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News from Asia:
China
China has started developing a new turbo-propelled regional aircraft Modern Ark 700 (MA 700) for the high-end international market, announced an executive of China's leading aircraft manufacturer on Wednesday.
This new generation, updated from the MA 600, will be more energy-efficient and fit for high altitude aviation, said Geng Ruoguang, vice general manager of China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I).
The 70-seat MA 700 regional aircraft, developed by Xi'an Aircraft Indu ... Three former officials from China's Hunan Province were sentenced to death or life in prison Thursday for taking bribes.
Li Dalun, 58, former secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC) Chenzhou Municipal Committee, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking money in exchange for giving out promotions, contracts, mining permits and other gains between February 1999 to May 2006, the Changsha Municipal Intermediate People's Court said.
The bribes and other illegal g ... The Chinese mainland has come up with a detailed plan for regular cross-Straits charter flights, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced Thursday.
According to the agreement signed by the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) president, Chen Yunlin, and Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman, Chiang Pin-kung in Taipei on Nov. 4, the two sides will launch 54 new passenger charter flights each week.
Previously, f ... A spokesman with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Peru was expected to become effective in the latter half of 2009.
The two countries reached the agreement on Wednesday. It says a full exemption of customs duties on more than 90 percent of cargo trade would gradually be implemented by both countries.
China would continue opening up 16 industries, including mining, consulting, translation, sports and tourism, to ... Hong Kong's year-on-year consumer price growth drop to 1.8 percent in October mainly due to the government's relief measures, the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong said Thursday.
The department said underlying inflation dropped to 5.9 percent, mainly reflecting the tapering of food and energy price inflation.
With international commodity prices retreating and the U.S. dollar strengthening, inflationary pressures from the external front are receding, the department sai ... Medical experts on Thursday urged the public to pay more attention to the prevention of recurrent stroke on China's second "Stroke Education Day."
"There is an extremely high risk of recurrence for stroke sufferers," said Dong Qiang, an expert from the neurology branch of the Chinese Medical Association (CMA), "and the recurrent stroke causes higher death and disability rates."
The recurrence rate for stroke sufferers is about 10 percent within one week and 20 percent within thre ... The Ministry of Health said on Thursday that 1,041 infants around China were still receiving hospital treatment for kidney damage caused by tainted powdered milk.
One was in serious condition, the ministry said.
The number of hospitalized infants dropped by more than half from three weeks ago, when the figure stood at 2,300.
Another 50,741 infants have recovered and been discharged since mid-September, when a scandal erupted over milk containing a chemical, melamine.
... The University of Hong Kong Thursday held a symposium for local and overseas experts to discuss how to restore hope for Sichuan earthquake survivors.
After the disastrous earthquake happened in Sichuan of Chinese Mainland on May 12, many volunteers from Hong Kong went there to provide relief of different kinds for the survivors. Professor in Health and Social Work Cecilia Chan Lai-wan from the University of Hong Kong was one of them.
Speaking at the one-day symposium on Thursday, ... Nine people have been confirmed dead in a collapsed subway tunnel here in China's eastern Zhejiang Province after another body was recovered on Thursday afternoon.
More than 400 rescuers were searching for another 12 missing, though experts said there was no chance of finding anyone alive.
The progress of clearing the silt in the collapsed tunnel 16 meters below the surface has continued slowly, as the mud froze.
By Thursday, more than 6,000 cubic meters of silt have bee ... "China hopes the U.S. side accepts certificates offered by the Chinese quality inspection department on goods to be exported to the United States," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Thursday.
As of Nov. 12, the United States requires an independent third party to inspect goods being exported from China, in order to assure quality standards.
Qin said he hoped the U.S. side will allow Chinese laboratories to fulfill that requirement, as this will facilitate products passi ... The sovereign members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will properly handle Chinese Taipei's participation in APEC meetings on the principle of the one-China policy, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Thursday.
"All sovereign members of the APEC abide by the one-China principle and hope to handle problems based on this principle, as well as relevant memoranda of understanding and regulations," Qin said in response to a question on Chinese Taipei's participation in ... Wall Street's plunge to five-year lows overnight was followed by a slump in Asia on Thursday, with Hong Kong's benchmark index ending sharply lower led by HSBC.
