 |
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| SCHWEIZER
BOTSCHAFT IN BEIJING
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND IN BEIJING
AMBASSADE DE SUISSE EN CHINE |
Der wöchentliche
Presserückblick der Schweizer Botschaft in der VR China
The Weekly Press Review of the Swiss Embassy in the People's Republic
of China
La revue de presse hebdomadaire de l'Ambassade de Suisse en RP
de Chine |
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| Table of
contents |
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Mongolia
^ top ^
|
| Foreign
Policy |
| China urges restraint
from all parties in Myanmar (People's Daily)
2007-10-03
China on Tuesday called on relevant parties in Myanmar to exercise
restraint and properly handle the current problems to avoid
complication and escalation of the situation. "As a neighbor,
China is greatly concerned about the situation in Myanmar,"
said Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the United
Nations Office in Geneva. "We hope Myanmar could commit
itself to improving the living conditions of people, safeguarding
the rapprochement among different ethnic groups so to resume
stability as soon as possible, " Li told a special session
of the UN Human Rights Council. (…) Li also called on
the 47-state Human Rights Council to constructively promote
the alleviation of the Myanmar situation and the rapprochement
of different ethnic groups in the country. (…). ^ top ^
Chinese President meets Arroyo, calling
for cemented trade ties (People's Daily)
2007-10-03
Chinese President Hu Jintao met with his Philippine counterpart
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Shanghai on Tuesday, calling on the
two countries' trade departments to reach accord on a five-year
layout as early as possible to facilitate cooperation. China
treasures its relations with the Philippines, and is ready to
further step up the development of bilateral relations, Hu told
Arroyo, who is here to attend the opening ceremony of Shanghai
Special Olympics Summer Games scheduled to open on Tuesday evening.
(…) Relevant departments of the two countries are working
on an action plan for bilateral strategic cooperation, and the
trade departments are making a five-year layout for trade cooperation,
Hu said, calling on both sides to speed up negotiations to reach
an agreement as early as possible. (…). ^ top ^
|
| Domestic
Policy |
| China celebrates National
Day (Xinhua)
2007-10-01
More than 100,000 people from across the country gathered at
the Tian'anmen Square in the heart of the Chinese capital to
watch the national flag raising ceremony in drizzle at dawn
of Monday, the 58th founding anniversary of the People's Republic
of China. (...) Monday also marked the beginning of the "Golden
Week" of the National Day holiday. Nationwide, more than
150 million people are expected to go on tour. In Beijing, local
tourism authorities have predicted that about 1.7 million people
will visit the Chinese capital during the period. About 5,000
urban management employees patrolled around major tourist sites
and shopping centers in the city on Monday to stop uncouth behaviors
such as spitting and littering to help polish the image of the
national capital as it is preparing for next year's Olympic
Games. ^ top ^
11% of China's fiscal expenditure goes
to social security (Xinhua)
2007-10-03
China used 11.5 percent of its annual fiscal expenditure for
social security purposes last year, double the 5.52 percent
in 1998, according to Vice Finance Minister Wang Jun. The Ministry
of Finance earmarked 436.2 billion yuan (US$58.2 billion) for
social security undertakings in 2006, up from 59.6 billion yuan
in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 28.3 percent on average,
Wang said at a recent forum on social security. Of the total,
147.5 billion yuan was used for the laid-off from state owned
enterprises, retirees, low income earners and job hunters, 11.3
times the 1998 level, and 132 billion yuan went to health and
medical care projects, up from 41.4 billion yuan in 1998. In
2007, the ministry set aside 11.4 billion yuan for the new cooperative
medical care system for rural areas, up from 400 million yuan
in 2003, according to Wang. ^ top ^
Farmers riot against army's cotton control
- PLA-dictated price cap riles Xinjiang growers (SCMP)
2007-10-05
Thousands of cotton farmers in Xinjiang laid siege to a police
station last week, smashing doors and windows in a riot against
price-fixing by the People's Liberation Army, a rights group
said yesterday. They also overturned a police car and clashed
with officers. The riot, which left at least 40 people injured,
broke out on September 23 at a cotton farm under the administration
of a PLA paramilitary division, according to the Hong Kong-based
Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. The unrest
was triggered by a police raid on the farmers' settlement at
Ili, 600km from the regional capital, Urumqi. The police went
there to seize cotton hidden by some farmers who had tried to
sell their harvest directly on the market for higher prices,
the centre said. The farmers, who were under the direct administration
of the army, could sell their harvest only to the military,
which set a fixed price for the cotton. (…). ^ top ^
Boycott of canteens surprises authorities
(SCMP)
2007-10-05
When Hu Lin and 18,000 other Guangdong university students boycotted
canteens over price rises on September 17, they had no idea
they were treading ground rarely trod since the Tiananmen Square
crisis of 1989, or that their action would send shockwaves around
the nation's seats of power. So threatened did authorities feel
by the action by so many students that the Guangdong propaganda
office banned all reports of the boycott and some of the mainland's
biggest website portals, such as Sina and Netease, were ordered
to delete all mention of it from their websites. But Mr Hu,
23, a final-year undergraduate at Guangdong University of Technology,
had nothing political in mind when he took part in the boycott.
