News » China » 58 students affected by suspected food poisoning

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• 58 students affected by suspected food poisoning
• Hearing on lifting mainland post ban held in Taiwan
• Macao improves democracy: Hu
• Officials to line up for Beijing buffets
• Chinese military bans luxury banquets
• China eyes nat'l markets to stabilize food prices
• Chinese surveillance ships maintain Diaoyu patrols
• Hu Jintao meets Macao SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On
• Acting governor of E China province appointed
• Chinese fleet patrols Diaoyu Islands territorial sea
• 42 detained in central China for doomsday rumors
• Lhasa old town to get big-budget facelift
• Chinese premier voices adherence to HK, Macao policies
• Hu Jintao meets HK SAR Chief Executive CY Leung
• Charity art sale lights up world for autistic kids
• Another detrimental move by U.S. Congress to harm China-U.S. ties
• Chen Kun asks society to do more for children
• Reform targets policy mismatch
• Wen Jiabao meets HKSAR Chief Executive CY Leung
• Wen Jiabao meets Macao SAR Chief Executive

58 students affected by suspected food poisoning Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST NINGBO - Fifty-eight middle school students were hospitalized over possible food poisoning in East China's Zhejiang province on Tuesday, local authorities confirmed Friday. All 58 victims from Yucai Middle School in the city of Cixi have been discharged from hospital and returned to school,  according to the Cixi municipal government. After eating chicken provided by the school cafeteria, many students showed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea and were sent to a local hospital, according to microblog posts. Local authorities are still investigating the incident. The city has launched a special inspection of school cafeterias to guarantee food safety.

Hearing on lifting mainland post ban held in Taiwan Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST TAIPEI - Taiwanese businesspeople on Friday urged the island's authorities to lift the ban on Taiwanese people holding public posts in the Chinese mainland. Taiwan's legislative authorities on Friday held a public hearing on an amendment to the regulation on relations of the people across the Taiwan Strait. About a dozen representatives of those doing business on the mainland were invited to offer suggestions. Mark Yeh, executive vice chairman of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland (ATIEM) and a specially invited member of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said at the public hearing that Taiwanese businessmen can assist in the handling of issues involving Taiwan people through channels provided by the CPPCC system. Yeh also said their involvement in the CPPCC can better protect Taiwanese businesspeople's rights and interests in the mainland. Tseng Chan-jaw, executive vice chairman of the ATIEM and chairman of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises in Xiamen, Fujian Province, said Taiwanese businesspeople can participate in the discussion of political affairs on the mainland through the CPPCC system. Tseng added that they can also join the major political sessions in the mainland each year. This will help them to better understand the mainland's policies, which is conducive to the development of Taiwanese businesses on the mainland. Taiwan invests heavily in the Chinese mainland, with more than 87,000 Taiwanese enterprises and more than 1 million Taiwanese businesspeople on the mainland. Citing the regulation, authorities in Taiwan ban Taiwanese people from holding public posts in the mainland. However, the regulation can accommodate those taking posts as specially invited members at different levels of CPPCC committees. Kuo Shan-hui, chairman of the ATIEM, said at the hearing that the amendment to the regulations has a direct bearing on the lives and businesses of Taiwanese businesspeople on the mainland, and he asked for the ban to be lifted. Published in 1992, the regulation is used by Taiwanese authorities to deal with issues concerning cross-Strait exchanges in economic, trade, cultural and other fields. It has gradually become outdated, as cross-Strait relations have witnessed significant developments in recent years. Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said earlier this month that reviewing the regulation is currently one of the major cross-Strait issues for authorities. He called for amending some of the items of the regulation that do not fit the current circumstances, in an effort to make exchanges more reciprocal.

Macao improves democracy: Hu Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST BEIJING - Macao has made fresh progress in 2012 in developing the political system and democracy with its regional characteristics, President Hu Jintao said Friday in Beijing. Macao maintained fast economic growth and a low unemployment rate this year, while making progress in people's welfare, social harmony and regional economic cooperation, Hu said as he met with Chui Sai On, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). Chui is in Beijing to brief officials on Macao's latest economic, social and political developments. Hu said the central authorities recognize and support Chui and the SAR government. Hu also called on them to devote more efforts in the coming year toward carrying out the "one country, two systems" principle and the Basic Law, as well as maintaining economic growth and social development, in order to contribute more to the successful implementation of the principle. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also participated in the meeting.

Officials to line up for Beijing buffets Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST BEIJING - A new regulation to battle extravagance in Beijing Municipality bans banquets for officials in the city on business. Officials at various levels will all receive buffet-style meals during work-related visits to Beijing, according to the regulation passed Thursday by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee. The regulation is the first detailed local rule following the eight aspects of officials' work style to reject extravagance and reduce bureaucracy, which were adopted at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on December 4. In China, banquets featuring expensive wines and dishes are often arranged to receive officials, while simple dishes are often served at a buffet. Dinner is traditionally an important social occasion for both officials and businesspeople. Officials are often seen throwing or being invited to lavish dinners, triggering public outcry, as taxpayers shoulder the financial burden of such events. These events become more prevalent toward the year's end, as people gather for end-of-year celebrations. However, government officials are being pressured to follow in the footsteps of top CPC leaders who have adopted simpler working styles in an attempt to shore up public trust. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was recently seen carrying his own plate to pick up food at a cafeteria during a tour of a military facility in south China's Guangdong Province. Some viewed his actions as an attempt to encourage officials to forego bureaucracy and a sense of entitlement. In addition to the requirements on business dinners, the regulation released on Friday also says there should be "no welcome banners, no floral arrangements, no traffic controls and no souvenirs of any kind" during municipal officials' visits. News publishers are also required to shorten the lengths of stories on officials' activities, which have often bored people due to the stories' wordy, meaningless style. Residents in Beijing have welcomed the measures, as simpler work styles among officials make their lives more comfortable. "We won't be disturbed by traffic controls because of officials' visits, and the money that is saved can be used to further improve people's lives," said Ma Guohua, an aerobics instructor at Minbei Street Central Park in Beijing's Dongcheng District. Ma hopes the change in work style will be for the long term, and he advised strengthening supervision work.

