Lessons from SARS have to be applied

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

BEIJING, May 6 -- I was living in Hong Kong during SARS - and read enough reports from the mainland - to know that the scars of that epidemic haven't yet healed.

Six years on, images of a besieged city are still vivid:

Masks, all shapes and colors to the point of becoming fashion accessories.

Swipes, wherever tap water wasn't available to wash hands so often to have the skin peeling off.

Elevators, where floor buttons were pushed with pens and keychains.

Escalators, where people did balancing acts to avoid touching the handrails.

And, in the China Daily Hong Kong Edition office, the main door left open so that the fingerprint entry system could be suspended.

As the alarm was sounded on the H1N1 flu, it was, as they say, dj vu all over again - except for those who didn't live through the SARS crisis.

Which is why I can understand why the Mexican government reacted with distress to the quarantine of the country's citizens which the president, Felipe Calderon, described, without referring to any country, as "repressive, discriminatory measures".

The country's foreign minister went a step further, accusing China of isolating its citizens in what she characterized as "unacceptable conditions".

The Chinese foreign ministry tried to set the record right, saying the country was not discriminating against anyone, and that the quarantine measures were essentially a matter of health checks to ensure the virus did not spread.

Aggressive action by the Chinese government, against the backdrop of the World Health Organisation one step away from declaring the flu as a global pandemic doesn't sound "repressive" to me.

And, "discriminatory" may be misplaced when the same treatment would have been applied to citizens of Marshall Islands or Madagascar should the flu have originated in those countries; and, I dare say that Beijing would not have objected as strenuously if Chinese citizens were subjected to similar treatment abroad if the flu had originated in the country.

Mexico has been lauded for being upfront about the epidemic and taking decisive steps such as closing down schools, restaurants and bars - as well as playing soccer matches in empty stadiums.

Should the country not be a little sympathetic to a country - criticized for not doing enough in the initial stages of the SARS outbreak - trying to do the same?

Granted, it is not a pleasant experience to be subjected to quarantine. What other options did Beijing have at the time when the spread of the flu seemed inexorable?

Perhaps some "soft power", like making sure the quarantined guests had "acceptable" accommodation and access to home comforts.

Conflicting signals about the virulence of the flu haven't helped either.

The WHO warns that should the current crisis pass, the virus could mutate and become more deadly come autumn, raising visions of a similar trend of the Spanish flu in 1918, which killed millions.

But governments in the worst-hit countries - Mexico and the United States - seem content to declare that the epidemic is on the wane.

At the same time, experts point out that the H1N1 is an unknown quantity: Scientists are trying to determine its path, its progression, its pathology and the prognosis for us.

When China became the first country to send aid, including medical supplies, to Mexico, Calderon said his country had a lot to learn from how China handled SARS.

The lesson could be a bit of tough love.

And, not SARS all over again.

(Source: China Daily)

Vice Premier: China, EU "Distant Neighbors"

BEIJING,May6
(Xinhuanet)--China's Vice Premier Wang Qishanhas said
thatChina and the European Union should take a responsible attitude and
demonstrate their common, clear commitment against trade protectionism at the
second China-E.U. high-level economic dialogue.

He made the remarks in an articlepublished by the
New York Timeson Tuesday, titled "Distant Neighbors."

The following is the full text of the article:

The most pressing task facing all countries in the
world today is to restore global economic growth as soon as possible. Yet it is
worrisome to note that the surge of trade protectionism has made the prospects
of the already fragile world economy even worse.

China and the European Union, two major economies and
stakeholders in the world, should take a responsible attitude and demonstrate
their common, clear commitment against trade protectionism at the second
China-E.U. high-level economic dialogue.

Trade liberalization is the engine of economic
growth. It has served as a strong propeller of economic globalization and
benefited people around the world. On the contrary, trade protectionism ¡ª
featuring the pursuit of benefits for one country at the expense of others ¡ª
will only lead to retaliation. It serves the interest of no one.

The world economy paid a heavy price for the
prevalence of trade protectionism during the Great Depression in the 1930s,
which led to the contraction of global trade by two thirds. We should make sure
that the same mistake is not repeated.

Europe is the birthplace of free trade theory, and
the E.U. is the product of successful free trade practices. The removal of trade
barriers promoted formation of a single European market and enhanced development
and prosperity in Europe. As a result, the E.U. has grown into the largest
economy in the world today.

China is firmly committed to reform and to opening
up. Since its accession to the World Trade Organization, China¡¯s market has
become much more open and its trade greatly liberalized. The current overall
tariff level of China is only 9.8 percent. Its average tariff on industrial
products is only 8.9 percent, the lowest among all developing countries. Its
tariff on imported agricultural products is only 15.2 percent, which is not only
lower than other developing countries but also far below that of many developed
countries.

