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BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- After a mere four-and-a-half hours, world leaders at the G20 summit in London decided to devote about 1 trillion U.S. dollars to supporting world economic growth and trade, an outcome that surprised many analysts with its scale.     But in that scant time, China had a chance to showcase its growing importance in the world economy. China said it would contribute 40 billion U.S. dollars to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) increased financing capacity. That's only a small portion of the total, but it could take China's IMF voting rights from to 3.997 percent from 3.807 percent.     China's new voting share would still far behind that of the United States, which is first with about 17 percent.     However, since many countries' voting shares in the IMF are well under 1 percent, any incremental change gives a member just a little extra say in the workings of the multilateral organization. And so the potential change is a small step toward China's goal of having more influence on how the IMF, and the world financial system, operates.     HIGHER FINANCIAL STATUS     Economists said China's proposed contribution of 40 billion U.S. dollars was in line with its current development level and would mean a more influential voice for Beijing in international financial institutions and in shaping the world economic order.     "China's promise of extra funding was a contribution to the world economy and showcased the country's clout," said Zhao Jinping, an economist with the State Council's (cabinet's) Development Research Center.     Tang Min, deputy secretary general of the China Development Research Foundation, said the country's voting rights and quota of contributions to multilateral bodies still fell short of its status as the world's third-biggest economy.     He said China would further step up its contributions, and influence, as its economic power grew and reforms of the international financial system went forward.     Zhao said it was part of a long-term trend for developing countries like China to have more influence in decision-making at international financial institutions, noting that the "obsolete mechanism and structure of world financial organizations" failed to reflect an evolving world economy.     British special G20 envoy Mark Malloch-Brown was quoted in the China Securities Journal on Thursday as saying that an overhaul of the world financial system should start with international financial institutions and reforming the IMF meant China's voice must be bigger.     The G20 leaders' statement was a "positive signal" in that it gave a timetable for reforming the IMF and the World Bank, said Zhang Bin, an expert with the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government think tank.     Zhao said China's obligations to international financial institutions should reflect not just the country's size but also the fact that China is still a developing country.     He urged China to expand its influence by actively joining multilateral or regional dialogues and offering more proposals on international issues.     "It should be a step-by-step process for China to shoulder more responsibility. It can't be accomplished in just one move," said Zhao.     LONG ROAD TO REFORM     Be it "a turning point," as U.S. President Barack Obama stated, or "a new world order," as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed, the G20 summit was a major step in reshaping the global financial system, but there was still far to go, Chinese economists said.     "China should seek to expand its IMF quota and voting rights further after the summit. Although the statement give a timetable for reform, it remains unclear whether the goal can be achieved because that would affect the interests of the United States and the European Union," said Mei Xinyu, a researcher at China's Ministry of Commerce.     The G20 statement reads in part: "We commit to implementing the package of IMF quota and voice reforms agreed in April 2009 and call on the IMF to complete the next review of quotas by January 2011."     "On the one hand, China could count on the IMF restructuring, and on the other hand, it may start again somewhere else. For instance, it can push forward the establishment of the 120-billion-U.S.-dollar reserve pool agreed by several East Asian countries," Mei said.     Leaders of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea agreed last month to speed up the creation of a foreign-exchange reserve pool of 120 billion U.S. dollars to address liquidity shortages.     Mei described the pool as an "Asian Monetary Fund," saying it could partly replace the IMF in Asia and help increase use of the Chinese currency in international trade.     Another government economist, Wang Xiaoguang, said the agreement served as a foundation for more concrete policies to tackle the global downturn and this would be good for global stability and China's own economic recovery.     Wang added that it was unrealistic to change the global financial order immediately, because it would cause conflicts among major economies.     "They will rework the current system rather than introduce a new one," he said.     Zhuang Jian, an economist at the Asian Development Bank, said the biggest challenge was how to implement those commitments. China should closely monitor the implementation of the agreement and decide whether its short-term objectives could be realized.     "China's appeals will be discussed after the summit," he said, referring to financial market reform and the position of emerging countries in the international financial system.     "I think the country will have a bigger say in the global financial system. But the G20 summit is just a forum, and if the global economy worsens, the agreement might end up as nothing more than words," he said.

