by Xinhua writer Yan Hao

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — The State Council (cabinet) on Wednesday released a new regulation on the publication of government information on its working procedures and many matters of public concern, such as land acquisition for development.

    The 22-article regulation, which takes effect on Thursday, aims to “improve transparency and protect the right to know and public scrutiny of official acts,” said Zhang Qiong, deputy director of the Legal Affairs Office of the State Council.

    The regulation states that all administrations must actively publicize information on issues that concern the vital interests of individuals or organizations, information that requires public awareness or participation and information about the administration’s working procedures.

    The regulation, posted on the central government site www.gov.cn, emphasized that governments under the prefectural level should provide timely dissemination of information about governmental land acquisitions from farmers or citizens and relevant compensation (which would be similar to the process of eminent domain).

    Land acquisition for real estate or other uses by local governments has been a heated issue between governments and the public in China and often leads to serious conflicts.

    Information on the distribution and use of public donations or central government appropriations for disaster relief should also be publicized by local governments, it said.

    The regulation includes a “freedom of information” provision that gives the public, whether individuals or organizations, the right to request government information by making a written application (paper or electronic).

    Government bodies should respond to such applications and inform the applicants of whether the information could be released, it said, which should be done in as many cases as possible.

    If the request concerned proprietary commercial information or private information about a third party, the government body should acquire the third party’s permission before release, it added.

    The regulation bans government agencies from making a profit from the release of official information, allowing them only to charge necessary fees for searching, copying and mailing. Fees could be reduced or waived if applicants could show economic need, it said.

    The State Council asked local governments to draw up detailed plans for compliance with the regulation no later than the end of October.

    TOKYO, April 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Hu Jintao’s forthcoming visit to Japan is set to have far-reaching impact on the Japan-China relationship during a long period in the future, Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono said Wednesday.

    ”I am looking forward passionately to the visit,” Kono said during a joint interview with Japan-based Chinese correspondents.

    After going through a long time of low ebb, during which communications between leaders of the two countries were suspended, the bilateral ties finally reentered a sound state following Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s visits to China and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Japan, Kono said.

    Leaders from both sides showed their willingness for closer communications, he added.

    On the economic front, Kono said Japan and China are interdependent partners on the basis of huge trade volume, and should address all issues with improved mutual understanding.

    About exchange between youngsters, Kono said he was happy to see that many Japanese and Chinese young people are interested in each other’s pop cultures and had enjoyed heated cultural communications. He expected the communications to be furthered and deepened.

    ”I fully support attaching importance to younsters’ communications, which were stressed by leaders from the two countries in their each meeting,” Kono said.

    ”It’s a very important idea to designate this year as the year of bilateral exchange between youths,” Kono said, adding that the communications should be continued and personal friendships built in the meantime should be preserved and developed in long terms.

    About the East Sea gas field dispute, Kono said although the issue is hard to resolve, it is not inextricable when bilateral trust is strengthened.

    ”Despite all the problems between us, it is important for us to push forward the bilateral ties with an eye to the future of our two countries,” Kono said.

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Health Minister Liu Qian on Wednesday promised “best possible” treatment to the four French nationals injured in a Monday train crash in east China.

    Liu visited in the morning the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) where the four were being treated, brought flowers to their wards and wished them early recovery.

    A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another train in Shandong Province at predawn on Monday, killing 71 and injuring more than 400.

    Among the injured were four French nationals: 54-year-old Pascal Boisson, his 14-year-old son Pierre Emmanuel Boisson, 22-year-old daughter Joanne Boisson, and his girlfriend Robin Naurence, 42.

    They were originally treated at hospitals in Zibo city where the trains crashed and then transferred to the Beijing hospital for further treatment. The daughter, Joanne, has been discharged.

    Zhao Yupei, head of the PUMCH, said the four were admitted into his hospital at 03:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Experts from different sections then held a joint consultation concerning their diagnosis and treatment at 08:30 a.m.

    The four were transferred to Beijing by a special plane arranged by the Embassy of France in China from Jinan, capital of Shangdong Province. They were accompanied by nurses and doctors on the way to the Jinan Airport.

    Boisson is recovering but has six broken ribs, while Naurence suffered a broken thigh and broken ribs.

    Joanne suffers a slight back injury and her brother Emmanuel has extravasated blood around his brow and bruises on his back.

