BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese government is considering raising the threshold of windfall tax levy on gains from crude oil, but the timing is not clear, Jiang Jiemin, president of PetroChina Company Ltd. said Thursday.

    The tax threshold should have been raised when crude price surpassed 80 U.S. dollars per barrel, Jiang said, but he did not mention how much the threshold would be raised.

    Raising threshold of windfall tax, or special oil gain levy, would be positive for the company’s profitability, Jiang told Xinhua after the annual shareholders meeting of the company Thursday.

    The current threshold for special oil gain levy is 40 U.S. dollars per barrel. When crude oil price surpassed 60 U.S. dollars per barrel, 40 percent gains will be levied. The price of crude oil has soared to over 120 U.S. dollars per barrel so far.

    China began to levy windfall tax on crude oil from 2006 as a part of the move to reform the country’s pricing mechanism of refined oil products which will connect domestic price more closely to the international market while giving subsidies to people fragile to high price of oil products.

    However, soaring crude oil price and rising inflation risks slowed the government’s move to raise domestic oil products price.

    The government would not be likely to raise domestic oil prices in the short term as the consumer price index (CPI) was still steep, said Jiang.

    China’s CPI, the main gauge of inflation, rose 8.5 percent year-on-year in April and 8.2 percent for the first four months of this year.

    The current crude price of 120 U.S. dollars per barrel is not good for long-term development of oil companies, Jiang said, adding that a price between 80 to 90 U.S. dollars per barrel is appropriate for both consumers and suppliers.

    Reduced by below-cost fuel prices and windfall taxes, the oil giant’s first-quarter net profit slumped 28.6 percent year-on-year.

    YEKATERINBURG, Russia, May 15 (Xinhua) — Russian, Chinese and Indian foreign ministers proposed Thursday the establishment of anti-drug security belts around Afghanistan.

    ”We looked into the situation around Afghanistan from where a drug threat comes largely, as well as a terrorist threat,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

    ”We support efforts of the international community to seek stabilization in that country and believe that in addition to efforts already made, it would be useful to take measures to create the anti-drug security belts around Afghanistan with participation of all interested parties and with the coordinating role of the United Nations,” the minister said.

    The top diplomats came here to discuss global and bilateral issues ranging from combating drug trafficking to climate change.

    The next meeting of the three foreign ministers will be in India in 2009.

    MIANYANG, Sichuan, May 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Thursday assured quake victims that the injured will receive “timely treatment”, and at the same time he warned local governments of the dangers of damaged reservoirs.

    Hui, also deputy head of the disaster relief headquarters, Thursday visited Mianyang city in southwestern Sichuan Province which suffered the most casualty in Monday’s earthquake.

    He visited local hospitals and extended his care for the injured people. He urged rescuers to do their utmost to save lives and try every method to evacuate the badly injured for proper and timely treatment.

    The government will have medical workers in place and improve public hygiene to avoid epidemic outbreaks, he said.

    Several reservoirs were affected by the earthquake, Hui said, asking local governments to strictly serve their duty to check the conditions of reservoirs and prevent secondary disasters.

    His warning was backed up by Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei. He said on Thursday that Sichuan had a large number of reservoirs, many of which had sustained significant but still unknown damage during Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake.

    He suggested that local administrations study and judge potential dangers at these facilities by analyzing satellite and other aerial images and evacuate downstream residents, if necessary.

    Hui also promised that more rescue teams will rush to the quake-hit regions, especially remote villages.

    By Thursday afternoon, about 19,509 people were confirmed dead in Sichuan and the total casualty is estimated to be 50,000. And rescuers have saved 60,000 injured victims.

    BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) — Experts in international relations from Japan and China have warmly welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao’s “warm spring” visit to Japan and called for the implementation of tangible benefits of the visit.

    At a seminar here Thursday commemorating the 30th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Chinese and Japanese scholars exchanged views on Sino-Japanese relations.

    Hu’s visit laid a solid foundation for the development of relations, and the Japanese government and people felt his sincerity and efforts to improve relations, said Noda Takeshi, chairman of the Japan-China Society.

    He said the two sides should put the benefits of the visit into practice in a comprehensive and substantial way despite some difficulties, and build a solid foundation for the development of relations.

    Hu paid a state visit to Japan from May 6 to 10 at the invitation of Japanese government, during which he and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda issued a six-point joint statement on all-round promotion of strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries.

    The statement, confirming the guiding principles for long-term development of Sino-Japanese relationship, has become the fourth important document between the two countries, with the other three being the China-Japan Joint Statement issued on Sept. 29, 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed on Aug. 12, 1978, and the China-Japan Joint Declaration released on Nov. 26, 1998.

    The two countries also issued a joint press communique on boosting bilateral exchanges and cooperation, covering 70 cooperation projects.

    Yang Bojiang, an expert on Japanese studies of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the development of the bilateral relations still faced some problems.

    He suggested the two countries establish a dialogue and cooperation mechanism as soon as possible. Think tanks and non-governmental organizations should play an active role in promoting.

    The scholars also called for more exchanges and communication between the two peoples, so as to enhance their mutual understanding.

    Professor Yoshifumi Nakai, of Gakushuin University, said the two countries should carry out exchanges and communication among the elite and the public.

    Qinghua University research fellow Liu Jiangyong said the media of both countries should be active and constructive in developing relations.

    The seminar is co-hosted by the Chinese Institute of Foreign Affairs and Japanese Institute for International Peace Study.

    DUSHANBE, May 15 (Xinhua) — Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said here Thursday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has played a vital role in safeguarding regional security and stability as well as promoting common development and prosperity of its member states.

    At a meeting of SCO defense ministers, Liang, also Chinese state councilor, said since its founding in 2001, the SCO has developed strongly and has grown into one of the most dynamic and influential regional organizations in the European-Asian region.

    Liang said that in recent years, Central Asian countries have maintained political stability, achieved smooth economic development and their tendency toward common development has also been reinforced.

    However, the “three evil forces,” namely, extremism, terrorism and separatism as well as drug trafficking and cross-border organized crimes posed a grave threat to regional security.

    Liang added that China will unswervingly push for the building of a harmonious world with lasting peace and common development.

    According to a joint communique issued at the end of the meeting, a cooperation pact of the defense ministries of SCO member states was signed during the meeting.

    At the invitation of his Tajiki counterpart Sherali Khairulloev, Liang arrived here Tuesday to attend the defense ministers’ meeting of the SCO, which comprises six member countries — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with President of the Yale University Richard C. Levin here Thursday, exchanging views on educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

    Xi said the Chinese government will continue to give priority to the development of education. Education and youth exchange are important bridges for peoples in China and the United States to enhance mutual understanding and friendship, as well as important force pushing forward a stable and sound development of the Sino-U.S. relations.

    He called on the Yale University to have more exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side, and welcomed more U.S. young people to study in China.

    Xi also briefed Levin on Monday’s devastating earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and the country’s disaster relief efforts. Xi expressed gratitude for the care and assistance from countries and people around the world including the U.S. government and people.

    Xi said that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the government, have the confidence and ability to tide over the difficulties.