WASHINGTON -- The special US envoy on Sudan affairs said Wednesday that important progress has been made toward peace talks on Darfur and China plays a "constructive" role in facilitating such progress."I am very happy with the role the Chinese are playing," Andrew Natsios said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank."It is a constructive role," Natsios said. "I think the Chinese are like a locomotive that is speeding up."With mediation by China, he said, the Sudanese government has accepted a UN Security Council resolution adopted in July to authorize a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force for the Darfur region.He said the major obstacles to the peace talks now come from the rebel groups rather than the Sudanese government.In a related development, China's Special Representative on African Affairs Liu Guijin said in Beijing on Tuesday that China will send a military liaison officer to Sudan's Darfur.Liu, who has just wrapped up a seven-day visit to the United States and the United Nations, said China has informed the UN of its decision.China also pledged to send a 315-member multi-functional engineering unit to Darfur in early October, which would be the first batch of UN-AU peacekeepers in place, and China will stick to its commitment, Liu said.Liu reiterated China's constructive and unique role in finding a solution to the Darfur issue, saying China has provided much aid and help with regard to the reconstruction and development of Darfur."The US and UN both hold positive views on China's role in resolving the Darfur issue, and hope China will play a bigger role in this regard," said Liu.
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday called for "good and intensive relations" with China.German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a news conference in Berlin January 15, 2008. [Agencies] "The German side is perfectly ready" to continue the sound relations with China on both economic and political levels, Merkel told a news conference in Berlin, in response to a question raised by Xinhua.The two countries have to rely on each other when it comes to international cooperation, said Merkel, who plans to visit Beijing in October for the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).The Chancellor said China played a "constructive role" at the climate conference held on the Indonesian island of Bali in December which laid a groundwork for a successor to the Kyoto agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.She also wished China every success in hosting the Beijing Olympic Games.
After 18 months of deliberation and public consultation, legislators passed the long-awaited Labor Contract Law on Friday to improve workers' basic rights. The law, which would take effect on January 1 next year, won 145 of the 146 votes of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC). One vote was not cast. The new law is considered the most significant change in the country's labor rules in more than a decade. It establishes standards for labor contracts, use of temporary workers and severance pay. It makes mandatory the use of written contracts and strongly discourages fixed-term contracts. According to the law, severance should be paid if a fixed-term contract expires but is not renewed without an appropriate reason. It is also stipulated that employers must submit proposed workplace rules or changes concerning pay, work allotment, hours, insurance, safety and holidays to the workers' congress for discussion. After the recent exposure of forced labor in brick kilns in Central and North China, the final draft added stipulations that government officials guilty of abuse of office and dereliction of duty would face administrative penalties or criminal prosecution. Xin Chunying, deputy chairperson of the NPC Law Committee, said the law is not intended to replace the current Labor Law but rather, to further standardize labor contracts in favor of employees. Li Yuan, one of the legislators in charge of drafting the law, said the law targeted bosses and officials who exploited workers. The draft law was first proposed in 2005 amid complaints that companies were mistreating workers by withholding pay, requiring unpaid overtime or failing to provide written contracts. Many workers were also becoming trapped in short-term contracts. Last March, the draft was made public for consultation, and legislators received about 192,000 public responses in a month. Only the Constitution, drafted in 1954, received more. However, business lobbies are worried that stricter contract requirements could raise costs and give them less flexibility to hire and fire employees. Both the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) had made submissions to the NPC, suggesting the law might exert negative influence on foreign investment in China. In a letter to the NPC last year, Serge Janssens de Varebeke, then-president of the European Union chamber, warned the "strict" regulations could force foreign companies to "reconsider new investments or continuing their activities in China" because of possible cost increases. But Xin said there wouldn't be a substantial cost increase for companies that strictly follow the existing Labor Law. "All the principles have been included in the current law. The new law just details the provisions to facilitate implementation," she said.
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The election was held this morning during the business session of the 144th annual meeting of the academy, and brought the organization's total number of active members to 2,025. Foreign associates are non-voting members of the academy. The 18 newly elected, from 12 different countries, brought the total number of foreign associates to 387. Two Chinese scientists, Zhang Qifa and Li Aizhen, were among the new foreign associates. Professor Zhang is the director of National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, in central China's Wuhan. Li is from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the advance of science and its use for the general welfare. It was established in 1863 by a congressional act signed by Abraham Lincoln. The act calls on the academy to act as an official adviser to the federal government, upon request, in any matter of science or technology
KUNMING -- A gas blast in a private coal mine has killed at least seven miners and injured five in southwest China's Yunnan Province, sources with the local government said Saturday.The blast occurred around 6:00 a.m. Saturday in the Shunxing Coal Mine in Fuyuan Township of Qujing City, in eastern Yunnan. Twenty-seven miners were working underground, and fourteen people managed to escape.More than 400 rescuers struggled to pull out seven bodies and five miners alive. One miner remains missing.The injured workers are being treated in a local hospital.The coal mine, which was built in 1984 with a designed production capacity of 90,000 tons, had been ordered to suspend operation and go through renovation after county coal mine administration staffs inspected the mine on Friday, but coal mine managers secretly organized the miners to work in the night.Local officials are investigating into the cause of the accident.
