BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin Friday called for actively promoting friendly religious exchanges with the outside world on an equal base but firmly stemming foreign infiltration in the name of religion. Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks when addressing a seminar on religious work for ministerial and provincial level officials. "The Party and the government have always attached great importance to religious work," said Jia, also member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau. The CPC Central Committee has made "a series of major decisions and arrangements as well as new achievements in religious work, while the country's religious sector has maintained a united and stable situation," he said. Jia, however, warned that officials should pay high attention to some new situations and developments in the country's religious field, along with the developments and changes in international and domestic situation, and deal with them in a proper way. He called for firmly implementing central decisions and arrangements, going all out to safeguard harmony and stability in the religious sector, and making maximal efforts to unite both religious and non-religious people and encourage them to devote themselves to the socialist cause with China's own characteristics. The workshop was organized jointly by the Organizational Department and the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the State Administration of Religious Affairs, and the National School of Administration.
BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The import and export of electronic and information products in China went down 30.3 percent year on year in the first two months, data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed on Friday. The combined import and export value was 87.61 billion U.S. dollars through January to February. In breakdown, export fell 26.1 percent from the same time a year ago to 53.55 billion U.S. dollars. Import was down 36.07 percent to 34.06 billion U.S. dollars. The import value of LCD panel, a main component in flat-panel television, declined 48.8 percent to 1.82 billion U.S. dollars. The export value of processing trade with imported material, which comprised more than two thirds of the total export, was down 25.4 percent to 37.86 billion U.S. dollars. China's export, a driving force of the world's third largest economy, plummeted 25.7 percent year on year in February, the worst decline in more than a decade, as global demand deteriorated amid the deepening recession.
BEICHUAN, Sichuan province, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Tears fell down her cheeks, like the rain dropping on her umbrella. "I dreamed of my granddaughter several times," Tan Yunlan said while sobbing. Supported by her daughter, the elderly woman gazed at a pile of rubble which used to be an apartment building in the former Beichuan county seat. Tan's son-in-law arranged several bricks to burn incense, while her daughter took out a folded handkerchief from her bag. She opened it and placed the photo of a four-year-old girl inside, then gently placed it on the ground. Behind the family, people walked slowly in twos and threes, holding candles or white chrysanthemums. Firecrackers would sound sporadically. As Saturday was China's traditional Tomb Sweeping Day, survivors of the quake-leveled county returned to what's left of their homes to mourn loved ones. GRIEF IN QUAKE ZONES More than 80,000 people were confirmed dead or missing after the May 12, 2008 earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province. One of the worst-hit areas, 15,645 people were killed in Beichuan. Another 4,311 others remain missing. Because of the destruction, the county has been closed-off since May 20 last year. For the first time since then, former residents were allowed to return for four days of mourning starting Wednesday. Life forever changed for Zhu Xiuhua after her husband was buried under the county's vegetable market. "He was considerate and diligent, earning 3,000 yuan a month to support the family," she murmured, eyes swollen. After the quake, Zhu became the family provider, taking care of her parents-in-law and two sons. Although the local government gave her some subsidy, she now has to work at construction sites like a man. Facing the debris of the market, she drew a circle on the ground with a stick and wrote the name of her husband. "There were too many people who died in the quake. I am afraid he can't find the money I gave him," she wept. Zhu then lit a candle and placed it alongside the pork she had cooked and set by the debris. Pork, was her husband's favorite food. She then burned ghost money- one sheet after another, as an offering to help the dead in afterlife. "Don't worry about us. We can manage it," she whispered to him. In Qingchuan county, flower seller He Xiantong brought a bunch of chrysanthemums to an earthquake memorial park