Zongzi wrapping race
包粽子比赛
Photo by Zheng Xian



Dragon Boat Festival, a Chinese traditional event, will fall on June 11 this year. Seen in the picture is a Zongzi wrapping race held at the Wolongxiaocheng community. Zongzi is a pyramid-shaped dumpling for the festival.

 

 

Economics

Imported fridges to have energy efficiency labels
进口冰箱须贴能效标识
Xiamen Inspection & Quarantine Bureau has announced that effective immediately, imported household refrigerators and air-conditioners must have energy efficiency labels. Under China's Management Measures on Energy Efficiency Label, which were officially implemented on March 1, 2005, 23 HS-code commodities in the catalogue of the first group of products designated for mandatory energy efficiency labeling must carry out energy efficiency labels, including refrigerators and air-conditioners.

XOCECO receives credit support of RMB 320 million
厦华获3.2亿元贷款支持
Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronics Co Ltd has recently obtained a credit of RMB 320 million to support its exports of flat panel TV sets. Flat panel TV sets are the company's major export items, with exports in the January-April period exceeding the total exports of last year.

Famous snacks to converge at Food Expo
名小吃荟萃食博会
The city's Catering Business Association will host Xiamen Gourmets' Festival from June 25 to 29. Famous snacks from various localities will converge in Xiamen. The festival is expected to have more than 500 booths and its exhibition space will reach 15,000 square meters, making it by far the largest professional food event in Fujian Province.

Private capital to invest in park construction
民间资本有望介入公园建设
In light of the limited channels of financing for the construction of tourist attractions and scenic spots, the local authorities are mulling over whether to allow private capital to invest in the city's park construction, such as Huwei Hill Park and Dongping Hill Park. Investing enterprises may be allowed to charge visitors for the use of supporting service facilities, but admission to the park will remain free of charge.

 

 

Society

Free Life Pond teeming with Brazilian turtles
放生池巴西龟成群结队
The Free Life Pond of Nanputuo Temple is teeming with Brazilian turtles which have been brought in by local citizens who paid out of their own pockets for their release. Brazilian turtles are highly adaptable and fecund; they prey on their food ruthlessly and almost have no natural enemy. A lot of domestic and overseas experts caution that releasing Brazilian turtles into the wild can be a very risky business which may endanger the survival of China's indigenous wild turtles and related species.

Air quality slightly turned for the better last year
空气质量去年略好
On the eve of the June 5 World Environment Day, Xiamen Environmental Protection Bureau published the bulletin of Xiamen's environmental conditions in 2004, indicating that the local air quality slightly turned for the better compared with 2003.

First group of vehicles with black exhaust fume to be punished
第一批"黑尾巴"将受罚
Since mid-May, local citizens have been encouraged to take pictures of motor vehicles on the road which were emitting black exhaust fume; as a result, Xiamen Evening News has received many such pictures sent in by readers via the Internet or by mail. The local environmental protection authority has identified these vehicles from the pictures and sent legal notices to the vehicle owners, meting out punishment and demanding them to mend their ways.

"All People Fitness Week" to kick off
"全民健身周"将启动
The local authorities will hold an "All People Fitness Week" on June 11-17, during which a wide array of activities will take place, including Haicang Dragon Boat Invitation Tournament, Xiamen Inter-village United Basketball Final Match, Chinese Chess Championship Match, and Farmers' Waist Drum Performance.

Airport to provide sanitary toilet seat pads
机场推出卫生坐垫
Xiamen Airport Co Ltd has revolutionized the hardware and software facilities of toilets in the airport and is the first airport in China to provide microcomputer controlled sanitary toilet seat pads, which will save passengers some awkward moments when using the toilet.

Family Education Guidance Center established
厦成立家庭教育指导中心
Xiamen Family Education Guidance Center has recently been established; the Center, with a family education lecturers' team consisting of a group of family education experts, is charged with the mission of improving parents' competence in rearing children and in creating a nurturing environment for the growth of children.

 

 

City News
Edited by Lily

Beijing 北京

World mayors to meet
世界市长相聚北京
Nearly one hundred world mayors will gather in Beijing to discuss crisis management and disaster prevention. The participants will also discuss the role of local governments in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the World Mayors' Forum and the 2005 Council Meeting of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) scheduled from June 8 to 10. It is the first time for UCLG to convene its world council meeting and theme forum in China.

Hailstones dent insurance firms
冰雹所致车身凹痕获赔
Many drivers were upset to see the dents on their cars caused by unseasonal hailstones in Beijing. The hailstones caused an estimated 48.16 million yuan (US$ 5.8 million) in direct economic losses. The Beijing Branch of the People's Insurance Company of China had received 6,900 claims for compensation, and that figure is expected to grow. The reports are mostly about dents in vehicles and broken windshields.



Olympic slogan to unveil
奥运标语即将揭晓
The slogan for the 2008 Olympic Games has almost been finalized and will be made public by the end of this month. 210,000 slogans have been received from all directions within a month since the call for slogans started. The focus of the new slogan will shift from the city itself to the three basic concepts of Beijing Games, namely Green Olympics, High-tech Olympic and People's Olympics, and to the universal values of the Olympic Movement.

