BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) — Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has called for continued mind emancipation and relentless effort to push forward the reform and opening-up drive.

    Jia, also member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee Saturday.

    Jia recalled the Third Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC Central Committee, in 1978, in which late leader Deng Xiaoping ushered in a new period of reform and opening-up to the outside world.

    The reform and opening-up has greatly rekindled the vitality of socialism and enhanced China’s international status, he said. He called for dealing with current economic and social issues with continued efforts of mind emancipation as the country’s reform and opening-up is entering a crucial stage.

    GUANGZHOU, July 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has praised Guangdong’s pioneer role in the 30-year reform and opening drive and urged the south China province to continue promote cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs).

    Guangdong played the role as a window, laboratory and pioneer in the construction and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Xi during a study tour of the south China province on July 4 and 5.

    Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, visited towns, enterprises, communities, ports and research institutions, with Guangdong Party chief Wang Yang and governor Huang Huahua.

    Xi hailed Guangdong’s economic and social development, highlighting the fact that only socialism could save China, only the reforms and opening up to the outside world could develop China, socialism and Marxism.

    He paid special attention to the issue of Guangdong’s cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao.

    With some Hong Kong-funded companies suffering from the decrease of overseas consumer demand and price hikes of oil and raw materials, Xi asked local officials to give assistance.

    Greater Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation and the development of the SARs’ economies were of great significance for maintaining a long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, and the success of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, and eventually achieving national reunification, he said.

    Xi urged Guangdong to open up to cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, by strictly following the “One Country, Two Systems” policy and the basic laws of the two SARs.

    Xi called for implementation of instructions by President Hu Jintao on the development of the Party.

    China must adopt the concept of scientific, coordinated and harmonious development, said Xi.

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — As northern China enters its flood season, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged local authorities to step up flood-control preparations.

    Hui made the remarks on Saturday at a flood control conference after a two-day tour inspecting the facilities on Haihe River near Tianjin.

People walk and the vehicle moves on the flooded Weiming Road in Cangzhou City, north China’s Hebei Province, July 5, 2008. Heavy rainfall hit Cangzhou on Saturday.(Xinhua Photo)

    ”We have seen higher-than-average rains this year,” Hui said. “Extreme weather is happening more frequently, and strong torrential rains hit both southern and northern China. We cannot afford any carelessness in flood control.”

    Hui urged related authorities to strengthen early warning systems, make contingency plans, and step up defense of important, dangerous or weak embankments.

    Flooding and related disasters since the beginning of June have left 252 people dead and 64 missing across China, which saw the start of the main flood season on Tuesday.




Three Gorges Reservoir opens sluices for flood-control  

    YICHANG, July 5 (Xinhua) — The Three Gorges Dam Project has started discharging water to lower the water level in the reservoir after excessive rainfall upstream.

    The inflow was 34,500 cubic meters per second at 8 a.m. Saturday, up from 27,000 six hours before. Operators opened six spillways to discharge water of 11,000 cubic meters per second, said Zhao Yunfa, a director of the communication center of China¡¯s largest hydropower project. Full story

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    TAIPEI, July 5 (Xinhua) — The weekend charter flights carrying mainland tourists across the Taiwan Straits contributed to the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relationship and opened a new page in the Chinese nation’s prosperity, said Chinese Kuomintang honorary chairman Lien Chan on Saturday.

    ”We had been waiting for the day for almost 60 years, and had gone through some difficult periods,” said Lien in a meeting with Shao Qiwei, chairman of the Cross-Straits Tourism Communication Association (CSTCA) here on Saturday.

Shao Qiwei (1st L), chairman of the Cross-Straits Tourism Communication Association (CSTCA) of the Chinese mainland, speaks after presenting a gift to Chinese Kuomintang Honorary Chairman Lien Chan (C) and his wife Lien Fang-yu, in Taipei of southeast China’s Taiwan Province July 5, 2008. Shao paid a visit to Lien on Saturday. (Xinhua Photo)

    He said it was appropriate for the media to describe weekend charter flights and the arrival of mainland tourists in Taiwan as “epoch-making”.

    The two events would benefit compatriots on both sides, stimulating consumption and the economy in Taiwan, while improving mutual understanding, said Lien.

    They would help cultivate harmonious attitudes, strengthen ties and deepen collaboration.

    Shao Qiwei thanked Lien Chan for the contribution he had made to cross-Straits exchanges and the development of the relationship.

    He said it took him just three hours and 40 minutes to fly from Beijing to Taipei. It would have taken two hours less from Guangzhou.

    ”All of us felt that compatriots on both sides of the Straits were so close to each other,” Shao said.

    He said tourism industries on both sides should take responsibility for providing good services to mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan. “We have to make our own contribution to cross-Straits peaceful development.”

    At the meeting, Shao outlined the development of the mainland’s tourism industry and invited Lien Chan and his family to tour the mainland.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, takes part in the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s official publication “Qiu Shi” (Seeking Truth) magazine in Beijing, July 4, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

   ¡¡BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) — The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s official publication “Qiu Shi” (Seeking Truth) magazine marked its 50th anniversary on Friday.

    General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory letter, saying the magazine “has made great efforts in exploring the rules of socialist and party building since its establishment.”

    Hu urged the magazine to stick to the correction orientation, innovate its thinking, enrich its content, improve its writing style and make still greater contribution in the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

    Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, told the anniversary event that the magazine, previously called “Red Flag”, greatly promoted Marxism in China and the socialist core value system.

    He asked the magazine to continue to promote the experience of the country’s three-decade reform and opening, stick to the emancipation of the mind and stay closer to the people.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, takes part in the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s official publication “Qiu Shi” (Seeking Truth) magazine in Beijing, July 4, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

 

    TIANJIN, July 4 (Xinhua) — Uyunqimg, Vice-Chairwoman of China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the top legislature, stressed here on Friday the importance of strengthening the legal system for ethnic relations to maintain social stability.

    Addressing a seminar on NPC ethnic affairs work, she said the NPC should continue to improve the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities and concretely push forward implementation of relevant law.

    She said auxiliary laws and regulations should be made to gradually build a complete legal system on ethnic affairs.

    The NPC should also conduct regular checks of the implementation of relevant laws and regulations, she said.

    She called for sensing the urgency of improving the ethnic affairs work.

    The senior legislator also urged relevant authorities to promote “scientific development” in minority-inhabited regions. While promoting economic growth, efforts should be made to improve medical, health, educational, cultural and personnel training conditions in these areas.

    Due respect should be paid to the customs, values and religious beliefs of minorities and their histories, she said, adding that people should not talk and act in ways that might hurt the feelings of ethnic groups, she said.

    She said ethnic relations should be regulated in accordance with law.

    Separatist activities aimed at sabotaging ethnic relations should be curbed according to law and efforts should be made to maintain national unity and social stability, she noted.