in Donghekou. "Somewhere in the county, 40 meters underground, lies my wife," he said. "I feel that we are so close." At the same time, their son, He Kaiyuan, who is in Chengdu, less than 300 kilometers away, stands facing Qingchuan. He also bought flowers for his mother and placed them on the ground. "Dad visits mom every day," he said. "Mom, dad is with you. You must be happy in heaven." In front of the tomb of Tan Qianqiu in Deyang city, just north of Chengdu, many strangers stopped to mourn. The teacher, from the Dongqi middle school, sheltered four students with his arms when the quake jolted the building. When rescuers arrived, they discovered Tan had died, but the students all survived. Huang Jing, a girl who was from Hunan province, dedicated a bouquet to Tan. "He is also a native of Hunan," she said. "Although he didn't know me, I brought him greetings from his hometown." MOURNING FROM ELSEWHERE In Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian province- some 2,000 kilometers away from the quake's epicenter- a ceremony was held for people to mourn victims. In front of more than 100 people, two girls tied letters they had written to deceased relatives, to the legs of pigeons, then let them go. "Dear little sister, how are you in heaven?" wrote 16-year-old Dong Yu. "Does it still hurt? How are uncle and aunt?" her letter went on to say. Her cousin was just eight months younger than her. "Mom still weeps sometimes, but there are so many people from Sichuan in heaven, you won't be lonely." Together with 33 other students from Sichuan, Dong was sent to a vocational school in Fuzhou after the disaster. "I am doing well here," she read, smiling, with tears. People also chose to mourn the dead on the Internet. "Chen Jian, I'm Xiaofeng. How are you in heaven?" This message was from Chen's wife Tan Xiaofeng on the website cq.qq.com. After the earthquake, Chen, worried about his pregnant wife. He survived 73 hours under crushed concrete and twisted steel rods. He passed away after he was pulled out of the debris. Netizens on the portal website Sohu, list his story as among the ten most touching from the earthquake. "I miscarried," Tan Xiaofeng wrote. After the earthquake she moved away from her hometown and went to work in eastern Jiangsu Province. "I will be back to sweep tombs for him later this month," she said. The website claims to be the first online platform for visitors to mourn quake victims on Tomb Sweeping day. So far, more than 7,000 messages were left by netizens. Photos showing touching moments during the quake and its aftermath were also posted. On Sina.com, the page for mourning showed candles forming "5.12" and a white chrysanthemum. More than 2,373,000 people had visited the site as of Saturday afternoon. Some posted their own messages for victims: "There is no disaster in heaven," and "Hope the survivors can be strong and live a better life." LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE Outside the barbed wire fence around the collapsed Beichuan middle school, 15-year-old Lu Chunqiao closed her eyes and held burning incense. Four other students nearby burned a letter. In Chinese, there is a superstition that if you burn a letter, you are sending it to the dead. The ninth grade students then knelt down, keeping their foreheads close to the ground. They survived the quake, but more than 1,000 of their classmates were dead or missing. "We want to tell them (the dead) the changes during this past year," Lu said. "Construction of the new school building is to start next month." About one kilometer away from the Beichuan county seat, work rebuilding Qushan township just began. Amid roaring machines, Liu Chunyi, an engineer from eastern Shandong province said, "it is the greatest comfort to the dead tohave those alive live a better life." In Wenxian county of northwestern Gansu province where 114 people succumbed in the quake, Liu Wencheng placed fruit and tea for his dead wife in a graveyard. He told her that their two daughters were doing well at school. Liu had 0.2 hectares of land, where he planted wheat, corn and potatoes. "Life has to go on," he said. After the quake, the local government sent him a quilt, food and electric blankets. Each affected family was also given 20,000 yuan (almost 3,000 U.S. dollars) for reconstruction. It was not enough to build a house which is why Liu still lives in a tent. He is not sure how long he will be there. In Sichuan, however, there is a timetable. The province vowed to rebuild all damaged houses in rural areas by the end of this year and those in cities or townships before next May. More than 90 percent of roads and 98 percent of the power supply system would be restored by Sept. 2010. But it will take longer than that for wounds in people's hearts to heal. Many people suggested Tan Xiaofeng, who is just 26, should re-marry. The idea just makes Tan cry. "I can't accept another man," she said while shaking her head. "Not now."
