|
|
SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
de Chine |
|
|
|
Foreign
Policy |
Hill visits Beijing to push for nuke
talks
2006-01-13 China Daily
Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei met his US counterpart Christopher
Hill yesterday afternoon in Beijing and once again called on
all the involved parties to make joint efforts to resolve the
six-party nuclear talks. Hill, the chief US negotiator on the
issue, was in Beijing for several hours to discuss ways to push
talks forward after stopovers in Seoul and Tokyo. During the
talks, Wu reiterated China's longstanding position on the nuclear
issue, which is the adherence to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula
and a peaceful solution through dialogues. Foreign Ministry
spokesman Kong Quan told reporters in yesterday's press conference
that China hoped all parties would continue to work closely
together. "All parties must show goodwill and sincerity
to push forward developments," Kong said. On his arrival
in China, Hill told reporters in the airport that the date for
the resumption of the negotiations would be a major theme of
the discussions and Washington remains committed to the six-party
process. "We need all six parties to agree on a date, so
I'm looking forward to hearing from my Chinese colleagues how
they're doing in getting all the parties together," Hill
was quoted as saying. Hill left Beijing on the same day and
will continue his Asian tour to Viet Nam, Malaysia and Cambodia.
The fifth round of talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear
programme which also involves Beijing, Washington, Seoul, Moscow
and Tokyo concluded without an agreement on November 11 in Beijing.
DPRK nuke talks facing tough times: China
2006-01-11 China Daily
China said on Tuesday DPRK nuclear talks were facing a "difficult
situation", a day after Pyongyang declared it saw no point
in returning to six-party negotiations because of U.S. sanctions.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan made the comments
as China has been playing host to the six-party talks, which
group the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia, and
which last met in November. The six were meant to meet again
early this year to try to make progress on DPRK's agreement
in principle to dismantle its nuclear weapons in exchange for
aid and security guarantees, but that now looks unlikely due
to Pyongyang's anger over Washington's crackdown on its finances.
Kong said the US sanctions against the DPRK companies had introduced
complications on the Six-Party Talks. "My view is that
we are facing a difficult situation now but all parties should
make efforts so as to resume the next round of talks as soon
as possible," Kong told a regular news conference. Kong
declined to say whether China felt the U.S. sanctions against
DPRK should be linked with the six-party talks, saying only
that the sanctions and DPRK's objections to them were "a
new, complicating factor". "The Chinese government
attaches importance to the combat of money laundering and other
financial crimes," he said. The United States has clamped
down on companies it suspects of helping DPRK in counterfeiting,
money laundering and the drug trade, and says the sanctions
are a separate matter from six-party talks. ()
Kim 'visits Guangdong' - hotel tells guests to go
2006-01-13 SCMP
Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is in Guangzhou and
will visit Shenzhen today, sources in Guangdong said - after
the city's best-known luxury hotel yesterday ordered guests
to leave and staff said it was booked out until Monday for "an
important meeting". As bemused guests quit the White Swan
Hotel on Shamian Island - where all traffic was barred - a convoy
of minibuses, limousines and police cars swept up to the five-star
establishment. Mr Kim is widely believed to be on a two-day
visit to Guangdong, but one so hush-hush that not even Xinhua,
the mainland's state news agency, has been allowed to post reporters
in the hotel. Only two North Korean reporters were being allowed
to accompany Mr Kim's delegation, media sources said. In Beijing,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan - for the second time this
week - said he had no information regarding a visit by Mr Kim,
and a Russian news agency quoted a source in the North Korean
capital as saying Mr Kim was still in Pyongyang. If any North
Korean VIP had crossed into China by train on Wednesday, as
was reported, the source said, it was probably someone close
to the North Korean leadership and possibly a relative of the
"Dear Leader". South Korea's national news agency,
Yonhap, meanwhile reported Mr Kim was in Beijing receiving medical
treatment. The last time Mr Kim visited China, his trip was
only confirmed by Beijing after he had left. Sources in Guangzhou
said the North Korean leader would visit its giant University
Town this morning before heading to Shenzhen. A White Swan spokesman
said he was not authorised to disclose whether Mr Kim was staying
at the 843-room hotel, but said all its rooms and food and beverage
outlets were fully booked for "an important meeting"
in the next few days. A sales department employee said the hotel
was expecting "a very important visitor". Assistant
general manager Janet Xie said bookings would not be accepted
until Monday. Drivers were told to vacate the car park at the
hotel because the "Korean president" was coming, Yonhap
reported. Guests at the White Swan were asked to check out around
noon but were given no explanation. An unknown number were found
rooms at other hotels. ()" US Assistant Secretary of State
Christopher Hill, who arrived in Beijing from Seoul yesterday
to discuss holding a new round of six-party talks on North Korea's
nuclear programme, said Washington had some fresh ideas on ways
to break the deadlock. He said the Chinese side had not told
him the whereabouts of Mr Kim. Asked whether he would meet the
North Korean leader, Mr Hill said: "I have no plans."
China ready to expand military ties with US
2006-01-11 Xinhuanet
China is ready to expand its military relations with the United
States on the basis of mutual benefits and equal consultation,
said Minister of National Defense Cao Gangchuan in Beijing Tuesday.
