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&$ &$A new-generation short haul passenger aircraft solely developed in China has completed a successful trial flight, paving the way for commercial production next year, the manufacturer announced on Friday.(Xinhua Photo)&$&$ A new-generation short haul passenger aircraft solely developed in China has completed a successful trial flight, paving the way for commercial production next year, the manufacturer ... New generation of Chinese passenger aircraft makes successful flight Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:16:24 +0800

The latest tests on Chinese milk powder have found no traces of melamine, the country's top quality control agency said on Friday. It was the third round of tests for the industrial chemical since the the breaking of the tainted baby formula scandal that left at least three infants dead and sickened more than 50,000 others, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). The tests covered 113 batches of baby formula from 20 brand ... China tests find no melamine in new milk powder Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:14:16 +0800

Four heads of project contractors and two electric welders have been detained over a high-rise fire in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the local police and firefighting authorities said Friday. An initial investigation showed alleged improper welding methods by the two workers ignited construction materials and started the fire at around 4 p.m. on the third floor of the "Jingwei360" building in the provincial capital, Harbin. The fire spread to other floors and was put out at 7 ... Six detained over high-rise fire in NE China Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:13:25 +0800

The number of people sickened after drinking contaminated water in south China has risen to 450 as of Friday, including four with arsenic poisoning. All 647 people in the two villages affected had been tested for arsenic, according to the government of Hechi City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Twenty-three children aged under seven and 32 people aged over 60 were kept in hospital for observation, while the others received outpatient treatment, said Wei Kaizhong, head of the H ... Number of sick in S China water poisoning rises to 450 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:12:54 +0800

The farmer who faked photographs of the endangered South China tiger in the wild will have his fraud conviction re-examined by a higher court next month, his new legal team announced after their first meeting with him on Friday. Zhou Zhenglong, 54, was jailed for two and a half years after his conviction at Xunyang County People's Court, in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, on Sept. 27. Zhou formally contracted two lawyers on Friday afternoon. Gu Yushu, attorney from Beijing ... Farmer wins right to appeal fraud conviction over fake tiger photos Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:11:09 +0800

Hong Kong health authorities said Friday that a 10-year-old boy had suffered from kidney stones after drinking melamine tainted milk products. The new case brings to six the total number of children with milk-related kidney stones in Hong Kong. The Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health of Hong Kong said in a statement that the boy living in Yau Ma Tei had consumed three to four packs (250 milliliter/pack) of "Yili" brand high calcium low fat milk beverage daily ... HK reports sixth children with kidney stones after drinking tainted milk Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:10:08 +0800

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse told a visiting Communist Party of China (CPC) delegation on Friday that his party will strengthen friendly relationship with the CPC. Rajapakse, who is also the leader of the ruling Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP), made the remarks during his meeting with the good-will delegation led by Liu Hongcai, deputy head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Rajapakse said Sri Lanka and China have been enjoying a solid friends ... Sri Lankan ruling party to strengthen relations with CPC Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:07:33 +0800

Zhang Yesui has been appointed China's ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Wang Guangya, it was announced on Friday. Chinese President Hu Jintao appointed Zhang in line with decisions adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said an official statement. &$&$Source: Xinhua&$&$ ... Chinese President appoints new ambassador to United Nations Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:06:55 +0800

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his British counterpart David Miliband on Friday exchanged views in a phone conversation on the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which is scheduled for Oct. 24-25 in Beijing. The coming ASEM summit is great realistic significance in view of the current international political and economic situations which are undergoing complicated and profound changes, Yang said. China is ready to work with Britain and other parties concerned to ensure ... Chinese, British FMs talk over phone about ASEM Summit Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:06:02 +0800

Dai Yongheng never imagined he would make history. But he did just that on Sept. 3, 2008. The middle-aged farmer from north China's Shanxi Province procured a fixed-term life insurance for all five members of his family. He paid 150 yuan (21.90 U.S. dollars), becoming the first micro-insurance deal in rural China. The insurance policy pays 75,000 yuan if something happens to Dai's family in Dongpao Village, Qixian County, China Life Insurance, operator of the policy, said. One da ... China tests micro-insurance for rural poor Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:04:13 +0800

China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Friday announced that it will issue 23.38 billion yuan (3.4 billion U.S. dollars) worth of book-entry treasury bonds next week. The three-year bonds, the 19th batch of this year, have a fixed interest rate of 2.64 percent. The bonds will be issued from Oct. 13-15 and start trading on Oct. 17. Interest will be calculated from October 13 and paid annually, with the principal and interest to be paid at maturity on October 13 in 2011. ... China to float 23.38 bln yuan of three-year T-bonds next week Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:03:24 +0800