Chinese military bans luxury banquets Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST BEIJING - The military on Friday declared that receptions for high-ranking officers will no longer feature liquor or luxury banquets. The receptions will also be free of welcome banners, red carpets, floral arrangements, formations of soldiers, performances and souvenirs, according to ten regulations drawn up by the Central Military Commission. The regulations also prohibit commission officials from staying in civilian hotels or military hotels specially equipped with luxury accommodation during inspection tours. The ten regulations also require officials to cut both the number and length of inspection tours, overseas visits, meetings and reports. The regulations state that speakers at meetings should avoid empty talk, while commission officials will not be allowed to attend ribbon-cutting and cornerstone-laying ceremonies, celebrations or seminars unless they have received approval from the of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee or the Central Military Commission. The use of vehicles equipped with sirens will be rigorously controlled during official visits in order to prevent public disturbances. Additionally, commission officials are also required to discipline their spouses, children and subordinates and make sure they do not take bribes. The Central Military Commission enacted the regulations to echo the new central leadership's call to improve work styles. At a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on December 4, participants approved regulations calling for political bureau members to improve their work in eight ways, with a particular focus on reducing extravagance and bureaucracy.

China eyes nat'l markets to stabilize food prices Posted: 21 Dec 2012 12:20 PM PST BEIJING - China will establish national-grade agricultural markets in production regions in 2013 to prevent turbulence in farm produce prices. The Ministry of Agriculture plans to initiate construction on seven national markets next year as pricing and distribution centers and places for information and technology exchanges, according to a national conference on agriculture held here Friday. The move is expected to tackle the sharp price fluctuations seen in some farm produce items like Chinese cabbage and green onion in recent years. The ministry is also scheduled to set up regional and village-level markets and form a price monitoring and alert system. In 2012, China's grain yield increased to 589.57 million tonnes, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. However, Minister of Agriculture Hang Changfu warned of new challenges facing the industry, citing surging labor and material costs, rising land rentals and increasing financing difficulty. The ministry will roll out a series of favorable policies in the next year, such as encouraging industrial and commercial enterprises to invest in the agricultural sector, improving the price protection mechanism and promoting the deep-processing of farm produce, he said.

Chinese surveillance ships maintain Diaoyu patrols Posted: 21 Dec 2012 05:34 AM PST A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Friday confirmed that Chinese surveillance vessels are still patrolling the Diaoyu Islands.

Hu Jintao meets Macao SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:24 AM PST President Hu Jintao on Friday afternoon met with Chui Sai On, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region in Beijing.

Acting governor of E China province appointed Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:44 AM PST Local legislature in east China's Zhejiang Province Friday appointed Li Qiang as

Chinese fleet patrols Diaoyu Islands territorial sea Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:05 AM PST Three Chinese marine surveillance vessels on Friday morning entered the territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands to carry out a patrol, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

42 detained in central China for doomsday rumors Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:00 AM PST Police in the city of Yichang in central China's Hubei province said Friday they have detained 42 members of the "Almighty God" religious group since October.

Lhasa old town to get big-budget facelift Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:57 AM PST The government of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, is to spend 1.234 billion yuan (196 million U.S. dollars) to protect its old urban area.

Chinese premier voices adherence to HK, Macao policies Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:34 AM PST Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday said central authorities will adhere to the "one country, two systems" principle and the two Basic Laws concerning Hong Kong and Macao.

Hu Jintao meets HK SAR Chief Executive CY Leung Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:21 AM PST President Hu Jintao on Friday afternoon met with Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region CY Leung in Beijing.

Charity art sale lights up world for autistic kids Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:16 AM PST The China Social Welfare Foundation is hosting an art sale in Beijing to help children affected by autism and raise awareness of the mental illness.

Another detrimental move by U.S. Congress to harm China-U.S. ties Posted: 20 Dec 2012 09:14 PM PST U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the 2013 Defense Authorization Act, which includes two amendments related to China, in another move that is apparently detrimental to fostering a new-type China-U.S. relationship based on mutual respect and benefit.

Chen Kun asks society to do more for children Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:48 AM PST At a Beijing press conference yesterday, movie star Chen Kun shared his experiences as China's UNICEF ambassador and talked about his visit to the children of Nayong County.

Reform targets policy mismatch Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:11 AM PST The Chinese government is working on a better coordination mechanism between fiscal and monetary authorities to pave the way for further economic reform, a senior government consultant said on Thursday.

Wen Jiabao meets HKSAR Chief Executive CY Leung Posted: 20 Dec 2012 10:27 PM PST Premier Wen Jiabao Friday morning met with Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region CY Leung in Beijing.

Wen Jiabao meets Macao SAR Chief Executive Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:18 PM PST Premier Wen Jiabao Friday morning met with Chui Sai On, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

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