a Tokyo-Beijing flight with a Chinese man who has become the mainland's first confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu, a government spokesman said here Monday.
The suspected carrier took Northwest Airlines flight NW029 to Beijing on May 9, after making a transfer in Tokyo from St. Paul, Minnesota in the United States. Full story
China confirms 1st case of A/H1N1 influenza on mainland
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao, who recently returned from the United States, tested positivefor the A/H1N1 influenza, the Ministry of Health said Monday.
The 30-year-old patient was at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital in Chengdu, southwestern Sichuan's provincial capital. Those who had close contact with him were isolated for observation. Full story
¡¤A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao tested positive for A/H1N1 influenza. ¡¤Those who had close contact with him were isolated for observation. ¡¤Most of passengers aboard flight from Beijing to Chengdu with Bao had already been found.
by Xinhua writer Wang Cong
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao, who recently returned from the United States, tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza, the Ministry of Health said Monday.
The 30-year-old patient was at the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital in Chengdu, southwestern Sichuan's provincial capital. Those who had close contact with him were isolated for observation.
Officials of the Sichuan health department speak at a news briefing in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 11, 2009. A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao who recently traveled back from the United States has tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza, China's ministry of health said Monday. It is first such case reported in China's mainland.(Xinhua/Chen Jianli) Photo Gallery
The patient is currently in a stable condition with a normal body temperature, and is "recovering", the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on its website.
It is the first such case reported on the Chinese mainland.
Bao arrived in Beijing on board the Northwest Airlines flight NW029 on May 9, after making a transfer in Tokyo from St. Louis, in the United States. His body temperature was normal when entering China. He then flew from Beijing to Chengdu on Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8882 on the same day.
A student of the University of Missouri in the U.S., Bao was found to have a fever on the flight from Beijing to Chengdu accompanied by sore throats, coughing, a stuffy nose and sneezing.
Zhu Xiaoping (L), a senior official of Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, answers questions from the media after a news briefing held by the Sichuan health department in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 11, 2009. A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao who recently traveled back from the United States has tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza, China's ministry of health said Monday. It is first such case reported in China's mainland.(Xinhua/Chen Jianli) Photo Gallery
He went to the Sichuan People's Hospital after getting off the plane, and was tested "weakly positive" to A/H1N1 virus twice by the Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He was then transferred to the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital.
Bao's girlfriend and his father who met Bao at the airport, and a taxi driver who drove them to the hospital, have been put into quarantine.
Also isolated were the Sichuan People's Hospital medical staff who had close contact with Bao.
Li Xingwang (2nd L), an expert on the prevention and control of infectious diseases, answers questions from the media after a news briefing held by the Sichuan health department in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 11, 2009. A Chinese mainland male surnamed Bao who recently traveled back from the United States has tested positive for the A/H1N1 influenza, China's ministry of health said Monday. It is first such case reported in China's mainland.(Xinhua/Chen Jianli) Photo Gallery
The country's health authorities of all levels were joining a manhunt Monday for passengers of the two flights that Bao had on board.
The Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarified that as of 3 p.m. Monday they had contacted and quarantined 128 out of the 150 passengers aboard the flight 3U8882 from Beijing to Chengdu with Bao.
The health ministry confirmed that most of the passengers from the flight had already been tracked down and isolated at local health institutions in 21 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.
Beijing health authorities were also seeking 147 passengers who were on the Tokyo-Beijing flight NW029 with Bao, said Sun Hao, spokesman for Beijing's emergency response liaison office. There were 106 foreign nationals on the flight.
As of 2 p.m. Monday, the Beijing municipal health department had contacted 121 out of the 147 people on flight NW029, and were still looking for 26 other passengers, including 24 foreign nationals.
None of the passengers found had shown fever symptoms, and the health department was "persuading them to take quarantine measures," Sun said.
The Beijing CDC also sent text messages asking those who were on the plane with Bao to report to the center.
In a document posted on the MOH website, the ministry ordered health authorities at all levels to remain on standby and step up monitoring of pneumonia and flu cases of no obvious origin. Special attention should be paid to people in close contact with A/H1N1 flu patients or those who had traveled to areas affected by the virus.
Suspected flu cases must be reported to the MOH promptly to ensure instant diagnosis, quarantine and treatment, it said.
Health experts should also be organized to follow the development of the disease and offer advice on preventing it.
Bao was the second confirmed case of A/H1N1 influenza in China, after the World Health Organization expressed concern about an outbreak of the flu in the United States and Mexico late last month.
A 25-year-old male Mexican was confirmed on May 1 in Hong Kong to be infected with influenza A/H1N1, and those who were in close contact with him have been put under quarantine in 19 mainland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions as well as Hong Kong and Macao.
So far, the A/H1N1 flu has caused 53 deaths worldwide and infected more than 4,500 people in 29 countries, including about 1,626 in Mexico, at least 2,532 in the United States and 280 in Canada.
