Pushing for European-wide immigration pact to be one of French priorities during EU presidency

PARIS, June 27 (Chinese media) -- During its presidency of the 27-member European

Union, France will push for the adoption of a "European pact on immigration and

asylum," which, if passed, will confirm a hardening of European policies in this

area, according to many observers.

Since his appointment, French Immigration Minister Brice Hortefeux,

arguably one of President Nicolas Sarkozy's most trusted lieutenants, has been

working on the pact, which will be officially presented at a meeting of 27

ministers in charge of immigration issues slated for on July 7 and 8 in Cannes,

southeastern France, according to official sources.

The pact is loosely based on the so-called "selective" immigration that

President Nicolas Sarkozy has been trumpeting since 2003, long even before he

was elected president. The controversial proposal has seen Sarkozy being accused

of seeing immigration in terms of "work at the expense of family and the fight

against illegal."

"The idea is that in an area where there's free movement such as is the

case with the EU, any decision taken by a member state has implications for its

neighbors," said Hortefeux in a recent interview, adding: "The situation

necessitates the adoption of common rules."

Actually, the Brice Hortefeux-drafted pact is structured around five

priority areas and according to its architect, it has,in principle, "obtained a

favorable opinion from all the 27 members of the EU."

The pact also seeks to protect Europe by improving the efficiency of border

control. "We need to be able to use modern technologies such as biometrics,

improved efficiency of the European borders agency Frontex and show more

solidarity towards the most vulnerable member," according to Hortefeux.

"It also lays the foundations for a Europe of asylum," said an analyst,

noting that, when it comes to handle external refugees, current policies are

extremely heterogeneous. On his part, Hortefeux has proposed the establishment

of a "support office" to facilitate the exchange of information.

In addition, France will be pushing its 26 partner states to accept the

principle of development in solidarity whose main aim is "to build partnerships

with countries of origin and transit in order to meet their development needs."

So far, the implementation of the policy, which has encountered a lot of

resistance, especially in Africa, has seen France and several other countries

enter into agreements to promote the "concerted management of immigration

waves."

"The fight against illegal immigration will undoubtedly remain a priority,"

Hortefeux told reporters last week, noting that this was the most controversial

aspect of the pact he was putting forward.

In his proposal, the French minister called on EU member states to desist

from carrying out massive regularization of aliens, a clause that has been

opposed by both Spain and Italy. Between 2003 and 2007, the two countries

regularized over 2 million illegal aliens.

On its part, the Brussels-based European parliament also hardened the

common policy on migration last week when it adopted "the return directive,"

according to observers.

Passed despite resistance from the developing world, the new law, which

sets standards for the deportation of undocumented immigrants, will see those

who refuse voluntary return detained for up to 18 months before being expelled.

The non cooperative returnees will then be banned from stepping on EU soil for 5

years.

The directive establishes minimum rules and does not hamper the application

of national laws that are more favorable, as is the case of France, said a

Paris-based human rights activist, who at the same time criticized what he

described as the establishment a "Fortress Europe."

News Analysis: DPRK demolishes nuclear facility, rekindling hope for breakthrough in six-party talks

by Zhang Binyang Gao Haorong

PYONGYANG, June 27 (Chinese media) -- The Democratic

People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday blew up the cooling tower at the

Yongbyon nuclear complex, a symbolic gesture of its willingness to abandon its

nuclear ambition.

Five broadcasters -- one each from the five countries

in nuclear talks with the DPRK -- were invited by the DPRK to cover the

demolition of the aging cooling tower, a symbol of the DPRK's nuclear facilities

that has repeatedly appeared in U.S. satellite photos.

With the event being witnessed by the world, the DPRK

is taking a new step for reaching the goal of denuclearization on the Korean

Peninsula.

The DPRK's move indicated that a breakthrough is

imminent in the impasse that has held up the six-party nuclear negotiations for

months, as the tower's destruction came after Pyongyang submitted its

long-delayed list of nuclear programs.

The DPRK handed over its nuclear declaration to China

on Thursday.

WASHINGTON PROMISES TO REMOVE DPRK FROM

TERROR LIST

The United States said Thursday it may remove the

DPRK from its state sponsors of terrorism in August if the DPRK meets all its

obligations under the six-party talks.

"After a period of 45 calendar days and absent the

enactment of a joint resolution blocking the proposed rescission, the secretary

of state may rescind North Korea's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism

on August 11," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

The DPRK will not be removed from the terror list

until a verification system is put in place and verification itself begins, the

statement said.

U.S. President George W. Bush also said Thursday that

the United States will lift the key sanctions on the DPRK under the Trading with

the Enemy Act and will notify Congress of his intent to remove the DPRK from the

state sponsors of terrorism.

Under a landmark agreement reached last year at the

six-party talks, involving the United States, the DPRK, China, South Korea,

Japan and Russia, Pyongyang agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and programs

and declare all its nuclear programs and facilities by the end of 2007, in

exchange for diplomatic and economic incentives.

However, the denuclearization process reached an

impasse as Pyongyang failed to meet the deadline despite reported progress in

its nuclear disablement and declaration.

The White House stressed that it was expecting

Pyongyang to fully meet its commitments under the 2007 deal.

"We'll have to see. We hope that they will fulfill

their obligations and then, as we've said, there is action for action," White

House spokeswoman Dana Perino said earlier this week.

HOPES FOR BREAKTHROUGH IN SIX-PARTY

TALKS

Hopes have been rising recently that the months-long

deadlock in negotiations will soon end. In May, the DPRK handed over to the

United States 18,000 pages of records for its Yongbyon reactor and reprocessing

plant.

The United States also announced in the same month

that it would send 500,000 tons of food aid to the DPRK, a sign of improved

bilateral relations after rounds of negotiations and dialogues, which have

facilitated mutual understanding and helped build up confidence between the two

sides.

Several other factors are believed to have

contributed to the breakthrough in the process of DPRK's nuclear disarmament.

The close cooperation among the six parties has given

great impetus to the development of denuclearization process. China, as the

chair of the six-party talks, has played a critical mediating role. The working

groups of the six-party talks also made tremendous efforts to figure out the

details of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Moreover, the DPRK has adopted a more open stance as

evidenced by its permitting foreign experts to visit the Yongbyon nuclear center

and inviting foreign media to cover the demolition of the cooling tower.

However, some major challenges still exist in the

denuclearization process, such as the U.S. verification of the DPRK's

declaration, the normalization of the DPRK-U.S. and DPRK-Japan ties, and the

issue of the DPRK's past abduction of Japanese citizens.

Study: Biofuels pushing people to poverty

NEW DELHI, June 26 (Chinese media) -- The biofuel policies pursued by the rich countries are pushing millions of people in the developing world into poverty, an Oxfam' study says, according to the Hindustan Times Thursday.

Oxfam, a group of non-governmental organizations, launched the report at a time when leaders of the industrialized countries are to discuss policies to mitigate the impact of climate change at a G-8 conference in Japan early July.

Quoting World Bank estimates, the study says the price of food has increased by 83 percent in the last three years, which is disastrous for the world's poor people. "The lives of about 290 million people are immediately threatened because of the food crises," the study says.

The study attributes 30 percent of the rise in food prices to bio-fuels and says it has pushed 30 million people into poverty already.

"Today's bio-fuels are not solving the climate or fuel crises but are instead contributing to food insecurity and inflation, hitting poor people the hardest," said Rob Balley, the author of the report.

Blaming the rich countries for the crises, the report says the subsidies for bio-fuels by the United States and Europe are taxing food for poor in the developing world.

The report recommends that the richer countries should freeze implementation of future bio-fuel mandates and dismantle subsidies and tax exemptions to bio-fuels to save more people from falling into poverty and accelerate the global food crisis.

Can Sarkozy trigger changes in Israeli-Arab relations?

by Zhang Yanyang

JERUSALEM, June 24 (Chinese media) -- Is French President

Nicolas Sarkozy able to trigger a revolutionary change in local geopolitics or

will he join the line of dignitaries who failed to leave an imprint on

Israeli-Arab relations?

Freddy Eytan, who heads the Israel-Europe project at

the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, sees Sarkozy's initiative to create a

Mediterranean Union in hopes of fortifying ties with North-African states,

several of which are opposed to Israel's involvement in the union, as a great

initiative for economic cooperation which can serve as a basis for political

stability.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and

his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are welcomed by Israel's President Shimon

Peres (2nd R) as they arrive at Tel Aviv airport June 22, 2008.