All he wanted was a cut in canteen prices. In the second week
after students returned from their summer holidays, Guangdong
college canteens raised prices. "Some were up by half a
yuan or even one yuan when they used to be only 1.5 yuan or
2 yuan each," Mr Hu said. (…) Students confirmed
that most of those who ate in the canteens that day were first-year
students doing their month-long military training who had no
idea of where else to eat. […] Experts said they expected
the government to tighten its control of the internet in the
wake of the student boycott, especially given the ease with
which it had been achieved. Other incidents have also sparked
moves for tougher controls on modes of communication. For example,
the local government was alarmed when mobile phone text messages
brought out thousands of mostly white-collar citizens in Xiamen,
Fujian province, on June 1 to demonstrate against plans for
a toxic chemical plant. Yuan Weishi, a professor at Sun Yat-sen
University, said the central government would be paying particular
attention to the students' actions because of the Communist
Party's 17th National Congress later this month. (…) "The
student strike will threaten social stability, which is one
of the government's biggest concerns." […] A Beijing-based
expert on mass communication, who was shocked by the number
involved in the boycott, said the government should be very
worried because the boycott showed the power of the internet
to reach and affect a large number of people at the same time.
^ top ^
Water-saving scheme announced (SCMP)
2007-10-04
Officials announced a plan yesterday to step up water savings
and pollution prevention efforts in a bid to increase the capital's
water supply ahead of next year's Olympic Games. The plan, now
being implemented, calls on farmers in rural areas of Hebei
province - such as Chicheng, Luanping and Fengning counties
- to save at least 100 million cubic metres of water annually,
the report said. ^ top ^
China awards 100 mln yuan for excellence
in rural science (Xinhua)
2007-09-27
More than 430 organizations and individuals who helped spread
science among rural population will receive awards totaling
100 million yuan (13.15 million U.S. dollars). The awards to
be given by the China Association for Science and Technology
(CAST) and the Ministry of Finance honor rural science educational
institutions and pioneers from Beijing to Inner Mongolia. The
total is to double that of 2006. (...) "The increase will
be mainly used to award rural science and technology associations
and experts in central and western China where the development
of science and technology lags behind coastal provinces,"
said a CAST source. (...) This year's award recipients included
210 agricultural technological associations, including an onion
research institute in north China's Tianjin Municipality, 210
science promotion bases and 10 science promotion teams of ethnic
minorities, such as a team in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, who
promoted scientific farming and herding among local Mongolians.
According to the CAST, the 100 million yuan would be used for
science education materials, equipment, lectures, exhibitions
and the introduction and promotion of new agricultural technologies.
(...). ^ top ^
China to boost potato production (Xinhua)
2007-10-05
China will boost potato production and development of industries
based on the crop as a way to improve the country's grain security
and to increase income for farmers. While addressing a recent
national experience-sharing meeting on development of potato-based
industries in Dingxi City, northwest China's Gansu province,
Wei Chao'an, Vice Minister of Agriculture, explained China,
with hue population, limited land, shortage of water resources,
it is very difficult to expand the area of irrigated farmland.
