China says it is able to maintain stable grain supply and price

China is able to guarantee stable domestic food supply and keep prices level, as the country has abundant grain reserves, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Tuesday.

In March, international rice prices rose to their highest level in 19 years, and wheat prices rocketed to a 28-year peak. At the same time, China's domestic grain prices only reported mild increases, up 5.7 percent in January and 6 percent in February.

"China's grain output reached 500 billion kilograms in 2007, 70 billion kilograms more than that of 2003. The total production of rice, wheat and maize surpassed 450 billion kilograms in 2007," said the NDRC on its website.

Official figures showed that the country's output of rice, the most important stable food, topped 185 billion kilograms last year, slightly more than the domestic consumption volume between 180 to 185 billion kilograms.

The country's current ratio of grain reserves to consumption is higher than the 17 to 18 percent level, which is regarded as a safe minimum for global stocks, said the NDRC, the country's top economic planning agency.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in April the country has abundant grain reserves standing at 150 million to 200 million tonnes.

The central government vowed this year to spend more than 562 billion yuan (80.1 billion U.S. dollars) to support farms and the rural sector, 130.7 billion yuan more than last year.

The government decided in March to spend another 25.25 billion yuan in addition to this year's rural budget, mainly to subsidize farmers' purchase of seed, diesel, fertilizers and other production materials.

The government raised the lowest state purchasing prices for rice and wheat by the end of March, with lowest state purchasing price for rice up 0.14 yuan per kilogram, the second such move since February.

The Ministry of Railways last month ordered railway authorities in the northeast provinces to improve efficiency and send 10 million tonnes of grains out of the grain-rich northeast to the south from May 1 to June 30, in a bid to ease supply imbalances and stem price rises.

The northeast of China, namely the Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, contributes 16.6 percent of the national grain output, or 83.1 billion kilograms annually.

The country this year has decided to strictly control grain export to ensure domestic supply and fight inflation, abolishing tax rebates, levying temporary duties and imposing quotas on the export of some grain products like rice and wheat.

Beijing imposes broader smoking ban ahead of Olympics

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- In effort to create a smoke-free Olympics, Beijing on Thursday expanded its non-smoking policy in more public places to cover a range of areas from hotels to parks.

Following a regulation implemented in 1996, the measures have been expanded to include fitness centers, cultural relic sites, offices, meeting rooms, dining halls, toilets, and aisles and lifts in buildings belonging to government or private institutions.

In addition, restaurants, Internet cafes, parks, waiting halls in airports, railway stations and coach stations are also required to provide separate smoking and non-smoking areas.

Hotels were told to offer smoke-free rooms or floors, but the regulations didn't specify the proportion.

People caught smoking in forbidden areas will be fined 10 yuan (1.4 U.S. dollars), while enterprises and institutions that violate the rule face fines ranging between 1,000 yuan and 5,000 yuan.

Local authorities will dispatch about 100,000 inspectors to check the enforcement of the rule.

Before the new regulation, the capital had previously banned smoking in hospitals, kindergartens, schools, museums, sports venues and other places.

From Oct. 1 last year, it also banned smoking in the city's 66,000 taxis. It imposed a fine of between 100 yuan and 200 yuan on drivers if they were caught smoking in cabs.

China has pledged a non-smoking and green Olympics. The upcoming Games will be the first non-smoking Olympics since the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), of which China was a signatory, went into effect in 2005.

Beijing health officials said the smoking ban in public places were designed not just for the Olympics, but as a long-term campaign to promote health. Local authorities were also considering upgrading the existing regulations to a law in future.

"Smoking areas in public places will eventually be abolished in the city," said Zhang Peili of the Beijing Municipal Legislative Affairs Office.

About 350 million people in China smoke, Ministry of Health statistics show. That is about 26 percent of the country's population and a third of the world's smokers. About 1 million people die from smoking-related diseases in the country annually.

As high as 90 percent of the Chinese public applauded Beijing's smoking ban in public places, according to a recent survey by the China Youth Daily and sina.com.cn.

The survey, covering 5,482 netizens, also revealed that 52 percent of smokers agreed with the ban, while 37 percent opposed.

"Of course, smoking shouldn't be allowed in public places. We non-smokers need more fresh air," said a local resident surnamed Wang.

Guangzhou to build 2500 hotspots in 2008

It was learned at a recently held Guangzhou Government Informationization Work Meeting that the city will take the opportunity to build a National Information Demonstration City network pushing forward the integration of informationization and industrialization and building an “Informationized Guangzhou The informationization in Guangzhou will focus mainly the construction and application of a “Wireless City (Urban wireless broadband network)”, improvements to further the service levels of the “international information hub”, work to establish 2500 hotspots within the “Wireless City” concept covering all the public areas in Guangzhou so as to facilitate public access to the net, allowing internet users to go shopping, attend education courses and get entertainment online.

