BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 99 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher happened in China in 2008, the China Earthquake Administration reported Thursday on its Web site.
Of all the quakes, 87 occurred on the mainland and 12 happened in sea areas and Taiwan. Quakes between 5-5.9 on the Richter scale numbered 78, quakes between 6-6.9 on the Richter scale numbered 19,7-7.9 numbered 1; and 8-8.9 numbered 1.
The May 12 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake, which is considered to be the most severe natural disaster in a decade, killed 69,227 people with 373,643 injured and 17,923 missing. It caused an economic loss of 845.1 billion yuan.
Other dangerous quakes also included a 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Damxung county, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It killed 10 people and injured 54.
The administration pointed out that most quakes occurred in densely populated areas, which has caused great life and property losses.
The administration also said that in 2008, earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or higher were more than the total number of such quakes in the past five years.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Chinese vice president arrives in Venezuela for official visit
CARACAS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrived midday on Tuesday in Caracas for an official visit to Venezuela.In a written speech issued at Simon Bolivar International Airport, Xi said that he came to strengthen friendship, amplify consensus, deepen cooperation and to promote development.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L Front) is greeted by Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales (R Front) upon his arrival in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)He said that with his visit the China-Venezuela strategic partnership for common development is expected to obtain further advance.Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro, Chinese Ambassador in Caracas Zhang Tuo and representatives of local Chinese community welcomed Xi at the airport.Xi came from official visits in Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, and will continue his six-nation tour in Venezuela, Brazil and Malta.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L2 Front) is greeted by Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales (R Front) upon his arrival in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L Front) receives a bunch of flowers presented by a staff member of the Chinese Embassy to Venezuela greeting him upon his arrival at the airport in Caracas, capital of Venezuela Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L Front) is greeted by Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales (R Front) upon his arrival in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)He said that with his visit the China-Venezuela strategic partnership for common development is expected to obtain further advance.Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro, Chinese Ambassador in Caracas Zhang Tuo and representatives of local Chinese community welcomed Xi at the airport.Xi came from official visits in Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, and will continue his six-nation tour in Venezuela, Brazil and Malta.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L2 Front) is greeted by Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales (R Front) upon his arrival in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L Front) receives a bunch of flowers presented by a staff member of the Chinese Embassy to Venezuela greeting him upon his arrival at the airport in Caracas, capital of Venezuela Feb. 17, 2009. Xi Jinping arrived in Caracas on Feb. 17 for an official visit to Venezuela. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
China, Russia ink agreements to boost energy co-op
BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Tuesday signed seven agreements on a package cooperation program for energy resources.The agreements include a pipeline construction project, a long-term crude oil trading deal and a financing scheme between the China Development Bank and the Russia Oil Pipeline Transport Company, according to a source with the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, on Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)According to the agreements, the crude oil trading volume is estimated to reach 15 million tonnes, the source added.The signing ceremony was witnessed by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.During the previous talks held between the two, Wang highlighted that the strengthening of the bilateral energy cooperation between the two sides would help stabilize the two economies."We hope the two sides will give a full play to the bilateral energy negotiation mechanism to promote the bilateral energy cooperation to score substantial outcomes," Wang told Sechin.The Russian deputy prime minister agreed with Wang's views, calling on the two countries to step up cooperation in such fields as energy and finance and make joint efforts to guarantee the contracted projects be implemented according to the agreed roadmap and schedule.The two sides also agreed that the bilateral energy cooperation already scored a "substantial step forward."
