BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese banks have been active in transacting yuan cross-border settlement after the first deal was made Monday. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) said Tuesday it had dealt with yuan cross-border settlement totaling 17 million yuan (2.49 million U.S. dollars) in two days. Many banks in Guangdong Province were active in dealing with yuan cross-border settlement. The Bank of China Guangdong branch transacted yuan cross-border settlement totaling 7.96 million yuan (1.17 million U.S. dollars) Tuesday. "Guangdong Province has a large economic scale and is highly dependent on foreign trade. Yuan cross-border settlement could help enterprises avert exchange rate risks and reduce costs," said Cao Licong, deputy governor of the BOC Guangdong branch. "The service is favored by enterprises and will be promising in the future," said Hu Ye, deputy governor of the ICBC Guangdong branch. China launched its first yuan cross-border settlement Monday. China's State Council, or Cabinet, announced in April a pilot program to allow exporters and importers in Shanghai, and southern Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Dongguan cities to settle cross-border trade deals in Renminbi (RMB), or yuan. China last week issued detailed regulations for the pilot program for cross-border trade settled in yuan. The rules specified how to make transactions using yuan to settle trade with Hong Kong and Macao and regional trade partners.
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Scholars and officials from other countries have strongly denounced the July 5 riot in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and expressed their
UNITED NATIONS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The exponential growth in trade and strategic relations between China and the Arab world is highly valued at the League of Arab States and will not come at the expense of relations with the United States, the secretary-general of the League of Arab States said at a press conference here on Friday. "We value very much our relationship with China," Secretary-General Amre Moussa, told Xinhua. "We can have good relations, growing trade and growing economic investments with China and America at the same time." Amre Moussa, the secretary- general of the League of Arab States, gestures during a press conference at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York on May 29, 2009. Moussa on Friday called upon Israel to put an immediate end to the settlement construction in the West Bank, saying that if Israel goes ahead with the construction, it is impossible to set up an independent Palestinian stateChina is now the largest exporter to the Arab world, overtaking the United States for the first time since the 1960s. Trade between China and Arab countries jumped from 36.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2004, when the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum was launched, to 132.8 billion dollars last year. In the past, particularly during the Bush administration, the Arab world became increasingly disenchanted with America's lackluster role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. But U.S. President Barack Obama offers renewed hope that peace talks will progress. "The previous administration waited six years (before addressing the crisis)," said Moussa. "Now (the Obama) administration has started engaging right away. This is encouraging because all of us have suffered from certain policies in the past." "The hope is that the Obama administration will succeed in breaking this deadlock in order to allow the peace efforts to move on with the establishment of a viable Palestinian state ... which includes the immediate freeze of (Israeli) settlements," he said. At the same time, despite the international community having "a window of opportunity," the Obama administration has yet to take concrete actions, added Moussa. "What we expect is not only to hear a speech, but to act," he said. Indeed, action on the Middle East crisis is rare. The UN Security Council has refused to follow up on recommendations made by a United Nations investigation into accusations of war crimes committed by Israel during the Gaza offensive in January. Frustrated, the Arab League is "actively pursing" other avenues, including several independent fact finding and investigations, said Moussa. "We are not going to let go of what happened in Gaza against the civilians," he said. "If you want to have justice, you have to have it across the board." In a related development, the United Nations Human Rights Council investigation team will arrive in Gaza on Monday. Led by Justice Richard Goldstone, the team plans to meet with all concerned parties, including witness and victims of alleged violence, according to a press release issued on Friday.
