China's southwestern province of Sichuan needs 1.67 trillion yuan for reconstruction after the devastating earthquake on May 12, Huang Xiaoxiang, the province's vice governor, said on Sunday.
"Sichuan is still in need of a large amount of fund despite the efforts of the central government, local governments and other social sectors," Huang told a conference held in Xiamen City, in eastern Fujian Province.
The total funds, including those the central and other provincial governments raised, overseas donations, and lottery earnings, accounted for less than 25 percent of what the reconstruction work demanded.
Quake-sufferers carry the re-found living necessities from the shattered houses at the quake-hit area of Huili County, southwest China's Sichuan Province Sept. 3, 2008.
Huang said the province would rebuild 4.5 million urban and rural homes, 51,000 km of highways, 5,500 km of railways, 11,700 schools and 9,700 medical institutions.
Apart from that, 2,000 reservoirs, 810 power stations and more than 100,000 hectares of farmland needed to be restored.
The reconstruction work was expected to consume 37 million tonnes of steel, 370 million tonnes of cement, 210 billion bricks and 20 million cubic meters of timer.
Source: Xinhua
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Trade with Pacific islands to reach $2b
Trade between China and Pacific island countries is expected to reach $2 billion by the end of this year, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said yesterday.
The two sides aim to increase trade to $3 billion by 2010, Chen told the ministerial conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum.
"The economies of China and Pacific island countries are complementary, and there is great potential for future cooperation, " he told the senior officials of 11 Pacific island countries at the forum.
Trade between the two sides has developed rapidly after an economic development and cooperation framework was set up in 2006.
Customs data show that last year trade between China and 13 Pacific island countries reached $1.53 billion, up 24.4 percent over 2006.
China imported $660 million worth of goods from these countries, up 26.9 percent, and its exports reached $870 million, an increase of 22.5 percent.
China mainly imported seafood and wood, and its principal exports were electro-mechanical goods, and light industrial and textile products.
After Premier Wen Jiabao announced two years ago that China would help the Pacific island countries' economic development, Beijing has provided more than 1.2 billion yuan in favorable loans to them. It has made 278 products of the least developed countries, such as Samoa and Vanuatu, tariff-free too.
These steps have been effective, Chen said, with China's imports from these countries reaching $400 million in the first five months of this year, up by 21 percent year-on-year. And its exports fell 2 percent to $410 million, reflecting the effectiveness of measures.
The total imports from the region are expected to increase further for the entire year, Chen said, and the country will soon expand the list of duty free items.
Chinese investment in the region, however, has been increasing.
Ministry of Commerce figures show China has invested $310 million, mainly in resources development, fisheries, and aviation and construction services.
Source: China Daily
The two sides aim to increase trade to $3 billion by 2010, Chen told the ministerial conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum.
"The economies of China and Pacific island countries are complementary, and there is great potential for future cooperation, " he told the senior officials of 11 Pacific island countries at the forum.
Trade between the two sides has developed rapidly after an economic development and cooperation framework was set up in 2006.
Customs data show that last year trade between China and 13 Pacific island countries reached $1.53 billion, up 24.4 percent over 2006.
China imported $660 million worth of goods from these countries, up 26.9 percent, and its exports reached $870 million, an increase of 22.5 percent.
China mainly imported seafood and wood, and its principal exports were electro-mechanical goods, and light industrial and textile products.
After Premier Wen Jiabao announced two years ago that China would help the Pacific island countries' economic development, Beijing has provided more than 1.2 billion yuan in favorable loans to them. It has made 278 products of the least developed countries, such as Samoa and Vanuatu, tariff-free too.
These steps have been effective, Chen said, with China's imports from these countries reaching $400 million in the first five months of this year, up by 21 percent year-on-year. And its exports fell 2 percent to $410 million, reflecting the effectiveness of measures.
The total imports from the region are expected to increase further for the entire year, Chen said, and the country will soon expand the list of duty free items.
Chinese investment in the region, however, has been increasing.
Ministry of Commerce figures show China has invested $310 million, mainly in resources development, fisheries, and aviation and construction services.
Source: China Daily
One quake orphan finds new home
Four months after the disastrous Sichuan earthquake, only one of 88 orphaned children eligible for adoption has found a new home, Sichuan officials announced.
Zhang Anyun, a 10-year-old pupil with the Hanwang Central Primary School in Mianzhu, was adopted by an unnamed couple from the provincial capital of Chengdu last Friday, according to Li Boshan, an official with the Mianzhu municipal bureau of civil affairs.