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- A new entry in government-issued press cards, to be added later this month, might help many Chinese reporters persuade tight-lipped officials to talk. The entry will say: "The governments at all levels should facilitate the reporting of journalists who hold this card and provide necessary assistance." "Without a proper reason, government officials must not refuse to be interviewed," said Zhu Weifeng, a senior official with the General Administration of Press and Publication. Many considered this a positive signal that the authorities welcomed supervision from the media. The new press card statement followed a regulation on the disclosure of government information, effective last May, which was the first government rule safeguarding citizens' right to be informed. "Media and public supervision are among the arrangements the country is making to control the power of the state and protect civil rights," said Li Yunlong, a human rights expert at the Institute for International Strategies of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). "How to prevent state power from infringing on civil rights is a very important issue in human rights protection," Li said. This week, the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva conducted its first review of China's human rights record, and it acknowledged the country's efforts in human rights protection. The country took a long and winding road to acceptance of the concept of "civil rights" but was headed in the right direction, Li said. "I have seen a trend toward increasing supervision of the authorities and more restrictions on their power." Mo Jihong, a research follow with the Law Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, saw the same trend in legislation. "The changes in the Constitution were obvious," said Mo. China's first three Constitutions, issued respectively in 1954,in 1975 and 1978, all had a chapter on the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. But none of those versions defined "citizen," which affected the implementation of these items, he said. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, closed this loophole and put the chapter on citizens' rights before that of the structure of the state, he said. "It showed the country acknowledged that the state derived its legitimacy through protecting citizens' rights, rather than by giving rights to citizens." In 2004, an amendment to the Constitution added an article stating that the state respects and preserves human rights. "Through the amendments, the Constitution gave more responsibility to state organs to protect civil rights," Mo said. The country has also adopted laws to restrict the exercise of state power. In 1990, the law on litigation against the administration provided the first way for the common people to sue government departments. Further, the law on legislation, adopted in 2000, included an article stating that only laws can limit personal freedom. This had the effect of barring any authority, except the legislature, from issuing regulations or rules to limit personal freedom. "But the implementation of laws remained a problem," Mo said. "The authorities who enforce the laws should be carefully watched." Li noted that China's unique culture played a role. Traditionally, Chinese seldom talk about "rights" but instead stress the concept of people's obedience to the society. "Civil right is a concept borrowed from the West. That's why it will take time to make everyone aware of it, especially those holding power," he said. "But we should not give up because we don't have such a tradition," he said. "China does not need to make itself a Western nation but can explore its own way based on its own culture and reality," he said. Last year, in the wake of an increasing number of protests nationwide, the government launched a campaign requiring officials to talk with citizens and consider their requests regularly. The move proved to be an effective way to ease public anger and reduce misunderstanding. A trial program to invite independent inspectors to detention houses in northeast Jilin Province also received acclaim as an innovation in this field. The two-year program ended late last year. The 20 independent inspectors, who were teachers, doctors, businessmen and community workers, examined conditions in these detention houses and examined their records so as to ensure that custody procedures were in line with the law and detainees were not treated inhumanely. "The concept of 'putting people first' raised by the present CPC leadership can be regarded as an effort to respect and protect civil rights," Li said.
BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev held talks in Beijing Thursday afternoon. The heads of states agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields and join hands to tackle the challenge of international financial crisis. After the talks, Hu and Nazarbayev signed a joint declaration and witnessed the signing of 10 agreements on cooperation in the fields of transport, education, agriculture and telecommunications. Chinese President Hu Jintao(R) shakes hands with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Beijing, China, April 16, 2009. President Hu said the strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan had maintained a fast growth in recent years. The two countries have maintained frequent high-level contacts, political mutual trust, expansion of practical cooperation and good collaboration within the multilateral frameworks. Chinese President Hu Jintao(L) and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev review honor guards at the welcoming ceremony in honor of Kazakhstan's President in Beijing, China, April 16, 2009. Hu expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for supporting China on such major issues as Taiwan, Tibet and the holding of Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan values the development of friendly and cooperative relations with China. He said China has raised its status in the international community by successfully holding the Olympic Games and launching the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft. He said the effective measures taken by the Chinese government to cope with the global financial crisis have benefited not only the Chinese economy, but also the world economic growth. Hu said the Chinese government always gives priority to developing the strategic partnership with Kazakhstan. Hu suggested that the two countries should work on four areas. Firstly, Hu said the two countries should continue to enhance high-level contact, improve cooperative mechanism and deepen political links. The leaders of the two countries should maintain close contact. The governments of the two countries should give full play to the role of China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee to increase communication and coordination. The parliaments and political parties of the two countries should carry out exchanges in various forms on the experience of governing their respective countries. Secondly, the two countries should utilize the complementarity of their economies to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy, resources and finance to achieve common development. The two sides should further optimize trade structure, expand the scale of bilateral trade, work together to build major energy and resources projects and non-resources projects, and accelerate infrastructure construction at border areas. Thirdly, the two countries should promote cultural exchanges and cooperation. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Kazakhstan in culture, education, health, tourism and sports. He said the two countries should encourage non-governmental organizations, media and youth organizations to expand contact and enhance friendship. Fourthly, the two countries should deepen security cooperation and join hands to tackle various challenges. He said China will continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Kazakhstan within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. He said the two countries should join effort to strike trans-border organized crimes and the evil forces of separatism, terrorism and extremism so as to safeguard peace, stability and security of the two countries and the whole region. Nazarbayev fully agreed with Hu's suggestion, saying under the current situation, Kazakhstan is ready to strengthen its strategic partnership with China. He expressed the willingness to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, transport, agriculture, finance and telecommunications. He said the two countries should continue to step up cooperation in multilateral arena, especially within the frameworks of the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. He said the two countries will work together to fight against the three evil forces of separatism, terrorism and extremism to maintain peace and stability in the region and the world over. Nazarbayev reiterated that Kazakhstan supports China's stance on the issues of Taiwan and Tibet. It supports China to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity. Before the talks, President Hu hold a welcome ceremony for President Nazarbayev at the Great Hall of the People.