The openness of China¡¯s trade in services has reached
a level close to that of an average developed country. China has taken steady
steps to improve its market economic system and legal system. In particular, it
has made remarkable progress in intellectual-property rights protection, product
quality and food safety, environmental protection and labor security. China has
also taken concrete actions against trade protectionism ¡ª the Chinese government
recently sent Chinese enterprises on procurement missions to Europe and the
United States.

The economies of China and the E.U. have much to
offer each other and our two-way trade holds a huge potential. The E.U. is now
China¡¯s largest trading partner and China is the second largest trading partner
of the E.U.

China and the E.U. should make full use of the
platform presented by the high-level economic dialogue to strengthen
communication and cooperation and jointly oppose trade protectionism. This would
better enable us to tackle the current crisis and promote economic recovery and
growth. It would also reinforce the trend of economic globalization and
facilitates a further growth of two-way trade.

The two sides should work actively to put in place
the agreement reached at the G-20 summit in London, promote early, comprehensive
and balanced outcome in the WTO Doha round negotiations and uphold an open, fair
and equitable international trading regime. An early conclusion of the Doha
round is of symbolic significance to curbing protectionism.

The two sides should further open markets to each
other. China will continue to lower the threshold for market access, improve
trade and investment environment and encourage Chinese enterprises to increase
procurement and imports from Europe.

We hope the E.U. will relax restrictions on the
exports of high-tech products to China, enhance cooperation with China on the
development and application of clean energy, new energy and renewable energy and
support cooperation among our small and medium-sized enterprises. Meanwhile, our
two sides should step up efforts to update the E.E.C.-China Trade and Economic
Cooperation Agreement.

The two sides should work in a cooperative spirit and
properly resolve trade differences and disputes. Each side needs to take proper
care of its own interests. Yet, more importantly, both sides should accommodate
the concerns of the other, taking into full account national conditions and
their stage of development, and steadily broaden the scope of our common
interests.

We should strengthen dialogue and consultation,
refrain from taking protectionist measures and avoid politicizing trade issues.
China hopes that the E.U. will evaluate the conditions of the Chinese economy in
an objective and unprejudiced manner and recognize China¡¯s full market economy
status as soon as possible.

Trade liberalization was, is and will continue to be
the only way to global economic prosperity. The Chinese side is ready to work
with the E.U. and take effective measures to oppose trade protectionism, promote
better growth of China-E.U. trade and jointly move the world economy out of the
current difficulties at an early date.

Chinese Vice Premier leaves for
Sino-EU dialogue, visit Britain

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang
Qishan left here Wednesday for the second Sino-European Union (EU) high-level
trade and economic dialogue in Brussels on May 7 and 8, and to pay an official
visit to Britain from May 8 to 12 at the invitation of British Chancellor of the
Exchequer Alistair Darling.

Wang will co-chair the dialogue with Catherine
Ashton, EU Trade Commissioner and personal representative of the European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said Jiang Yu, spokeswoman of the
Chinese Foreign Ministry. Full story

Chinese diplomat stresses importance
of pragmatism, shared interests in developing Sino-EU ties

BRUSSELS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese
diplomat said here Wednesday that China and the European Union (EU) should push
forward mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres by practicing pragmatism,
keeping in mind the overall interest of the bilateral relations and working
together to promote common interests between the two peoples.

"If we keep in mind the overall interest of our
relations and work together to promote common interest between our peoples, we
will be able to enjoy a closer partnership in the long run, and for next month
to ensure the upcoming Sino-EU High-Level Dialogue and the summit great
success," said the Chinese Ambassador to the EU Song Zhe in a speech at a
seminar on Sino-EU relations in Brussels. Full story

Chinese Vice Premier to attend Sino-EU
dialogue, visit Britain

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier
Wang Qishan will attend the second Sino-European Union (EU) high-level trade and
economic dialogue in Brussels on May 7 and 8 and pay an official visit to
Britain from May 8 to 12.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the
announcement at a regular press conference here Thursday. Full story

China faces challenge of growing elderly society

BEIJING, May 6 -- The growing population of the elderly in the country is a colossal challenge for which we appear to be least prepared, if not altogether unprepared.

Recent studies and articles by researchers both at home and abroad have sounded alarm bells for alerting us to the gravity of the situation the country will be facing in the coming decades.

According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the current ratio of 16 elderly per 100 workers is set to double by 2025 and rise to 61 by 2050. By then China will have 438 million people aged 60 and over and 103 million aged 80 or over.

Information from China's State Information Center and the China National Committee on Aging also showed a similar trend.

In a matter of 18 years, China has achieved an aging population ratio that developed countries reached in several decades or nearly a century. This means the challenge for China is far greater because we are becoming a greying society before the country becomes rich.

What it means for the economy is that the population dividend - the steady supply of fresh workforce and the high savings rate - we have been cashing in on during the last three decades of economic boom will finally come to an end. We will instead face a shortage of labor, which spells a potential disaster for the world's "manufacturing workshop."

The vast aging population will also have a negative impact on the living standards of every Chinese as more government money would be spent on pension and other services related to senior citizens. That is probably why many experts call the "fast-greying population" as one of China's biggest challenges in the 21st century.