China's central bank on Friday said it will continue international cooperation to tackle the global financial crisis and maintain market stability. The pledge came two days after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced an interest rate cut in a co-ordinated global move to revive solvency in the international financial system. The PBOC on Wednesday cut the benchmark lending and deposit rates by 0.27 percentage points and the reserve requirement ratio by 0.5 percentage points a ... China central bank pledges more cooperation to stem global financial crisis Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:02:38 +0800

China's auto sales fell for the second month running affected by the slowing economy, figures released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed on Friday. September passenger car sales shrank 1.44 percent from September last year to 552,800 after the August sales contracted 6.24 percent from a year earlier. About 5.1 million passenger cars were sold in the year to September, a rise of 11.36 percent from the first three quarters of 2007, but 12.48 percent ... China's auto sales slump for second month as economy slows Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:01:52 +0800

A campaign to get China's schoolchildren running for their health over the winter has caused a public controversy since it was launched by the Ministry of Education on Sept. 28. The campaign requires students to run every work day from Oct. 26 until the end of next April. Primary schoolchildren must run 1 km per day, junior high school students 1.5 km, and senior high and college/university students 2 km. Debate over the campaign has been running hot on the campaign. ... China's school running campaign hits public debate hurdle Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:56:37 +0800

Five children died and two were injured when a tower crane collapsed on to a village kindergarten in east China's Shandong Province on Friday. The accident occurred at around 10:20 a.m. when the crane at a construction site collapsed and damaged the roof of a building in the neighboring kindergarten, where about 100 children were being cared for. The kindergarten was run by Liujia Village of Zhangdian District in Zibo City. &$Senior official calls for closer friendship between youth of China, Vietnam Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:52:54 +0800

Hong Kong stocks tumbled 7.19 percent on Friday, with a spray of indiscriminate sell-off by fund managers on redemption pressures adding to the woes of the already troubled market, analysts said. The benchmark Hang Seng Index opened down 7.69 percent at 14, 717.52 and once dipped to as low as 14,398.54. It closed down 1, 146.37 points at 14,796.87, marking the first time for the blue chip index to end below 15,000 in about three years. Turnover totaled a moderate 69.37 billion HK ... Fund redemptions add to sell-off pressures on Hong Kong stock market Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:51:42 +0800

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said on Friday that his government will continue to relax ties with the Chinese mainland to build a stable cross-Strait relations. In a televised speech on the island's "National Day", Ma promised to adopt more open policies in terms of exchanges with the mainland for the benefit of the Taiwan people. Such policies included promoting non-stop cross-Strait charter flights, attracting more mainland visitors to Taiwan and expanding direct cross-Strait link ... Taiwan leader promises relax policy with mainland Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:49:41 +0800

Authorities in the southwest China May 12 quake zone are seeking ways to improve the mental health of their staff after a 40-year-old senior official of Beichuan County, one of the worst-hit areas, committed suicide. Dong Yufei, the county agriculture commission head and disaster relief office director, hanged himself in a temporary office on Oct. 3. Dong, who lost his 12-year-old son and other relatives in the quake, left a letter that read: "I feel too much pressure from life a ... Suicide sparks concern for officials' mental health in quake zone Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:14:22 +0800

The death toll from a coal mine gas blast on Friday morning in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has risen to nine, a local safety official said. The accident occurred at around 9:20 a.m. in a well of Heshan Coal Mine Co. Ltd in Heshan City, said Zeng Biao, the Laibin Municipal Work Safety Bureau deputy head. Heshan is a city administered by Laibin City. A total of 83 miners were underground at the time of the blast according to the company, Zeng said in a ph ... Death toll hits 9 in south China mine gas blast Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:09:20 +0800

Hong Kong stocks tumbled 1,146. 37 points, or 7.19 percent, to close at 14,796.87 on Friday amid the global financial tsunami, marking the first time for the benchmark Hang Seng Index to end below 15,000 in about three years. Turnover totaled a moderate 69.37 billion HK dollars (8.89 billion U.S. dollars), slightly higher than Thursday's 60.87 billion HK dollars (7.80 billion U.S. dollars). All the 42 blue chip stocks lost ground, with market heavyweight HSBC Holdings shedding 8. ... Hong Kong stocks close down 7.19% Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:50:42 +0800

A labor and social security official was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve at the first trial on Friday for taking bribes and embezzling public funds in east China's Jiangxi Province. Tao Niangen, former Labor and Social Security Bureau director of Nanchang City, the provincial capital, had taken bribes of 5.67million yuan (834,000 U.S. dollars) from five private construction companies since 1995 when he began to serve in the post, according to the Nanchang Intermediate People' ... E China labor official gets death sentence, reprieve for bribery, fund embezzlement Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:19:25 +0800