The Sichuan provincial department of civil affairs announced on Aug 23 that qualified mainland families could adopt 88 children orphaned in the May 12 earthquake.
One reason for the slow response is that many of the orphans are handicapped, sources from the department said.
Of 532 children who lost their parents in the magnitude 8 quake which killed nearly 70,000 people, 240 are under 14. Most of them have grandparents or other relatives as guardians. Only 88 in the hard hit cities of Deyang, Mianzhu, Mianyang and Guangyuan and the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture have no relatives to care for them, according to deputy department chief Chen Kefu.
Zhang Anyun's parents were both killed when their rented apartment in Hanwang town in Mianzhu collapsed. According to Chen, Sichuan gives priority to the relatives of orphans, but Zhang's grandparents are over 80 and could not afford to support him.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs states that only childless Chinese over 30 can be considered adoptive parents.
Only children under 14 can be adopted.
Children over 10 must give their permission to be adopted.
"Zhang Anyun signed his name agreeing to be adopted after living with the couple for some time in Chengdu," Li of the Mianzhu municipal bureau said.
The status of orphans can only be determined with death certificates of both parents issued by police or hospitals.
Those whose parents are missing must wait for two years for a court to declare their parents dead, according to Jiang Tao, chief of the division in charge of adoption in the Sichuan provincial department of civil affairs.
Most of those intending to adopt quake orphans are hoping for children like Zhang, who are not handicapped.
They would also prefer them to be under six years old.
However, many of the children were handicapped in the quake, which has made adoptive parents hesitate, according to Jiang's division.
Of the 88 eligible children, 28 are between 5 and 10 years old and 54 are between 10 and 14 years-old.
Most of them suffer from physical or other handicaps.
In the meantime, the provincial government has set up temporary foster homes or boarding schools and has provided a monthly allowance of 600 yuan for each orphan.
Source: China Daily
Zhang Anyun, a 10-year-old pupil with the Hanwang Central Primary School in Mianzhu, was adopted by an unnamed couple from the provincial capital of Chengdu last Friday, according to Li Boshan, an official with the Mianzhu municipal bureau of civil affairs.
The Sichuan provincial department of civil affairs announced on Aug 23 that qualified mainland families could adopt 88 children orphaned in the May 12 earthquake.
One reason for the slow response is that many of the orphans are handicapped, sources from the department said.
Of 532 children who lost their parents in the magnitude 8 quake which killed nearly 70,000 people, 240 are under 14. Most of them have grandparents or other relatives as guardians. Only 88 in the hard hit cities of Deyang, Mianzhu, Mianyang and Guangyuan and the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture have no relatives to care for them, according to deputy department chief Chen Kefu.
Zhang Anyun's parents were both killed when their rented apartment in Hanwang town in Mianzhu collapsed. According to Chen, Sichuan gives priority to the relatives of orphans, but Zhang's grandparents are over 80 and could not afford to support him.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs states that only childless Chinese over 30 can be considered adoptive parents.
Only children under 14 can be adopted.
Children over 10 must give their permission to be adopted.
"Zhang Anyun signed his name agreeing to be adopted after living with the couple for some time in Chengdu," Li of the Mianzhu municipal bureau said.
The status of orphans can only be determined with death certificates of both parents issued by police or hospitals.
Those whose parents are missing must wait for two years for a court to declare their parents dead, according to Jiang Tao, chief of the division in charge of adoption in the Sichuan provincial department of civil affairs.
Most of those intending to adopt quake orphans are hoping for children like Zhang, who are not handicapped.
They would also prefer them to be under six years old.
However, many of the children were handicapped in the quake, which has made adoptive parents hesitate, according to Jiang's division.
Of the 88 eligible children, 28 are between 5 and 10 years old and 54 are between 10 and 14 years-old.
Most of them suffer from physical or other handicaps.
In the meantime, the provincial government has set up temporary foster homes or boarding schools and has provided a monthly allowance of 600 yuan for each orphan.
Source: China Daily
Paralympics ignites passion for life for disabled quake survivors in China
When some 4,000 athletes from around the world are competing for gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics, they are also igniting the passion for life for many disabled survivors from the May 12 massive earthquake in southwest China.
"I had never thought they could participate in intense competitions," said 23-year-old Xie Xia in a resettlement site in Anxian County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province while watching the Games opening ceremony Saturday night.
Xie lost his right calf during the 8.0-magnitude quake, which left more than 87,000 people dead or missing. The quake also left more than 370,000 people injured, but the figure of the disabled is not available.