Wei believed that potato, with such features as to resist drought,
cold and wide adaptability, has great potential in expansion
in sown areas and per-unit output. "(...) By 2010, the
sown area of potatoes across China will total 6.67million hectares,
1.67 million hectares more that in 2006, and per-unit yield
will top 1,200 kg, an increase of 200 kg than the 2006 figure,
and potatoes being processed will make up 20 percent, a rise
of five percentage points in comparison with the 2006 statistics.
^ top ^
200,000 rural officials punished over four
years (China Daily)
2007-10-03
China punished 207,214 officials in the countryside for breaking
laws and regulations from 2003 to June this year, according
to the Ministry of Supervision and the Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China
(CPC). Only in the first six months this year, 671 rural officials
were facing criminal charges while 10,822 were disciplined,
the ministry and the commission said. The CCDI said it launched
several campaigns in the past four years against misuse of subsidies
to farmers, random fines and fees imposed on rural residents,
land use contracts that harm farmers' interests and overspending
in infrastructure development. (...). ^ top ^
New hospital blunder admitted - Unsterilised
equipment used for neurosurgery on patient at Queen Elizabeth
(SCMP)
2007-10-04
Unsterilised equipment was used to perform neurosurgery on a
patient at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after medical staff mistakenly
rinsed an ultrasound probe in water instead of in an antiseptic
solution. […]Tuesday's incident is the latest in a string
of medical blunders, but the first to be revealed since the
Hospital Authority revamped its system for reporting medical
incidents. […]. ^ top ^
Less garbage at Tian'anmen Square as tourists
improve behavior (Xinhua)
2007-10-04
Beijing's sanitation workers had a much lighter workload during
this year's National Day holiday as visitors swarming to the
capital seemed to be dropping less litter. "The garbage
left at Tian'anmen Square each day was about a third of the
amount left by tourists last year," an official with the
Beijing Environmental Sanitation Group said. (…) Chinese
tourists were more civilized due to massive government campaign
targeting uncouth behavior, like queue jumping, spitting, littering
and speaking loudly in public. As the 2008 Olympics approach,
the government is anxious to promote etiquette among Chinese
travelers in case uncivilized behavior tarnish the country's
image. The Civilization Office with the Spiritual Civilization
Steering Committee and the National Tourism Administration jointly
issued last October an etiquette guide telling Chinese travelers
to pay attention to everyday etiquette and hygiene while abroad.
The China National Tourism Administration has also issued a
circular, making travel agencies and tour guides responsible
for correcting tourists' bad behavior during the holidays. ^ top ^
Boom takes its toll on endangered species
- Even the death penalty has failed to curb appetite for rare
wildlife, says UN expert (SCMP)
2007-10-04
The mainland's economic boom is fuelling demand for endangered
species, ranging from tigers to African timbers, even though
Beijing imposes the death penalty for wildlife crimes, the head
of a UN watchdog said. Growing affluence means that more and
more Chinese are able to afford exotic foods such as snakes
and frogs or buy traditional medicines like tiger bone wine,
believed by many to help lower blood pressure. […] Despite
worries about smuggling, he said he was likely to recommend
that China be accepted next year as an ivory importer alongside
Japan, which is currently the sole legal destination for a planned
sale of African ivory stocks. A vote on whether to let China
import ivory will be made in July. ^ top ^
|
| Taiwan |
DPP urges Chen to again
take charge of party - President asked to fill vacancy (SCMP)
2007-10-04
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian is likely to take the reins
of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party once again following
the resignation of Yu Shyi-kun, indicating that he is still
the most powerful man in the pro-independence camp. At a Central
Standing Committee meeting yesterday, the DPP decided to invite
Mr Chen to serve as the party's leader. Analysts said the arrangement
would further weaken the voice of his long-time rival, Frank
Hsieh Chang-ting, whose presidential campaign has been largely
sidelined by a series of high-profile political moves by Mr
Chen. […]. ^ top ^
Taiwan tipped to unveil homemade cruise
missile on its National Day (SCMP)
2007-10-04
Taiwan's military is likely to unveil a cruise missile developed
on the island during next week's National Day parade to show
off its capability against a mainland attack, a defence official
