BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — China is active in extending relations between Chinese and U.S. armed forces and hopes for their healthy and stable development, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Xu Caihou said on Monday.

    During talks with visiting former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry, Xu said relations between the forces had developed smoothly, with new progress in high-level visits and academic exchanges.

    Xu spoke highly of the 8th seminar on Sino-U.S. security attended by Perry and his delegation, saying it served as a platform for the two sides to discuss major security issues.

    Xu also briefed Perry on the stance on Taiwan.

    The U.S. valued the development of relations between U.S. and Chinese armed forces, said Perry, who served as Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from February 1994 to January1997.

    He suggested the two armed forces enhance cooperation on humanitarian operations and peace-keeping.

    BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — China is grateful to the support and assistance provided by the international community for its quake-relief efforts, the State Council said in a proclamation on Monday.

    An 8-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan, in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT) on May 12, 2008, causing enormous losses of life and property, the proclamation said.

    It said that when the Chinese people were suffering the catastrophe, the international community voiced sincere sympathy and condolences and provided support and assistance in various forms, which fully embodies the nobility of humanitarianism and the friendship to the Chinese people.

    ”The Chinese government and people express their heartfelt thanks to all the governments, institutions, individuals, international organizations and overseas Chinese that have extended profound sympathies and provided valuable assistance to us,” said the proclamation.

    The international community’s help and support played an active role in China’s quake-relief efforts, which have won an initial victory, it added.

    ”We firmly believe that with the concerted efforts of the people of the whole country and the continuous support from the international community, the people in the afflicted areas are surely able to beat the disaster and rebuild their beautiful homes,” the proclamation said.

    According to the State Council Information Office, the death toll of the earthquake stood at 69,195 as of midday Monday.

Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake

    MACAO, June 30 (Xinhua) — Macao’s foreign exchange reserves were estimated to be 14.48 billion U.S. dollars at the end of May this year, the Monetary Authority (AMCM) of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced on Monday.

    The reserves dropped by 0.2 percent from the revised value of 14.54 billion dollars for the previous month, but increased by 34.4 percent, when compared with the same period last year, according to the AMCM figures.

    Meanwhile, the SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-May 2008 represented 29 times the currency in circulation, according to the AMCM.

    AMCM also said that the trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, rose by 0.26 point month-to-month or fell 4.78 points year-on-year to 87.24 in May this year.

    LUCHUAN, Nanning, June 30 (Xinhua) — Seven people were slightly injured after a landslide derailed a train carrying more than 1,000 passengers in south China early on Monday.

    The No.1322 train from Guangzhou to Chongqing was derailed at 2:20 a.m. at Luchuan County of Yulin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 90 kilometers from Nanning, the regional capital.

    The locomotive and six carriages came off the tracks.

    Four of the injured had been discharged from hospital as of 7 p.m. on Monday and the other three were being treated, said Shao Liping, head of the railway administration of Nanning.

    ”The train was carrying 1,118 passengers. The other passengers have all taken other trains to the southwestern municipality of Chongqing except for the three still in hospital,” said Shao.

    More than 1,000 rescuers are clearing the site, where an estimated 2,700 cubic meters of earth and rocks have covered the rails. However, the rescue operation was halted due to heavy rain.

    ”We have planned to first remove the derailed carriages with crane and clear the mud and rocks, and then have the deformed rail replaced, but we’re afraid that the rain may cause new landslides,” said Shao.

    According to the official, the south-north lane of the was expected to reopen to traffic on Monday night.

    The 317-kilometer line links Guangxi with Guangdong Province.

    MACAO, June 30 (Xinhua) — Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will work closely with neighboring Hong Kong SAR in a bid to enhance cooperation between the two SARs in various fields, said the government’s economic chief on Monday.

    Tam Pak Yuen, secretary for economy and finance of the Macao SAR, made the remark during a “Hong Kong, Macao Cooperation” meeting held here on Monday. The meeting was co-chaired by Tam and Tsang Chun-wah, financial secretary of the Hong Kong SAR.

    The two sides expressed their desire to further bilateral cooperation and study the feasibility of extending joint projects in new areas, according to a press statement from the Macao SAR government.

    Guangdong provincial government previously brought up the idea of strengthening regional ties among the two SARs and Guangdong province in the Chinese mainland, to which Macao gives “full support”, said Tam, adding that this will lay a better foundation for the trilateral ties.

    He also noted that significant results and progress were achieved as collaborative and communicative mechanisms have been established in 16 different fields between the two sides.

    Meanwhile, the facilitating of immigration clearance and extension of stay for Hong Kong and Macao residents were another focal point during the meeting.

    The two sides also reached a consensus over the topic, and will jointly work out a practical plan by the end of this year, according to the press statement.

    In addition, officials from both sides agreed to join hands in promoting tourism images, set up a notification and compensation mechanism for industrial accidents, and increase cooperation in professional training for, among others, civil servants, education, public health and heritage conservation.

    BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — “Galloping Horses”, a painting by the famed Chinese artist Xu Beihong, was auctioned on Monday for 8 million yuan (1.14 million U.S. dollars) to support the Chinese athletic team taking part in the September Beijing Paralympic Games.

    The painting was the first sale in a charity auction held here by the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF).

    Deng Pufang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who is also CDPF president and executive chairman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, pounded the gavel to annouce the start of the auction.

    Also sold were works by renowned Chinese artists Zhang Daqian, Zheng Banqiao and Qi Baishi as well as modern artists Fan Zeng and Chen Danqing, and art by one of the founders of the Palace Museum, Wu Ying.

    Several items were also auctioned for the benefit of quake survivors, including a football and athletic wear signed by Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho; a sports suit worn by Hong Kong star Andy Lau during filming of a Paralympic announcement, and several Paralympic gold medals.