Such an unprecedented challenge facing a developing nation would require the early preparedness to avert a devastating blow to the country a few decades from now.

Unfortunately, our country is ill prepared even for the aging population of today. For example, there are only a little over 2 million beds in various senior citizens homes, averaging 11 beds per 1,000 elderly, compared with the average of 35 to 50 beds in other developing countries.

Surveys in Shanghai show that the elderly yearn for more home services, community medical service and psychological and mental comfort, all of which are seriously lacking now.

This is an appalling situation for a nation, which boasts a tradition of reverence for old age, and calls for immediate action on the part of both the government and society.

We must spend more money on pension and include people in the vast countryside, where the challenge is even bigger. We should also build more public facilities for the elderly in local communities to make their twilight years easier and more comfortable. The list could go on.

Such efforts and expenditure would mean less money for other sectors and possibly slower economic growth. But unless we act now, act decisively and courageously, we will be making a terrible mistake in dealing with one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

(Source: China Daily)

China's chartered flight arrives in Mexico to bring back nationals

Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu 

MEXICO CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A chartered flight from China arrived early
Tuesday in Mexico City to bring back some 99 nationals stranded in Mexico, the
epicenter of the A/H1N1 flu outbreak.

The aircraft Boeing 777-200 arrived at about 1:50 a.m. (0750 GMT) early
Tuesday at international airport Benito Juarez to lift 79 Chinese citizens
stranded in the capital.

The plane is also scheduled to pick up 20 more Chinese from Tijuana,
northern city on the U.S.-Mexico border, after setting off from the Mexico City.

The plane is expected to return to Shanghai at 10 a.m. Wednesday local time
(0200 GMT), its operator Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines said.

China sent the chartered flight after an agreement between the two
governments to send chartered flights to each other's countries to lift their
stranded nationals,

The 17-strong crew have been trained on precautions against the flu and
dealing with any health emergencies, the airline told Xinhua.

A quarantine expert from the Ministry of Health and doctors from the
airline would closely monitor the health conditions of the passengers.

If any passengers developed symptoms like fever, all the passengers and
flight crew would probably be quarantined after returning to China, the airline
said.

China suspended direct flights from Mexico to Shanghai since Saturday after
a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai Thursday aboard flight
Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with A/H1N1 flu in Hong Kong.

The Mexican became Hong Kong's first confirmed case of A/H1N1 infection on
Friday.

Flu may accelerate hog futures launch

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The spread of influenza A/H1N1, firstly known as
swine flu, is likely to hasten the launch of China's hog futures trading,
Tuesday's China Daily reported.

As a result of the widespread flu, hog prices have dropped from 13.41 yuan
(about 2 U.S. dollars) per kilogram in January to 9.88 yuan in April, according
to data from Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant Co Ltd (BOABC).

"The launch of livestock futures may help to lock in the price of the
product, and protect hog breeders and processors from drastic price swings,"
said Feng Yonghui, chief analyst from AND Group, a Beijing-based agricultural
service provider.

"Hog prices fell even more last week, to below 8 yuan per kg inmost cities
of north China, due to the shrinking demand arising from a fear that eating pork
products would result in contracting the virus," said Feng.

The State Council announced a stimulus to boost agricultural development
and increase farmers' incomes early this year, which, for the first time, said
the government would adopt measures like futures exchanges to develop the hog
breeding industry.

Dalian Commodity Exchange started a trial run for livestock futures
delivery in 2007, but the trading proposal is still waiting to get the nod from
top authorities.

However, some market observers believe that hog future trading was unlikely
to take place this year.

"How to set the standards to examine and quarantine livestock is one of the
major concerns. Unfortunately, the possible eruption of influenza A/H1N1 adds
more pressure on the authorities to approve the introduction of hog futures,"
said Guo Huiyong, an analyst with BOABC.

Chinese vice premier urges "scientific, transparent" flu prevention,control

BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Monday urged a "scientific and transparent" prevention and control of influenza A/H1N1 in the country.

"The most important work at present was to strictly check on border entry" as the killer disease has been mainly reported overseas, Li gave the direction during a visit to the health ministry.

Li listened to experts' views on the epidemic and inspected the operation of a joint prevention and control mechanism China has set up following the epidemic's outbreak in other parts of the world.

He said that in face of the worsening global epidemic situation, China could not rule out the possibility of the virus' spreading into its border although no confirmed case had been reported yet on its mainland.

"We must be fully prepared and strive for the best outcome through orderly and effective work," he said, calling for proactive, scientific and comprehensive preventive measures against the disease.

As the outbreak has been mainly reported overseas, Li said the most important work at present was to strictly check on border entry, step up technical equipment and material storage, arrange designated hospitals and be well prepared for emergencies.

He stressed the role of science in combating the disease, urging "beefed-up scientific research, analysis and decision-making" and strengthened cooperation with the World Health Organization and foreign countries.