(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

"France's

involvement can help us," Eytan told Chinese media, noting that the Mediterranean union

joining Europe with the Arab states is a good idea.

"I am not sure whether Algeria and Libya will

come...but it is a good idea for economic cooperation," he said, noting it might

also allow for more direct relations with Syria.

"It is important to have an economic project joining

people," he said. "When you have economic cooperation, it is easier to find

common ground politically."

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (L)

and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (C) arrive for a meeting with Israel's

President Shimon Peres (R) in Jerusalem June 22, 2008.

(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
Photo

Gallery

Eytan's reference to common ground, however,

apparently stops with Jerusalem as he believes Sarkozy's expectations of a "one

capital two state solution," that would divide Jerusalem between Israel and a

Palestinian state is unrealistic.

"No Israeli government, either the left or the right

constituencies, would support a one capital two state solution," Eytan said.

"Any government would be opposed to this formula."

Sarkozy is the first French president to visit Israel

since Francois Mitterand visited in 1982.

In an essay by Dr. Tsilla Herscho, a research

associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, she points out that

though Sarkozy's warm words of support for Israel appear to laud anew era of

closer Franco-Israeli ties, France continues to "immorally equate acts of terror

with (Israel's) acts of defense."

In his speech during a special session of the Knesset

(parliament) on Monday, Sarkozy called on Israel to end its settlement activity

in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, saying there would be "no peace without a

solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees," a sticking point in

negotiations between the two sides.

France "fiercely demands the removal of checkpoints

which are intended to protect Israeli citizens from acts of Palestinian

terror...and blames Israel for the economic damage incurred by the Palestinian

National Authority (PNA) and for the PNA's failure to establish effective

governance."

Hershco further notes that France's insistence on

viewing Hezbollah not as a terrorist organization but rather an integral part of

Lebanese political life combined with a recent warming in relations with Syria,

believed by Israel to fund Hezbollah, could dim Franco-Israeli relations on the

road.

Professor Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University

brushed aside France's expectations of Israel as articulated by Sarkozy

regarding the return of territories seized in 1967 and Arab refugees as

"relatively empty words," noting that "the visit allows for a dialogue which

involves listening and dealing with the situation at hand."

"Palestinian issues are driven by the Americans, the

outcome of which will not depend on what Europe does," he

said.

Sarkozy expected in Israel despite a stalled peace process

Special report:

Palestine-Israel

Relations

PARIS, June 21 (Chinese media) -- With only weeks to go

before the launch of his proposed Union for the Mediterranean, French President

Nicolas Sarkozy heads to Israel Sunday where he will be received as a "friend"

before traveling to the Palestinian territories, despite fears over the Middle

East peace process.

For many years now, the French head of state has

consistently proclaimed his friendship for Israel loud and clear, something that

has won him a great deal of good among the citizens of the Hebrew state,

according to observers.

During an earlier visit to Jerusalem in December

2004, the Israeli authorities had gone into much trouble to make him feel

welcome by rolling out a red carpet reception while Sarkozy was merely the head

of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).

After the tensions that characterized the

traditionally turbulent relations between the two countries during the two terms

under Jacques Chirac that the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president was

welcomed in Jerusalem as the promise of a new era, said one political analyst,

insisting: "It does not come as a surprise to anyone."

"President Sarkozy has often described Israel as the

miracle of the twentieth century. This is something we will not forget," Israeli

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was quoted as saying in an interview published in the

Thursday edition of the daily Le Figaro.

"Today, our relations with France are far much better

than what they were over the past years," said the Israeli prime minister,

adding that "there is a high potential for even better relations between our two

nations."

Since his arrival at the presidential palace, the

proximity of views between the two countries has not wavered, but rather

strengthened, so much to the relief of Israel. Shortly after his election,

President Sarkozy carefully extended his very first state visit to his Israeli

counterpart Shimon Peres.

In addition, the French head of state, contrary to

his predecessor, has adopted a very firm line in dealing with the disputed

Iranian nuclear program, which the West sees as threat to the security of

Israel, according to keen observers.

"The existence of Israel is not debatable, its

security is not negotiable," the president was quoted as saying in an interview

published Friday by two leading Israeli dailies, Yediot Aharonot and Maariv.

President Sarkozy has also taken time to underline

his unwavering support for "the creation of a democratic, modern and viable

Palestinian state" and called on Israeli authorities to "stop creating more

colonies in disputed territories" such as East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians

want for a future capital.

"This price is the price that we have to pay for

peace," said the president in the interview, adding that "a Palestinian state

was in the best interest of Israel."

This, according to political analysts, is the message

that the head of state is expected to reiterate during his three-day visit, in

which he is set to hold discussions with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and

President Shimon Peres.

This message will also be the main topic when the

French head of state takes to the podium to address the Israeli parliament,

Knesset, on Monday and also during discussions with Palestinian Authority

President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in Bethlehem, West Bank.

But in a difficult context marked by a stalled peace

process since its relaunch in Annapolis, United States, few expect Sarkozy to

come up with the magical formula to fix what is ailing negotiations between the

Palestinians and the Israelis.

"Olmert as Abbas are in a delicate situation with

regard to their two camps, a situation that makes it difficult for them to take

the strong and courageous decisions that are required to push the process

forward," said a member of Sarkozy's delegation.

The Israeli government has been weakened by the

accusations of corruption that have come to be leveled against its prime

minister. On the other hand, the authority of the Palestinian Fatah-led

leadership is still reeling from a challenge from the radical Hamas movement,

which is in control of the Gaza Strip.

Knowing all too well that boosting the peace process

is tough calling, the president will therefore make a strong case for the Union

for the Mediterranean (UPM), his pet project, in the hope that it will

"eventually help bring the protagonists of the Arab-Israeli conflict together,"

said a presidential aid.

Further, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who, according to Paris, will be in the French

capital for the official inauguration of the UPM on July 13, have ruled out any

face to face meeting during the heads of state and governments summit.

Despite all these challenges, Paris has only

demonstrated modest ambitions so far, nevertheless insisting that a new wave is

blowing across the greater Middle East region, according to observers.

"Well, the peace process is not doing very well...

but the Dohainter-Lebanese agreement, the resumption of Israeli-Syrian talks and

the conclusion of a truce between Israel and Hamas have revived some hope," a

senior presidential aid was quoted as saying Friday.

News Analysis: Czech Republic, Britain deepen EU treaty impasse

by Zhang Bihong

BRUSSELS, June 20 (Chinese media) -- A two-day European Union (EU) summit ending here Friday failed to break the impasse caused by the "no" vote on a reform treaty in Ireland's last week referendum.

On the contrary, the crisis tends to be deepened because of the uncertain ratification prospects in the Czech Republic and Britain, observers here say.

EU leaders agreed to postpone a decision on the Lisbon Treaty to give Ireland more time to find out the reasons of the rejection, recognizing the difficulties that the Czech Republic is facing in ratification.

"The European Council agreed that more time was needed to analyze the situation," the final conclusions of the summit said, urging Ireland for suggestions on this issue at the Oct.15 summit to find "the way forward."

But the Czech Republic further strained the nerves of the EU and its other members' leaders on the hard-negotiated treaty as it threatened to block a joint call for the continuation of the ratification process of the treaty.

Due to the opposition of the Czechs, the summit conclusion did not explicitly call on other countries to continue ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, which was signed by EU leaders at the end of last year.

"The European Council noted that 19 member states have ratified the treaty and that the ratification process continues in other countries," the document said.

Most EU members preferred to a stronger commitment to convey a message that the treaty, a revised version of the constitutional treaty aborted in 2005 by "no" votes in French and Dutch referenda, is not dead.

"It is very disappointing and the future is pessimistic because the leaders can't even agree on a call for continuing the ratification," said a European Commission official. "The Czechs bring more clouds."

The Czech ratification process was suspended in April after the Senate demanded a constitutional court ruling on whether the treaty is in line with the Czech constitution.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a euroskeptic, declared the Lisbon Treaty is dead following the Irish rejection.

Also to address the Czech concerns, a footnote to the final conclusions said: "The European Council noted that the Czech Republic cannot complete the ratification process until the constitutional court delivers its positive opinion on the accordance of the Lisbon Treaty with the Czech constitutional order."

