中原老寿星唐崇亮道长的传奇人生

铁路安检春运总结

GENEVA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday blasted a U.S. measure blocking Chinese poultry imports, saying the "clearly discriminative measure" can serve as a good example for the WTO's training courses.     The U.S. measure, or Section 727, is contained in the Omnibus Appropriation Act of 2009, which was approved by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. It bans any funds from being used to "establish or implement a rule" allowing imports of poultry products from China.     "It is needless to explain why such discriminative measure are forbidden by the WTO," said Zhang Xiangchen, deputy permanent representative of the Chinese WTO mission.     "Perhaps we could send to the Institute of Training and Technical Cooperation of the WTO Secretariat a copy of this section, which would serve as a perfect example for their training courses," Zhang told a WTO meeting in Geneva.     "I believe that any trainee with a preliminary knowledge will tell that this section violates the basic rules of the WTO including the MFN (most-favored-nation) treatment principle," he said.     In a strong-worded statement, Zhang said he had got "a specific instruction from Beijing to express the serious concern of the Chinese government about the U.S. Omnibus Appropriation Act of 2009."     "What should we, all WTO members, do to prevent such discriminative practice from undermining the multilateral trading system and sending wrong signal to the outside world at this critical juncture of global crisis?" said Zhang at the meeting.     "How should we live up to our commitments repeatedly made both here at the WTO and at the G20 summit to resist trade protectionism?" he added.     On Wednesday, the Chinese WTO mission in Geneva also sent a verbal note to the U.S. WTO mission.     According to the note, the U.S. measure has triggered strong reactions in China, and the government is under increasing pressure from the poultry industries to "adopt related measures to poultry products imported from the United States."     "China would raise complaints to the WTO in this regard and maintain the right of further measures," said the note.     "At the same time, we would like to urge the U.S. to eliminate such kind of discriminative and trade protectionist provision as soon as possible in order to correct its wrong decision," it said.     China and the United States banned imports of each other's poultry in 2004 following outbreaks of bird flu. They agreed to lift the bans at the Sino-U.S. joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in 2004.     China did lift the ban but has complained that the United States was not following suit.     China imported 580,000 tons of chicken products from the United States last year, accounting for 73.4 percent of total chicken imports, according to figures from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Vietnam Monday marked the final demarcation of their land border at the Youyiguan border gate in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.     The completion of the demarcation would be conducive to peace and stability of the border area, promote trade and exchanges, and push forward their comprehensive and strategic partnership of the two countries, said a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.     The 1,300-kilometer border starts at the junction of China, Vietnam and Laos and continues along the Beilun River to the coast. Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are on Chinese side, and Cao Bang, Lang Son, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Guang Ninh are in Vietnam.     In the late 19th Century, China's Qing Dynasty and the French colonial administration in Vietnam concluded a treaty delineating the border. The border negotiations started in the 1970s and were suspended later that decade. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (L, C) shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem after unveiling the No. 1116 boundary marker in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opposite to Lang Son City of Vietnam, Feb. 23, 2009. China and Vietnam Monday marked the final demarcation of their land border at the Youyiguan border gate in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 400 government officials and about 400 representatives from both countries, including those who attended the land border demarcation, were present at a ceremony after the demarcation. In the early 1990s, China and Vietnam resumed negotiations, and agreed to discuss a new treaty based on that signed in the 19th Century. They finalized the land boundary treaty on Dec. 30, 1999.They started demarcation work in 2001 and finished late last year.     