Information transparency was of key importance to the scientific epidemic prevention and control, he said, calling for further improvement in information publicity.

"Infections within our border must be immediately publicized, and the prevention and control work must be transparent," he said.

He also called for the promotion of a scientific understanding of the disease to ward off public panic, and urged mass involvement in the prevention and control.

In another development, the health ministry said Monday China had listed A/H1N1 under the category of infectious diseases that warranted quarantine, and would quarantine people and material crossing China's borders that were suspected of transmitting the virus.

China suspends imports of pigs from Canada's Alberta

BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China would suspend imports of pigs or relevant products from Alberta of Canada, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Ministry of Agriculture Sunday.

The move was made after some pigs in the province of Alberta had been found to be infected with the A/H1N1 flu Saturday.

The pigs or relevant products sent to China after the declaration would be destroyed and those sent to China before Saturday would have to pass A/H1N1 tests, the announcement said.

Passengers are not allowed to take pigs or relevant products into China and no pigs or relevant products would be allowed to be mailed to the country, the announcement said.

Transport vehicles from the affected areas would be quarantined, the announcement said.

China's new loan growth may decline in April

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Credit extended by China's banks in April may have dropped to above 600 billion yuan (about 87.85 billion U.S. dollars) after staying at above 1 trillion yuan for three straight months, industry insiders said.

Despite the sharp month-on-month decline, the scale and growth of the April new loans was "more reasonable" than that in the first three months this year, said Tuesday's China Securities Journal, citing unidentified sources with banks.

China's new yuan-denominated loans hit 4.58 trillion yuan (670 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter, according to figures from the People's Bank of China, the central bank. In March alone, new credit loans increased 1.89 trillion yuan.

The country's "big four" state-owned commercial banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest bank by market value, are estimated to have lent more than250 billion yuan in April, while smaller banks have lent about 400billion yuan, said the sources.

Medium- and long-term loans would have accounted for a larger proportion in the April new loans, while the scale of bill financing would fall sharply, said analysts.

It is also forecasted that new loans in May and June will not see a dramatic decline from the April level, according to Li Gang, expert with Agricultural Bank of China.

The average new loans for the rest months of the year will be around 300 billion yuan, he said.

UN relief chief expects strengthened co-op with China

by Xinhua writers Gu Zhenqiu, Wang Xiangjiang, Bai
Jie

UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations
relief chief said here on Monday that China's cooperation with the world body
"has been very good," and that he expects to further improve this kind of
cooperative relations.

John Holmes, the UN under-secretary-general for
humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in an exclusive
interview with Xinhua that "I think the cooperation has been very good and we
want to improve it further."

A VERY GOOD
COOPERATION

On the China-UN cooperation, Holmes said, "I think it
was very good at the time of the earthquake."

The magnitude-8.0 quake that hit southwest China,
including many parts of Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2008 killed more than
69,000 people. It also left nearly 18,000 missing, more than 374,000 injured and
millions homeless.

"We were able to help a little bit, as I said, and we
were very willing to do that and we were impressed by what China was able to
do," Holmes said, referring to the UN assistance including 8 million U.S.
dollars from the UN Central Fund to help with some of the immediate aid and
assistance.

"I think as time goes on and China becomes a more
prosperous country, and an even more important country in the world than it is
now, it's right for China to play a role in the wider, multilateral system in
responding to disasters as well, not just natural disasters but in the major
conflict situations," he said.

"You have so much to offer in terms of experience, in
terms of people," he said. "Just as China is becoming more involved, for
example, in international peacekeeping around the world, it is logical for China
to be more involved in the international response to disasters both before they
happen and after they happen, and that's one of the things I was strongly
encouraging while in Beijing and elsewhere."

EXTREMELY POSITIVE CHINA
TRIP

Holmes concluded a two-day visit to China on April
22, during which he lauded China's increasing engagement in humanitarian
affairs, while urging more involvement on the multilateral side. He and the
Chinese officials also held fruitful dialogue on global issues of common
concern, including the financial crisis, the food crisis, climate change, and
their implication for humanitarian needs and response.

"The trip was extremely positive," Holmes said. "I
had some very good discussions with some of the key ministers and officials
involved in disaster risk reduction and disaster relief in China and the China
earthquake administration."

"I had a very good discussion with the vice premier
about these issues," he said. "We reached an agreement that while we had already
very positive cooperation in areas like disaster risk reduction and how we
respond to disasters, there was also room for more and I was encouraging the
Chinese government in general to engage more in a multilateral response to
disasters because you have so much to offer."

"You have so much experience, and as China becomes a
bigger player in the world, it's logical for China to take a bigger role in
disaster relief elsewhere than just in China," he said.

On April 22, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu met
with Holmes. Hui said that China has made remarkable progress in enhancing its
risk management and disaster reduction capabilities. This is a great
contribution to the global humanitarian cause.

Hui said that China was one of the countries most
severely affected by natural disasters. The government has exerted great effort
to comprehensively improve natural disaster risk management and disaster
reduction ability, always adhering to the policy of putting people first and
putting life above everything.