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged all officials receiving public grievances to learn from the hard working style of the late Pan Zuoliang (1965-2008).     Pan had worked as director of the Letters and Calls Bureau of Liaozhong County, Liaoning Province, northeast China, until May 9,2008, when he died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage on duty. Pan Zuoliang (1965-2008) had worked as director of the Letters and Calls Bureau of Liaozhong County, Liaoning Province, northeast China, until May 9,2008, when he died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage on duty."Build the letters and calls departments into a sector that is first-class regarding their work and satisfactory to the people," said Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in an instruction to a meeting of officials at the Great Hall of the People, in central Beijing, Friday.     Prior to the gathering, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, called Pan a model for grassroots Party members and officials. "Pan had always lived among the people and helped the Party and the people to get over difficulties," he said. People send Pan's coffin off spontaneously. Pan Zuoliang (1965-2008) had worked as director of the Letters and Calls Bureau of Liaozhong County, Liaoning Province, northeast China, until May 9,2008, when he died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage on duty.Zhou urged all officials to "prevent and resolve inharmonious, unstable factors" in the country.     After his death, Pan was made an "Excellent Letters and Calls Official Who Help the Party and the People Resolve Difficulties" and a "National-level Excellent Letters and Calls Official" by the Liaoning Provincial Communist Party Committee and the State Bureau for Letters and Calls.

BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Industrial and commercial authorities across China investigated about 76,500 fake food cases in 2008, which involved 274 million yuan (about 40.3 million U.S. dollars) in value, according to a high-level meeting on consumption held Saturday.     Ma Yong, a senior official with the National Food Industry Association, said the major cause of China's food safety problem was the use of illicit substances. Officers from local commerce administration examine commodities at a market in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi province, March 15, 2009. Lots of events to mark the World Consumer Rights Day were held across China on Sunday.With the theme of "integrity, consumption and development", the meeting was joined by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and China Consumers' Association.     To better deal with the food problem, China adopted the Food Safety Law on Feb. 28, which will go into effect on June 1.     The law has been widely seen as a new push to improve food safety in the country through stricter monitoring and supervision, tougher safety standards, recall of substandard products and severe punishment on offenders. Officers (L) from local commerce administration answer people's questions during an event to mark the World Consumer Rights Day in Beijing March 15, 2009. Lots of such events were held across China on Sunday

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BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Thursday called on the nation to strengthen "conviction for victory" as he unveiled an unprecedented stimulus package to shore up economic growth amid global downturn.     In a work report to the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's parliament, Wen said China is facing "unprecedented difficulties and challenges" as economic growth slows, employment pressure mounts and social uncertainties increase in 2009, the most difficult year since the new millennium.     PREMIER'S ECONOMICS     China's economy cooled to a seven-year low of 9 percent last year, and broke a five-year streak of double-digit expansion, as the global financial crisis took its toll on the world's fastest growing economy.     The country, however, is "able to achieve" an economic growth at about 8 percent as long as right policies and appropriate measures are adopted and implemented, Wen said. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2009In his report, Wen outlined an aggressive stimulus package, including huge government investment, tax reform, industrial restructuring, scientific innovation, social welfare and promoting employment.     In addition to a 4-trillion yuan (585.5 billion U.S. dollars) stimulus package that was announced in November, the premier also proposed a budgeted fiscal deficit of 950 billion yuan (139 billion U.S. dollars) for 2009, a record high in six decades and nearly three times over the last record of 319.8 billion yuan set in 2003.     The deficit accounted for less than 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), nearly surpassing an internationally accepted risky line.     Wen said increasing government spending is the most active, direct and efficient way to expand domestic demand, while economists believe China's 2-trillion U.S. dollar foreign reserves, current-account surplus and budget surplus offers the government lots of room to do so.     Other key economic and social targets included creating more than 9 million jobs in the city, controlling urban registered unemployment rate under 4.6 percent and keeping the rise of Consumer Price Index (CPI) at about 4 percent.     