杭州高智能数字化新生儿综合急救技能训练系统(ACLS高级生命支持、计算机控制)
BEIJING - The National Grid of China said power could be restored partially within the day in the worst-hit region in central China's Hunan Province, ending the eight-day blackout caused by snow.Local residents buy candies for the upcoming Spring Festival in Chenzhou, Central China's Hunan Province, February 1, 2008. Power supply in Chenzhou City has been cut off during the past eight days, leaving thousands of households in dark and coldness. [Xinhua] "Many power facilities in Hunan were damaged due to repeated extreme weather changes," said Yin Jijun, deputy director of the international liaison department of the National Grid. "As the weather deteriorated again, the regional power grid, in particular the southern grid in the province, is facing acute challenges."A new round of snow started to hit central, south and east China regions on Friday, adding to the woes caused by previous snowfalls.Hunan is one of the hardest-hit areas for the past three weeks. Power supply in Chenzhou City has been cut off during the past eight days, leaving thousands of households in dark and coldness. Hengyang and Yongzhou cities also experienced blackouts in some areas.To address the situation, Yin said the National Grid is working all out to ensure security of the main power network in southern Hunan, especially in Chenzhou."We will strive to partially restore electricity supply in Chenzhou on Saturday," Yin said.
A regular inspection last month by the Ministry of Agriculture showed that food quality in 37 major cities has improved after a four-month promotional campaign, the ministry said on Friday.The nationwide inspection of vegetables, pork and aquatic products found acceptance rates had risen since August when the campaign was launched.The inspection found that:- 95.3 percent of the country's vegetables were safe in terms of pesticide residues.- 98.4 percent of meat products were up to scratch with regard to residues of clenobuterol hydrochloride, a drug some farmers used to put in pig feed but which is now banned due to the damage it can cause to the human heart.- 99.8 percent of aquatic products were free of chloramphenicol, and 95.7 percent were free from malachite green, both of which are banned fish food supplements.- No pork products in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and 25 other cities were polluted with banned drugs.- Aquatic products in seven cities including Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou were also found to be safe from illegal drugs.The ministry, which carries out five regular food safety inspections a year, attributed the achievements to its four-month campaign.It said in a news release that all 676 agricultural wholesale markets in large and medium cities have now been put under surveillance, up from 479 in September.Five kinds of pesticides that the ministry banned for their high toxicity have been seized and destroyed.The ministry also issued six regulations on pesticide registry management to standardize labeling and control product quantities."Thanks to the campaign, public awareness of agricultural product quality and food safety has been strengthened," the news release said.The ministry said it will follow up the campaign by cracking down on fake agricultural supplies and develop a network that gives farmers access to authentic and good-quality agricultural materials.
The Employment Promotion Law is being revised to provide a firmer legal footing for efforts to combat the discrimination that Hepatitis B virus carriers have encountered while looking for work, a senior official said. If the revised law is passed, Hepatitis B carriers will have the tools they need to guard their right to secure fair employment and to have discriminating employers punished. Liu Danhua, deputy director of the Labor and Social Security Ministry's training and employment department, said the drafters planned to write a chapter called "fair employment" and to add an article that bans employers from refusing to hire applicants because they carry infectious viruses. She made the remarks during an online interview on www.gov.cn on Friday. At least 15,000 people participated in the online chat and left more than 600 messages for the official. Many spoke about their experiences of being rejected by employers because they are Hepatitis B virus carriers. They applauded the document released by the Labor and Social Security Ministry and the Ministry of Health in May, which called for the protection of virus carriers' employment rights. Still, some were disappointed that some employers seemed not to have heeded the call. According to the document, except for those industries barred to Hepatitis carriers because of the possibility they might spread the virus, such as food processing, employers are not to make Hepatitis screening a mandatory part of physical checkups. Medical organizations have been asked to protect carriers' privacy. But in many cities checks for theHepatitis B virus are more or less obligatory before securing employment. A college graduate from Changsha, Hubei Province, using the Web alias "jiushi3953", said he had been rejected three times by companies because he has Hepatitis B. He was worried he would never get a good job. "Almost every company in Shenzhen demands a Hepatitis virus check Please give me a chance to survive," he said. Hao Yang, deputy director of the Ministry of Health's disease control and prevention bureau, said discrimination was rooted in people's misconceptions about Hepatitis B. Many people and even some doctors think Hepatitis B virus can be transmitted while dining together or touching. Hao said this is wrong. The country is home to about 120 million chronic carriers of the Hepatitis B virus, which may lead to chronic inflammation of the liver. Carriers do not suffer, and do not pose a threat to other people.
BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Thursday night urged all concerned parties to resume the Iranian nuclear talks as soon as possible."The Iranian nuclear issue is now at a crucial moment. China hopes all concerned parties, including Iran, make joint efforts to resume negotiations as soon as possible in a bid to promote the comprehensive and proper settlement of this issue," Yang told Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in their talks in Beijing.Yang reiterated China's consistent position on the Iranian nuclear issue, saying China has always advocated a peaceful solution to the issue through diplomatic negotiations, supported the international non-proliferation system, safeguarded regional peace and stability and made continuous efforts in this regard. Jalili said Iran's nuclear plan is completely of a peaceful nature. He added Iran appreciates China's position of a peaceful solution and the country is ready to strengthen cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and resolve the issue through negotiations.The two sides also exchanged views on bilateral ties. Yang said China is satisfied with the continuous progress of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields in recent years and hopes both sides make joint efforts to make greater progress in the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries.Jalili said Iran and China have a friendly relationship and share a good basis of cooperation. He added Iran is ready to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China in extensive fields