"I think there is also a feeling that while the
Chinese economy is very large and is growing, China is also a country with many
internal issues to be dealt with for the future, and of course, many people
whose own standard of living needs to be raised so there's not a huge amount of
resources left over to be devoted internationally," Holmes said.

"But I hope that over time, as it continues to
develop, which I'm sure it will, then there will be more possibilities to help
in the future as well," he said. "And that's what we were discussing and that
was a very positive discussion."

World hails China's quake response, reconstruction

Special Report:Reconstruction After Earthquake

by Xinhua writers Gu Zhenqiu, Wang Xiangjiang, Bai
Jie

UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The speed,
effectiveness and transparency of China's response to the devastating May 12
earthquake last year are "very impressive," and "very much appreciated by the
international community," the United Nations relief chief said here on Monday.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, John Holmes,
the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief
coordinator, said: "What was impressive, I think, was the way the Chinese
authorities, local and centrally, responded to that, the speed with which they
did that, the effectiveness with which they did that and I think also, the
openness, which I think is worth mentioning, which was very much appreciated by
the international community."

The magnitude-8.0 quake that hit southwest China,
including many parts of Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2008 killed more than
69,000 people. It also left nearly 18,000 missing, more than 374,000 injured and
millions homeless.

"This was a huge earthquake with huge repercussions
on the people of the area, both in terms of people killed and injured and of
course the massive destruction of property, residential property, factories,
schools, hospitals," Holmes said. "The impact was absolutely enormous."

As the first anniversary of the massive Wenchuan
earthquake approaches, the message Holmes has for the Chinese government and
people is "one of renewed condolences on the magnitude of the disaster and the
magnitude of the losses that China suffered."

IMPRESSIVE
RESPONSE

"As I say, it was an enormous tragedy and it will
take many years to recover from it fully," Holmes said. "But we were very
impressed by those efforts and by the capacity by the Chinese government has
acquired in terms of responding to disasters, and by the amounts of resources
that China was able to mobilize to deal with this, both in terms of the People's
Liberation Army and other people who were able to help, the amount of efforts
that have gone in since then to actually rebuilding property and so on, and
beginning to establish basic services."

"This was a very impressive operation in a very, very
tragic situation, and we were able to help a little bit," he said. "I don't want
to exaggerate the degree of international help; for example, from the central
fund, we were able to offer 8 million U.S. dollars to help with some of the
immediate aid and assistance, and we are attempting through the UN agencies who
work in China, to help with the recovery and reconstruction process as well."

"As I say, it is a relatively small amount compared
to the overall response from the Chinese authorities but we think it's valuable,
we hope it's appreciated and we want to go on working with you in what will be,
as I say, is a very long-term process of recovery and reconstruction despite the
speed, with which you are tackling it at the moment," he said.

During his recent two-day visit to China, Holmes was
given an account by various government officials and the Chinese earthquake
administration on China's post-quake reconstruction work.

"I think what I was most impressed by was the plans
for rebuilding the permanent housing for the 5 million people or more who were
made homeless by this earthquake," he said. "The idea is within a very short
period of time, within a year or two from now, everybody will have been
re-housed in proper housing. That is an enormous task but clearly that's the
ambition the government has set for itself, and I have no doubt with China's
capacity to mobilize resources, to mobilize people, and to galvanize activity,
that's what will happen."

On April 22, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu met
with visiting Holmes, and Hui said that China has made remarkable progress in
enhancing its risk management and disaster reduction capabilities. This is a
great contribution to the global humanitarian cause.

GOOD EXAMPLE FROM
CHINA

"China, unfortunately for you, is a very
disaster-prone country," Holmes said. "It is so enormous you have virtually
every threat that we know about and every given year there are bound to be
several significant disasters."

"That means you have acquired an enormous amount of
experience, sadly, in dealing with disasters, but you've also come to recognize,
earlier, I think than many others, the value of reducing the impact of those
disasters before they happen," he said.

"A very good example is the work that's been done on
China's main rivers in trying to reduce the impact of the flooding, which is
going to happen in one way or another virtually every year, and some years can
be extremely bad," he said.

"We believe that China set a good example there
because this is a demonstration that money invested in those kinds of measures
is a good investment," he said. "It brings benefits, it saves lives, it reduces
damage and that's a better investment than money simply spent afterwards on
responding to disaster after it has happened."

"I think that's an absolutely crucial lesson to the
world," he said. "We face more and more disasters, natural disasters in the
future, not least because of climate change, which is going to produce more
floods and more hurricanes and more droughts in different areas, for example."

"Therefore, disaster risk reduction will be even more
important in the future than it is now," he said. "As I say, China has a lot of
experience to offer, has a lot of practical lessons to offer other people, and
we hope China will play a very central role in discussing this at international
levels."

