BEIJING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's new yuan-dominated loans in September was expected to reach 300-400 billion yuan (44-59 billion U.S. dollars), China Securities Journal reported on its website Tuesday. The figure was less than that of August, which hit 410.4 billion yuan. Liu Mingkang, Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), provided the figure during an International Monetary Fund (IMF) conference held in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday. New loans in the first eight months stood at 8.15 trillion yuan, far exceeding the full-year target of five trillion yuan, according to he People's Bank of China, the central bank, this September. The CBRC reiterated in September that domestic lenders should seek to enhance their risk management and stick to regulatory requirements to reduce worries over financial risks caused by rapid credit growth this year. China began to adopt a moderately easy monetary policy in last November in a bid to maintain economic development amid the financial crisis.
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, said Saturday it is drafting a development plan for the emerging industry of energy conservation and environmental protection. The commission said in a statement posted on its Web site that the move is aimed to counter the impact of the global financial crisis by "accelerating the cultivation of emerging industries and aiming at a commanding height in future economic competition." The development plan on the sector covers energy conservation, sustainable use of resources and environmental protection, according to the statement. Technologies, equipment, products and services concerning energy conservation and environmental protection would be involved in the plan, it said. The commission revealed no further details on the plan.
WASHINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Holding an umber basketball in his hand, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan became the center of attention at the end of the first round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue on Tuesday. The basketball, with Barack Obama's autograph, is a gift from the U.S. president to Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan who is the co-host of the "Economic Track" of the dialogue. The basketball is considered a symbol of the U.S. government's hospitality and gratitude to Chinese officials for their efforts in making this dialogue a success. U.S. President Barack Obama (R) presents a basketball to Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan (C), special representative of Chinese President Hu Jintao, as Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (L) stands by in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on July 28, 2009. Obama met with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, special representatives of Hu, here on Tuesday. Wang Qishan and Dai Bingguo were in Washington to participate the two-day US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue concluded here on July 28. During his closing address, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, co-host of the "Strategic Track," introduced the basketball to reporters, as he hailed the "in-depth, broad, candid, and productive" discussions between the two sides and expressed the Chinese delegation's appreciation of what the American government has done to arrange the dialogue. He also said that the Chinese side will work together with the U.S. side to make good preparations to ensure that President Obama's first visit to China later this year will be a success. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan (L), special representative of Chinese President Hu Jintao, holds a basketball presented by the U.S. President Barack Obama as a gift in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on July 28, 2009. It was not the first time that basketball took the central stage during the two-day meeting. During his speech at the opening session on Monday, Obama, who is a well-known basketball fan, reached out to his Chinese guests by quoting Chinese NBA star Yao Ming. "As a new president and also as a basketball fan, I have learned from the words of Yao Ming, who said, No matter whether you are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another," said the president. "Well, through the constructive meetings that we've already had, and through this dialogue, I'm confident that we will meet Yao's standard," he said.
GENEVA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday formally requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) to set up an expert panel to investigate and rule whether a U.S. ban on Chinese poultry imports violates WTO regulations. The request was made at a meeting of the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body, but it was rejected by the United States according to relevant procedures. During the meeting, the Chinese delegation reiterated that the U.S. measure is "discriminatory" and "has damaged the lawful rights and interests of China's poultry industry." "While violating various WTO rules, the measure has severely undermined the stable development of Sino-U.S. trade in poultry products," the Chinese delegation said. At the heart of the dispute is the U.S. Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, which contains a section prohibiting any funds being used to facilitate imports of poultry products from China. The act was signed into U.S. law in March, and China filed complaints to the WTO in on April 17. While Monday's request for the WTO panel was rejected by the United States, China could make a second request at the end of this month. After the second request, the WTO panel will be established automatically. It usually takes more than half a year for a WTO panel to give its final ruling on a trade dispute. China and the United States banned imports of each other's poultry products in 2004 following outbreaks of bird flu. They agreed to lift the bans at the Sino-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in 2004. China did lift the ban but has complained that the United States was not following suit. China imported 580,000 tons of chicken products from the United States last year, accounting for about 75 percent of total chicken imports.
BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Clean streets replete with national flags, major road intersections adorned with ornate potted plants, Beijing is in gala attire early Thursday for the massive celebration commemorating the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The event will showcase how the country explores the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristic in the past decades, and what great achievements it has attained. A shower made the city clean Wednesday night and early Thursday morning after rain-inducing chemicals were fired into the sky above Beijing that was filled by smoke and vapor in the past two days. Weather cleared up as of 9:00 a.m. and sunshine seems plenty for the well-prepared air force echelons to take off. Hundreds of thousands of people are gathering on Tian'anmen Square and along Chang'an Avenue in central Beijing to experience the grandiose celebration that will boost their national pride. Many people had an early rise Thursday morning to get prepared to watch the much-anticipated military and civilian parade either alongside the parade route or on TV. Photo taken on Oct. 1, 2009 shows the general view of Tian'anmen in the early morning. China will celebrate on Oct. 1 the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of ChinaDu Jiayuan, a sales manager at a Guangzhou-headquartered leather product company, said he was excited about the celebration as 60 years means a full cycle of the Chinese zodiac. "The 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is a very important moment. It is a symbol of maturity for both a person and a country," Du said. With the grandiose military parade and massive pageant drawing near, Tian'anmen Square is in full swing to embrace the extravaganza which will add an upbeat note to the anniversary. At the center of Tian'anmen Square, right next to the Monument to the People's Heroes, two gigantic digital screens are displaying the capital's scenic views and landmark buildings. They are planked with 56 columns, 13meters tall and painted in red and yellow, representing the country's 56 nationalities. William Poirier, vice president of the Nuclear Power Plants China of Westinghouse Electric Company, said he was very impressed by the 56 columns of ethnic unity and the massive digital screens on Tian'anmen Square. The columns represent a wonderful part of the Chinese culture while the screens China's good technology, he said, adding the upcoming parade would be a grand display of many aspects of China. Tens of thousands of colorfully-clad youngsters have gathered on the square to prepare for their performance slated for Thursday morning. J. C. M. Busbhman, a flower bulb expert from the Netherlands, told reporters at the scene that he was "so impressed by the amount of children" on Tian'anmen Square. He said he had never watched a military parade of such a scale and had great expectations for the upcoming one. Soldiers, armored vehicles and state-of-the-art weaponry carried on motor vehicles left suburban military camps early in the morning and are lining up at the east Chang'an boulevard, the designated rendezvous. Soldiers are singing barrack ballads while civilians gather around colorful floats opposite the soldiers are cheering to the rhythm. The youngest formation of all is composed of freshmen from the elite Tsinghua University. Most of the participants of the formation were born after the year 1990 and did not attend the previous rehearsals. Guo Xiaoyang, a teacher from the university, said they will bring about the best of modern Chinese young people during the upcoming parade. Flags on Tian'anmen Rostrum flutter in the autumn breeze. Later in the morning, Chinese top leaders, like their predecessors, will be standing on the rostrum and watch the grand show of armed forces and masses. Municipal authorities have exercised traffic control measures along the Chang'an Avenue. Entrances to affected subway stations are locked and taxis are not allowed to operate in the areas cordoned off. Opposite Wangfujing Street, a prime shopping center in downtown Beijing, a miniature of the Bird's Nest, where the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies were held, was constructed. Right across the street, there stood the Haibao, mascot of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Potted plants and flowers line up the streets while colorful posters are pasted on walls, and celebration slogans can be seen on billboards. There are also ornamental plants and plant structures in the shape of dragon, Great Wall, and all symbols of the country's pride. The grand military parade scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. Thursday will be the 14th parade since 1949, the year when the People's Republic of China was founded. The most recent massive parade was in 1999 when New China marked its 50th birthday. Military parades normally feature a display of formations of the armed forces, as well as new weapons, artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft.
BEIJING, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC)Central Committee Saturday congratulated the Kuomintang (KMT) plenary congress, expecting deepening trust, more exchanges and common understanding across the Taiwan Strait. The KMT held its 18th plenary congress Saturday morning, at which Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou officially assumed the position of KMT chairman. In a statement to the KMT Central Committee and Ma Ying-jeou, the CPC Central Committee expected the two parties to stick to the"common wish for peaceful cross-Strait development". With the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" as the political foundation, the two parties should deepen mutual trust, increase exchanges and expand common understanding, the statement said. In response to the CPC statement, the KMT Central Committee said in a reply that the two parties have reached a common understanding to promote cross-Strait peaceful development. The KMT expected to work with the CPC for improving trust and mutual benefits, in a bid to improve the welfare of people on both sides, the statement said. Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, congratulated Lien Chan for maintaining the position of KMT honorary chairman and Wu Poh-hsiung for taking the position of KMT honorary chairman respectively. The "common wish for peaceful cross-Strait development," reached by the two parties during Lien's 2005 visit to the mainland, has set a clear direction and laid the foundation for cross-Strait relations, Hu said in a statement to Lien. "We sincerely expect Mr. Lien to continue working for the peaceful development across the Strait," he said. In response to Hu's congratulation, Lien said in a statement that since the two sides resumed systematic talks based on the 1992 Consensus, the peace and stability across the Strait has been greatly enhanced and people's welfare improved. "We should work even harder to strengthen the five-point common wishes," Lien said. As the KMT chairman in the past two years, Wu had made great contribution to improving cross-Strait relations, Hu said in a statement to Wu. Last year and this May, Wu visited the mainland twice for the KMT-CPC talks, which laid solid foundations for favorable exchanges between the two sides, he said. "We expected Mr. Wu to make new contributions to cross-Strait peaceful development." In a reply to Hu, Wu said in the past four years, the two parties pushed forward their cooperation step by step and won support from the people and the international society. "The two parties should work together for peace and development with sincerity and goodwill," he said. As honorary chairmen, Lien and Wu will assist Ma on cross-Strait affairs and regional exchanges.