Cao, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and
a state councilor, made the remarks during his meeting with
a delegation from the US-China Working Group under the US House
of Representatives. Cao said Sino-U.S. relations are on a sound
development track and the leaders of both nations have maintained
close exchanges and contacts. Last year, Chinese President Hu
Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush met five times, and
reached lots of consensus on promoting Sino-U.S. constructive
cooperative ties, Cao noted. Military ties serve as an important
component part of the overall Sino-U.S. relationship, he underscored,
adding that both sides should make efforts to upgrade Sino-US
military ties and make it consistent with overall bilateral
relations. "We are glad to see our military ties gradually
resume and develop in recent years with joint efforts of both
sides," Cao acknowledged. ()
Chinese vice president, Russian president expect another
fruitful year for bilateral ties
2006-01-12 People's Daily
Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong met in Astana on Wednesday
Russian President Vladimir Putin and both leaders said they
believed 2006 will be another fruitful year for the development
of Sino-Russian relations. The two leaders met on the sidelines
of the swearing-in ceremony of re-elected Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev. Zeng said to Putin that bilateral ties experienced
comprehensive and profound developments in 2005, in which fruitful
achievements were obtained in the cooperation in various fields,
and political mutual trust and the role of the Strategic Partnership
of Coordination was steadily enhanced. This year is the 10th
anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-Russian Strategic
Partnership of Coordination and the first "Year of Russia,"
said the vice president. The year of 2006 is of great importance
in pushing forward bilateral cooperation in various fields,
said Zeng. For his part, Putin also spoke highly of the developments
of Russian-Chinese relations in the past year. Russia would
implement the agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries
on the development of bilateral relations, including the cooperation
in such fields as the economy, trade and energy, said Putin.
He hoped that both sides would work together to ensure the "Year
of Russia" is a success. The Russian president expressed
confidence that 2006 would be another fruitful year for the
development of bilateral relations.
Chinese vice president meets Kyrgyz president
2006-01-11 People's Daily
Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong said on Wednesday in Astana
that China would continue to work together with Kyrgyzstan in
a joint effort to crack down on "the three evil forces"
-- terrorism, extremism and separatism. In a meeting with Kyrgyz
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Zeng said China and Kyrgyzstan
should intensify cooperation in the security field to safeguard
regional security and stability as well as the interests of
the two countries. Both Zeng Qinghong and Bakiyev are here to
attend the swearing-in ceremony of Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev. Zeng noted that China and Kyrgyzstan have had fruitful
cooperation not only in the bilateral area but also on international
and regional issues. The Chinese vice president said China is
willing to work together with the Kyrgyzstan to implement the
consensus and agreements reached by the two heads of state and
deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields. Zeng hoped that
the two countries could expand economic and trade cooperation,
especially in telecommunications, mining, water and electric
resources. Bakiyev said the important consensus he reached with
Chinese President Hu Jintao has promoted the development of
bilateral relations. It is a common aspiration of the two countries
to strengthen bilateral cooperation, Bakiyev said. ()
Chinese government issues African Policy Paper
2006-01-12 Xinhuanet
The Chinese government issued the African Policy Paper on Thursday,
presenting to the world the objectives of China's policy toward
Africa and the measures to achieve them. In the African Policy
Paper, the Chinese government put forward its proposals for
cooperation with Africa in various fields in the coming years,
with a view to promoting the steady growth of China-Africa relations
in the long term and bringing the mutually-beneficial cooperation
to a new stage. The paper, composed of more than 3,000 English
words, is divided into six parts, including Africa's position
and role, China's relations with Africa, China's African policy,
enhancing all-round cooperation between China and Africa, Forum
on China-Africa Cooperation and its follow-up actions, China's
relations with African regional organizations. According to
the paper, enhancing solidarity and cooperation with African
countries has always been an important component of China's
independent foreign policy of peace. The general principles
and objectives of China's African policy are as follows: Sincerity,
friendship and equality; Mutual benefit, reciprocity and common
prosperity; Mutual support and close coordination; Learning
from each other and seeking common development. This is the
first time for the Chinese government to issue a paper elaborating
its policy toward Africa. Among the 53 countries in Africa,
47 have established diplomatic relations with China.
China, India hope for early solution to border issue
2006-01-11 People's Daily
China and India Tuesday agreed in Beijing that joint efforts
should be made to work for an early solution to the border issue.
In his meeting with visiting Foreign Secretary of India Shyam
Saran, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said that it is
in the fundamental interests of both countries to solve the
border issue at an early date, adding that China and India should
go a step further to explore the framework for the solution
to the border issue. Echoing Tang's views, Saran said that India
is also willing to explore ways for an early solution to the
border issue from the perspective of strategic cooperation.
Tang said that China and India are big developing countries
which are facing a similar mission of developing their economy
and improving people's living standards. Noting that the two
countries have many in common, Tang said that China attaches
great importance to building a friendly neighborhood with India.
