大盒子小舞台图文

小学教师应聘申请书

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang Thursday warned the need to find jobs for college graduates was "crucial".     "The employment situation of college graduates remains grave," he told a video conference held by the State Council, the Cabinet.     More than 6 million college students were leaving school in just three months and the employment rate was generally lower than previous years, Zhang said without elaborating.     China has 6.11 million college students due to graduate this year, and 1 million from last year are still looking for jobs, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.     Graduates are having a hard time finding jobs this year as posts are being axed due to the economic slowdown.     Zhang urged government organs, government-sponsored institutions, and state-owned enterprises to hire as many people as last year, and small and medium-sized and private companies to employ college graduates.     The State Council unveiled in February a series of measures to boost employment of college graduates, calling on them to be more flexible.     The measures included encouraging graduates to work in rural areas, in grassroots urban communities, and in smaller enterprises, asking research institutions to recruit graduates, and stepping up support for graduates starting up their own businesses.     Zhang asked local government departments to work out detailed and feasible measures and make efforts to publicize the measures this month.     Government departments and higher learning institutions should provide comprehensive services to graduates by offering advice, giving aid to the poor, and maintaining a sound employment market, he said.

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in an interview with Hong Kong and Macao reporters here Saturday, said that the Chinese economy showed signs of better than expected positive changes in the first quarter as a result of the economic stimulus package adopted by China.     Firstly, the domestic demand rose on a sustainable basis. Meanwhile, investment in fixed assets increased rapidly and consumer demand grew steadily and relatively rapidly. Although lower from the same period of last year, imports and exports grew on a month-on-month basis in the three-month period, Wen said.     This indicates that some sectors and enterprises in China are in a process of gradual recovery.     Secondly, industries above the designated size registered month-on-month growth, with a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percent in both January and February, and a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent in March.     Thirdly, the purchase management index and the entrepreneur confidence index of the manufacturing industry both rose, indicating that the Chinese economy has begun to stabilize and recover in some fields, according to Wen.     And fourthly, the market confidence went up and the economy became more active over the first three months, with increases in both the stock market and housing market transaction volumes.     The positive performances in economic fields suggest that the policies adopted by the central government of China have been timely and correct, and have led to successes, the premier noted.     The premier was here to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) related summits. The Chinese premier went back home late Saturday ahead of schedule, after the Thai government postponed the summits because of domestic political unrest.     The premier said we should see that China's economy is still facing very serious hardships, which can be attributed to the shrink of external demand and a relatively sharp fall in exports. This has negatively impacted export enterprises, export-oriented industries and export-oriented zones, and has resulted in decreases in business profit making, declines in financial revenues and heavier pressure on employment, he said.     As the international financial crisis is deepening and spreading, we should never lose vigilance, Wen warned.     As the crisis has not touched its bottom, we can hardly say that the Chinese economy alone has got out of the crisis. China cannot save the world, nor can it survive without the world, Wen said. What we should do is to exert our utmost efforts to minimize the effect of the crisis, he said.     When answering questions whether China will introduce additional economic stimulus plans, Wen said the government should now step up efforts to carry out the policies and measures of the existing stimulus package. The earlier they are put into effect, the more beneficial and active they will be, he said.     Firstly, it is imperative to release the additional investment for stimulating the economy that has been included into the budget.     Secondly, specific rules for reforming and reviving a total of ten key industries should be formulated as early as possible.     And thirdly, efforts should be made to speed up the development of the social security system, Wen said, adding that the national medical and health-care system reform launched in recent days, which has drawn international attention, should be implemented as early as possible.     