HK chief, Japanese leaders discuss coordination amid global financial crisis

Special Report: Global Financial Crisis
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (Front R) talks to Donald Tsang (Front L), chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), during their meeting in Tokyo Feb. 16, 2009. Tsang is on a four-day visit to Japan. (Xinhua/Gang Ye)Photo Gallery>>>TOKYO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Donald Tsang held talks Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on the development of the global financial crisis and coordinated efforts to tackle the impact on the two economies.
During the talks, Tsang said that as export-oriented economies like Hong Kong and Japan have been heavily hit by the global financial crisis, they need to make concerted efforts to lead the world out of the global recession.
The two leaders also discussed the ever-growing ties between Hong Kong and Japan in areas of trade, tourism and culture.
"Hong Kong is the largest market for Japanese agricultural, forestry and fisheries products, and we welcome over a million visitors from Japan each year," said Tsang.
The Hong Kong chief also met the Foreign Minis Hirofumi Nakasone later in the day.
The two sides agreed to introduce a Working Holiday Scheme between Hong Kong and Japan as early as possible. The Scheme aims to enable young people from the two places to take up short-term employment and study while on holiday in each other's territory, thus promoting youth exchange.
Tsang arrived in Tokyo Monday afternoon for a three-day official visit.

Tibetan official calls on Buddhist circles to firmly safeguard national, ethnic unity

Special Report: Focus on Tibet
LHASA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A high-ranking official in Tibet Monday called on the Buddhist circles in the region to firmly safeguard national unity and ethnic unity.
Losang Gyaltsen, head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Tibet Regional Committee, made the remarks about a month ahead of the one year anniversary of the March 14 riot in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
"The Buddhist associations at all levels and the religious circles at large should be fully aware of the grave situation in fighting secession, and should always hold high the banner of patriotism," he told the Ninth Regional Congress of the Tibet Branch of the Buddhist Association of China that was opened here Monday.
About 250 living Buddhas and monks from different sects of Tibetan Buddhism attended the congress, which started with a half-hour sutra-reciting ceremony in the morning at the Jokhang Temple, a leading monastery.
During the four-day event, the representatives will deliberate a work report, revise the constitution of the regional Buddhist association and elect new leadership. Only Tibetan language is used at the conference.
The violent riot on March 14 last year in Lhasa resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians and a policeman. It also left 382 civilians and 241 police officers injured, businesses looted and residences, shops and vehicles torched.
Courts in Tibet have so far meted out sentences to 76 people involved in the riots.

China bans actors impersonators in medical advertisements

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government issued a circular Monday, prohibiting actors and celebrities from hosting medical programs on radio and TV after a few actors impersonators were found on advertisements.
In a story published on Feb. 4, The Beijing Times exposed a middle-aged actor who imitated four experts under different names on TV while selling drugs.
The article also mentioned an actress who mimicked patients suffering from lung, liver, kidney and heart problems. She claimed that her diseases were cured after taking drugs mentioned in all the advertisements.
The government said impersonating experts or patients was misleading, so new rules were set to prohibit the behavior, according to the Ministry of Health.
The circular, which was jointly issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the State Administration For Industry and Commerce, the Health Ministry, the State Food and Drug Administration and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reiterated other rules for releasing medical and drug advertisements on radio and TV media.
Those advertisements which use experts and patients' images to prove the effects of drugs or medical products should not be broadcast, according to the circular.
Those which contain the content of cure rates, effective rates and hotline interaction between doctors and patients should not be broadcast. Information service programs produced by pharmaceutical companies or medical organizations should not be broadcast, the circular said.
Radio and TV broadcasters were asked to check for those kinds of programs and advertisements and immediately stop broadcasting them. If they did not act swiftly enough, the heads of relevant radio and TV stations would be punished and their names exposed to the public.

HK donates $200,000 to APEC to facilitate trade

Special Report: Global Financial Crisis
Joseph Lai Yee-tak (2nd L), Director-General of Trade and Industry of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), shakes hands with Michael Tay (2nd R), Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Singapore, Feb. 16, 2009. Hong Kong and the APEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday in a bid to boost trade by cutting business transaction costs.(Xinhua/Gao Chuan)Photo Gallery>>>HONG KONG, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong on Monday donated 200,000 U.S. dollars to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in support of the organization's promotion of free trade and trade facilitation.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said it made the donation to undertake work on the reduction of trade transaction costs, among others.
The donation was made to the APEC Policy Support Unit at the margins of the APEC 2009 First Senior Officials' Meeting in Singapore.
Joseph Lai, Director-General of Trade and Industry of the HKSAR government, and Michael Tay, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, signed a memorandum of Understanding on the donation in Singapore on Monday.
One of the major tasks of APEC this year is the implementation of the Second Trade Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP II), which aims for a further reduction of trade transaction costs by 5 percent in the period 2007-2010.
The focus of the TFAP II will be on the areas of customs procedures, business mobility, standards and conformance and electronic commerce.
Lai said it was all the more important to continue to streamline processes and reduce trade transaction costs in the face of current global economic challenges.
"We hope that our contribution will support initiatives that lead us closer to the shared vision of free trade," he said.