"The announcement of building a strategic and cooperative
partnership by both governments last year indicates Sino-Indian
relations have entered a new phase of development," Tang
said. ()
Japan-US military cooperation should strictly be confined
to bilateral category: FM spokesman
2006-01-12 People's Daily
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that military
cooperation between Japan and the United States should be "strictly"
confined to the bilateral category. When asked to comment on
an allegation that Japan would regard war over the Taiwan Strait
as an event in its surrounding areas and allow the United States
to use its military facilities, Kong said the alliance between
Japan and the United States is a bilateral arrangement. "Therefore,
the bilateral arrangement should be strictly confined to the
bilateral category," Kong said, noting that such arrangement
should avoid bringing complicated factors to regional security
and stability. Moreover, the spokesman said, Japan and the United
States should, proceeding from the security, peace and stability
of the region as well as their own long-term interests, do more
for the benefit of peace and stability in the region, and not
the reverse.
China, Japan agree to hold 4th-round talks on East China
sea gas issue
2006-01-10 Xinhuanet
China and Japan agreed in Beijing Monday to hold a new round
of consultations on the East China Sea gas issue in Beijing
at an early date to resolve their gas dispute, said an official
of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The agreement came after
informal talks at a working level held Monday morning between
Cui Tiankai, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs
Department and Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Japanese Foreign
Ministry's Asia and Oceania Affairs Bureau, the Japanese official
said anonymously. "Both sides agreed that the fourth round
of negotiations will be held as soon as possible, perhaps in
late January or early February, around China's Spring Festival
holiday," he said. "The Chinese officials said they
were studying the issue and planned to present a new plan at
the next meeting," he added. Nobuyori Kodaira, director
general of Japan's Natural Resources and Energy Agency, also
took part in the talks, according to the official. The two sides
also reviewed the current bilateral ties and other issues, expressing
their will to improve the chilly relations, according to the
official. ()
China warns Japan about Lee Teng-hui visit
2006-01-13 China Daily
China warned Japan on Thursday that a possible visit by former
Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui could further raise tensions between
Beijing and Tokyo. A Tokyo newspaper said on Wednesday Lee planned
to travel to Japan in May, and Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary
Shinzo Abe said the government had yet to decide whether to
grant him a visa. Beijing reviles Lee as a "splittist"
who, as the island's leader from 1988 to 2000, pushed for Taiwan's
independence from the mainland. "If you look at his past,
you know him now; if you look at him now, you know what he'll
be like in the future," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong
Quan said of Lee. Kong told reporters at a regular briefing
that "Japan is crystal clear what sort of man he is"
and should deny him a visa under any conditions. Otherwise,
Kong said, Japan would be "providing a speaking platform
for Taiwan separatists." The daily Yomiuri newspaper said
Lee, who studied in Japan during World War Two and speaks fluent
Japanese, may visit for two or three weeks from May 10 at the
invitation of private groups. Beijing's ties with Tokyo are
deeply strained by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's
repeated visits to a war shrine seen by critics as a symbol
of Japan's past militarism. Abe said that Lee had not applied
for a visa, but added: "We would deal with a visit by Lee
or other prominent figures from Taiwan appropriately in line
with our basic policy toward Taiwan." The Yomiuri said
Japan would decide whether to issue Lee a tourist visa after
confirming whether he would refrain from political activities.
()
Chinese president calls for stronger China-Bolivia links
2006-01-10 People's Daily
Chinese President Hu Jintao put forward four suggestions for
advancing relations between China and Bolivia in the new century
Monday. Hu raised the propositions during a meeting with visiting
Bolivian President-elect Juan Evo Morales Ayma in the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing Monday morning. Hu said the two
countries should increase high-level contact by expanding friendly
exchanges between governmental departments, legislatures and
political parties. He said the two countries should continue
to share mutual understanding and support on issues concerning
fundamental interests of the two nations. Hu also proposed that
the two countries should deepen economic cooperation and trade
by exploring new possibilities of expanding cooperation in such
areas as investment and trade. He said China will encourage
strong and prestigious Chinese companies to invest in Bolivia
and welcome Bolivian companies to do business in China. Hu said
China and Bolivia should expand cooperation in such areas as
culture, education, science, technology and medical service,
thus promoting dialogues and exchanges between different civilizations
and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the
two peoples. Hu said the two countries should strengthen cooperation
on international and multilateral affairs and jointly safeguard
the rightful interests of developing countries so as to promote
peace, stability and development of the world. ()
China expresses hope for Mongolia's political stability
2006-01-13 Xinhuanet
China on Thursday expressed its concern over Mongolia's political
changes, saying that it hoped the country would maintain political
stability. "Mongolia is China's friendly neighbor. Domestic
changes there, especially political changes, certainly draw
concern from China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Kong Quan said at a regular press briefing. "The issues
are, in the first place, Mongolia's internal affairs,"
Kong said, adding that China hopes China-Mongolia cooperation
will move forward in a healthy and steady way. Mongolia's biggest
political party on Wednesday announced it had quit the coalition
government. In a statement, the Mongolian People's Revolution
Party (MPRP) said it made the decision following internal conflicts
in the coalition. The MPRP said the internal conflicts had weakened
the ability of the government to run the country. The MPRP,
which has 38 of the 76 seats in the Grand Hural, Mongolia's
parliament, said it hoped to form its own government with other
parties. The MPRP also demanded Prime Minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj's
resignation. |
Domestic
Policy |
Death toll of bird flu rises to five after
two more
2006-01-12 China Daily
The deaths of two more people on the Chinese mainland, revealed
yesterday, raised the toll from bird flu to five. There are
eight confirmed human cases of avian influenza on the mainland,
the Ministry of Health said. Of the two recent deaths, one was
a 10-year-old girl surnamed Tang in Ziyuan County of South China's
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the other, a 35-year-old
man surnamed Guo in Suichuan County of East China's Jiangxi
Province. They contracted the H5N1 virus and died of complications
from the disease on December 16 and 30 despite medical treatment.