HELSINKI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Friday outlined guidelines for boosting Sino-Finnish relations in political, economic and social fields. Politically, top leaders and senior officials of China and Finland should continue to frequently visit each other to improve the mechanism for bilateral cooperation, said Li while meeting with Finnish President Tarja Halonen. Economically, the two countries should make good use of their respective competitive advantages which compliment each other to deepen their pragmatic cooperation in business, environment, energy and other fields, he said. Socially, China and Finland should promote exchanges in culture, education, health, tourism and other fields to build a stronger social base for their bilateral relations, he added. Finnish President Tarja Halonen (R Front) meets with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (L Front) in Helsinki, June 25, 2009 Li also called for enhanced communications and consultations between the two countries in international affairs. On China-EU relations, Li said that China has always been committed to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with EU and Sino-EU relationship was of strategic importance in China's foreign policy. Both China and EU should cherish the hard-earned good relationship between the two sides, make dialogue and cooperation as its cornerstone, base it on mutual respect and equality, and maintain the principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences. Li said China appreciates the efforts Finland has made to promote the healthy development in China-EU relations and hopes Finland will continue to play a constructive role in enhancing the political mutual trust between China and EU and pushing for closer China-EU cooperation. For her part, Halonen said that both Finland and China value their relationship, adding that communication and cooperation in political, economic, cultural, educational and social fields have been going on smoothly, which has a positive impact on bilateral relations. Finland has attached great importance to its relations with China and is willing to be a positive force in shaping EU-China relationship, she told Li. She also said that the Finnish government and companies would actively participate in the 2010 World Expo to be held in Shanghai, China. The Finnish president extended an invitation through Li to her Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao for visiting Finland when the Chinese top leader feels convenient. Li arrived in Helsinki on Thursday for a three-day official visit to the northern European nation.
BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China said Wednesday that boosting regional trade and investment was a crucial task for countries in east Asia. Premier Wen Jiabao also called on countries in east Asia to "deepen financial cooperation and infrastructure construction to increase the ability to confront economic risks." During talks with his Thai counterpart, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Wen said China would always support the leading role the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) played in east Asia. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (1st L) holds a welcoming ceremony for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (2nd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2009. On the Sino-Thai relationship, Wen said it had met the test, and substantial cooperation had developed, since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 34 years ago. "China will work with Thailand to cement the traditional friendship and strategic cooperation to push forward bilateral ties," Wen said. He proposed that the two sides maintain coordination on bilateral relations and major international issues, implement the agreement on economic and trade cooperation, and take effective measures to maintain steady trade development. China encouraged its entrepreneurs to invest in Thailand, Wen said, adding that both countries should ensure a proposed highway from Kunming, China to Bangkok be completed at an early date and promote trade and logistics in the Mekong River area. Abhisit said Thailand and China had enjoyed a long-term friendship and the relationship and cooperation in all areas had improved. He noted that amid the financial crisis, Thailand would expand trade, agricultural, tourism and education cooperation with China. He said Thailand adhered to the one-China principle and would like to push forward cooperation between China and ASEAN. Before the talks, Wen held a ceremony to welcome Abhisit, who arrived in Beijing Wednesday for a four-day tour.
BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- On the occasion of the International Labor Day on Friday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited workers at a metro construction site in Beijing, extending festival greetings and encouraging them to "strengthen confidence to overcome difficulties brought about by the financial crisis and the influenza epidemic." Wen told the workers that this year is a very difficult one for China as the country is hit hard by a global financial crisis. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) talks with workers as he visits a construction site of Beijing subway in Beijing, capital of China, May 1, 2009. Wen expressed his best regards to the workers here.He added the recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza epidemic (swine flu) in some countries has affected China's economic and social development. The premier said any difficulty can be overcome as long as people have firm confidence and there is strong leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the government. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd R) trims vegetables with a canteen worker as he visits a construction site of Beijing subway in Beijing, capital of China, May 1, 2009. Wen expressed his best regards to the workers hereArriving at the construction site of the metro route No.9 along the capital's southern fourth-ring road, Wen wished workers festival happiness and encouraged them to "care and help each other like brothers." Part of the north-south metro line is due to open within this year. "How long have you been in Beijing?" Wen asked one of the migrant workers. "Ten years," the worker replied. "Then you've already a Beijinger," Wen said. While visiting the construction site, Wen asked detailed questions about the metro construction progress. "Have your family come to Beijing for the festival?" the premier asked a worker Hui Youquan who was busy setting up a reinforcing steel and spar frame on top of the metro station. Hui said his family is still at hometown. Wen told the workers Beijing citizens would be grateful to them for the comfortable subway. He also worked with workers on the spar frame. He said migrant workers have made great contribution to the country's industrialization and urbanization. "You have already become a main force of China's working class," Wen said, extending his "gratitude and respect." The premier said the Party and government have adopted a series of measures to improve migrant workers' working and living conditions, including strengthening their training, establishing a comprehensive social security system and paying great attention to their work safety. A comprehensive mechanism covering work injury, medical care and pension are being established, he said, adding that safety monitoring devices have been installed on construction sites. While helping some female workers to trim vegetables, Wen inquired about their working and living conditions. Entering a canteen, he asked chefs to pay attention to food hygiene and ensure workers to have tasty meals. Wen felt satisfied when he learned that workers could watch television, read newspapers and magazines and even practise handwriting in their spare time
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BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao urged Friday to build a powerful air force to meet the demands of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for missions in the 21th century. Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remark when meeting delegates of the 11th CPC Congress of the PLA Air Force in Beijing. Hu asked the Air Force's officers to constantly improve the ability to win local wars as well as accomplish diversified military tasks. Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers a speech as he meets with the delegates to the 11th Congress of the Communist Party of China of the Chinese Liberation Army Air Force, in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2009. He urged the acceleration of modernizing the air force which is an important component of the country's armed forces. The president said the Air Force has done outstanding jobs in accomplishing various tasks given by the Party and the people, and made great contribution to national security and development. Hu also stressed that the Air Force should enhance the message of loyalty to the Party among all officers and soldiers as an essential part of their military training. The PLA Air Force was founded in 1949.
BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Natural disasters killed 88,928 people in China last year, according to a report released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The number is the highest since 1976, when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Tangshan City in north China's Hebei Province and killed more than 242,000 people, according to the report on the statistics of the country's civil affairs in 2008. In addition, a total of 480 million people were affected by natural disasters, with direct financial losses of 1.175 trillion yuan (about 173 billion U.S. dollars). In 2008, major natural disasters were frequent in China, with the unexpected strike of snows in the south and the devastating May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province, the ministry said in the report. The 8.0-magnitude earthquake left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 374,640 injured in Sichuan and neighboring provinces. Before that, the blizzards that struck much of central and southern China in early 2008 left 129 people dead and losses reached 151.65 billion yuan, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) left here Saturday for official visits to Kenya, Eritrea, Ghana, Cape Verde and Norway. The delegation, led by Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of CPC Central Committee, was invited by the three parties of Kenya's ruling coalition--Party of National Unity, Orange Democratic Movement and Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice of Eritrea, African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde and Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
JINAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were confirmed dead and two others fatally injured in a fireworks explosion Saturday afternoon in east China's Shandong Province. The explosion took place at an unlicensed fireworks processing factory in Yangzhuangzi Village of Qingyun Township, Qingyun County, at 1:30 p.m. Three rooms owned by villager Yang Ziye were toppled, according to the Qingyun county government. A bulldozer works at the site of the explosion in Yangzhuangzi Village of Qingyun Township, Qingyun County in east China's Shandong Province, May 2, 2009. Thirteen people were killed and two others injured in a fireworks explosion here Saturday afternoon. One woman villager said she heard a loud noise when explosion was happening. "Taking it for an earthquake, by instinct, I ran out of my home," said the woman. Photo taken on May 2, 2009 shows the damaged house at the site of the explosion in Yangzhuangzi Village of Qingyun Township, Qingyun County in east China's Shandong Province. Thirteen people were killed and two others injured in a fireworks explosion here Saturday afternoonWindows in other houses in the vicinity were battered, and cracks were also found with some of the houses. The villagers said they didn't know Yang had rented his house to another person who had organized secret fireworks making around Yang's house. Two bulldozers were continuing to comb through the debris. Identities of the dead were still unknown at the moment. The police were hunting down for the tenant who was suspected of causing a major crime for the accident, said Gao Lixia, an official in charge of publicity with Qingyun County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The two injured were rushed to a hospital in Binzhou, a nearby city in Shandong, for medical treatment. Qingyun is a county in northern Shandong and is about three hours' bus ride from Jinan, the provincial capital.