Another trouble comes from Britain, whose lawmakers ratified the treaty Wednesday night, because a London High Court judge called to delay ratification before he rules on a legal bid to force a referendum.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday after the summit that Britain could not definitively ratify the treaty until the court has ruled on the validity of the move after a legal challenge.

"Ratification will not take place of course until we have had the judgment from the judge," Brown told journalists on the sidelines of the summit.

Brown said that the court's ruling was due to come next week and that the final steps between the treaty receiving royal assent, already done Thursday, and final ratification would also need time.

The final step in the ratification process is when Britain deposits its "instruments of ratification" in Rome within weeks as technically the Lisbon Treaty is a revision to the Rome Treaty.

Efforts to push forward will continue.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who insisted no treaty, no further EU enlargement, would visit Ireland to try to find a way out next month when his country takes over the rotating EU presidency.

One of the proposals is to ask the Irish people to vote again with assurances that the treaty will neither deprive them of a commissioner in Brussels nor undermine their neutrality.

The council did not make any deadline for anybody to solve the problem of the treaty, but most leaders pin a hope that a solution can be found in October.

However, Ireland does not have the confidence as its Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said: "That council in October is an opportunity to make a progress report, but we would not anticipate that there would be solutions on the table in October."

Israel-Hamas truce, opportunity or stopgap?

By Zhang Yanyang

JERUSALEM, June 19 (Chinese media) -- Some analysts view the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas as a special opportunity while others consider it a stopgap measure for both sides as it is unlikely to halt a collision course.nbsp;

　　SUCCESS FOR THE STATUS QUO

The "tahadiyeh" (Arabic for temporary truce) proposed

by Egyptian mediators to end rocket and mortar attacks on Israel and Israeli

raids and air strikes in the coastal enclave went into effect at 6 a.m. local

time (0300 GMT) on Thursday.

"It's a complicated issue ... from an Israeli

perspective anytime that a Palestinian group or Arab country stops violence is a

success for the status quo, not an Israeli victory," Professor Gerald Steinberg,

Political Studies Department Chair at Bar Ilan University, told Chinese media.

"The longer the ceasefire lasts, the more it will be

seen as an Israeli victory," he said in an interview with Chinese media.

He noted that a ceasefire with Hamas might follow a

similar course of the one reached with the Palestinian Liberation Organization

(PLO). "After 30 years even Yasser Arafat had to change his tactics," he said.

In addition, even a partial lifting of economic

sanctions might give Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants a taste of normalcy making

it harder to reimpose war conditions, Steinberg said. "The question is to what

extent will people in Gaza be willing to give up normal living conditions."

However, some other analysts agreed that the

temporary truce is unlikely to halt a collision course and could derail progress

made under the Road Map plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

WIN-WIN BUT

FRAGILE

Analysts said that both Israel and Hamas regarded the

truce as a necessary step because Israel seeks to avoid a broad military

operation which may lead to massive casualties in the densely-populated Gaza

Strip, and Hamas needs time to recuperate its forces.

"It is difficult to predict the duration of this

ceasefire. Hamas needs the time to build up its military capabilities, and when

it feels that it no longer requires the ceasefire and that its military build-up

is sufficient, it is likely to violate it," Dore Gold, President of the

Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told Chinese media.

He noted Hamas' careful choice of words, "tahadiyeh",

not "hudna", which would infer a longer armistice. "Just the very choice of

words indicates that Hamas has no intention of meeting the Quartet conditions,"

Gold said in an interview with Chinese media.

In 2006, the Quartet peacemakers, which consist of

the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia, established three

preconditions to normalize relations with Hamas: disarming, recognizing Israel

and rejecting violence as part of its organization's charter.

Under the truce deal an Israeli blockade imposed on

its borders with Gaza would also be loosened gradually and partially.

Starting next week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

would allow an initial increase of 30 percent of foodstuffs and basic

commodities to the Gaza Strip, a military spokesman told the media.

Meanwhile Washington is hopeful that the current

truce might allow Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas to refocus their efforts to reaching a framework peace deal by the

end of the year.

But both Israelis and Palestinians lack confidence in

the longevity of the ceasefire. The last ceasefire reached in Gaza in November

2006 fell apart quickly.

"We have no illusion but that this truce is fragile

and could be short-lived. Hamas has not changed its skin," Israeli Prime

Minister Ehud Olmert said at a conference north of Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

Hamas leader Ismail Haneya has said it expects all

Palestinian factions to respect the ceasefire out of a sense of national

responsibility.

But Abu Hamza, a spokesman for the armed wing of

Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement has told the media that they would respond

with force from Gaza to any Israeli raids in the West Bank, despite the fact

that the area is not covered by the truce.

ENHANCED LEGITIMACY FOR

HAMAS

There should be no doubt about Israel's intentions

regarding Hamas. "Hamas is not a partner for us ... we did not change our mind

regarding our views on Hamas," said Aryeh Merkel, a spokesperson of Israeli

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We negotiate with Mahmoud Abbas and it is quite

clear that even if we reach an agreement it will not be implemented as long as

Hamas remains in control of Gaza," he said.

Though Israel might not view Hamas as a potential

partner for peace, some analysts believe the Jewish state's very agreement to a

peace treaty, however short it may be, helps enhance the militant group's

credibility abroad.

"One of the unanticipated side effects of

negotiations is that they lead to the enhanced legitimacy of those who engage in

it," Gold said, noting that Hamas might improve its standing to make it harder

for Israel to argue against it internationally.

In such a case of enhanced legitimacy for Hamas and

without the Quartet conditions being met, "the tahadiyeh is likely to accelerate

the consolidation of Fatah and Hamas and to undermine the very purpose of the

Annapolis agreement aimed at supporting the government of Mahmoud Abbas," Gold

said.

Special report:

Palestine-Israel

Relations

Gaza truce raises hope for Mideast peace amid doubts on duration

CAIRO, June 19 (Chinese media) -- Under the Egyptian sponsorship, the truce agreement between Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement and Israel on Thursday came to effect in Gaza Strip for the first day, raising hopes for a chance to realize peace in the Middle East despite of deep doubts on the duration of the so-called lull or calm.

CHANCE TO REALIZE MIDEAST

PEACE

For the first time in years, the Palestinian and

Israeli sides reach a truce agreement that includes a cessation of violence in

the first week and holding negotiations on release of Palestinian prisoners in

the second week to be followed by a gradual lifting of siege on Gaza Strip and

negotiations over release of Israeli captive Gilad Shalit, Egypt's al-Ahram

daily said in its editorial on Thursday.

The truce agreement takes the Mideast peace process

to a new stage away from killings, violence, tension and mutual accusations

traded by Palestinian and Israeli sides, proving that there is a chance to

realize peace in the Middle East if Israel was convinced that in order to live

in peace, the Palestinians have to live in peace too, the daily noted.

In its editorial, Al-Gomhuria termed reaching a truce

agreement as a far-fetched hope given the wide gaps between Palestinian and

Israeli stances, hailing Egypt's success to bridge the gap between a side

seeking restoration of its usurped rights and another planning for more

settlement expansions.

The daily called on Israel to understand that they

cannot impose peace by force on Palestinians no matter how savage the Israeli

military vehicle was.

Just peace is possible only if Israel was committed

to a new policy based on a comprehensive lull in Gaza Strip and West Bank, an

end of provocative settlement activities and the release of Palestinian

prisoners, it added.

　　DOUBTS ON TRUCE DURATION

The Egyptian-brokered truce started at 6 a.m. local

time (0300 GMT) Thursday in Gaza after another day of cross-border violence.

On Thursday morning, Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades,

the armed wing of Hamas, issued a statement announcing its commitment to the

ceasefire which comes as a result of months of indirect talks between Hamas and

Israel, mediated by Egypt.

The six-month ceasefire is expected to halt Israeli

attacks into Gaza and ease the blockade which Israel imposed on Gaza Strip when

Hamas took over the territory by force a year ago. During the Gaza fighting,

Hamas routed security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and ousted his

Fatah movement.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said

Wednesday that the imminent calm in Gaza Strip is temporary and may be

short-lived, hours after Israel officially confirmed agreement to an

Egypt-brokered truce with Gaza militants.

For its part, Hamas's armed wing said in a statement

published just as the ceasefire began, that it is "fully ready to launch a

military strike that would shake the Zionist entity if they did not abide by all

the items of the calm".

