Extracts. Senior Party Official Calls for Judicial Reform to Ensure Justice Senior official of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Wei Jianxing Friday called on the people's court to advance legal reform nationwide to ensure justice. Wei, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with court leaders and judges from across the country to attend a conference to commend the judges that "people satisfied with." "Courts should equally treat various litigants so as to protect the fundamental interests of the people," he said, calling for more efforts to be made in promoting the quality and efficiency in court trials." Wei pointed out that justice can only be maintained when trials are conducted independently and in accordance with the law. He stressed the leadership of the CPC in the law enforcement and court work for the CPC represents the development requirements of China's advanced social productive forces, the progressive course of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. "The Party's leadership of trial work lies in supervising over and supporting the people's courts, in efforts to guarantee courts to enjoy independent right in trials," he said. Wei urged Party committees at all levels to increase the support for the courts to fight against local protectionism and departmental protectionism. He said that China's court system should be reformed in the aspects of management, daily operations and logistic safeguards. The current judicial reform promoting justice and efficiency should continue, he said. Wei noted that the corruption deeds by the only few among the court staffs have seriously damaged the reputation of courts and judges, as well as the image of the Party and the state. The promotion of education and anti-corruption should be continued so as to win the trust of the public on courts and the judicial system of the country, he said. Among those present at the conference were Luo Gan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and state councilor, Jiang Chunyun, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Xiao Yang, president of the Supreme People's Court. **** China Resolutely Opposes US Intervention in Macao Affairs China lodged Thursday its strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to a US bill meddling in the affairs of Macao, a special administrative region of China. In response to a question at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao strongly condemned the actions of the U.S. in interfering in the affairs of Macao by passing a domestic bill. Zhu said that the U.S. Congress, disregarding China's opposition, had "affiliated the so-called amendment of the US policy on Macao" to another bill and has now been signed into law by President Clinton. He said that "the bill attempts to interfere into the affairs of Macao and infringes upon China's sovereignty by utilizing the export control and human rights issues." "China is strongly displeased with and resolutely opposed to the US action," Zhu said. "China demands the US to observe the basic norms governing international relations and stop its wrong action of intervening in China's domestic affairs," the spokesman said. **** Senior Party Official Calls for Judicial Reform to Ensure Justice Senior official of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Wei Jianxing <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/cpcdir/wprofile.html> Friday called on the people's court to advance legal reform nationwide to ensure justice. Wei, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with court leaders and judges from across the country to attend a conference to commend the judges that "people satisfied with." "Courts should equally treat various litigants so as to protect the fundamental interests of the people," he said, calling for more efforts to be made in promoting the quality and efficiency in court trials." Wei pointed out that justice can only be maintained when trials are conducted independently and in accordance with the law. He stressed the leadership of the CPC in the law enforcement and court work for the CPC represents the development requirements of China's advanced social productive forces, the progressive course of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. "The Party's leadership of trial work lies in supervising over and supporting the people's courts, in efforts to guarantee courts to enjoy independent right in trials," he said. Wei urged Party committees at all levels to increase the support for the courts to fight against local protectionism and departmental protectionism. He said that China's court system should be reformed in the aspects of management, daily operations and logistic safeguards. The current judicial reform promoting justice and efficiency should continue, he said. Wei noted that the corruption deeds by the only few among the court staffs have seriously damaged the reputation of courts and judges, as well as the image of the Party and the state. The promotion of education and anti-corruption should be continued so as to win the trust of the public on courts and the judicial system of the country, he said. Among those present at the conference were Luo Gan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and state councilor, Jiang Chunyun, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Xiao Yang, president of the Supreme People's Court. **** New Housing System to Be Launched by China in 2001 China is going to launch a new housing system in 2001. This system, targeted at commercializing housing, will be made up of seven systems: housing distribution, housing supply, marketing, intermediate, financing, residential property management and governmental micro-control. According to Outlook Weekly (first issue), by the end of 2000, China had thoroughly abolished the housing system featuring distribution in kind and from 2001, it will implement a new housing policy. Two years have passed since the proposal for monetizing housing was put forward, however, some cities still failed to work out relevant plans; some departments in those cities, which already formulated plans, have not yet put allowance funds in place; among urban residents, there are very few enterprises and institutions implementing a monetized distribution plan, superficially, it is due to insufficient financial sustainable capability, but the main reason is their inadequate understanding. China has basically accomplished the task of abolishing the old housing system and the task of establishing a new one is being carried out. In this process, many deep-seated problems have cropped up. Under such circumstance, it will take at least 20 years to fulfill the task of establishing a new housing system. **** 90% Taiwanese Pessimistic About Taiwan's Economy Recent poll taking in Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> reveals nearly 90% of Taiwanese are pessimistic about Taiwan's economy; 36% are worried about becoming unemployed; nearly 50% tell that some of their family members, friends or kith and kin have already been in dire strait and become jobless. Pervading pessimism has been felt as well among Taiwan's financiers because of a new downturn of the island's financial since the new year began. Local media in Taiwan report that instead of having a good time at the beginning of a new century Taiwan's economy looms dark and depressing. Most of pollsters especially those from the central south of Taiwan take a pessimistic view and are worried about finding a way out for Taiwan's economy. According to another poll taking, 76% of high-up directors in Taiwan's financial field hold that Taiwan's financial environment will further get deteriorated and in the view of 70% pollsters loans will have to be got on harsher tightened terms. To be in sum, a scholarly view from Taiwan is that as what has been seen and felt on the island Taiwan's economy has already been totally lackluster and hard to be firmed from its deepest economic downturn. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
