BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese banks have been active in transacting yuan cross-border settlement after the first deal was made Monday. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) said Tuesday it had dealt with yuan cross-border settlement totaling 17 million yuan (2.49 million U.S. dollars) in two days. Many banks in Guangdong Province were active in dealing with yuan cross-border settlement. The Bank of China Guangdong branch transacted yuan cross-border settlement totaling 7.96 million yuan (1.17 million U.S. dollars) Tuesday. "Guangdong Province has a large economic scale and is highly dependent on foreign trade. Yuan cross-border settlement could help enterprises avert exchange rate risks and reduce costs," said Cao Licong, deputy governor of the BOC Guangdong branch. "The service is favored by enterprises and will be promising in the future," said Hu Ye, deputy governor of the ICBC Guangdong branch. China launched its first yuan cross-border settlement Monday. China's State Council, or Cabinet, announced in April a pilot program to allow exporters and importers in Shanghai, and southern Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Dongguan cities to settle cross-border trade deals in Renminbi (RMB), or yuan. China last week issued detailed regulations for the pilot program for cross-border trade settled in yuan. The rules specified how to make transactions using yuan to settle trade with Hong Kong and Macao and regional trade partners.
BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Decoupling from the world, and the economic downturn much of it is experiencing, has proven impossible for China. But its resilience is receiving more recognition, with many leading financial institutions upgrading their 2009 growth forecasts since mid-April. The adjustments for gross domestic product (GDP) growth, ranging from 0.5 to 2.3 percentage points, were based on signs of a turnaround in the first quarter. These indicators included stronger-than-expected real GDP growth, recovering property investment, a pick-up in power consumption and a surge in bank lending. Merrill Lynch & Co. said it expected China's GDP to grow 7.2 percent in the second quarter and 8 percent this year, while Goldman Sachs raised its projection from 6 percent to 8.3 percent, the most optimistic forecast so far. Other forecasts include UBS, which raised its estimate by 0.5 point to 7 percent and CLSA Asia-Pacific, which lifted its outlook by 1.5 point to 7 percent. China's policymakers can take heart from these forecasts. Every upward revision, big or small, given the global economic slowdown, might point to a better chance for the nation to achieve its 8-percent growth target. That level of growth is considered necessary to raise living standards while maintaining social stability. But there's still the question of whether rapid growth is sustainable. Some analysts believe it isn't unless China can rebalance its economy and achieve higher efficiency, lower environmental costs and a more reasonable balance among investment, trade and consumption. QUANTITY OR QUALITY? In an interview with Xinhua, Stephen Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, urged Chinese authorities to get more serious about stimulating private consumption because the global economy remains "pretty weak" and might only achieve a weak recovery. "China has responded to the crisis the way it has always responded to global problems. That is, using proactive fiscal stimulus mainly in the infrastructure area to provide temporary support in the downturn until the global economy comes back. It worked in the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2000-2001 mild recession. But this is a different sort of problem," said Roach. "Once the stimulus wears off and if there is no follow-through, the Chinese economy will weaken again. I don't think exports will recover in the weak global economy." Domestic economists voice similar worries, saying that the speed of growth doesn't matter as much as the quality. Liu Shangxi, deputy dean of the Research Institute for Fiscal Science at the Ministry of Finance, said that the 6.1-percent year-on-year growth in the first quarter had been "fairly good" for China. But, he said, "sometimes, it's worth slowing down a bit to have the economy move more stably." Wang Xiaoguang, an economist with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the chief planning agency. said that the government's annual growth target had become mostly symbolic. For five years in a row, the target was 8 percent, and for five years in a row, the growth rate overshot the target. Wang said the government had faced a dilemma: a cut in the target might undermine public confidence while a rise might tempt local governments to over-invest to meet a high growth target. The turnaround signs mostly reflected the impact of the 4-trillion-yuan (586 billion U.S. dollars) stimulus package. Meanwhile, retail sales still trailed investment in contributing to growth. Local economists warned that the economy