Qu Xuedong laughs last
By Lily



"Tonight I'm really at the peak of ecstasy and in the depths of sadness at the same time." Qu Xuedong, the newly elected Miss China from Beijing said with a charming smile after outpacing the other 42 contestants from 22 provinces in the final contest of the Miss Intercontinental China Area, in the Xiamen Sports Stadium on June 26.

Despite nearly being eliminated from the first round coming 15 out of 43 competition, Qu (No. 21) eventually conquered all the judges and audience with her wisdom and elegance. Away with her she also took the "Best Posture" and "Loving-Kindness" prizes.

No. 25, Wang Yan, a native Xiamen girl got second place and the "Best Image for Camera" prize.

No.42, Zhang Liru, also from Beijing, came third.

As host city for this 33rd Miss Intercontinental Beauty Pageant, Xiamen has drawn national and worldwide attention with its magic, vitality, tranquility and hospitality. It has also left an unforgettable beautiful impression and love in the contestants' minds.

On July 24, Qu Xuedong will represent China to contend for the crown of Miss Intercontinental to be held in Inner Mongolia. By then, there will be 63 contestants from 60 countries and 9 top WBO authorities from China, America, Germany and France. From July 10 to 12, all the contestants will gather in Xiamen and cruise to Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing and Huhehaote.

 

 

Economics

Tea culture exchanged
茶文化交流盛会
On June 25, the Xiamen (China, Japan and South Korea) Tea Culture Exchange Conference & Xiamen (International) Food Trade Exposition took place at the Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center, attracting more than 2,000 exhibitors, buyers and contestants from 16 countries; over 1,600 series of products from China and abroad were displayed at the event.

Xiamen Wahaha to start production at year-end
厦门娃哈哈年底投产
Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd, the world's 5th largest beverage producer, has recently teamed up with the France-based Danone Company to launch Xiamen Wahaha Foodstuff Co Ltd Construction of this joint venture will kick off in August in Tong'an. The new company, with an investment of USD 20 million, will start production at the year-end.

One-minute customs clearance for enterprises
企业通关只需一分钟
Xiamen Customs recently launched an "expedited export passageway", with which customs declaration forms will be examined and released immediately, further shortening the time for enterprise customs declaration, with the entire process from the submission of one set of declaration forms to its release taking merely one minute on average.

World leather goods giant moves into Tong'an
世界皮具"航母"驶入同安
Denmark-headquartered ECCO Company, one of the world's top five genuine leather goods manufacturers, has filed applications for launching three companies in Tong'an District. This project, with a total cost of USD 79 million, will be ECCO's first investment in China.

Seven anti-dumping cases involve Xiamen
七起反倾销案涉及我市
During the first half of this year, there were seven dumping accusations that involved products exported from Xiamen; four of the seven accusations were officially probed, involving goods worth more than USD 20 million and over 20 enterprises. Xiamen Trade Development Bureau warns local enterprises to make timely adjustment to their export strategies and respond swiftly to these dumping charges.

 

 

Society

Xiamen launches 24-hour English heart hotline
厦门开通24小时英语心脏热线
The Internal Medicine Department of Xiamen Zhongshan Hospital has lately opened a 24-hour English heart hotline at 2292999, allowing foreigners in Xiamen to receive medical services without any delay. The English heart hotline is a novelty in China. Xiamen Heart Center has successfully revived more than 40 foreign patients from 30-plus countries in Europe, America and Southeast Asia.

Restrooms in old urban district to be overhauled
老城区公厕开始全面改造
A program aimed at totally renovating old restrooms is underway in the city's old urban district. All these 25 restrooms will take on a fresh look before September 8. Local urban appearance and environmental sanitation departments are working on the star rating of restrooms; restrooms from now on will be built according to star-rated standards and equipped for the disabled.

Kodak expert turns out safe and sound
外籍专家转危为安
A foreign expert with Kodak recently suffered an abrupt acute myocardial infarction and was about to be transferred to Hong Kong for medical attention by a helicopter. However, the emergency aid of Xiamen Heart Center proved faster than the helicopter. With the consent of the patient, doctors from the center operated on him and successfully opened his infarcted heart in 35 minutes. The patient has been discharged from the hospital recently.

Coffee powder returned to Indonesia
5.5吨咖啡粉退回印尼
Xiamen Entry & Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau has decided to deny entry permission to a shipment of instant coffee powder from Indonesia, which was found to be in contravention of China's foodstuff hygiene standards. At the present time, the shipment, weighing 5.5 tons and worth USD 12,300, is undergoing returning formalities.

 

 

Education

Construction workers to be licensed next year
建筑工人明年起持证上岗
Effective January 1, 2005, all laborers working in the construction sector must undergo safety training and education and obtain relevant qualification certificates before they can be allowed to work on construction sites. The construction safety supervision authority will monitor and supervise contractors to prevent the hiring of laborers who have not received safety education or training, and adopt relevant administrative measures against violators.
The fifth National Calligraphy Inscription Exhibition and the eighth International Calligraphy Inscription Exhibition will be held on Gulangyu in October. Aiming to promote the production of this new school of artwork, the key members from the Calligraphy Inscription Commission, Xiamen Calligraphers' Association went to the remote mountain areas such as Luoyuan and Qingliu, to give instructions to the local artists.