HONG KONG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK), the sole Renminbi (RMB) clearing bank in Hong Kong, announced here Saturday that it will launch RMB clearing services for trade settlement starting from Monday. BOCHK said it had singed a clearing agreement with the People's Bank of China in relation to RMB business, and will invite banks and other financial institutions participating in trade settlement to sign a new clearing and settlement agreement. On Wednesday, the People's Bank of China and other departments on the mainland jointly announced the "Administrative Rules on Pilot Program of Renminbi Settlement of Cross-Border Trade Transactions", allowing RMB settlement of cross-border trade transactions for the first time. "The initiation of the Pilot Program is of particular significance. It will increase the source channels and the usage of RMB funds," said He Guangbei, vice chairman and chief executive of BOCHK. Under the Pilot Program, enterprises will also have greater flexibility in selecting the settlement currency of cross-border trade transactions as well as increasing their capability to hedge exchange risk, minimize costs, and boost the efficiency and profitability of cross-border trade transactions, he said. BOCHK, as a participating bank of RMB business, will take the lead in launching a wide spectrum of RMB trade settlement and finance services for its corporate customers to conduct RMB- denominated trade transactions such as remittances, collections and L/C services between Hong Kong and Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Zhuhai, said the vice chairman.
TIANJIN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang urged enterprises to contribute to industrial growth by bringing central government's guidance of boosting domestic demand into full play. Zhang made the remark during his visit to 13 enterprises in the machinery, light industry, petrochemical, textile, auto and other sectors as well as ports, in Tianjin Municipality from May 7 to 8. Zhang said positive signs had been seen in the country's industrial sector, but there were still challenges ahead. He underscored firm implementation of the central government policy to ensure economic growth, boost domestic demand and enhance industrial upgrading. He encouraged enterprises to seek to produce products that would meet market needs and expand both domestic and international markets. Enterprises should improve their management and push forward innovation and structural adjustment, he said.
YINGXIU, Sichuan, May 12 (Xinhua) -- One year after a massive earthquake hit China's southwestern inland, Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday mourned quake victims with a white chrysanthemum and a motivating speech calling for collective strength in face of extreme hardship. On 2:28 p.m. Tuesday, exactly one year after the devastating quake shattered many areas in Sichuan and neighboring provinces, President Hu, in dark suit and a blue-and-white stripped tie, paid his respect at a white marble memorial wall on which a written record was inscribed. Chinese President Hu Jintao places a white chrysanthemum in front of a commemorative wall of the earthquake during the commemorative service to mark the first anniversary of May 12 Earthquake in Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 12, 2009Beside the monument wall stands a giant granite clock, purposely made cracked, showing the exact time as the tremor occurred. The mourning venue was located among destroyed buildings, including one once belonged to the Xuankou Middle School in the 12,000-resident Yingxiu town, the epicenter of the earthquake. Two thirds of Yingxiu residents lost their lives. Among them 44 were students or teachers from the particular school. A national flag-raising ceremony is held during the commemorative service to mark the first anniversary of May 12 Earthquake in Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2009The former school gate was decorated Tuesday with white and yellow silk flower, a symbol of grief in the Chinese culture. After solemn music played by a white uniform-clad military trumpeter, President Hu said, "The country mobilized the fastest, widest and strongest relief efforts when the whole Chinese nation was faced with the unprecedented challenge from the quake disaster." Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Sichuan hours after the quake hit the province to direct relief work. "Our quick response helped save lots of lives and minimize property losses incurred by the quake," Hu said. The most destructive quake in China's history, the 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan's Wenchuan county and affected some parts of the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu on May 12, 2008, leaving more than 87,000 dead or missing and the property loss valued at, in official estimates, more than 800 billion yuan (117 billion U.S. dollars). Mentioning global aid to China's quake relief, Hu said, "On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I express, once again, heartfelt thanks to foreign leaders, governments, political parties, social institutions and embassies in China for their deep care and support to quake relief and reconstruction." He also thanked United Nations organizations and other international institutions and foreign friendly personages for their care and support
BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the 11th China-EU summit with European leaders in Prague on Wednesday, focusing on bilateral strategic partnership, the global financial crisis and climate change. The two sides reached a number of consensus at the summit which will play an active role in promoting a sustainable development of bilateral relations in an in-depth and all-around way. Premier Wen stayed in Prague for a mere of five hours, but needed a 20-hour flight to go forth and back, indicating his sincerity, responsibility and confidence in meeting with the EU leaders. Sincerity, responsibility and confidence are crucial in pushing forward the comprehensive China-EU strategic partnership, which is the experience drawn from the past and the need of reality. Under the complex international political and economic situation, the China-EU relations have gone beyond the bilateral scope and bears more international significance. China and the EU enjoy a solid basis in continuing cooperation and meeting challenges jointly. Up to now, the two sides have set up more than 50 consultation and dialogue mechanisms covering political, trade, scientific, energy and environmental areas. It is not worthy that the China-EU trade volume exceeded 425 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 in face of global slump, representing a 19.5-percent growth over the previous year. At a time when the raging financial storm hit the world, the major tune for bilateral ties should be mutual support. Just as what EU Commission President Jose Barroso described, China is a "crucial partner" in international efforts to