Haunted by memories of the SARS outbreak in 2003, China has taken tough measures to prevent the virus from spreading in the world's most populous country.
China's flu-prevention measures include bans on pork product imports from countries and areas affected by the A/H1N1 influenza, and suspension of flights from Mexico to Shanghai. The country also placed some travelers from Mexico, who had been on the same flight with a person infected with the A/H1N1 influenza, under a week-long quarantine.
Although the strict measures drew complaints from Mexico, Chinese health and law experts backed the government's efforts, saying they are necessary and in line with China's laws.
A total of 555 passengers entering China were found to have fever and acute respiratory symptoms in half a month, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Monday.
Their cases have been handed to local health departments for further observation or treatment, the ministry said. But there have been no reports indicating these passengers developing A/H1N1flu.
About 5.13 million passengers entering China were screened from April 25 to May 10, it said.
The ministry has been quarantining planes, ships, trains, automobiles and other vehicles from the countries affected by outbreaks of A/H1N1 flu.
According to the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, 17 countries and regions affected by the A/H1N1 influenza have direct flights with Beijing.
More than 120,000 passengers in 763 planes had entered China up to now, it said.
Passengers entering China have been required to fill out health declaration forms so that they could be effectively traced if any A/H1N1 flu cases were found among them.
Cui Baoxiang, the bureau's vice director, said measures including onboard inspection, taking temperatures at customs, luggage disinfection and filling out health declaration forms, were taken at the airport to prevent the flu.
Flights from countries and regions affected by the flu had landed at designated gallery bridges at the airport, said Cui, adding if suspected cases were found in the air, the planes would land at the apron in line with instructions.
There were currently 26 gallery bridges for flights from affected countries and regions to land, up from 15, he said, adding infrared thermometers were added at the airport, and passengers with body temperatures above 37 degrees would be transferred to hospital.
Cui said 54 of the 738 passengers with abnormal temperatures had been sent to hospital since April 25. There have been no reports showing these passengers developing A/H1N1 flu.
Experts said A/H1N1 flu virus has an incubation period from two- to- seven days and patients would not show a fever, headache or cough in the incubation period. This makes it hard for infected passengers to be immediately detected.
Xu Xiaoyuan, vice director of a MOH expert panel of the A/H1N1 influenza said the A/H1N1 flu was "relatively moderate" as its mortality rate was much lower than SARS and avian influenza.
"The mortality rate of SARS in 2003 is 7 to 14 percent, and that of avian flu is 30 to 70 percent. According to current material, the mortality rate of the A/H1N1 flu is about 1.22 percent," Xu said, asking the public not to worry about it much.
Li Dexin, director of the institute of prevention and control of virus disease under the China CDC, said "the biological property of the A/H1N1 flu should not have large difference with other seasonal flu virus."
Deng Haihua, director of the MOH Information Office, said two confirmed A/H1N1 cases in China were all "independent introduced cases" and "China has not found any indigenous, second-generation case.
He added that current emphasis should still be put on tracking down people in close contact with the patient, stepping up epidemic monitoring and reporting and enhancing port quarantine measures.
(Xinhua reporters Wu Jing and Zhou Tingyu also contributed to this story)
Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu
Beijing seeks passengers on plane that carried mainland A/H1N1 flu patient
Media reporters gather outside the Chengdu Infectious Disease Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China, on May 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Beijing health authorities are seeking 143 passengers who were on a Tokyo-Beijing flight with a Chinese man who has become the mainland's first confirmed case of A/H1N1 flu, a government spokesman said here Monday.
The suspected carrier took Northwest Airlines flight NW029 to Beijing on May 9, after making a transfer in Tokyo from St. Paul, Minnesota in the United States. Full story
China tries to locate all having close contact with suspected case of A/H1N1 flu
CHENGDU, May 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 130 of 150 passengers aboard the same flight with the Chinese mainland's first suspected case of A/H1N1 influenza, have been found and put into quarantine, according to a press conference early Monday.
The 30-year-old man surnamed Bao, who had been tested "weakly positive" to A/H1N1 virus twice by the Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was "conscious and in stable condition," according to a press conference held by the Chengdu Municipal Government hours after a suspected case of A/H1N1 influenza had been found in southwestern Sichuan Province. Full story
Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao (R) meets with Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Jiansheng) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Kuwait pledged to work together to deal with the global financial crisis during a meeting between Premier Wen Jiabao and Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah on Monday.
Al-Sabah is on his first visit to China since he became Emir of Kuwait in 2006.
Kuwait was the first Gulf Arab country to forge diplomatic ties with China. Wen called the bilateral ties "solid" and cooperation "fruitful".
Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao (L) meets with Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Jiansheng) Photo Gallery
He said that nations with different social systems and cultural backgrounds could benefit from cooperation as long as they respected each other.
Wen stressed China valued traditional friendship with the Arab countries and supported their efforts to safeguard country's sovereignty, independence and dignity.