said yesterday. The military has been tight-lipped about the
controversial Hsiungfeng IIE surface-to-surface missile, designed
to counter an attack by the People's Liberation Army. The military
display is the first and last time for President Chen Shui-bian
to review the troops in his eight-year administration. Military
experts said the demonstration was also aimed at winning support
from Taiwanese voters for Mr Chen's campaigns, such as pushing
Taiwan's bid to gain full United Nations membership. Taiwanese
media have previously reported test-firings of the missile,
but it has never been publicly displayed. The missile, which
could carry a 400kg warhead, is believed to have a range up
to 1,000km, putting Shanghai well within its reach. […]
Taiwan is to hold its biggest military parade in recent years
at its National Day celebrations next Wednesday, featuring a
flyover by F-16 fighter jets and air-defence systems such as
Patriot missiles. […]. ^ top ^
Taipei expert gloomy on strait relations
- Island policy head admits frustration over not reaching deal
on regular flights (SCMP)
2007-10-05
The head of Taiwan's top body that plans mainland policy sees
little chance of improvement in cross-strait relations ahead
of the island's presidential election in March. While the island
was trying to remove a long-standing ban on direct flights to
the mainland to increase cross-strait exchanges, Beijing had
dragged its feet on striking any deal for political reasons,
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) chairman Chen Ming-tong said.
"It would have been a milestone if an agreement had been
reached," said Dr Chen, referring to the cross-strait talks
on regular passenger and cargo charter flights as well as visits
to the island by mainland tourists. The two sides have held
talks on the issue for nearly two years. But Beijing has grown
increasingly annoyed by what it sees as pro-independence moves
by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, resulting in a refusal
to deal with him. (…) Asked whether he would expect a
harsher policy on Taiwan to be adopted at the Communist Party's
17th National Congress, being held in Beijing from October 15,
Dr Chen said: "We will give it a close watch." A recent
MAC report said Beijing would hope to maintain relatively stable
relations with Taiwan against the backdrop of the next year's
Olympics. […]. ^ top ^
|
| Tibet |
Teens held over
a month over Tibetan independence graffiti (SCMP)
2007-10-04
Authorities in Gansu have detained four Tibetan teenagers for
more than a month on suspicion of scribbling graffiti calling
for Tibet's independence and the return of the Dalai Lama, a
rights group said yesterday. A fifth boy, 15, was admitted to
hospital with possible head injuries stemming from beatings
he suffered during detention, according to the Washington-based
International Campaign for Tibet. Dozens of students were detained
early last month after the graffiti appeared on the walls of
a middle school and a police station in Xiahe county in Gansu.
All but seven were released after two days and two 14-year-olds
were released about September 24, the group said. Four 15-year-olds
remained in custody. A man at the Xiahe county government office
called the report "nonsense and a rumour" when questioned
by the press. ^ top ^
|
| Economy |
| Pork prices drop by
nearly 10% from peak level (China Daily)
2007-10-02
The average pork price has dropped to 12.61 yuan this week,
9.61 percent lower than the peak price on August 9, said China's
economic planner after pork prices nearly doubled in the past
eight months due to short supply and mounting production costs.
The prices have seen a consecutive drop for the eighth week,
down 3.45 percent from the end of August, as the piglets raised
since May and June grew ready for the market to add to the pork
supply. Pigs daily butchered in 36 major cities have increased
by 12.6 percent from August, and the supply is expected to keep
rising, said the National Development and Reform Commission.
But the Ministry of Commerce said the decline in the pork prices
would probably stop as demand surges during the ongoing National
Day holiday and feedstuff prices stay high. The soaring pork
prices is a major contributor to the general food price hikes
that drive up the consumer price index to a 6.5 percent increase
in August. ^ top ^
Policies fail to curb soaring home prices
(China Daily)
2007-10-02
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) admitted
the country has failed to curb soaring prices in the real estate
sector and will introduce stricter measures. "The gap is
big in light of (the target of) the '90-70' regulation,"
it said in a statement on its website. (...) House prices had
risen by 5.4 percent, 6.4 percent, 7.1 percent, 7.5 percent
and 8.2 percent year on year respectively from April to August.