    The three are in stable conditions now.

    When the vice minister stepped into the ward, Pascal was having his lunch of pizza, vegetable and yogurt.

    ”We are seeing each other again,” Liu said after asking after Pascal. “I bring you again the whole nation’s care and friendship. Please relax. This hospital is one of the best in China and we are capable of giving you a good treatment. If you have any request, please don’t hesitate to tell the medical staff.”

    Taking the bouquet from Liu, Pascal said he was surprised to have the health official visit them. He said he and his family were well taken care of after the accident and he was very thankful to those who helped them.

    He said he had been in China twice on business before and he liked the country very much.

    Liu also asked the hospital to give all-out efforts in treating the injured and have more communications with them.

    As head of the emergency medical team, Liu rushed to the accident scene on Monday and visited the injured including Pascal and his family.

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — China’s trade expansion is expected to be hampered by greater uncertainties amid world economic slowdown risk, rising prices of raw materials on the international markets and the swiftly appreciating yuan, according to a report issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

    The report said the impact of the U.S. credit crisis had spread from financial markets to consumption and investment fields. The slowdown of the U.S. economy will undoubtedly shrink China’s export to the United States.

    Chinese exporters have also felt a pinch from the rising prices of raw materials in international markets. Meanwhile, the accelerating rise of the yuan makes things worse, according to the report.

    ”As one of the major manufacturers and exporters, China has become one of the major countries to bear the burden of the rising costs of raw materials. Chinese exporters will have to scrabble for dropping profit margins under greater operation pressures,” the report said.

    Official data show the import prices of crude oil, iron ore, soy beans and eating oil increased by 66 percent, 80.6 percent, 77 percent and 69.3 percent, respectively, in the first quarter over the same period of last year.

    ”With sluggish external demands, increasingly fierce competition, and lower growth of industrial products prices than that of the primary products, it will be increasingly difficult to absorb rising cost of raw materials by raising export prices,” said Liu Haiquan, the Deputy Director of the General Department with the ministry.

    The report said the competitiveness of China’s labor-intensive industries, such as textiles, garments, shoes and the toys sectors, will possibly be dampened and some of them will even see financial losses.

    Chinese labor-intensive industries should update technology and products to add value to their products, suggested Li Yushi, vice president of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of MOC.

    Li predicted China’s trade volume will grow by between 10 and 15 percent in 2008.

Workers repair the damaged railway at the site of the trains colliding accident in east China’s Shandong Province on April 28, 2008.  (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) 

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — The State Council, China’s Cabinet, held an executive meeting on Wednesday which agreed to improve work safety.

    The meeting, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, heard reports from the State Administration of Work Safety on work safety and its plans for coming months.

    The rail accident on Monday, which killed 71 and injured 416, exposed dangers in work safety said the State Council, and it ordered that those responsible should be penalized according to law.

    Preliminary investigation suggested the train from Beijing was running at 131 kilometers per hour at the time of the accident, while the speed limit of that section was 80 kph.

    The meeting emphasized that local governments and related departments must learn a lesson from the accident, establish conception of putting the people first and of safe development and give priority to work safety.

    The safety of coal mines and other mines, oil and gas wells, flammable and explosive materials and of dangerous chemicals was also important, said the meeting.

    The meeting also ordered that a good job must be done to ensure safety in communications, including railroad, highway, shipping and aviation services, and in tourism and fire prevention. Any major accidents, including environmental pollution ones, must be prevented and security in public places should be guaranteed.

    Wednesday also saw a joint meeting held on national road traffic safety. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang said at the joint meeting that supervision on production and operation of enterprises related to road safety should be reinforced and education and publicity for the purpose be enhanced.

    BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) — A senior Chinese official has called for further understanding and promoting the Scientific Outlook on Development by making evaluation of its implementation.

    Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting on a pilot program which aims to help CPC members better grasp the essence of the Scientific Outlook on Development and incorporate it into their daily work.

    The CPC included the Scientific Outlook on Development into its constitution during its 17th National Congress last October.

    Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, asked Party departments, provincial government organs, colleges and other institutions which carried out the pilot the program to well analyze the implementation of the scientific outlook on development in their daily work.

    He urged to make objective evaluations over implementation and make clear ideas of scientific development for future work.

    Opinions of Party members and the masses on the implementation of the scientific outlook on development should be respected, he said.