Extracts.
Sunday, November 19, 2000, updated at 22:06(GMT+8)
Premier Zhu Stresses Agriculture
Premier Zhu Rongji stressed that China should give
first priority to strengthening agriculture and
increasing farmers' income in its efforts to develop
the national economy.
This will not only help raise farmers' living
standards but also be conducive to the balanced
development of industry and agriculture and the urban
and rural economy, said Zhu during his inspection
tour in Shandong Province, a major grain producer in
east China, from November 12 to 17.
Zhu, also member of the Standing Committee of the
Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party's
Central Committee, said that agriculture is the basis
of China's national economy, which should never be
neglected.
Thanks to a series of successful rural policies in
recent years, Zhu said, China's agriculture,
especially grain production, has made remarkable
progress, contributing a lot to the development of
the national economy and social stability.
However, Zhu said, there are still many problems in
rural economy, such as low grain prices and slow
growth in farmer's income.
"If the situation is not improved, it may dampen the
enthusiasm of farmers and shake agriculture's
position as the basis of the national economy," Zhu
said.
More effective measures should be taken to
restructure agriculture and reform the grain
distribution system as well as taxation and fee
levying systems, Zhu said.
Zhu also stressed that greater efforts should be made
to provide financial services to farmers.
****
Sunday, November 19, 2000, updated at 11:42(GMT+8)
Nearly 1.9 Million Beijing Residents Aged Over Sixty
Beijing has 1.88 million residents aged over 60,
latest statistics indicate. This part of population
accounts for 14.6 percent of the city's total and is
growing at a rate of 5.5 percent annually.
A recent survey shows that 71.4 percent of these
senior people are suffering from various diseases,
19.6 percent above the national average.
To protect the legal rights and interests of senior
citizens, Beijing has issued a number of regulations
and established a social security system for the
elderly.
****
Sunday, November 19, 2000, updated at 19:43(GMT+8)
China Sets Up Modernized Middle School at Pamirs
A middle school has been set up in the Tajik
Autonomous County of Taxkorgan, northwest China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
With a total investment of 15 million yuan (about
US$1.8 million), the school is the county's first
full middle school which provides full secondary
education courses for ethnic students living in the
county located on the Pamirs at an average elevation
of 4,000 meters and borders Pakistan, Tadzhikistan
and Kyrgyzstan.
There are more than 1,600 students from different
ethnic groups studying in the school, which has a
total floor space of 7,400 square meters.
The school has also built a number of labs and a
dormitory building which can accommodate 600
students.
The school has modern educational facilities
including computer rooms. The county has a population
of 31,000, in which 28,000 are of the Tajik ethnic
group. Now, more than 97 percent of the school-age
children in the county are enrolled at schools.
****
Saturday, November 18, 2000, updated at 17:55(GMT+8)
President Back Home after Three-Nation Asian Trip
President Jiang Zemin was back in Beijing Saturday
afternoon by a special plane, after wrapping up a
state visit to Laos, Cambodia and Brunei and
attending the 8th Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Leaders' Informal Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan in
Brunei.
Among those greeting President Jiang at the Great
Hall of the People were Premier Zhu Rongji,
Vice-President Hu Jintao, Vice-Chairman Zhang Wannian
of the Central Military Commission, Vice-Chairman
Jiang Chunyun of the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress, Vice-Chairman Ren Jianxin
of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference, and other senior
Chinese officials as well as diplomatic envoys of the
three countries.
****
China to Build Another Railway in Western Region Construction will begin on
a railway linking Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, with Huaihua
City in Hunan Province, central China, by the end of this year.
The Ministry of Railways approved the design of the project on November 18,
which is one of the ten major projects for the country's strategy of
developing western regions.
The 624-km-long railway will be a state trunk line. After its completion,
the railway distance from southwest China to east and south China will be
shortened by 270 km and 550 km, respectively.
The project will take five years to complete and will be put into operation
by June 2005.
****
Israel Rockets Palestinian Targets in Gaza After Shootout Israeli
helicopters Saturday morning rocketed Palestinian targets in southern Gaza
after a Palestinian gunman shot and injured three Israelis in a Jewish
settlement in the area, Palestinian security officials said.
The officials said an installation of Force 17, Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat's private guard unit, was targeted, but he did not give details
about the air raid.
Earlier in the day, a Palestinian gunman, who was killed by Israeli
soldiers, injured three Israelis, one critically, in the Kefar Jewish
settlement in southern Gaza.
The shooting incident and the air strike were the continuation of the
Israeli-Palestinian clashes which have claimed over 200 lives, mostly
Palestinians, since their eruption on September 28.
Arafat Friday for the first time openly called on the Palestinians to stop
firing at Israeli targets.
****
Kuwaiti Emir Receives Russian FM
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Saturday received visiting
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his accompanying delegation.
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, First
Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and a number of senior
officials attended the reception, the official Kuwait News Agency reported.
It gave no details about the meeting.
Ivanov arrived here earlier in the day on a two-day visit. In his statement
to the press upon his arrival, he said Russia was keen on enhancing
political dialogue with Kuwait.
"This does not mean there is a stalemate, but we are keen to foster such
dialogue to the highest level," Ivanov said.
The Russian foreign minister added that Moscow was not only keen on
boosting political ties, but also relations in the economic, trade and
cultural fields.
Ivanov is scheduled to hold official talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart
Sheikh Sabah over the political situations in the Gulf and the Middle East.
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