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan (R) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Igor Sechin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2009. Senior Chinese and Russian officials headed by Wang and Sechin held a high-level energy negotiators' meeting here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)In a following meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Sechin said that the achievements of this visit indicated the high level of the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation.Russia would work with China to make more achievements to celebrate this year's 60th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties, Sechin said.Wen said the agreements are fruits of friendly and strategic cooperation between the two countries, adding the cooperation is of high significance for the two countries to work together to cope with the international financial crisis and advance their relations.The energy cooperation between the two nations is long-term, comprehensive and sustainable, Wen said, hoping that the related organs would act promptly to implement all the agreements.Official statistics showed that Russian-Chinese bilateral trade posted a rapid growth in the first half of last year but slowed in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, as the global economic turmoil spread.Trade between the two countries was valued at 56.8 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 18 percent year-on-year. It was sharply down from 44.3 percent of growth rate in 2007, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew only 5.6 percent year-on-year in 2008 because of the financial crisis and drastic decline in income from oil exports. The growth rate was 2.5 percentage points lower than a year-earlier level.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, on Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)According to the agreements, the crude oil trading volume is estimated to reach 15 million tonnes, the source added.The signing ceremony was witnessed by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.During the previous talks held between the two, Wang highlighted that the strengthening of the bilateral energy cooperation between the two sides would help stabilize the two economies."We hope the two sides will give a full play to the bilateral energy negotiation mechanism to promote the bilateral energy cooperation to score substantial outcomes," Wang told Sechin.The Russian deputy prime minister agreed with Wang's views, calling on the two countries to step up cooperation in such fields as energy and finance and make joint efforts to guarantee the contracted projects be implemented according to the agreed roadmap and schedule.The two sides also agreed that the bilateral energy cooperation already scored a "substantial step forward."
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan (R) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Igor Sechin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2009. Senior Chinese and Russian officials headed by Wang and Sechin held a high-level energy negotiators' meeting here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)In a following meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Sechin said that the achievements of this visit indicated the high level of the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation.Russia would work with China to make more achievements to celebrate this year's 60th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties, Sechin said.Wen said the agreements are fruits of friendly and strategic cooperation between the two countries, adding the cooperation is of high significance for the two countries to work together to cope with the international financial crisis and advance their relations.The energy cooperation between the two nations is long-term, comprehensive and sustainable, Wen said, hoping that the related organs would act promptly to implement all the agreements.Official statistics showed that Russian-Chinese bilateral trade posted a rapid growth in the first half of last year but slowed in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, as the global economic turmoil spread.Trade between the two countries was valued at 56.8 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 18 percent year-on-year. It was sharply down from 44.3 percent of growth rate in 2007, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew only 5.6 percent year-on-year in 2008 because of the financial crisis and drastic decline in income from oil exports. The growth rate was 2.5 percentage points lower than a year-earlier level.
Chinese president wraps up five-nation trip
PORT LOUIS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao left Mauritius Tuesday, wrapping up his five-nation "journey of friendship and cooperation."The tour, which started on Feb. 10, has also taken him to Saudi Arabia, Mali, Senegal and Tanzania.During his trip, Hu met leaders of the five countries on the further development of friendship and cooperation. The Chinese president and his counterparts agreed to make joint efforts to push bilateral relations to a higher level.China and the five countries signed a series of cooperation documents during Hu's visit.Earlier Tuesday, Hu met with Paul Berenger, leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement party, in a bid to cement bilateral ties.Hu said China-Mauritius relations have been developing in a healthy and steady manner, and this should firstly be attributed to the sound foundation of bilateral ties.Hu praised the friendly policies pursued by main Mauritian parties toward China and their efforts to further improve China-Mauritius relations, saying such steps showcase the fact that friendship toward China is deeply rooted in the hearts of Mauritians and developing relations with China is a consensus shared by both ruling and opposition parties in Mauritius.Hu presented a five-point proposal for advancing China-Mauritius ties during a meeting with Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam also on Tuesday.First, the two countries should maintain the momentum of high-level visits, boost friendly communication between the two governments, legislative bodies, parties and citizens, and reinforce mutual political trust.Second, the two sides should establish closer economic and trade cooperation, give full play to the role of the economic and trade mixed committees of the two countries, regularly exchange opinions on expanding fields of cooperation and promoting the level of cooperation, and make joint efforts to set up an economic and trade cooperation zone.The Chinese government will continue to encourage and support Chinese companies to invest in Mauritius and stands ready to advance bilateral cooperation in infrastructure building.Third, China and Mauritius should reinforce cooperation to deal with the international financial crisis. China is willing to exchange experience with Mauritius on tightening financial supervision, expanding domestic demand and pushing forward economic growth, and jointly explore effective ways to deal with the crisis.Fourth, China and Mauritius should increase cultural exchanges, deepen cooperation in the fields of education, culture, sports, public health and tourism, and expand communications between the women and youth of the two countries, so as to ensure the China-Mauritius friendship continue from generation to generation.Fifth, the two nations should enhance cooperation in international and regional affairs.After the talks, the two leaders attended a signing ceremony of documents of cooperation between the two countries.Hu also met with Mauritian President Anerood Jugnauth on Tuesday. Both presidents expressed willingness to further promote cooperation between the two nations in various fields.China will continue to earnestly implement the measures adopted at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006, to enhance and expand China-Africa cooperation under the new circumstance and to make the friendly cooperation even better in the future, the Chinese leader said.