At the same time, it is essential to closely follow up the changing economic situation at home and abroad, and hammer out new response plans whenever necessary, said Wen.     Priority should be given to strengthening social security, improving the people's livelihood and strengthening protection of the ecological environment, he said.     In response to questions about the trial of cross-border trade deals in the Chinese yuan, Wen said the central government has decided to test the program in the city of Shanghai, as well as four cities in south China's Guangdong province -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhuhai.     Hong Kong and Macao will be included in the pilot program, and ASEAN members will become the first group of foreign countries to benefit from the scheme, Wen said, adding the regulatory documents governing the pilot program will be issued in a short time, Wen said.     The program will promote Hong Kong's trade development, and will help its enterprises, including those in the Pearl River Delta region and other areas in the Chinese mainland, to stave off the risks from exchange rate fluctuations, he said.     This will invigorate Hong Kong's financial industry and underpin its position as an international financial hub, he added.     Wen said that compared with developed countries, China, as a developing country, has undergone only a short period of time in its financial reform and development, lacking both experience and talented people, and there is also room for improvement in its financial system.     At present, China allows the yuan to become convertible under the current account and it will take a long time to realize full capital account convertibility for the Chinese yuan, he said.     Answering a reporter's question on whether building Shanghai into an international financial hub will rival Hong Kong's financial status, Wen said the Chinese central government has always paid close attention to the development of Hong Kong's financial sector.     "I noticed that most of the media in Hong Kong showed support for the decision to build Shanghai into an international financial center, but lingering worries still remain," he said.     Actually, the status of an international financial center is established not by a government decision but through market competition, he said.     "I have said years ago that Hong Kong's status as an international financial center is irreplaceable due to its unique geographical advantage, a long history of financial management, extensive channels of financial operation, a full-fledged legal system and a rich pool of financial expertise," Wen said.     However, Hong Kong's status as an international financial hub also meets challenges, he said.     He added that what is imperative for the time being is to enhance regulation, maintain the stable, healthy and sustainable development of its financial sector, and to make due support for its economy.     While developing the financial sector, Hong Kong should also spare no effort to tap the potential of its economic growth such as logistics, tourism, the health sector, science and technology, education, and high-tech industries, so as to lay a foundation forthe sustained economic development, he said.     Responding to a question about the recent police investigation into Hong Kong-listed conglomerate CITIC Pacific, Wen said the issue should be addressed in accordance with the laws and financial supervision regulations of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and no interference from the mainland or other parties will be allowed.     Earlier this month, Hong Kong police searched the headquarters of the company, which reported huge losses from unauthorized hedging against changes in the exchange rates of Australian dollar last year.     After all the facts are clarified, serious lessons should be drawn from this incident, including the company's management and its supervision, Wen said.     On Macao's economic growth, Premier Wen said it has a unique economy powered mainly by its gambling industry.     As the region continues to develop its gambling industry, efforts should be made to promote the region's economic diversity based on its own reality, he said.     Macao's development is somewhat restrained due to its tiny area, but the central government is currently working on a long-term development plan of the Pearl River Delta to strengthen economic ties between Guangdong Province and Macao in an effort to promote Macao's development, said the premier.     Because of Thailand's domestic situation, the Thai government on Saturday postponed the ASEAN related summits scheduled for April 11 and April 12.     Wen said his visit to Thailand was designed to enhance the friendly cooperative relations between China and ASEAN and to make joint efforts with its members to tackle the global financial crisis.     The Chinese premier said he had been aware of the situation in Thailand before his departure for the country, and his insistence on attending the summits indicated China's sincerity in this matter.

