LONDON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- As the curtain dropped on the G20 London summit, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming on Friday reiterated China's opposition to protectionism and voiced support for cooperation. "This summit has yielded a series of positive and pragmatic results for the international society to jointly tackle the current financial crisis," Chen said. He said it included reaching broad consensus on stabilizing international financial markets, speeding up reform of the international financial system, actively pushing forward the Doha round talks, and opposing trade protectionism. Chen said history and experiences have proved that protectionism will only drag the world economy into deeper recession. As the crisis is worsening, people have increasingly realized the necessity and urgency to reject protectionism, he said. Chinese President Hu Jintao pointed out at the G20 summit that facing the impact of the international financial crisis, China will continue to stick to its opening-up and reform policy, and unswervingly adopt the mutually-beneficial and win-win strategy. China will not turn to protectionism just because it is encountering some temporary difficulties during the process of economic development, he said. What the world needs now, Chen said, is to adopt economic stimulus plans to jointly overcome the difficulties and to recover economies. At this critical time, people must be especially cautious about protectionism, preventing it from sabotaging all the efforts that the world has done so far, he said. "China will act responsibly, seriously implement the agreements reached at the G20 summit, in efforts to push forward the world economy, as well promote the development of international trade," Chen said. He proposed that the international community jointly maintain a fair and open international trade environment, protect the authority and seriousness of multilateral trade regulations, actively push forward the Doha round talks, and jointly resist protectionism. Chen noted that despite all the anti-protectionism claims by many countries, protectionist measures are in fact making inroads since the outbreak of the financial crisis. China supports the G20 agreement to extend the ban on protectionism until the end of 2010, however, it remains difficult to define protectionism and unreasonable trade restriction measures, Chen said. All measures not allowed by the WTO are considered protectionist, and therefore should not be allowed to be implemented, he said. Chen also raised concerns over the possible misuse of some measures permitted by the WTO, such as trade subsidy, and urged restraint. The WTO members should try not to use, or use with discretion protectionist policies, so as to create a sound climate for promoting free trade, he said. Currently, the WTO has established a monitoring mechanism, with periodical reports on its members' actions, a move conducive to curbing protectionism, Chen said. Protectionism is on the rise since the crisis, but it still falls short of being rampant, which indicates the global multilateral trade rules remain effective to some extent, he said. China supports the establishment of such a WTO supervision mechanism, he said. China has firmly reiterated its opposition to protectionism, Chen said, noting that China's measures taken since the crisis are considered positive by both WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton. China's economic stimulus measures complied with the WTO rules, he said. Chen also said the Doha round trade talks are of great significance in promoting the development of the multilateral trade system and a successful deal would strongly promote global economic growth. History over the past century has proved that trade grows faster than economy, and it is trade that pushes forward economic growth, he said. Chen urged flexibility by major countries to push forward the Doha negotiations. "With joint efforts by various parties, we remain optimistic about the outcome of the Doha round talks," he said.
BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday called for the country's law-enforcement personnel to learn the selfless dedication to the people from Tan Dong, a policeman in Sichuan Province. Tan, 45, was a traffic policeman in Dayi County of Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan. He died of myocarditis on Jan. 5 because of long-time hard work at his position. On Dec. 29 last year, in order to save a person having fallen into a trench in a car accident, Tan jumped into the cold water and got a serious cold. Being seriously sick afterwards, Tan insisted on working, until the last minute of his life. After his death, Tan was honored as a first-class model by the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. On Friday, some of Tan's relatives and colleagues were invited to give a report on his heroic deeds in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The audience were deeply moved by the report and gave applauses to show their respect for the hero. More than 800 police and citizen representatives listened to the report. Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Tan's families and colleagues before the report. "He is an ordinary, but great person. He is the model for the police, and also a good example for China's grassroots officials," Zhou said. In Tan Dong's diary, he wrote: one cannot be a public servant if he has no intention of dedication. "He did what he said," Zhou said.
BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China should speed up reforming its financial system to make the yuan an international currency, said political advisors Saturday. "A significant inspiration to draw from the global financial crisis is that we must play an active role in the reconstruction of the international financial order," said Peter Kwong Ching Woo, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Wharf (Holdings) Limited. The key to financial reform is to make the yuan an international currency, said Woo in a speech to the Second Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body. That means using the Chinese currency to settle international trade payments, allowing the yuan freely convertible on the capital account and making it an international reserve currency, he said. China's yuan, or Renminbi, can be freely convertible on the current account but not on the capital account, preventing it from being a reserve currency or a choice in international trade settlement. China has announced trial programs to settle trade in the yuan, a move analysts say will facilitate foreign trade as Chinese exporters might face losses if they continue to be paid in the U.S. dollar. The dollar's exchange rate has become more volatile since the global financial crisis. Economists say the move will increase the acceptance of the currency in Asia, which will help it become an international currency in the long run. The status of the yuan as an international currency will benefit China by giving it a bigger say in world financial issues and reducing the reliance of its huge foreign reserves on the U.S. dollar, some analysts say. Other analysts argue a fully convertible yuan will hurt China as it would allow massive capital outflow during a financial crisis. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities remain cautious. It's possible that the global financial crisis will facilitate the process of making the yuan internationally accepted, but there's no need to push for that, Yi Gang, vice central bank governor, told Xinhua earlier this month. That process should be conducive to all sides, he said. Xu Shanda, former vice director of the State Administration of Taxation and a CPPCC National Committee member, urged for faster paces in making the yuan an international currency as a way of increasing national wealth. He said the United States and the European Union have obtained hefty royalties from the international use of their currencies while China has become the biggest source of that income. A royalty, or seignior age, results from the difference between the cost of printing currency and the face value of the money. "China's loss due to royalty payment has far exceeded the benefit of not making the yuan an international currency," he said in a speech to the annual session of the CPPCC National Committee, without elaborating. China's State Council, or Cabinet, said last December it would allow the yuan to be used for settlement between the country's two economic powerhouses -- Guangdong Province and the Yangtze River Delta -- and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. Meanwhile, exporters in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province will be allowed to use Renminbi to settle trade payments with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members.
BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao said here Friday that the "good situation" in today's Tibet was "hard-earned and should be highly cherished." Hu said during his visit to an exhibition marking the 50th Anniversary of Democratic Reform in Tibet, at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing, that the reform 50 years ago was "the most extensive, profound and progressive social transformation in the history of Tibet." All the nine members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee visited the exhibition, including top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and top political advisor Jia Qinglin. Chinese President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an exhibition marking the 50th Anniversary of Democratic Reform in Tibet, at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing, capital of China, on March 27, 2009 The exhibition, opened on Feb. 24, 2009, showcases archives, cultural relics, photos, videos, and restored landscapes that have recorded the great changes Tibet has gone through since 1959, when serfdom was abolished. The exhibits show that Tibet has been a part of China since the Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368 A.D.). Also exhibited are scenes of surfs being exploited by their owners in the old times and how they were liberated 50 years ago. The exhibition puts on videos recording the March 14th Riot in Lhasa last year and the major projects the Chinese government has sponsored in the plateau, such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Tibet Gymnasium. It also includes photos about Tibetan people's lives today. When visiting the exhibition, Hu stressed that, only by staying in the big family of the motherland under the leadership of the CPC, can the economy and society of Tibet develop by leaps and bounds, and the people of Tibet be the owner of the country together with other Chinese ethnics. Tibet should speed up economic development and further improve the living standards of people living there, especially the peasants and herdsmen, Hu said. Hu also said that Tibet should move from being "basically stable" to "peaceful and stable in the long run." The exhibition, co-organized by the State Council Information Office, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Tibet Autonomous Region, has attracted about 137,000 visitors since its opening.
HONG KONG, April 12 (Xinhua) -- About 400 enterprises in the Chinese mainland had been selected to participate in the Renminbi cross-border trade settlement pilot program, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong Julia Leung said here Saturday. Speaking on a radio talk show here Saturday, Leung said enterprises in Hong Kong would soon be able to settle trades in Renminbi through the banks with the selected companies in the Chinese mainland. Noting the program can reduce the risks and cost arising from fluctuations in exchange rates, she said Hong Kong banks could expand extensively their Renminbi services from individual clients to enterprises. When asked whether the scheme includes trade financing, Leung said authorities in the Chinese mainland would announce the details soon. "The Monetary Authority has made full preparation for the program including conducting tests on the Renminbi clearing system," Leung noted, adding that "the system can start operation once the Chinese mainland comes up with the operational details." When asked whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government would change Hong Kong's linked exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, the under secretary said the system had been working effectively and the HKSAR government had no plan to change it.
BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- World media spoke highly of Premier Wen Jiabao's remarks Friday at a press conference and policies China has adopted to battle the economic crisis, saying the two just-concluded political sessions delivered "China's confidence." The two sessions are known as the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) and the Second Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The U.S. Chinese Biz News said in a commentary that China has worked out various measures to boost confidence in a number of fields, noting that the package of measures was unprecedented concerning its covered area, depth and influence. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao answers questions during a press conference after the closing meeting of the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2009. The annual NPC session closed on Friday "China's confidence" was frequently used by reporters covering the NPC and CPPCC, making it a key phrase of the two sessions, it added. Zheng Yide, editor-in-chief of the U.S. Qiaobao, said the two political sessions spurred confidence of the world amid the unfolding economic turmoil. China has pledged an 8-percent economic growth, and considering the important role it plays on the world platform, such commitment uplifts people's confidence not only in China's economy but also in the world economy, Zheng said. The Paris-based Nouvelles d' Europe, the biggest Chinese newspaper in Europe, published a commentary saying "confidence" had been a key word running through the two political sessions and left a deep impression on the world. The recurring word offered China as well as other countries an effective prescription for surviving the economic crisis. Lianhe Zaobao, a leading Chinese-language newspaper in Singapore, said in an editorial that Wen has unequivocally said China is ready to confront even bigger challenges amid the financial crisis and can "roll out a new stimulus package at any time." That is a promise not only to the Chinese people but to the whole world, the editorial said. It is remarkable that China delivered such kind of determination and confidence at a time when the United States and Europe are still entrenched in their positions on measures to overhaul the global financial system, the editorial said. Nanyang Siang Pau of Malaysia said that China has set an 8-percent economic growth target for this year. The paper quoted Wen as saying that China's fiscal deficit is controllable and the government's debt level is safe. China will keep its currency, the yuan, stable at a reasonable and balanced level, Wen was cited as saying. "No country in the world has the right to put pressure on the devaluation or appreciation of the Chinese currency." Malaysia's China Press and Sin Chew Media also covered the conclusions of the two political sessions and Wen's press conference.