remained unbalanced and vulnerable. "Historical records show that adjustments in the Chinese economy would take two to three years, on average. Seven months have passed since the impact of the global financial crisis began to tell on the local economy. "With a turnaround in sight, recovery might come earlier than expected but there are still risks of a further slowdown," Chen Dongqi, deputy chief of the Macro-Economic Research Institute under the NDRC, told a business development forum in Guangdong in late April. BUYING CURE It's widely accepted among economists that China should boost domestic private consumption by leading individuals to buy more and save less. The key question is: how? "Two big programs" Roach advocates call for doubling the investment in social security immediately to 150 billion U.S. dollars and establishing a goal of raising consumption as a share of the economy from 36 percent to 50 percent within five years. "What I think is missing here is the social safety net, social security pension and unemployment insurance. Because of the absence of the safety net, China has seen a high level of precautionary saving," he said. Roach suggested that China develop a private pension system in particular so total employee compensation could rise in tandem with productivity. "Chinese companies need to partner with their workers and provide medical care [and] retirement investing for their workforce. Chinese workers' total pay package should have both wages and benefits," he said. Liu agreed that the primary task in expanding consumption was to raise incomes. "Securing the legitimate interests of workers is particularly significant when the economy slumps. It would be like drinking poison to quench one's thirst if businesses sought to expand corporate earnings at the cost of workers' pay and benefits," he said. Low labor costs and massive capacity have propped up China's prosperity over the past decades. But the proportion of wages to national income has been on a long decline since the 1990s. Between 2002 and 2006 alone, economists estimate the figure dropped from 62.1 percent to 57.1 percent. Meanwhile, the contribution of consumption to GDP growth fell from 43.6 percent to 38.9 percent. "A more meaningful index to judge the sustainability of China's economic growth would be the proportion of wages to national income," Liu said. "If this ratio did not rise, people would remain poor, and thus expanding consumption would be empty talk." Chinese are far from wealthy. Only 4 percent of the workforce, and just 10 percent of the urban workforce, earn more than 2,000 yuan a month, the threshold for individual income tax. As Chinese residents hold 2.43 trillion yuan in aggregate deposits, economists say one immediate way to boost consumption would be to stabilize spending on staple property -- including housing and automobiles -- and support tourism and cultural activities. "People spend much of their money on housing and food. The government should encourage people to entertain themselves more," Wang said. CHINA 'NO LOCOMOTIVE' Although China might be the first major economy to recover from the downturn, economists disagree on when China will return to sustained high growth. Morgan Stanley, for example, has forecast a firm recovery by mid-year, but said sustainable growth through 2010 would still hinge on what happens in other countries. "China will be stronger. But will that strength be enough to allow others to follow in its footsteps? I don't think so," said Roach. "Most of China's resilience comes from infrastructure building, roads, property consumption ... [this] won't have an impact on the United States and Europe. This resilience is only temporary while its stimulus is local rather than global." Central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan also warned in late April during World Bank-IMF meetings in Washington that the rebound in China's economy had to be consolidated. He said conditions in China would permit rapid economic development again, once macroeconomic policies such as the stimulus plan took effect. Challenging internal and external conditions, he said, included continuously shrinking external demand, a relatively large decline in exports, overcapacity in some industries, falling government revenue and lingering employment pressure. As China emerges from the shadow of the downturn, together with many of its Western partners, the world is closely watching the socialist market economy that it is still trying to develop. It was interesting to see that there was much "the ideologically-constrained West" could learn from China, just as there was much China could learn from the West, said Roach. "China has gone slow in many areas, especially in the opening up of its financial market. But China made the right choice," he said. "Focusing on stability is a huge plus for China. But the nation must be vigilant in its financial policies, especially monetary and regulatory policies, and not allow asset bubbles and financial innovations it doesn't understand," said Roach.
BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner Friday announced details of the country's new oil pricing mechanism, for the first time after the new pricing system kicked in at the beginning of this year. In a statement on its website, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said China would adjust domestic fuel prices when global crude prices reported a daily fluctuation band of more than 4 percent for 22 working days in a row. The commission said refiners would enjoy "normal" profit when global crude prices are below 80 U.S. dollars per barrel, but would face narrower profit margins when the crude prices rise above 80 U.S. dollars per barrel. However, fuel prices would not go further up, or only be raised by a small margin, when crude prices rise above 130 U.S. dollars per barrel, and fiscal and tax tools would be used to ensure supplies, the NDRC said. Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose 37 cents a barrel to settle at 56.71 U.S. dollars on the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday after reaching a six-month high of 58.57 dollars. Crude prices staged strong rally on news of upbeat economic data in the United States, rising more than 10 percent in two weeks. The NDRC statement also came a day after it denied an online report claiming imminent price hike. C1 Energy, an energy information website, Thursday reported that the Chinese government would raise fuel prices as of midnight Thursday, but said later the price adjustment had been canceled, with reasons unknown. Xu Kunlin, deputy head of NDRC's pricing department, said the new oil pricing mechanism is not to be followed "word by word" without any flexibility, when asked whether the commission would soon adjust fuel prices at a press conference held in Beijing. "There has been pressure to raise domestic fuel prices as crude prices continued to rise," Xu said, "however, the final decision will depend on developments in crude prices in coming days." Friday's statement did not say how the global crude prices would be measured. Xu declined to reveal details on the basket of crude prices for evaluating international price changes, and said such details would remain a secret in a bid to prevent speculation. The NDRC said in the statement that the government would continue to control fuel prices at the current stage, because of insufficient market competition and imperfect market mechanisms. However, fuel prices would eventually be determined by market forces only in the long run under the new pricing mechanism, which is aimed to bring in more market forces, said the NDRC. China's fuel prices, with taxes included, are at a relatively lower level among major oil importers, said the NDRC. Domestic fuel prices are lower than in Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Mongolia, and many European countries, but higher than in oil exporters in the Middle East and than some cities in the United States, according to surveys by the NDRC. China's retail fuel prices vary in different regions. Currently, gasoline 93, the most commonly used type of gas, sells for 5.56 yuan (81.8 U.S. cents) per liter in Beijing.
BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to increase cooperation with Vietnam to push forward comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, said top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin on Thursday. "Stronger Sino-Vietnamese cooperation is significant when facing with international financial crisis," Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, told Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan in Beijing. China and Vietnam would hold a friendship year in 2010. "We should grasp the opportunity to promote our friendship," Jia said. Jia Qinglin (front R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meets with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan (front L), who is also Vietnam's Minister of Education and Training, in Beijing, China, April 30, 2009 The establishment of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership last year lifted bilateral ties into a new height, said Jia. Frequent high level contacts, economic cooperation and increasing exchanges brought concrete benefits for the two peoples, he said. Nhan is also Vietnam's Minister of Education and Training. Jia hoped the two nations would further expand cooperation in education. Nhan said Vietnam was ready to work with China to promote cooperation in education, culture, science and technology,. Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong also met with Nhan later Thursday.
BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The 11th China-European Union (EU) summit, after being postponed from December in France due to well-known reasons, will be held on Wednesday in the Czech capital of Prague. The resumption within half a year shows that China and the EU can endure all kinds of difficulties and tests, and shows the common desire of both sides to consolidate and develop the bilateral relationship, and indicates that the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership is at a new historical threshold. At the beginning of China's Lunar New Year, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a "journey of confidence" to the EU headquarters and four European countries, which hugely promoted the two sides' confidence of cooperation. During his visit, Wen agreed with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that enhanced China-EU cooperation bears significance for the world and the China-EU summit would be held as soon as possible in 2009. Besides, as the relationship between China and France gradually improved, conditions for the summit were ripe. The upcoming summit will take place when the international situation is much different from earlier in the year. The global financial crisis has caused damage to the real economy, and A/H1N1influenza is posing a challenge to both China and