WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday warned that the global economy was in "a severe recession" and the world output is projected to decline 1.3 percent this year, the deepest global recession since the Great Depression in 1930s. "The global economy is in a severe recession inflicted by a massive financial crisis and acute loss of confidence," said the IMF in its latest World Economic Outlook report. "All corners of the globe are being affected." EPICENTER OF CRISIS According to the report, the world economy is projected to decline by 1.3 percent in 2009 as a whole and to recover only gradually in 2010, growing by 1.9 percent. "Achieving this turnaround will depend on stepping up efforts to heal the financial sector, while continuing to support demand with monetary and fiscal easing," said the IMF. The advanced economies experienced an unprecedented 7.5 percent decline in real GDP during the fourth quarter of 2008, and output is estimated to have continued to fall almost as fast during the first quarter of 2009, according to the report. Although the U.S. economy may have suffered most from intensified financial strains and the continued fall in the housing sector, western Europe and advanced Asia have been hit hard by the collapse in global trade, as well as by rising financial problems of their own and housing corrections in some national markets. Emerging economies are suffering badly and contracted 4 percent in the fourth quarter in the aggregate. The United States, at the center of an intensifying global financial storm, will contract by 2.8 percent this year, said the IMF, adding that "the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression has pushed the United States into a severe recession." Meanwhile, the euro zone economy will shrink by 4.2 percent this year and fall a further 0.4 percent in 2010, the IMF said, criticizing the bloc for weak public policy responses and coordination. In Japan, the IMF expects 2009 output to fall 6.2 percent, far worse than its January forecast for a 2.6 percent decline. China is expected to slow to about 6.5 percent this year, half the 13 percent growth rate recorded pre-crisis in 2007 but still a strong performance given the global context, according to the IMF. UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK The IMF warned the financial crisis remains acute. "The financial market stabilization will take longer than previously envisaged, even with strong efforts by policymakers," it said. Thus, financial strains in the mature markets are projected to remain heavy until well into 2010, and overall credit to the private sector in the advanced economies is expected to decline in both 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile, emerging and developing economies are expected to face greatly curtailed access to external financing in both years. In a semi-annual report Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR), which was released on Monday, the IMF said write-down on U.S.-originated assets to be suffered by all holders will be 2.7 trillion dollars, "largely as a result of the worsening base-case scenario for economic growth." Total expected write-downs on global exposures are estimated at about 4 trillion dollars, of which two-thirds will fall on banks and the remainder on insurance companies, pension funds, hedge funds, and other intermediaries. In the latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF warned that the current outlook is exceptionally uncertain, with risks weighed to the downside. The crisis has hurt international trade, with volume expected to plunge 11 percent this year before eking out 0.6 percent growth in 2010. Consumer prices in developed countries were under pressure and would fall 0.2 percent in 2009. "Even once the crisis is over, there will be a difficult transition period, with output growth appreciably below rates seen in the recent past," said the IMF. BOLD POLICY The IMF called for its members to take new bold policy stimulus to jump-start their economies. "This difficult and uncertain outlook argues for forceful action on both the financial and macroeconomic policy fronts," said the IMF. Past episodes of financial crisis have shown that delays in tackling the underlying problem mean an even more protracted economic downturn and even greater costs, both in terms of taxpayer money and economic activity. "Policymakers must be mindful of the cross-border ramifications of policy choices," said the IMF. "Initiatives that support trade and financial partners will help support global demand, with shared benefits." In advanced economies, scope for easing monetary policy further should be used aggressively to counter deflation risks. Although policy rates are already near the zero floor in many countries, whatever policy room remains should be used quickly, according to the IMF. Emerging economies also need to ease monetary conditions to respond to the deteriorating outlook. However, in many of those economies, the task of central banks is further complicated by the need to sustain external stability in the face of highly fragile financing flows, the IMF warned. The 185-member organization also warned against the rising protectionism. "Greater international cooperation is needed to avoid exacerbating cross-border strains," said the IMF. "Coordination and collaboration is particularly important with respect to financial policies to avoid adverse international spillovers from national actions." "A slide toward trade and financial protectionism would be hugely damaging to all, a clear warning from the experience of 1930s beggar-thy-neighbor policies," it warned.
BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Thursday that China and Germany should join hands to combat trade and investment protectionism. The premier made the remark during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in which the two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and other issues of common concern. Wen said cooperation between China and Germany, both among the world's major economies, is developing smoothly in a variety of fields. He said the two sides should continue to handle their relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and keep up high-level exchanges. The two nations, Wen said, also should strengthen communications and coordination to push for a healthy and stable development of their bilateral ties. China, Wen said, always adheres to a win-win strategy in opening to the outside world and insists on the maintenance of a fair and open market environment. He said China would never discriminate against foreign enterprises or products. The premier said China's determination to cope with climate change is firm, its operations active, and its measures effective. China, Wen said, is ready to enhance collaboration with Germany in developing new and renewable energy and maximizing energy efficiency. China also will participate in related negotiations and work with other countries to help bring about positive results at the December UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Wen said. Merkel said Germany is very satisfied with the development of China-Germany relations. She said Germany is ready to work with China to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen trade and economic cooperation, and oppose trade and investment protectionism. Germany also is prepared to jointly deal with the challenges brought about by the global financial crisis and advance bilateral ties, she said. Merkel said she hoped that the two countries would strengthen communications and jointly tackle the issue of climate change.