Taiwan opens up political donation archives to public

TAIPEI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's supervision department Monday opened the archives of political donations to allow the public to check the names of the donors and the sums they have donated to their parties.
The records are open to people aged 20 or older, and they must bring their ID cards and pay 20 New Taiwan dollars (70 U.S. cents).
The archives cover the records of all political donations to candidates in elections from county leaders to leader of Taiwan. But the records do not include the political donations to Taiwan's former leader Chen Shui-bian, which may disappoint some people who want to know about the figures.
According to Taiwan law, anonymous donations must not exceed 10,000 NT dollars, while cash worth 100,000 NT dollars must be donated in the form of a cheque or remittance by bank or post.
Chen and his family are being prosecuted on corruption charges.

Commerce Ministry: China "deeply concerned" over trade protectionism

Yao Jian, spokesman of Ministry of Commerce of China, takes questions at a press conference in Beijing, China, Feb. 16, 2009. The press conference held Monday was mainly about China's domestic market and international trade. (Xinhua Photo)Photo Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) voiced concern Monday about trade protectionism, amid fears that such action would aggravate the economic downturn.
MOC spokesman Yao Jian told a press conference China was "deeply concerned" over protectionism in some countries, which he didn't identify. "China is against any form of protectionism, and we propose cooperation and negotiation to solve all international trade issues," Yao said.
The United States Congress last week approved a 787-billion-U.S.-dollar stimulus plan that contains "Buy American" provisions, which limit the purchase of foreign iron, steel and manufactured goods for stimulus-funded infrastructure projects.
Yao also said China would give its full support to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to restrain the spread of trade protectionism.
"The WTO's plan on tracking member countries' stimulus packages and the fulfillment of the measures is a good mechanism to restrain trade protectionism. It may urge member countries to commit to their free trading strategy," he said.
Official: China not to practice "Buy China"
BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- China won't resort to trade protectionism with a plan similar to the "Buy America" provision that bans foreign products in domestic stimulus projects, said a Ministry of Commerce (MOC) official here Monday.
"We won't practice 'Buy China'," said Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Zengwei at a press conference. "We'll treat domestic and foreign products equally as long as they are needed."CEA: "Buy American" provisions to hurt U.S. economy, lead to trade war
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) warned on Friday the "Buy American" provisions in the economic stimulus package would hurt the U.S. economy and lead to a trade war.
"The 'Buy American' provisions in the stimulus bill will signal to our trading partners around the world that the United States is returning to the bad old days of protectionism and economic nationalism," CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro said in a statement.

Chinese president starts visit to Mauritius(1)

Special reports: President Hu visits five Asian, African nations
PORT LOUIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived Monday in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, for a state visit aimed at enhancing bilateral friendship and cooperation.
He was greeted at the airport by Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (L Front) shakes hands with Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam greeting him upon his arrival in Port Louis for a state visit Feb. 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)Photo Gallery>>>
"The China-Mauritius relationship has become a model of solidarity and cooperation between two developing countries," Hu said in a statement released upon his arrival.
The two countries have carried out fruitful cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, culture, education and tourism since they forged diplomatic ties in 1972, Hu said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (L Front), accompanied by Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam (R Front), inpsects the honor guard upon his arrival in Port Louis for a state visit Feb. 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)Photo Gallery>>>
His visit will enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen the traditional friendship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Mauritius, said the Chinese president.
It will also help take China-Mauritius relations to a new high, Hu added.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R Front), accompanied by Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam (L), inpsects the honor guard upon his arrival in Port Louis for a state visit Feb. 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)Photo Gallery>>>
During the visit, the last leg of his five-nation "journey of friendship and cooperation," Hu is expected to meet with Mauritian President Anerood Jugnauth and hold talks with Ramgoolam.
The two countries will sign a number of cooperation documents during Hu's two-day visit.
Hu flew into Port Louis from Dar es Salaam, after paying a state visit to Tanzania. He earlier visited Saudi Arabia, Mali and Senegal.
Chinese president leaves Tanzania for Mauritius DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his two-day state visit to Tanzania and left here Monday for Mauritius to continue his five-nation "journey of friendship and cooperation."
In Dar es Salaam, Hu held talks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and met Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume to exchange views on bilateral ties, the implementation of the measures announced at the landmark China-Africa summit in 2006, and the global financial crisis.Chinese president delivers key-note speech on China-Africa ties DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday delivered a key-note speech on China-Africa ties at a welcoming rally attended by people from various sectors in Tanzania.
In his speech, Hu reaffirmed that the Chinese people have always cherished the traditional friendship with Africa and will continue to do so in the future.