CONTINUING PEACE

EFFORTS

While each side has expressed skepticism over the

duration of the truce and the lull was seen as "the quiet before the storm",

mediation efforts for peace are continuing.

Olmert was scheduled to visit Cairo next Tuesday for

a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth

reported Thursday on its website.

The two are expected to discuss different regional

issues including negotiations with the Palestinians and the ceasefire in Gaza

Strip, said the report.

After the announcement of the truce with Israel for

Gaza Strip starting on Thursday, Hamas said on Tuesday that it would respect the

deal but stressed the Egyptian-mediated negotiations had not yet been concluded,

describing the discussions in Cairo as positive.

Egypt has mediated a truce between Israel and Gaza

militant groups for months by which Israel would ease the blockade imposed on

Gaza and stop military offensive into Gaza for ending rocket attacks on Israel.

Special report:

Palestine-Israel

Relations

EU summit to brainstorm over reform treaty

By Zhang Bihong

BRUSSELS, June 19 (Chinese media) -- The two-day European

Union summit starting here later Thursday is sure to brainstorm over solutions

to save the Lisbon Treaty that was recently rejected in the Irish referendum,

but observers here believe no "fast-fix" can be made.

The summit ought to be dominated by

soaring oil and food prices if the Irish people endorsed the reform treaty, a

revised version of the aborted EU Constitutional treaty, in their June 12

referendum.

The unfortunate result in Ireland, the only nation

putting the treaty to referendum, has thrown the 27-bloc into anxiety and

uncertainty as there is not much time left before implementation.

The Irish rejection would almost certainly delay the

entry-into-force of the treaty, which is foreseen by EU leaders on Jan. 1, 2009,

time for new elections of the European Parliament.

The summit is expected to convey such a message that

the treaty, meant to simplify decision-making procedures and streamline

organizations of the EU, was not dead and the ratification process should be

continue.

It is a product of hard work and negotiations among

leaders of EU member states, which had made relentless effort to end the

constitutional crisis resulted from the rejection by France and the Netherlands

of the constitutional treaty in 2005.

Furthermore, it has already been ratified by nearly

20 nations, more than two thirds of the number of EU members, and EU leaders and

officials have formed a unified front on the continuation of its ratification

process.

Right after the result of the Irish referendum,

European Commission President Jose Manual Barroso responded that the process

would continue.

"The ratification process is made up of 27 national

processes, 18 member states have already approved the treaty, and the European

Commission believes that the remaining ratifications should continue to take

their course," he said.

Barroso called for joint efforts to tackle the

difficult situation." The European Council meets next week - and that is the

place where joint decisions should be taken on issues that con cernus all," he

said.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country

currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said "we will discuss the situation

and look for ways to move forward" at the summit.

German and French leaders also urged other EU nations

to continue the ratification process despite the Irish rejection.

As a strong signal of support, Britain ratified the

treaty Wednesday night, only one day before the summit to take place in

Brussels.

Also, the heads of state and government will expect

Ireland to evaluate the current situation and come up with a proposal at the

summit.

Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen will explain the reasons

behind his country's rejection of the treaty and what his country will propose.

The meeting provides a platform for discussion and

proposals but can not come up with a final solution.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said it

would be "risky" for EU nations to save the treaty "when we are facing a

blockade."

"We came to an understanding that in order to

understand the (Irish) referendum well, we need to take some time to reflect on

it," Rupel said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

"We need to take some time for analysis, for

consultations and for studying this problem."

Though in uncertainty, the EU is reluctant to admit

that it is in crisis again.

"The EU is not in crisis," Rupel said, "I am

convinced that sooner or later these reforms will see the light of day."

Barroso stressed that the Irish "no" vote was not

against the EU as Ireland has benefited a lot from its EU membership.

It's time to rethink ideas on urban planning

BEIJING, Nov. 5 -- MailPaul Farmer, chief executive officer of the American Planning Association, once summarized his planning concept as "honor history, celebrate the present, and choose the future."

In reality, especially at the current development stage in China, we seem to have too many "celebrations" of the present at the expense of historical heritage and future generations' well-being.

This pattern of unsustainable development has been challenged in recent years worldwide. It was once again refuted at the Global Planners Network Congress held in Zhenjiang of East China's Jiangsu province. The event preceded the Fourth United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF4) scheduled for November 3-7 in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu.

In the Zhenjiang Communique adopted by the Congress on Sunday, more than 80 planners from some 40 countries and regions agreed that "today's ailing settlements are the price for failures to plan." They urged governments to "embrace and implement strategic and integrated approaches to the planning of cities, metropolitan areas and regions."

This notion gives people a new vision of planning, which I understand is no longer an alien matter for us ordinary citizens.

The world today is confronted, as we know, with rapid urbanization of poverty and the hazardous impact of climate change. Planning therefore has become an important tool for healthy urban development and environmental management to halt the formation of slums and mitigate hazards.

In other words, planning is a means to realize the social harmony we have been pursuing.

To reach that goal, planning should be made an integrative and inclusive process, in which voices of different stakeholders can be aired and interests of different groups can be balanced.

The pity is, quite a few decision makers, including some planners themselves, don't treasure the value of planning as a process but often reduce it to the drawing of a physical blueprint. They simply turn planning into drawing pictures of their own liking, without consulting any stakeholders.

For instance, some officials are impressed by broad ways and thoroughfares. So they have big and wide highways built inside the city, making things so inconvenient for pedestrians that they find it hard to walk along the sideway, not to mention crossing the street.

As a result, very few of such big and wide highways could hold people on to build a bustling downtown atmosphere. The entire space is used for a single function, which is to facilitate smooth running of vehicles. The spacious, broad ways are often empty. This is not only a waste of resources but also affects the city's outlook.

Effective planning should steer toward harmonious settlements, putting places in harmony with nature and between people, as the Zhengjiang Communique highlights. It should alleviate poverty and reduce inequality.

That calls for higher requirements from planners. A qualified planner will have the journalist's capacity to be good at listening to all kinds of views, an economist's capacity to be skilled in calculating the input-output costs, the social worker's capacity to work with the communities, and a politician's capacity to balance various groups' conflicting interests.

Not many Chinese planners have come to value their profession this way, and the result is dissatisfying urban sprawls featuring inadequate services and inconvenient settings, which are particularly unfavorable to the low-income families.

A harmonious society should witness a narrowing rather than expanding gap between different social groups. And it is evident that planning has a growing role to play in getting every member of society to benefit from economic growth.

With the revaluation of their profession, planners will enhance their links with other professionals, communities, formal and informal sectors as well as the government to choose the best possible future for us and for our future generations.

The author is a media consultant with the Global Environmental Institute.

(Source: China Daily)

Commentary: Dalai Lama's remarks add to his mistakes

Special report: Tibet: Its Past and Present

　BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Chinese media) -- During his Japan tour

the Dalai Lama said Sunday that the current situation in Tibet is "very sad" and

the Chinese central government is handing down a "death sentence" to Tibetans.

Such remarks confound black and white and disregard facts.

The Dalai Lama's remarks came at a time when China's

central government is to arrange another round of contacts and negotiations with

his private representatives.

The self-proclaimed spiritual leader, who betrayed

his home country and fled Tibet in 1959, made a cliche-ridden statement when he

said the current situation in Tibet is "very sad."

Having never made any efforts for or contributions to

the protection and development of Tibetan culture, the Dalai Lama absurdly

claims himself as "the protector of Tibetan culture."

The accusation of the so-called "cultural genocide"

in Tibet and "death sentence" to Tibetans betrayed facts and were aimed at

arousing concerns over Tibet to add weight to his separatist ambitions.

Despite the Lhasa riot in March this year and

disruptions and sabotage of the Beijing Olympic Games by a handful of elements

seeking "Tibet independence," the central government has agreed to hold contacts

with private representatives of the Dalai Lama.

However, the Dalai Lama again played the trick of

"retirement" and said he was disappointed about the talks with the central

government and that the prospects for such talks would "become thinner and

thinner."

Facts have shown that his "disappointment" was

groundless.

During a meeting with the Dalai Lama's private

representatives in July this year, the central government raised four

requirements for the Dalai Lama to heed -- not to support activities to disturb

the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games; not to support plots to fan up violent

criminal activities; not to support, and effectively contain, the violent

terrorist activities of the "Tibetan Youth Congress"; and not to support any

argument and activity to seek "Tibetan independence" and split the region from

the country.