Two farmers in East China's Anhui and a worker in East China's
Fujian all women died of the disease in November and December
last year. The country's eighth human case, a 6-year-old boy
in Central China's Hunan Province, is in a critical condition
with both his lungs seriously damaged. His case was reported
on January 9. A 9-year-old boy in Xiangtan County of Hunan Province
and a woman in Northeast China's Liaoning Province have both
recovered from the disease. Experts blamed the fatalities to
delayed reporting, diagnosis and treatment. Even the best anti-viral
drug, such as oseltamivir, will not be as effective if given
one or two days after the infection, according to Roy Wadia,
spokesman for the Beijing Office of the World Health Organization
(WHO). Diagnosing bird flu is difficult as its symptoms are
similar to those of respiratory illnesses, Wadia said. Only
quick diagnosis and treatment can ensure effective medical treatment,
he said. () The WHO cannot predict when a pandemic will occur,
or if it will occur at all, Wadia said. "As more outbreaks
occur among poultry and animals around the world, and as more
human cases occur, the virus has more chances to transmit more
effectively from animals to humans, or possibly among humans
as well," Wadia said. The WHO has alerted countries, especially
those in Asia, to be ready to respond quickly to any signs of
emergence of a pandemic strain of the H5N1 virus. Asia remains
the centre of H5N1 avian influenza, as it is in this part of
the world that the virus is prevalent, even entrenched, the
spokesman said.
Poor surveillance led to human infections
2006-01-11 People's Daily
The main reasons for human infections are a lack of effective
bird flu surveillance in villages and towns as well as delayed
reporting of outbreaks, according to the Ministry of Health.
Spokesman Mao Qun'an offered the explanation yesterday following
the ministry's announcement of China's eighth human case of
H5N1 bird flu on Monday night. A 6-year-old boy, surnamed Ouyang,
in Guiyang County of Central China's Hunan Province is reported
to be in a critical condition in hospital. Experts have found
ill chickens in the area where the boy lives, but have yet to
test whether they are infected with H5N1. Most of the human
cases on the Chinese mainland were first reported in big hospitals
before investigations were conducted in the patients' villages
to find the source, Mao said. The probes have usually led to
the discovery of poultry epidemics where they lived but which
were not reported, he said. At village clinics or township hospitals,
the human infections were typically diagnosed as pneumonia from
unknown causes because doctors there are not qualified to detect
bird flu infections. As a result, the best window of opportunity
for treatment was missed, leading to the three fatalities in
China, he said. The monitoring and reporting system of infectious
diseases now covers 66 per cent of China's township hospitals,
and more than 90 per cent of hospitals at county levels or above.
More village doctors will be encouraged, and financially supported,
to join the system, Mao said, adding that all hospitals have
been asked to scrutinize pneumonia cases without clear causes.
Minister: One-child policy remains effective in future
2006-01-07 Xinhuanet
China's family planning policy on the mainland will be maintained
over the coming years, a senior official said on Friday in Beijing.
Zhang Weiqing, minister of the State Commission of Population
and Family Planning, said it was long-term State policy to stabilize
the present low-level birth rate and that it would be strictly
implemented in the nation's 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) and
beyond. Speaking at a national conference on family planning,
he refuted rumours which said that China will loosen the present
policy and allow all couples to have a second child. Some experts
claimed that Shanghai, China's most economically developed city,
would allow people to have a second child in 2016, the Shanghai-based
Dongfang Morning Post previously reported. But any adjustment
of the birth policy must be carried out by the State Council
the central government, and local governments had no rights
to make changes, Zhang said. He added the policy was being maintained
as the population was still quickly increasing, posing a great
burden to the country's economic development, environment and
resources. Under the current birth rate, the population of China,
which has the world's biggest population, is expected to reach
1.37 billion by 2010, 1.46 billion by 2020 and 1.5 billion by
2033. On the mainland, 90 million families have adhered to the
family planning policy. Not all people, however, are forbidden
to have more than one child. In the minority group regions,
there are no restrictions. And in the country's rural areas,
if a couple's first child is a girl, considering that rural
families need labourers to help with farm work, the State allows
such couples to have a second child. Many flexible policies
have also been made to take care of couples who have special
difficulties, such as those whose first child is disabled. China
currently has nearly 1.3 billion people on the mainland. The
aim of the family planning initiative is to control the number
within 1.37 billion before the end of 2010, Zhang said. His
commission began a nationwide campaign in the middle of last
year to protect the rights of girls, rewarding those families
which prefer to have only one child even if it is a girl. More
support will be given to those one-child couples whose child
passes away before their parents, and to those elderly people
in an ageing society now. The decades-old State policy has helped
to reduce a great population burden for the country and created
a social atmosphere of having less children. ()
PLA downsizes its forces by 200,000
2006-01-10 China Daily
China downsized its military by 200,000 by the end of last year
to optimize force structures and increase combat capabilities,
the People's Liberation Army Daily reported yesterday. The two-year
programme to trim the military was completed on schedule; and
troop numbers were down to 2.3 million compared to 3.2 million
in 1987, the newspaper said. The changes included reducing layers
in the command hierarchy, cutting non-combat units such as schools
and farms, and rearranging officer duties. The number of land
forces was reduced by a large margin, while the navy, air force
and missile-specialist Second Artillery Force were strengthened.