Besides the construction of such projects as a Video Monitoring System to ensure Dynamic Public Security, a Social Security Information System, a Guangzhou Supercomputer Center, a Government Information Sharing Platform, a Digital version of the Asian Games, Digital City Planning, and more, Guangzhou will also further boost the concept of E-government, social informationization and, finally, enterprise informationization.

In addition, authorities will also vigorously develop strategically advanced manufacturing industries such as flat panel display companies and those producing integrated circuits, they will push the construction of Guangzhou’s digital home industrial innovation and application and demonstration base forward faster, speed up the construction of the third party electronic commerce platform, the Southern modern logistic information platform, the e-commerce systems of professional markets, the state mobile e-commerce pilot project, the Guangzhou and Hong Kong Information service cooperation and host the China (Guangzhou) IT Week program. Too, the Asia Flat Panel Display Industry Expo, China Digital Home Summit Forum, and Guangzhou and Hong Kong IT Industrial Summit Forum and others will be supported building them into a world famous IT conference and exhibition brand.

Olympic Torch Relay in Guangzhou

The Olympic Torch Relay in Guangzhou starts this morning at 8:15 when the provincial Party Chief Wang Yang passed the sacred fire to Yang Jinghui, the first torch bearer of the Guangzhou Relay and the gold medal winner in the synchronized 10 metre platform diving in 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Altogether 208 torch bearers will run over 40 km today, passing the Baiyun Mountain, Guangzhou Art Museum, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Chen’s Clan, Beijing Road, Haizhu Bridge, Haiyin Park, Embassy Square, Guangzhou Bridge, Zhujiang New Town and Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Center. The relay will end at the Tianhe Sports Center at 6 pm, following by a grand ceremony and show.

The final torch bearer in Guangzhou will be Dong Zhaozhi, Silver Medal in Men’s Team Foil at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Both Yang and Dong are Guangzhou native.

Besides the two former Olympic winners, the torch bearers in Guanghzou includes representatives from all walks of life and are expected to disseminate the Olympic spirit throughout the city.

Torchbearer Yang Jinghui shows the torch during the launching ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on May 7, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Torchbearer Yang Jinghui runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Wednesday morning, May 7, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Torchbearer Yang Jinghui (R) lights the torch for the next torchbearer Liu Jiangnan during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Wednesday morning, May 7, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

People cheer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on May 7, 2008.

Map of Torch Relay in Guangzhou

Olympic torch relay in Shenzhen adjusts schedule with flame in final assault at Mt. Qomolangma

The Beijing Olympic torch relay in south China boomtown Shenzhen will kick off later then previously scheduled as Chinese mountaineers carrying the sacred flame started to launch a final assault to the top of Mt. Qomolangma earlier on Thursday.

The Shenzhen relay, previously scheduled to start Thursday morning, has been reset to launch at noon, after an expected success in reaching the world's highest peak, announced here the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) in a statement.

No changes have been made on the relay route in Shenzhen, but with less hours expected to use, added the BOCOG.

The relay will start from the Shimin Guangchang, or the People's Square, and finish at the western square of the city stadium. It will also pass by landmarks such as the Window of the World, Red Forest Park and the city's highest skyscraper Diwang building.

The distance run by each torchbearer will be shortened from 200 meters to 100, or the torch will be carried by two bearers together in a run of 200 meters, according to the statement.

Climbers carrying the Olympic flame are expected to reach the top of Mt. Qomolangma at around 9 a.m. (0200 GMT).

Olympic flame atop Mt. Qomolangma

Chinese climbers display flags at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

Norbu Zhamdu (L) lights the Olympic torch of the first torchbearer Gegyi with a kindling at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Chinese climbers cheer with flags at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Chinese climbers display an Olympic torch, an Olympic flame lantern, a flag of International Olympic Committee, a Chinese National flag and a flag of the 29th Olympic Games at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

TV grab from May 8, 2008 shows the Chinese climbers spurt to the top of Mt. Qomolangma, at about the altitude of 8,800 meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Chinese climbers carrying the Olympic flame will reach the top of Mt. Qomolangma Thursday morning. (Xinhua Photo)

TV grab from May 8, 2008 shows Chinese climbers spurting to the top of Mt. Qomolangma, at about the altitude of 8,800 meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.(Xinhua Photo)

Graphics shows the route on the north slope along which the Beijing Olympic flame is to be carried to Mt. Qomolangma.(Xinhua Photo)

This picture taken on May 7, 2008 shows tents at the Attack Camp of Mt. Qomolangma, at the altitude of 8,300 meters in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Chinese mountaineers will carry the Beijing Olympic flame to the top of Mt. Qomolangma on May 8, an official of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee announed at the Base Camp of Mt. Qomolangma on May 7. (Xinhua/Luo Shen)

The Beijing Olympic flame reached the top of Mt. Qomolangma at 9:18 am Beijing time Thursday.