The requirements of the Chinese central government

have been concrete, simple, reasonable and explicit, which would have

facilitated the contacts and negotiations to generate effective results if the

Dalai Lama side had seriously carried out the promises.

By stressing his "disappointment" over the contacts

and negotiations, the Dalai Lama deliberately adopted a pathetic posture only in

an attempt to draw public attention and sympathy.

His "disappointment" also showed his reluctance to

give up his stance to seek "Tibetan independence."

For the Dalai Lama, it is futile to play mean tricks

and try to turn back the wheel of history.

Recognizing the irreversible situation, the Dalai

Lama should stop repeating the mistakes and discard his fantasies. He should

live up to his words in a bid to create a favorable condition for the contacts

and negotiations between the central government and his private representatives.

Adherence to socialist development mode with Chinese characteristics foundation of China's prosperity

DAKAR, Nov. 4 (Chinese media) -- Adherence to the socialist development mode with Chinese characteristics is the foundation of China's prosperity, Ali Sow, president of a research center of Senegal's development policies, told Chinese media in a recent interview.

Sow, who has visited China for three times, has witnessed the country's development and changes in over 40 years.

Forty-four years ago, Sow was received by then Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing when he visited China for the first time as the head of a delegation of the West African Federation of University Students.

The two-hour meeting still remained fresh in his memory, during which Mao told the students to build their own countries with hard work and by self-reliance, Sow said.

He recalled that China's economy was backward in the 1960s. However, the situation changed a lot in the 1980s when he made his second visit to China.

In 1986, Sow visited China as the head of a delegation of Senegalese entrepreneurs. "Newly-built factories popped up all over the country and many high-rises were erected. This is a picture of prosperity," Sow said.

At that time, some foreign investors had realized that China, a country with great economic potentials, would become one of the most vigorous markets in the world, according to him.

The Senegalese financial expert visited China for the third time in May 2007 when he met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at an annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Shanghai. The visit impressed him a lot.

"China's earth-shaking changes are amazing. During the visit, I saw a country with prosperity, social stability, confident people and wise leaders," said Sow.

"In almost 30 years, China has ranked itself among world powers with its double-digit economic growth, which has attracted world attention," said Sow, who is also a financial expert and senior advisor of the Senegalese government.

According to him, China and many African countries were at the same level in their economic development in the 1960s, but China's reform and opening up introduced in 1978, especially the socialist development mode with Chinese characteristics, have contributed a lot to its prosperity.

In the 1990s, western countries initiated a wave of west-style multiparty democracy in Africa, only to cause great chaos that has still been haunting the continent until now, Sow said.

From their own experiences, some African countries have realized that democracy is not the ultimate goal. What's important is to establish a mode of development that conforms to the social, economic and political development, as well as the historical and cultural traditions of the African countries, he said.

Sow noted that China's development mode with its own characteristics can serve as a model for the African countries.

Referring to the earthquake that struck China's southwestern Sichuan Province on May 12, he said the Senegalese people were deeply touched by the quake relief efforts made by the Chinese government and people.

The quick reaction of the leaders, the well-organized actions of the government and people's unity and generosity in the face of the disaster all showed that "China's ongoing policies and development mode have unquestionable advantages," Sow said.

China's mode has not only ensured its prosperity and national unity, but also triggered reflections on the new concept of governing a country, which will leave a great influence on Africa and the whole world, according to him.

Farmers' income can be doubled by 2020

BEIJING, Nov. 4 -- At the third plenary session of its 17th Central Committee, which concluded on Oct 12, the Communist Party of China (CPC) approved a resolution on major issues concerning rural reform and development.

It was a new, significant move made by the ruling Party on rural development on the 30th anniversary of the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978, which pioneered the country's historic reform and opening-up drive. The resolution, which is no doubt to serve as a guiding document for rural reform and development in the following years, draws an inspiring blueprint for the vast underdeveloped rural areas under the new situations at home and abroad.

In the document, the Party outlined a series of tasks and goals for rural development, ranging from economic, political, cultural, social and ecological construction to setting an ambitious development goal by 2020. The Party vowed to set up an integrated urban and rural economic development mechanism by that year, which will help maintain the country's grain safety and a sufficient supply of agricultural products. The per capita net income of the country's hundreds of millions of rural population would be doubled and absolute poverty would be eliminated in rural areas, the document says.

Also, the government will take viable measures to realize farmers' basic democratic and cultural rights and interests. The country will strengthen financial input in the countryside to ensure all rural residents' access to necessary education, medical care and sanitation facilities as well as guarantee a basic standard of living.

In addition, to provide rural residents with an ecological environment for living, a set of resources-conserving and environment-friendly agricultural production systems will take shape by that year, the document says.

Putting forward these aggressive but practical goals and tasks for rural development, the Party demonstrates a superb ability to grasp the pulse of the times and acute insight to look upon rural situations in the context of the country's overall development.

The document also marks a new dimension to the content on rural issues that the CPC included in the report to its 17th national congress held early this year. The report set the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and a socialist new countryside by 2020.

That the per capita net income of farmers will double at this year's level by 2020 is really encouraging. That means, through 12 years of development, the average disposable income of farmers will amount to 10,000 yuan (1,461.74 U.S. dollars) that year, not including the inflation-induced increment. The setting of the tangible goal for farmers' income growth is very important.

The country's ambitious goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects will go nowhere without the prosperity of farmers, who account for about a larger portion of the country's whole population. Statistics show that the income gap between urban and rural populations has widened although farmers have enjoyed a continuous income growth. The urban-rural income ratio expanded to 3.33:1 last year from 1.86:1 in 1985, or an absolute gap of 9,646 yuan to 342 yuan respectively.

Setting a measurable income goal for farmers, which fully demonstrates the high importance the Party has attached to improving farmers' income, is expected to greatly stimulate the initiative of the masses of farmers.

Provided that farmers' income can maintain an average growth rate of 5.95 percent, the ambitious goal will come true.

Since 2001, farmers have had a 6.2 percent income growth year on year, and even a higher 7.5 percent year-on-year since 2004. It is estimated that the per capita net income of farmers can grow by 6 per cent year on year or above in the following years.

However, we should also be adequately conscious of the existing difficulties in our efforts to maintain an average growth rate of 6 percent in the following 12 years. Given some uncertainties still existing in domestic and global economic situations, any inappropriate decisions concerning agricultural and rural development would drag down the growth of farmers' income.

Under such circumstances, we should unswervingly stick to promoting the growth of farmers' income as the central task in our agricultural and rural work by putting into effect various agriculture-preferential policies put in the Third Plenum of the 17th CPC Central Committee's resolution and strengthen the foundation for income growth.

The author is deputy director of the Bureau of Rural Affairs under the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee.

(Source: China Daily)

Chinese ambassador: China, Algeria to further boost traditional friendship

ALGIERS, Nov. 3 (Chinese media) -- China and Algeria have a traditional friendship that is developing along with the time, Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Liu Yuhe told Chinese media prior to a visit to the North African country by China's top legislator Wu Bangguo.

China and Algeria have a time-honored friendship which traced back to the 1940s and the 1950s during their fight for their respective independence and for safeguarding their national sovereignty, Liu noted.

The newborn China extended help for Algeria when it was still fighting for its independence. When the Algerian interim government was formed in 1958, China immediately gave it recognition and established full diplomatic relations with Algeria, the first non-Arab country to do so.

Algeria also made significant contributions to restoring China's legitimate seat in the United Nations as one of the co-sponsors (the other being Albania) in 1971.

China and Algeria have been friends in need, said the ambassador. China began in 1963 to dispatch medical teams to Algeria, the first such destination on the African continent.

In 2003, when Algeria was hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake which caused major causalities and financial losses, China promptly sent medical teams to the quake-struck regions, which saved a child buried under the rubbles.

This year, after the major earthquake in China's Sichuan province in May, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sent a message of condolences to Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Algerian government donated 1 million U.S. dollars to the quake-struck region.

China and Algeria are mutually-trusted strategic partners, Liu said. During the past 50 years since the establishment of bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields has been ever consolidating and growing, which has become an example for the South-South cooperation.

In February 2004, President Hu paid a state visit to Algeria and announced along with President Bouteflika the formation of a strategic cooperative relationship between the two countries.

