BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign exchange reserves rose 16 percent year-on-year to 1.9537 trillion U.S. dollars by the end of March, said the People's Bank of China on Saturday. It represents an increase of 7.7 billion dollars for the first quarter, but the increase was 146.2 billion dollars lower than the same period of last year. Outstanding foreign currency loans stood at 235.2 billion U.S. dollars by the end of March, down 11.7 percent year on year. In the first quarter, foreign currency loans dropped by 8.5 billion U.S. dollars. The decline was 57.3 billion U.S. dollars heavier over the same period of last year. In March, foreign currency loans rose by 4.3 billion U.S. dollars. The increase was 6.4 billion U.S. dollars lower than the same period of last year. Meanwhile, outstanding foreign currency deposits rose 28.9 percent, or 7.5 billion U.S. dollars, to 200.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter. The increase was 13 billion U.S. dollars higher over the same period of last year. In March alone, foreign currency deposits rose by 3.3 billion U.S. dollars. The increase was 1.8 billion U.S. dollars higher over the same month in 2008. Analysts said the smaller growth of foreign exchange reserves in the first quarter was related with changes in the value of non-U.S.-dollar assets and money flows under the capital account. In March alone, the foreign exchange reserves rose by 41.7 billion U.S. dollars. The increase was 6.7 billion U.S. dollars higher than the corresponding period of last year. The country's foreign exchange reserves reduced to 1.914 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of January and 1.912 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of February. "Changes of foreign exchange reserves in the first quarter were mainly driven by non-U.S.-dollar assets' volatile fluctuation," said Liu Yuhui, an economist with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). During the first quarter, especially the first two months, non-dollar foreign currencies dropped heavily against the U.S. dollar, leaving about 40 percent of the country's non-dollar assets depreciated. Meanwhile, the country's trade surplus had reduced during the first quarter due to a weakening external demand. Exports fell 17.5 percent in January, 25.7 percent in February and 17.1 percent in March. In February, trade surplus plummeted by34.3 billion U.S. dollars to 4.8 billion. "The 7.7-billion-dollar increase in foreign exchange reserves for the first quarter showed the country's economy still depends heavily on external demand," said Mei Xinyu, an economist with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). Yuan Gangming, a researcher with the CASS, said the smaller increase in foreign exchange reserves might also be caused by capital flight. Official statistics show during the first two months, the actually-utilized foreign direct investment dropped by 26.2 percent. A large proportion of the country's foreign exchange reserves are invested in U.S. treasuries and notes. Last month, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a plan to buy up to 300 billion U.S. dollars in long-term treasuries. That added to worries in the value stability of the country's foreign exchange reserves. Mei said the slower growth in foreign exchange reserves could be conducive to the national economic security because less capital would be exposed to devaluation risks. "The top priority should be to keep the value of foreign exchange reserves stable," said Yuan. He suggested relevant authorities should keep a close eye on flows of foreign reserves and prevent a similar capital flight that happened after the Asian financial crisis.