The Hang Seng Index fell 517.24 points, or 4 percent, to 12,298. 56 after trading between 11,976.88 and 12,298.56 during the session.
Turnover reached 44.62 billion Hong Kong dollars (5.76 billion U.S. dollars), up from 38.91 billion Hong Kong dollars (5.03 billion U.S. dollars) Wednesday.
Traders said there was s ... A senior Chinese leader on Thursday advocated efforts to fully identify and control risks to the country's social stability.
Efforts should be made to create a harmonious and peaceful environment for economic and social development, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told a national conference.
All-out efforts should be made to address security problems involving public benefits and coordin ... Seven people of a construction company, including managers and safety supervisors, have been arrested here in connection with a crane accident that killed 11 workers last month.
The seven allegedly allowed workers to be lifted in a goods container and took no steps to deal with a cable attaching the container to a crane, even though workers had said the cable was dangerous, an official of the procuratorate in Wulong County, Chongqing, said on Thursday.
Eleven construction workers ... Police have arrested 30 people involved in the violent protest in northwest China's Gansu Province, a local official said Thursday.
The violent protest was put under control and the social order returned normal in the Wudu District of Longnan City, where a group of petitioners attacked local government buildings on Monday and Tuesday, said Lu Xuechun, the city's deputy Party chief at a press conference.
&$&$Source: Xinhua&$&$
... Vagrants and beggars in Beijing will be given accommodation and meals as the winter temperature drops to minus degree, according to the municipal relief administration center.
The center announced that as of Thursday evening, staff in the city's 18 relief stations will seek out vagrants and beggars. Each station is to reinforce street patrols, check the identities of vagrants and beggars, and provide them with beds and meals. The centers will provide tickets home once identities are conf ... Beijing is to double its investment in the renovation of its ancient downtown buildings next year with a budget between 1.5 billion yuan (220.6 million U.S. dollars) and 2 billion yuan.
About 20,000 families in the districts of Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen and Xuanwu will benefit from the project, which will be focused on aging homes in dangerous condition, vice mayor Chen Gang said on Wednesday.
Siheyuan, or courtyard homes, are common in Beijing's hutong, or alleyways.
... An Air China plane en route from Beijing to the eastern city of Hangzhou turned back shortly after take-off on Thursday, after police in the capital received a telephoned threat, said a spokesman with Air China.
Subsequent investigations determined that the threat was a false alarm.
Flight CA1595, which took off shortly after 9 a.m., returned to the Beijing Capital International Airport just 10 minutes after leaving for Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.
At 9:32 a.m. ... China and Japan are coordinating the timing of the second China-Japan high-level economic dialogue, which it hopes will be as early as possible, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference on Thursday.
Qin's comments follow a report from Japan's Kyodo news service that the dialogue, originally to be held late this month in Tokyo, was likely to be delayed to next year.
The dialogue is expected to touch on many topics including macro-economic policies, energ ... A high-ranking delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday concluded its three-day good-will visit to Myanmar and left for Vietnam, the last leg of its tour to four southeast Asian nations.
During the visit, the delegation led by Zhang Gaoli, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and party chief of China's Tianjin municipality, met with Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein and member of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Lieutenan ... Liu Qi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communalist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing municipal committee of CPC, left for a visits to South Africa and Britain on Thursday afternoon.
Liu will visit the above two countries at the invitation of the African National Congress of South Africa and the British government.
Liu, also head of the Beijing Olympic Games organizing committee, will attend a meeting of the International Olympic Committee ... Singapore and China's Shandong province set infrastructure, environment services and education as areas for future cooperation at the 13th Singapore-Shandong Business Council meeting held on Thursday.
During the one-day meeting, three Singapore-based companies signed deals for business ventures in Shandong, according to a statement by IE Singapore, the country's business promotion agency.
Co-chaired by Lee Yi Shyan, Singapore's Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Cai Lim ... China has earmarked another 1 billion yuan (147 million U.S. dollars) to be spent in the fourth quarter, which ends in about six weeks, to improve rural reproductive health care programs.
The money represents previously planned spending that is being brought forward to the fourth quarter, as part of government efforts to boost the economy amid global economic and financial turmoil.
