Common Talk Weeklyshuang yu zhou kan
issue date

Economics, society, Education
February 18, 2004

Economics

Local industrial output value increases by RMB 1 bln. in January
一月我市工业产值比增10亿
Despite the extended Spring Festival holidays in January, which resulted in fewer effective workdays, the city’s aggregate industrial output value in the month showed no noticeable decrease from December 2003 and rose by RMB 1 billion compared with January 2003.

Foreign exchange wealth management service heats up
我市外汇理财成热门
The foreign exchange wealth management service in Xiamen has lately soared to a record level, with China Construction Bank Xiamen Branch raking in over USD 5 million in the first two days of its sales of a foreign exchange wealth management service product.

100 mln. energy-saving lamps exported last year
厦门节能灯出口超亿支
The quantity of energy-saving lamps shipped for export via Xiamen Port in 2003 hit 107 million pieces, setting a new record and breaking the mark of 100 million pieces for the first time. The figure represented a jump of 60% over 2001 when anti-dumping measures were introduced, making Xiamen a leading export processing base of such lamps in the world.

3rd Kodak plant completed in Export Processing Zone
柯达三厂落户出口加工区
The construction of the 3rd Kodak plant, based in Xiamen Export Processing Zone in the south of Haicang, has recently been completed. The new plant occupies a site of 60,000 sq. m., with a floorage of 18,000 sq. m.

High-income individuals paid RMB 60 million in taxes last year
高收入者去年纳税六千万
A total of 1,061 high-income individuals have been put into the High-income Individuals Taxation File of the local tax authority. Last year the combined incomes of this group of people totaled RMB 270 million, average RMB 0.25 million per person; individual income taxes on this group of people totaled RMB 61.75 million, averaging RMB 58,000 per person, up 33% from the previous year.

Society

Xiamen becomes hot destination for lovers
厦门成情侣出游热地
Xiamen has become a hot destination for lovers as a lot of domestic travel agencies launched romantic honeymoon deals to Xiamen, an intriguing city nicknamed a “Garden on the Sea”, to cash in on the Valentine's Day on February 14.

High-tech chips to help marathon race
高科技芯片力助马拉松
Participants in this year's Amoi International Marathon Championships will no longer have to worry about the accuracy of their scores. A new kind of high-tech chips will be used at the event to provide 100% accurate recording of the time that each runner ran. These high-tech chips have been used at international marathon events in Boston, London and New York, and will become another feature of the event in Xiamen.

Suggestions for tackling illegal street ads submitted
治“癣”良方送交市政府
On February, a number of suggestions for tackling illegal street advertisements were submitted to the People’s Suggestions Collection Office under Xiamen Municipal Government. Responsible government departments will respond to these suggestions within 10 days. Following Xiamen Daily’s series of reports on rampant illegal street advertisements and its solicitation of public suggestions on this issue on February 3, more than 300 suggestions have been contributed by readers by telephone, post, e-mail and SMS.

Single ticket for Xiamen－Jinmen－Taiwan journey
厦金台一票直达
From September 16, passengers commuting between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits will have another easy and convenient option of transportation. With the offer of the combined plane-and-ship transportation service for the Xiamen-Jinmen-Taiwan journey, which was jointly launched for the first time by the transportation industries on both sides of the Straits, passengers can simply make a phone call to get ticketing, luggage consignment and pickup services.

Education

Senior middle schools seriously understaffed
高中师资极缺
As over 100,000 more students will be admitted into the province’s senior middle schools this year, which represents an enrolment expansion by more than 11%, most such schools in the province will face severe understaffing with a shortfall of 4,000 teachers.

International students at Xiamen University move to Zhangzhou campus
厦大海外学生入住漳州校区
The 105 first-year international students studying at Xiamen University will soon move to its Zhangzhou campus. Like their counterparts from the mainland, they will stay at the new campus in Zhangzhou for their first and second year studies and then move back to Xiamen. Xiamen University has drawn up plans to build dedicated international students apartments on its Zhangzhou campus.