Extracts. Zhu Attends Seminar on WTO Rules. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji delivered an important speech at the graduation of the provincial-level leaders' seminar on WTO rules, and policies, laws and regulations about foreign investment absorption, which is held at the State Administrative College in Beijing December 7, 2001. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji delivered an important speech at the graduation of the provincial-level leaders' seminar on WTO rules, and policies, laws and regulations about foreign investment absorption, which is held at the State Administrative College in Beijing December 7, 2001. **** Global Economic Recession Affects China's Exports Economic experts forecast that China's growth rate for imports will outstrip that for exports during the first several years following accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). China still faces many difficulties and barriers as world economy worsens and experts call for improved export structure and updated industrial products. 4th Annual Meeting of China Development Forum Opens in Beijing ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6 percent exports growth rate expected Economic experts forecast that China's growth rate for imports will outstrip that for exports during the first several years following accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). "But trade balance is likely to be achieved after these initial years,'' said Bai Hejin, president of the Macroeconomic Research Institute under the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC). Exports are expected to reach an annual growth rate of 6 per cent during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) period, while the average growth rate for imports is likely to be 10 per cent. "The trade surplus will increasingly decrease, and sometimes trade deficit will emerge,'' Bai predicted. Difficulty remains as world economy worsens Bai said that the State's exports face difficulty as a result of the worsening world economic situation. "We are experiencing a difficulty, which is more severe than that when Asian financial turmoil swept parts of the world in 1997-98,'' Bai said. Bai anticipated that the world economy is expected to shake off recession in 2003. The recession may possibly make the State's export growth rate this year plummet from 27.8 per cent in 2000 to 5 per cent. "It's not an easy task for us to achieve a growth rate of even 3 to 4 per cent,'' said Bai. Export structure to be improved Meanwhile, the barriers for some of the State's competitive export products are still there, although China has become a WTO member. For instance, the United States can register anti-dumping complaints against China's textile exports, but the price of the product at home markets cannot be used as a standard against that in United States until 2015. Bai said the State will further restructure its exports. Mechanical and electronic products are expected to make up 50 per cent of the State's overall volume of exports in 2005. And the export volume of high-tech products is likely to stay at 20 per cent. Forum held for China's development Bai revealed the above predictions prior to Thursday opening ceremony of the fourth annual meeting of the China Development Forum, jointly sponsored by the State Information Centre and Bai's institute. Wang Chunzheng, vice-minister of SDPC told more than 500 officials, experts and entrepreneurs attending the two-day meeting that the State will massively restructure its economy in the new era when China becomes a WTO member. The State has decided to make great efforts to modernize agriculture and upgrade industrial products. Wang also said the State encourages foreigners to invest in high-tech industries such as information technology, biological engineering and new materials, and basic industries such as chemicals and building materials. "Infrastructure construction will require extensive investment, especially in western regions,'' Wang said. **** U.N. Calls for 330 Million U.S. Dollars in Aid for Palestinian Refugees. The head of the United nations agency aiding Palestinian refugees appealed Friday for more than 300 million U.S. dollars to fund its operations for 2002,saying that the international community has a humanitarian responsibility to join the relief effort. The head of the United nations agency aiding Palestinian refugees appealed Friday for more than 300 million U.S. dollars to fund its operations for 2002,saying that the international community has a humanitarian responsibility to join the relief effort. Although the 330.7 million dollars budget for 2002 is above the2001 level, it represents an actual decline when inflation and the rapidly growing refugee population, expected to surpass four million dollars next year, are taken into account, said Peter Hansen in a statement to the agency's annual pledging conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. Hansen is commissioner-general of the U.N. Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The agency's estimate for the current year's funding is 285million dollars, against a budget of 311 million dollars, according to U.N. figures. **** Helicopter Missiles Strike Southern Gaza Strip. Israeli army helicopters destroyed with missiles Palestinian Authority police and security Israeli army helicopters destroyed with missiles Palestinian Authority police and security installations in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, eyewitnesses and Palestinian security sources told Xinhua. The witnesses said that after midnight on Friday an Israeli army Apache helicopter fired about nine missiles that hit the buildings of the elite Force 17, the military and general intelligence security organization. They added that the buildings suffered severe damage. They said that after the helicopter attack white and the black smoke was seen. Ambulances and firemen rushed to the area to put out the flames and rescue survivors. Medical sources at Rafah hospital said at least ten people were injured by the missile shrapnel. The helicopter attack is a continuation of the Israeli retaliation to the bombings carried out early this week by Palestinian suicide bombers, members of the Islamic Hamas' armed wing inside Israel. The shelling of the PA police and security installations came shortly after Israeli and Palestinian security officials met in Tel Aviv under the auspices of the U.S. peace envoy, retired general Anthony Zinni. **** Burundi Rebel Groups Urged to Cease Hostilities. The United Nations Security Council on Friday again called on the rebel groups in Burundi to cease hostilities and enter into negotiations with the transitional government which came into office on November 1.The 15-member council strongly condemned the recent "unjustifiable" attacks launched by rebels, and urged regional countries to use their influence on the rebels for the stop of hostilities, said Ambassador Moctar Quane of Mali, the council president for the month of December. The United Nations Security Council on Friday again called on the rebel groups in Burundi to cease hostilities and enter into negotiations with the transitional government which came into office on November 1.The 15-member council strongly condemned the recent "unjustifiable" attacks launched by rebels, and urged regional countries to use their influence on the rebels for the stop of hostilities, said Ambassador Moctar Quane of Mali, the council president for the month of December. The council invited President Omar Bongo of Gabon and Vice-President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, with the support of the countries of the region, to initiate as soon as possible the process of negotiations between the armed groups and government, Quane said in a press statement. The two mediators were entrusted with the job of facilitating negotiations at the Regional Initiative Summit of October 11.Voicing its concern at the gravity of the humanitarian situation in Burundi, the council reiterated its appeal to all the parties to guarantee access by the humanitarian organizations to the populations in distress throughout the territory. **** S. Africa Attaches Great Importance to Mbeki's China Visit: Official. South African President Thabo Mbeki's upcoming state visit to China is of extreme political and economical importance, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said in Pretoria recently. South African President Thabo Mbeki's upcoming state visit to China is of extreme political and economical importance, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said in Pretoria recently. At the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Mbeki is to visit China from December 9 to 12 in the company of Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin. During the visit, Jiang and Mbeki will set up a committee on bilateral relations and the two will preside over the first meeting of the committee. Pahad expressed the belief that President Mbeki's forthcoming China visit will further promote political and economic relations between the two countries. He spoke highly of China's rapid economic development, saying that China is the seventh largest economy in the world and it is expected to be one of the largest by the middle of the next decade. China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is indicative of its acceptance into the world economy, he said. Noting that South Africa established diplomatic ties with China in 1998, Pahad said the relationship between the two countries has grown considerably. China is South Africa's 10th most important trading partner, he said. Great potentials, both economic and political, remain to be tapped. "We have not fully explored the seventh most important economy in the world," he said. China rose to South Africa's 10th most important trade partner in 2000 from the 20th place in 1999. South Africa's trade with the Chinese Mainland reached 6.8 billion rand (680 million U.S. dollars) in 2000 and its trade with Hongkong 3.1 billion rand (310 million dollars). Pahad said: "We hope the president's visit will provide impetus for the private sector to explore opportunities" and his visit will "also consolidate our political relations." The world has changed considerably after the September 11 attacks in the United States, and China has an important role to play as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, he said. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