CAIRO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China's new special envoy on the Middle East issue Wu Sike said here on Sunday that China is willing to push forward the peace process with all the parties concerned under new circumstances in the region. "The Chinese government and its people are very concerned about the situation of the Middle East, which has witnessed positive developments recently," Wu said during his talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Gheit. "China, together with the parties concerned and the international community, is willing to push forward the Middle East peace process under the current new circumstances," he added. Arab League Secretary General Amr Mahmoud Moussa (R) meets with visiting China's special envoy on the Middle East issue Wu Sike in the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on June 21, 2009 "Negotiation is the only and the best way to solve the conflicts in the region and China will support all the efforts in this regard," he said. For his part, Abu Gheit said that Egypt appreciates China's efforts in facilitating the peace process, hoping that the Chinese government, along with the special envoy, would play a bigger role on the issue. Earlier in the day, Wu also met with the Cairo-based Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. Wu, former Chinese ambassador to Egypt, was appointed as the special envoy in March this year to replace Sun Bigan. He has been director of the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and also the first Chinese plenipotentiary to the Arab League. Egypt is the first stop of Wu's regional trip which will also take him to the Palestinian territories, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Russia.
MOSCOW, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo met with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev on Thursday and the two sides pledged to enhance bilateral cooperation. Dai said the China-Russia relations enjoy good momentum as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. China, Dai said, is willing to work with Russia to boost mutual political trust, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and deepen strategic collaboration. He said China will join hands with Russia in dealing with the global financial crisis and push for a more just and rational international order. Patrushev, for his part, said the two countries now enjoy close strategic cooperation. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (R) shakes hands with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev at Kremlin Palace in Moscow, capital of Russia, on May 28, 2009 In the context of the complex international situation, Patrushev said, Russia and China should reinforce cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral fields. The two also should enrich Russia-China relations and jointly tackle the global economic downturn and other challenges, he said. Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to pay a state visit to Russia next month and attend summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Russia thinks highly of Hu's upcoming visit and his participation in the summits, Patrushev said. He said Moscow is willing to work with Beijing to ensure the success of the visit and the summits.
URUMQI, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The Xinjiang branch of China Charity Federation said Saturday it had received 2.03 million yuan (297,218 U.S. dollars) in donation from all walks of life for victims in the Urumqi riot. The single largest donation is 200,000 yuan from the Xinjiang company of China Pacific Life Insurance Co., Ltd., said the federation. Wu Jie, an employee of the insurance company, said she would like to do something for the dead and injured people. "We need to comfort the families of the dead and help the people who need medical treatment." Maolaxifu Rishat, a businessman of the Tartar ethnic group who was the first to propose a comfort fund for riot victims, donated 5,200 yuan on behalf of 14 donators from 14 different ethnic groups. "We pray for national unity in Xinjiang, so that we can have a peaceful and harmonious environment," he said. Urumqi Public Transport Group, which suffered 37.6 million yuan as hundreds of its buses were torched or smashed, received 3.38 million yuan in donation from enterprises in the city. Five bus drivers of the group were killed by mobs and 57 others injured. The riot in Xinjiang on July 5, the worst in six decades, caused a severe shortage of blood at local hospitals where more than 1,000 injured people were rushed in. Shortly after the shortage was reported, many citizens rolled up their sleeves to donate blood. On Friday, Urumqi's blood center announced the shortage had been eased, but donors continued to pour in. A total of 1,315 people from 13 ethnic groups had come to the blood collection stations to donate 400,000 milliliters of blood as of 10 p.m. Friday. More than 1,000 other people have made appointments with blood collection centers to donate blood in the coming days.
MILAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo arrived in the Italian city of Milan on Monday for an official goodwill visit to the country. Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), began his tour in Italy at the invitation of Italian Senate President Renato Schifani and Chamber of Deputies President Gianfranco Fini. In a written statement released at the airport upon his arrival, Wu said China is ready to work with Italy to maintain the sound momentum of practical cooperation so as to make contributions to overcoming the international financial crisis and spurring the recovery of the world economy. Wu Bangguo (R Front), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, arrives in Milan on May 18, 2009 at the start of an official goodwill visit to Italy Wu is scheduled to meet with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as well as heads of both houses of the Italian parliament and other Italian leaders to exchange views on bilateral relations and other regional and international issues of common concern. Wu is also to visit a research and development center of the Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment (ENEA), which shows China's interest in using European technologies to improve energy efficiency of its economy. After Chinese President Hu Jintao's attendance at the London G20 summit in April and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's Europe tour in January, Wu is yet another senior Chinese leader to visit Europe in the past few months. Against the background of the worsening global financial crisis, Wu's visit highlighted the importance that China attaches to cooperation with Europe in addressing global challenges. Italy, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the G8 group, will host a summit between the leaders of G8 nations and developing countries in June. Hu is expected to attend the meeting. Wu's visit coincides with a G8 environment ministers meeting that is to be held in Italy on May 22. China and Italy have witnessed smooth development of bilateral ties in recent years. Berlusconi visited Beijing for the Asia-Europe summit last October. Besides Milan, Wu is also to visit Rome, Florence and Venice. Italy is the final leg of Wu's three-nation Europe tour, which had already taken him to Russia and Austria.