Police in north China's Hebei Province arrested a suspect who produced the largest-ever amount of "protein powder" with the chemical melamine and caught eight other people who bought the powder, local authorities said on Friday. Zhang Yujun, a resident of Quzhou County, Hebei Province, produced more than 600 tons of the protein powder, made of melamine and maltodextrin, from September 2007 to August 2008 in a village in Licheng District, Jinan City of eastern Shandong Province, a Hebei p ... Chinese police arrest suspect producing largest amount of "protein powder" in milk scandal Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:17:52 +0800

The Social Welfare Department of the Hong Kong government Friday announced an extra fund of over a million HK dollars will be allocated to help out people with emotional and family problems arising from financial crisis. A spokesman for the department said Friday that just as other economies, Hong Kong is being affected by the global financial turmoil to a certain extent. Some people may face personal financial crisis as a result of investment failure and unemployment as well as ... HK enhances support service for people with emotional problems in financial crisis Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:16:48 +0800

Seven miners died and another seven were injured after a coal mine gas blast on Friday morning in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a local safety official said. The accident occurred at around 9:20 a.m. in a well of Heshan Coal Mine Co. Ltd in Heshan City, said Zeng Biao, the Laibin Municipal Work Safety Bureau deputy head. Heshan is a city administered by Laibin City. Less than 100 miners were underground at the time of the blast according to the company, ... Seven dead, seven injured in south China mine gas blast Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:15:59 +0800

China has beefed up the anti-corruption and discipline work since the country adopted the reform and opening-up policy 30 years ago, official sources said. To ensure major policies of the central government to be faithfully implemented at various levels, the Ministry of Supervision (MOS), working with other relevant departments, has severely cracked down on defiant activities. In October 2006, for example, the MOS and the Ministry of Land and Resources launched a campaign to over ... China steps up anti-graft efforts in past 30 years Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:15:28 +0800

Three miners who were trapped in a coal mine flood Sunday have all been found dead, said authorities in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Friday. A tunnel of Chang'an Coal Mine, owned by Xundong Coal Industry Company in Xunyi, flooded around 6 p.m. Oct.5 while 16 miners were working underground. Thirteen escaped unhurt the following day, but three remained trapped, said a local source. The local government organized a rescue operation shortly after the mine flooded. ... Three dead in northwest China coal mine accident Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:14:53 +0800

China and Germany held the second round of strategic dialogue on Thursday, Chinese diplomats said, noting that the dialogue was "very fruitful." Thursday's dialogue was jointly hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Assistant Wu Hongbo and Reinhard Silberberg, State Secretary of German Foreign Ministry. The two sides exchanged views on the relations between China and Germany, the ties between China and Europe as well as the major international and regional issues of common concern, a ... China, Germany hold strategic dialogue in Berlin Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:13:40 +0800

China's mainland reported a 39.85 percent surge in the actual use of investment from other areas in the first eight months over the same period last year. Investment inflow reached 74.37 billion U.S. dollars during the January to September period, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. Zhang Hanya, a researcher with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's economic planning organ, said the impressive growth indicated China was an attractive investment desti ... China mainland records 39.85% increase in actual use of overseas investment Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:11:27 +0800

Sinopec, Asia's top refiner, saw 4.335 billion of its non-tradable shares freed-up on Friday, all belonging to its parent company, China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (CPCC). CPCC said it would not cash in any of those shares. These shares accounted for 5 percent of its total capital stock. "We have never sold any Sinopec shares and we are not set to do so this time," an unspecified CPCC source told Xinhua on Friday, adding several companies had mirrored the state-owned enterpris ... Sinopec parent announces not to sell 4.3 bln non-tradable shares Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:10:51 +0800

The 10th National Women's Congress of China will be held from Oct. 28 to 31 in Beijing. The congress will comprehensively review and sum up the development of China's cause of women in the past five years, and set forth the goals and tasks within the next five years. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) recently introduced the development status of the cause of Chinese women in the past five years. During the past five years, the Chinese government has enhanced the investment and suppo ... Great progress achieved in the cause of women Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:50:00 +0800

Chinese shares continued to plummet for five consecutive days on Friday dampened by weak market confidence amid the global turmoil. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 3.57 percent to end at 2,000.57 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed at 6,385.35 points, down 5.52 percent. Aggregate turnover rose to 54.08 billion yuan (7.91 billion U.S. dollars) from previous day's 48.8 billion yuan. Losses outnumbered gains by 1,541 to 62. &$&$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ... Chinese shares dip 3.37% on weak market confidence Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:43:09 +0800

