KUNMING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- An alleged ringleader and his 32 gang members stood trial Wednesday on gang-related charges in southwest China's Yunnan Province.Shen Chao, the alleged ringleader, faces seven charges, including organizing and leading a criminal gang, gambling, murder, intentionally injuring people, causing social disturbance, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.Shen denied all the charges except for gambling, saying that he was "too busy investing in coal mines in Shaotong city to commit the crimes (he is charged with)."Prosecutors identified Shen Chao as the ringleader, Shen Yang, Zhang Ning, Shen Hang and Yao Shunlin as the core members.The trial would last two days in Kunming Municipal Intermediate People's Court.
BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region over the weekend, spending the Spring Festival, or Chinese lunar new year, with local villagers.During the three-day tour of the south China ethnic region that ended on Sunday, the first day of the lunar new year, Wen shared the festive joy with local villagers, playing musical instruments, preparing food and having dinner with them."I'm happy as long as you're all happy," Wen said to the villagers.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (Front) opens the tap for people to fetch water at Nongmo Village of Dongshan Township in Bama Yao Autonomous County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 13, 2010. Premier Wen made an inspection tour in Guangxi on Feb. 12-13In Donglan County, Wen visited local high school teachers and was pleased to learn their monthly incomes had seen a raise since last year. He also consoled drought-affected villagers in the county.During his stay at a mountainous village in Bama Yao Autonomous County on Saturday, Wen chatted with villagers and shared the new year's eve dinner with villager Lan Qingming's family.The premier arrived in Nacangtun Village of Tianyang County Sunday morning, where he was pleased to be informed that the villager's annual per capita net income had hit nearly 7,000 yuan (1,029 U.S. dollars) and they were making a good living by planting and selling vegetables.
HONG KONG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 20,000 people gathered on both sides of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to watch a 23-minute firework show Monday evening, as the city is unwrapping various festive activities to celebrate the year of the Tiger.The show began at 8 pm local time (1200 GMT) despite heavy fog and light showers.Spectators cheered and shouted as the Arabic number "eight" appeared in the sky, followed by patterns resembling fish. Fireworks designers explained that the number eight shares the same pronunciation with the word "Fa" which means striking gold while the word "fish" sounds the same with "surplus" in Cantonese.For Hong Kong residents who tend to believe that lucky signs and lucky-sounding words do actually bring in luck, they are delighted at the show, which also include patters similar to the shape of the Chinese traditional gold ingot and red Chinese character "Ji" which means auspiciousness.The Lunar New Year firework show has become an annual event since it lit up the sky above the Victoria Harbor for the first time during the Lunar New Year in 1982.Sponsors of the event said this year's extravaganza costs more that 3 million HK dollars (about 400,000 U.S. dollars ), but they insist the expenditure worthwhile as it brings laughter and joy to Hong Kong citizens at the begining of a new year.
BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities will standardize all the primary school buses to ensure safety of pupils when they commute between home and school.The school buses refer to those that are able to carry more than 10 children. The set of standards, the first of its kind in the country, require the school buses to bear unified tag, according to the Beijing News on Friday.The tag features two school children on two separate pages of an unfolded book.According to the standards, school buses should have seat belts for each seat and there should be one seat or more for caretakers.Double-deck bus and articulated bus are not allowed to serve as primary school buses for safety concern.The standards also require the bus makers to install a device to record the driving speed, time and mileage of the vehicle.The standards, jointly issued by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Standardization Administration, will come into force on July 1.
BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The recent number of earthquakes above 7-magnitude in 2010, though slightly more than average, was still within normal scope, said the China Earthquake Administration Monday.The administration cited that the frequency of the quakes were uneven. "It is a normal phenomenan of earth movement," it said.Some panicked netizens linked the recent spate of earthquakes to Doomsday Day as depicted by Hollywood disaster film "2012" shown in 2009.China is an earthquake-prone country, witnessing a total of 145 quakes on average on the mainland each year, with 20 quakes above 5 magnitude.