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SALZBURG, Austria, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo said here Sunday that exchanges between local regions of China and Austria constitute an important part of bilateral relations. Wu made the remarks when meeting with Simon Illmer, president of the parliament of the Salzburg Province of Austria. Wu, who is the first chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) to visit Austria since 1994, arrived in Salzburg from Vienna on Sunday morning, continuing his official goodwill visit to the country. Wu said Salzburg has attracted more and more Chinese tourists with its many cultural relics and beautiful natural scenes. He said China treasures its friendly cooperation with Salzburg, hoping that both sides should create a new mode for and further substantiate their cooperation. Noting China is an important trade partner of Salzburg, Illmer said he believed Wu's visit will promote cooperation in such fields as investment, environmental protection and tourism. Wu Bangguo (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, meets with Simon Illmer, president of the parliament of Salzburg Province of Austria, in Salzburg May 17, 2009 More than 50 Salzburg companies have invested in China, notably among them is Porsche AG. Salzburg has set up a Chinese Affair Office while forging friendly relations with Hainan Province, Shanghai City and Heilongjiang Province in China. Wu said Salzburg plays an important and unique role in China-Austria relations. Before flying to Salzburg, Wu met with Harald Reisenberger, president of the Austrian Federal Council, in Vienna on Saturday. During the meeting, Wu said that both sides should treasure the current momentum of sound development in bilateral links. Reisenberger said the strong growth of the Chinese economy has brought vigor and confidence to the international community including Austria. He expressed the wish to further enhance friendly relations with China by deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges in such areas as trade, investment, high and new technology, culture, arts, science and education. Reisenberger said members of parliament from all parts of Austria wish to strengthen cooperation with China's National People's Congress (NPC) to enhance people-to-people friendship, promote exchanges between local authorities and contribute to the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Wu said parliamentary exchanges form an important part of China-Austria relations. He said the NPC and Austrian parliament have maintained close exchange and cooperation, helped enhance the friendly relations between both sides. He hopes that the two sides should carry on this tradition by pushing forward exchanges between political parties, local governments and peoples of the two countries. The two sides should promote practical cooperation in all fields so as to add new impetus to bilateral relations. Wu also reiterated China's principled stance on Tibet-related issues, stressing that this is the political basis to advance China-Austria relations. He hopes that Austria continues to support China on issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Reisenberger reaffirmed that Austria will firmly adhere to the one-China policy. During his stay in Vienna, Wu also visited the Vienna high-tech zone.
BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to increase cooperation with Vietnam to push forward comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, said top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin on Thursday. "Stronger Sino-Vietnamese cooperation is significant when facing with international financial crisis," Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, told Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan in Beijing. China and Vietnam would hold a friendship year in 2010. "We should grasp the opportunity to promote our friendship," Jia said. Jia Qinglin (front R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meets with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan (front L), who is also Vietnam's Minister of Education and Training, in Beijing, China, April 30, 2009 The establishment of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership last year lifted bilateral ties into a new height, said Jia. Frequent high level contacts, economic cooperation and increasing exchanges brought concrete benefits for the two peoples, he said. Nhan is also Vietnam's Minister of Education and Training. Jia hoped the two nations would further expand cooperation in education. Nhan said Vietnam was ready to work with China to promote cooperation in education, culture, science and technology,. Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong also met with Nhan later Thursday.
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan on Saturday called for the whole world to work together to seek reforms in financial supervision, boost economic restructuring and build a green economy. The present financial crisis has revealed deep-rooted structural imbalance within the traditional economy and developing pattern, and the world should focus on solving such issues in the post-crisis era, he told Xinhua during an exclusive interview at the Global Think Tank Summit. The international community should jointly improve the global financial supervision system with generally-accepted regulatory standards to monitor and intervene on possible systematic risks as early as possible, Zeng said. The international currency system should be reformed into a steady, foreseeable and diversified one, and it is necessary to set supervision on the financial stability of nations of major reserve currencies, he told Xinhua. It would take a long time to carry out the global economic restructuring and solve the imbalances between consumption and savings, he said, adding that such a move needs efforts from both developed countries and developing ones. Zeng called on developed countries to help developing countries by improving their external environment for economic development, as developing countries have already become the biggest victims of the present crisis. Zeng also called for more international cooperation in building a green economy, as developing countries need technical and financial support from developed countries to avoid wasting resources and destroying the environment while seeking economic revival. The summit, which concluded on Saturday, is organized by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), a non-governmental research and consulting organization created this March, with Zeng as its director. The three-day summit had attracted over 900 scholars, experts and business leaders from all over the world, including former President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and former Secretary of State of the United States Henry Kissinger