"I thought 'I'm done, my life is over' when I saw my calf broken at the very beginning. I felt very depressed for a long time," he said.
Xie came from a mountainous village that was destroyed in the quake, but he and his parents survived.
"I received psychological tutoring and many people gave me encouragements," he said.
"With the Paralympics approaching, I read a lot about the Games and athletes, which helped rebuild my confidence."
Xie, who had an educational background of senior high school, had been mainly doing farm work in the past years. He once went to a city as a migrant worker but returned home later.
Now with a prosthetic leg, Xie was not sure whether he would continue to work in the cropland. He had another choice: to join a technical training program offered by local government.
"The disabled can do what others do. That's my understanding of the Paralympic spirit," he said.
To 36-year-old Shi Guangwu, a villager from Huangping Township, Qingchuan County, Paralympics means strong will.
"Never lose heart in life, even though you have disabilities," said 36-year-old Shi who had almost no right hand. His wife had hearing impairment.
The couple had run a small shop before the quake, but the quake destroyed the shop and their home.
They moved into a prefab home with their nine-year-old son and re-opened the shop soon.
"So long as we have hands, feet and a life, we can overcome any difficulty," Shi posted a banner on the door of his home.
For 11-year-old Guang Guang from Yingxiu Township in the epicenter, Wenchuan County, Paralympics is a chance to learn to be strong. The sixth grader lost half of his right arm in the quake.
"I watch them with admiration. I wish I can get confidence and fortitude from them," he said, while gazing via TV the athletes at the opening ceremony in the National Stadium.
Source: Xinhua
"I had never thought they could participate in intense competitions," said 23-year-old Xie Xia in a resettlement site in Anxian County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province while watching the Games opening ceremony Saturday night.
Xie lost his right calf during the 8.0-magnitude quake, which left more than 87,000 people dead or missing. The quake also left more than 370,000 people injured, but the figure of the disabled is not available.
"I thought 'I'm done, my life is over' when I saw my calf broken at the very beginning. I felt very depressed for a long time," he said.
Xie came from a mountainous village that was destroyed in the quake, but he and his parents survived.
"I received psychological tutoring and many people gave me encouragements," he said.
"With the Paralympics approaching, I read a lot about the Games and athletes, which helped rebuild my confidence."
Xie, who had an educational background of senior high school, had been mainly doing farm work in the past years. He once went to a city as a migrant worker but returned home later.
Now with a prosthetic leg, Xie was not sure whether he would continue to work in the cropland. He had another choice: to join a technical training program offered by local government.
"The disabled can do what others do. That's my understanding of the Paralympic spirit," he said.
To 36-year-old Shi Guangwu, a villager from Huangping Township, Qingchuan County, Paralympics means strong will.
"Never lose heart in life, even though you have disabilities," said 36-year-old Shi who had almost no right hand. His wife had hearing impairment.
The couple had run a small shop before the quake, but the quake destroyed the shop and their home.
They moved into a prefab home with their nine-year-old son and re-opened the shop soon.
"So long as we have hands, feet and a life, we can overcome any difficulty," Shi posted a banner on the door of his home.
For 11-year-old Guang Guang from Yingxiu Township in the epicenter, Wenchuan County, Paralympics is a chance to learn to be strong. The sixth grader lost half of his right arm in the quake.
"I watch them with admiration. I wish I can get confidence and fortitude from them," he said, while gazing via TV the athletes at the opening ceremony in the National Stadium.
Source: Xinhua
Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway begin to show social effects
On September 7, Tianjin Snacks Festival closed in Tianjin Food Street. According to statistics from Tianjin Commercial Committee, since its opening on August 27, the snacks festival received 10,000 people everyday, among which visitors from outside Tianjin accounted for 70%, and among this group of tourists more than 80% are from Beijing who took the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city high-speed train to here for sightseeing.
Statistics from Ministry of Railways show that in the month after the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city train was opened, over 1.831 million passengers have been transported, representing a 128.4 percent year-on-year growth. According to the Tianjin Station, the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city lines run 60 trains daily. The attendance on Friday, Saturday and Sunday can reach as high as 100 percent, with average weekly attendance of 80%. The tickets in the morning, evening and weekend are hard to get. Beijing-Tianjin inter-city high-speed railway has begun to show social and economic effects.