EXPECTATIONS OF A MIGRANT WORKER AND MORE     While nearly 3,000 lawmakers convened at the Great Hall of the People in the center of Beijing, Zhang You, a migrant worker from central Anhui Province who was waiting in his rented room for a job opportunity in the outskirts of the capital, also watched Wen's nationally televised speech, though the Premier's economics might be beyond his imagination.     "I didn't quite understand what those figures meant," he said. "But I was impressed by Premier Wen's vow to expand social security for migrant workers and help us find jobs," the 30-year-old man said. "I am happy about that."     Zhang, a painter, said he has had no work to do for months. "I guess it's because fewer people are buying houses," he said. China's real estate sector was also hit by the international financial crisis with fewer people buying houses.     But Zhang said he believes he will soon be able to find a job. "I feel the government is trying hard to overcome the difficulties. This kind of situation won't last long."     "I hope the economy will get better. My whole family is depending on me," said Zhang, one of the 20 million migrant workers who have lost jobs following the financial crisis.     In addition to millions of migrant workers seeking jobs in the cities, another 6.1 million college students are due to graduate this year, worsening the country's unemployment woes.     Announcing a 42-billion-yuan central government investment to boost job opportunities, Wen said in his report "the government will do everything in its power to stimulate employment."     He said the government will make full use of the role of the service sector, labor-intensive industries, small and medium-sized enterprises, and the non-public sector of the economy in creating jobs, he said.     Hao Ruyu, vice president of the Capital University of Economics and Business, said to maintain an 8 percent growth rate is "vital" to the Chinese economy and the country's stability.     "One percentage point growth could create 800,000 to 1 million jobs," said Hao, vice chairman of the NPC Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.     Despite worsening world economy, economists are optimistic about China's economic growth as previous stimulus measures have started to show initial effects.     Economist Li Yining told Xinhua that he believes China's economic growth this year could reach 8 percent, or even higher.     The Chinese economy is also very likely to recover before other major economies, even though the world economy is still shrouded in uncertainty, said Li, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body.     "The economic slowdown is beginning to bottom out, and the economy is bound to rebound on huge government investment," he said.     According to a survey of factories issued Monday by the brokerage CLSA, China's manufacturing activity contracted for a seventh consecutive month in February, but at a slower rate than previous months.     INVESTMENT FOR A HARMONIOUS SOCIETY     While explaining the stimulus plan, Wen said the government will "give top priority to ensuring people's wellbeing and promote social harmony."     He said a total of 908 billion yuan of the central government investment this year will go to projects aiming at improving people's life.     Those projects covered low-income housing, education, health care, culture, environmental protection, and reconstruction in regions affected by the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province.     As part of the efforts to shore up domestic demand, Wen said China will increase investment to improve China's social security network, whose low coverage has long been blamed for the country's high saving rate.     He said the central government plans to spend 293 billion yuan on the social safety net this year, up 17.6 percent or 43.9 billion yuan over the estimated figure for last year.     The money will be used to fund social welfare programs, including pension, medical insurance, unemployment insurance and living allowances to low-income groups.     Wen also promised that his government will improve efficiency and continue to combat corruption.     "We must discharge our duties with great diligence and, through our actions and achievements, build a government that is for the people and is pragmatic, clean, efficient to satisfy people's needs and win their trust," he said.     CHINA IMPETUS LIMITED?     As the world's fastest expanding economy, China's policy making has captured international attention since the world was hit by the financial turmoil. Before Wen delivered his report, U.S. stocks broke a five-day losing streak with the Dow Jones industrial average rising 149.82, or 2.2 percent, to 6,875.84 on Wednesday.     Some analysts said expectations on China's economic stimulus package might have contributed to the stock jump.     But Wang Xiaoguang, a Beijing-based economist, said such an influence is very "limited."     Wang said China's stimulus package might help store up some investors' confidence in world economy, but the recovery of the world depends on both China and the United States.     China's economic growth could help cushion the blows of world economic downturn, Wang said. "But if the U.S. economy continued to worsen, China alone could not revive the world," he said.