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BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's banking regulator asked lenders to keep credit growth at reasonable pace in 2010 and vowed to tighten supervision on property loans amid increasing risk of asset bubbles."Banks should reasonably control new loans, better manage the pace and try to achieve balanced issuance and steady growth of credit quarter by quarter, " Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) at a meeting on Tuesday.Despite regulator's repeated warnings on risks hidden from the record 9.6 trillion yuan of new loans last year, banks rushed to lend more than 1 trillion yuan in the first month of this year in fear of the expected tighter loan policy in 2010 after the credit binge last year as media reported.An official with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China told Xinhua the credit growth in the first ten days of January was a little bit fast, and turned smooth in the last days of the month.According to the statement posted on CBRC's Web site on Wednesday, Liu said the regulator will pay special attention to the changes in the property market, strictly enforce relevant policy, and beef up the "window guidance" over credit to the real estate sector.But he restated banks should continue to support first-time home buyers.Liu also told banks to continue lending to fund rural development, small business, consumer spending and environmental protection.He said banks should keep adequate capital and heed of resurgence of bad loans.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday called on the Chinese people to pool their strength and resources to make sure the Shanghai World Expo a success. With just 106 days to go before the Expo opening on May 1, Hu visited the Expo site Friday during an inspection tour in Shanghai. "Hosting the World Expo is not only a significant event of Shanghai, but also of the whole nation," he said, noting it was both the responsibility of Shanghai and the whole country to hold a successful Expo. Hu Jintao (L front), general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with workers and personnel who work for the construction of the Shanghai World Expo park in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 15, 2010. Hu Jintao paid a visit here to inspect the preparation of Shanghai World Expo on Jan. 15 He urged Shanghai to make "all-out efforts" to efficiently complete the preparations and be a good host. He asked central government departments and local governments to take initiative and make concerted efforts in supporting the event. Hu Jintao (C), general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the under-construction World Expo park in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 15, 2010. The Expo's organizing committee should enhance its leading role and supervision to push forward relevant preparatory work orderly, he said. Hu put forward six requirements on the Expo's preparatory work: - To ensure the Expo site's infrastructure building and exhibition arrangements be completed on time; - To ensure sound service and logistics; - Security should be fully guaranteed; - Foreign affairs work, including receptions of international guests, must be well handled; - To ensure efficient and effective publicity work; - To create a civilized, happy and peaceful atmosphere. Hu said though the Expo was a big challenge, he believed it would be a "successful, brilliant and memorable" event with the support of the Chinese people, especially the contributions of Shanghai officials and residents. The Shanghai World Expo, which is expected to receive 70 million visitors, will last from May 1 to Oct. 31. So far, 35 of the 42 self-built foreign pavilions have started interior decoration and exhibition arrangement, and 11 joint pavilions have been completed.
BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China's year-on-year inflation rate was expected to be between 2 to 2.5 percent for the first quarter this year, the country's top economic planner said here Tuesday.The consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, would see a "moderate increase" in the first quarter, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement on its website.China's CPI rose 2.7 percent from a year earlier in February, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.Food prices would begin to fall as the weather got warmer, said the statement. In February, food prices rose 6.2 percent from the previous year due to the Lunar New Year holiday and poor weather.The Lunar New Year holiday, or Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival in China for family reunion. People usually spend a lot on food, alcohol, cigarettes and gifts during the period.The February CPI was within normal range, compared with the Spring Festival months in previous years, said Zhou Wangjun, deputy director of the Department of Prices of the NDRC.However, Zhou warned that there were still uncertainties in the price trend, including fluctuation in international commodities prices.China targets a consumer price rise of around 3 percent this year, according to a government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening of the annual session of the National People's Congress earlier this month.
BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang has urged making preparation for a central conference on northwest China's Xinjiang that will make arrangements to realize fast development and lasting stability in the region.Zhou, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged various departments to strengthen research on how to improve the livelihood of local residents and promote ethnic equality and unity in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Zhou made the remarks at a meeting here Wednesday on the preparation for the central work conference on Xinjiang.Since last October, more than 500 officials from 64 departments have been sent to towns, villages, sentries, schools and companies in Xinjiang to inspect local social situations and collect people's ideas."(Xinjiang) has entered a period of fast economic and social development, with notable rise in comprehensive strength and people of all ethnic groups receiving the most benefits in history," said Zhou."However, Xinjiang's development and stability also faces many difficulties and challenges, and many new situations and problems have emerged, which requires us to launch deep research and mobilize the power from various sides to jointly solve them," said Zhou.In addition, he urged centrally-administered state-owned enterprises to increase investment in Xinjiang and explore and utilize local resources in a scientific and reasonable way.