The funds will be used to upgrade medical equipment in reproductive health care centers and improve ... China has been studying a fuel tax reform to replace the current road tolls imposed upon motor drivers, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, announced here on Thursday.
The announcement came after newspaper reports said on Wednesday that the government may impose the fuel tax as early as next month.
&$&$Source: Xinhua&$&$
... Huangshan city in East China announced on Thursday a multi-billion yuan package of transport infrastructure projects, on top of an already announced expansion of the rail network in the area.
The new projects, and those already announced, total 67 billion yuan (9.8 billion U.S. dollars) of investment over the coming five years in the world-famous scenic city, the local government said on Thursday.
The new projects announced include 165 km of expressways within the city and the up ... Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming called Wednesday for APEC member economies to reject unilateralism and trade protectionism in order to tackle the international financial crisis.
Chen made the call while addressing the 20th ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in the Peruvian capital.
APEC members should adopt an approach of fair and just multilateralism in trade and regionalism characterized by openness and ... Chinese shares dropped 1.67 percent to close at 1,983 points on Thursday despite sharp falls on other global equities markets.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, fell 1.67 percent to 1,983 points. The Shenzhen Component Index lost 0.25 percent to 6,696 points.
The relatively slighter falls resulted from rising investor confidence over a series of polices taking by the central government to stimulate economic growth, analysts said.
&$&$ ... About 100,000 migratory birds that are wintering at China's second-largest freshwater lake, Dongting, face famine as the water keeps rising instead of dropping as it usually does during the winter.
The water level was about 28 meters on Thursday, up 6 meters so far this month, and many wetlands that provide food for birds have been flooded, said Gao Dali, an official of the Eastern Dongting Lake Nature Reserve Administration.
A worker at the Chenglingji hydrological station at th ... Strong gales and stormy waves trapped 64 fishermen aboard 20 ships off the coast near northeast China's port city of Dalian on Thursday morning.
The fishing boats were stranded in the sea area some 300 meters away from the Dawangjia island in the Yellow Sea, of Dalian in northeastern Liaoning province, according to the air salvation squadron under the Ministry of Transport quartered at Dalian.
"We received report from the fishermen at around 11:30 a.m., saying the situation is ve ... &$&$Highlights&$&$
â–²China and Peru concluded their talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) Wednesday.
â–²Hu said the move symbolized bilateral ties are entering a new era of rapid development.
â–²Hu urged the two sides to sign and implement the pact at an early date.
China and Peru concluded their talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) and upgraded bilateral ties to a strategic partnership here on Wednesday.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Peruvian President Alan Garcia anno ... How much does the widespread and intensified international financial crisis actually influence on China's economy? Answers to that question were given in a survey report entitled 'Entrepreneurs' Judgments, Assessments and Suggestions on the Macroeconomic Situation and Hot Spots of Reform,' released by the China Entrepreneurs Survey System on November 15.
When asked about the 'unfavorable influence of the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis on China's economy,' the survey shows that 57.4% of the en ... ChinaHR.com recently issued the Human Resources Market Index for November. The Index ranking shows that sales managers out of all positions are the most sought after by enterprises, particularly high-end sales managers.
The ranking also shows that demand for business development managers has increased the most. This indicates that enterprises eagerly need talented people who possess rich client resources and can effectively discover new clients, at a time when businesses face shrinking custom ... "The settlement of Disneyland theme park in Shanghai is beyond doubt," revealed recently by an expert who has participated in the investigation and feasibility study on the Disneyland Shanghai project for several years.
A comprehensive entertainment brand comprised of several industries such as service and manufacturing will become one of the new forces to boost Shanghai's economy.
It is learnt that the negotiations between associated Shanghai departments and the Walt Disney Company on t ... Wang Haiping, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, said on November 19 that the municipal government will not take measures such as controlling the total number of vehicles, restricting residents' purchases of automobiles and restricting issuing license plates to ease Beijing's traffic problems.
Wang said Beijing will put major efforts to develop rail transit public transport to reduce traffic jams.
Beijing plans to invest a total of 90 billion yua ... The 10th China International Travel Mart, which is Asia's largest international tourism fair, is being held from November 20 to 24 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.