The China-Vietnam joint committee for land border demarcation was established by both governments in November 2001. The committee was in charge of border demarcation and marker planting as well as drafting a protocol on border demarcation and marker planting.     The joint committee comprised 12 joint working teams. These teams were responsible for on-site demarcation work. In December 2001, the first marker on the border was installed at the Mong Cai-Dong Xing border gate.     The two sides reached an agreement on the remaining issues related to the land boundary survey on Dec. 31, 2008. The agreement achieved the goal set by leaders of China and Vietnam to complete the survey and the erection of boundary markers this year. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (4th R) shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem on the ceremony marking the completion of land border demarcation and the erection of boundary markers in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opposite to Lang Son City of Vietnam, Feb. 23, 2009. China and Vietnam Monday marked the final demarcation of their land border at the Youyiguan border gate in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 400 government officials and about 400 representatives from both countries, including those who attended the land border demarcation, were present at a ceremony after the demarcation. During the eight-year effort, Chinese and Vietnamese officials worked almost one million days on the demarcation work and held 14rounds of meetings between the heads of the two governmental-level delegations, 34 rounds joint committee's meetings and 15 rounds of expert group meetings, which enabled the completion of the demarcation along the entire length of China-Vietnam land border with 2,000 border markers erected.     Advanced technologies were applied in the demarcation work, such as the geography information, global positioning and remote sensing systems, which ensured the accuracy of the demarcation work and a clear borderline.     The outcome was achieved under the direction of leaders of the two countries, said the ministry statement. It was also the result of concerted efforts of government delegations, experts, departments such as ministries of foreign affairs, national defense, public security, finance, survey-cartography and provinces along both sides of the border. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (L) shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem after the ceremony marking the completion of land border demarcation and the erection of boundary markers in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opposite to Lang Son City of Vietnam, Feb. 23, 2009. China and Vietnam Monday marked the final demarcation of their land border at the Youyiguan border gate in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 400 government officials and about 400 representatives from both countries, including those who attended the land border demarcation, were present at a ceremony after the demarcationWorking staff from the joint survey teams also contributed to the success, working with extraordinary difficulties caused by complicated landscapes and bad weather conditions.     The two sides resolved complicated issues in a frank and friendly manner, said the statement.     By taking into account mutual concerns and trying to mitigate negative impacts on the lives and production of residents along the border, they finally achieved a mutually beneficial result. A ceremony marking the completion of land border demarcation and the erection of boundary markers is held in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opposite to Lang Son City of Vietnam, Feb. 23, 2009. China and Vietnam Monday marked the final demarcation of their land border at the Youyiguan border gate in Pingxiang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 400 government officials and about 400 representatives from both countries, including those who attended the land border demarcation, were present at a ceremony after the demarcation.

