BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature will convene its bimonthly session from Feb. 24 to 26, making a final preparation for an annual full session next month.According to a statement of a meeting, presided over by top legislator Wu Bangguo Wednesday, an important task at the three-day session late this month is to prepare for the upcoming Third Plenum of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), scheduled to open on March 5.Lawmakers at the February session will deliberate a draft report on the work of the 11th NPC Standing Committee, the draft agenda of the third 11th NPC session, the draft of the name list for presidium and secretary-general, and the draft of the name list for non-voting delegates to the plenary session in March.They will also continue to review the draft law on mobilization for national defence, as well as a draft amendment to the law on keeping state secrets.The draft amendments to the Administrative Supervision Law and the Copyright Law will also be submitted by the State Council to the legislative session for discussion, according to the statement.They will also discuss a consular agreement with the Philippines and a report on the inspection of the enforcement of the Food Safety Law, as well as a motion regarding appointments and dismissals.
BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo on Wednesday said China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and properly handle sensitive affairs in a bid to preserve the sound development of bilateral ties. China and the United States should handle bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term point of view, said Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), in a meeting with a U.S. senate delegation. Wu hailed the sound development of China-U.S. relations in 2009,saying it indicated a smooth transition from the Bush administration to the Obama's and the relationship between the countries was progressing well. He labeled the China-U.S. relationship as "one of the world's most important" during the half-hour meeting in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. Wu pledged to further the exchanges between the two country's parliaments in a bid to promote strategic mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation and friendship between the two peoples. The delegation, headed by Senator Patty Murray, was in Beijing for a meeting under a regular exchange mechanism between the two parliaments, in which the two sides discussed such topics as bilateral ties, parliamentary exchanges and climate change. The U.S. senators highlighted the importance of relations with China, promised to enhance communication and dialogue with the NPC so as to promote mutual understanding.
BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's regulation on the Internet industry is in line with the laws and should be free from unjustifiable interferences, a Chinese government official said here Sunday.A spokesperson with China's State Council Information Office told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, that China is regulating the Internet legally to build a more reliable, helpful information network that is beneficial to economic and social development.Such regulation, the spokesperson said, are based on laws and regulations such as the Constitution, the Law on the Protection of Minors, and the Decision on Internet Safety pass by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.Online information which incites subversion of state power, violence and terrorism or includes pornographic contents are explicitly prohibited in the laws and regulations, the spokesperson said.China has full justification to deal with these illegal and harmful online contents, the spokesperson said.This has nothing to do with the claims of "restrictions on Internet freedom", the spokesperson stressed.Different countries have different conditions and realities, thus they are regulating the Internet in different ways, the spokesperson said.China's regulation on the Internet industry is proved to be suitable for China's national conditions and in line with common practices in most countries as well, the spokesperson said.China is willing to cooperate and exchange opinions on issues about Internet development and management wit other countries, but opposes firmly to any defiance of Chinese laws, or intervening Chinese domestic affairs under the pretence of "Internet management" regardless of the truth, the spokesperson said.According to the spokesperson, as of the end of 2009, the number of netizens in China reached 384 million, and websites topped 3.68 million.China has millions of online forums and more than 200 million blogs, and every day, there are more than four million new blog entries posted online, the spokesperson said.Chinese netizens' right to express opinions within the law is well protected, and their opinions are given full consideration by the government in policy making process, the spokesperson said.
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, March 20 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia pledged here Saturday to further interregional cooperation with each other and signed a series of cooperation deals.Governor of Russia's Primorsky Territory Sergey Mikhaylovich Darkin and visiting Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping met here and exchanged views on the development of bilateral ties and cooperation between neighboring regions of the two countries. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R, front) shakes hands with Sergei Darkin, governor of Russia's Primorsky region, in Vladivostok, Russia, March 20, 2010Xi told Darkin making the Primorsky Territory the first leg of his Russian tour was to boost the interregional cooperation between China and Russia to a wider and deeper level, as agreed by leaders of both sides.Conditions were already mature for the development of interregional cooperation between the two countries, Xi said. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (3rd R, front) meets with Sergei Darkin (3rd L, front), governor of Russia's Primorsky region in Vladivostok, Russia, March 20, 2010While the settlement of border issues and the approval of a cooperation plan outline had laid a political and legal basis for cooperation, the strong will of working hand in hand by the government and enterprises on both sides was also making it possible, the Chinese leader said.Xi said, as both economies were developing quickly, he hoped China and Russia could seize the opportunity to obtain early achievements through interregional cooperation, and to realize the upgrading of the strategy for such cooperation to bring benefits to people living in the bordering areas.Darkin said the Primorsky Territory, as China's closest neighbour, had achieved in recent years closer trade and economic ties with China's northeast border region.The governor said Chinese companies were welcome to invest in the Primorsky Territory and to see it as a bridge for their products to reach Europe.He also expected both sides to further cooperation in such areas as agriculture, energy, finance and service industries.Later in the day, China and Russia signed 15 cooperation documents totalling 1.6 billion U.S. dollars covering economic, technological, energy and infrastructure cooperation.The agreements were signed after Xi held a meeting on strengthening China-Russia interregional cooperation, known as the symposium on China-Russia Ussuriysk economic and trade cooperation area.At the meeting, Xi heard reports given by top leaders from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China's Heilongjiang Province and Wenzhou City and Chinese enterprises.Xi said Russia's Far East area and China's northern frontier provinces were important trading partners and should enhance bilateral cooperation.This would not only promote economic and social development and improve the livelihoods of people in the neighboring regions, but also inject powerful energy into the development of the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, he said.Xi arrived in Vladivostok on Saturday for a five-day official visit to Russia. He will later travel to Belarus, Finland and Sweden.
