Extracts.
--------
21st Century to See Rapid Development of Engineering Science: Jiang
President Jiang Zemin said Wednesday that the 21st century is expected to
be a time of rapid development of engineering and technological sciences.
Jiang, the Chinese head of state and a former engineer, made the remark at
the Great Hall of the People in Beijing while delivering a speech at the
opening ceremony of the 2000 International Conference of Engineering and
Technological Sciences.
More than 2,000 engineering experts from more than 30 countries and regions
worldwide are participating in the four-day conference to review the
achievements of the past century in engineering and technological sciences
and discuss strategies to ensure new development which could bring more
benefit to mankind in the new century.
Endorsed by the Washington-based Council of Academies of Engineering and
Technological Sciences (CAETS), the academic meeting is for members of
CAETS, and is the largest and highest-ranking international meeting of its
kind ever held in China.
Jiang said that more than ten million Chinese engineering and technological
personnel, including such world-renowned engineers as Zhan Tianyou, Mao
Yisheng and Li Siguang, have made historic contributions to the country's
modernization drive.
Song Jian, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and president of the Chinese
Academy of Engineering (CAE), presided over the opening ceremony.
The six keynote speakers at this morning's ceremony included Kamil Idris,
director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Nobel
laureate S.C.C. Ting, William A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of
Engineering of the United States, Alec Broers, vice chancellor of Cambridge
University, and Xu Kuangdi, CAE member and mayor of Shanghai.
Prior to the opening ceremony, Jiang met with some 30 famous scientists and
experts attending the conference, and held friendly talks with the six
lecturers.
During the four-day conference, the experts are scheduled to discuss an
array of topics: advanced manufacturing and vehicle technology, information
technology in the 21st century, advanced materials, energy strategy and
technology for sustainable development, civil engineering, technological
innovation and sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, and
biochip technologies.
****
CPC Central Committee Holds Plenum in Beijing The Fifth Plenary Session of
the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held
in Beijing from October 9 to 11.
A total of 183 members and 144 alternate members of the central committee
attended the plenum, with members of the Standing Committee of the Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection and leading officials of relevant
departments as non-voting participants.
The plenum was presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central
Committee. Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the central committee, made an
important speech at the plenum.
The plenum examined and approved the Proposal of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 10th Five-Year Plan
(2001-2005) for National Economic and Social Development. Premier Zhu
Rongji made an explanation of the draft of the proposal.
****
China Able to Reach Year's Financial Control Target
Officials and experts from China's financial circles
agree that China will be able to hit its financial
control target for this year.
According to the quarterly meeting of the Currency
Policy Committee of the People's Bank of China held
this week, the present economic recovery is mainly
attributable to the implementation of the
macro-economic control policies, including proactive
fiscal policies and steady monetary policies.
Participants at the meeting concluded that China's
financial industry is operating quite smoothly. In
the first eight months of this year, the amount of
broad money (M2) increased 13.3 percent; that of
narrow money (M1) increased 21.9 percent; and loans
by financial institutions increased 810.6 billion
yuan, up 239.3 billion yuan from the same period last
year.
Predictions were made of this year's financial
situation and major financial indices, according to
which broad money (M2) will increase 13 to 14
percent; narrow money (M1) will increase about 20
percent; money in circulation (M0) will be controlled
under 150 billion yuan; and loans by financial
institutions will increase 1.3 trillion yuan, at
least 200 billion yuan more than last year.
The committee suggested that the implementation of
steady monetary policies should be continued to
further consolidate the healthy development of the
national economy.
It held that efforts should be made to accelerate
innovations to the financial system and further
develop the financial market. The market-oriented
reform on interest rates should be steadily promoted
to give full play to the role of interest rate in
rational resource allocation and supporting reforms
of commercial banks.
Furthermore, balanced international payments and a
steady exchange rate for the local currency, the
Renminbi, must be maintained.
****
China to Reduce, Exempt Africa 10 Billion Yuan Debt
China will reduce and exempt African countries debt
worth 10 billion yuan (about 1.21 billion US dollars)
in the coming two years, Chinese Minister of Foreign
Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng
announced Wednesday morning.
****
Africa Welcomes China's Debt-Relief Move
African ministers attending the on-going China-Africa
Cooperation Forum here today welcomed China's
decision to reduce or exempt 1.2 billion U.S.
dollars-worth of debt owed to China by some African
countries.
The debt-relief program is expected to be carried out
within two years, said foreign trade minister Shi
Guangsheng, who announced the decision of the Chinese
Government earlier Wednesday.
Lila Ratsifandriamanana, minister of foreign affairs
of Madagascar, said for years China has helped the
African nation with projects involving sugar,
medicare, agriculture and housing.
She also said Madagascar and other African countries
are grateful for China's move to cut their foreign
debt.
Sama Siama Banya, minister of foreign affairs and
international cooperation in Sierra Leone, said his
country has been servicing external debt at the cost
of developing the economy.
After wars and conflicts, he said, Sierra Leone
urgently needs capital for economic recovery, and is
delighted at China's debt-relief endeavor.
China established diplomatic ties with Sierra Leone
in 1971. Since then, Banya said, China has never
imposed its will on Sierra Leone.
Bonaya Godana, Kenyan minister of foreign affairs and
international cooperation, said external debt has
been a heavy burden on Africa. Many countries spend
30 percent of their revenue repaying debt, thus
affecting the development of education, medicare and
social welfare.
He said Kenya hopes the international community,
especially developed countries, make more commitments
to alleviating the debt of Africa.
Augustin Kontchou Kouomegni, minister of state for
foreign relations of Cameroon, said slave trade and
colonialism has put Africa in a disadvantageous
position. He noted that the average yearly income of
people in Sub-Saharan countries is only 500 U.S.
dollars per capita.
With rising debt, trade deficit and decrease of
international assistance, African countries risk
being marginalized during the course of economic
globalization, he said.
He said China has been providing huge aid to African
countries, and Africa sincerely thanks China for
doing this.
Andre Bumaya, minister of foreign affairs of Rwanda,
said China has always sided with African countries
regardless of changes in international politics.
Bumaya said Rwanda is thankful to China, and that the
forum has injected new vitality into China-Africa
relations.
_______________________________________________________
KOMINFORM
P.O. Box 66
00841 Helsinki - Finland
+358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081
e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.kominf.pp.fi
_______________________________________________________
Kominform list for general information.
Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news.
Subscribe/unsubscribe messages:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________________