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature approved the Food Safety Law on Saturday, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen food safety control "from the production line to the dining table."     The law, which goes into effect on June 1, 2009, will enhance monitoring and supervision, toughen safety standards, recall substandard products and severely punish offenders. The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee gave the green light to the intensively-debated draft law at the last day of a four-day legislative session, following a spate of food scandals which triggered vehement calls for overhauling China's current monitoring system. Wu Bangguo (C), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presides over the concluding meeting of the 7th meeting of the 11th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, on Feb. 28, 2009. The NPC Standing Committee, China's top legislature, concluded its four-day session on Saturday, after approving the food safety law, an amendment to the criminal law and the revised insurance law.    Winning 158 out of 165 votes, the law said the State Council, or Cabinet, would set up a state-level food safety commission to oversee the entire food monitoring system, whose lack of efficiency has long been blamed for repeated scandals.     The departments of health, agriculture, quality supervision, industry and commerce administration will shoulder different responsibilities.     These would include risk evaluation, the making and implementation of safety standards, and the monitoring of about 500,000 food companies across China, as well as circulation sector.     The law draft had been revised several times since it was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for the first reading in December 2007.     It had been expected to be voted by lawmakers last October, but the voting was postponed for further revision following the tainted dairy products scandal last September, in which at least six babies died and 290,000 others were poisoned.     "It actually took us five years to draft this law since the State Council first made legislative recommendations in July 2004.It has undergone intensive consideration, because it is so vital to every person," Xin Chunying, deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said at a press briefing after the law was adopted.     She said although China had certain food quality control systems in place for many years, lots of loopholes emerged in past years, mainly due to varied standards, lack of sense of social responsibility among some business people, too lenient punishment on violators and weakness in testing and monitoring work.     China has a food hygiene law, which took effect in 1995, to regulate issues of food safety, but many lawmakers said it was too outdated to meet the need of practice.     For example, the law is far from being adequate in addressing the problem of pesticide residue in foodstuff.     According to the new law, China will set up compulsory standards on food safety, covering a wide range from the use of additives to safety and nutrition labels.     The law stipulates a ban on all chemicals and materials other than authorized additives in food production, saying that "only those items proved to be safe and necessary in food production are allowed to be listed as food additives."     Health authorities are responsible for assessing and approving food additives and regulating their usage.     Food producers must only use food additives and their usage previously approved by authorities, on penalty of closure or revocation of production licenses in serious cases, according to the law.     In the tainted dairy products scandal, melamine, often used in the manufacture of plastics, was added to substandard or diluted milk to make protein levels appear higher than they actually were.     "Melamine had never been allowed to be used as food additive in China. Now the law makes an even clearer and stricter ban on it," Xin said.     She said the compulsory system to recall substandard food, as written in the law, would also be effective in curbing food-related health risks.     Producers of edible farm products are required to abide by food safety standards when using pesticide, fertilizer, growth regulators, veterinary drugs, feedstuff and feed additives. They must also keep farming or breeding records.     Offenders can face maximum fines which would be 10 times the value of sold products, compared with five times at present.     If businesses are found producing or selling a substandard foodstuff, consumers can ask for financial compensation which is 10 times the price of the product. That's in addition to compensation for the harm the product causes to the consumer.     For those whose food production licenses are revoked due to illegal conducts, they will be banned from doing food business in the following five years.     "This is a big step to increase penalties on law violators," Xin said.     Another highlight of the law is that celebrities can share responsibility for advertising for food products that are found to be unsafe.     The law says all organizations and individuals who recommend substandard food products in ads will face joint liability for damages incurred.     This has been a hot topic in China where film stars, singers and celebrities are often paid to appear in ads of food products.     "The provisions were added out of concern over fake advertisements, which contained misleading information. Many of the advertisements featured celebrities," said Liu Xirong, vice chairman of the NPC Law Committee.     Several Chinese celebrities had advertised for products of the Sanlu Group, a company at the epicenter of the tainted dairy product scandal. They were vehemently criticized after thousands of babies were poisoned by the Sanlu formula.     Many people posted online demands for them to apologize to and compensate families of the sickened babies. But others argued that it was unfair to blame the celebrities as Sanlu had legal documents to prove its products safe.     On tonic food, a booming industry with an estimated annual output value of 100 billion yuan (14.62 billion U.S. dollars) in China, the law prohibits any claims related to prevention or cure of illness on the product's label and instruction leaflets.