Al-Sabah said his visit showed Kuwait's desire to develop relations with China, vowing to build a long-term, stable, and sustainable relationship.
He also emphasized the coordination between the two countries on international issues and issues concerning the Gulf and the Arab region.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Ha Thi Khiet (L), member of the Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping vowed to push forward friendly ties with Vietnam on Monday, and pledged joint efforts with the country to counter the global slump.
Xi made the pledge in his meeting with a delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the CPV Central Committee.
Xi said the two countries had stepped up strategic cooperative partnership under the guidance of the 16-word principle of "long-term stability, facing the future, good-neighborliness and friendship, and all-round cooperation".
The two ruling parties had enhanced exchanges of theories and experience in the building of socialism, which had injected new vitality to bilateral party-to-party relations, he added.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Photo Gallery
China and Vietnam have completed the work of land border demarcation and erecting border markers, paving the way for further development of bilateral ties, he said.
As next year marks the 60th anniversary of China-Vietnam diplomatic ties as well as a year of bilateral friendship, Xi vowed to take the opportunity to enhance strategic trust with Vietnam and boost ties.
With regard to the current global downturn, Xi said China is ready to work closely with the international community including Vietnam to get over the difficulties.
Ha told Xi it is a firm conviction of the CPV and the Vietnamese people to maintain and strengthen traditional friendship with China.
Invited by the CPC, the CPV delegation is on a China visit from May 10-16.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China will mark the anniversary of last year's devastating earthquake in the southwestern Sichuan Province Tuesday afternoon with commemorative activities to be held in the epicenter Yingxiu Township.
The activities in Yingxiu, Wenchuan County are scheduled to be broadcast live from 2:20 p.m. in Chinese and English by major state broadcasters including the China National Radio, China Central Television (CCTV) and China Radio International.
Websites of the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and CCTV will also cover the activities live.
The 8.0-magnitude quake on May 12 last year left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.
Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (1st L) hosts a welcoming ceremony for his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Hussein Tantawi (2nd L) in Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2009. Liang Guanglie held talks with Mohammed Hussein Tantawi in Beijing on May 11. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese armed forces are willing to advance cooperation with Egypt, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Monday.
Liang, also a state councilor, made the remarks when meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.
"China and Egypt have enjoyed deep traditional friendship. Political mutual trust between our two countries remains unchanged since we forged diplomatic ties in 1956," Liang said.
He said cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, culture and military affairs had been fruitful.
He said the Chinese armed forces were willing to extend their ties with Egypt and promote communication and cooperation between the two armed forces.
Tantawi said the Sino-Egyptian constructive cooperation had developed smoothly in various fields. Egypt hoped to deepen military cooperation with China.
Tantawi arrived in Beijing on Friday for an official goodwill visit as a guest of Liang.
MACAO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The election of the third chief executive (CE) of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will be held on July 26 this year, according to the latest edition of the SAR's Official Gazette published on Monday.
The CE election date was confirmed in an executive order promulgated by the incumbent CE Ho Hau Wah in the Official Gazette.
Under the SAR's relevant election law, the candidates should be nominated 30 days ahead of the election date of July 26, and the nomination period should last at least 12 days, which means an eligible candidate should be nominated on June 14 at the latest.
The law also prescribes that eligible candidates should acquire nominations from at least 50 members of the 300-member CE Election Committee, and current officials in various governmental departments and legal organs will not be eligible for candidacy unless they resign their posts before the nomination process begins.
As it is stated in the SAR's Chief Executive Election Law, Macao's new CE will be elected within the 300-member CE Election Committee, of which some 254 members of the committee were elected by representatives of the respective socio-economic sectors, while46 others were picked from local eminent political, business and religious figures.
Meanwhile, the limit of campaign expenditure for each CE candidate was also made public in the Official Gazette, which amounts to just over 8.94 million patacas (1.13 million U.S. dollars), or 0.02 percent of the SAR government's 2009 budget before revision.
The term of the new CE will begin in December this year when the current CE's second and constitutionally final five-year term comes to an end.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Monday called for enhancing regional economic cooperation in northern part of the country including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.
Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, told deputies to a regional economic development forum that "coordinated regional development is needed to enhance the country's overall economic level."
He said the forum, jointly organized by local advisory bodies of the five provinces, municipalities and autonomous region, had offered in-depth advises to the Party and government over the past five years on issues such as the move of the Shougang Group, a major steel company, out of the capital, the construction of Hebei's Caofeidian Industrial Zone and Tianjin's Binhai New Area, as well as topics like energy saving and emission reduction and environmental protection.
Jia, also member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, said the central government had implemented a package of policies to expand domestic demand and promote a stable and relatively fast economic development against a background of international financial crisis.
"These policies have reaped initial fruit and the country's economic development has turned positive and is better than expected," he said, adding, however, the crisis was still spreading and continued to affect the Chinese economy.