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature approved the Food Safety Law on Saturday, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen food safety control "from the production line to the dining table."     The law, which goes into effect on June 1, 2009, will enhance monitoring and supervision, toughen safety standards, recall substandard products and severely punish offenders. The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee gave the green light to the intensively-debated draft law at the last day of a four-day legislative session, following a spate of food scandals which triggered vehement calls for overhauling China's current monitoring system. Wu Bangguo (C), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presides over the concluding meeting of the 7th meeting of the 11th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, on Feb. 28, 2009. The NPC Standing Committee, China's top legislature, concluded its four-day session on Saturday, after approving the food safety law, an amendment to the criminal law and the revised insurance law.    Winning 158 out of 165 votes, the law said the State Council, or Cabinet, would set up a state-level food safety commission to oversee the entire food monitoring system, whose lack of efficiency has long been blamed for repeated scandals.     The departments of health, agriculture, quality supervision, industry and commerce administration will shoulder different responsibilities.     These would include risk evaluation, the making and implementation of safety standards, and the monitoring of about 500,000 food companies across China, as well as circulation sector.     The law draft had been revised several times since it was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for the first reading in December 2007.     It had been expected to be voted by lawmakers last October, but the voting was postponed for further revision following the tainted dairy products scandal last September, in which at least six babies died and 290,000 others were poisoned.     "It actually took us five years to draft this law since the State Council first made legislative recommendations in July 2004.It has undergone intensive consideration, because it is so vital to every person," Xin Chunying, deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said at a press briefing after the law was adopted.     She said although China had certain food quality control systems in place for many years, lots of loopholes emerged in past years, mainly due to varied standards, lack of sense of social responsibility among some business people, too lenient punishment on violators and weakness in testing and monitoring work.     China has a food hygiene law, which took effect in 1995, to regulate issues of food safety, but many lawmakers said it was too outdated to meet the need of practice.     For example, the law is far from being adequate in addressing the problem of pesticide residue in foodstuff.     According to the new law, China will set up compulsory standards on food safety, covering a wide range from the use of additives to safety and nutrition labels.     The law stipulates a ban on all chemicals and materials other than authorized additives in food production, saying that "only those items proved to be safe and necessary in food production are allowed to be listed as food additives."     Health authorities are responsible for assessing and approving food additives and regulating their usage.     Food producers must only use food additives and their usage previously approved by authorities, on penalty of closure or revocation of production licenses in serious cases, according to the law.     In the tainted dairy products scandal, melamine, often used in the manufacture of plastics, was added to substandard or diluted milk to make protein levels appear higher than they actually were.     "Melamine had never been allowed to be used as food additive in China. Now the law makes an even clearer and stricter ban on it," Xin said.     She said the compulsory system to recall substandard food, as written in the law, would also be effective in curbing food-related health risks.     Producers of edible farm products are required to abide by food safety standards when using pesticide, fertilizer, growth regulators, veterinary drugs, feedstuff and feed additives. They must also keep farming or breeding records.     Offenders can face maximum fines which would be 10 times the value of sold products, compared with five times at present.     If businesses are found producing or selling a substandard foodstuff, consumers can ask for financial compensation which is 10 times the price of the product. That's in addition to compensation for the harm the product causes to the consumer.     For those whose food production licenses are revoked due to illegal conducts, they will be banned from doing food business in the following five years.     "This is a big step to increase penalties on law violators," Xin said.     Another highlight of the law is that celebrities can share responsibility for advertising for food products that are found to be unsafe.     The law says all organizations and individuals who recommend substandard food products in ads will face joint liability for damages incurred.     This has been a hot topic in China where film stars, singers and celebrities are often paid to appear in ads of food products.     "The provisions were added out of concern over fake advertisements, which contained misleading information. Many of the advertisements featured celebrities," said Liu Xirong, vice chairman of the NPC Law Committee.     Several Chinese celebrities had advertised for products of the Sanlu Group, a company at the epicenter of the tainted dairy product scandal. They were vehemently criticized after thousands of babies were poisoned by the Sanlu formula.     Many people posted online demands for them to apologize to and compensate families of the sickened babies. But others argued that it was unfair to blame the celebrities as Sanlu had legal documents to prove its products safe.     On tonic food, a booming industry with an estimated annual output value of 100 billion yuan (14.62 billion U.S. dollars) in China, the law prohibits any claims related to prevention or cure of illness on the product's label and instruction leaflets.