counter global challenges, such as the economic and financial crisis and climate change. Challenge also generates opportunities while posing danger to the world. When the financial crisis is raging, it also serves as a opportunity for both sides to forge stronger ties. During the just concluded 11th China-EU summit in Prague, the two sides signed three agreements on cooperation in clean energy, science and technology, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Wen also announced at the summit that China will send another buying mission to the EU to increase imports from Europe, a pragmatic action of China to fight against protectionism. It also signals Beijing's confidence to jointly tackle the global financial crisis with EU partners. As the world's largest developing country and the largest bloc of developed nations respectively, China and EU need to develop steadily by clearing obstacles first, thanks to the fact that both sides enjoy huge potential and broad prospects for further cooperation. EU should recognize China's market economy status as soon as possible, loosen its control over export restrictions on high-techproducts and lift its arms embargo to China, measures which will be conducive to nurturing new growth engines for trade and economic cooperation and expanding fields of cooperation. Since the first China-EU summit in 1998, the international political and economic situation has experienced profound changes. In this context, the strategic and mutually beneficial partnership between the two sides has been expanded rapidly, further deepened and consolidated. As the China-EU Summit enters a new decade, it is believed that the China-EU relations will constantly move ahead as long as both sides work together in a forward-looking manner, adhere to the principle of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, take into consideration of each other's core concerns and properly handle sensitive issues to refrain from harming bilateral ties by individual incidents.
L'AQUILA, Italy, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who was to attend outreach session of the G8 Summit on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, met here on Wednesday with Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa, calling for deepening cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Dai conveyed President Hu's greetings and congratulations to Zuma on his victory in the general election, according to a press release issued by the Chinese delegation. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (L) meets with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma in L'Aquila, Italy, July 8, 2009. On behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Dai Bingguo will attend a dialogue meeting of the Group of Eight and the Group of Five major developing countries in the central Italian city of L'Aquila.Dai said both China and South Africa are important developing countries, and deepening the bilateral strategic partnership is not only in the basic interest of both countries and both peoples, but also helpful to the substantial cooperation between China and Africa at large. As the global financial crisis has crippled the world economy and exerted negative impact on the people's life, Dai called for further all-around cooperation between the two countries. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (2nd L) meets with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma (2nd R) in L'Aquila, Italy, July 8, 2009. On behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Dai Bingguo will attend a dialogue meeting of the Group of Eight and the Group of Five major developing countries in the central Italian city of L'Aquila.According to Chinese diplomats, the state councilor offered a four-point proposal on boost bilateral ties: to conduct more political communication and exchange, to expand trade and deepen economic cooperation, to encourage more exchange of visits, and to enhance cooperation and coordination in international organizations as well as on multinational diplomatic occasions. Zuma, on his part, said South Africa attaches importance to its ties with China, willing to coordinate more on international issues and deepen the friendly cooperation between the two countries. Zuma also extended his thanks for China's aid to Africa, according to the press release. On the international issues, Zuma said the international community should enhance cooperation to jointly address the global challenges like economic recession and climate change.
BEIJING, June 4 (Xinhua) -- A reception was held here on Thursday evening to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak addressed the reception, pledging to advance bilateral relationship to a new level. Li said the growth of China-Malaysia ties in the past 35 years had brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, and helped promote regional peace and development. The current sound bilateral relations profited from the traditional friendship, the broad common interests and the great importance attached by both leaders to promoting the ties, Li noted. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang(R) cuts a cake together with his counterpart Najib Tun Razak during the evening reception to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and Malaysia in Beijing, capital of China, on June 4, 2009.Under the new situation, the potentials for China-Malaysia cooperation were great, Li said, noting that China would work with Malaysia to jointly cope with the international financial crisis. The two governments signed a joint action plan on China-Malaysia strategic cooperation on Wednesday, which outlined the political, economic, cultural, and education cooperation in the coming years. Li hoped the two nations would fulfill the action plan and expand the bilateral strategic cooperation. Echoing Li, Najib said his government was ready to increase cooperation with China in an all-around way, in a bid to lift bilateral ties into a new historical level. Najib said his country was proud of becoming the first country among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to forge diplomatic relations with China 35 years ago. Najib's late father, then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, signed the communique on diplomatic ties with China at that time. At a press conference here Thursday evening, Najib said that he is very delighted with the outcome of his China visit, stressing that the cornerstone of bilateral relations and the emphasis of further cooperation will still be the economic and business ties. "My visit is not only to follow the footsteps, but more to run faster and further," said Najib, adding that he believed there is so much potential to raise the bilateral relations to the next phase. "We are excited about the prospect between Malaysia and China, " he said. Najib arrived here on Tuesday for a four-day official visit. China is the first country he visited outside the ASEAN since he took office in April.