In 2006, President Bouteflika attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit and paid a visit to China, during which the two countries issued a joint statement on developing their strategic cooperative relationship.

China and Algeria have conducted intensive cooperation in international affairs and are striving to make contribution to maintaining world peace and stability and achieving a win-win international cooperative pattern, Liu noted.

What's more, bilateral trade and economic cooperation have developed quickly in recent years. Bilateral trade volume in 2007 increased to 3.828 billion dollars from 290 million dollars in 2001. Gross trade volume in the first eight months of the year has reached 3.06 billion dollars, a 27 percent rise year-on-year.

Now about 40 Chinese companies are registered in Algeria and nearly 30,000 management, engineering, technological and labor personnel are working in the country. Algeria has become one of China's most important overseas markets for contracted engineering projects, Liu said.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, is scheduled to visit the country on Nov. 3-6.

The visit, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Algeria, will undoubtedly further boost the traditional friendship between the two countries and peoples and deepen their mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, Liu said.

Let more share legacy of Olympic Games

BEIJING,Nov.1 -- Modern China's greatest party ended more than two months ago. And athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps are no longer top news in these times of financial turmoil.

But there are people, and many at that, who still want to see the grandeur of the venues of the Olympic Games, especially the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, from within.

Such visitors once experienced more problems than pleasure in trying to enter the venues. They were made to negotiate hurdles even a Dayron Robles or a Liu Xiang would find difficult.

The Games was for the people, especially those who take pride in their country and love sports. That is why it is now heartening to know that people can get into the venues, as well as the Olympic Green, more easily.

Let's examine the sort of problems visitors once faced. They gathered around the Olympic Green during the National Day holidays, eager to get into at least one of the venues. But they could not buy tickets to the Water Cube because they were not being sold at the site. And, there were no signboards telling them where to buy one.

The more enthusiastic found that tickets could be bought at the Workers' Stadium. The information spread by word of mouth. But the Workers' Stadium is a full 40 minutes drive from the Water Cube. Some desperate ones still went to the stadium, only to be told that tickets had been sold out.

As a last resort, they turned to the touts, who demanded 50 or even 100 percent more for the tickets. There was another problem. Tickets to the Bird's Nest could be sold only in batches of 10 for individual visitors. Hence, many visitors had to form groups with strangers.

If you thought that was the end of it, you would be wrong. Beijing News reported that more than 200 visitors at a time had to queue up to go to a toilet at the Olympic Green on Oct 11. And a woman from Hubei province had to wait for 40 minutes.

Earlier, an official of the National Aquatics Center Co, which manages the Water Cube, explained that tickets had to be sold from another place during the National Day holidays because a maximum of only 3,000 people at a time could be allowed inside. And only 16,000 people a day could visit the venue where Phelps made history and Chinese divers swept almost all the gold medals on offer.

It is understandable and necessary that the number of visitors has to be set for safety reasons. But the way the authorities tried to tackle the problem was wrong. They did not have to turn away visitors without informing them where they could buy tickets.

One has to appreciate the enthusiasm of these people and their willingness to spend in these difficult times when most Chinese are reverting to their parents' philosophy of "a penny saved is a penny earned". Besides, many of them had traveled long distances to fulfill their dream of seeing the "magic places." A notice should have been enough to ensure the safety of the venues and tell the people to come back another time.

The ordeals endured by the visitors prompted the authorities to swing into action, and redress most of the grievances. Tickets for the Water Cube can now be bought on the spot. The current practice of not selling more than two tickets per person and giving each ticket a 45-minute slot balances safety needs and the convenience of visitors. What is more, the crowds inside the Water Cube have reportedly become more orderly, even though the number of visitors has been increased to 20,000 a day.

People can now buy single tickets to the Bird's Nest, too, and the daily number of visitors has been set at 80,000. And perhaps more importantly, as the Beijing Evening News reported last Thursday, 450 makeshift toilets and more dustbins have been installed at the Olympic Green.

All these steps show the authorities have listened to the complaints of the people aired through the press and the Internet. They prove, too, that even the most difficult problems can be solved if the authorities examine them carefully, and improve their management skills to better meet the needs of the people.

　there is no other option but to find harmonious solutions to people's problems if we are to ensure that they benefit from the legacy of what IOC President Jacques Rogge called a "truly exceptional Games".

As the financial crisis darkens clouds over the global economy and people start cutting their budgets, the problems venue authorities have to deal with should be viewed positively. They should not rest on their laurels (after solving most of the problems discussed above). Instead, they should try and improve services at the Olympic venues by providing more and a better variety of food and souvenirs, and holding more informative exhibitions showcasing the history of the venues and stories of the heroes.

Venue managers have to provide the best possible products and services. Otherwise, as the fever of the Beijing Games subsides, what they will be more likely to be worried about is how to attract visitors, not how to keep them away.

(Source: China Daily)

Chinese netizens ready to help Pakistani "brothers"

BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Chinese medianet) -- Chinese netizens have

expressed readiness togive timely assist and supportto their

Pakistani "brothers"after a powerful earthquake killed more than 200

people in the country's southwestern areas.

In messages posted on leading Chinese websites,

numerousnetizenshavealso mourned the victims in the

5.9-Richter-scale earthquake hitting Pakistan's Balochistan province on

Wednesday.

"We will never forget the brotherly assistance by the

Pakistani government and people. Iam eager toexpress condolences to

the Pakistani people in the quake-hit areas and dowhat I can," said a

netizen dubbed "soswjh" in a post on Chinese medianet.com.

Many othersrecalled the traditional friendship

between the two nations, and especially the selfless aid from Pakistan after a

disastrous earthquake hit Southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12.

Following the deadly quake, the Pakistani government

immediately delivered more than 10 tons of disaster-relief materials to

thequake-hit areas, and donated more than 20,000 tents to the victims. The

move touched a large number of Chinese people.

"China and Pakistan are truly good neighbors, friends

and partners, and enjoy all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation. In the

Wenchuan earthquake, the Pakistani people gave us selfless support and

assistance. If Pakistan needs us this time, we will lend the same warm and

helpful hands to them," said netizens"Spring warms people's hearts" in a

message posted on Chinese medianet.com.

Some netizens enquiried about how they can donate to the

affected Pakistani people, saying it's time for Chinese people to reciprocate

their neighbor's kindness.

"From the government to ordinary people, the two countries

have deep affection for each other. The friendship between the two countries is

sincere and ever-lasting," said one of the netizens.

Pakistan's powerful earthquake kills

over 200

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 30 (Chinese media) -- The powerful earthquake

occurred on Wednesday in southwestern Pakistan has killed more than 200 people

and caused scores of injures, local television reported on Thursday.

The death toll is expected to rise as many bodies may be

buried under rubbles when the calamity leveled about 2,000 mud-walled houses in

northern part of Balochistan province on Wednesday. Full story

Science a driving force for China's modernization

By Wen Jiabao

BEIJING,

Oct.31 -- The history of modernization is in essence a history of

scientific and technical progress. Scientific discovery and technological

inventions have brought about new civilizations, modern industries, and the rise

and fall of nations. China is now engaged in a modernization drive unprecedented

in the history of humankind.

Over the past half century, China has made great

achievements in basic science and technological innovation. It now ranks among

the top nations in the annual number of papers published internationally and

patent applications filed. China has also made achievements in such areas as

manned spaceflight, high-performance computers, super-large-scale integrated

circuits, and third-generation telecommunications technology. High-tech industry

has experienced rapid growth, accounting for over 15 percent of the

manufacturing industry.

Francis Bacon, the 16th-century English philosopher,

referred to science as a means to improve mankind's lot. Today, the hybrid rice

variety developed by Chinese scientists has been adopted for planting in over 3

million hectares and has become a "golden key" to meeting China's own food needs

and boosting world cereal production. Scientific and technological development

in the realm of health has also increased average life expectancy in China to

that of developed countries.

To encourage further innovation, the Chinese

government has formulated a Mid- to Long-Term Plan for Development of Science

and Technology (2006-2020), which highlights research in the basic sciences and

frontier technologies, with priority given to energy, water resources, and

environmental protection. We strive to develop independent intellectual property

rights in areas of information technology and new materials, while strengthening

the application of biotechnology to agriculture, industry, population and

health.