NAIROBI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to the African countries of Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius in mid-February, his second trip to the continent in search for closer cooperation since the 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.     The top-level visit follows a four-nation African tour by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in intensified efforts to forge full partnership with Africa.     China and African countries have made great achievements in developing a new type of strategic partnership since the Beijing Summit, with more frequent high-level exchanges.     Three months after the summit, President Hu Jintao embarked an African tour of eight countries initiating the process of implementing the achievements of the summit to benefit the continent. Some senior Chinese officials also went to Africa on friendly missions in 2008.     On African side, more than 20 leaders visited China last year, attending the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics or watching the Olympic Games.     African countries have always been supportive on issues concerning China's core interests since the establishment of diplomatic ties decades ago and offered aid and support to China's quake relief efforts last year, showing the deep friendship between the two sides.     China cherishes the support from the continent and pledges to further implement the achievements of Beijing Summit by helping African countries maintain political stability and boost economic development.     China devised an eight-measure policy to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Africa in 2006 Beijing Summit, including assistance, preferential finance, construction of a conference center for the African Union, debt cancellation, more African market share in China, professional training, and establishment of trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa.     The policy has been effectively carried out with remarkable achievements in the past two years.     By the end of 2008, the China-Africa Fund had invested nearly 400 million U.S. dollars in 20 projects, generating an investment in Africa by Chinese enterprises to about 2 billion dollars.     Bilateral trade hit 106.8 billion dollars in 2008, after exceeding 10 billion dollars in 2000.     The made-in-China brand finds its way into African families, while market share for a variety of African commodities in China has also snowballed.     China has also cancelled part of debts for the most indebted and least developed countries in Africa, at the same time, lifting tariffs on imports from those countries.     In addition, the construction of economic and trade zones or duty free trade zones in Africa is progressing smoothly, including the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, the Guangdong Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Nigeria and the Lekky Duty Free Trade Zone in Lagos, Nigeria, the Egypt-Suez Economic and Trade Zone and Ethiopian Orient Industrial Park.     Cultural exchanges have also been active and fruitful between the two sides.     African song and dance have gained their audience in China and China's Confucius Institute has also taken root in Africa since its first landing in the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2005.     Cooperation and exchanges between China and Africa have enhanced friendship and understanding between the two peoples.     Malian President Amadou Toumany Toure, whose country is the first in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic ties with China, applauded the Chinese President's upcoming visit, hoping it will bring bilateral cooperation to a new height.     Mali will warmly welcome President Hu, Toure said, adding that he will invite Hu to attend the inauguration of a China-aid bridge project in the country's capital Bamako.     Senegal is also looking forward to Hu's visit. Abdoulaye Balde, spokesman for the presidential office, said his country was bracing itself for the first visit by a Chinese head of state since the two countries resumed diplomatic ties three years ago.     Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade visited China twice in 2006 in a bid to boost bilateral ties, Balde said, expressing his belief that the top-level exchange would give impetus to the development of strategic partnership between the two countries.     Officials in Tanzania and Mauritius also welcome Hu's upcoming visits, hoping to further enhance cooperation with China, which they see as a rising power that will benefit Africa as well as other developing nations.

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TAIPEI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Premier Wen Jiabao's press conference on Friday has drawn positive comments in Taiwan, making the headlines in Saturday's local newspapers and leading to a rise in the stock market.     Mainstream newspapers on the island hailed Wen's remarks of "Even if I can no longer walk, I will crawl to Taiwan" as a big goodwill sign from the mainland toward improving cross-straits relations.     The China Times, besides devoting its front page to the press conference, ran an op-ed piece saying that the premier gave an amazing answer to the Taiwan-related question.     The article said Wen used ordinary language in his speech to stay close to ordinary Chinese people, which sounded sincere and showed greater confidence from the leader.     The United Daily News also widely covered the press conference, saying that Wen's remark that "We can launch new economic stimulus policies at any time" demonstrates confidence and hope.     Zhang Wuyue, director of the institute of mainland studies in Taiwan's Tamkang University, told Xinhua that the premier's words would have positive influences on cross-straits relations and help them toward peaceful development.     A senior staffer at a Taiwan investment company said that the premier's warm remarks have prompted the surge of stocks that were originally facing pressure to fall.     Taiwan's benchmark weighted index rose by 142.74 points, or 3 percent, to close at 4, 897.39 on Friday, the highest since November. Tourism shares surged by an overall 6.3 percent.