The Chinese domestic tourism market is one of the most active in the world with a huge potential for growth, Zhu Shanzhong, director general of the Marketing and Communications Department said at the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). In 2007, the three major markets of domestic travel, inbound travel and o ... The 10th Cross-Straits Flower Exhibition and the 2008 Taiwan Farm Produce Exhibition opened in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, on November 18. Over 1,000 kinds of flowers were displayed at the Flower Exhibition, with over 560 domestic and international companies attending the fair.
This expo is composed of four exhibition halls, displaying agricultural products and processed goods of flowers, fruits and aquatic products, as well as farm produce materials and agricultural machines. The Taiwan Farm ... Ukraine attaches great importance to developing relations with China, regarding it as one of its foreign relations priorities, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday.
"China has maintained rapid economic growth in recent years and made great achievements in various fields. China's international status and influence has risen. Ukraine is willing to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation with China," Tymoshenko said during a meeting with Zhou Li, the Chinese ambassa ... Satisfied with the successful conclusion of their free trade agreement (FTA) talks, China and Peru have vowed to work together to sign the deal at an early date, said a joint press communique issued on Wednesday.
In the communique, the two sides reiterated actions to increase investments to each other, encouraging mutual visits of their entrepreneurs and coordinating the investment promotion activities of each other's investment promotion organizations.
The two sides also reitera ... A Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737 with 149 passengers aboard was forced to make an emergency landing in south China's Hainan island on Wednesday while on a scheduled flight from Shanghai to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The airline said a "mechanical failure" occurred at around 11:22 p.m. on flight FM 833 and the aircraft was forced to land at Meilan International Airport, Haikou.
An airline spokesman said an alarm light in the cockpit had alerted the crew to a problem with a fuel pump.
... Chinese equities outperformed regional markets in Thursday's morning trade, buoyed by rises in telecom and textile shares.
The benchmark Shanghai index lost 1.2 percent to finish at 1,993.2 points, and the smaller Shenzhen index advanced 0.53 percent to 6,715.48, compared to losses of more than five percent in Hong Kong and Japan after an overnight plummet on Wall Street.
Textile companies mostly rose after the country's cabinet said late Wednesday it would further increase tax r ... China and Peru released a joint press communique Wednesday in the Peruvian capital of Lima, agreeing to establish a "strategic partnership" and sign free trade agreement (FTA) at an early date.
The communique was issued as Chinese President Hu Jintao is in Lima for a state visit to Peru and for the Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum slated for Nov. 22-23.
The communique said the two sides, within the framework of the strategic partners ... China's Human Resources and Social Security Minister Yin Weimin described Thursday the country's employment situation as "grim", noting that adverse effect of the global crisis on employment may further unfold.
The worsening global economic situation had weighed upon the country's employment since October, with unemployment occurred at some enterprises, especially labor-intensive small and medium-sized ones, when they were shut down or halted operation, Yin told a press conference here. ... A delegation of the Xinjiang Uygur Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) wrapped up its visit to Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
The delegation led by Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the committee, visited the customs post at Horgos on the border of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan and held talks with officials from Kazakhstan's industry, trade and transportation departments during the visit that started Friday.
It reached agreements with the Kazakh sid ... Ma Zhenchuan, director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, met here Wednesday with Moscow police chief Vladimir Pronin, seeking to enhance communication and cooperation among the police of the two capitals.
The police of Beijing and Moscow have carried out friendly and pragmatic cooperation since they signed a communication protocol in 1998.
The two sides have kept frequent exchanges in police affairs and learnt from each other in security management for major events ... Venezuela's Vice President Ramon Carrizales met with a senior official of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Caracas on Wednesday.
Carrizales welcomed the visit of Xu Caihou, vice chairmen of China's Central Military Commission, and said the relations between Venezuela and China have developed smoothly in recent years.
Both sides have carried out effective cooperation in crude oil exploitation, telecommunications, infrastructure construction and other fields.
As for t ... â–²China and Peru have vowed to work together to sign the deal at an early date.
â–²The two sides reiterated actions to increase investments to each other.
â–²The two sides agreed to maintain coordination and cooperation in various fields.