LHASA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Five bouquets of lily and chrysanthemum, one for each of the five young women who died in the riots exactly a year ago. "We are here today, to bring you our best regards," murmured Tang Qingyan, manager of the Yishion casual wear outlet in downtown Lhasa. "May you be happy every day in heaven." Yishion, one of the 908 shops torched by the rioters on March 14, 2008, lost five employees, including four Han nationals and one Tibetan. The women were aged between 19 and 24. Exactly a year after the tragedy, Tang brought six employees to mourn the dead Saturday on the exposed riverbed of the Lhasa River, whose water has, in the dry season, given way to a huge expanse of sand and cobblestones. The place was quietly sandwiched between high mountains and the "Sun Island", Lhasa's new development project with restaurants, apartments and villas. The occasional whining chirps of aquatic birds added to people's woes. Silently, the group laid offerings on the ground: five candles, piles of "paper money", incense sticks, and two strings of firecrackers. "Here, we've brought you some money, too, so that you won't be short of cash," said Tang as he led four young women and two men to put the "paper money" in a little flame they lit on the ground. The Chinese traditionally burn "paper money" for the deceased, hoping they would have enough cash in the afterlife. "Dear sister, I've got your favorite sweater," Zeng Yaoyao sobbed as she put a white sweater in the flame. "Please rest in peace." Zeng, 20, said she dreamed of her cousin Yang Dongmei Friday night. "I was so excited I ran up to embrace her. Then she said something about her sweater. I woke up in tears."Photo taken on March 14, 2009 shows the manager of the Yishion garment store Tang Qingyan (C) and employees mourn by the Lhasa river the five sales assistants burned to death in an arson attack by the rioters on March 14, 2008, in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous RegionOf the five dead, Yang, Liu Yan and Chen Jia were still single. "According to the customs in our home province Sichuan, the death of an unmarried daughter is considered evil. They could only be buried in the obscure graveyard far from their homes," said Tang. The three girls' parents therefore agreed to have their ashes spilled into the Lhasa River. "It's a beautiful place, even better than our home province," Tang said. Tsering Zhoigar, the only Tibetan girl, was taken to her hometown in Xigaze Prefecture for the "sky burial", the traditional Tibetan burial. Tsering Zhoigar's close friend Basang joined Yishion after the torched store was revamped and reopened in May. "I used to spend a lot of time with her at her store after work. Now that she's gone, I feel closer to her by doing her job." Six sales women huddled together on the second floor of the store when rioters set the ground floor on fire. Zhoi'ma, 24, was the only one to escape the fire site at the last minute. A year after the tragedy, the nightmare still clings to Zhoi'ma, who refused to talk to the media and stayed away from the mourning. "We called many times on her cell phone, but she didn't answer," said Tang. "She told me this morning she was going to mourn her friend Zhoi'gar in the Tibetan way, and at monasteries." Towards the end of the mourning, the flames spread to burn card-boards they had carefully propped up with cobblestones to contain the fire. With all the offerings burnt, the group threw the bouquets into the river. A young man lit firecrackers before he stood with others, bowed, and paid a silent tribute to the dead. Four police officers, who had been silently watching the scene, lowered their heads, too. "It's sad indeed. That's why we have tightened security this year to avoid similar tragedies," said one of them, who refused to be named. Tang still stays in touch with families of the dead. "These good girls were all their families" breadwinners," he said. "Zhoi'gar worked with me for three years and Yang Dongmei, my wife's younger cousin, worked for a year."Photo taken on March 14, 2009 shows employees of the Yishion garment store put bunches of fresh flowers into the Lhasa river to mourn the five sales assistants burned to death in an arson attack by the rioters on March 14, 2008, in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous RegionTang had known Chen Jia, the youngest of the five, since she was a toddler. "Her father is my close friend. Until the day she died, she'd been worrying for her younger brother, who was blind in one eye." With the government's compensation for Chen Jia's death, her parents had arranged an operation for her brother, Tang said. "Now I hope she'll have nothing more to worry about." Tang hadn't had the time to get familiar with the other two girls, Liu Yan and He Xinxin, who had worked for a week and three days respectively. He Xinxin's parents took her home to the central Henan Province after the riots. "Her cousin used to work in Lhasa, but left for home before the new year holidays," said Tang. "I had planned to take all my 14 employees here to mourn them today, but I didn't want everyone to point to my store and say 'hey, look, Yishion is closed,'" he said. "Together, we'll try to walk out of the shadow soon."
BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for strengthened coordination among different nations on economic polices and joint efforts against trade and investment protectionism to help the world economy recover. The international community as a whole was severely challenged in the course of tackling the global financial crisis and resuming growth in the world economy, Hu told Xinhua on Tuesday ahead of the G20 summit scheduled to open in London on Thursday. With the impact of the global financial crisis on the real economy unfolding and deepening, priorities should be taken by various countries to adopt economic stimulus measures in line with their own situations and work hand in hand to promote growth and employment and improve the people's lives, according to Hu. Efforts should also be made as soon as possible to stabilize the global financial market and earnestly give play to the role of finance in spurring the real economy to restore confidence of the people and enterprises, Hu said. "The international financial system should undergo necessary reforms in an all-round, balanced, gradual and effective manner to prevent a similar crisis in the future," the president noted. China as a responsible country would work with all the other parties attending the summit to help it yield "positive" and "practical" results, Hu said. China pledged to give its own contribution to the recovery of world economy. The country would adhere to its fundamental national policy of opening up to the outside world and mutually beneficial and win-win strategies, Hu said. A vigorous and more open China would not only benefit its own steady, fast growth, but help the international community fight the financial crisis and contribute to the world's peace and development, Hu said. The country has set an 8 percent target for economic growth this year, still notably higher than the 1 percent world average estimated by the World Bank. China grew 9 percent in 2008, the slowest pace in seven years. The global financial crisis and economic slowdown have created many difficulties for China, Hu said, citing the slump of exports and imports, slower industrial production and unemployment. But a basket of governmental measures to stimulate domestic demand and promote economic growth have begun to take effect, he added. Beginning in late 2008, the Chinese government has issued a comprehensive economic stimulus package including a 4 trillion yuan (585 billion U.S. dollars) investment plan and support plans for ten key industries. The country's central bank has cut interest rates five times and lowered deposit reserve ratio four times in an effort to enhance capital fluidity. "We have confidence, conditions and capabilities to keep a steady and rapid growth," Hu Jintao said.
BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese leaders paid visits on Thursday and Friday to the 2009 Energy Saving, Emissions Reduction and New Energy Science and Technology Expo, which is held at the Beijing Exhibition Hall from March 19 to 23. The leaders of the state and the Communist Party of China included Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang. Chinese President Hu Jintao (4th L) talks with an exhibitor in the 2009 China International Energy Saving, Emission Reduction and New Energy Science and Technology Expo at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, on March 20, 2009. President Hu visited the expo on March 20.They looked around the booths, watching carefully fuel cell cars, hybrid electric vehicles and new energy-saving washing machines, and getting to know the latest measures the government has taken for emission reduction and new energy development. Hu Jintao emphasized that China should enhance its energy saving and continue to develop renewable energy sources in light of the present global economic downturn. China would take an active part in international cooperation to cope with climate changes and jointly build ecological civilization together with other countries, Hu said. Wu Bangguo (2nd R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, visits the 2009 China International Energy Saving, Emission Reduction and New Energy Science and Technology Expo at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, on March 20, 2009. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) looks at exhibits in the 2009 China International Energy Saving, Emission Reduction and New Energy Science and Technology Expo at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, on March 19, 2009. Premier Wen visited the expo on March 19
BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China voiced its strong dissatisfaction Wednesday against a U.S. Congress resolution on the Taiwan Relations Act saying it is an interference in its internal affairs. "China is strongly dissatisfied and has lodged a solemn representation over the resolution adopted to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement. The U.S. House of Representatives voted for the resolution Tuesday. The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979, required the United States to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character. China has never recognized the legitimacy of the act. Qin said the Chinese government and people, from the very start, resolutely opposed the Act adopted by the United States unilaterally. "We urge the United States to follow the basic norms guiding international relations and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, and stop the wrongful act of using the Taiwan issue to interfere in China's internal affairs," Qin said.
SANYA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here Friday with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and discussed the measures to withstand the impact of the global financial crisis. The two leaders, who were in the city of Sanya for the 2009 meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in south China's Hainan Province, expressed willingness to make concerted efforts to cope with the crisis. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 17, 2009. Nazarbayev arrived here to attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2009 which would be held in Boao, Hainan from April 17 to 19Wen spoke highly of the rapid development of the China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership. Wen put forward a four-point proposal on enhancing Sino-Kazakh cooperation to tide over the difficulties. He said the two countries should: -- take effective measures to maintain the growth of bilateral trade; -- fulfill previous agreements and give priority to the cooperation in the energy and resources sectors; -- reinforce financial and investment cooperation to ensure smooth implementation of major cooperation projects; -- promote cooperation in the non-resources field, such as infrastructures, so as to forge a more dynamic bilateral trade relation. Nazarbayev said the two countries had signed a series of cooperative documents during his visit, which fully reflected the common will of the two nations to jointly resist the financial crisis and China's strong support to Kazakhstan. He believed that China would certainly be able to cope with the challenges, which was crucial for strengthening the international effort in combating the crisis. Kazakhstan agreed with China's tentative plan on enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and was ready to work with China to boost cooperation in such sectors as oil and gas, agriculture, technology innovation, finance and transportation, he said. The BFA, established in 2001, is a high-level forum where governments, businesses and scholars promote regional economic integration and bring Asian countries closer to their development goals. Under the theme "Asia: Managing Beyond Crisis," more than 1,600participants will discuss how to cope with the international financial crisis.