In Shenzhen and Beijing, cities that had witnessed the fastest
growth, the annualized price rises had been higher than 10 percent
in each of the five months, the NDRC said. Some middle-sized
cities, such as Beihai in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region and Urumqi of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region, had also registered strong growth of more than 10 percent
in August, the NDRC said. (... The monetary and taxation policies
targeted at stabilizing house prices have failed to work, it
added. That some land set aside for building houses had not
been developed in a timely manner is another factor, the commission
said. Some developers had also hoarded land and houses to profit
from rising prices, it said. Recent dips in the stock market
had shifted some investors to the real estate market, which
had stoked the fire, it said. The NDRC said it will strengthen
implementation of existing policies and make lending and taxation
policies more "targeted" at stabilizing house prices.
^ top ^
Anti-monopoly law not to affect foreign
investment (China Daily)
2007-10-04
An official with China's top legislature says the government
will maintain its policy of encouraging foreign investment unchanged
after the passing of the country's first anti-monopoly law.
The official with the Commission for Legislative Affairs of
the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress said
the necessary security checks on foreign investment in domestic
enterprises would pose no obstacles to the utilization of foreign
capital. The legislature passed the anti-monopoly law on August
30 and it will come into effect on August 1, 2008. The law requires
checks on mergers of foreign and Chinese enterprises to ascertain
whether they affect national security. (...) A regulation issued
by the State Council authorized government departments to initiate
checks if the foreign firms "jeopardize national security
or public interests" or "employ Chinese developed
technology". Another rule jointly published by six ministries
and departments requires foreign companies to submit to checks
if they take control of a joint venture in one of China's key
industries. (...) The official said the law would prevent SOEs
in monopolistic industries such as petroleum, telecommunications,
mail services and tobacco from abusing their market dominance
to lower services and disregarding the public interests. (....
^ top ^
Italian Gucci sues 2 Chinese companies
over trademark infringement (Xinhua)
2007-09-27
Italian fashion house Gucci is suing two Chinese companies,
claiming they infringed its trademark, a Beijing court spokesman
said on Thursday. Guccio Gucci S.P.A. was suing Shanghai Basto
Shoes Co. Ltd. And the Beijing Hualian Hypermarket Co. Ltd.
at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court,
the spokesman said. Gucci is demanding the two defendants immediately
stop manufacturing and selling ladies shoes carrying logo very
similar to that of Gucci -- a registered trademark featuring
an interlocking "GG" pattern. The Italian company
was also seeking compensation totaling 500,000 yuan (66,666
U.S. dollars) from the two Chinese firms, he said. (...). ^ top ^
PetroChina to invest US$1.3b in new energy
by 2010 (China Daily)
2007-10-02
PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, will
invest 10 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) in building facilities
for new energy production by 2010, a senior company official
said. Hu Wenrui, vice president of PetroChina, told a recent
forum that the investment is expected to reap three million
tons of oil equivalent in new energy resources production capacity.
"This will help guarantee the energy safety of the fastest
growing economy and the world's largest energy consumer only
second to the United States," he said. The oil giant's
business on new energy sources covers non-conventional energy
including coal-bed methane, oil shale, oil sands and renewable
energy such as wind and solar power, bio- and geothermal energy.
PetroChina's output of coal-bed oil, fuel ethanol and biodiesel
and that of shale oil and sand oil are expected to account for
40 and 20 percent respectively of the nation's total by 2010,
Hu said. He added the company will also take advantage of its
resources, technology and funds to closely follow the latest
developments in hydrogen energy and natural gas hydrate. ^ top ^
Mainland rules to prevent foreign control
of brokers (SCMP)
2007-10-04
Foreign investors might be prevented from taking control of
mainland brokerages, a setback to Wall Street's ambitions to
tap the world's fastest-growing stock market, sources said.
Overseas companies would be limited to owning stakes in publicly
traded brokerages, with the foreign holding capped at 20 per
cent, the sources said. The China Securities Regulatory Commission
had submitted the draft rules to the State Council, they said.
