Extracts.
China's 10th Five-Year Plan Sees Good Beginning in 2001. China's good economic performance in 2001 has amounted to a good beginning for the country's 10th five-year plan (2001-2005), observers say. Senior officials and economists have put the estimated economic growth at 7.4 percent. It is estimated that China's gross domestic product in 2001 will hit 9.645 trillion yuan. Economic Growth Though the official figure is not yet out, senior officials and economists have put the estimated economic growth at 7.4 percent, according to a commentary in the January 2002 issue of Economic World, a monthly magazine published by Xinhua. It is estimated that China's gross domestic product in 2001 will hit 9.645 trillion yuan (US$1.2 trillion). The efficiency of the economy as a whole has continued to improve, with profits of industrial enterprises rising 9.3 percent in the first 10 months of the year. Disposable Income The disposable income of urban dwellers witnessed a seven percent growth, while the pure income of farmers increased by four percent. This was against a one percent rise in the price level of consumer products. The country's balance of international payments has been in a sound and healthy situation. As at the end of October, China's foreign reserve was as high as US$203 billion. According to the article, the economic feat has been hard-earned amid a global economic slowdown. Government's Policies It attributes the success to the government's proactive financial policy and sound monetary policy, as well as specific and well-implemented policies to stimulate domestic need. China's enhanced efforts to open up its market and to bring its legislation and regulatory system in line with international practices also help keep the economy on a healthy track, the commentary says. Blind Optimism Warned The good beginning in 2001 has laid a solid foundation for economic development in the remaining years of the 10th five-year plan, the commentary says. But it also warns against blind optimism. Shadow of 911 Attacks With the U.S. economy in a downturn and the far-reaching shadow on the world economy cast by the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., China is facing a grave export situation that will weaken the spur of foreign trade on the economy, the commentary says. Obstacles in Domestic Scenario In the domestic scenario, outdated capacity structure and deeply-rooted issues in the economic management system are imposing obstacles to the further expansion of domestic demands and may even threaten the health of the economy, it says. WTO Challenges Meanwhile, as member of the World Trade Organization, China must be well prepared for the grave challenges to certain domestic sectors and products as a result of more exposure to foreign competition. The commentary calls for adherence to policies for expanding domestic need, opening up markets, further restructuring the economy and rectifying the market order. **** China Deciding on Striking Hard on Dark Forces. The 9th NPC Standing Committee called its 25th Standing Committee meeting for reviewing a decision by the State Council on strengthening public order and crack down on disruptive forces on December 28. The committee members at the meeting all showed their determination to strike hard on the crimes and arrogance of all dark forces and their protectors. Cracking down on dark forces The 9th NPC Standing Committee called its 25th Standing Committee meeting for reviewing a decision by the State Council on strengthening public order and cracking down on disruptive forces on December 28. The committee members at the meeting all showed their determination through group discussion to strike hard on the crimes and arrogance of all dark forces and their protectors shielding them and guard the safety of people's lives and their property. Tong Zhiguan and some other members pointed out that underworld crimes feature collusion from inside and out. Many cleared cases have testified to the criminal deeds of shielding forces being the hotbed of dark forces. Rooting up shielding forces The committee members said it should be an effective measure to improve social security by punishing criminals severely. However, it can't root out the crimes essentially. All levels must follow the principle of combining punishment with prevention and work out various comprehensive supervision measures and new rules to cope with the new situation. Financial commissioner Chen Mingshan with the National People's Congress said it is of great importance to promote the construction of anti-corruption and spiritual civilization among cadres at all levels and public security organs. It will help immeasurably prevention and elimination of dark protective forces when greater resistance to temptations from dark forces is to be built. **** India's Opposition Parties Support Govt's Steps Against Pakistan. India's major opposition parties on Sunday came out in "full support" of the measures taken by the government against Pakistan following the December 13 terrorist strike on Indian parliament, but avoided any talk of war at an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported here. India's major opposition parties on Sunday came out in "full support" of the measures taken by the government against Pakistan following the December 13 terrorist strike on Indian parliament, but avoided any talk of war at an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported here. The opposition leaders sought "maximum scope" for diplomatic steps to force Islamabad to rein in terrorist outfits as "no one wanted a war," said the PTI. All the leaders approved the action taken by the government so far and were appreciative of the future diplomatic strategy unveiled by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh at the meeting, Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan was quoted as saying following the two-hour meeting. The meeting also saw Singh emphasizing that India's military deployment on the borders was "purely a defensive deployment," Mahajan said. Asserting that the military deployment by India was necessitated because there was deployment from Pakistan, Mahajan said Indian military deployment was "200 percent defensive." No one from the government side or the opposition side raised the issue of military initiative at the meeting, Mahajan noted. Insisting that none in the government or in the