WUXI, Jiangsu, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor has urged the country to press forward the government's stimulus plans and spare no efforts to achieve the 2009 economic and social development targets.     All sides in China should combine their strength to boost growth, guarantee people's well being and maintain social stability amid the downturn, said Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), during a research tour to Wuxi city of eastern China's Jiangsu Province over the weekend.     China aims at an annual economic growth of about 8 percent this year after the global financial crisis slowed the 2008 growth to a seven-year low of 9 percent. Jia Qinglin (C front), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, investigates Hynix-Numonyx Semiconductor Ltd. in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 28, 2009. Jia Qinglin, together with Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, made an investigation tour in Wuxi from March 27 through 28    Jia reaffirmed that the fundamentals of China's economy and its long-term upward direction has not changed, though 2009 will be "the most difficult year" for the country's economy since the beginning of the 21st century.     He told local authorities and entrepreneurs to vigorously develop advanced manufacturing, modern service sector and high-tech industries.     Measures should be taken to speed up industrial upgrading, explore international markets and introduce more overseas high-level talents, said Jia.     He underscored the urgency of creating more jobs and improving social welfare. He also called for more government investment to rural areas to support agriculture and raise farmers' income. Jia Qinglin (2nd L, front), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, investigates the Yangshan peach orchard in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 28, 2009

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BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China will not revise the Labor Contract Law to compromise workers' rights as suggested by some people to help enterprises cope with the global financial turmoil, a legislator said here Monday.     "The labor contract law has nothing to do with the financial crisis and won't be revised for it," said Xin Chunying, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislative body.     "China's labor relations are basically stable and orderly, and it can weather through the test of time," she told a press conference on the sidelines of NPC's annual session, when asked if the law will be changed because increased labor costs have led to rising cases of bankruptcy on the Pearl River Delta.     Citing a survey that tracts figures in the first nine months of the 2008, she said the law has indeed driven up enterprises' labor costs by two percent, but it has also greatly curbed labor relations issues that have been afflicting workers as well as employers for years.     Such chronical issues include the tendency of employers avoid signing long-term contracts with employees, the lack of proper protection of workers' rights, said Xin.     The proportion of workers protected by a written labor contracts in "sizable enterprises" has witnessed a remarkable rise since the labor contract law took effect in January 2008, she said.     "Sizable enterprises" is a statistical term in China that refers to all state enterprises or private firms with an annual turnover of two million yuan if they are manufacturers, or five million yuan if they are in trade.     According to Xinhua, 93 percent of the workers in "sizable enterprises" have signed contracts with their employers, compared to less than 20 percent before the enaction of the new law.     Li Shouzhen, a senior official with the All China Federation of Trade Unions, said at the same press conference that the federation is against the lifting of the minimum wage standard.     The minimum wage standard was a major measure to safeguard workers' rights. "Abolishing the standard will hurt employee's initiative and confidence in tiding over difficulties with enterprises," he said.     "Eying long-term development, the employers should strive to pool wisdom and strength of the employee and optimize company structure," he said.     "Don't have your eyes on the employee's salary alone," he said.     The minimum wage standard in the country varies from city to city, with the southern Shenzhen city reporting the highest standard of 1,000 yuan a month. 

HONG KONG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- China may get a more level playing field in terms of self-positioning when dealing with the United States amid the economic downturn, but Chinese leaders should beware of the potential traps behind U.S. flattering, scholars and senior editors said Friday.     Speaking at a Financial Times forum on Sino-U.S. relations in Hong Kong, the scholars said they expected the bilateral relationship to remain generally healthy in years ahead as both sides want stability and were pragmatic.     China is currently preoccupied with tackling the challenges facing itself, such as the need to further restructure the economy, finding an alternative development model to the export-driven growth of the past decades, and even the pressure of social instability.     The decisions made by Chinese leaders in dealing with the current crisis "will set the way for the long-term reinvention of the Chinese economy," said Jonathan Fenby, author of A History of Modern China published by Penguin.     China will emerge stronger if it can deal with the issues rightly, he said.     Lifen Zhang, editor-in-chief of FTChinese.com, said China does not have the strength to be the economic savior amid the current crisis and should handle self-positioning carefully when dealing with the United States.     "There is a lot of flattering going on at the moment, but be careful. What do the Americans really want?" he said, adding that a number of scholars have recently written on the topic.     On the top of the U.S. agenda was currently the need to restore confidence and integrity in the world's most developed economic system, which calls for cooperation from China, the world's fastest growing developing economy, said Simon Schama, professor of history at the University of Columbia.     But Schama said China should bear in mind that the next election in the United States will be in 2010 and avoid overplaying the leverage in its hand.     "What the Chinese government ought to be aware of is not so to overplay in its hands this leverage as to encourage a .. backlash" as the conservatives may seize certain popular issues, including trying to present an image of the Obama administration as being too soft, he said.