BIE president: Shanghai World Expo will be a success

Special Report:
Expo 2010 Shanghai
China

PARIS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- "I think nobody has doubt
that the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 will be a success," Jean-Pierre Lafon,
president of the International Exhibition Bureau, said in a recent interview
with Xinhua.

According to Lafon, the Shanghai Expo is of great
significance.

For one thing, the theme of "Better City, Better
Life" is a popular topic people concern most because for the first time in
history, urban population exceeded rural population in 2007, said Lafon, noting
that it is also the first time for China to host a world expo.

For another, Shanghai is a city with mysterious
colors for many people while it is also known around the world as an important
global economic center. "It is a city where China meets with the Occident and a
city that shows China's capacity to incorporate things of diverse nature," the
BIE president said.

It is estimated that the Shanghai Expo will attract
some 70 million visitors, a record in the history of world expo, he added.

Talking about the theme of "city," Lafon said the
extension of urban areas has posed many problems to the world, such as poverty,
pollution, transportation and the mental illness of social contact failure. "It
is of great importance that China will provide the world with solutions to these
problems through the Shanghai Expo." he noted.

Lafon added that the Shanghai World Expo would be an
occasion that great architects, urbanists and sociologists around the world
would come together to tackle the problems brought by urbanization.

He added that the Shanghai Expo would be a challenge
to China under the current global financial crisis, but also an opportunity for
the country to revitalize its economy.

The BIE president said Shanghai World Expo is to open
in a year and he would like to thank China for hosting the event for countries
around the world. "Thanks and good luck," Lafon said.

3 baby Siberian tigers born in NE China's Heilongjiang Province

New-born Siberian tigers are seen at a
Siberian tiger artificial propagation center in Harbin, capital of
northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March 15, 2009. Three baby
Siberian tigers are artificially fed now as their mother is lack of milk
after giving birth. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Photo Gallery

Journalists take photos of
new-born Siberian tigers at a Siberian tiger artificial propagation center
in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March
15, 2009. Three baby Siberian tigers arebottle fed now as their mother is
lack of milk after giving birth.(Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Photo Gallery

A keeper holds two new-born Siberian
tigers at a Siberian tiger artificial propagation center in Harbin,
capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, March 15, 2009. Three
baby Siberian tigers are artificially fed now as their mother is lack of
milk after giving birth. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)
Photo Gallery

Huge hairtail caught at Zhoushan Fishery

A huge hairtail is shown at a harbor in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 3, 2009. The 3.4-meter-long fish, caught Tuesday at Zhoushan Fishery, weighs around 12-kilogram.
Photo Gallery

Brussels's "first citizen" dressed up in Chinese fur clothing

Musicians play as Brusells' famous
statue Manneken Pis is dressed in traditional Chinese costume made in
leather in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Mar. 2, 2009. The costume was
presented by Haining municipality, which is famous for its leather
industry in China. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)
Photo
Gallery

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A vermilion tailor-made fur garment of
traditional Chinese style has been put on the "first citizen" of the Belgian
capital of Brussels -- the bronze fountain sculpture of "little pee boy Julien"
on Monday.

Julien's newest clothes of vermillion color, also known as China Red, was
donated by China's "fur capital" Haining city of Zhejiang province. It is the
819th in his wardrobe since the tradition to "dress the city hero up" started
over 300 years ago.

The vermilion coat with traditional Chinese patterns symbolizing fortune,
vigor and passion on it, is the boy's third Chinese costume after a mandarin
jacket presented by the Beijing municipal government in 1979 when Brussels
celebrated its millennium, and a Chinese space suit in welcome of the visit by
Chinese astronaut Fei Junlong in 2006.

The statue of urinating Julien, now commonly known as the landmark fountain
of Manneken-Pis in Brussels, was built in memory of a boy who saved the city by
urinating on the fuse of gunpowder lit by enemy troops hundreds of years ago and
later honored by the city as the "first citizen."

Brusells' famous statue Manneken Pis is
dressed in traditional Chinese costume made in leather in Brussels,
capital of Belgium, Mar. 2, 2009. The costume was presented by Haining
municipality, which is famous for its leather industry in China.
(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
Photo Gallery

During the donating ceremony, Shi Zhendong, vice mayor of Haining, said
this piece of traditional Chinese clothing includes the latest international
fashion elements.

It is also an embodiment of China's innovative fur industry and exhibits
the new image of China's manufacturing sector, he added.

Edmond Vandenhaute, president of the non-profit association the Friends of
Manneken-Pis, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the Brussels municipal
government, spoke highly of the new apparel, saying that "it is one of the most
beautiful costumes Julien has received" and the best symbol of Belgium-China
friendship.

Stefano Missir di Lusignano, vice consul of Belgium in Shanghai also came
all the way to attend the ceremony in Brussels.

This piece of Chinese fur clothing is of special significance, as
cooperation between Europe and China continues to broaden and deepen, he said.

