BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature ended its five-day bimonthly session Saturday, approving tort liability and island protection laws and an amendment to the renewable energy law. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), told the closing meeting that the Tort Law was significant in "protecting civil rights and people's interests, preventing and punishing infringement acts, reducing conflicts and promoting social harmony and stability." The top legislator said the amendment to the renewable energy law would "greatly promote a healthy and rapid development of the renewable energy sector and adjust energy structure to strengthen the building of an environment-friendly and resource-saving society." The island protection law would play a key role in protecting islands' eco-system, rationally utilizing natural resources and safeguarding the country's marine rights, Wu said. The session also examined two reports from the State Council on employment and boosting development of small and medium-sized enterprises. It also voted to ratify a United Nations protocol to combat human trafficking -- the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The session also approved a pact on criminal judicial assistance between China and Malta. It voted to appoint Han Changfu, former governor of northeastern Jilin Province, as agricultural minister. The meeting also decided to open the annual plenary session of the NPC on March 5 next year. Wu Bangguo(C), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, the country's top legislature, addresses the 12th session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 26, 2009.
BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Xiao Wu, now a student at Oxford University, recalls her life in Britain started off with "depression" six years ago in a renowned board school. Fresh from China, the reality of the new country failed to meet her expectations. "I was disappointed to find many of my British classmates just spent plenty of time on parties, instead of study," Xiao Wu says, a straight-A student in China, who struck her teachers and peers as "extraordinarily diligent." It has taken her long to come to terms with the fact that British students just could be academically excellent as well without "excess hardworking" that was often held dear by their Chinese peers, she says. "It seems that they could better balance school work and entertainment than most of us," she says. But for younger Chinese, such culture shock is much less likely as they increasingly share a common international culture and make friends abroad. Ding Kaiyan, 15, recalls making friends with Ayumi Saito during the latter's school excursion in China in August, 2008. "We are both veteran players of Popcart (a popular racing game designed in South Korea), fans of NEWS (a Japanese boy band), and lovers of literature," she says. "Although I had not fully mastered Japanese, we hit it off at our first meeting." One year later, Ding called on Ayumi Saito in Japan's Toyama Prefecture. Before her trip, Ding had glimpsed Japanese pop culture and customs through her Japanese teacher, Matsushita Hiroshi, and on the Internet. Ding is one of dozens of students at the Northeast Yucai School, in the northeastern Liaoning Province, who have traveled to Japan to meet children their own age over the past six years. "Globalization is a buzzword for scholars, but for children it just means how they live their lives," said Professor Shi Jinghuan, executive dean of the Institute of Education of the Tsinghua University. Their favorite foods, clothes and pop stars and cartoon characters can come from any corner of the world, and many of them start to speak English at kindergarten, she says. "That may explain how they develop familiarity. "The media, especially the Internet, have presented children all over the world with a colorful global village, and brought them closer," she says. "As long as you want to know, the information is at your fingertips." Shi Junhao, 10, a fifth-grader at Beijing Fangcaodi International School, has just finished a six-week school trip to the U.K. with eight other students. He made friends with Oliver after establishing that they shared a lot in common. "We were partners on the basketball court, and we both like U.S. President Obama," he says. In the past four years, about 400 students from Fangcaodi International School have traveled abroad and more than 3,000 others had contact with foreign peers, says Yang Yuan, a teacher at the school. "Our children have shown strong interest in knowing more about the rest of the world." "For toddlers, smiles and eye contact are enough to initiate friendship," says Cindy Li, a teacher at the SMIC School and Kindergarten in Shanghai, which has 1,800 students from 22 countries and regions, and about 100 foreign teachers. Respect for other cultures and smashing stereotypes are crucial steps for nurturing open minds in children, says Professor Shi Jinghuan. Understanding, respect and tolerance can cement friendships between children from all ethnic groups, says Shi. "Children should know that being different isn't bad."
BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping Wednesday called for strengthening Party building in the non-public economic sector and social organizations. Xi, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told a symposium that efforts should be made to expand Party organizations in the non-public sector and social organizations, and select right persons to head the Party committees. Xi also urged to absorb more people from the non-public sector to join the CPC and to explore ways for the CPC organizations to play a more effective role. He said measures should be constantly improved to ensure the scientific development of the non-public sector and social organizations.
seo排名方案
CHENGDU, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- China will send two giant pandas to Australia Friday for a cooperative research program. The four-year-old male panda "Wang Wang" and three-year-old female panda "Fu Ni" will stay in Australia for 10 years, said Zhang Hemin, chief of the Wolong Nature Reserve Administration in southwest China's Sichuan Province. "Wang Wang", which means "net" in Chinese, is 119 kg and "Fu Ni", which means "lucky girl", is 90 kg. They were quarantined on Oct. 21 for their trip to Australia. "Wang Wang" and "Fu Ni" were transferred to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding Center in Ya'an City after the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center where they were living were destroyed in the May 12 massive earthquake in 2008. The Australian side had sent veterinaries and feeders of the two pandas to China for training. It had also set up a 10 hectares bamboo planting base, Zhang said. The two pandas will receive a body check Tuesday before their departure. China and Australia made an agreement in 2007 on the cooperative research. Giant pandas, known for being sexually inactive, are among the world's most endangered animals due to shrinking habitat. There are about 1,590 pandas living in China's wild, mostly in Sichuan and the northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu.
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point plan to cement China-South Korea ties when he met South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un Chan here on Thursday. Xi said China and the South Korea were neighbors and the relationship had been promoted since they established diplomatic ties in 1992. The exchanges of the visits by the two heads of states last year upgraded the relations to strategic and cooperative partnership, which benefited both countries and helped promote regional peace, stability and prosperity. Xi's proposal to foster the Sino-ROK relationship was: -- To enhance high-level contact and political trust: The two countries should also increase exchanges between the governments, parliaments and parties. China appreciated the adherence by South Korea to the one-China policy and its support on the Taiwan and Tibet issues, Xi said. -- To expand trade and economic cooperation: The two countries should explore new ways on high-tech, energy-saving, and environmental protection cooperation. Xi called on the two sides to complete joint research and initiate free trade agreement negotiation. -- To increase personnel exchanges: The two sides should further improve exchanges on education, culture and tourism and properly handle the issues concerning the sentiments of the two peoples. -- And, to strengthen coordination in multilateral frameworks, including the meeting mechanism of China, South Korea and Japan: On the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Xi said all relevant sides should take the chance to show flexibility to resume the six-party talks at an early date. Xi also said China would push for the Copenhagen climate change conference to achieve a result in line with the "Bali Roadmap." Chung Un Chan pledged to complete the joint research on free trade agreement as soon as possible, and advance coordination with China under the G20 and the framework of China, Japan and South Korea. Xi arrived here Wednesday night after a visit in Japan. He will also visit Myanmar and Cambodia.
BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Qingdao Haier Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese household electric appliance producer, announced Thursday evening that its net profit in the third quarter rose 48.88 percent year on year to 300.7 million yuan (44.03 million U.S. dollars). Its net profit in the first three quarters increased 28.7 percent from a year earlier to 966.4 million yuan, the firm said in a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The eastern Shandong Province-based company attributed the net profit hike to reduced inventory and improved assets quality. Equities of the Shanghai-listed firm added 1.28 percent to 18.17 yuan per share Thursday.
CHANGSHA, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun has called on publicity departments and media organizations to "vigorously" disseminate the core values of socialist China and inspire the public to achieve the Party's development goals. Li, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said during his inspection tour to Hunan Province that China's achievements in the reform and opening up and modernization cause should be well presented, as well as the country's successful experience in dealing with the financial crisis. Li's five-day tour ended Wednesday, during which he urged publicity departments and news media to "spread China's practices in keeping economic development steady and relatively fast amid the international financial crisis."