"The foundation for economic recovery has not become solid enough and there is still pressure for the economy to descend," he said, adding the role of the CPPCC should be strengthened to promote economic development.
He called on local advisory bodies to offer more contributions to economic development and social harmony and stability.
Efforts should be made to study coordinated regional development so as to narrow wealth gap among regions and improve relations among parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata and compatriots at home and abroad, he said.
"Patriotism of different parties, social groups, religions and people from all walks of life should be transformed into powerful motive to maintain economic growth, improve people's livelihood and maintain stability so as to build a peace social environment for the 60 anniversary of the New China," he said.
Jia called for innovation of the CPPCC work and bringing its role into full play.
CHENGDU, Sichuan, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday expressed his appreciation of the world community for their strong support and valuable aid on the wake of last year's devastating earthquake in southwest China and called for further international cooperation in tackling major natural disasters.
"In face of grave natural disasters, the international community could support each other, enhance cooperation, join hands and jointly tackle the difficulties," Hu told some senior foreign diplomats who were invited to the capital of Sichuan Province on the anniversary of the quake.
The magnitude-8.0 quake that hit southwest China, including many parts of Sichuan, on May 12, killed more than 69,000 people, left nearly 18,000 missing, more than 374,000 injured and millions homeless.
Facing the grave disaster, Chinese armed forces and Chinese people worked as one and struggled in unity in rescue work and disaster relief, Hu told those diplomats during the half-hour meeting.
The international community extended their helping hands as governments, groups and individuals from more than 160 countries and some international organizations offered a large number of fund and material assistance via different channels.
Some countries, such as Russia and Japan, sent rescue teams and doctors to help the Chinese people in the quake-hit areas.
Foreign rescuers, in total, offered medical care to more than 10, 000 injured people, found 52 bodies of the victims and took out one survivor from the debris, Chinese official statistics show.
"The assistance from the international community strongly supported China's disaster relief and reconstruction efforts, showcased grand humanitarianism and sincere friendship with the Chinese people," Hu said.
Hu briefed China's reconstruction work to the diplomats, saying it has been carried out in a strong, orderly and effective manner and recorded staged success.
"After one year of hard working, the quake-hit areas witnessed the resumption of and development in their social and economic construction," Hu noted.
The production and living conditions in those areas were improving and the people were working hard to build better lives and new homes, said the head of state.
Hu thanked the international community for their support and aid, saying the money and materials have been used in various fields such as rebuilding of homes, roads, schools, hospitals and other important infrastructure.
China has carried out "vigorous overseeing" and "effectively used" the donation from the international community, Hu told the 30 diplomats, including those from the United States, Russia, Japan, Pakistan and representatives from the UN International Children 's Emergency Fund and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
"We will strive to use the international donation in the places most in need," he said, labeling the cooperation between China and the world as "a good example of international cooperation in disaster relief."
"Chinese government and people will step up exchange and cooperation with the world community, jointly tackle various global challenges and push for a harmonious world featuring long-lasting peace and common prosperity," Hu said.
"We came here to show respect to the patriotism and wisdom of the Chinese people," said Nolana Ta Ama, ambassador of the Republic of Togo and dean of the diplomatic corp to China.
The diplomats were also here to show respect to the mechanism Chinese government established in tackling the quake, he said. "China's efforts and success in fighting against the quake and disaster relief were a contribution to the world."
Ama spoke highly of China's "enormous efforts in saving lives and helping the survivors to resume their lives," pledging that the world community will continue support and help the affected regions.
The diplomats will visit some quake-hit spots near Chengdu on Tuesday.
MACAO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- As an effort to shore up Macao's gaming-centered economy in the face of global financial crisis, and help it diversify in the long run, China's central government has stepped up its move to open the vast mainland market to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) through a series of trade deals and policy measures.
The Supplement VI to the Mainland and Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA6), which was signed here on Monday by Tam Pak Yuen, secretary for economy and finance of the SAR government and the central government's Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei, was the latest effort by the mainland to support the development of the SAR and forge closer trade ties between the two places, especially that between Macao and the neighboring Guangdong province.
The CEPA between the mainland and the Macao SAR was firstly signed in 2003 and took effect in the following year, after which some six supplement protocols to the trade agreement have been signed so far as a step-by-step effort to open the mainland market to Macao.
Driven by the implementation of CEPA and its supplementary protocols, the liberalization of various sectors in the mainland market to Macao was deepened every year after 2003. In particular, the mainland authorities have exempt tariffs for all products, except for those banned and specially designated, of Macao origin. Statistics from the SAR government also showed that some 500 Macao companies and individually-owned businesses were established in the mainland by the end of last year. The number of Macao residents passing the qualification exams of various professions in the mainland, such as law, medical practice, cooking, hair dressing, etc, was also on the rise in recent years.
The SAR's tourism is one area that benefited the most from the signing of CEPA, as over 30 million mainland visitor arrivals traveling under the "individual visit scheme", a visa arrangement for residents in major mainland cities to make trips to the SAR, have been logged since CEPA took effect in 2004. The "individual visit scheme" is part of the measures included in CEPA.
