BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie Friday said the work of border and coastal defense must be enhanced for national interests.Defending China's sovereignty, territorial security and maritime interests should be a top mission of the country's border and coastal defense work, Liang said at a national meeting on border and coastal defense.The work of border and coastal defense should also contribute to improved relations with neighboring countries and social and economic development in border areas, he said.Senior Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao (1st L, front), Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L, front), Li Changchun (3rd L, front) and Zhou Yongkang (4th L, front) meet with delegates of a national meeting on border and coastal defense, in Beijing, China, Jan. 29, 2010.Senior Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Li Changchun and Zhou Yongkang met with delegates and took photo with them before the meeting.The delegates included representatives of a national committee for border and coastal defense, military regions, border or coastal provinces, and border police authorities
BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The State Council of China Friday issued an urgent notice urging relevant departments and local authorities to settle pay disputes involving migrant workers as millions of them are heading home for lunar new year reunion.The notice asked local governments and relevant departments to prioritize in their work the settlement of migrant workers' back pay dispute with their employers.It underlined the construction industry where back pay disputes often happen.It also ordered local governments to improve the emergency management system to respond to possible mass incidents caused by pay disputes.Two migrant workers were stabbed to death by their employer over a pay dispute Wednesday in central China's Henan Province.The two men asked for wages on behalf of 17 fellow workers and got into a fight with their labor contractor after being told that their monthly payment had been docked by over 100 yuan (about 14.6 U.S. dollars), and then were stabbed in the neck with a fruit knife by the contractor.In China, millions of migrant workers from the countryside make their living in booming cities. Back pay to migrant workers has affected the income of the rural population for a long time and is considered a "chronic illness" undermining social stability.
GENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China respected the universality of human rights and believed all human rights were "universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated," He Yafei, China's new ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva, said on Wednesday."The principle of universality has been included in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments," He told Xinhua in an interview."China has ratified more than 20 international human rights instruments, including seven of the eight core human rights instruments. This demonstrates clearly China's affirmation of the universality of human rights," said the ambassador, who was China's vice foreign minister before taking his new position in Geneva earlier this month.While acknowledging the universality of human rights, He also stressed that countries might have different understandings about human rights and different ways and means of promoting and protecting human rights because of the "diversity of culture, history, religion and the difference of social systems and development levels.""The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action (VDPA) adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 has confirmed that the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind when promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms by states," he said.According to the Chinese ambassador, the UN Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva and comprises 47 member states, is an agency aimed at promoting and protecting human rights through dialogue and cooperation.Nearly four years after its creation, the Council "has basically accomplished its work and is on the right track," he said.He noted the Council had been able to review all the items on the agenda and provided timely responses to the substantive human rights issues.In addition, the Council had reviewed human rights situations in 112 UN member states, including China, through its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, which was a "worth mentioning" result.He admitted the Council was not a "perfect" agency and still suffered from problems such as double standards and politicization.The functioning of the Council needed to be reviewed so that its work could be improved and better aligned to the letters and spirit of the UN resolutions, he said.However, the ambassador expressed opposition to any attempts to "rebuild" the agency or to "renegotiate what has been agreed upon.""It is not the time to reform it or rebuild it when it is only four years old... What we should do at the present stage is to find the gaps and fill them in a pragmatic and forward-looking way," he said.The Human Rights Council replaced the former widely discredited and highly politicized UN Human Rights Commission, created in 1946.One of the Council's major duties is to conduct a Universal Periodic Review of all 192 UN member states to scrutinize their human rights records at home, regardless of their size, wealth, military or political importance.Besides its three regular meetings each year, the Council can also hold special sessions to discuss crisis situations.While the Council's Universal Periodic Review mechanism has been widely praised, some nongovernmental organizations still criticize the agency for not working effectively to tackle human rights problems around the world.A review of the Council's working methods is expected to take place in 2011, in accordance with a UN General Assembly resolution.In the interview, He also highlighted China's increasing contribution to the United Nations and its deeper integration into the international system."From the start of this year, China becomes the 8th largest contributor to the UN regular budget, just following the seven industrialized countries," He said.He added China was by far the largest troop-contributing country among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Currently more than 2,100 Chinese soldiers are participating in some 10 UN peacekeeping missions.The ambassador stressed China would never shirk from international roles, and that it would continue to meet its global obligations.
BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China named and shamed more than 10,000 workshops and selling groups in dust and poisonous material-related industries last year in a bid to fight against occupational diseases, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).The figure was revealed at a national meeting on food safety and sanitation supervision here Monday amid an ongoing campaign on regulating workshops and selling companies in the fields of mining, quartzite processing, gem processing, stone processing, smelting and cement production among others.The campaign, starting in last August, was jointly launched by the State Administration of Work Safety, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and All-China Federation of Labor.Earlier this month, 152 workers at an electrical and lighting company in south China's Guangdong Province were found to have suspected mercury poisoning, showing symptoms such as headaches, hair loss, joint aches and shivers.According to the company, all six production lines of the workshop used liquid mercury, but some workers seldom took the trouble to wear a mask at work.Vice Health Minister Chen Xiaohong said at the meeting that the ministry is currently working with other departments to set up regular meetings at ministerial level on the prevention and control of occupational diseases.The MOH is also aiming to set up a network against occupational diseases at grassroot level while providing basic job-related health services for migrant workers, said Chen.