The future of China's science and technology depends

fundamentally on how we attract, train, and use young scientific talents today.

Thus, at the core of our science and technology policy is attracting a diverse

range of talents, especially young people, into science and providing them with

an environment that brings out the best of their creative ideas.

In the field of science and technology, we will

intensify institutional reform, restructure scientific research, rationally

allocate public resources, and enhance innovation capability. We advocate free

academic debate under a lively academic atmosphere, where curiosity-driven

exploration is encouraged and failure tolerated.

Science has no boundaries. China's endeavors in

science and technology need to be more integrated with those of the world, and

the world needs a China that is vibrant and able to deliver more in science and

technology. Just as collisions generate sparks, exchange and communication

enrich imagination and creativity. Many Chinese scientists have stepped into the

international academic arena, where they and their foreign colleagues learn from

each other and jointly contribute to the worldwide development of science and

technology.

To encourage the learning and application of science

among the general public, we need to embrace a scientific culture by promoting

scientific rationality while cherishing Chinese cultural heritage. Enlightened

by science, the rich and profound Chinese culture is bound to shine more

gloriously.

I firmly believe that science is the ultimate

revolution. At a time when the current global financial turmoil is dealing a

heavy blow to the world economy, it has become all the more important to rely on

scientific and technological progress to promote growth in the real economy.

Economic and social development must rely on science

and technology, and science and technology must serve economic and social

development. We will rely on science and technology to promote economic

restructuring, transform development patterns, safeguard food and energy

security, and address global climate change. We are confident that China will

reap a rich harvest in science and technology and that this will have positive

and far-reaching effects on human civilization and the well-being of humankind.

The author is China's premier and this article

was originally written for U.S.-based Science magazine

(Source: China Daily)

Canadian expert: China has made tremendous achievements in 30 years of reform, opening-up

by Zhao Qing, Yang Shilong

OTTAWA, Oct. 29 (Chinese media) -- China has made tremendous achievements in all social aspects and improved its status on the international arena as a result of its reform and opening-up policy adopted 30 years ago, Peter Harder, a Canadian expert on international affairs, told Chinese media in a recent interview.

Harder has visited China at least 14 times since 1980 and thus enjoys first-hand knowledge of what the country has undergone in the past three decades.

"China was colorless, (and) it was grey, everybody wore grey," he said while recalling his first Chinese tour.

However, things have changed tremendously since then, said Harder, who served as deputy chief for 16 years in several Canadian federal government departments including the Treasury Board, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Foreign Ministry and Ministry of International Trade.

In just 30 years' time, China has emerged as a colorful, prosperous and self-confident society with a significant influence on world political and economic affairs, he said.

While economic growth has substantially facilitated the improvement of the material life of ordinary people, the whole of Chinese society has seen progress in all aspects, from people's awareness of their social responsibilities, their openness to the outside world, the mode and level of governance, to the awareness of sustainable development, Harder pointed out.

"You cannot come on visits to China over a period of time as frequently as I have without noticing the tremendous increase of human freedom, of rule of law, of focusing on accountability, particularly at the municipal and local levels where the issues of being responsive to native citizens are very much discussed," he said.

China's progress is a good thing for the whole world, he said. "I view the opening-up to the outside world as having been hugely beneficial to both China and the world."

"By that I mean China has been able to provide economic opportunities to its public, which has vastly improved the quality of life of its population and has done so over a period of years, which indicates sustainable economic strategy."

On the other hand, "the world has benefited from China's participation in the global market place and global political space," he noted.

Harder credited China with being a responsible member of the United Nations Security Council and a partner in global solutions for several international and regional issues.

Though China faces the challenge of economic disparity between its coastal and interior areas as well as between rural and urban regions, its leadership is fully aware of the situation and is putting in place a development strategy to address that challenge.

As for environmental challenges, the Chinese government has advocated the notion of harmonious growth in its latest five-year plan to better balance the relationship between economic growth and environmental protection, Harder said.

He expressed confidence that China would have an even brighter future as the Chinese leadership is responsible and has displayed the ability to maintain national economic growth and to participate in global affairs effectively and responsibly.

Harder currently holds the post of president of the Canada-China Business Council (CCBC), Canada's leading organization to facilitate bilateral trade and investment.

He will lead a large delegation consisting of Canadian entrepreneurs and five provincial government heads scheduled to visit China from Nov. 2-7. The tour will be part of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the CCBC and of China's opening-up policy.

U.S. think-tank leader on Internet role, China's achievement

Gordon Flake, excutive director of the

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, speaks during an interview with

Chinese medianet in Beijing, Oct. 29, 2008.(Chinese medianet Photo)
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Gordon Flake, excutive director of the

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, speaks during an interview with

Chinese medianet in Beijing, Oct. 29, 2008.(Chinese medianet Photo)
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Gordon Flake, excutive director of the

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, speaks during an interview with

Chinese medianet in Beijing, Oct. 29, 2008.(Chinese medianet Photo)
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Ecuador-China association vice chairman: "I'm happy to see the big changes in China."

QUITO, Oct. 28 (Chinese media) -- "As a normal Ecuadorian

who has been paying attention to China's development, I'm happy to see the

changes occurring in China," said Jorge Moreno, vice chairman of the

Ecuador-China Friendship Association, during a recent interview with Chinese media.

Moreno, who visited China three times in the last

three decades, said he was amazed by the dramatic changes that have taken place

in China over the period.

Moreno, 65, paid his first visit to China in 1976 as

a member of Ecuador's parliamentary delegation.

"It was a kingdom of bicycles then, and there were

not many cars on the street," he said. "Now China's big cities are packed with

cars and skyscrapers, it looks like another world."

During a recent visit, he could see that the Chinese

people are working hard to live a better life, and the whole society is

permeated with national pride.

"Take the city of Shenzhen (in south China), China's

first economic experiment zone, as an example," said Moreno. It feels like the

small fishing village had grown overnight to become an international metropolis

with a population of 8 million. The young city, with its residents' average age

at 28, is the epitome of China's rapid development in the past 30 years, he

said.

"The recent Olympics successfully held by China also

showed to the world a vigorous and confident nation," he added.

In 50 years, China has grown from a poor agricultural

country to become the fourth largest economy in the world. Its development mode

can be an inspiration for other nations, Moreno said, adding that the Chinese

government has a clear goal and direction, which are very important for China's

future opening-up and reforms.

Ecuador lies along the Pacific coast of South

America, and can become a transit point between China and other Latin American

countries, Moreno said.

He expressed hope that China and Ecuador would

strengthen their friendly ties and increase bilateral trade.

Belgian scholar praises China's increasingly important role in promoting Asia-Europe co-op

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis
Special Report: The 7th Asia-Europe Meeting

by Xie Dongfeng

BRUSSELS, Oct. 27 (Chinese media) -- One of Belgium's top Sinologists on Monday praised China's increasingly important role in promoting Asia-Europe cooperation and underlined the "strong message" delivered by the just-concluded Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on jointly fighting the international financial crisis.

"Because of its sheer size and economic clout, China is bound to play an important role in further developing the Asia-Europe cooperation. It should take up its responsibilities and it is becoming more clear every day that Beijing is doing just that," Gustaaf Geeraerts, director of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS), told Chinese media in an exclusive interview.

"China's efforts in hosting a successful Asia-Europe Meeting are yet another telling indication of China's growing assertiveness in the arena of world politics," he added.

Professor Geeraerts noted that China is taking greater responsibilities on international affairs after more than two decades of impressive economic growth had boosted the country's self-confidence.

"In Beijing, the notion that China should start taking an attitude befitting a responsible power is gradually gaining ground. ..China is taking up ever more space within various multilateral organizations and is setting up diplomatic activities everywhere on the globe," he said.

However, Geeraerts said that while China is further engaged in international duties, the "absolute priority" must still be given to its domestic economic development as it is still in many respects a developing country.

Despite the fact that China has made enormous progress in the past 30 years since the launch of its economic reforms, developing into the world's third largest trading power, it still does not score very highly in terms of GDP per capita, he said.

"In addition, it is also increasingly faced with the fallout generated by the widening gap in levels of prosperity between different regions, urban and rural areas, the rich and poor," he added.

In view of these factors, he said, Chinese leaders are steering a course where what is needed for the development at home defines the contours of foreign policy.

Geeraerts also stressed that "to realize sustainable development China needs regional and global stability."