During the Olympic Games, many Beijing citizens and many tourists in Beijing took the high-speed railway to Tianjin. Coastal scenery, folk customs and cultural tours, city sightseeing tours became very popular. According to Tianjin tourism department, in August, 5 A-level scenic spot Ancient Culture Street’s sales has 15 percent growth than the period before the opening of inter-city rail.
"The transportation connection between Beijing and Tianjin will greatly ease the traffic tension in the two places, bringing Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei region closer," Tianjin major Huang Guoxing said with confidence.
By People's Daily Online
Statistics from Ministry of Railways show that in the month after the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city train was opened, over 1.831 million passengers have been transported, representing a 128.4 percent year-on-year growth. According to the Tianjin Station, the Beijing-Tianjin inter-city lines run 60 trains daily. The attendance on Friday, Saturday and Sunday can reach as high as 100 percent, with average weekly attendance of 80%. The tickets in the morning, evening and weekend are hard to get. Beijing-Tianjin inter-city high-speed railway has begun to show social and economic effects.
During the Olympic Games, many Beijing citizens and many tourists in Beijing took the high-speed railway to Tianjin. Coastal scenery, folk customs and cultural tours, city sightseeing tours became very popular. According to Tianjin tourism department, in August, 5 A-level scenic spot Ancient Culture Street’s sales has 15 percent growth than the period before the opening of inter-city rail.
"The transportation connection between Beijing and Tianjin will greatly ease the traffic tension in the two places, bringing Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei region closer," Tianjin major Huang Guoxing said with confidence.
By People's Daily Online
94 performances to be staged during the Paralympics
A total of 94 performances will be staged at 18 cultural squares in Beijing from Sept 6 to Sept 16, according to Beijing Bureau of Culture.
Performances, including pantomimes and singing and dancing by disabled art groups will appear before audiences at that time.
To make it convenient for the disabled to participate in the cultural activities, the infrastructures and barrier-free passages at the squares have been updated, and volunteers will be there to help the audience.
By People's Daily Online
Performances, including pantomimes and singing and dancing by disabled art groups will appear before audiences at that time.
To make it convenient for the disabled to participate in the cultural activities, the infrastructures and barrier-free passages at the squares have been updated, and volunteers will be there to help the audience.
By People's Daily Online
Two more rescued from flooded mine, 16 remain trapped
Two more miners were pulled out of a flooded coal mine in central China's Henan Province on Monday, bringing the total number rescued to eight, emergency crews said.
Sixteen miners remain trapped in the Renhe Coal Mine in Changzhuang Township in the city of Yuzhou.
The pit was flooded at 5:45 am on Sunday, when 62 miners were doing maintenance work. Thirty-eight people managed to escape and six were rescued on Sunday.
On Monday, two survivors were pulled out of the pit at 0:15 am and 5:20 am. Rescuers said the miners were being treated at a local hospital.
About 300 cubic meters of water filled the mine when workers were digging in a waste area, rescuers said.
Underground gas and cave-ins slowed the drainage process making it hard for rescuers to reach the remaining 16 miners.
A spokesman with the emergency rescue headquarters said the gas density in the shaft was over 10 percent. A fan was used to provide ventilation for the trapped miners.
More than 60 rescuers, all wearing gas masks, are working at the site to pump out water and clear away silt.
The Renhe Coal Mine was formerly a private business known as Fushun Coal Mine. It had an annual capacity of 150,000 tons. In 2005, the business was incorporated into the stated-owned Hebi Coal Industry Co. Ltd. based in Henan's Hebi City.
Source:Xinhua
Sixteen miners remain trapped in the Renhe Coal Mine in Changzhuang Township in the city of Yuzhou.
The pit was flooded at 5:45 am on Sunday, when 62 miners were doing maintenance work. Thirty-eight people managed to escape and six were rescued on Sunday.
On Monday, two survivors were pulled out of the pit at 0:15 am and 5:20 am. Rescuers said the miners were being treated at a local hospital.
About 300 cubic meters of water filled the mine when workers were digging in a waste area, rescuers said.
Underground gas and cave-ins slowed the drainage process making it hard for rescuers to reach the remaining 16 miners.
A spokesman with the emergency rescue headquarters said the gas density in the shaft was over 10 percent. A fan was used to provide ventilation for the trapped miners.
More than 60 rescuers, all wearing gas masks, are working at the site to pump out water and clear away silt.
The Renhe Coal Mine was formerly a private business known as Fushun Coal Mine. It had an annual capacity of 150,000 tons. In 2005, the business was incorporated into the stated-owned Hebi Coal Industry Co. Ltd. based in Henan's Hebi City.
Source:Xinhua
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