China examines passengers on flight from swine flu-hit Mexico

Special Report:
World Tackles Swine
Flu

SHANGHAI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- No flu-like infections
were found among passengers and crew members on flight AM098, which was the
first direct flight from swine flu-hit Mexico to China's mainland, after the
epidemic broke out last week, according to the quarantine staff at an airport in
Shanghai Thursday.

Passengers of AeroMexico flight AM098 receive quarantine checks up on
their arrival at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport in east China's Shanghai
municipality, April 30, 2009. It's the first flight from Mexico to
China since the spread of swine flu, and serious quarantine measures
were taken at the airport. (Xinhua/Pei
Xin)
Photo
Gallery

The Mexico Airlines flight was ordered to park away
from the parking apron, after it landed at the Shanghai Pudong International
Airport at 6 a.m. Thursday.

Chinese medical workers boarded the plane to take the
temperature of every one on board. The 202 passengers were then allowed to get
off and enter the airport through a private channel.

No flu symptoms were found, according the medical
staff, who explained that anyone whose temperature exceeds 37.5 degree Celsius
will be sent to the Shanghai Public Health Center for further examination.

"All of us had our passports and identification cards
registered after we entered the airport," said Wang Zhongying, one of the fight
passengers.

She said most of the passengers on board were
Chinese.

"Mexico airport also made strict disease control
measures. Every one was wearing a mask," said a woman who made a short stay in
the swine flu-ravaged country, where 159 people have died of the disease.

She said she did not have contact with flu patients
in Mexico.

The Pudong airport quarantine staff disinfected the
plane after passengers disembarked.

Shanghai is the only city in China's mainland that
has a direct air route to and from Mexico. The Pudong airport has taken strict
quarantine measures on all flights from North America Region.

The Shanghai tourist department said on Wednesday
that there were 440 Shanghai tourists still in Mexico and America. They have
been urged to wear masks and contact Chinese embassies if they develop flu
symptoms.

China on Wednesday urged local governments to be on
full alert, warning that the country will be more vulnerable to swine flu during
the upcoming May holiday travel boom.

Passengers of AeroMexico
flight AM098 receive quarantine checks up on their arrival at the
Shanghai Pudong International Airport in east China's Shanghai municipality, April 30, 2009.
It's the first flight from Mexico to China since the spread
of swine flu, and serious quarantine measures were taken at the
airport. (Xinhua/Pei Xin)
Photo
Gallery

China offers humanitarian aid to Mexico for swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said
Wednesday that the government would provide Mexico with relief aid worth 5
million U.S. dollars to help the nation deal with swine flu.

One million U.S dollars would be offered in cash and 4 million in relief
materials, including masks, gloves, isolation coats, disinfection equipment and
infrared thermometers.

MOC spokesman Yao Jian said the Chinese government was highly concerned
about the situation and nations should work together to counter swine flu.

More than 20 countries, such as the United States, Canada and Spain, have
reported cases or suspected cases of swine flu.

No human cases had been found in China, nor had the virus been found in the
country's pigs, China's Ministry of Health said Wednesday.

The virus is suspected of causing the deaths of 159 people in Mexico, the
Mexican Health Ministry said late Tuesday.

Report on China origin of swine flu "groundless": agriculture ministry

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

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¡¤Overseas reports labeling China as origin of current swine flu outbreak
were groundless.
¡¤No human
cases of swine flu have been found in China, nor has the virus been
found.
¡¤China has
not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United
States.

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Overseas reports labeling China as the origin of the current swine flu outbreak were groundless, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said Wednesday.

The press reports alleged some dead pigs found in Fuqing City and Changle City in southeast China's Fujian Province might be the source of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, said the ministry.

The dead pigs, which were illegally disposed of, died of swine dysentery and dropsy, both normal among young pigs, and investigations in pig farms around the area found no sign of an epidemic, the ministry said.

What the ministry said was confirmed by local officials and farmers in Fuqing.

"The bodies of all the 25 dead pigs have been deeply buried and disinfected with lime," said He Changgui, vice head of the Chengtou Township in Fuqing.

"With the drastic weather changes these days, the pigs are prone to diseases," said Chen Changwang, a local official with Shouxi Village of Chengtou.

"The pigs did not die all at the same time," he said. "Some died quite a few days ago."

No human cases of swine flu have been found in China, nor has the virus been found in the country's pigs, both the MOA and Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

China has not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United States, which means the country cannot be the origin of the deadly disease, the MOA said.

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an also told Xinhua earlier that the reports were against truth and scientific common sense.

Neither ministries named the media organizations that made the reports.

Chinese President Hu calls for
stepped-up efforts to prevent swine flu

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China went on
full alert Tuesday to guard against swine flu, as authorities ordered
round-the-clock monitoring of the deadly virus and suspension of pork imports
from Mexico and the United States.

Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday ordered the
country to step up inspection and quarantine measures to prevent swine flu from
entering China and ensure public health and safety. Full story

Premier Wen calls for strengthened
swine flu prevention

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
on Tuesday called for enhanced swine flu prevention and control in a State
Council, or Cabinet, meeting in the wake of an outbreak of the epidemic in
countries including Mexico.

