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.

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — The headmaster and building contractor were arrested Saturday after a school building wall collapsed and killed four students in southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in mid-June.

    Four students were killed and eight were injured on their way to the mess hall of the school at Liubao Town, Cangwu County, when the enclosing wall collapsed at about 5 p.m. June 16.

    Headmaster Wu Yuanming and building contractor Li Qinghua were arrested and to be prosecuted, local authorities said.

Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake    

    BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — As of 12:00 Saturday, the death toll of the May 12 Earthquake in China remained unchanged, standing at Friday’s figure of 69,196, according to a government report.

    So far, 374,176 people were injured and 18,381 still missing in the deathly disaster that has affected Sichuan Province in the southwest and its neighboring provinces.

    The rescuer have saved and resettled 1,472,296 people to safer places.

    Governments at different levels have allocated 54,87 billion yuan (about 7.95 billion U.S dollars) for the relief efforts, including 49.74 billion yuan from the central government.

    To date, China has received 56.58 billion yuan worth donations from the public, both at home and from overseas.

    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.

Special report:   2008 Olympic Games         

    QINGDAO, July 5 (Xinhua) — The training area for the athletes participating in the August Olympic sailing competitions has been cleared of thick green algae in the host city of Qingdao.

    ”If the weather is cooperative, athletes will be able to complete their sailing courses at the training areas,” said Yuan Zhiping, assistant to the chairman of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Committee, on Saturday.

    Yuan said the invading algae, called enteromorpha prolifera, would be wiped out in the competition area before July 15.

    ”Actually, I hope the clearance will be complete ahead of schedule, so the athletes will have more time to get used to the competition venue,” said Yuan.

    Thousands of soldiers and volunteers are still cleaning the bright green algae, which was first spotted at the end of May and started to bloom in mid-June.

    Inflatable barriers have also been placed near the coastline to prevent the algae from encroaching on the shore.

    According to an emergency headquarters set up to clean the algae, its coverage in the sailing competition areas, which span more than 50 square kilometers, had shrunk from 32 percent five days ago to less than 10 percent by Friday.

    But an aerial survey shows 339 square kilometers of the green growth floating along the shoreline of the city and parts of the Yellow Sea, authorities said.

    The algae also covered part of the training area, where sailors from 26 countries and regions are training, and the algae sometimes blocked sailing routes and affected preparations for the Games.

    Sailors said they had to stop during training to clean the algae off their boats.

    The sailing competitions are scheduled from Aug. 9 to 23.

    Experts from the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) are working to determine the source and cause of the algae outbreak.

    The SOA was monitoring the route of the algae flow into the Olympic venue with current bottles. Experts dropped 80 bottles in the water around the venue after the bloom was spotted.

    They concluded some algae was from the waters of Rizhao and Jiaonan to the south of Qingdao.

Special report:   2008 Olympic Games    

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — Beijing’s tourism authorities have said they are going to target visitors from other Asian countries as guests of the city’s homestay scheme for the Olympics.

    The city has already selected 571 families and hopes to have about 600 households as officially designated “Olympic Family Hotels” for Olympics tourists next month.

    At a press conference on Saturday, Beijing Tourism Bureau vice director Xiong Yumei said visitors from Asian countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, would be introduced by travel agencies to the families.

    Bookings had not started since the family hotels were just selected, officials said, but a 200-member tourist group from Malaysia was looking for home stay accommodation.

    Xiong did not give a reason for choosing Asia as the major target, but travel agency insiders said the short marketing time and available transportation made it is easier to organize Asian tourist groups than westerners.

    Most of the families lived near major stadiums, trunk roads, cultural sites and hutongs, or alleyways, making it easy for overseas guests to enjoy life in the capital, according to the bureau.

    The cost of each “Olympic Family Hotel” is 50 to 80 U.S. dollars per night, about a seventh of the cost of a three or four-star hotel for the Games.

    The selection of homestay families from 1,118 candidates started in April. Hosts should be able to provide spare rooms, good ventilation and sanitary conditions in buildings that have good emergency facilities and lighting. Each family should have at least one person able to speak English, Xiong said.

    Beijing is gearing up to accommodate at least 330,000 visitors every day during the Olympics. About 500,000 foreigners are expected to visit the capital at some point during the Games.

    A report last month from the tourism bureau showed Beijing hotels still had a high vacancy rate for the Aug.8-24 Games. Five-star hotels were 77 percent booked for the Olympic period. About 45.5 percent of four-star rooms were reserved while three-star hotel had a 20-percent reservation rate.

    The hotels can provide 66,000 beds, more than the 43,000 needed every day during the Games, tourism officials said.