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JINAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Tuesday urged local governments to support spring ploughing work to promote grain production. Speaking at a national meeting held by the State Council (Cabinet) in Jinan, capital city of eastern China's Shandong Province, on Monday and Tuesday, Hui called for great efforts to support the harvest of summer grain and oil crops. He called on local authorities to give priority to spring farm work, maintain steady and relatively fast rural and agricultural development, help farm incomes rise and improve water conservation in rural areas. He urged authorities to provide agricultural science and technology services to farmers, strengthen pest and animal disease controls, help farmers rise out of poverty and provide more jobs for returning migrants. China harvested 528.5 billion kilograms of grain last year, up 5.4 percent from 2007, the fifth consecutive increase.
BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday said it would work with Mongolia to advance the relationship between the two countries. "This would benefit the two peoples," Chinese Vice President XiJinping told visiting Mongolian Prime Minister Sanj Bayar. Hailing the 60-year diplomatic ties between China and Mongolia, Xi said the two neighboring countries enjoyed three precious experiences during the development process of bilateral relations. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Mongolian Prime Minister Sanj Bayar in Beijing, China, April 15, 2009 Firstly, Xi said to respect each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity was the important base for the growth of China-Mongolia ties. Secondly, he said both sides' commitments to enhancing bilateral relations were the source of flourishing development of China-Mongolia ties. Lastly, he pointed out that both sides treated each other's development as important opportunities and made great efforts to increase cooperation. This was the driving force for the stable growth of bilateral relations. Bayar said his country valued the relations with China, and was satisfied with the bilateral ties in recent years. The Prime Minister applauded China's assistance and support to his country. The whole world was deeply impressed by China's efforts to cope with the international financial crisis, Bayar said, noting that this also strengthened Mongolia's confidence in surviving difficulties. Mongolia would increase cooperation with China to jointly respond to challenges and push forward the bilateral relations, he noted. Bayar was here on a five-day working visit starting from Tuesday, and will also attend the Bo'ao Forum for Asia annual meeting, scheduled for April 17-19.
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday said he reached new consensus with African leaders during his ongoing visit to the continent. "During my African visit, I had in-depth discussions with leaders of related countries on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, and we reached a number of new and important consensus," Hu said while giving an interview to Tanzanian State Television and Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV. Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 15, 2009This is the president's sixth visit to Africa and his second since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006. The four-country African tour has taken Hu to Mali and Senegal. After his stay in Tanzania. Hu will travel on to Mauritius before flying back home on Tuesday. "The visit is aimed at cementing friendship, deepening cooperation, dealing with challenges and seeking common development," Hu said. Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, capital of Senegal, Feb. 13, 2009As a sincere friend of Africa, China will actively support African countries in developing their economies, and improving livelihood and strengthening cooperation, he said. "China will fully and punctually implement measures agreed at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, seek China-Africa pragmatic relations and promote the further development of our new strategic partnership," Hu said. Eight measures announced at the landmark summit included massive tariff cuts, debt exemptions, and doubling aid to Africa over a three-year period among others. Chinese President Hu Jintao (L, Front) shakes hands with Malian President Amadou Toumany Toure (R, Front) after signing agreements in Bamako, Mali, on Feb. 12, 2009.Hu said he was satisfied with the development of China-Tanzania ties. Noting Tanzania is an old and good friend of China, Hu said the bilateral relationship has moved forward in a sound and smooth way and yielded fruitful cooperation in various fields since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1964. "It can be viewed as an exemplary relationship of sincerity, solidarity and cooperation between the two developing countries," Hu said. In 2008, bilateral trade hit an all-time high, reaching more than 1 billion U.S. dollars, Hu said. He held talks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and met Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume earlier on Sunday. Hu said they reviewed the growth of China-Tanzania relations and set a direction for bilateral relations to develop in a new era. The two sides agreed on cementing traditional friendship, deepening pragmatic cooperation and taking the relations to a new high, Hu said. "With joint efforts, I am convinced that bilateral relations will have a promising future and benefit the two nations," Hu said. Before the interview, Hu attended the completion ceremony of Tanzania's state stadium and paid tribute to a cemetery for Chinese experts who worked and died in Tanzania.