The meeting, presided over by Wen, heard reports from
central government departments including the Ministry of Health, on global swine
flu situation. Full story

China's health ministry protests
ungrounded swine flu reports

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of
Health (MOH) said Wednesday that China "strongly opposes" the contents of
overseas media reports on the country's swine flu situation, which were made
"regardless of truth and scientific common sense."

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua that some overseas
media reports claimed the source of the current swine flu epidemic was in China.
He did not specify any particular stories or organizations. Full story

China takes preventive steps against
swine flu

BEIJING,April 28-- The government Monday
banned the import of pork and pork products from Mexico and the U.S. states of
Texas, Kansas and California to prevent the spread of swine flu that has killed
at least 100 people in the Central American country.

All pork and pork products imported from Mexico and
the three U.S. states will either be returned to the suppliers or destroyed, the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
(GAQSIQ) said. Full story

China's Health Ministry on high alert
for swine flu

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of
Health (MOH) is developing a diagnostic reagent for use in testing for swine
flu, which has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, an MOH spokesman said
Monday.

Research on a possible vaccine and medication to
combat the deadly virus was also underway, MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua.
Full story

Tourism regulator: no swine flu
detected among China
arrivals

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua)
-- Chinese health authorities have detected no cases of swine flu among people
arriving in the country by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Tourism
Administration (NTA).

Members of both foreign and Chinese tourist groups
coming from swine flu affected countries had been monitored, said a statement on
the NTA website. Full story

China draws on SARS lessons as swine
flu spreads globally

GUANGZHOU,
April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese provinces are drawing on their experience handling
the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to cope with the
global swine flu outbreak.

Huang Fei, deputy director of the health bureau in south
China's Guangdong Province, said Wednesday that the bureau had designated three
provincial-level hospitals to treat suspected swine flu cases and ordered all
urban health departments to designate one hospital for the disease. Full story

China's health ministry protests ungrounded swine flu reports

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) said Wednesday
that China "strongly opposes" the contents of overseas media reports on the
country's swine flu situation, which were made "regardless of truth and
scientific common sense."

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua that some overseas media reports
claimed the source of the current swine flu epidemic was in China. He did not
specify any particular stories or organizations.

Mao said the government had been vigilant after the disease broke out in
the United States and Mexico.

"No human cases have been found in China, nor has the virus been found in
the country's pigs," he said.

He added that several government departments had taken coordinated
prevention efforts.

He said China would work with the World Health Organization and governments
of the countries affected by the outbreak.

"Getting through the epidemic is our common goal. We are glad to offer as
much support and assistance as we can" to the affected areas, he said.

WHO China Office: China well prepared for swine flu

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China is fully prepared for swine flu, Hans Troedsson, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in China, said Tuesday.

China has learned a lot from its previous SARS and avian flu outbreaks, and has set up an effective surveillance system for epidemics, Troedsson said at a press conference in Beijing.

"We've just been informed by the Health Ministry that they've got out the alert that they should increase the surveillance and part of that surveillance is to look into suspected cases and investigate them thoroughly," Troedsson said.

"I think the authorities have done the right thing," he said.

Troedsson stressed that there were no confirmed cases of the virus in China so far.

But if the disease turned into a global outbreak, the virus might well enter China, whose enormous population and large-scale migration posed serious threats to disease prevention and control.

Troedsson suggested China, as well as other countries, should enhance monitoring of suspected cases of swine flu and step up public awareness of swine flu prevention.

"What is important is transparency and openness, not only to the WHO but also to the public. It's very important that the people understand the situation," Troedsson said.

The WHO also advised the government to support individuals and communities to take precaution measures, he said.

Troedsson said the WHO had been monitoring swine flu round the clock, and had been in close contact with the two countries that first reported swine flu cases -- Mexico and the United States.

It also sent investigation teams to support and assist the Mexican government. The disease has killed about 150 people in the country.

The WHO was prepared to provide support for other members as well when needed, he said. But the organization was not considering recommending travel restrictions to Mexico since the restriction could no longer contain the disease.

China's central bank governor says IMF needs improvement

Special Report: Boao Forum For Asia 2009

BOAO, Hainan, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) failed to give alarm or diagnosis, let alone remedies when
problems occurred in developed countries, said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the
People's Bank of China (PBOC), here Saturday.

Zhou made the comment at a panel discussion during
the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, saying that the IMF needs
improvement in this respect.

Zhou said he understood that it might be harder for
the IMF, a global organization, to make decisions.

"It is hard to imagine that any research institutions
could monitor every happening around each corner of the world," Zhou said,
noting that regional institutions might have more advantages in this field.

"International financial institutions need reform,
and have many weak points," said Zhou, adding that the combination of
international and regional organizations would be a good option.

Regional institutions such as the Asian Development
Bank, could also alleviate the impact of financial crisis through increasing
spending and boosting regional activities, he said.