seo优化排名多少钱
BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese equities continued gains on Monday from last week's trading and advanced to a four-month high since late September as signs of an economic recovery, a raft of stimulus plans and a rally in the U.S. stock market boosted confidence, said analysts. The government rolled out plans to revive the textile industry and machinery manufacturing industry last week after auto and steel stimulus packages. Measures to support the shipping industry, the non-ferrous metal industry and others are yet to come. These efforts helped buoyed market confidence, said analysts. The country's economy was resilient and posted signs of recovery, partially because of the economic stimulus plans as the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of the manufacturing sector released on Feb.4 rose to 45.3 in January from 41.2 in December. The Shanghai A-share index rose 43.47 points, or 1.99 percent, to close at 2,224.71, and the Shenzhen Component Index posted a bigger rise of 4.06 percent, or 315.79 points, to 8,087.69. Combined turnover climbed to a nearly nine-month high at 235.5 billion yuan (34.5 billion U.S. dollars), up from the 189.6 billion yuan from the previous trading day. Gains outnumber losses by 841 to 29 in Shanghai and 713 to 34 in Shenzhen. Non-ferrous metal rose across the board boosted by rising metal prices. Shanghai copper surged by its daily limit of 5 percent, or1,400 yuan per tonne to 29,510 yuan per tonne. Shanghai aluminum rose 3.56 percent to 12,225 yuan per tonne. Their gains also lifted other base metals. Aluminum Corporation of China, the country's largest aluminum producer, advanced by the daily limit of 10 percent to end at 9.56yuan. Yunnan copper, China's third largest smelter of the metal, rose by the daily limit of 10 percent to 13.07 yuan. Liaoning-based Huludao Zinc Industry also gained by the daily limit of 10 percent to 4.16 yuan. China Cosco Holdings Co. surged by the daily limit of 10 percent to 10.74 yuan after the Baltic Dry Index, a gauge of commodity shipping costs, posted a strong rise of 53 percent over last week. China Shipping Container Lines Company moved up 6.49 percent to 3.34 yuan.
BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese antique collector who bid at a Christie's auction for two looted bronze animal heads, Tuesday told why he has refused to pay his winning bid. The two looted pieces were not allowed to enter China according to a regulation issued a day after the auction by China's cultural relics administration, and as a result, the payment should not be made, Cai Mingchao said in a statement released by the National Treasure Funds of China (NTFC). China has repeatedly demanded the return of the sculptures -- heads of a rat and a rabbit -- looted when the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was burned down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. "The auction negated the history that the cultural relics were looted, defied the ethics of international society, and breached the rules of commercial auctions," Cai said in the statement, which was e-mailed to Xinhua. Cai said that the sculptures would disappear forever and auctioning looted antiques could become a commercial practice had he not been the final bidder at the auction in Paris on Feb. 25. "I got the chance and I was capable of buying the bronzes at the time of the auction. As a Chinese collector and art advisor, I'm willing to rescue looted artworks," Cai, NTFC's collection advisor, emphasized. Cai won the auction by bidding 31.49 million euros (39.63 million U.S. dollars) by telephone, but he told a press conference Monday that no payment would be made. So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned, while the whereabouts of five others are unknown. An online survey conducted by sina.com.cn showed more than 70 percent of the netizens support Cai's patriotic action for he had safeguarded China's interests. However, others said China's reputation would be affected and Christie's is still able to hold new auctions. An attempt to contact Cai failed and employees of his company in Xiamen, Fujian Province, said they had lost contact with their boss since Monday. The company was established in 2003 with a registered capital of 1.16 million yuan (nearly 170,000 U.S. dollars) and more than 10 employees. Cai owns 95 percent of the company's shares. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang reiterated on Tuesday that the looted sculptures were originally owned by China and China opposed any auction of these cultural relics and demanded their return. Qin said he learned the bidder was Chinese on Monday after the news conference. Christie's has not made any official comment over the issue so far. NTFC was established in 2002 under the administration of China Foundation for the Development of Social Culture registered under the name of the Ministry of Culture for the purpose of repatriating looted Chinese artifacts.