Figures from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the SAR's visitor arrivals totaled 22.91 million last year, with the majority of visitors came from the mainland at 11.6 million, of which 57 percent were visitors traveling under the "individual visit scheme".
To further boost the SAR's tourism, mainland residents traveling in group tours to Taiwan will be allowed to enter Macao SAR in transit, under the newly-signed Supplement VI, despite the fact that the mainland authorities has previously tightened the visa arrangement for residents directly traveling to Macao, limiting their trips to the SAR in a year.
The Supplement VI provides more favorable conditions for the SAR to diversify its economy while giving better support for the healthy and sustainable development of local economy, said Tam Pak Yuen after signing the latest supplementary protocol on Monday.
Aside from the tourism sector, the new measures included in the Supplement VI, which will take effect on Oct. 1, 2009, mainly concern industries of MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition), and medical services.
In terms of the MICE industry, which is a prominent industry in the SAR's effort to diversify its economy, service providers in the SAR will be allowed to organize exhibitions in the form of cross-border supply in major Chinese municipality, such as Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing, and provinces including Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian on a pilot basis, in addition to Guangdong province and Shanghai which has already been opened to the SAR.
Meanwhile, the new supplementary protocol also lowers the entrance requirements for medical services sector. Macao service provider will also be allowed to run health clinics and work as pharmacists respectively in the mainland, as long as they acquire relevant licenses.
Before the signing of the Supplement VI, the central government has already launched nine measures concerning six areas, including finance, infrastructure, regional cooperation, funding Macao's small-and-medium-sized enterprises, ensuring Macao's food supply, etc, at the end of last year, which not only were aimed to help Macao tide over the economic downturn, but further promote the integration of the Pearl River Delta region in Southern China, which mainly include the Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao.
The central government will "unswervingly support Macao to overcome its difficulties and maintain a stable economic development," said China's Premier Wen Jiabao when meeting the SAR's Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah previously in Beijing.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese official said Monday that an experimental earthquake alert system, capable of sending warnings within seconds before a quake strikes, would be installed in quake-prone areas.
Du Wei, deputy director of the Department of Earthquake Disaster Prevention of the China Earthquake Administration, told reporters that the time varied for warnings to reach population centers depending on the location of the earthquake.
The system could send warnings to the epicenter area within seconds when quakes occurred on land, while it took one to three minutes for the signals to reach populated areas in the case of under-sea quakes, Du said.
The alert system, which would be established "within years," was still experimental and could not provide fully effective information, he said.
There was a process of operating, experimenting, adjusting and improving, he said.
The white paper on "China's Actions for Disaster Prevention and Reduction," issued by the Information Office of the State Council (cabinet) Monday, said that a disaster monitoring and early warning system had taken initial shape in China.
China was building a three-dimensional natural disaster monitoring system, including land monitoring, ocean and ocean-bed observation, and space-air-ground observation, it said.
China has built 937 fixed seismic stations and more than 1,000 mobile seismic stations, enabling quasi-real-time monitoring of quakes above 3.0 on the Richter scale.
In addition, 1,300 earthquake precursor observation stations have been established, as well as a mobile observation network of more than 4,000 mobile observation stations.
Seismological monitoring systems at the national and provincial levels have taken initial shape. A high-speed seismic data network composed of 700 information nodes has been built. A text message service to provide prompt earthquake reporting has been launched, according to the paper.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Monday published a guideline to maintain current agricultural development and promote income for farmers.
The guideline was issued on the Chinese central government's official Web portal www.gov.cn.
It consists of 22 items in eight parts, calling for more efforts to expand domestic demand, promote exports and stabilize grains' prices.
The guideline calls for more support for spring sowing, including pest control, guarding against natural disasters and science and technology services.
It also stresses the importance of granting subsidies to farmers and setting grain prices.
UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China voiced its support for the resumption of the Middle East peace process on Monday, calling upon all the parties concerned to create an environment conducive to the Middle East peace talks.
The statement came as Zhang Yesui, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, was speaking at an open Security Council meeting on behalf of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
"At present, the situation in the Middle East is at a very critical stage," Zhang said. "We hope that parties concerned will stay firm to their conviction of resolving the issue through political negotiations, refrain from moves that may ruin mutual trust and reconciliation so as to create the condition for resumptions of negotiation," Zhang said.
"Political negotiation is the only way to lasting peace in the Middle East. The use of force will not bring about peace. On the contrary, the cycle of violence will only exacerbate hatred," he said.
He said the Security Council Resolution 1860 is the result of arduous efforts by all the parties concerned, and brought about the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire and created conditions for resumption of Middle East peace process. The resolution, adopted by the Security Council in January, called for mutually respected and last cease-fire in the Middle East following Israel's 22-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
It is hoped that the Resolution 1860 could be implemented comprehensively and effectively, said the ambassador.