Chinese military leaders visit Japan
A group of high-ranking Chinese military officials are in Japan to discuss the disputed Diaoyu Islands, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.Ge Zhenfeng, deputy chief of general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is scheduled to meet Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and heads of staff of Japan's Self Defense Force (SDF) during his five-day stay, an unnamed MND spokesperson said in a statement. He also said Ge would also visit the Ground SDF.The two sides might discuss such issues as the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands and China's military spending, the Kyodo News Agency has reported.The PLA Daily reported high-ranking PLA officials accompanying Ge include the deputy commander of the Beijing military area command, vice-commander of the South China Sea Fleet and vice-president of the PLA National Defense University."We believe the visit will promote relations between the two national defense ministries and boost our mutual trust in defense and security," the MND spokesperson said.Hong Yuan, an international relations expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Ge might reiterate China's stance on the Diaoyu Islands and seek to avoid an escalation of the dispute.Last Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with the Japanese embassy in Beijing. The protest was in response to Japanese media reports that the island nation's Coast Guard anchored patrol vessels carrying helicopters on Feb 1 in waters off the Diaoyu Islands - five small, non-volcanic islets located between Taiwan and Okinawa.High-level military exchanges between the two nations had been suspended for several years because of former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including Class-A war criminals.Exchanges resumed as bilateral relations warmed in autumn 2006 after Koizumi's successor Shinzo Abe's visit to China.Last year, commanders of China's air force and navy visited Japan, while the head of SDF and Japan's deputy defense minister visited China.The MND spokesman also confirmed Beijing and Washington would resume their annual military dialogue next week.He said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sedney would visit Beijing from Feb 26 to 28 for the annual Defense Policy Coordination Talks.(From Chinadaily)
Snow brings flight delays, road blockades in Beijing(1)
BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The first snow this year began to fall on China's capital city Beijing in the wee hours of Tuesday, bringing with it joy to the city that had endured a long dry period, but also flight delays and traffic troubles.
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, more than 150 inbound and two outbound flights in the Beijing Capital International Airport were delayed due to the snow, according to the North Regional Administration (NRA) of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Snow is seen in the Summer Palace in Beijing, Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingli)Photo Gallery>>>
But NRA officials said those flights were expected to resume later Wednesday afternoon as the airport worked to remove the snow.
The snow also caused blockades to some roads in the eastern Tongzhou District of the city, and to highways such as Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Highway, Beijing-Tianjin Second Highway, and Beijing-Shenyan Highway, according to local traffic authorities.
The slippery ice-paved road also led to fender benders, causing traffic congestions along the fifth eastern ring road of the city.
Latest weather forecasts from the country's National Meteorological Center show the city's temperature is unlikely to rise within the week. The eastern part of the country is also expected to receive more heavy snow and rain.
Snow is seen in the Summer Palace in Beijing, Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingli)Photo Gallery>>>
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, more than 150 inbound and two outbound flights in the Beijing Capital International Airport were delayed due to the snow, according to the North Regional Administration (NRA) of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Snow is seen in the Summer Palace in Beijing, Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingli)Photo Gallery>>>
But NRA officials said those flights were expected to resume later Wednesday afternoon as the airport worked to remove the snow.
The snow also caused blockades to some roads in the eastern Tongzhou District of the city, and to highways such as Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Highway, Beijing-Tianjin Second Highway, and Beijing-Shenyan Highway, according to local traffic authorities.
The slippery ice-paved road also led to fender benders, causing traffic congestions along the fifth eastern ring road of the city.
Latest weather forecasts from the country's National Meteorological Center show the city's temperature is unlikely to rise within the week. The eastern part of the country is also expected to receive more heavy snow and rain.
Snow is seen in the Summer Palace in Beijing, Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingli)Photo Gallery>>>
Who will pay the bill for the massive CCTV fire?