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Ma Kai urged here Friday that public complaints and petitions should be handled properly to promote social stability and harmony.Ma Kai, also secretary-general of the State Council, or cabinet, made the remarks at a national conference attended by heads of relevant government departments dealing with such petitions.Ma stressed that the government should make more efforts to prevent the occurrence of disputes and complaints right from the start.He also called for better investigation and sound settlement of petition cases.He urged setting up a risk assessment system in the decision making procedure in major social issues.Better implementing existing policies and the accountability system for relevant official departments are also needed, Ma said.
BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police nationwide were urged Friday to tighten security and step up safety overhaul during the Chinese Lunar New Year and be "ready to handle emergencies to prevent serious accidents."A circular from the Ministry of Public Security told local police authorities to increase scrutiny of fireworks parties, trade fairs, lantern shows, and temple fairs during the Spring Festival holiday which starts Saturday.It said the police should assist in keeping public and traffic order around large events' venues and be ready to handle crime and emergencies.Efforts should be made to strengthen security measures around train stations. Police authorities must release "safety tips" to the public through radio, newspapers and cell phone messages, it said.More than 10,000 large events, including traditional temple fairs, will be held across the country during the seven-day holiday, with more than 320 events expected to attract more than 10,000 people each.The latest ministry statistics show police solved nearly 1,200 homicide cases and 915 human trafficking cases last month.Police also arrested nearly 470 suspects for using telephones to scam or defraud people in January, saving 3.45 million yuan (507,000 U.S. dollars) in economic losses.Last month, the police busted nearly 2,000 bases for illegal fireworks' manufacture, sale, or transportation.The Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, falls on Sunday. It is the most important annual Chinese festival, with family reunions, much fun and plenty of eating.
石河子大型工业吸尘器
BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China's government is set to order some central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to quit real estate business as their land acquisitions are blamed for fuelling rise of urban housing prices, spokesman of the state assets watchdog Du Yuanquan said Thursday.The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) would require 78 centrally-administered SOEs, whose major business was not property development, to withdraw from the business, Du said in a SASAC press conference Thursday in Beijing.The SASAC gave no specific timetable for the withdrawal, but Du said it would require the 78 enterprises to step up business restructuring and gradually pull out of property development after all current real estate projects were finished.Housing prices in China's 70 large and medium-sized cities grew 10.7 percent in February from a year earlier, and were up 0.9 percent compared to the previous month, according to official figures.However, a total of 16 central SOEs, who have property development as major business, such as the China National Real Estate Development Group Corp. and the China Poly Group Corp., would continue in real estate, said Du.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's UN Ambassador Zhang Yesui on Wednesday called on concerned parties to create " favorable conditions" for an early resumption of Palestinian- Israeli peace talks.Addressing the Security Council in an open debate, Zhang, the council president for January, said that China remains "deeply concerned over the stalemate in the Middle East peace process and the bleak prospects for resumption of the peace talks.""We hope the parties concerned will strengthen their belief in the peace talks,overcome the difficulties and interruptions, create favorable conditions for an early resumption of the peace talks, and avoid acts that may erode the mutual trust or prejudge the outcome of the negotiations," he said.Zhang urged Israel to freeze all settlements activity and cease the building of separation walls."We urge Israel to open all the border crossings to Gaza, and ensure that the region achieves reconstruction as soon as possible and its people return to normal life," he said.Zhang also emphasized the importance of Palestine's internal reconciliation, voicing hope that all factions "bear in mind the long-term interests of the nation and work together to strive for the Middle East peace process."He also urged the international community to "redouble its efforts to push for all parties to build the momentum for negotiations and inject new impetus into the peace process."
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China will lose no time in implementing the "eight new measures" to strengthen China-Africa cooperation in the next three years, said China's Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Tuesday. The fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov. 8-9. At the meeting, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced eight new measures the Chinese government will take to strengthen China-Africa cooperation in the next three years. The success of the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting has opened a new page for China-Africa cooperation, Chen said during his talks with Erastus Mwencha, deputy chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU). China will focus on improving African people's well-being, strengthening Africa's agriculture and infrastructure and expanding cooperation in human resources development, he said. China will support Africa to increase its capacity for independent development, and join hands with Africa in tackling such challenges as the global financial crisis and climate change, in a bid to promote China-Africa friendly cooperation and Africa's economic and social development, said the Chinese minister. Chen appreciated the AU's efforts to further Africa's integration process and develop China-Africa cooperation, saying China will continue to strengthen all-round cooperation with the AU, and support the AU to play a bigger role in regional and international affairs. For his part, Mwencha said Africa and China respect each other and treat each other on an equal footing, adding that bilateral ties have stood the test of the time. He believed the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting will further promote the development of cooperation between Africa and China. China's eight new measures to enhance cooperation with Africa are consistent to Africa's practical needs, said the AU official. Mwencha said the AU Commission is willing to play a bigger role in implementing the eight new measures and enhance dialogue between Africa and China. Chen arrived here on Monday for a working visit, which will also take him to Mozambique and Tanzania.