Europe. In this scenario, Premier Wen's attendance at the summit not only demonstrates China attaching great importance to the China-Incomprehensive strategic partnership, but also China's determination and sincerity to join hands with the EU to deal with global issues such as the financial crisis. The summit will also help stabilize the China-EU relationship and strengthen its favorable trend of development. The twists and turns in China-EU relations last year provided an opportunity for reflection. As a high-level EU official said at a recent seminar, China and the EU should seek common ground while reserving differences under the comprehensive strategic partnership, which does not demand identical ideas from both sides. It will be a wise choice for both sides to respect the core interests of each other and deal properly with differences, compared with which, the China-EU cooperation is definitely the mainstream. China and the EU attach great importance to each other in their strategic considerations. Both sides have common economic interests and have a broad range of global issues to cooperate on. Therefore, a healthy and stable relationship serves the core interests of both sides. Leaders from both sides need to strengthen dialogue and exchange of contacts from a global strategic perspective on the basis of equality and mutual respect. In the face of the ongoing global financial crisis, the Prague China-EU summit is expected to push forward bilateral trade and economic cooperation which remains a key element of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. Last year, the bilateral trade volume exceeded 400 billion U.S. dollars for the first time. The EU remains China's biggest trade partner and largest export market. Recently, the EU became China's largest source of imports while China remains the EU's second largest trade partner. China's steadily growing market presents great opportunities for European enterprises. However, since the beginning of this year, China-EU trade has been increasingly affected by the financial meltdown. Both sides are facing a key task to strengthen trade and economic cooperation and join hands to tide over the crisis. Sound cooperation between China and Europe, including participation in each other's stimulus plans, will help both sides fight trade and investment protectionism, boost confidence, and promote early recovery of the global economy. In December, the UN Climate Chance Conference will be held in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and various parties are still negotiating on a final deal. The Prague summit will help China and Europe to better understand each other's position on the issue and carry out practical cooperation. In fact, China and the EU have huge potential in cooperating in the fight against climate change. Both sides may expand cooperation in developing new energy and energy saving technologies, promoting a low-carbon economy, and making environment-friendly industries new economic growth sectors. There is a famous Chinese saying: people should see and tackle their issues from a long-term perspective with an open eye. Since 1975, China-EU ties have been upgraded from the constructive partnership to the comprehensive partnership to the current comprehensive strategic partnership which was established in 2003.This triple-jump process indicates that China-Europe relations are deepening with increasing global strategic significance. It is believed that the 11th China-EU summit, which has not come easily, will push forward China-EU ties to a new phase of development.
MOSCOW, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Senior representatives on security issues from the BRIC countries met in Moscow on Friday ahead of an upcoming summit on relations and cooperation within the bloc. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo briefly commented on the current international situation and called for enhanced cooperation from the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - in dealing with major global and regional issues. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo attends a meeting of the security representatives of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in Moscow, Russia, May 29, 2009.Dai said the international financial crisis has had an unprecedented worldwide impact. He said the upheaval has brought about a new round of complex adjustments in international relations and the world order. All nations, Dai said, desire to reform the current international economic and financial system, safeguard world peace and stability, and jointly deal with global issues. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo listens during a meeting of the security representatives of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in Moscow, Russia, May 29, 2009.The state councilor suggested that in the face of mounting common threats and challenges, developed and emerging economies should seriously consider ways of promoting international order and mechanism conducive to common interests, pushing for dialogues and cooperation favorable for sustainable development, and working together to build a harmonious world of long lasting peace and common prosperity. The BRIC countries, Dai said, should work together to enlarge their consensus, exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern, strengthen coordination and cooperation, and facilitate the settlement of problems. In particular, Dai said, the countries should reinforce their cooperation in dealing with the economic downturn, enhance coordination on macro-economic policies, jointly oppose protectionism in any form, speed up the reform of the international financial system, and advance the creation of an international cooperation mechanism conforming to globalization and multipolarization. The BRIC summit will be held in June in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