Goldman Sachs Group and UBS are the only global securities firms
that control mainland investment banking units, where 47 million
new stock trading accounts have been opened this year. The new
rules will prevent rivals such as JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch
from obtaining controlling stakes in the mainland's brokerages.
[…]. ^ top ^
China's overseas investment rises 60% annually
(China Daily)
2007-10-02
China's net overseas investment hit $21.16 billion in 2006,
with an annual average growth rate of 60 percent over the past
five years, according to a newly-issued government statistical
gazette. The gazette quoted an expert from the National Bureau
of Statistics as saying that overseas investment by Chinese
enterprises has developed from setting up offices and opening
"window" branches only to building factories, purchasing
and acquisition, equity swapping, listing on overseas stock
markets, establishing strategic cooperation and other patterns.
A prominent feature of overseas investment is the increasing
cases of purchasing and acquisition, which accounted for some
40 percent of total overseas investment in 2006. Major acquisition
cases include the acquisition of South African mines and British
mining companies by China's Zijin Kuangye, Lenovo's acquisition
of IBM's PC business, CITIC Group's acquisition of Kazakhstan
oil fields, and China Mobile's acquisition of Pakistan telecommunications
company, among others. Feng He, a researcher with the Chinese
Ministry of Commerce, said that major reasons behind these overseas
acquisition are that domestic enterprises want to seek more
developing room overseas; the state loosened its control on
overseas investment; and some large enterprises see overseas
mergers and acquisition as the best way to become internationalized.
Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo said that China will actively
explore international acquisition and other investment patterns
to acquire famous brands, advanced management experiences and
marketing network, and will gradually foster its own international
giant companies. Assistant Minister of Commerce Chen Jian urged
Chinese companies to increase their sense of social responsibility
and actively redound upon the local society; actively develop
localization and increase local employment; make efforts to
cultivate talents to meet the needs of international development;
and establish a risk control mechanism. ^ top ^
|
| North
Korea |
China welcomes "positive
results" of inter-Korean summit (Xinhua)
2007-10-04
China welcomes "positive results" yielded from an
inter-Korean summit on promoting peace and cooperation on the
Korean Peninsula, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu
Jianchao here on Thursday."China always supports two sides
of the Korean Peninsula to improve bilateral relations and realize
reconciliation and cooperation through dialogue," Liu said.
"We welcomes the positive results of inter-Korean summit
and believes that it is conducive to the peaceful progress of
the Korean Peninsula and to the peace and stability in the region,"
Liu said. President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Roh Moo-hyun
traveled to Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK), on Tuesday for the inter-Korean summit, the
second of its kind since the Korean Peninsula was divided more
than half a century ago. Roh's predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, traveled
to the DPRK for the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000.
Roh and the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il signed a joint declaration
in Pyongyang Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to promoting
peace on the peninsula and economic cooperation between the
two sides. ^ top ^
US hails China's role in six-party talks (China Daily)
2007-10-03
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill spoke highly
Tuesday of the role played by China as the host of the six-party
talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. China played an
"excellent role" in planning and preparing the talks
by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United
States, South Korea, Russia, Japan and itself, he said. He said
Washington has informed China that it supports the joint statement
that was hammered out in Beijing over the weekend and is now
being reviewed by the other members of the talks. Hill expected
China to announce the latest six-party joint statement in the
next day or so. "As the Chinese canvass the other members
of the six-party process, I am expecting that they will be in
a position in the next day or two to announce and to release
the joint statement," he said. He added that the statement
"relates very directly to how we can move forward in the
coming months on a certain timetable" on the DPRK providing
a full declaration of its nuclear programs and disabling key
elements of its Yongbyon nuclear facility that produces plutonium.