Satisfied with the successful conclusion of their free trade agreement (FTA) talks, China and Peru have vowed to work together to sign the deal at an early date, said a joint press communique issued on Wednesday.
In the communique, the two sides ... China and Peru have decided to establish a "strategic partnership" as their increasingly enhanced relationship is at its optimal time, said a China-Peru joint press communique issued here on Wednesday.
The communique was issued as Chinese President Hu Jintao is in Lima for a state visit to Peru and for the Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum slated for Nov. 22-23.
The communique said the two sides, within the framework of the strategic ... SHANGHAI: The major mainland index picked up after Tuesday's sharp fall to surge more than 6 percent yesterday, mainly boosted by heavyweight stocks in the energy and financial sectors.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index soared 6.05 percent, or 115.04 points, to finish at 2017.47, with 884 out of 961 stocks closing higher. The smaller Shenzhen Component Index was 6.14 percent higher at 6679.94 points.
The combined turnover on the two bourses amounted to 120.35 billion yuan, down 16.7 p ... China should encourage the development of electric cars to offset its dependence on imported oil and reduce greenhouse emissions, automakers said.
"We are discussing with the Chinese government about our electric car plan as environmental issues are becoming a critical issue in China," Yasuaki Hashimoto, president of Nissan Motor (China) Ltd said at the Guangzhou auto show.
The company exhibited its Mixim concept electric car at the show which opened yesterday.
"China should be one of t ... China's second largest insurer Ping An may sue Belgian-Dutch financial group Fortis for selling most of its assets without the approval of shareholders, a Dutch-based newspaper reported.
As the largest shareholder of Fortis, Ping An has a 4.99 percent stake in the company. Ping An would not rule out the possibility of taking legal action if Fortis continues to refuse discussing the disposal of assets at a shareholder meeting to be held on December 1, according to Dutch-based newspaper Het Fin ... Chinese government on Wednesday launched a major campaign to reform its dairy industry in an attempt to restore consumer confidence.
The State Council wants to upgrade the entire industry from cow breeding to final sales.
The tainted milk powder scandal was a major food security incident. It not only damaged the health of babies and children, but also hurt China's national image, said an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
"The crisis has ... The number of inbound tourists to China dropped in the first nine months, in which the world financial crisis may play a role, said an official of China's tourism authority on Wednesday.
"We took note the crisis has affected China's inbound tourism market," Zhu Shanzhong, head of the tourism promotion department of the National Tourism Administration, told a press conference in Shanghai.
"Relevant departments are studying the specific effects and will produce solutions."
... Tax rebates for China's light industry should be increased to alleviate cost burdens on exporters, the cabinet said on Wednesday.
China also plans to remove unreasonable administrative fees and charges on industry players, and offer more, said a statement released after the executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.
Through the foreign trade development fund, set up by the central government, active assistance will be made to boost exports and hel ... Chinese and foreign experts on Thursday announced the discovery of an unexpected surplus of high-energy, cosmic ray electrons, which could change the current understanding of the universe.
Dr. Chang Jin, an astrophysicist at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China's eastern Jiangsu Province, along with his foreign counterparts, made the discovery using the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC).
That's an instrument sent on helium balloons to measure the composition and ene ... Nearly 400 petitioners gathered at the Beijing municipal government's office of letters and visits Wednesday to voice complaint on their financial losses to to an illegal fund-raising scheme.
The police department told Xinhua that petitioners with other requests also gathered at the office Wednesday morning. They all left voluntarily one after another after persuasions by the office staff by noon.
The protest was peaceful with no clashes, a police officer told Xinhua.
&$& ... Victims' families have claimed the bodies of the deceased in a bus accident in Tibet. The driver, injured, is out on bail for treatment, a local government official said on Wednesday.
The bus, with 46 passengers and a driver onboard, ran off the road and plunged into a valley, about 90 meters deep on Friday. It was on its way from Pachen County to Nagqu Town, capital of Nagqu Prefecture.
It left 18 people, including a baby, dead and 29 others injured. Two of the injured were rele ... Frozen mud hampered search efforts for the bodies of 13 trapped workers in a collapsed subway tunnel in the eastern Zhejiang Province.