绝杀蜘蛛池
BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's home prices continued to rise in July as bank loans surged and the country's economy improved. Home prices in 70 large and medium-sized Chinese cities rose 1 percent in July from a year earlier, according to a joint statement issued Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Bureau of Statistics. The prices climbed 0.9 percent from June, which saw a 0.8 percent gain over May. Prices of new homes in the listed cities rose 0.3 percent year on year in July, and 1.1 percent from June. New home prices increased in 43 cities, including eastern Ningbo City and northwestern Yinchuan City, which saw growth rates of 6.4 percent and 5.4 percent respectively. Graphics shows China's housing sales price in July increased 1.0 percent year-on-year in 70 large and medium-sized cities, according to the State Bureau of Statistics on Aug. 10, 2009. Prices fell in 26 cities. The northern city of Shijiazhuang and southern city of Shenzhen witnessed price drops of 5.5 percent and 4.6 percent in July year on year. Second-hand homes in the 70 cities rose 3 percent in July from the same period last year and 0.9 percent from June. In the first seven months, property investment hit 1.77 trillion yuan (259.44 billion U.S. dollars), up 11.6 percent year on year. The rise was1.7 percentage points higher than the first six months. Over the same period, the floor area of property sold stood at 417.55 million square meters, up 37.1 percent year on year. The value of property sales jumped 60.4 percent to 1.96 trillion yuan. Chinese banks lent a record 7.37 trillion yuan of yuan-dominated loans in the first half, exceeding the annual target of 5 trillion yuan. The country's central bank announced earlier this month that new loans to home buyers in the first half rose by 263.3 billion yuan year on year to 479.3 billion yuan, boosted by an improving property market performance. New credit for property developers increased by 221 billion yuan year on year to 403.9 billion yuan, said the central bank. Premier Wen Jiabao reaffirmed over the weekend that the government's relaxed monetary policy would continue.
NANJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has called on authorities at various levels to step up patriotic education in the run-up to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Liu, also a member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks during a recent inspection tour in the eastern province of Jiangsu. Liu said patriotic education should serve the development and stability of China's reform, and should be included in the process of tackling the global financial crisis, and maintaining the country's steady and relatively fast economic development. He urged the authorities to incorporate patriotic education into the daily life of the Chinese people, to "turn their love for the country into concrete actions." Patriotic education should focus on China's youths and teenagers, Liu said, adding that the development of "red tourism", which mainly consists of visiting sites related to the history of the CPC and its armed forces, should also be highlighted.
BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Tropical storm Goni has brought huge rainfall to south China after it landed early Wednesday morning in Taishan of south China's Guangdong Province. Downpours drenched most parts of Guangdong and neighboring Fujian province, with a hydrological station in Guangdong reporting precipitation of about 400 mm. The weakening Goni is moving westward slowing and is expected to bring downpours to west Guangdong from Thursday to Friday. Maritime affairs department in the southern island province of Hainan said Tuesday that it had issued an emergency warning to 20,000 fishing vessels in the South China Sea, calling them to harbor. Another tropical storm, Morakot, has strengthened into typhoon and is expected to make a landfall from late Friday to Saturday in central and northern Fujian, weather forecasters said. Local authorities have put in place emergency plans to evacuate residents amid other efforts to reduce losses from Morakot, the 8th typhoon this year. Severe rainstorms also wreak havoc in other parts of the country Wednesday. In Suichuan, eastern Jiangxi province, flash flood washed down five houses and killed at least three people. Rain-related disasters also killed two in the southwestern Guizhou province and another two in neighboring Chongqing municipality.