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea plans to launch a joint research with China and Japan on the feasibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) among the three Northeast Asian countries, South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday.According to a report by the ministry, the country, which has been seeking an economic integration of the Northeast Asian region by creating favorable conditions for FTAs, will kick off a joint study with the countries, in which government officials, scholars and business representatives will participate.Along with the trilateral FTA, the country will also continue to push for settling separate bilateral trade agreements with China and Japan, the ministry said in the report.Currently, South Korea has free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore and the European Free Trade Association, as well as a similar pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.Recently reaching a free trade deal with the European Union, the country also wrapped up its free trade talks with India, settling the so-called comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in August.With respect to the free trade deal with the United States, signed in June 2007, both countries are waiting for legislative approval.South Korea is also seeking similar trade deals with Australia, Canada, and Mexico.
BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Saturday stressed food and heating supply as cold snap has driven up vegetable prices and strained coal and gas supplies in north China. Wen urged local government to pay attention to the produce, transport and storage of vegetables when visiting a produce wholesale market in the suburbs of Beijing. "Only when food supply is enough and the prices are stable, will people feel at ease," said Wen. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with local residents at a supermarket during his inspection in Beijing, Jan. 16, 2010. Accompanied by Beijing's Party chief Liu Qi, Wen also went to a heating plant in Fengtai District and inquired about emergency response heating plan in case of extremely cold weather. He asked local officials to secure the power, gas and coal supply to Beijing and said that energy supply should follow the principle of civil use first and industrial use second. Wen also visited several ordinary Beijing families, who just moved into new houses with government subsidy. Beijing municipal government has rebuilt and repaired nearly 500,000-square-meter old houses for 23,000 households. The municipal government planed to solve housing problems for about 280,000 low-income families in three years.
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HONG KONG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 20,000 people gathered on both sides of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to watch a 23-minute firework show Monday evening, as the city is unwrapping various festive activities to celebrate the year of the Tiger.The show began at 8 pm local time (1200 GMT) despite heavy fog and light showers.Spectators cheered and shouted as the Arabic number "eight" appeared in the sky, followed by patterns resembling fish. Fireworks designers explained that the number eight shares the same pronunciation with the word "Fa" which means striking gold while the word "fish" sounds the same with "surplus" in Cantonese.For Hong Kong residents who tend to believe that lucky signs and lucky-sounding words do actually bring in luck, they are delighted at the show, which also include patters similar to the shape of the Chinese traditional gold ingot and red Chinese character "Ji" which means auspiciousness.The Lunar New Year firework show has become an annual event since it lit up the sky above the Victoria Harbor for the first time during the Lunar New Year in 1982.Sponsors of the event said this year's extravaganza costs more that 3 million HK dollars (about 400,000 U.S. dollars ), but they insist the expenditure worthwhile as it brings laughter and joy to Hong Kong citizens at the begining of a new year.
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Li Changchun, a senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Tuesday urged to provide the country's blind people with easier access to braille publications, textbooks and library services.Li, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the comment when inspecting the China Braille Publishing House in Beijing.Li Changchun (C), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC), looks at a braille book during his visit to the China Braille Publishing House in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2010He said the CPC Central Committee attached great importance to the well-being of China's handicapped population, including the blind people.He called for stepped-up efforts to provide the blind with better cultural products and services to satisfy their growing need.
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday urged the role of non-communist parties and personages in helping achieve the national goal for social and economic development in the new year."We must rely on all Chinese people, including various democratic parties, societies, ethnic groups and people from all walks of life and in different stratums to achieve this year's goal for economic and social development," said Hu at a symposium here Wednesday to mark the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 14 this year.At the event, Hu extended New Year's greetings and best wishes to all people from the non-communists parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and those without party affiliations.Chinese President Hu Jintao (3rd R), who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), speaks during a meeting with representatives of non-communist parties ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 10, 2010Hu expressed appreciation for their hard work last year as they offered valuable suggestions for coping with the financial crisis and maintaining stable and relatively fast economic growth, urging them to continue giving such suggestions.Non-communist parties' leaders at the gathering gave opinions on various issues including the transformation of the economic growth mode, expansion of private investment, development of ethnic regions, compulsory education in rural areas and economic and cultural exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan, among others.The meeting was chaired by Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua)-- The China "Summer Davos" summit, due to be held in September in the north China city of Tianjin, will again focus on sustainability and the green economy, said Andre Schneider, managing director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Tuesday.The detailed agenda would be designed to meet the changing new growth context with more discussion of new business models and technical innovations, Schneider said in a press briefing in Beijing.The "Summer Davos" 2010, or the fourth Annual Meeting of the New Champions, would be a continuation of the third-round meeting last year, which had focused on the way out of crisis, said Schneider.With the theme, "Driving Growth Through Sustainability," this year's summit, from Sept. 13 to 15, is expected to attract more than 1,500 participants, including business executives, politicians, economists and scientists from about 90 countries.On the global economy picture, Schneider said the deep financial and structural roots of the "Great Recession" made it difficult to predict the shape of future growth.Schneider said the future also remained unclear for advanced economies, which the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast, would see a possible 10-percent unemployment rate in the second half of this year.Though the emerging and developing economies accounted for almost 50 percent of global GDP, their growth was not decoupled from the rest of the world, said Schneider.