翡翠原石蓝荧光

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- All unemployed urban residents in China will have access to medical insurance this year as the country plans to expand the coverage of an insurance scheme to all cities and towns, according to a government official Saturday.     Li Zhong, vice director of Health Insurance Department under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said at a forum that the program, which has benefited residents in more than 300 cities as of 2008, is expected to be promoted to all cities and towns this year.     The program, introduced in 2007, aimed to bring urban children, students and jobless adults under the umbrella of medical insurance.     China established a medical insurance system for urban employees in 1998 and implemented a new cooperative medical care system for rural residents since 2003.     If the program is successfully implemented, it means all Chinese residents can have access to medical insurance.     Under the program, the premiums are paid by households, instead of individuals. The government gives each participant a subsidy of at least 40 yuan annually, and grants extra subsidies for low-income families and disabled ones.     Residents have to pay a share of premium in the program and their participation is based on their free will. Urban residents with only temporary jobs could also participate in the program.     Li said the program will gradually increase its reimbursement rate and include more common diseases for compensation. The program currently mainly covers expenses of residents for hospitalization and major illness.     There are more than 240 million unemployed urban residents in China. Among them, more than 100 million have joined the program so far.

LONDON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's mining giant Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) announced here on Thursday it will inject 19.5 billion U.S. dollars in cash into Rio Tinto.     The cash injection is regarded as "firepower" for Rio Tinto, against the global economic downturn, Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto, said. Xiao Yaqing, president of Chinalco, said following the signing of an agreement on investment that the investment is a show of confidence in both China and the world, adding that "the strategic partnership with Rio Tinto will prove to be valuable and successful." Xiao Yaqing (L), general manager of Aluminum Corp. of China (Chinalco), shakes hands with Rio Tinto Group chairman Paul Skinner at the signing ceremony in London, Britain, Feb. 12, 2009. Chinalco announced Thursday it would invest 19.5 billion U.S. dollars in mining giant Rio Tinto Group, bailing out the latter while securing for the state-owned Chinese company access to more resources    As the leading Chinese diversified resources company, Chinalco's investment puts more emphasis on potential future values than on short-term returns, Xiao said.     The transaction will forge a pioneering strategic partnership through the creation of joint ventures in aluminium, copper, and iron ore as well as the issue of convertible bonds to Chinalco, which would, if converted, allow Chinalco to increase its existing shareholding in Rio Tinto to about 18 percent.     The transaction is still to be approved by shareholders of Rio Tinto, governments and other regulators.     Albanese said the transaction will position Rio Tinto to lead the resources industry into the next decade and beyond by ensuring the continuity of its strategy.     The new partnership with the Chinese company "will benefit from Chinalco's strong relationships within China, which Rio Tinto believes will continue to be the main driver of growth in commodity markets over the longer term," Albanese said.     He said the Chinalco relationship will also help Rio Tinto to seek project funding from Chinese financial institutions.

BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's lenders have been urged to be flexible and innovative concerning loan repayment from smaller firms.     The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said Friday it is trying to help small firms facing financing difficulties by extending the loan period.     According to a notice sent to various lenders, banks and small firms could stipulate such terms in loan contracts which would allow the borrower to file a new request for a credit checkup before the loan is due.     If no problem is found, the borrower could directly extend the loan period without starting all over again by signing a new contract.     Extra conditions that come along with the extended loan period could be worked out by both sides through negotiations, the commission said.     However, the commission did not define which small firms would be entitled to such favorable policies.

翡翠成交价

XI'AN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang urged local governments Tuesday to accelerate industrial restructuring and development in western regions and boost domestic consumption to offset the impact of the global downturn.     Li made the remarks during an inspection tour of the country's northwestern Shaanxi Province, which ran from Sunday to Tuesday. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (L) talks with a salesman about the process of bringing home appliances to the countryside in a market of Yan'an, a city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on March 17, 2009. Li Keqiang made an inspection of Shaanxi Province recentlyHe urged local authorities to take measures to achieve smooth, relatively rapid economic growth this year. He urged the Chinese people to be confident in coping with uncertain times.     "Equipment manufacturing is a sector of strategic importance. Local governments should do more to implement industry stimulus plans, promote innovation and build up large domestic companies," he said. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (R, Front) shakes hands with a veteran in a beadhouse in Yan'an, a city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on March 17, 2009. Li urged companies to develop new technology, new products and foster new industries to become more competitive.     He also called on local governments to sincerely apply policies aimed at helping farmers buy household appliances to stimulate consumption, as potential demand in western and rural areas was huge.     As of Feb. 1, China's more than 900 million farmers became eligible for subsidies equal to 13 percent of the price of designated home appliances. The subsidy was originally offered in a pilot program in three provinces in 2007. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (2nd, R) inspects in a workshop of AVIC Xi'An Aircraft Industry (Group) Company in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on March 17, 2009

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China voiced its strong dissatisfaction Wednesday against a U.S. Congress resolution on the Taiwan Relations Act saying it is an interference in its internal affairs.     "China is strongly dissatisfied and has lodged a solemn representation over the resolution adopted to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement.     The U.S. House of Representatives voted for the resolution Tuesday.     The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979, required the United States to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character. China has never recognized the legitimacy of the act.     Qin said the Chinese government and people, from the very start, resolutely opposed the Act adopted by the United States unilaterally.     "We urge the United States to follow the basic norms guiding international relations and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and stop the wrongful act of using the Taiwan issue to interfere in China's internal affairs," Qin said.