The last of the five torchbearers, Cering Wangmo, hoisted the sacred flame at the world's highest summit.

The relay on Mt. Qomolangma started with female climber Gyigyias the first bearer and Wang Yongfeng as the second. A dozen of climbers celebrated at the 8,844-meter summit, holding the Chinese national flag, the Beijing Olympic flag and the five-ring Olympic flag.

"Long live Beijing!" shouted one climber. Beijing organizers postponed the main torch relay, which isre-scheduled to start in the southern city of Shenzhen Thursday noon.

The Qomolangma flame will be reunited with the main flame later in the relay.

Olympic torch lit at Mt. Qomolangma

The Beijing Olympic torch was ignited by Norbu Zhamdu at 9:12 am local time on Mt. Qomolangma on Thursday.

A 30-meter relay on the world's highest peak has started with female climber Gyigyi as the first bearer and Wang Yongfeng as the second.

Captain Nyima Cering was the third bearer. "One World, OneDream," he shouted.

Olympic flame reaches 8,800 meters

The Beijing Olympic flame has reached 8,800 meters of the 8,844-meter Mt. Qomolangma.

Final climbers to top of Mt. Qomolangma

Following are the members of the Attack Team of climbers carrying the Beijing Olympic flame to the top of Mt. Qomolangma:

Captain: Nyima Cering

Deputy captain: Luo Shen

Members:

Dagguang

Gyigyi

Cering Wangmo

Li Fuqing

Huang Chungui

Yuan Fudong

Norbu Zhamdu

Ngawang Chagxi

Chagxi Cering

Purbu Toinzhub

Backup team:

Captain: Celo

Members:

Wang Yongfeng

Deqen Ngoezhub

Cedain Jigme

Painba Toinzhub

Yan Dongdong

Loze

Beijing Olympic torch relay in Sanya concludes

SANYA, South China, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay in south China's Sanya concluded at the senic spot of TianyaHaijiao on Sunday.

　　Pop star Jackie Chan and Pu Huifang, head of a small town in Sanya, who run as the last torchbearers, kindled the cauldron at 5:56 p.m. local time, prompting loud cheers and applauses from the spectators.

　　The torch relay started from the Phoenix Island, passing the Crown of Beauty Center, Haiyue Square of Sanya Gulf and Haihong Square. A total of 208 torchbearers from all works of life run through the 30.09-kilometer route.

　　During the torch relay, tens of thousands local people lined the route, chanting support for the Beijing Olympic Games. The Olympic "five-ring" flags and red flags laid all over the sidewalk along the route.

　　This was the first leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in the Chinese mainland. The sacred flame will go to Wuzhishan city on Monday.

China, Japan sign joint statement on all-round promotion of strategic, mutually beneficial relations

TOKYO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda signed here Wednesday a Sino-Japanese joint statement on all-round promotion of strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

The statement includes the following points.

On bilateral relations, both countries agree that China and Japan play significant roles and bear solemn responsibilities in maintaining world peace, stability and development. Long-term peace and friendly cooperation between them is the only choice for the two countries.

On the political basis for the stable growth of their relations, both sides reaffirm that they will adhere to the principles set forth in the three political documents, namely the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the People's Republic of China and Japan and the Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration, which form the political basis for the stable development of the Sino-Japanese relations.

On the Sino-Japanese strategic and mutually beneficial relations, the two sides are determined to promote mutual understanding and trust, expand cooperation of mutual benefit to open up a new prospect for their strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

On their partnership for cooperation, the two countries believe that they are cooperation partners, with neither side posing threat to the other. Both countries reaffirm that they will support each other in its peaceful development.

On the Taiwan issue, Japan reiterates that it will adhere to its stance declared in the Japanese-Sino Joint Statement.

On bilateral cooperation, the two sides decide to open dialogue and establish cooperation framework in enhancing political mutual trust, promoting human and cultural exchange, strengthening cooperation of mutual benefit, contributing to the development in Asia and Pacific and join hands in tackling global issues.