opposition was keen on a war, he said no sane person would go for a war. The PTI also reported that a suggestion was made at the meeting that Jaswant Singh should meet his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar on the sidelines of the forthcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu next week. However, Mahajan said that no decision had so far been taken on the issue. India would forcefully raise the issue of terrorism at the summit but there would be no discussion on Indo-Pak relations since the SAARC charter did not provide for bilateral issues being raised, he noted. The Indian government also told the opposition leaders that it was preparing a list of terrorists and criminals who India believed had taken refuge in Pakistan and would forward it to Islamabad in due course for their extradition, Mahajan said. **** Pakistani Police Make Largest-Ever Weapons Seizure Near Afghan Border. Pakistani police have made the country's largest-ever seizure of arms and ammunition, allegedly smuggled from neighboring Afghanistan, a senior police official said Saturday. Pakistani police have made the country's largest-ever seizure of arms and ammunition, allegedly smuggled from neighboring Afghanistan, a senior police official said Saturday. The weapons, found buried in an empty house on the outskirts of Quetta on Friday, could have been used for terrorist attacks, Balochistan province police chief Shoaib Suddle said. Two suspects have been detained in the case. Suddle said police recovered 124 submachine guns, 248 rifles, one recoilless rifle, two mortars, 342 mortar bombs, rockets and almost 30,000 rounds of ammunition. Police and troops in Quetta have recently arrested dozens of foreign nationals on suspicion of links with Afghanistan's now-defunct Taliban movement and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. "We are doing our level best to arrest fleeing foreign fighters," Suddle said. **** India Refuses Talks With Musharraf. India said Saturday it would continue to mass tens of thousands of troops at its border until Pakistan cracks down on Islamic militants, rejecting a Pakistani call for the two nations' leaders to meet to try to defuse the crisis. India said Saturday it would continue to mass tens of thousands of troops at its border until Pakistan cracks down on Islamic militants, rejecting a Pakistani call for the two nations' leaders to meet to try to defuse the crisis. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said his government would do its best to avert war, but Pakistan warned that the tensions at the border �� where the two sides traded fire again Saturday �� could trigger a full-fledged conflict between the nuclear-armed nations. In a phone conversation Saturday, President Bush urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to "take additional strong and decisive measures to eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. Bush also spoke with Vajpayee and said the United States is "determined to cooperate with India in the fight against terrorism," McClellan said. Bush urged both leaders to work to reduce tensions. Pakistani police say they have arrested at least 30 militants since the Dec. 13 attack by gunmen on India's Parliament that sparked the current crisis between the South Asian rivals. On Friday, Bush had praised Musharraf for the arrests and said India should "take note" of the crackdown. India has dismissed Pakistan's steps as cosmetic and on Saturday demanded tougher action. Pakistan has said it needs proof for India's claims that two Islamic militant groups based on its soil conducted the Parliament attack, which killed nine Indians and the five attackers. India claims Pakistan's spy agency sponsored the attack, an accusation Islamabad denies. The dozen or so Islamic militant groups based in Pakistan that are battling Indian rule in Kashmir enjoy support among a vocal sector of the public and within segments of the military, making it difficult for Musharraf to carry out a crackdown. Indian National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra said Saturday that India will not pull troops from the border until Pakistan takes "credible, firm, substantive and visible action" against militants operating in Kashmir. Vajpayee insisted "no means shall be spared" in putting a stop to what he called "Pakistan-sponsored terrorism." Indian and Pakistani soldiers �� only 100 yards apart in some places �� traded fire Saturday over the "Line of Control" dividing the disputed Kashmir region, as civilians on both sides of the border were evacuated. India says 20,000 civilians are being moved from homes near the Kashmir frontier. Musharraf on Friday offered to meet Vajpayee on the sidelines of a Jan. 4-6 gathering of South Asian leaders both are attending in Nepal's capital, Katmandu. But India turned down the offer. "Until Pakistan creates a conducive climate by acting resolutely and meaningfully against terrorism, the outlook for such a dialogue cannot be promising," Nirupama Rao, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said Saturday. **** Uganda in Food Crisis: FAO. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has listed Uganda among 15 African countries facing exceptional food emergencies due to civil strife and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) among other problems, local media reported on Saturday. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has listed Uganda among 15 African countries facing exceptional food emergencies due to civil strife and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) among other problems, local media reported on Saturday. Although the food situation in eastern Africa has markedly improved compared to last year, drought, refugees, insecurity and population displacement are posing an emergency, said the FAO in its report "Food Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa" issued recently. In Uganda, there were reportedly good harvests reflecting favorable weather conditions, but there are extremely bad cases of food shortage in the IDPs and war-ravaged areas, the FAO said. It is estimated that over 70 percent of the population in northern Uganda lives in IDP camps due to the rebel activities by the Lords Resistance Army. The FAO report also blacklists Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe among the countries. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