翡翠鉴定翡翠手镯鉴定

DAKAR, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar on Friday to discuss promotion of friendly and cooperative ties between China and the West African nation.     Hu said the bilateral relations have made progress in various fields since the resumption of diplomatic ties in 2005, and facts have proved that the China-Senegal friendship is in the fundamental interests of both nations and will have a promising future.     To cement bilateral cooperation and seek more tangible benefits for the two peoples, Hu proposed both nations keep exchange of high-level visits and deepen political trust, and increase communications and cooperation between the two governments, legislatures, ruling parties and local authorities so as to lay a solid political foundation for bilateral ties.     On the economic front, Hu suggested establishing a bilateral economic and trade steering committee to plan and monitor trade cooperation.     China would like to facilitate Senegalese corporations' efforts to do business in and expand their exports to China, and the Chinese government will encourage Chinese businesses and the China-Africa Development Fund to cooperate with Senegalese businesses, Hu said. Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, capital of Senegal, Feb. 13, 2009    Hu called on non-governmental organizations in both nations to increase exchanges, seek multiple forms of cooperation and enhance mutual understanding.     On international issues, Hu said China values the positive role that Senegal has played in African and international issues, and would like to step up consultation and coordination with Senegal in the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other organizations, in a bid to safeguard the legitimate rights of developing countries and to promote South-South cooperation and South-North dialogue.     Hu said China will keep its promise made at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in November 2006 and will not reduce its aid to Africa as a result of China's efforts to address the global financial crisis.     China will urge the international community to pay attention to the difficulties the crisis has brought to Africa and to increase Africa's representation and voice in reforms of the international financial system, Hu said, adding that China would like to further communicate and coordinate with Senegal and other African countries to tide over the crisis.     Wade said he was satisfied with the bilateral cooperation since the resumption of diplomatic ties as China has fully honored its commitments and China-aided programs have been going on smoothly.     He appreciated China's generous support for Senegal in the sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, culture, education and public health.     After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation deals.     Senegal was the third leg of Hu's five-nation tour. The first-ever visit by a Chinese president was warmly welcomed by local people, with the streets from the airport to downtown Dakar being lined up with Chinese and Senegalese flags and welcoming crowds.

BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang Thursday urged the country's labor department to find employment for people this year.     China is facing a daunting task to secure jobs for its workforce after more than 20 million migrant workers lost their jobs in the global financial crisis. To compound the problem, more than seven million college graduates will be looking for jobs this year.     "We must ensure a stable employment situation this year, as employment is related to people's livelihood and the harmony and stability of the society," Zhang said at a working conference of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.     The country's urban unemployment rate increase 0.2 percentage points to 4.2 percent at the end of 2008, even though migrant workers are not included in that number.     Zhang asked the ministry to adopt more active policies to find employment for people.     Tax burdens of firms could be reduced, and preferential policies for social security coverage could be employed to help firms survive the crisis and keep jobs, Zhang said.     More subsidies should be offered to organize vocational training in order to get people reemployed, and training should be made more relevant to different jobs, he added.     The Vice Premier also said the government should step up building a social insurance system that covers both urban and rural residents, and continue to raise pensions for retired workers.     China created new jobs for 11.13 million people last year, 11 percent more than the target of 10 million.     The country also found jobs for five million laid-off workers and for 1.43 million who had difficulty in finding a job. The combined 6.43 million was again higher than the original target of five million.