A 75-m section of a subway tunnel under construction in the provincial capital Hangzhou collapsed Saturday afternoon.
So far, eight people were confirmed dead and 11 injured workers were receiving treatment at a hospital. Another 13 people are still trapped. Rescuers say there is no chance of finding anyone alive.
"Workers are digging thro ... China has grown and preserved a total of 24.46 million hectares of forest since 1978. That's when the country initiated its largest green project.
Since then, the forest coverage rate in affected regions more than doubled to 10.51 percent, according to statistics released by the State Forestry Administration (SFA) in Beijing on Wednesday.
The national forest conservation project, covering 42.4 percent of the country's total area from the northwest to the northeast, is scheduled t ... A Hong Kong man, found guilty of running a number of gambling Websites, was sentenced to eight years and fined 20 million yuan (2.9 million U.S. dollars) in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The case, believed to be the country's biggest online gambling case, involved about 8.68 billion yuan in wagered money and more than 278 million yuan in illegal profits, a source of the Yunnan High People's Court said on Wednesday.
Tam Chi-wai, a Hong Kong resident, set up a gambling house i ... Taxi drivers resumed work Wednesday afternoon in the Yongchuan suburb of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality after briefly protesting a government plan to increase the number of taxis for fear of competition.
Yongchuan authorities set up a meeting for Thursday morning with the nine taxi companies in the district.
Drivers went on strike to demonstrate opposition to a proposal by the local government to raise the number of cabs from 330 to 430, saying it would cut in to their ... Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met his Peruvian counterpart Alan Garcia Wednesday in Lima for talks on how to deepen comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and the Latin American nation.
The meeting took place soon after the Chinese leader's arrival in the Peruvian capital from Havana.
In a written statement issued upon his arrival here, the Chinese president said he will exchange views with Garcia and other Peruvian leaders on ways to deepen bilateral ties.
... Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Peru will open a new chapter in the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries, the Chinese ambassador to Peru said.
Since the establishment of their diplomatic ties 37 years ago, bilateral cooperation in such fields as politics, economy and trade and culture has gone through an all-around development, Ambassador Gao Zhengyue told Xinhua in a recent interview.
The two developing countries, both boasting ancient civilizations, ... Food production in developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region would be the most affected by climate change, said a report released on Wednesday by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC).
Southeast Asia, parts of China and a number of the Pacific islands are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels because significant agricultural production and food system infrastructure are located in low-lying coastal areas, said the report, which was released during the APEC Leaders' ... The Republic of Peru, with an area of 1.29 million square kilometers and Lima as its capital, is located in western South America and is bordered by Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east and Chile to the south.
The population of Peru, estimated at 28.22 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Indian-Europeans, Europeans and others. The country's official language is Spanish.
Peru has rich mineral resources, with bismuth and vanadium deposits ra ... The current global financial crisis will be the most serious risk facing the Asia-Pacific region in the next 12 months, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) said Wednesday.
The financial turmoil, triggered by the subprime crisis in the United Stated, would affect the economic growth in the region, Yuen Pau Woo, co-author of the State of the Region report, told a news conference in Lima, the Peruvian capital, while releasing the report.
APEC leaders should ensure abando ... Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Peru and participation in the APEC economic leaders' meeting will boost bilateral ties between Peru and China, Peruvian First Vice President Luis Giampietri said Wednesday.
Peru and China have kept a traditional friendly relationship, and Hu's visit will be a good opportunity to boost bilateral relations, Giampietri told Xinhua.
China is a market with great potential as it has a large population and enjoys rapid economic growth, he ... The Asia-Pacific region has become more integrated since the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, according to statistics released by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) on Wednesday.
"I think we can take some satisfactions" that the region has been more integrated since the establishment of APEC in 1989, Yuen Pau Woo, co-author of the State of the Region Report on Asia-Pacific, told a press conference in Lima, the Peruvian capital.
It ... Peruvian newspapers Wednesday hailed the upcoming official visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao, who was due to arrive in Lima later in the day as the first Chinese president to visit the Latin American country.
National daily La Republica ran a front-page picture of a smiling Hu waving to a crowd, with two huge red Chinese characters "Huan Ying" (welcome) on the top of page.