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BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's monthly power generation is expected to rise for the first time in June, after eight months of declines, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Friday on its website. The top planning agency based the forecast on statistics collected by State Grid and China Southern Power Grid from June 1 to 23. Due to increasing economic activity and high temperatures, daily power generation topped 10 billion kilowatt hours for nine days during mid-June and exceeded 10.80 billion kw/hrs on June 23 -- the highest this year, said the NDRC. Eight provinces and regions set power records from June 1 to June 23: Hebei, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Hainan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- With the influenza A/H1N1 already spreading to more than 20 countries and regions, China is taking swift actions to keep the deadly virus at bay, while both the world health body and the country itself have defended the strict quarantine policies the government has adopted. Passengers of T98 train go through customs at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, May 5, 2009. T98 train connecting Kowloon and Beijing arrived here Tuesday. This was the first arrival of a train from Hong Kong in Beijing since the first human influenza A/H1N1 case was confirmed in Hong Kong, south China, on May 1.CABINET DECISION The country will continue to impose strict medical examinations and follow-up checks on travelers from flu-affected countries and regions to prevent influenza A/H1N1, the State Council (cabinet) said here Tuesday. Vehicles and cargo from flu-affected countries and regions will be disinfected, it said in a statement after a meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao. The central government will allot 5 billion yuan (725 million U.S. dollars) for flu prevention and control, it said. The government will also step up research of vaccines and medicines, including alternative treatments of traditional Chinese medicine, according to the statement. The mainland will cooperate with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and China will provide financial and technical support for countries and regions that need assistance, the statement said. The agriculture authorities would tighten monitoring of pig farms, slaughterhouses and livestock markets, it said. CANADIAN STUDENTS QUARANTINED China defended on Tuesday its quarantine of 25 Canadian students in Changchun, capital of northeastern Jilin Province, saying it was in accordance with law and the Canadians had assented to it. Mexicans board a chartered plane in Shanghai, east China, May 5, 2009. A Mexican chartered plane carried 43 quarantined Mexicans and 34 others back to Mexico Tuesday. Those on the plane included 43 crew members and passengers on board the AM098 and 34 others who worked and lived in China but were not under quarantine. The passengers were quarantined after one Mexican passenger was diagnosed with the influenza A/H1N1 on board flight AM098 from Mexico to Shanghai. Other six Mexican passengers volunteered to stay in the city and live under quarantineThe students began a seven-day quarantine period at a hotel on May 2 when they arrived, the same day that Canada confirmed 51 cases of A/H1N1 epidemic infection, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu. Canada has recorded up to 140 cases of A/H1N1 flu by Tuesday, the third-highest figure following Mexico and the United States. Ma said the quarantine was in line with the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of China. The students were being well treated, and the authorities had made favorable arrangements for their residence, food and health care. None of the students showed any signs of illness and they were satisfied with the situation, said Ma. The local government had informed the Canadian embassy in China of the quarantine on May 3, and the two countries had been in close contact regarding the virus, he said. Ambulances carrying Mexican nationals head for the Pudong international airport in Shanghai, east China, May 5, 2009. A Mexican chartered plane carried 43 quarantined Mexicans and 34 others back to Mexico Tuesday. Those on the plane included 43 crew members and passengers on board the AM098 and 34 others who worked and lived in China but were not under quarantine. The passengers were quarantined after one Mexican passenger was diagnosed with the influenza A/H1N1 on board flight AM098 from Mexico to Shanghai. Other six Mexican passengers volunteered to stay in the city and live under quarantineCHARTERED FLIGHTS BETWEEN CHINA, MEXICO A total of 79 Chinese citizens left Mexico City early Tuesday aboard a chartered flight sent by the Chinese government. The plane took off from international airport Benito Juarez at about 3:05 a.m. local time (0805 GMT), heading towards Tijuana, northern city on the U.S.-Mexico border, to lift 20 more Chinese before returning to China. But due to bad weather, the had to land in Los Angeles, the flight operator said. The plane landed in Los Angeles at around 9p.m. (6 a.m. local time, 1300 GMT), China Southern Airlines said, adding it depends on the weather as to when the plane will leave for Tijuana. China sent the chartered flight after an agreement with Mexico, the epicenter of the A/H1N1 flu outbreak, to send chartered flights to each other's countries to bring back their stranded nationals. The aircraft Boeing 777-200 is expected to return to Shanghai at 10 a.m. Wednesday local time (0200 GMT), its operator Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines said. China suspended direct flights from Mexico to Shanghai since Saturday after a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai Thursday aboard flight Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with A/H1N1 flu in Hong Kong. A medical staff member walks past ambulances carrying Mexican nationals in