BOAO, Hainan, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2009 concluded Sunday in the scenic Boao town in south China's island province of Hainan. During the three-day event, more than 1,600 political leaders, business people and academic scholars exchanged ideas on the role Asian countries, especially emerging economies, can play to cope with the spreading global financial crisis. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a keynote speech, "Strengthen confidence and deepen cooperation for win-win progress", at the opening plenary meeting. He said that the conference, with "Asia: Managing Beyond Crisis" as its theme, is a highly important one. It will contribute to the efforts to build consensus, strengthen confidence, deepen cooperation and overcome the crisis. Wen introduced the steps China has taken to cope with the severe impact of the global financial crisis, saying the country's package plan is already "paying off", and positive changes have taken place in the economy. China has decided to set up a 10-billion-U.S.-dollar "China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation" to support infrastructure development in the region, Wen announced. The BFA annual conference was the eighth of its kind. BFA was established in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between political and business leaders from Asia and around the world. It is aimed at promoting the development goals of Asian countries through greater regional economic integration.
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SHENYANG, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior Party official on Tuesday called for all-out efforts to safeguard fairness, justice and social stability, through improving the political and legal work and developing the law-enforcement sector. Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks at a workshop on political and legal work and safeguarding stability in northeast China, held in Shenyang, the capital of northeastern Liaoning Province. Zhou, who also heads the Central Political Science and Law Commission (CPSLC) of the CPC, made an inspection tour of the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning from Feb. 11-16 and attended the workshop on Wednesday. The senior Party official urged local authorities, political and legal departments in particular, to implement central government's policies and integrate their efforts to safeguard social stability with efforts to achieve economic development. "Social stability relies on economic development," he said. Zhou told local authorities to conduct an assessment on social risks before deciding on a new policy. Officials should visit communities and villages to hear complaints from the people and learn about people's will, so as to resolve contradictions and disputes at the grassroots level, he said. The official urged leading officials and law-enforcers to play a role in protecting the dignity and authority of socialist legal system. "Every citizen must express their will and protect their rights in a reasonable and lawful way, so as to jointly safeguard the general stable situation of reforms and development," he said. Law-enforcement must always give top priority to the Party's cause, the people's rights and interests, and the Constitution and law, Zhou said. He urged law-enforcers to be a guard for the safety of people's life and properties as well as social fairness and justice. The workshop was presided by Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu, who is also a state councilor and deputy secretary of the CPSLC. Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People's Court, also spoke at the workshop.
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.
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping left here Wednesday afternoon for Jamaica after wrapping up a three-day official visit to Mexico. During his visit, Xi held talks with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and met with Senate President Gustavo Enrique Madero Munoz and Cesar Duarte Jaquez, president of the Chamber of Deputies. Xi exchanged views with them on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern. At a luncheon hosted by Chinese and Mexican entrepreneurs, Xi said fresh efforts were needed to further promote China-Mexico economic and trade cooperation amidst the current global financial crisis. Mexico is the first leg of the Chinese vice president's six-nation tour, which will also take him to Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Malta. On his way to Mexico, Xi made a transit stop in Nandi, Fiji, where he held talks with Fijian leaders on the cooperative partnership between China and the island country.
BERLIN, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- A business delegation of about 200 Chinese entrepreneurs arrived here Tuesday night, starting their four-state procurement tour in Europe. The delegation, led by Commerce Minister Chen Deming and composed of state-owned, joint venture and private companies from various industries, are expected to sign deals of purchasing automobiles, machinery, aircraft engines, railway equipment and components with companies from Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Britain. The trip is a follow-up action for the agreements Premier Wen Jiabao reached with his counterparts during his visit to the four European countries early this month. "We come here in according with the agreements Premier Wen and the leaders from the four countries had made," Chen told Xinhua atthe Tegel Airport after he landed in Berlin. Germany is the first leg for the Chinese delegation, and the Chinese trade officials and business leaders are to hold negotiations with their German counterparts on Wednesday. "I believe we will have our pockets fully packed this time, and I also believe our procurements would help inject some energy into the slump economy of Europe," Chen said. "I hope we can achieve a lot, I also hope we can get good technology standards and reasonable prices for our procurement," he said. European Union (EU) is the biggest trading partner of China and China is the EU's second biggest trading partner. Germany is the biggest trading partner of China within the EU. According to official data released by the German side, the trade volume from January to November 2008, the trade volume between Germany and China hit 85.637 billion euros (about 109.52 billion U.S. dollars),up 10.8 percent.