Hill left Beijing Sunday soon after the delegation heads' meeting,
with the comprehensive document for consultations with US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and the White House. He said at the
airport before leaving that the United States believed the draft
document was well prepared and very specific, and as it included
very detailed contents, he had to take it back home for further
study. The current stage of the six-party talks was aimed at
creating the second phase action plan to implement the September
19 agreement, which includes commitments from the DPRK to declare
its nuclear program and disable its nuclear facilities, as well
as the other parties' aid to the DPRK. ^ top ^
|
| Mongolia |
Mongolian photographs
capture globalization (Mongol Messenger)
2007-09-26
An international photographic exhibition, ‘Tales from
the globalizing world,' has been organized by the Swiss Agency
for Development and Gamma Photo Studio from September 21 to
22 on Sukhbaatar square and September 24 to 28 in the Children's
Book Palace. The exhibition displays 200 photographs of 10 world
famous photographers and 40 creations of Mongolian photographers
showing the impact of globalization including traffic chaos
and urban poverty and more positive impacts in technology, information
and communication. ^ top ^
Consuls negotiate border activities (Mongol
Messenger)
2007-09-26
A consultative meeting of Mongolian and Chinese Consuls was
held in Zamiin Uud from August 23 to 25 to discuss combating
human trafficking and drugs. Four of 15 Mongolian citizens have
been serving sentences in China for drug-related crimes. On
September 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Consulate
Department head O. Ochirjav said, “Drugs are believed
to be transferred to Russia through Mongolia from China. ^ top ^
MPRP Congress Attracts Attention (Mongol
Messenger)
2007-09-19
The ruling party has decided to set the MPRP 24th congress on
October 22. The party ‘s eighth conference was held on
September 7 to discuss the convening of the congress, altering
the party rules, estimating the fulfillment of the party program
and defining further targets.The primary party organizations
will meet on September 21 to 24 to elect delegates. ^ top ^
Laotian President's visit (Mongol Messenger)
2007-09-19
The President of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos, Choummaly
Sayasone and his wife, paid a state visit to Mongolia from September
17 to 19 at the invitation of Mongolian President N. Enkhbayar.
In spite of a delayed flight and late arrival in Ulaanbaatar,
the President's maintained his schedule including; laying a
wreath on Sukhbaatar Square and signing the Honored Guests book
after the welcome by Mongolian President N. Enkbayar and his
wife Mrs. Tsolmon. On Monday, the Presidents held an official
meeting in State House and concluded negotiations. Both countries
officials signed several agreements. ^ top ^
Cyanide again (Mongol Messenger)
2007-09-19
The contamination situation of soil, water and air of Khongor
soum, Darkhan Uul aimag has reached disaster level. Environment
Minister, I. Erdenebaatar and Natural Resources and Environment
Department head, Ts. Banzragch gave approval to Buman Trade
Company to use 5.2 tons of cyanide in gold mining in Dorvon
teegiin khudag, Khan bogd soum, Omnogobi aimag. They approved
the order on August 31 for the company to use chemicals accumulated
to reduce hazardous chemical reserves during the legislature
organisations' inspection. ^ top ^
MPs suspected of misspending bank funds
(Mongol Messenger)
2007-09-26
The State Prosecutor M. Altankhuyag has sent a proposal to suspend
mandates of MPs, G. Zandanshatar, U. Hurelsukh and T. Badamjunai,
all under police investigation for alleged involvement in Tgs14
billion lost from the Savings Bank, to the Parliamentary Speaker.
Parliament chancellery general secretary, N. Luvsanjav said,
“An official letter from the State Prosecutor to suspend
three members' mandates was sent to the Speaker when the he
returned from his official visit to three European countries,
on September 21. ^ top ^
Registration inspection shows elections
flaws (Mongol Messenger)
2007-09-26
Inaccurate registration of voters can skew election results
and impact on the election itself. To address this inconsistency,
a nation-wide civil inspection of population registration is
underway to help the General Election Commission (GEC) form
accurate constituencies for elections and to submit a proposal
on constituencies formation to the autumn parliamentary session.
Parliamentary elections are due in 2008 on Sunday of the second
half of June according to the new Election Law. ^ top ^
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| Joel Baumgartner
Embassy of Switzerland
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The Press review is a random selection
of political and social related news gathered from various media
and news services located in the PRC, edited or translated by
the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing and distributed among Swiss
Government Offices. The Embassy does not accept responsibility
for accuracy of quotes or truthfulness of content. Additionally
the contents of the selected news mustn't correspond to the opinion
of the Embassy.
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