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution on Tibet in gross interference in China's internal affairs. The resolution neglected the remarkable and widely recognized progress in Tibet in politics, economy, culture and society over the past 50 years. It also repeated groundless accusations against the Chinese government over its Tibet policy and voiced support for the ** Lama's separatist activities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu urged the U.S. representatives Tuesday to follow the basic norms guiding international relations and stop pushing the bill on Tibet. "The Tibet issue is purely China's domestic issue. The Chinese government and people, as always, oppose any country or anyone to interfere in China's internal affairs on the pretext of the Tibet issue," he said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of feudal serfdom in Tibet. Fifty years ago, the central government of China foiled an armed rebellion by the ** Lama and his supporters to block reform in Tibet and split the region from China. On March 28, 1959, a new local Tibetan government was formed, freeing millions of Tibetan serfs and slaves, who accounted for more than 90 percent of the then population. "Over the past 50 years, Tibet has undergone profound changes in political, economic and cultural sectors and millions of serfs have become owner of Tibet," Ma said. However, with the backing of certain anti-China elements in the West, the ** Lama and his followers have continued to pursue either disguised or undisguised activities in an attempt to separate Tibet from China and restore feudal serfdom in the region. On March 14 last year, followers of the ** Lama staged riots in Lhasa to put pressure on the central government. Their violence resulted in the deaths of 18 civilians and huge property losses.
VALLETTA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to make joint efforts with Malta to further promote their traditional friendly relations, visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said here on Saturday. Xi arrived in Malta's capital Valletta on Saturday morning to pay an official visit to the Mediterranean island country, on the last leg of a six-nation tour that started on Feb. 8. Earlier he visited Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. During a meeting with Acting Maltese President George Hyzler, Xi said that Sino-Maltese relations have been developing very well in recent years, with a frequent exchange of high-level visits, enhanced mutually beneficial cooperation, and active exchanges in such fields as culture, education and judicature.Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Maltese Acting President George Hyzler (L) in Valletta, capital of Malta, Feb. 21, 2009. China and Malta understand and support each other in major international and regional affairs, he said, adding that the two nations are "old friends and good friends" that have stood the test of time. For his part, Hyzler thanked China for the sincere help it has provided for Malta, and congratulated China on the great achievements of its modernization drive. He also noted that there has been a good cooperative relationship between Malta and China. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Maltese Parliament Speaker Louis Galea in Valletta, capital of Malta, Feb. 21, 2009While meeting with Louis Galea, speaker of Malta's House of Representatives, Xi stated that parliamentary exchange is an important part of Sino-Maltese relations, and that strengthening exchange and cooperation between the two sides is of great significance for the development of bilateral ties and friendship between the two peoples. China attaches great importance to the development of Sino- Maltese ties, treasures the friendship between the two peoples, and appreciates Malta's long-term adherence to the one-China policy, the vice president stressed. In response, Galea said Malta has treasured its friendship with China, which is a major country in the world. Malta highly appreciates China's foreign policy of peaceful cooperation, and expects China to actively play its part in promoting world peace, tackling the current financial crisis and protecting the environment, Galea said. Both Hyzler and Galea reiterated that the Maltese government and parliament will firmly stick to the one-China policy.