BEIJING, Feb. 18 -- According to Chinanews.com, there are still uncertainties about the CCTV building fire, but one thing that is sure is that it has created an enormous financial burden.
The new CCTV site, formally started in May 2005 based on a Rotterdam-based OMA design, involved a total budget of about US $730 million. Opinions differ widely as to the extent of the loss: one architect has estimated that it is likely to reach US $ 85 to 100 million, excluding some shops inside the building and 241 five-star standard rooms.
"The worst-case scenario will require the removal of the entire building with a loss of 100 percent of the investment," Says Yan Peiyu, a Tsinghua University Professor.
The building is covered by a "total construction insurance" contract provided by PICC until June this year, according to PICC (The People's Insurance Company of China).
Sun Qixiang, Vice-President of the Economic Institute of Peking University, believes that the insurance coverage will depend on the content of the contract. If the cause of the blaze should indeed turn out to be the lighting of fireworks, the question will then turn on whether this is an excluded activity. An insurance contract always contains rules on certain responsibilities and exclusions, and PICC would not pay up if there has been any infringement of these rules.
In the "whole insurance for construction" contract, it is stipulated that "PICC can refuse a claim if the loss and responsibility is caused by guaranteed person's intentional act or gross negligence".
Officials from the Chaoyang branch of PICC said that firstly it remains uncertain whether lighting fireworks is against the law or not, and secondly, any official statement on payment of reparations would have to come from Head Office. PICC Head Office and its branches have made no formal statement, simply directing any enquiries to the information on the official website.
In the context of Monday night's massive fire that caused one death and seven injuries, regulations say that fireworks should only be ignited by professionals after making the appropriate application to the police, which the person accused of causing the blaze did not do.
Regulations further state that it is forbidden to ignite fireworks in the vicinity of sites where flammable or explosive materials are stored, or sites carrying a major fire risk. Again, the person accused of causing the blaze failed to respect these rules by igniting the fireworks on the construction site.
After the incident, Xu Wei, who was in charge of civil construction on the new CCTV site in eastern Beijing's central business district, was detained. Beijing police also collected video evidence - four cameras were on location to shoot the display. There was also a police presence, but the officers on site were unable to prevent the catastrophe.
(Source: China.org.cn)
The new CCTV site, formally started in May 2005 based on a Rotterdam-based OMA design, involved a total budget of about US $730 million. Opinions differ widely as to the extent of the loss: one architect has estimated that it is likely to reach US $ 85 to 100 million, excluding some shops inside the building and 241 five-star standard rooms.
"The worst-case scenario will require the removal of the entire building with a loss of 100 percent of the investment," Says Yan Peiyu, a Tsinghua University Professor.
The building is covered by a "total construction insurance" contract provided by PICC until June this year, according to PICC (The People's Insurance Company of China).
Sun Qixiang, Vice-President of the Economic Institute of Peking University, believes that the insurance coverage will depend on the content of the contract. If the cause of the blaze should indeed turn out to be the lighting of fireworks, the question will then turn on whether this is an excluded activity. An insurance contract always contains rules on certain responsibilities and exclusions, and PICC would not pay up if there has been any infringement of these rules.
In the "whole insurance for construction" contract, it is stipulated that "PICC can refuse a claim if the loss and responsibility is caused by guaranteed person's intentional act or gross negligence".
Officials from the Chaoyang branch of PICC said that firstly it remains uncertain whether lighting fireworks is against the law or not, and secondly, any official statement on payment of reparations would have to come from Head Office. PICC Head Office and its branches have made no formal statement, simply directing any enquiries to the information on the official website.
In the context of Monday night's massive fire that caused one death and seven injuries, regulations say that fireworks should only be ignited by professionals after making the appropriate application to the police, which the person accused of causing the blaze did not do.
Regulations further state that it is forbidden to ignite fireworks in the vicinity of sites where flammable or explosive materials are stored, or sites carrying a major fire risk. Again, the person accused of causing the blaze failed to respect these rules by igniting the fireworks on the construction site.
After the incident, Xu Wei, who was in charge of civil construction on the new CCTV site in eastern Beijing's central business district, was detained. Beijing police also collected video evidence - four cameras were on location to shoot the display. There was also a police presence, but the officers on site were unable to prevent the catastrophe.
(Source: China.org.cn)
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