Extracts. Sanya Strives to Become China's First Freon-Free City Hotels, government organizations, as well as bus drivers in Sanya, a well-known tourist destination on the southern tip of this Chinese tropical island of Hainan, have been busy replacing freon in refrigeration and using a new freezing agent. That is just part of a city-wide campaign launched to eliminate freon traditionally used as a freezing agent for refrigeration in air conditioners and other freezing equipment since the beginning of the year. The campaign will go through 2002, said a local official. Sanya, which falls under the jurisdiction of Hainan Province, is one of the country's best cities for tourism development and a role model for horticulture and ecological balance. It is also considered one of the cities that has the best air quality in the world. "Eliminating freon is an important step to maintain a fine ecological environment and steady growth in Sanya's tourism industry," said the official. Among punitive measures for violations, many shops engaged in freon business in the city are shut down, and freezing equipment and freezing agents that go against the freon-free standard will be confiscated, the official warned. The local administrative departments will not approve annual check-up documents of drivers who continue to drive vehicles with freon as the freezing agent. Developers for new or extension projects that will require the use of freon as a cooling agent can get neither construction approval nor credit support from commercial banks, said the official. **** Tung Visits PLA Garrison in HK Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa Saturday paid a visit to barracks of the PLA forces in Hong Kong. During his visit, Tung watched military training and performances given by the soldiers. He was welcomed by officers and soldiers headed by Xiong Ziren, commander of the Hong Kong Garrison of the PLA military forces. *** Boao Forum to Promote Inter-Asian Cooperation The Boao Forum for Asia, to be established Tuesday, will provide a platform for Asian countries to improve cooperation and dialogue, experts said Sunday. The forum will help improve understanding among Asian countries through high-level dialogue, said Professor Yan Xuetong of Beijing 's Tsinghua University. Asia faces many problems in social, economic and cultural development, but an effective regional organization has not so far been founded to solve the problems through dialogue, due to the great diversity among Asian countries, he added. Asian countries have to integrate to a larger degree to face the challenges that globalization has brought about in both the economic and political aspects, Yan said. The emergence of a global economy will be one of the most important topics the Boao Forum will focus on, said Professor Yuan Ming of Beijing University. Most Asian countries face similar problems. For example, promotion of regional cooperation, reduction of poverty, control of population, improvement of education and protection of the environment, along with the handling of rapid economic growth, she said. Although Asia has made great economic achievements, it still faces great difficulties, she added. **** 3rd Reunion for Inter-Korean Separated Families Begin A hundred members of separated families from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived in Seoul Monday morning, beginning a two-day family reunions with their relatives long lost during Korean War (1950-1953). A DPRK's Air Koryo plane arrived here around 10:30 a.m. Monday with 140 peoples, including 40 support personnel and journalists. It will return to Pyongyang one hour later with a 151-member delegation from South Korea, including 100 separated family members. Under an agreement on the third inter-Korean family reunions,the separated families from South Korea will meet their separated family members at Coryo Hotel in Pyongyang from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday while separated families from the DPRK will hold reunions at Lotte World Hotel in Seoul. Red Cross organizations of the two sides will host a welcoming dinner for separated families in Seoul and Pyongyang, respectively. On Tuesday, separated families in Seoul and Pyongyang will be allowed to spend four hours of individual reunions with their relatives. The separated families are expected to hold 10 hours of reunions on six occasions in Seoul and more than eight hours of reunions on five occasions in Pyongyang. The reunions are the third one since South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and DPRK leader Kim Jong Il held the landmark summit in Pyongyang in June last year. Last August and December, the two sides arranged two reunions for a total of 400 separated families. The 1950-53 Korean War left the peninsula thousands of families divided and severed all contact between the two halves. Some 110,000 South Koreans reportedly have asked the government for the chance to meet their long-lost relatives, most of them are in their 70s. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