The paper said the Peruvian government, headed by President Alan Garcia, was looking forward to Hu's visi ... A senior official of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday urged relevant departments to clear up long-delayed court verdicts to maintain social stability in face of the global financial crisis.
"To execute the verdicts is in urgent demand for tackling the global financial crisis and to boost economic development," said Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at a tele-conference.
It will also help ease social con ... Chinese President Hu Jintao concluded his state visit to Cuba Wednesday and left for Lima, Peru to continue his five-nation trip, in which he will attend the Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Organization (APEC) scheduled for Nov. 22-23.
This was President Hu's second state visit to the Latin American country since his first in November 2004.
In Havana, Hu held talks with Raul Castro, president of the Council of the State of Cuba, on expanding friendly and ... Chinese President Hu Jintao and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas exchanged congratulatory messages Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In his message, Hu said the two sides have cooperated with each other in a trustful and supportive way since the establishment of diplomatic ties 20 years ago.
China, which attaches great importance to relations with Palestine, is willing to further bilateral cooperation at all ... The 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting started in the Peruvian capital on Wednesday, to make final preparations for the APEC Leaders' Meeting on the weekend.
The two-day ministerial meeting, held at the National Museum in Lima, will discuss global economic issues, APEC's support for the WTO Doha Round negotiations and the APEC regional economic integration, Peruvian International Trade and Tourism Minister Mercedes Araoz said at the opening session.
... A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) left here on Wednesday for good-will visits to Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel and Palestine.
The delegation was led by Liu Yunshan, member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and head of the CPC Central Committee Publicity Department.
The delegation was invited by the governments of Iran, Bahrain and Israel and Egypt's ruling party, the National Democratic Party and the Palestine National Liberation Movement (FATEH).
... Chinese top legislator, Wu Bangguo, met in Beijing Wednesday with visiting speaker of the Slovak National Council, Pavol Paska, calling on the two sides to step up inter-parliamentary cooperation to further boost bilateral relations.
Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, highlighted China-Slovakia relations, noting that the ties already entered into a phase of development.
Citing Slovakia as one of the fastest ... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened its first overseas office in Beijing on Wednesday.
The office will mainly be responsible for communicating with relevant regulatory departments in China and will help build up the country's food and drug safety supervision, said Mike Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"The establishment of this office will further promote and deepen the collaboration between China and the United States in the ... China's Party and government discipline watchdogs pledged to protect farmers from malpractice in farmland management and rural democracy.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Ministry of Supervision issued a circular in Beijing Wednesday, planning to address problems that harmed farmers' interests.
The CCDI and ministry will supervise related government departments so they don't harm farmers interests when they hand ... China wants to clear up a backlog of court cases during an eight-month campaign which started in Beijing Wednesday.
Wang Shengjun, President of China's Supreme People's Court, said the campaign was expected to bring an end to a number of long-running property cases.
The specific number of backlogged cases was not released.
"Some sentences that have not been carried out remain major concerns of petitioners and the public," Wang said. "Those cases usually draw criticisms an ...