"At the center of the Middle East problem is the Palestine issue," Zhang said. "The ultimate way out for the Palestinian issue is the realization of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace."
Therefore, the Chinese ambassador called on parties concerned to continue to act in the spirit enshrined in relevant UN resolutions and adhere to the principle of "the Land for Peace" and "the two-state solution," saying that they should push for the earlier achievement of reconciliation between Israel and Palestine, the establishment of an independent state of Palestine and the peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Jews.
The realization of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East depends on the settlement of all relevant issues in the region, he said.
Describing both the Syria-Israel talks and the Lebanon-Israel negotiations as "important components of the Middle-East peace process," Zhang called for a holistic approach to promote such talks.
Meanwhile, he said other hot-spot issues in the region should also be "properly addressed so as to create a favorable environment for the peace process."
On the other hand, "the Middle East peace process cannot be achieved without the help and support of the international community," Zhang said, calling on the international community to continue to support the development of Palestine and immediately implement its commitment to the reconstruction in Gaza.
"Parties concerned should uphold just and strengthen the mediation efforts and at the same time consider the establishment of a broadly-represented, balanced and effective multilateral mechanism which will provide oversight and support for the peace process in the Middle East," Zhang said.
Zhang said China supports the efforts of the Quartet, a diplomatic group of the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States in search of the Middle East peace, and Russia's proposal to hold an international conference on Middle East in Moscow.
The open council meeting, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council this month, came at a time when the new Israeli government was headed by hawkish Prime Minister Benjam Netanyahu.
Netanyhu has so far refused to publicly endorse the creation of an independent Palestine state, the key element of an international plan to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Also present at the open debate are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, British Foreign Minister David Miliband, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and UN ambassadors from other Council members.
Israel, Palestine and Arab states were not invited to address the meeting.
MACAO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- With the participation of world-renowned political figures like Henry A. Kissinger, the international conference on "China's Peaceful Development: Opportunities and Challenges" was held here Monday.
Over 50 scholars from Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and the Republic of Korea (ROK), India and the United States attended the two-day conference organized and held in the Macao Polytechnic Institute, where they will explore the current and past development of China.
The path of peaceful development is fully consistent with China's historical and cultural traditions, said Li Zhaoxing, former Foreign Minister of China, when addressing the audiences at the conference.
That China will follow the path of peaceful development and pursue an independent foreign policy of peace is also stipulated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Li said.
Li, along with Kissinger and Chinese scientist Qin Dahe, were conferred by the Macao Polytechnic Institute with Honorary professorship during the conference opening ceremony Monday, which was witnessed by Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China vowed to continuously enrich the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam, said Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Du Qinglin here on Monday.
Du, also head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at talks with Ha Thi Khiet, member of the Secretariat and chief of the Commission for Mass Organization of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.
Du said China and Vietnam, as friendly neighbours, are both at the key stage of the comprehensive and in-depth development of there form and opening-up process.
Under current world situation, the two countries and two parties should continue adhering to the 16-word principle of long-term stability, facing the future, good-neighborliness and friendship, and all-round cooperation as well as the four-good spirit -- good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners, said Du.
He hoped that China and Vietnam could further enrich their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and make contribution to the regional and world peace, stability and development.
Ha Thi Khiet said recent years has witnessed frequent visits of Vietnamese and Chinese senior officials, the increasing political mutual trust and great achievements in economic and trade cooperation.
She believed that her visit could further strengthen the bilateral traditional friendship and cooperation.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with his Canadian counterpart Lawrence Cannon here on Monday to discuss relations between their two countries and major international issues of common concern.
Yang said China and Canada, being important nations of the Asia-Pacific region, shared broad interests in developing domestic economies and promoting regional peace, stability and development.
The two countries have maintained high-level exchanges and achieved positive progresses in the cooperation of economy and trade, culture, education, technology, health and environment protection since last year, Yang said.
"We also maintained close communication and coordination on major international and regional issues of common concern," he added.
Yang said China would deepen practical cooperation with Canada and properly handle sensitive issues between the two nations.
Cannon said Canada paid great attention to bilateral ties and adhered to the one-China policy, adding Canada appreciated China's positive role in the international affairs.
Canada would make joint efforts with China to promote cooperation in economy, trade, public health and environmental protection and enhance coordination on global issues in a bid to cement and advance bilateral ties, Cannon said.
Cannon arrived in Beijing on Saturday for an official visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China has received about 6.7 billion U.S. dollars of free international aid in 30 years, according to China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming here Monday.
The donations mainly came from about 20 international organizations and governments including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF), European Union (EU), Japan, Germany, Australia and Canada, Chen said.
He made the remarks at a meeting to commemorate the 30th anniversary for China to receive international aid and the fist anniversary of international aid to China's earthquake-hit areas.
The international community has been extending help to China's earthquake-affected areas since May 12 last year and China is grateful to the efforts, Chen said.
