News in Chinese Media

Xinhua News Agency

    The Beijing Municipal Government and two investment guarantee companies signed a contract here today with export and tourism enterprises, the first such pact ever made in the city.

     By this agreement, the municipal government hopes to inspire the further development of tourism and exports, and has offered a total of 100 million yuan (12 million US dollars) to shore up the areas.

     Zhang Mao, Beijing's vice mayor, said the secured credit will offer strong support for the construction of scenic spots in Beijing and the development of new tourism products with Beijing characteristics.

     Statistics show that about 1.05 million overseas tourists visited Beijing during the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 11.4 percent, and the city's total export volume has reached 1.29 billion US dollars.

     The two companies have already jointly offered guarantee services to new technological and medium- and small-size enterprises, and they intend to expand their individual housing loan activities during the second half of the year.

Xinhua News Agency

    Newly developed degradable packages, developed by the Institute of Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will replace plastic fast-food containers in the future, said several experts at a news conference here today.

     The new product will solve the problem of pollution by using amylum plant fiber and rice husk as raw materials.

     So-called "white pollution" can be seen all around the world due to the widespread use of plastic food containers, and more than 100 countries and regions have now prohibited their use. Several cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou, and Fuzhou, have carried out the ban as well.

     The two main substitutes in China now are degradable plastic and paper containers. However, the first of these also causes pollution in the process of degrading, and in the second instance, waste water created during the production of paper pulp also is a source of pollution. The institute has now set up a production base in east China's Zhejiang Province with an annual output estimated at over 1.9 billion boxes from 32 processing lines. Related statistics show that the consumption of fast-food containers in China reached some 10 billion in 1994, with a daily use of 1.8 million in railway stations alone. The total figure is expected to exceed 18 billion next year.

Xinhua News Agency

    China is further opening up its commercial sector to provide a better investment environment for overseas investors who expect to garner a slice of the huge pie.

     The central authorities recently approved another joint project by China Normart Enterprise Corporation and US COSTCO to set up a chain store in Beijing, and a dozen other projects are set to be approved by the government.

     China has opened more cities to overseas investors for joint commercial businesses, with new regulations from the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC).

     The Regulations On Overseas Investment in Commercial Business For Trial Implementation allows overseas investors to establish joint retail sales outlets in the capitals of all provinces, autonomous regions, and a number of designated cities on the Chinese mainland. Previously, this activity was confined to eleven coastal cities.

     Wholesale business has been opened to overseas investors as well, but is still restricted to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing.

     Retail and wholesale giants like the US Wal-Mart and Germany' s Metro have shown great enthusiasm in applying for new projects since the introduction of these new regulations last month.

     Ye Hui, director of SETC's overseas fund management department, says that China has made these new commitments in full consideration of the country's domestic situation, however "the expansion of overseas involvement in retail and wholesale businesses does not mean full-blown opening of the sector."

     "China's attitude toward opening up has always been consistent, but China will push the drive according to its own timetable," he adds.

    The regulations also clearly outline the qualifications for overseas applicants, their share-holding ratio, and specific authorization procedures. This is regarded as the most specific and comprehensive regulations regarding overseas investment in commercial enterprises yet announced.

     Huang Hai, an economist with the State Administration of Internal Trade, points out that the entry of overseas businesses will not seriously affect China's domestic commercial businesses.

     China has only 21 state-approved joint retail enterprises, and another 277 joint retail companies are authorized by local governments. Their total sales volume remains below two percent of all retail sales nationwide, he explains.

     Market analysts believe that it is inevitable and necessary to further open up the commercial sector. China has adopted a gradual opening of its commercial areas so far.

     On the one hand, the inflow of overseas capital can resolve the financing problem of most domestic retailers, and on the other hand, overseas investors will bring modern marketing patterns to China, which will greatly benefit domestic enterprises, and also mitigate the downward trend in China's utilization of overseas investment.

     China has been considered one of the world's largest markets, with huge potential. Official statistics show that total retail sales nationwide hit 1.48 trillion yuan in the first half this year, up 6.4 percent from the same period last year.