"The ratio of land forces has plunged to a historic low,"
the report said without giving any numbers, and added that the
ratio of combat troops had increased remarkably. Streamlining
of the officer corps was the focus of the latest restructuring,
said the report: About 170,000 officers were demobilized to
"optimize the ratio between officers and soldiers."
In the past, the PLA was over-staffed with officers. ()
China bans alcohol sale to minors
2006-01-12 Xinhuanet
Chinese retailers selling alcohol products to minors under the
age of 18 will be punished as of April this year, according
to a new regulation which took effect on Jan. 1. These products
include distilled liquor and most beer and wine with an alcohol
content of more than 0.5 percent, according to the regulation
on the control over the circulation of alcohol products. Alcohol
dealers are also demanded to put signs about no alcohol sale
to minors at their shops. The punishment for violators ranges
from government warning to a fine of 2,000 yuan (250 U.S. dollars).
Although the government allows a grace period of three months
to enforce the regulation, many alcohol dealers have responded
quickly. In Tianjin, a port city near Beijing, the five outlets
of France's supermarket giant Carrefour set up signs of the
sales bank on their alcohol counters. "Our staff are asked
to check the ID card, driver's license or passport of buyers
who look like minors," said Wang Xiaozhong, public relations
manager of Carrefour China. Similar signs are also seen in stores
in Urumqi in the northwest and Guangzhou in the south. Nevertheless,
it is easy to set up signs, but hard to refuse the buyers. Owners
of some grocery stores in Tianjin told Xinhua that many kids
would say that they bought alcohol for their parents, not for
themselves. In Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province,
market inspectors found that not only supermarkets but also
restaurants and bars were selling alcohol to minors during the
New Year holiday. Experts with the Nanjing Alcohol Marketing
Association said the ban would help keep young people from alcohol
but it was not easy to carry it out smoothly. They suggested
concerned government departments strengthen enforcement of the
regulation. Drinking alcohol is popular in China, one of the
earliest countries in the world to make such products. A survey
conducted by the Psychic Health Research Institute of Beijing
University shows that the number of Chinese alcohol drinkers,
including quite a few minors, has been increasing in recent
years, and 84.1 percent of them are male drinkers.
China faces severe ocean pollution
2006-01-11 Xinhuanet
China's ocean environment, especially the shallow waters just
off the coast, has been severely polluted by an increasing run-off
of contaminants into the sea. A report released by China's State
Oceanic Administration says the country is faced with severe
challenges in handling the pollution of the ocean. The report,
China's Oceanic Environment Quality 2005, says that the ocean
has been polluted by a harmful algal bloom, a sudden, massive
growth of microscopic and macroscopic plant life. It is estimated
that last year there were over 80 incidents of algal blooms
in the shallow waters off China's coast, leading to direct economic
losses of nearly 8.6 million US dollars. A spokesperson for
the State Oceanic Administration, Li Chunxian, says a run off
of pollutants from the land is the source of the contamination.
"The run-off of pollutants from the land is heavy. That
causes the deterioration of ecological system in the ocean,
rivers, bays and wetlands. The pollutants contain substances
that aid the growth of harmful algae. The excessive run-off
of pollutants also damages the ecosystems of coral reefs."
In addition, algal blooms cause fish to die by lowering the
oxygen concentration of the water. Over the past five years,
China has seen increased contamination of the ocean. ()
Ex-provincial procurator-general gets 17-year sentence for
taking bribes
2006-01-10 China Daily
Ding Xinfa, former provincial procurator-general of east China's
Jiangxi Province, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for bribery
and embezzlement on Monday. The Intermediate People's Court
of Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province,
handed down the verdict in the first instance. Ding's personal
assets worth of 900,000 yuan (around 111,250 US dollars) were
confiscated. According to the court verdict, from 1993 to 2003,
Ding took advantage of his posts as director of the provincial
bureau of public security and later procurator-general in Jiangxi,
to seek personal gain from six people who gave him and his family
members bribes of more than 2.75 million yuan (around 340,000
US dollars).Back in 1998, when he was director of the provincial
bureau of public security, Ding embezzled 1.1 million yuan (around
137,500 US dollars) of public funds for others to run profit-making
businesses. All the illicit money and bribes accepted by Ding
had been recovered, the court said. The court verdict said Ding
Xinfa had committed the crime of accepting bribes. In his civil
servant capacity, Ding accepted bribes and misused his power
to seek illicit gain for those who offered the bribes. The amount
of bribes he took was particularly large. However, in view of
the fact that Ding had confessed to most of his crimes, repented
of them, and been active in returning bribes, he was given a
lenient punishment, court verdict said.