China signed a technology cooperation agreement with the UNDP in 1979, indicating the start of cooperation with the United Nations on international development aid.
CHENGDU, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan Monday joined students who survived last year's disastrous earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province, singing with them to help boost morale among the teenagers on the eve of the quake's anniversary.
The 55-year-old star, best-known for his martial arts films, came to Beichuan Middle School, one of the worst-hit schools in the quake, to sing a song titled "Nation" with students there.
The song was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of new China.
Chan and his team have been promoting the song since a music video of it was finished in April.
Chan unfurled a national flag covering 5,000 square meters on the school playground. His shouts of "Go! Beichuan" "Go! China" were echoed by about 1,000 students.
"I really feel the strength of our nation after the quake. The song gives me a better understanding of the relationship between the nation and a family," said Jing Shengxi, a student of the school.
"We would not have such bright smiles today without a strong nation," said schoolmaster Liu Yachun. "I hope every student can make best use of time, remember the love, make a better self and help build a strong nation."
More than 1,000 students and teachers of the school were dead or missing in the quake on May 12 last year.
The new school, mostly funded by donations from Chinese all over the world, will begin reconstruction Tuesday.
The 8.0-magnitude quake left more than 87,000 people dead or missing in all.
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China received about 76.7 billion yuan (about 11.2 billion U.S. dollars) in cash and relief materials from domestic and foreign donors after the massive earthquake last May 12, official sources said Monday.
By April 30, a total of 65.996 billion yuan in cash and relief materials worth 10.716 billion yuan were donated to areas affected by the quake, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
Most of the donations have been or will be spent on the construction of new houses, schools, medical institutions, welfare and cultural facilities for local people.
However, some 20 billion yuan of donations has not been transferred to the quake areas, largely because some reconstruction projects have yet been
finalized, the ministry said.
For example, money to be used to build a school
or to sponsor orphans will be allocated in accordance with the development of the project.
The ministry, which oversaw disaster relief work after the earthquake, said the use of the donated money and materials had been closely monitored to ensure a transparent and regulated practice.
There have been no reports of malpractice in the past year, the ministry said, citing latest report of the National Audit Office.
Also on Monday, a government white paper said concerted efforts of the entire country and the people throughout the world played a major role in
helping quake-affected areas to overcome serious consequences of the disaster.
The paper, "China's Actions of Disaster Prevention and Reduction," was published by the State Council Information Office a day ahead of the anniversary of the earthquake.
The magnitude-8.0 quake, with the epicenter in Wenchuan of southwest China's Sichuan Province, left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 374,640 injured.
More than 3 million domestic and foreign volunteers worked in disaster relief, while 10 million others participated in quake relief activities around the country, the paper said.
It said Chinese people, enterprises and social organizations were actively involved in emergency relief work after the quake.
About 1 percent of the population volunteered for quake relief work across China, making it the first large-scale volunteer rescue effort in the country.
The paper noted that the government considered it important to involve the public fully in disaster prevention and relief. It said the country had a tax system that encouraged donations
and had guided volunteers to participate in disaster work.
At the end of 2008, China had 1,531 charity foundations and about 100 million people giving time as volunteers, it said.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
WENCHUAN, Sichuan, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Workers in southwest China's Sichuan Province started Monday rebuilding a leveled school in the May 12 earthquake last year on the eve of the disaster's anniversary.
More than 1,000 officials, workers and local residents witnessed the foundation-laying ceremony for the new buildings of the Yingxiu Township primary school.
Officials said the project marked the beginning of reconstructing Yingxiu Township, the epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude quake that left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.
Yingxiu lost about 6,000 of its 16,000 population in the quake. More than 1,000 houses were devastated or collapsed.
The buildings of the primary school were leveled in the disaster, with about 200 students and teachers crushed to death.
With an investment of 29 million yuan (4.25 million U.S. dollars), the new school buildings will be completed in five months, said Liao Min, head of Wenchuan County which administers Yingxiu.
The new school stands in an open area facing its former site across the Minjiang River.
"The new six-story main building can withstand earthquakes measuring up to 9.0 magnitude on Richter scale," Liao said."Its new playground can hold residents in case of disasters."
Following the primary school, a kindergarten, a major township road and a bridge will also be built soon, Liao said. "We will use new materials to ensure all the projects are quake-proof and environmentally friendly."
Experts and officials spent nearly a year working out the reconstruction plan for the town. The reconstruction is estimated to cost two billion yuan.
CHANGCHUN, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A man suspected in the May 5 stabbing of four people in northeastern province of Jilin had been arrested, local police confirmed on Monday.
Zhang Guoquan, a 36-year-old farmer at Xinglong Village of Tongyu County, was arrested for allegedly stabbing four people to death. The victims were Zhang's neighbors, with whom he had quarreled over a farm dispute. The victims were Jiang Xingguo, 66,his wife, daughter-in-law and his five-year-old grandson, according to the local police.
