HAIKOU, June 30 (Xinhua) — Twelve people, including a 7-year-old girl and a pregnant woman, are in hospital after eating poisoned rice at a diner in Haikou, capital of south China’s island province of Hainan, local health official said on Monday.

    Police are investigating the possibility that the poisoning was deliberate after lab tests identified rat poison in the food.

    Lin Haining, Communist Party of China secretary of the Haikou city health bureau, said on Monday the incident was reported at about 8:40 p.m. on Saturday at the Fuxia restaurant in Fucheng Township, Qiongshan district.

    The symptoms of the victims included vomiting, convulsions and passing out. Witnesses said one person vomited blood. One of the victims said he ate roast duck, bamboo shoots and rice for dinner, and didn’t know which contained the poison.

    The victims, mostly in their twenties, are being treated in three hospitals in Haikou. Six, including the pregnant woman, are in critical condition.

    The provincial and city disease prevention experts said samples from the victims had been tested and found to contain rat poison, and they believed the rice was contaminated.

    The city and district police officers who joined the investigation said they suspected the poisoning was deliberate.

    HONG KONG, June 30 (Xinhua) — Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Donald Tsang said here Monday that he was concerned about the impact of rising fuel costs on the society, vowing to explore ways to enhance transparency in fuel prices.

    Speaking to reporters after his Mei Foo Sun Chuen visit on Monday, Tsang said liquefied-petroleum gas prices at various filling stations are different and better price transparency is needed to improve consumer choice.

    Tsang said he understood the transport trade’s concern about the rising fuel prices, adding the HKSAR government does not have the power to dictate the retail prices of vehicular fuel in a free market economy.

    ”But we will work to ensure a stable fuel supply, enhance price- setting transparency and maintain market openness,” Tsang noted.

    He also hailed the Consumer Council’s recent surveys on consumer goods prices, noting the move can help consumers make better choices.

    BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — The National Meteorological Center on Monday said that the skies might clear in the capital on July 2, which would end an unbroken spell of wet weather that began on June 22.

    The rainfall so far this year in the Olympic host city has been the heaviest in 10 years, the municipal meteorological bureau said last Friday. Precipitation totals in the Chinese capital have been 70 percent more than average levels.

    Before the long rainy spell, there were also isolated days of heavy downpours. For example, severe storms hit Beijing on the afternoon of June 13 and caused floods and traffic jams in many areas.

    The continuous rain has increased pressure on the city’s transport systems, but it has also eased drought conditions and helped to reduce air pollution.

    However, the blue skies might be short-lived. Experts said that the city would get more torrential rain from late July through early August, which is the city’s wettest season.

    BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — Leaders from 45 members of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) group will attend the 7th ASEM summit in Beijing on Oct. 24 and 25.

    The theme of the summit, “Vision and Action: Towards a Win-win Solution,” was announced at the launch of the ASEM 7 website (www.asem7.cn) and the unveiling of the ASEM 7 logo.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and foreign officials attending the ASEM Senior Official Meeting attended the ceremony.

    Yang said ASEM had become an important channel of dialogue and cooperation for Asia and Europe over more than a decade, which enhanced contact among Asian and European countries and promoted people-to-people communication.

    The logo of the 7th ASEM summit is a Chinese knot made up of the initial letters of “Asia and Europe,” a symbol of cooperation and harmony between Asia and Europe.

    The ceremony also commenced an ASEM 7 official website to provide information of the 7th ASEM summit.

    The 45 ASEM members are the 27 member states of the European Union, the 10 ASEAN nations, and six other Asian countries — Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, India, Mongolia and Pakistan.

    BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — Several new Chinese laws and regulations, including the amended Law on Protection of the Disabled, will take effect on Tuesday.

    The amendment is aimed at improving protection of the country’s more than 83 million disabled ahead of the 2008 Paralympics in September.

    China’s top legislator, Wu Bangguo, told a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in April: “Caring for the disabled is a sign of social progress and an important part of building a harmonious society.

    ”It showcases the country’s avowed respect for human rights in its constitution.”

    A revision of a 1991 law, the amendment was drawn up to “tackle new circumstances and problems” cropping up amid economic and social advances, according to Civil Affairs Minister Li Xueju.

    The amendment added details about financial support, medical care and rehabilitation services for the disabled, along with preferential policies on jobs and taxes.

    Governments at the county level or above should provide stable funding and draw up annual plans to help the disabled, it said.

    It stressed the need to build and improve physical facilities that would make it easier for the disabled.

    Beijing will host the Paralympics in September, while the AsianPara Games will be held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, in 2010.

    According to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, the country has about 83 million disabled, accounting for 6.34 percent of the population. More than 75 percent of the disabled live in rural areas.

    Other laws taking effect on Tuesday include the Beijing Regulation on emergencies. The local regulation says that a fine of up to 200,000 yuan (28,600 U.S. dollars) will be imposed on those who engage in extending the harm of emergencies. It also promises severe punishment of those who engage in price-gouging and making or selling fake goods after emergencies.

    A statute on protection of historical sites will also take effect on Tuesday. The statute on the protection of historical and cultural cities, towns and villages mandates punishment for those who damage such sites.

    A measure dealing with house registrations will ensure the legal rights of residents, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

    Also taking effect: a regulation on stock companies’ asset management and a statue on geological surveys.

    HONG KONG, June 30 (Xinhua) — Senior officials from Hong Kong and Macao on Monday agreed to speed up study on ways to further facilitate the flow of residents over increasing demands for personnel exchange between the two cities.

    Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government John Tsang had a high-level cooperation meeting in Macao with Macao counterparts to discuss the latest progress and future direction of cooperation between the two special administrative regions.

    The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2008 and a cooperation agreement as well as concrete implementation plans on the facilitation measures will be drawn up, according to the results of the cooperation meeting.

    Both sides were pleased with the progress achieved in a number of co-operation areas, in particular proposed measures to facilitate cross-boundary people flow.

    Apart from the immigration front, Hong Kong and Macao also agreed to continue maintaining close cooperation and communication in areas such as tourism and conventions, cross-boundary ferry services, cross-boundary infrastructure and cultural heritage protection.