Chinese transportation official gets 14 years in jail for
taking bribes
2006-01-13 People's Daily
A former transportation official in north China's Hebei Province
has been sentenced to 14 years in prison with political rights
deprived for three years on bribe-taking charges, sources said
Thursday. Zhang Quan, former deputy director of the Hebei Provincial
Department of Transportation, was found guilty of taking bribes
during the period of 2002 to 2004, sources with the Jingxian
People's Court in Jingxian County in Hebei said. The bribes
included 1.623 million yuan (200,370 U.S. dollars) and 1,000
U.S. dollars in cash, 160,000 yuan worth of shares, and 5,000
yuan worth of shopping cards. Approximately 1.7 million yuan
of illicit money has been retrieved and turned over to the national
treasury, sources said. In mid-December last year, another transportation
official in southwest China's Guizhou Province was executed
on charges of taking millions of dollars in bribes. Lu Wanli,
former director of the Guizhou Department of Transportation,
accepted more than 25.6 million yuan (3.2 million U.S. dollars)
worth of bribes from June 1998 through January 2002.
|
Economy |
China's Central Bank denies dollar plans
2006-01-11 China Daily
China said Tuesday it has no plans to sell dollars from its
$800 billion-plus foreign reserves, rejecting speculation that
had jolted financial markets and fed speculation about the possible
impact on the U.S. dollar. "We won't sell off our dollar-denominated
assets," a central bank official, Tang Xu, told Dow Jones
Newswires. China's foreign currency regulator said last week
its plans for 2006 include "widening the foreign exchange
reserves investment scope." That sparked speculation that
Beijing might shift some reserves from dollars, the bulk of
its holdings, into other currencies. China's foreign currency
reserves are the world's second-biggest after Japan, and traders
closely watch how they are handled. Much of the reserves are
in U.S. Treasuries, and any move to sell them could influence
bond and currency markets. Financial analysts say China has
few options to move assets out of dollars due to the vast size
of its reserves, because financial markets in other currencies
offer fewer bonds and other assets. Gold prices have risen to
their highest level in nearly 25 years on international markets,
partly due to speculation that China and other nations' central
banks might shift reserves into precious metals. Gold closed
at $546.50 an ounce on Tuesday in Hong Kong, up $4.50 an ounce
from Monday's close. That's the highest since March 1981. Tang,
director-general of the central bank's Research Bureau, said
foreign reserves were expected to top $800 billion at the end
of 2005, up from $769 billion when the last quarterly report
was issued in September, according to Dow Jones.
CNOOC takes 45 percent stake in Nigerian oil
2006-01-09 China Daily
China's largest gas and oil producer CNOOC said it had agreed
to buy a 45 percent stake in an oil block off the coast of Nigeria
for almost 2.3 billion dollars. The Hong Kong-listed unit of
the China National Overseas Oil Corporation said it had signed
a firm agreement with Nigeria's South Atlantic Petroleum to
acquire the stake in the OML 130 block in the Niger Delta. The
purchase would be funded from internal resources, a CNOOC statement
said. "The purchase of this interest in OML 130 helps CNOOC
gain access to an oil and gas field of huge interest and upside
potential, located in one of the world's largest oil and gas
basins," CNOOC chairman Fu Chengyu said Monday. "With
one of the leading deep water experts as the operator of the
field, we have every confidence for the fast and efficient production
of oil." The block covers about 500 square miles (1,300
sq km) and water depths range from about 1,100 to 1,800 meters
(3,630-5,940 feet). It is being operated by French oil giant
Total. Total estimates the block could contain some 600 million
barrels of recoverable oil with a potential for some 500 million
more barrels, the statement said. The field is due to come into
production in 2008. The transaction is expected to be finalised
in the first half of this year and is conditional on approval
from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Chinese
government. The deal is China's latest attempt to acquire foreign
oil to fuel its booming economy.
China, India sign energy agreement
2006-01-13 China Daily
China and India signed a slew of co-operation pacts in the hydrocarbon
sector yesterday to ensure secure energy supplies. In the "Memorandum
for Enhancing Cooperation in the Field of Oil and Natural Gas"
signed yesterday between Mani Shankar Aiyar, the visiting Indian
petroleum and natural gas minister, and Ma Kai, director of
China's National Development and Reform Commission, both sides
identified key areas for partnerships. They include upstream
exploration and production, refining and marketing of petroleum
products and petrochemicals, research and development, conservation,
and promotion of environment-friendly fuels. The agreement also
allows trading in oil and joint bidding in third countries that
will help both nations reduce the burden on the exchequers.
"We look upon China not as a strategic competitor but as
a strategic partner," said Aiyar at a news conference at
the Indian Embassy in Beijing last night. "Both China and
India recognize that unbridled rivalry between them only results
in the seller of the assets being benefited irrespective of
which of the two countries wins the bid," Aiyar told reporters
on Thursday. "Therefore it does make sense ... to have
circumstances in which India and China march shoulder to shoulder."