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China and New Zealand should work together to deal with the international financial crisis, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday. "This would benefit both countries and the region as well," Wen told visiting New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) shakes hands with New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 15, 2009.     Wen said Sino-New Zealand relations was "at its best in history." adding to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed last October has greatly boosted bilateral trade and economic cooperation and brought about concrete benefits to the two peoples.     Wen proposed the two countries continue high-level exchanges of visits to improve political trust. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (front L1) welcomes visiting New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key (front L2) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 15, 2009He urged the two sides to use the advantage of the FTA to expand cooperation in the areas as agriculture, forestry, stock raising, environmental protection, clean energy and food safety.     Wen also called upon the two countries to promote personnel exchanges and coordination in the international organizations.     Key said New Zealand remains committed to developing relations with China and would take the chance of implementing the FTA to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, stock raising and science and technology.     The prime minister said New Zealand and China should stand firmly against trade and investment protectionism and advance the Doha round of negotiations.     After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements on cooperation in information and tourism.     Key is to head to south China's Hainan Province for the 2009 meeting of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) from April 17 to 19.

网站关键字seo优化排名

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in an interview with Hong Kong and Macao reporters here Saturday, said that the Chinese economy showed signs of better than expected positive changes in the first quarter as a result of the economic stimulus package adopted by China.     Firstly, the domestic demand rose on a sustainable basis. Meanwhile, investment in fixed assets increased rapidly and consumer demand grew steadily and relatively rapidly. Although lower from the same period of last year, imports and exports grew on a month-on-month basis in the three-month period, Wen said.     This indicates that some sectors and enterprises in China are in a process of gradual recovery.     Secondly, industries above the designated size registered month-on-month growth, with a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percent in both January and February, and a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent in March.     Thirdly, the purchase management index and the entrepreneur confidence index of the manufacturing industry both rose, indicating that the Chinese economy has begun to stabilize and recover in some fields, according to Wen.     And fourthly, the market confidence went up and the economy became more active over the first three months, with increases in both the stock market and housing market transaction volumes.     The positive performances in economic fields suggest that the policies adopted by the central government of China have been timely and correct, and have led to successes, the premier noted.     The premier was here to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) related summits. The Chinese premier went back home late Saturday ahead of schedule, after the Thai government postponed the summits because of domestic political unrest.     The premier said we should see that China's economy is still facing very serious hardships, which can be attributed to the shrink of external demand and a relatively sharp fall in exports. This has negatively impacted export enterprises, export-oriented industries and export-oriented zones, and has resulted in decreases in business profit making, declines in financial revenues and heavier pressure on employment, he said.     As the international financial crisis is deepening and spreading, we should never lose vigilance, Wen warned.     As the crisis has not touched its bottom, we can hardly say that the Chinese economy alone has got out of the crisis. China cannot save the world, nor can it survive without the world, Wen said. What we should do is to exert our utmost efforts to minimize the effect of the crisis, he said.     When answering questions whether China will introduce additional economic stimulus plans, Wen said the government should now step up efforts to carry out the policies and measures of the existing stimulus package. The earlier they are put into effect, the more beneficial and active they will be, he said.     Firstly, it is imperative to release the additional investment for stimulating the economy that has been included into the budget.     Secondly, specific rules for reforming and reviving a total of ten key industries should be formulated as early as possible.     And thirdly, efforts should be made to speed up the development of the social security system, Wen said, adding that the national medical and health-care system reform launched in recent days, which has drawn international attention, should be implemented as early as possible.     At the same time, it is essential to closely follow up the changing economic situation at home and abroad, and hammer out new response plans whenever necessary, said Wen.     Priority should be given to strengthening social security, improving the people's livelihood and strengthening protection of the ecological environment, he said.     In response to questions about the trial of cross-border trade deals in the Chinese yuan, Wen said the central government has decided to test the program in the city of Shanghai, as well as four cities in south China's Guangdong province -- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhuhai.     Hong Kong and Macao will be included in the pilot program, and ASEAN members will become the first group of foreign countries to benefit from the scheme, Wen said, adding the regulatory documents governing the pilot program will be issued in a short time, Wen said.     The program will promote Hong Kong's trade development, and will help its enterprises, including those in the Pearl River Delta region and other areas in the Chinese mainland, to stave off the risks from exchange rate fluctuations, he said.     This will invigorate Hong Kong's financial industry and underpin its position as an international financial hub, he added.     Wen said that compared with developed countries, China, as a developing country, has undergone only a short period of time in its financial reform and development, lacking both experience and talented people, and there is also room for improvement in its financial system.     At present, China allows the yuan to become convertible under the current account and it will take a long time to realize full capital account convertibility for the Chinese yuan, he said.     Answering a reporter's question on whether building Shanghai into an international financial hub will rival Hong Kong's financial status, Wen said the Chinese central government has always paid close attention to the development of Hong Kong's financial sector.     "I noticed that most of the media in Hong Kong showed support for the decision to build Shanghai into an international financial center, but lingering worries still remain," he said.     Actually, the status of an international financial center is established not by a government decision but through market competition, he said.     "I have said years ago that Hong Kong's status as an international financial center is irreplaceable due to its unique geographical advantage, a long history of financial management, extensive channels of financial operation, a full-fledged legal system and a rich pool of financial expertise," Wen said.     However, Hong Kong's status as an international financial hub also meets challenges, he said.     He added that what is imperative for the time being is to enhance regulation, maintain the stable, healthy and sustainable development of its financial sector, and to make due support for its economy.     While developing the financial sector, Hong Kong should also spare no effort to tap the potential of its economic growth such as logistics, tourism, the health sector, science and technology, education, and high-tech industries, so as to lay a foundation forthe sustained economic development, he said.     Responding to a question about the recent police investigation into Hong Kong-listed conglomerate CITIC Pacific, Wen said the issue should be addressed in accordance with the laws and financial supervision regulations of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and no interference from the mainland or other parties will be allowed.     Earlier this month, Hong Kong police searched the headquarters of the company, which reported huge losses from unauthorized hedging against changes in the exchange rates of Australian dollar last year.     After all the facts are clarified, serious lessons should be drawn from this incident, including the company's management and its supervision, Wen said.     On Macao's economic growth, Premier Wen said it has a unique economy powered mainly by its gambling industry.     As the region continues to develop its gambling industry, efforts should be made to promote the region's economic diversity based on its own reality, he said.     Macao's development is somewhat restrained due to its tiny area, but the central government is currently working on a long-term development plan of the Pearl River Delta to strengthen economic ties between Guangdong Province and Macao in an effort to promote Macao's development, said the premier.     Because of Thailand's domestic situation, the Thai government on Saturday postponed the ASEAN related summits scheduled for April 11 and April 12.     Wen said his visit to Thailand was designed to enhance the friendly cooperative relations between China and ASEAN and to make joint efforts with its members to tackle the global financial crisis.     The Chinese premier said he had been aware of the situation in Thailand before his departure for the country, and his insistence on attending the summits indicated China's sincerity in this matter.