Shanghai, east China, May 5, 2009. A Mexican chartered plane carried 43 quarantined Mexicans and 34 others back to Mexico Tuesday. Those on the plane included 43 crew members and passengers on board the AM098 and 34 others who worked and lived in China but were not under quarantine. The passengers were quarantined after one Mexican passenger was diagnosed with the influenza A/H1N1 on board flight AM098 from Mexico to Shanghai. Other six Mexican passengers volunteered to stay in the city and live under quarantineAlso on Tuesday, a Mexican chartered plane arrived at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Tuesday to pick up the quarantined Mexicans who had been on the same flight with the victim. Andres Pena, vice consul-general of Mexico in Shanghai, said those who got on the plane included 43 crew and passengers on board the AM098 and 34 others, who worked and lived in China but were not under quarantine. WHO DEFENDING QUARANTINE The Mexican government on Monday complained China's decision to quarantine the Mexican nationals in China. However, World Health Organization (WHO) flu chief Keiji Fukudasaid quarantines were a "long-established principle" that make sense in the early phases of an outbreak. "There are other countries that are taking similar actions like China, so I don't think China is standing out in this respect," said Dr. Hans Troedsson, WHO representative in China. Wen Li, a Chinese citizen, who is under quarantine in Beijing, said she was called by disease control staff at midnight on Saturday to be placed under quarantine because she was a passenger on the AM098 flight. "I think the quarantine is necessary and responsible for everybody, regardless of nationality," said the woman, adding that her quarantine is expected to end Wednesday evening or Thursday. MASKS IN STRONG DEMAND The ongoing worldwide A/H1N1 flu scare has led to strong demand for masks at the ongoing 105th China Import and Export Fair, also Canton Fair. "Customers came to our booth, putting their hands on mouth to signal that they want to buy masks. There are so many customers that we are running out of stock," said Li Yan, saleswoman of Conghua Puyuan Health Articles Factory in southern China's Guangdong Province, Tuesday. Business people from across the world gathered at booths selling medicine and health material at the fair. It was even more crowded at booths selling masks and thermometers. Fuzelong, a Guangzhou-based medical material company, said they have won orders for 3 million masks over the past three days, compared with no more than 500,000 masks during previous fairs. The traditional Chinese medicine, which doctors say will help protect people from flu virus, also drew attention. Qi Haidong, manager of a Guangzhou-based pharmaceutical company, said the Chinese herbal medicine for treating colds Radix Isatidis sold well. MAN NABBED FOR SELLING FAKE DRUG There are other people who want to cash in on people's fear over the killer flu. Chinese border police Tuesday arrested a man for selling fake influenza A/H1N1 medicine to foreign ship crews in Shanghai. The man, a rural migrant worker from central China's Hunan Province was found to have sold so called "miracle" medicine to foreign crews at the Shanghai port. If any foreign crew members showed flu symptoms, they should see doctors rather than believe some so-called "miracle" medicine, police said
TAIPEI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been indicted on new corruption charges, prosecutors said here Tuesday. While in office, Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen took 10 million New Taiwan dollars (302,000 U.S. dollars) in bribes from a local businesswoman, and demanded bribes and donations totaling 300 million New Taiwan dollars from a former banker, prosecutors said at a press conference. Chen was first indicted on Dec. 12 for money laundering and bribery. He and his wife were charged with embezzling 104 million New Taiwan dollars (3.15 million U.S. dollars) in public funds and accepting bribes of at least 9 million U.S. dollars in a land purchase deal. Chen and his collaborators are also accused of laundering the illegal income. Chen has been in detention since last December and faces life in prison if convicted. He was elected to the post of Taiwan leader eight years ago but was ousted in an election in May last year.
BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A central government official has urged government complaints-receiving offices at all levels to work hard to contribute to China's reform, development and social stability. Ma Kai, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council, made the call during his recent research tour in Anshan and Shenyang of northeast China's Liaoning Province. A main purpose of this trip is to look into grass-roots efforts to respond to public complaints. During this trip, he paid a visit to the family of Pan Zuoliang, a role model in the complaints-receiving bureau in Liaozhong County, Shenyang. Pan died on duty of cerebral hemorrhage last May. He was praised by the central authorities as a model official in dealing with public complaints. He also visited urban communities, industrial enterprises and complaints-receiving offices. Ma said the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council have always attached great importance to the work of dealing with people's complaints. Since the 16th Party Congress, in 2002, when Hu Jintao took office as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the Party Central Committee has adopted a series of important resolutions and arrangements to improve the work, the official said. He urged the complaints-receiving officials to safeguard the legal rights and interests of the people and actively solve matters that may cause instability so as to create a sound social environment for the celebrations of the 60th founding anniversary of New China, or the People's Republic of China (PRC).