He added: "I don't think it is necessary for either India
or China to purchase its energy security at the expense of the
other." Such cooperation would be subject to information
sharing between governments and companies that could facilitate
later commercial decisions, Aiyar said. ()
2004 GDP growth revised to 10.1pc
2006-01-10 SCMP
The National Bureau of Statistics has revised the mainland's
economic growth for 2004 to 10.1 per cent from 9.5 per cent
after taking into account data from an economic census completed
last year. In a statement posted on its website yesterday, the
bureau also adjusted figures for gross domestic product growth
from 1993 to 2003. The new figures mean the mainland's GDP grew
an average of 9.6 per cent a year between 1979 and 2004, or
0.2 percentage points higher than originally stated. The new
figure for 2004 GDP was 15.99 trillion yuan - up from 13.69
trillion yuan - making the mainland the world's sixth-largest
economy that year instead of seventh, ahead of Italy and chasing
France and Britain. The census revealed that the services sector
played a much greater role in the mainland economy than previously
believed. The bureau raised 2003's GDP growth rate to 10 per
cent from 9.5 per cent, 2002's to 9.1 per cent from 8.3 per
cent and 2001's to 8.3 per cent from 7.5 per cent. China International
Capital chief economist Ha Jiming said the revisions would not
have profound implications for the government's macroeconomic
policies because while the level of growth was higher, the trend
was unchanged, with growth slowing from 2004's 10.1 per cent
to last year's estimated 9.8 per cent after the revisions. Huang
Yiping, chief Asia economist with Citicorp in Hong Kong, said
the revised figures were positive for capital inflow into the
mainland, but also warned that the economy needed to calm down.
"On the one hand, growth has been high, so probably there
is a strong need for more tightening measures," he said.
"But on the other hand, many people argue that structurally
it is a bit better because the under-reporting came mainly from
consumption activities and the service industry." ()
|
Economy |
GDP up 9.8% in 2005, says NDRC
2006-01-03 China Daily
China's economy grew 9.8 percent in 2005, said Ou Xinqian, vice
minister of the National Development and Reform Commission here
Sunday. The commission's previous estimate for last year's economic
growth was 9.4 percent. This figure was adjusted according to
the newly-revised GDP in 2004. China last month revised the
size of its economy in 2004 by 16.8 percent to 15.99 trillion
yuan (1.93 trillion U.S. dollars), with over 90 percent of the
newly-added 2.3 trillion yuan from better data about the services
sector. Ou revealed the figure at a meeting on the coal supply
and demand. She said China's CPI remained within two percent
in 2004 and the fixed assets investment grew 25 percent.
China takes another step towards flexible yuan
2006-01-05 Xinhuanet
China took another step towards currency flexibility on Wednesday
by letting banks set its daily opening foreign-exchange rate,
a change that might allow the yuan to move much faster than
previously possible, the Reuters reported. The new system, the
latest in a long line of policies aimed at gradually freeing
up the yuan, accompanied the introduction of open over-the-counter
trading that will eventually replace the current system of anonymous
and automatic order matching. The changes, announced late on
Tuesday, went into operation on Wednesday. The yuan remains
tied to a 0.3 percent range on either side of a daily mid rate
against the dollar. But whereas the mid rate has until now been
the previous day's close, allowing only very slow movement,
it will now be the average quote of market makers -- theoretically
allowing a rise at the opening of trade each day. "The
old system was effectively a crawling system that limited day-to-day
movement within 0.3 percent," Jun Ma, Deutsche Bank's Greater
China chief economist, said in a research note. "This change
theoretically allows a very different central parity rate from
the previous day's closing price." But maybe only theoretically.
Ma reckoned the central bank would allow the yuan to rise only
slowly -- about 4 percent this year. ()
16pc target set for money supply growth
2006-01-06 SCMP
The People's Bank of China yesterday said it is targeting broad
money supply growth of 16 per cent this year, a goal analysts
said fitted with government pledges to keep monetary policy
stable. The new M2 target was similar to last year's growth
objective, which was set at 15 per cent early last year but
raised to 17 per cent in November. "We will continue to
implement a stable and healthy monetary policy," the central
bank said after the money supply targets were announced during
an annual meeting of its officials. Huang Yiping, chief Asia
economist at Citigroup in Hong Kong, said: "This is very
much similar to what the central bank expected last year. Going
forward, our reading is that it's still very much like a neutral
policy."
|
Mongolia |
Coalition government on the brink of
resignation
2006-01-12 UB Post
The coalition government of Mongolia is on the brink of resignation
after M.Enkhbold, chairman of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary
Party, stated that 10 ministers out of 17 cabinet members has
signed in an agreement to be resigned. On January 11, around
1:30pm, media journalists were present in a face-to-face meeting
of M.Enkhbold and the Prime Minister Ts.Elbegdorj (DP). "After
the collapse of democratic coalition in December 2004, the MPRP
has considered that the current government has become incapable
in legal environment last December," Enkhbold said. "Today,
no any foreign country nor international organization, even
a legal subject of Mongolia, treated me, a person representing
executive governance of the country, as legally incapable in
exercising its full power," Elbegdorj said. Enkhbold said
that a slowdown of economic growth and an increasing inflation
have caused the MPRP to make the above decision. Prime Minister
Ts.Elbegdorj told back Enkhbold that his party should take back
its decision and reconsider it. "I understood that the
MPRP's governing council has made its decision and made its
10 minister to sign in it afterwards." The issue of government
resignation would be discussed in a nearest parliament session.
"There are too many pending questions that need to be resolved
here on my desk. We can't run away from these problems. This
decision of the MPRP is a subversive policy, that would push
Mongolia into politically unstable situation," he said.
He said Enkhbold has left soo many problems unsolved when he
was working as UB Mayor. He said that all levels of the capital
city administration has become "inbred". Same political
party people, family relatives, and close friends, were placed
at every public service positions of the capital city administration,
according to Elbegdorj. Enkhbold agreed that top officials of
the metropolitan administration were formed from a single party.