Turning to the two-day seventh ASEM, which just concluded on Saturday, the 58-year-old Geeraerts said the summit had got special importance as it was the first large-scale international summit since the U.S.-sparked financial crisis has been ever deepening.

The meeting delivered "a strong message," he said. "By and large they reveal a consensus on several measures including tighter control of monetary and budgetary policies, enhanced transparency, increased credit inspection and enhanced crisis control mechanisms."

"These are all very useful inputs for the international summit on the financial crisis to be held in Washington D.C. next month," he said.

Geeraerts said both Asia and Europe shared heavy responsibilities in dealing with the financial crisis as both sides are heavyweights in the global economy.

"Their visions and actions are essential for an effective tackling of the global financial crisis," he said.

"Both are also highly connected to the rest of the world. Therefore, both have a lot to win from finding a good solution to the crisis. Together these two elements form a solid foundation for cooperation," said the professor.

The current global financial crisis was the top subject of ASEM in Beijing, which adopted three documents, namely the ASEM Statement on the International Financial Situation, the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Chair's Statement, which included 17 cooperation proposals.

In his view, ASEM has assumed a more important role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two continents, and in promoting world peace and stability.

"In an interdependent global system effective governance can only flow from dialogue and cooperation. In a diversifying global system it is paramount that regions communicate permanently to stimulate mutual understanding," he said.

"We need to find out what we have in common and find ways on how to cope with our differences due to dissimilar cultural background, history and economic development. That is why the ASEM is so important," he said.

Speaking of the importance of EU-China relations to Asia-Europe cooperation, Geeraerts said both sides, which each play leading roles in their respective regions, can act as coordinators of mutual cooperation.

When commenting on the current EU-China relationship, Geeraerts acknowledged that while both sides have become increasingly interdependent and affect each other in more areas than ever before," the number of divergences and conflicting expectations has been piling up."

"Nonetheless, both Chinese and Europeans are aware of the situation, and they both consider it a major challenge to develop a better understanding of each other's problems and capabilities," he said.

The scholar said that both sides now "perceive a need to change the affected rhetoric of the past for a more realistic appraisal of what they are really able and willing to offer to each other."

"One thing stands out though: both sides believe they stand to gain from a relationship that starts from a more balanced and realistic mutual expectations," he stressed.

"To define the contours of such a relationship and to shape the conditions for its realization seems to be the genuine challenge for future EU-China relations," he concluded.

Chinese steel companies to forge united front on ore prices for 2009

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Chinese media) -- China Iron and Steel Association has called a conference of the largest domestic steel makers to work out a common stand in bargaining with major iron ore producers in the 2009 round of price negotiations starting next month, the English newspaper China Daily reported on Tuesday.

This round of negotiations is expected to be different from previous ones that were largely dominated by the ore suppliers. This time, the market situation has changed as fallout from the global credit crisis has greatly depressed demand, the daily said.

The enhanced bargaining power of Chinese steel makers in this buyers' market was clearly demonstrated by their boycott of Brazil's mining company, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, which unilaterally raised ore prices on Sept. 3.

Major Chinese steel makers and iron ore suppliers decided to suspend imports from Vale because of the company's price hike on iron ore.

Shrinking steel demand, plus a sagging property market and dropping car sales, has pushed the prices of Chinese steel products down by an aggregate of 40 to 50 percent since early October.

"The only way out for steel producers at the moment is to slashproduction to fight the drop in steel product prices," said Li Bing, director of the mining resources trading department at Ma Steel in Hebei Province. He added Ma Steel has cut its production by 30 percent this month.

Despite dwindling demand for steel products, many Chinese steel makers, in compliance with previously agreed trading contracts with ore suppliers, are continuing to import iron ore from Australian suppliers at the contract price, which is much higher than the current spot prices.

Baosteel, the country's top steel producer, last week announced a further drop in the prices of its major products from 1,700 to 1,000 yuan (146 U.S. dollars to 249 U.S. dollars) per ton.

"Falling spot iron ore prices and the output reduction by Chinese steel makers will combine to strengthen their bargaining power in the negotiations," said Du Wei, a senior steel industry analyst with the Chinese Umetal.com website.

Leading U.S. economist says China's development crucial to world economy

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

By Liu Hong

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (Chinese media) -- China's development is crucial to the world economy

and will help the developed economies and the world as a whole to stave

off the possible recession, a leading U.S. economist told Chinese media in a recent

interview.

CHINA IS THE MOST OPEN DEVELOPING ECONOMY IN THE WORLD

"China, certainly by far the world's economy main drive... is accounting

(for) about 1 quarter of total global economic growth,"said Fred Bergsten,

director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (Peterson

Institute), a top U.S. think tank.

"I think China's own rapid growth will continue and that will provide a

major impetus to the world's expansion that will help the U.S., west Europe and

other slowly growing parts of the world drop out the recession," he said.

Bergsten, who first visited China some 20 years ago, has been to the

country about a dozen times and was deeply impressed by theprogress China has

achieved since its reform in 1978.

"The progress I have seen in China by my own eyes was more dramatic than

I've seen in many other countries in the world," said the economist, who served

as an assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury during 1977-1981.

He said many of his colleagues in the United States have erroneously viewed

China as a closed economy setting lots of tradecontrols and blockages for

foreign investment.

However, he believed that China is the most open developing economy in the

world, more open than many industrialized economy. "That is important because

China chose consciously to integrate with world as a development strategy,"

Bergsten said.

According to him, China joined such international organizationsas the WTO

partly to promote the country's internal reform, further its development as well

as modernize its economy.

"I think China's trade policy strategy toward global engagementis

brilliant," said Bergsten.

PROTECTIONISM AGAINST CHINA INTENSIFIED AMID GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

As the current financial crisis causes a sharp slowdown in the U.S. economy

and a severe decline in the world growth, China also feels the impact of the

financial tsunami.

"Many factories closed in China, many factories closed in the United States

and everywhere, that's the process of market-based economy," said Bergsten.

He pointed out that some Chinese factories have gone bankrupt as the the

Chinese yuan exchange rate started to rise, which is asinevitable as the

economic slowdown in the U.S.

China is reducing its huge trade surplus and begins to rely more on its

domestic demand, which the economist believed is a natural and desirable

adjustment process for the country.

He said that China was too dependent on growing trade surplus in the last

few years, which was "unsustainable."

As the world economy wrestles with financial turmoil, China also faces

challenges in its export. And Bergsten predicted that "reaction against China

will be intensified".

When asked about his opinion towards the current crisis, Bergsten responded

quite optimistically. He said that although thecurrent financial crisis is very

serious, yet, it does not always lead to economic crisis.

He believes that the U.S. economy, at least for now, has avoided a

recession, and the bailout plan proposed by the U.S. government and passed by

the congress will work.

Bergsten was also very optimistic about the future of China. "Ithink China

has enormous possibilities for continued rapid economic growth, and I expect

another 30 years of very positive progress in reducing poverty, increasing

living standards, continued rise of China," he said.

UNITED STATES, CHINA SHOULD STRENGTHEN HIGH-LEVEL COOPERATION

Bergsten believes that the rise of China poses both challenges and

opportunities to other countries.

"China's rise is clearly a very good thing to the world, a goodthing for

the United States," which means the U.S. is now dealing with a more developed,

more sophisticated and more mature China.

"China plays a major role in the world's economy," said the director of the

Peterson Institute, "It's very hard for any country developed so rapidly to

integrate into the global order, and also to realize its own responsibilities

for helping to assurea stable, constructive and prosperous global economic

system."

Bergsten proposed a high level of cooperation between the United States and

China.

He believes the Sino-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral ties

in the world. And it is crucial for both sides to resolve disputes in an

effective and cooperative way whenever theyarise, he said.

"That's why I believe the U.S. and China should put a mechanismin place

including annual summits of our two governments," he toldChinese media, indicating the

two countries should create a dispute-settlement framework.

Bergsten, who was listed as "one of the 10 people who can change your life"

by USA Today, predicted that the next U.S. president would approach the

country's relations with China probably like the last two presidents.

He explained that both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush

had talked about big changes in policies toward China before they were sworn in.

But the reality was that both carried out policies largely contradictory from

what they had saidin their campaigns.

That was because "the interest of the U.S. and global position of

China" are the larger factors to determine the two countries' relations, he

noted.