According to Outlook Weekly under Xinhua, China’s grain prices will not be affected by the recent fluctuations in the international grain market. From 2004 to 2007, China’s total grain output was 469.5 million tons, 484 million tons, 497.5 million tons and 501.5 million tons, respectively. Currently, China’s grain reserves have reached 35 percent of annual national grain consumption.
Source: Xinhua, February 28, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-02/28/content_7682362.htm
The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), also known as Politburo of the CCP, is elected by the Plenary Session of CCP’s Central Committee. The members of the Politburo are known as Politburo commissioners. When the Central Committee is not in session, the Politburo and its Standing Committee exercise the power and authority of the Central Committee. On October 22, the 17th National Congress of the CCP elected Hu Jintao as the General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, and elected Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang, and Zhou Yongkang as the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Besides these 9 Standing Committee members, the Politburo also has 16 other members, they are:
Wang Gang: Central Work Department head.
Wang Lequan: Party chief of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
Wang Zhaoguo: Vice-Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Chair of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
Wang Qishan: Executive Chair of the Organizing Committee and Deputy General Secretary of the Beijing Olympics.
Hui Liangyu: Vice-Premier.
Liu Qi: Party chief of Beijing, head of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee.
Liu Yunshan: Central Publicity Minister, Secretary of the CCP Central Secretariat.
Liu Yandong (female): Vice-Chair of The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)
Li Yuanchao: General Secretary of the Secretariat of The Central Committee of the CCP, CPC Organization Department head.
Wang Yang: Party chief of Guangdong.
Zhang Gaoli: Party chief of Tianjin.
Zhang Dejiang: no posts in the administration
Yu Zhengsheng: Party chief of Shanghai.
Xu Caihou: Vice-Chairman of Central Military Commission.
Guo Boxiong: Executive Vice-Chairman of Central Military Commission.
Bo Xilai: Party chief of Chongqing.
On September 17, 2007, Xinhua News published a report of the general overviews of the previous discussions of the Political Bureau. Below is the translation to this report. [1]
Original editorial note: Dai Guofang, a reader from Jiangsu Province, sent a letter and asked for descriptions of the Politburo’s discussions, led by President Hu. As of August 28, 2007, the Politburo had held 43 sessions of group discussions. This article gathered the following information for your reference.
{mospagebreak}
1st 26 Dec 02 The Constitution of China
2nd 28 Jan 03 The world economic situation and the developing economics of China
3rd 28 Mar 03 The development of the world employment situation and studies of the employment policy in China
4th 28 Apr 03 Apr 03 The development of modern technology in the world, in China, as well as using modern technology for prevention and cure of SARS
5th 23 May 03 The development of the changes in the situation of the new world military and powers
6th 21 Jul 03 A rreview of the changes over time of the Party ideology and theories
7th 12 Aug 03 The development of world culture and China’s culture development strategy
8th 29 Sep 03 Insisting on governing the nation according to law, and building the Socialist political civilization
9th 24 Nov 03 Historical reviews of major countries’ developments since the 15th century
10th 23 Feb 04 Patterns in the world and China’s safety circumstances
11th 29 Mar 04 Today’s world agricultural development situation and the agricultural development of China
12th 26 Apr 04 The development of legislative affairs and the perfecting Socialism marketing economics system
13th 28 May 04 Flourishing and developing China’s science of philosophy and social science
14th 29 Jun 04 Strengthening the Party’s ability to govern China
15th 24 Jul 04 Insisting on the guideline of developing self-defense and economics simultaneously and harmoniously
16th 10.21 Oct 04 Several historic issues on ethical relationships
17th 12.1 Dec 04 Reviewing the path of exploring Chinese Socialism
18th 12.27 Dec 04 China’s strategy for development facing 2020
19th 1.24 Jan 05 Discussions on keeping Party members advanced in the new period
20th 2.21 Feb 05 Working hard on constructing a harmonious Socialist society
21st 5.31 May 05 Several issues on the strategies of development of China’s economics
22nd 5.31 May 05 Economics globalization and the new characteristics of today’s international trade
23rd 6.27 Jun 05 The international situation on energy and resources and China’s strategy
24th 8.26 Aug 05 Looking back on the wars of anti-Fascism and thoughts
25th 9.29 Sep 05 The developing models of overseas cities and the paths of constructing cities with China’s characteristics
26th 11.25 Nov 05 Studies of Marxism in the world as well as studies done by China and the project of constructing it in China
27th 12.20 Dec 05 Reformation on the systems of administration and management and perfecting the systems of economics and law
28th 25 Jan 06 About constructing the new Socialism in rural areas
29th 21 Feb 06 The changing pattern of the international industrial structure and choosing China’s strategies to accelerate our economic grow
{mospagebreak} 30th 27 Mar 06 The policies of construction safety of other countries and strengthening China’s policy on construction safety
31st 26 May 06 The copyright protection policy of other countries and the construction of China’s copyright protection policy
32nd 29 Jun 06 Insisting on governing the nation scientifically, democratically, and based on the law.