东港快速去除红血丝
BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) -- State President and Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee General Secretary Hu Jintao urged all Chinese people Tuesday to remember and study the morals and demeandour of former state president Li Xiannian (1909-1992). Li won respect and love from the CPC, People's Liberation Army and people for his contribution to China's independence and the Chinese people's emancipation, China's socialist revolution, construction, reform and opening-up drive, and the building of the country into a modernized socialist nation that is prosperous, powerful, democratic and civilized, Hu said at a memorial meeting to mark Li's 100th birthday. Chinese President and Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee General Secretary Hu Jintao speaks at a memorial meeting to mark the 100th birthday of former state president Li Xiannian (1909-1992), in Beijing, China, June 23, 2009.Hu called Li a "great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, strategist and a staunch Marxist and outstanding Party and State leader." Other state and CPC leaders attending the memorial service included Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, and Zhou Yongkang. Jia presided over the gathering. Hu spoke highly of Li's prominent role in different periods of the CPC-led Chinese revolution, including the armed revolution of the 1920s-40s, the early development of New China in the 1950s-70s,and the epochal reform and opening-up drive launched in the late 1970s. Li was born into a poor peasant family on June 23, 1909, in Huang'an, Hubei Province, central China. He took part in the CPC-led Peasants' Movement and joined the Party in the 1920s. In 1927, Li led a group of peasants to join in the Huangma Uprising. Later, he became a member of the CPC-led Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and played an important role in strategic battles and maneuvers of the Red Army. During the Long March, Li supported Zhu De and other senior leaders in resolute struggle against the splittist activities of Zhang Guotao. In China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the Liberation War (1946-49) against the Kuomintang Regime, Li became a ranking officer in the CPC-led armed forces and fought a large number of major battles and established several revolutionary bases. After 1949, the year the People's Republic of China was founded, Li served as vice premier for 26 years and played a big role in managing the economy. He was wrongly criticized and persecuted during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Starting in the late 1970s, as a core member of the second-generation of CPC leadership headed by Deng Xiaoping, Li assisted Deng in ushering in and carrying on the reform and opening-up drive. In his final years in service, Li held top-level Party and state roles, including vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee, a Standing Committee member of the Political bureau of the CPC Central Committee, state president, and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor called Monday for more resources and support for alternative fuel vehicles to boost the car industry and spur the economy. Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body, made the call during a visit to Beijing-based FOTON, Asia's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer. Jia Qinglin (C), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with a worker about new energy automobiles, in Beijing, China, June 22, 2009. Jia Qinglin did researches on new energy automobiles in Beijing on Monday. "Alternative fuel vehicles represent the future of the car industry," he said. Such vehicles would improve the environment, reduce the impact of the financial crisis and trigger new technologies, he said during a research tour. Jia, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged using innovation as a priority to develop the industry, and improve research and development abilities. He also called for more "backbone companies" with their own property rights, brands and market competitiveness. Automakers "need to improve production abilities and services. They also need to develop more products and functions to meet market demand," he said.
UNITED NATIONS, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday called for the peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations. La Yifan, minister-counselor of China's Permanent Mission to the UN, told a Security Council meeting that China has always called for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic negotiations in a peaceful manner. "China always believes that resolving this issue through diplomatic means is in the interest of peace and security in the Middle East and is in the common interest of the international community," he said. La said China is ready to continue to play a constructive role in this regard. At present, "rare opportunities" exist with regard to the restart of the negotiations with Iran over the nuclear issue, he said. La called on Iran to strengthen its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve outstanding issues as early as possible. He also urged the international community to seize the opportunity to intensify diplomatic efforts so as to ensure an early start of the negotiations.
BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Friday that it will launch two more batches of electronic savings bonds of up to 50 billion yuan (7.32 billion U.S. dollars) since next week. According to the ministry, one batch of the e-savings bonds of 40 billion yuan has a term of three years, with a fixed annual interest rate of 3.73 percent. The other, the five-year e-savings bonds, is worth 10 billion yuan at a fixed annual interest rate of four percent. The two bonds will be issued from July 15 to 31, with interests to be calculated from July 15 and paid annually, said the ministry in a statement on its website. These bonds are open to only individual investors, the MOF said. Compared with other types of bonds, the e-savings bond is seen as more convenient for investors. For example, the interest can bepaid through direct deposit into the investor's account. This is the second time the ministry launches this kind of bond this year, with the first issuance of two batches of e-savings bonds in April. The ministry also said it would issue two batches of book-entry treasury bonds next week with a face value of 12.48 billion yuan and 12.65 billion yuan each. One with the face value of 12.48 billion yuan has a term of 91 days, and the issue price, set by competitive bidding, was 99.72 yuan for a face value of 100 yuan. In this sense, the annual yield will be 1.15 percent, the ministry said. The other has a term of 273 days, and the issue price was set at 99.077 yuan for 100 yuan, with an annual yield of 1.25 percent. The ministry said the book-entry T-bonds will be sold from July 13 to July 15. Trading of the bonds will begin July 17.