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.

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao met Thursday with the Premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Yong Il.     Hu reviewed 60 years of China-DPRK ties, saying the friendship, initiated and fostered by the older generation of leaders, had withstood the test of international and domestic changes.     "The friendship, which has kept developing, has become the common treasure of both nations," Hu said. Chinese President Hu Jintao (R Front) meets with Premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Yong Il (L Front) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2009    The DPRK was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. The two countries forged diplomatic relations on Oct. 6, 1949, days after the People's Republic of China was founded.     Hu said the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government attach great importance to ties with the DPRK. China would like to work with the DPRK for a better good-neighbor cooperation.     Kim came to China on an official goodwill visit and launched the China-DPRK Friendship Year in Beijing, a year-long exchange program marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.     "We should take the opportunity of the friendship year to carry forward our traditional friendship, deepen strategic communication and promote substantive cooperation for a stronger bilateral relations," Hu said.     On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Hu said a question confronting all parties concerned was how to overcome what he termed the current difficulties and resume the six-party talks at an early date.     "We hope parties concerned will take the overall situation into consideration and properly resolve the differences in a bid to promote the further progress of the talks," Hu said.     Initiated in 2003, the talks involve China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan. The last round of talks, held in Beijing in December, failed to make any substantive progress.     Kim, who was on his first visit to China since taking office in April 2007, hailed the deeply rooted DPRK-China friendship.     "Under the leadership of both countries, DPRK-China relations have developed soundly in recent years," Kim said.     He said the DPRK would unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with China and carry forward the bilateral traditional friendship.     "The DPRK will, as always, make unremitting efforts to cement and develop friendly ties with China," he said.     Kim said the DPRK people were happy about the significant achievements the Chinese people had made in economic and social development.     During his five-day visit, Kim first traveled to east China's Shandong Province and talked with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, Wednesday.

优化排名 生客seo

DAKAR, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Senegal on Feb. 13-14, during which the two countries will sign new agreements on economic and technical cooperation, the Chinese ambassador in the West African country announced here on Thursday.     At the invitation of his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade, President Hu will make the visit to further enhance the friendly ties between the two countries since diplomatic relations were resumed in October 2005, Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye told a press conference.     The visit is part of the Chinese president's five-nation trip on Feb. 10-17, which will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Mali, Tanzania and Mauritius.     The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Hu's visit is aimed at further consolidating China's friendship and cooperation with these countries, strengthening China's cooperation with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and promoting the implementation of the measures announced at the 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

关于优化seo

RAYONG, Thailand, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived here Friday to attend the East Asia Summit and related meetings in a bid to promote regional cooperation to confront the global financial crisis.     The premier's trip is aimed at enhancing mutual trust between China and east Asian countries, promote regional cooperation and boost determination and confidence to jointly tackle the crisis, which has dealt a heavy blow to the Asian economy. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L Front) arrives in Phatthaya, Thailand, April 10, 2009. Wen's trip from April 10 to 12 will be highlighted by a series of meetings in Phatthaya of Thailand, including the 12th China-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the 12th summit between the ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea, the 4th East Asia Summit, and China-Japan-South Korea Breakfast Meeting.    Wen's trip from April 10 to 12 will be highlighted by a series of meetings in Pattaya, Thailand, including the 12th China-the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, the 12th summit between the ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea, the 4th East Asia Summit, and a China-Japan-South Korea Breakfast Meeting.     His entourage includes Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi; Zhang Ping, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission; Finance Minister Xie Xuren; Commerce Minister Chen Deming; Xie Fuzhan, director of the Research Office of the State Council; Chinese Ambassador to the ASEAN Xue Hanqin; Qiu Xiaoxiong, vice secretary-general of the State Council and director of the premier's office; and Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue.  Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L Front) arrives in Phatthaya, Thailand, April 10, 2009. Wen's trip from April 10 to 12 will be highlighted by a series of meetings in Phatthaya of Thailand, including the 12th China-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the 12th summit between the ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea, the 4th East Asia Summit, and China-Japan-South Korea Breakfast Meeting.

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.