China's first homegrown regional jet, the ARJ21-700, has entered final stage of pre-flight preparation and is planned to make its maiden flight before the end of next month, according to Zhang Qingwei, chairman of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC). The plane entered the test station on August and is carrying out comprehensive ground testing. Two test crew, one for pilot and the other for co-pilot, have also been on duty. After relevant examination by the General Ad ... First China-made regional aircraft to make maiden flight next month Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:41:42 +0800

The Dunhuang Academy China, Gansu Earthquake Bureau and Lanzhou Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration reached a cooperation project recently, that the earthquake monitoring system, specifically for the significant cultural heritages, will be built in the Mogao Grottoes. The system will be built in October, and completed next year. The monitoring system will incorporate a seismic array and a strong motion observation array in Mogao Grottoes and the surrounding areas. The sy ... Earthquake monitoring system to be built in MoGao Grottoes Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:41:52 +0800

In August, China's top land regulator urged local authorities to safeguard 1.8 billion mu (120million hectares) of the country's farm land fearing a grain shortage. Thursday, local authorities responded to the request. Xu Shaoshi, head of the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR), called on provincial leaders to abide by the land use general outline in a letter dated Aug. 29. On the the ministry's website Thursday, local government officials said they would protect arable land by ... Grain shortage fuels Chinese land conservation Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:01:15 +0800

Analysts predict China's consumer price index (CPI) and the producer price index (PPI) to drop in September. CPI is a key measure of inflation. PPI measures the average change in the selling prices received by producers for their output, Taking in to account food prices and last September's 6.2 percent CPI increase, inflation in September 2008 is likely to drop for the fifth consecutive month, analysts said. Rising food costs are one of the primary factors leading to CPI inflatio ... Chinese analysts expect CPI, PPI to fall in Sept. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:59:51 +0800

Chinese shares plummeted 3.81 percent in the morning session on Friday, echoing the heavy losses of global markets, with the Shanghai Composite Index ending at 1995.52 points, down 79.06 points or 3.81 percent from the previous close. The smaller Shenzhen Component Index shed 367.38 points, or 5.44 percent to 6,390.84 points. The confidence still remained weak despite the government's recent measures to boost the market, analysts said. China's securities regulator on Thur ... Chinese shares plunge 3.81% in morning session Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:58:41 +0800

China's entrepreneur confidence index plunged to 123.8 points in the third quarter this year. That is down 11 points from the previous quarter. Compared to the same period last year, it is down 19.2, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday. The index, a gauge of the understanding, views and projections of business people, has been declining all year. In the second quarter it was 5.8 points lower than the first quarter. According to the NBS, Chinese entrepreneurs in al ... Chinese economic confidence continues to drop in Q3 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:56:10 +0800

Hong Kong stocks on Friday tracked overnight tumbles on Wall Street to open at 14,717.52, down 1,225.72 points, or 7.69 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 678.91 points, or 7.33 percent, after an afternoon sell-off to close below the 9,000 mark for the first time in five years. &$&$Source:Xinhua&$&$ ... Hong Kong stocks open down 7.69% Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:15:52 +0800

Thailand's former deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who resigned from the cabinet for ordering police attacks on People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrations on Tuesday, said during an interview by local media that a military-led coup d'etat is the only way to resolve the political deadlock. In an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post published on Friday, Chavalit said the answer lies with army chief Gen. Anupong Paojinda, who has repeatedly ruled out a coup. ... Thai former PM says coup is way out for political turmoil Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:53:06 +0800

China's State Council issued a series of quality control regulations for dairy products on Thursday. The move was prompted by the country's contaminated milk scandal. The regulations tighten control of how milk-yielding animals are bred, how raw milk is purchased and the production and sales of dairy food. There will also be more severe punishment for people who violate safety standards and quality control departments that fail to fulfill duties. Relevant officials will a ... China sets new standards for dairy industry Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:27:50 +0800

HP Care Pack, a service pack HP is proud of, has caused widspread doubts among internet users as a group of HP laptop users complained against HP's "snowy screen". "HP's service is simply money swindle. I spent 100 yuan for HP Care Pack when I bought the computer. But the service staff did nothing but talking when something went wrong with the computer. They even said this is my problem," one user wrote online. "The quality of HP computer is too bad. Its after sales service is choatic. Th ... HP Care Pack causes doubts among users Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:20:52 +0800

China's tallest skyscraper, the 580-meter-tall Shanghai Center, will begin construction this December and is expected to be completed in 2014, Shanghai Morning Post reported. After rounds of bids and selections, the design by the architectural firm Gensler was finally selected in a competition. The building will look like a soaring dragon. The 580 meter height will make it the tallest building in Shanghai. Upon completion, the building will incorporate functions of office building, hotel, ... China's tallest skyscraper to begin construction Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:49:04 +0800