Sunday, September 21, 2008

Premier: China confident, capable of keeping economic growth

Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday China was confident and fully capable of keeping a good momentum of economic growth this year despite domestic difficulties and a global economic slowdown.

Addressing a seminar for the country's ministerial-level official in Beijing, Wen said this year had been the most difficult year as China faced both global challenges and domestic problems in economic operation.

Global financial instability and economic slowdown had exerted a strong influence on the country. In addition, China had to tackle domestic problems, including price increases and regional economic slowdown.


Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday addresses a seminar for the country's ministerial-level official in Beijing.

However, the country had adopted a series of counter measures and these had proved effective, he said.

With huge domestic demand, relatively abundant capital and an improved labor force quality, the country was fully confident and capable of reinforcing the good momentum of economic growth. Wen noted the material wealth collected in the past three decades and accumulated experience would help the country to address problems arising from economic development.

Efforts should be made to rein in inflation and ensure macro-economy stability, especially the financial market and the stock market, he stressed.

In his speech, Wen urged local governments and officials to put work and food safety at the top of their agendas.

The development of enterprises and economy should not be at the cost of people's lives and health, he emphasized.

Wen also vowed to beef up efforts to monitor food quality and rectify the food market. All illegal activities should be severely punished to ensure people have safe food.

He also championed the balanced development between the rural and urban areas, saying agricultural issues should be the first priority of government work

The seminar was presided over Vice Premier Li Keqiang. Vice President Xi Jinping also attended.

Source: Xinhua

13 Chinese hurt in turbulence in China Airlines flight in Indonesia

Thirteen Chinese were hurt when a plane operated by China Airlines was struck by turbulence on its route from Taipei to Bali of Indonesia on Saturday, a doctor said.

Guning Atmajaya, the doctor who treated eight of the hurt passengers at the Sanglah Hospital, said that six of them were seriously injured and needed an intensive medical care.

"All of the 13 injured passengers are Chinese. Six of them need special medical treatment as they suffered from serious broken bones," he told Xinhua on telephone from the hospital.

The plane with the flight number CI-687 and 400 passengers on board was hit by the turbulence around 14:00 Bali time, which caused the plane swaying, head of the Indonesian health ministry crisis center Rustam Pakaya said.

"The turbulence strongly hit the plane and hurt 13 people, six of them suffering from broken bones," he told Xinhua.

The plane landed at 14:10 Bali time, said Pakaya.

Security officer at the Ngurah Rai international airport in BaliMade Sugiarta told Xinhua that the plane was on its route from Taipei of China to Bali of Indonesia.

Source: Xinhua

FM: China indignant, opposed to U.S. Senate legislation on Tibet

China on Saturday expressed strong indignation and opposition over a legislation on Tibet recently approved by the U.S. Senate.

"The Tibet issue is China's internal affair, so is the Chinese government's contact and dialogue with the Dalai Lama," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

She made the remarks when responding to a question on a legislation approved by the U.S. Senate on Friday, which reportedly urged the Chinese government to begin earnest negotiation with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet.

"We urge the U.S. Senate to abide by the basic rules of international relations, stop supporting and conniving with the Dalai Lama and separatist forces for 'Tibet independence', and immediately stop wrongful remarks and deeds that interfere into China's internal affairs and harm the China-U.S. relations," said Jiang.

Source: Xinhua

Top legislator: China to strengthen inter-parliamentary exchanges with U.S.

China would make joint efforts with the United States to improve parliamentary exchange mechanism and strengthen inter-parliamentary contacts so that legislatures from both sides continue to play a positive role in promoting bilateral relationship, a top Chinese legislator said on Friday.

Chen Zhili, vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress , made the remarks in separate meetings with Senator Daniel Inouy and Representative Joseph Crowley during her stay here on Friday.

Inouy is in charge of a dialogue mechanism between the Senate and the NPC while Crowley leads a parallel mechanism between the House of Representative and the NPC.

Chen spoke positively of the progress made in China-U.S. relationship in recent years. She said both sides should firmly stick to the direction of constructive cooperation and increase dialogues, exchanges and cooperation to enable a sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

The U.S. lawmakers congratulated China on the successful hosting of both the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. They said the Senate and the House of Representatives attach great importance to U.S.-China ties and would join hands with the Chinese side to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including inter-parliamentary exchanges.

Chen was here at the invitation of U.S. First Lady Laura Bush to attend the White House Conference on Global Literacy scheduled to open in New York on Monday.

Source: Xinhua

Algeria hopes to deepen strategic cooperation with China

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on Saturday expressed hopes to further deepen the strategic cooperation between Algeria and China.

Meeting with visiting Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Chen Jian, Ahmed Ouyahia said he was satisfied with existing bilateral cooperation, and wished this cooperation would deepen and further develop to a new high.

He urged the Chinese companies in Algeria to have closer cooperation and exchanges with Algerian enterprises.

Chen also met with Algerian Commerce Minister El-Hachemi Djaaboub the same day on boosting China-Algeria economic and trade cooperation.

Source: Xinhua

Eight officials held for fatal mine accident in N China

Eight officials in Xiangfen County in north China's Shanxi Province have been detained for negligence following a fatal mine accident that killed 262.

The provincial procuratorate confirmed on Saturday the officials included Lian Huizhong, head of the county's Taosi Township, Liang Deling, the township legislature director, Liu Weiguang, the township business office director, and three Xiangfen County Safety Production Supervision Bureau officials. Also held were two county land resources department officials.

Ke Hanmin, chief procurator of Shanxi Provincial Procuratorate, said the officials should be accountable for the accident because they didn't take due care despite knowing about the potential production risks in the Xinta Mining Company. On the morning of Sept. 8, an iron ore waste retaining pond burst and engulfed at least 262 people.

He vowed the procuratorate would render heavy penalties to those found responsible for the accident to protect people's legitimate rights.

Source: Xinhua

Shanghai mega-thunderstorm kills man, injures 14

A migrant worker was crushed to death and 14 were injured after a thunderstorm hit part of Shanghai on Saturday afternoon, municipal flood authorities said.

The storm hit the eastern Chinese city's Pudong and Nanhui districts from around 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with precipitation of up to132 mm, the Shanghai Municipal Flood Control Headquarters said.

A strong wind accompanied the storm.

A 47-year-old male migrant worker died after a two-storey workshop building at a steel factory in Heqing Town collapsed. Another person was injured.

Elsewhere, nine persons were injured at two construction sites. Four others were injured when a 100-square-meter market building fell.

The headquarters said all the injured had been sent to hospital for treatment and there was no danger to life.

The "once-in-a century thunderstorm" also flooded some road sections and more than 60 households, it said.

Source: Xinhua