33rd 25 Jul 06 Looking back on the triumph of the Long March of the Red Army and thoughts
34th 29 Aug 06 The world’s trend on the development of education and the deepening of China’s reforms on education
35th 23 Oct 06 Other countries health and medical care systems and China’s developments of them
36th 30 Nov 06 Studies of the construction of China’s Socialist democracy of the common people
37th 25 Dec 06 About building an energy-saving society in China
38th 23 Jan 07 The technical development of the Internet in the world and construction and management of China’s Internet culture
39th 15 Feb 07 Regional development in other countries and promoting the harmony of China’s regional development
40th 23 Mar 07 Several issues on establishing and carrying out the Property Law
41st 23 Apr 07 Studies of China’s agriculture standardization and food safety
42nd 26 Jul 07 Nanchang Revolution and the establishment of the revolutionary base area in Jinggangshan Mountain
43rd 28 Aug 07 The world situation on finance and China’s reformation of the financial system
Endnotes:
[1] Xinhua, September 17, 2007
http://news.xinhuanet.com/banyt/2007-09/17/content_6740932.htm
Carried by China News Service (CNS), Hong Kong based Wenweipo published article on February 26, 2008, titled "United States facing an unprecedented credibility crisis". The article lists a few issues that negatively affected U.S.’s international image: war against Iraq and Afghanistan, gigantic military expense and fiscal deficit, missile defense system set up in countries outside U.S., and recent shoot-down of a spy satellite. The article stated that while U.S. often criticizes other countries for manipulating currencies, U.S. let its own currency to depreciate without control. "The conducts of U.S. makes world countries to show suspects on its credibility."
Source: China News Service, February 26, 2008
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/1029/6924836.html
According to an article published by International Herald Leader, a newspaper under Xinhua, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) hired a public relation firm to handle "crisis management," although the name of the firm was not mentioned. The job of the firm was to respond to negative media reports about Olympic Game, arrange media to conduct interviews in Beijing or other places of China. The article stated three challenges faced by China before the Beijing Olympics: international critiques on Beijing’s support for Sudan’s dictator regime; quality of China exports; and large scale domestic social unrests.
Source: International Herald Leader, February 26, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2008-02/26/content_7669584.htm
Xinmin Evening News reported that recruiting for Olympic usher girls from ten colleges in Shanghai began on February 13, 2008. Shanghai followed Beijing in beginning this process. It was reported that 40 college girls would be chosen to represent “Shanghai Image, China Etiquette.” They will participate in the medal ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the Handicapped Olympics. [1]
College girls will be selected from Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai Theatre Academy and seven other colleges. Not only do they have to satisfy the age requirements of between 18 to 24 years old but also their heights must range from 1.68m to 1.78m. Meanwhile, the criteria of these girls’ weights, face shapes, skin colors, manners and intelligence are also strictly laid out. The judges will divide the registered girls into groups and hold preliminary, semi-final and final contests. The total processing time is one month.
Olympics Usher Girls’ Appearance Criteria:
1. Facial Appearance Criteria:
Three distances, the distance from the hairline on forehead to the upper start point of the nose bridge, the length of the nose and the distance from the tip of the nose to the lowest chin point, should be equal.
The lengths of the eyes, the distance between the two tear ducts and the width of the nose should be equal.
When the distance from the lower nose ending point to the lowest chin point is divided into three equal parts, the first divided line should be between two lips, and the second divided line should be the lower line of the lower lip.
The start points of the eye brows should be right above the tear duct; the ending point of the eye brow, the outside corner of the eye and the widest point of the nose should be on the same line.
2. Five Sense Organs’ Criteria
The heights of the eyes should be three tenths of the face length;
The distance between eye brow and eye should be one tenth of the face length;
The nose width should be one tenth of the face width;
The mouth width should be equal to the distance between the pupils;
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The chin length should be one sixth of the face length.
3. Body and Four Limbs’ Criteria
The skeleton of the whole body should be symmetrical and proper;
The muscles should be elastic, showing health and the body’s beauty.
The body shape should be plump but not fat and clumsy.
The skin should be reddish and shining.
The four limbs should be long; the overall body should not be heavy-headed.
The thighs should show nice curves and the calf muscles should be high and a little bit popped out.
The two shoulders should be symmetrical, round and smooth, but should not drop down or pop up.
The overall body should not be clumsy, or have loose fat or be too skinny or unbalanced. Looking from the back, the spine should be straight, showing a beautiful body line.
Endnotes:
[1] Xinmin Evening News, February 13, 2008
http://sh.xmnext.com/shizheng/2008/02/13/1050157.html
VOA reports on February 25 that India authorities have announced that India and China will hold a joint military drill this year in India. Details of the drill are yet to be determined. Both countries had a joint military drill in China earlier.
Source: VOA, February 25, 2008
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/w2008-02-25-voa30.cfm
On February 22, 2008, China’s eight leading State run online media signed the "Chinese Pact on the Self-discipline on Visual-Audio Programs and Services of the Internet," urging all Chinese domestic websites to “spread positive, healthy programs and boycott corrupt, outdated ones.” The eight State media are the official websites of Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, the State Council Press Office, China Radio International, China Central Television, China Youth Daily, China Economic Daily, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
There are 210 million Chinese Internet users, according to the 21st Statistical Survey Report on the Internet Development in China published in December 2007. 69 percent are under 30 years old. The largest age group is between 18 and 24, accounting for 32% of the total Internet users.
Source: Xinhua, February 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-02/22/content_7647209.htm
China Internet Network Information Center, December 2007
http://www.cnnic.cn/index/0E/00/11/index.htm
On February 24, 2008, China’s envoy for Darfur, Liu Guijin, arrived in Sudan for a four-day visit. Xinhua reported that Sudan Vision, a Sudanese English-language newspaper ran an editorial in both English and Chinese, hailing China’s position on Darfur. Xinhua quoted from the editorial, “China develops cooperation partnership with Sudan based on China’s long term consistent support of African development. The support is not political.”
Source: Xinhua, Febraury 24, 2008.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-02/24/content_7660729.htm