Only Jiang's son, who was absent at the time, escaped the murder.
The suspect fled the scene with Jiang's motorcycle after the homicide.
Local police arrested the suspect five days later in a county in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is 2,000 kilometers from the crime scene.
Andy Lau (R) and Jacky Cheung(L) with Cantonese opera master Hong Xian Nu (C). (Photo: chinanews.com.cn) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 -- Renowned master of Cantonese opera, Hong Xian Nu, is promoting the world's first Cantonese opera cartoon in Hong Kong. Entitled "The Obstinate Princess and Her Honest Husband", the animation features the 85-year-old's singing.
Local celebrities, opera fans and media packed in to see the premiere of the movie. Singer and actor Andy Lau and superstar Jacky Cheung also showed up.
Lau and Cheung presented Hong Xian N¨¹ with bouquets and spoke of their admiration for the veteran star.
At the ceremony, Hong Xian N¨¹ appeared in good health, showing off her good figure and skin. The master says her heart is as young as an 18-year-old's. Despite her age, she still works at the Hong Xian N¨¹ Art Center, and continues to practice her singing everyday. She performed a segment of her repertoire to thank the fans.
This undated photo shows a letter wrote autographically by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabaoto to elementary and high school students in earthquake-devastated Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, on eve of the first anniversary of the May 12 disaster that left more than 80,000 people dead or missing and millions homeless. About 10,000 students from 50 elementary and high schools were undergoing art therapy, with the help of psychiatrists from Shanghai. The organizer of the program chose 150 of their paintings and published them in a collection, "Beautiful Flowers." These were the words Wen wrote on a blackboard when he visited a local elementary school on Sept. 2, 2008. A copy of the book, signed by 156 Dujiangyan students, was sent to Wen on behalf of all local elementary and high school students. This letter is a response to the special gift. (Xinhua/Fan Rujun) Photo Gallery
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Premier Wen Jiabao has written to elementary and high school students in earthquake-devastated Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, on eve of the first anniversary of the May 12 disaster that left more than 80,000 people dead or missing and millions homeless.
Following is the full text of Wen's letter, dated April 26:
"My dear children,
I have received the album of paintings entitled 'Beautiful Flowers' you signed and sent to me. Thank you very much.
My heart was deeply touched when I saw your elaborate works. They are unique and authentic depictions of what you experienced in that solemn and stirring earthquake-relief campaign.
You were brave enough to face the catastrophe and full of confidence and courage to surmount the difficulties; you have stood up in the ruins with your backs straight; and you have buried pain and great love deep in your hearts and turned them into strength to move forward.
Your little hearts have become even more pure, solemn, staunch and beautiful after all the hardships; you have been aware of ways to become someone useful who can help others lead better lives, with gritty will and through great efforts; and you are the most beautiful flowers, which have blossomed out on this disaster-hit land, and you are the future and hope of the country and the people.
On eve of the first anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake, we are commemorating people, children in particular, who lost their lives. The best [we] can do is to do a good job in the post-disaster reconstruction and build a beautiful home.
Our country is plagued with frequent disasters, and we can only overcome them with a scientific attitude, practical spirit and strenuous effort, to enable people, primarily children, to live in peace, harmony and happiness.
You have expressed your memories of me and I also miss you, and I miss all the children in the disaster-hit areas. I love you deeply!"
Officials said that about 10,000 students from 50 elementary and high schools were undergoing art therapy, with the help of psychiatrists from Shanghai, the city that has assisted Dujiangyan in its rebuilding efforts.
The organizer of the program chose 150 of their paintings and published them in a collection, "Beautiful Flowers." These were the words Wen wrote on a blackboard when he visited a local elementary school on Sept. 2, 2008.
A copy of the book, signed by 156 Dujiangyan students, was sent to Wen on behalf of all local elementary and high school students.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China received nearly 76 billion yuan (about 11.2 billion U.S. dollars) in cash and relief materials from domestic and foreign donors after the massive earthquake last May 12, said a white paper published Monday.
The paper, "China's Actions of Disaster Prevention and Reduction," was published by the State Council (cabinet) Information Office a day ahead of the anniversary of the earthquake.
The magnitude-8.0 quake, with the epicenter in Wenchuan of southwest China's Sichuan Province, left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 374,640 injured.
More than 3 million domestic and foreign volunteers worked in disaster relief, while 10 million others participated in quake relief activities around the country, the paper said.
It said Chinese people, enterprises and social organizations were actively involved in emergency relief work after the quake.
About 1 percent of the population volunteered for quake relief work across China, making it the first large-scale volunteer rescue effort in the country.
The paper noted that the government considered it important to involve the public fully in disaster prevention and relief. It said the country had a tax system that encouraged donations and had guided volunteers to participate in disaster work.
At the end of 2008, China had 1,531 charity foundations and about 100 million people giving time as volunteers, it said.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan Earthquake
Posts