However, he denied that the public service has become "inbred".
But he said that those should not be connected with the resignation
of the government. Prime Minister said that the Democratic Party
would not enter into the new government. "Today, those
ten ministers have signed in favor of their party's decision.
Tomorrow, there is no warranty that they wouldn't sign again
in a document against the interest of Mongolian people,"
Elbegdorj said. Those signed ministers include; 1. Premier Minister,
Ch.Ulaan, 2. Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, S.Batbold
3. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ts.Monkh- Orgil 4. Minister
of Nature and Environment, U.Barsbold 5. Minister of Defense,
Ts.Sharavdorj 6. Minister of Fuel and Energy, T.Ochirkhuu 7.
Minister of Industry and Trade, Su.Batbold 8. Minister of Food
and Agriculture, D.Terbishdagva 9. Minister of Health, T.Gandi,
and 10. Minister of Emergencies, U.Khurelsukh "In 2004,
we [MPRP] gave seats of Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of
Social Welfare and Labour to the Democratic Party, which are
the ministries should accelerate economic growth. We handed
over a country with 10 percent economic growth to the coalition
government, which is now at 6 percent," said Enkhbold.
In addition, all local administrative governors from aimags
and soums, are from MPRP, except two governors are from the
Democratic Party. "If the government resigns, potential
business investors, international communities, who were looking
at Mongolia with positive belief, would flee from Mongolia.
And, the people would lose their hope to the government,"
Elbegdorj added. Prime Minister said that the anti-corruption
measures, amendment to taxation bill, and mining law were going
to be discussed at the parliament. R.Gonchigdorj, head of the
Democratic Party, stated that the MPRP seem to be resigning
the government because their corruption cases were about nearly
Mongolian troops hold court in Sierra Leone
2006-01-12 UB Post
A contingent of 250 Mongolian soldiers (MONBAT) serving as 'blue
helmets' for the United Nations took over the responsibility
of guarding the Special Court in Sierra Leone on January 8.
They replaced Nigerian troops who had been responsible for the
court for just over a year. The Special Court is an independent
tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government
of Sierra Leone. It is designed to bring to justice those chiefly
responsible for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone since 1996.
To date it has seen 11 people indicted on various charges of
war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations
of international humanitarian law. In a brief ceremony in front
of the court itself the UN commander General Tommy Goransson
witnessed the handover from Nigeria's Lieutenant- Colonel C.I.
Obiakor to Mongolia's Lieutenant- Colonel B.Bayarmagnai. The
Mongolians are now the only UN troops remaining in Sierra Leone
after the peacekeeping mission ended in December of last year.
They will be under the command of the peacekeeping mission in
neighboring Liberia. This deployment will be MONBAT's first
assignment in West Africa, however several members of the party
have served in UN missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Western Sahara and Sudan. Others have also served as part of
the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The troops will be equipped
with heavy weapons and armored personnel carriers. They will
also undertake operational exercises with other UNJ forces,
mainly from the neighboring misson in Liberia. The forces there
include Irish and Swedish contingents that are on stand by to
deploy by air, land and sea in support of the Mongolians if
required. Sierra Leone was wracked by a civil war that ran between
1991 and 2001, costing 120, 000 lives and left thousands injured
- many horrifically so. At the height of its operations in 2001
the peacekeeping mission to Sierra Leone was the largest in
the world with 17, 000 peacekeepers deployed across the country
to disarm rebel fighters.
Global warming cooking up problems in countryside
2006-01-12 UB Post
During a cold winter there are plenty of us who would be happy
to see the temperatures rise by a few degrees. However, the
Hydrology and Meteorology Institute has released figures that
show global warming is causing some alarming problems in the
Mongolian countryside, where scores of rivers, streams and lakes
are simply drying up. In the ten years since 1996 Mongolia has
suffered from a cycle of particularly dry weather. During that
time 683 rivers, 1,484 springs and 760 small lakes have dried
up. Those figures how that on average 68 rivers, 148 springs,
and 76 lakes each year have withered into nothing more than
dust. Another result of the rise in global temperatures has
been the melting of glacial ice. Estimates suggest that in the
years between 1940 and 2002 the glaciers in Mongolia were reduced
in size by almost 30 percent. In particular the glacial square
near the Kharkhiraa and Turgen mountains lost 37.5 percent of
its overall size. The research also suggests that Mongolia is
in for more of this climate change. It predicts that by 2039
temperatures will have risen on average by 1.9 degrees, by 2069
that CIRCUS SCIENCE number will be up to 3.6 and by 2099 it
will be a frightening 6.5. News of glaciers melting may sound
alarming, but for many it is not too concerning since glaciers
are hardly an everyday sight. One thing that is affected by
global warming though and is part of many people's daily lives
is livestock. The researchers believe that global climate change
is responsible for the loss of weight in the majority of Mongolian
animals. Over the last twenty years it is estimated that the
average cow has fallen by 13.6 kg, sheep have fallen by 3.63
kg and goats by 2kg. It is thought that global warming has damaged
the wooded steppe on which the animals graze making it harder
for them to maintain their size and weight. On top of weight
there is also the question of production, such as wool from
sheep and milk from cows. That too has taken a bashing with
the average wool yield down by 0.5kg.
|
Julie Kong
Embassy of Switzerland
|
The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy. |
|
|