Xinhua News Agency

    China will take new measures to promote the sales of the idle housing, according to the Ministry of Construction.

     A spokesman for the ministry said that the General office of the State Council, China's cabinet, has recently issued a circular to various provinces and regions, urging them to promote the sales of idle housing.

     Those housing may be sold or rented at lower prices or may be used to settle the people as required by relevant government policies, the circular said.

     Sellers of those housing before the end of next year will be exempt from all the charges and business tax, the circular said.

     Meanwhile, banks will cut down or write off the interest fines of the overdue loans to State or State share-holding real estate development businesses.

     Statistics from the Ministry of Construction show that the country's idle housing totalled a floor space of 80 million square meters at the end of last year.

Xinhua News Agency

    The four-day "Digital Technology & Products Showcase and Conference, China '99" (digitech) opened here today.

     Jointly sponsored by the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce and the China Radio & TV Society, the fair attracted nearly 100 firms from both home and overseas.

     On the show are latest digital technology and electronic products, such as digital TV, DVD and digital camera. Leading electronic appliances producers, such as Samsung, IBM and Dolby Lab, also plan to conduct demo of their products.

     Some seminars will also be held during the fair, said the sponsors.

     An official from the State Development Planning Commission said at today's opening ceremony that the country will actively promote the development of digital technology and relative industry. Cooperation with overseas counterparts will be encouraged, added the official.

     In the past years, the digital technology has been used broadly in the fields such as telecommunication, broadcasting, and household appliances. Experts predicted that the technology will play a more important role in the future. In 2000, the income by digital information industry of the whole world is expected to reach some 1,000 billion US dollars.

Xinhua News Agency

    China has succeeded in developing set-top box and display for digital high-definition television ( HDTV). The system was produced jointly by Tianjin University and Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronics Company Ltd.

     A 35-minute program has been broadcast through this newly-built system, and rewarded a high praise with its stable and high definite image as well as its circling stereo.

     Matching the American Advanced Televisions Systems Committee ( ATSC) standard, the set-top box can be put on sale in the American market. It will be improved to meet China's special needs in the future.

     The achievement demonstrates that China now is standing at a world level in digital television, launching a new chapter for the prospects of China's digital television.

Xinhua News Agency

    The Chinese government plans to select 45,000 college graduates for work in rural areas in the next 3 years, according to government departments.

     A departmental notice says that the plan is worked out to help boost the economic development and social progress in rural China.

     College graduates will be invited to take an exam in August and they will be selected on a volunteer, fair, open and competitive basis.

     Successful applicants are expected to work in villagers' committees, primary and secondary schools, as well as township enterprises for two to three years.

     Those who prove particularly competent will be promoted to work in township governments after working in the grassroot for two to three years, according to the notice.

Xinhua News Agency

    A museum of the Tujia ethnic group will open soon in Zhangjiajie city, a scenic spot in China' s Hunan Province.

     It is part of the local government's effort to develop tourism resources in Zhangjiajie, which got State Council approval as China's first state forest park in 1982 and was put on the World Heritage list by UNESCO in 1992.

     The city is located in northwestern Hunan in the Wulingyuan Mountains and has some beautiful natural scenery. It now attracts more than 2 million tourists each year.

     Zhangjiajie is home to 1.09 million Tujia and people from 18 other ethnic groups, accounting for 71.3 percent of the city's population.

     The museum, Xiuhuashan Hall, has a collection of 10,000 items used by the Tujia, including furniture and wooden sculptures.

China Daily
Author:  Huang Ying

    AUTHORITIES are continuing to investigate Tuesday's explosion of 285,000 detonators that were being hauled on a truck in Chongqing.

    Fifteen people were killed and 46 injured by the rolling 9:50 am blast.

    The cause of the multiple explosions is still under investigation, sources from the Chongqing Public Security Bureau said.

    Authorities have not ruled out poor handling, high temperatures or sabotage.

    This type of blast, involving explosives used for civilian purposes, is rare in the history of Chongqing, said Zhang Mingwei, an official with the bureau, during a telephone interview with China Daily yesterday.

