Extracts.
S. Korean Social Delegates to Fly to Pyongyang for Party Day
Some 30 delegates of South Korean social bodies will take a plane from the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday to Pyongyang to attend
Tuesday's events marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the
Workers' Party of Korea.
The delegates from seven South Korean social organizations reportedly will
stay in Pyongyang for six days on condition that they will refrain from any
political actions and remarks there.
The South Korean government has decided to accept the DPRK's proposal to
send an airplane to take the delegates to Pyongyang.
South Korean National Unification Minister Park Jae-kyu also said earlier
Sunday that the DPRK will open its direct inter-Korean air route over the
Yellow Sea Monday morning to carry the South Korean delegates to Pyongyang.
In letters transferred through the truce village of Panmunjom last week,
the DPRK invited leaders of up to 30 South Korean political, social and
religious organizations to Pyongyang for the 55th anniversary of the
establishment of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Sunday morning, the DPRK said it will send an airplane to Seoul on Monday
morning to carry its South Korean invitees to Pyongyang.
*****
Syria Sends First Plane to Iraq in Two Decades Following the lead of other
Arab countries, Syria on Sunday flew a plane to sanction-stricken Iraq, the
first in 20 years.
The Airbus 320 passenger plane touched down at Saddam International Airport
in the western suburb of Baghdad at 12:10 (0910 GMT), to show solidarity
with the Iraqi people.
Syrian State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Mufdi Sifo, heading a
36-member delegation including doctors, humanitarian organization members,
journalists and businessmen, was on aboard the plane.
Upon his arrival, Mufdi called for unified Arab action for lifting the
sanctions on Iraq and ending the suffering of the Iraqi people who have
been hardest hit by the sanctions.
Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah, who greeted the Syrian
delegation at the airport, appreciated the flight as "a positive step" and
expressed the belief that the visit will surely promote bilateral
relations.
Syria and Iraq severed diplomatic ties in August 1980 when Damascus sided
with its traditional ally Iran before the eight-year Iran-Iraq war erupted.
They have been normalizing relations since 1997.
Syrian Transport Minister Makram Ebeid visited Iraq in September to promote
bilateral trade ties.
Russia, France, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates
and Yemen have all sent planes to Iraq in defiance of the air embargo
pursued by the U.S. and Britain.
****
15th CPC Central Committee Calls 5th Plenary Session
The 15th CPC Central Committee is now at its 5th
Plenary Session October 9-11, with its task centering
on a review of "Proposals of the CPC Central
Committee on the National Economy and Social
Development Set in the 10th Five-year Plan".
The 10th Five-year Plan marks the beginning of
China's advance toward a strong modernized power, it
will be of great significance for rejuvenation of the
Chinese nation in the new century, according to
Beijing media.
Since inauguration of the People's Republic in 1949,
except economic recovery 1949.10-1952 and
readjustments made of the national economy1963-1965,
China has carried out nine five-year plans since
1953. Following end of the 9th Five-year Plan by
2000, the 10th Five-year Plan will start from 2001 to
2005.
*****
China's Technological Progress
Following are the facts and figures about China's
technological development in the Ninth Five-year Plan
period (1996-2000), provided by the State Development
Planning Commission.
China has so far set up 50,000 projects under the
"Spark Plan", a technological program, started in
1986 aiming to improve the technological level in
rural areas.
A total of 192.9 billion yuan has been invested in
the "Spark Plan" since 1996, 3.5 billion yuan of
which came from governments of various levels, 41.9
billion yuan came from bank loans and 147.5 billion
yuan from enterprises and other social sectors.
Projects under this plan produced an output value of
460 billion yuan last year.
The Chinese government has injected 3.19 billion yuan
in technical innovation projects in the industrial
sector since 1996 and 19.5 billion yuan worth of
treasury bonds has been used for technological
innovation of State-owned enterprises since 1999.
The government has founded a number of districts for
high-tech development, following the example of
Silicon Valley, with an 101.5-billion-yuan investment
in the infrastructure construction since 1996.
About 17,000 high-tech enterprises are in operation
in those districts, with the employees totaling at
2.2 million.
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