| | | | RELATED ARTICLES Boat Timeshares - A Unique Vacationing Experience If you’ve dreamed of sailing the seven seas, but don’t necessarily have the bank account to buy a luxury vessel, don’t despair. There are ways to make that dream happen without breaking your bank. Masters Of Disguise Gene Hackman once lamented that the worst thing about becoming a famous actor is that you lose the ability to observe people without being noticed yourself.But some performers are so good at disguises that notoriety is no obstacle.A case in point was John Barrymore trying to buy his first house in Beverly Hills in 1926.Frustrated by rising real estate prices due to stars like Tom Mix and Charlie Chaplin moving into the neighborhood, Barrymore went to look at a lot dressed as his most famous movie role,Mr. Hyde.The realtor was taken aback by the long haired, wild eyed, fiendish looking man who got out of the limo.Every time the broker would suggest a price he was met by an intimidating growl.Finally he made the sale by lopping twenty thousand dollars off the initial number. Tropical Vacations Introduce You to Nature’s Glory A tropical vacation usually evokes images of images of sultry summer days lounging on the beach and soft breezes caressing you in the evenings while you sip a drink in the evenings.There are so many wonderful tropical vacation packages that give you just that in Mexico, but if you’d like to take it to the next level, consider traveling to the interior as well and experience the full spectrum of nature’s glory.Tropical also means exotic plants, gorgeous birds and chattering monkeys, mountain cliffs and amazing wildlife! Honeymoon Trends While the traditional vows endure, the ways to celebrate a marriage have changed right along with the travel industry. Todays honeymooner may be looking for value, adventure, or variety and searching for a getaway thats as exotic as a stay in a private European castle or nearby as a local bed-and-breakfast inn. Discover The Sophisticated Side Of Mickey Mouse Is it possible for sophisticated travelers to really enjoy themselves in the land of Mickey Mouse Absolutely! Walt Disney World has undergone a transformation much like that of Las Vegas, with an abundance of fantastic themed resorts and sumptuous dining choices. Playing Your Cards Right -- Tips for Traveling with Credit Cards Using credit cards while traveling is a good idea for a number of reasons:You have a record of your expenditures for record-keeping and tax purposes especially important if you travel for businessYou may get a better exchange rate when obtaining foreign currency when using your credit card.Credit card companies can refund disputed charges and may offer extra guarantees, special deals or warranties.Your liability in the case of a stolen credit card is limited to $50 Carnival in Salvador Deemed by some as the wildest street party on the face of the planet, Carnival in Salvador, Bahia is the place to be during those five crazy days in February or March.Different from the more spectator-oriented Carnival in Rio, Carnival in Salvador puts you in the middle of the music, the dancing, and the rhythms of the some of the most energetic bands in the world. 16 Tips to Prevent Passport Problems Carelessness is the number one reason for a passport application being rejected or delayed or for a passport being lost, stolen, or damaged. Istanbul, Turkey - Where Two Continents Meet Istanbul, situated along the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, is the only city in the world bridging two continents, Europe and Asia; it is as old as civilization itself and as modern as carrying cell phones. Lonely Expats Looking For Love AMSTERDAM —Being an expat in a foreign country where you dont speak the language is hard at the best of times. And if youre single with the most romantic day of the year looming, what do you do Air Travel around the world and let your cares fall by the wayside as you take wonderful vacations. Air Travel and vacations, to get on a plane and go somewhere, can be one of lifes most rewarding experiences. Its so exciting to contemplate an exotic or relaxing destination, for no other reason than to just get away. Half the fun ofair travel and vacations, or any trip for that matter, is the anticipation of waiting for the day of departure to arrive. Find airline flights and discount airfare information on the internet. Each major airline now gives you the opportunity to find information about airline flights and discount airfare and cheap tickets on the internet. One reason that each airline does this is because so many people now have access to computers.. The Thoughtful Tinkerer - Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of It Ive always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a stipmine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972 Volkswagon convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and forth from a nearby hay field. Avoid Information Overload When Searching For Airline Tickets No more information overload on travel! Afraid to Leave the House Find a House Sitter! Its true, people need to escape the burdens of daily life for a while--from things like mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, painting, gardening, remodeling, home repairs, pet care, checking the mail, and paying their bills.Even a break from nosy neighbors is reason enough to get away for a while. Play at the Golden Nugget Its no use saying you dont like to gamble. Gambling is a everyday factor. We gamble at home, in our professions and in life in general. Looking for a Holiday with a Difference Fancy holidaying somewhere unusual How about a 7 day tornado chasing safari Care for a camping safari across the desert How about a night in an Igloo Or perhaps you may want to attend a winter driving school and receive your reindeer license! Tales Of Hollywood And Politics Arnold Schwarzeneggers surprise announcement that he was seeking the California Governorship brought to mind the many times Hollywood figures have been involved in politics. Here are some related anecdotes: Living and Retiring in Bolivia A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in sight. Sound like a dream Its not. This slice of paradise does exist. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains of South America, Bolivia is a little-known retreat exotically spiced with a unique Latin and Native American flavor. Bolivia has a lot to offer…a very low cost of living, unspoiled natural environment, friendly people and a range of climates to suit virtually every taste. Donald Trump Builds Across From Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip Donald Trump has plans to begin the building of a $300 million tower on the Las Vegas Strip, in January 2005. |
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