    Twelve people died instantly and three died on their way to hospital. Victims ranged in age from 7 months to 87 years old. The injured were taken to local hospitals where a dozen of them were reported in serious condition, Zhang said.

    The lorry, heading to Fuling, exploded on Dongjie Street in Changshou County. The blast damaged three factories and nearby residential buildings. Fire and smoke leaped hundred of metres into the air, according to an eye witness.

    Losses from the blast have not been estimated.

    The official meteorological observatory recorded the highest temperature in Chongqing yesterday at 36 degrees centigrade. The weather in Changshou County was much more stifling yesterday and local people estimated the maximum temperature to be about 39 degrees centigrade, Zhang added.

    Changshou County is located along the Yangtze River, 120 kilometres from the Chongqing proper. Weather in this hilly county tends to be very sultry in summer, he said.

    Experts from the Yunnan Public Security Bureau, led by its director, arrived shortly after the blast, and are working to analyze evidence at the clearly marked crime scene, Zhang added.

    The explosion has caused great concern in both Chongqing and Yunnan Province.

    The Fuling Chemical Fibre Company bought the detonators from Yunnan No 1 Fuel Factory through a Fuling-based company that specializes in providing explosives for civilian uses.

    

    

China Daily
Author:  Kang Jian

    STARTING next month, the State Drug Administration (SDA) will begin enforcing another regulation on the management of drug treatment medicines.

    The regulation is designed to help standardize research and the administering of medication that can help users quit drugs safely.

    Narcotic-abstention medication includes therapeutic medicine for reducing and eliminating the acute reactions experienced during the early stages of quitting an addiction and also some supplementary medicine.

    The rise in the number of addicts has prompted accelerated development of drug treatment centres.

    Having registered 596,000 drug addicts, China has 632 compulsory drug treatment centres and 61 centres that rehabilitate drug addicts through labour, in addition to 167 drug addict rehabilitation medical centres, sources from the National Anti-drug Commission said.

    Some 140,000 drug addicts received rehabilitation treatment last year.

    SDA said that starting next month, all research institutes of drug treatment medicine must apply for permission and that their research results must go through a strict certification procedure for new medicines.

    Imported drug treatment medicine must be accompanied by detailed information about the medicine to SDA and go through clinical tests in a SDA-designated drug treatment institute.

    All drug treatment medicine must be produced in SDA-designated enterprises in line with the State plan.

    Such medicine must be advertised in the media.

    Therapeutical drug treatment medication may be used with a doctor's prescription, while supplementary medicines can be sold without prescription.

    Doctors must abide by State requirement to ensure that patients use the medication safely, and the prescriptions must be preserved and open for inspection for two years.

    Medication prepared by drug treatment institutes themselves must be up to State standard on production and quality and such medicine should not be sold on the open market.

    

    

Dalian Daily

    According to statistics of Dalian Customs, import and export of Dalian during the first half of this year grew by 7.9 per cent to hit US$3.01 billion. Among which, import is US$ 1.302 billion, up 7.6 per cent than the same period of last year, and export is US$1.704 billion, up 81 per cent, which is 12.7 percentage points higher than the average national growth rate, making Dalian the third among the 15 vice-provincial level cities of China. This was released at the city¡¯s meeting on foreign trade held days ago.

    The startling growth rate of export can be mainly attributed to the fast increase of export of foreign-funded enterprises in Dalian. Export of foreign-funded enterprises grew by 13 per cent to reach US$ 1.25 billion, accounting for 74 per cent of the whole export of Dalian.

    Export of collectively-run and township enterprises registered growth too.

    Export to Southeastern Asian countries, Korea, Japan recovered and recorded a 23 per cent increase. Pocessing trade grew very fast. Export of finished industrial products took up 82 per cent of the whole export value, and main processing trade products feature high added-value and high scientific and technological content.

    Vice-mayor of Dalian, Nan Changming pointed out at the meeting that there will still be many difficulties facing us in foreign trade in the latter half of this year, foreign trade enterprises should continue to make full use of the policies given by both the state and the city and actively tap the market of Latin America and Africa. Prospering trade through science and technology and accelerating civilian-run enterprises¡¯export should also be strengthened.