New childbirth scheme delivered
实施新的计生措施
All female employees in Beijing, whether they possess a household registration certificate or not, will be exempt from childbirth fees from July 1. It means that medical costs incurred while giving birth will be paid for by a social insurance system rather than by the individual.
Under the insurance system, pregnancy-related physical check-ups, baby delivery fees and in-patient charges will all be covered. Only employees working for government agencies were previously given help with childbirth fees.

Shanghai 上海

The jobless must ink key pact
失业者需签基本条约
Local registered jobless people in Shanghai living under the poverty line and lacking professional skills will need to sign an agreement with the city government starting this month, promising that they will not cursorily quit the job allocated to them. Labor officials will also guarantee a job for this group of unemployed before an agreed deadline.

"Hamlet" given a Chinese twist
"哈姆雷特"京剧版上演
William Shakespeare's famous play "Hamlet" has been given a Peking Opera makeover. The Shanghai Peking Opera Theater is producing the adaptation under the name "The Revenge of the Prince." Hamlet Sommer, an organization that sponsors cultural events in Denmark, invited the troupe to perform the unique version of the play from August 1-5 at the Kronborg Castle in Helsingor.



Energy-saving units to become a norm
节能成为一种标准
Some Shanghai residents are likely to save on their monthly power expenses as local residential and office buildings constructed from this year on will have to meet certain energy-saving standards. The cost of each energy-saving construction is around 25 percent higher than that of a normal building but the additional costs can be paid off in 5-8 years.

World's largest shipyard under construction
世界最大船坞在建
Construction starts on Shanghai's Changxing Island, which is expected to eventually become the world's largest shipyard, marking a major step forward in China's ambition to become the world's leading ship builder.

Guangzhou & Shenzhen 广州 & 深圳

Siemens starts power road show
西门子路灯展开展
The Siemens Group kicked off a road show in Guangzhou as part of its efforts to capitalize on China's rapidly increasing demand for power. Siemens and its major competitors in China, General Electric Co. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, have their eyes on China's power market with the intent to take the lion's share.

Strive to guarantee food safety
力保食品安全
Fresher and purer fruit and vegetables may soon be reaching tables in Guangzhou thanks to a new system to clean up farmers' markets.
If the food is not up to scratch, it will not be allowed to be sold. The move is designed to prevent dodgy agricultural products from ending up in citizens' stomachs.

Pets make big impact in homes
养宠物有新变化
More and more peacocks, monkeys, horses, pheasants and ostriches are replacing traditional pets like dogs and cats in Guangzhou. And most of the pets' masters are local young people. With the improvements of living conditions and increased incomes, the trend is gaining momentum. It's predicted that tigers, lions and crocodiles will also become pets for Guangzhou residents in the future.

Firms to leave housing estates
居民房禁止商用
Companies have been banned from setting up offices in apartment buildings. The move has drawn applause from homeowners. The new housing code, which took effect on May 1, stipulated that it was illegal for tenants to change the nature of a building's purpose without authorization. The new regulation will push up business costs and raise the threshold for the registration of business entities.

Chongqing 重庆

Cigarette cases stamped "Virgin Male Permit"
"处男证"标志上烟盒
Some cigarette cases stamped "Virgin Males" and "Womanizing Permits" are on sale. "Virgin Male Permit" has the descriptions: smoking aficionado holding this permit are 100% virgin males, have proper manners, are disease and worm free, and all womenfolk should feel reassured by them; effective period 1,314 years, awarded by International Beautiful Women Association. They are especially welcomed by college students.



Countdown timer for Asia Pacific Cities Summit
设立亚太城市高峰会倒计时钟
A countdown timer for the Asia Pacific Cities Summit was set up in the town center of Chongqing. It reported that all together 9 countdown timers for the Summit have been erected in the main streets of Yuzhong District by the local government to greet the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, which will be held in October.

Hong Kong 香港

US warship starts routine visit
美战舰例行访问
The USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the world's most powerful and capable class of warships started its routine port visit and will stay for a few days. Most of the members were having a trip outside America for the first time. They consider Hong Kong a favorite port due to its special status as an international city and its unique culture.

2005 GDP growth may reach 5.5%
2005年GDP将增长5.5%
If the economy continues to thrive, Hong Kong GDP growth for 2005 will be 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent. Hong Kong's economy has bounced back from the 1997 financial crisis, with strengthened domestic economic activities. Despite a number of risks in the external environment, the economic outlook will be fine as Hong Kong is an outward-oriented economy and the government has been upholding the "big market, small government" principle.

Taipei 台北

Twelfth case of enteroviral infection reported
发现第十二例肠病毒感染患者
Twelve new cases of severe enteroviral infections have been reported, bringing the total number of severe infections to 47 so far this year. All the victims are children below five years old, four of whom have died from complications caused by the infections. As enter viruses are transmissible via direct contact with secretions from an infected person, practicing good personal hygiene is crucial to preventing infections.

Mainland-bound investments worth 178 million dollars approved
1.78亿美元获准投资大陆
Taiwan has approved 14 applications for mainland-bound investment totaling 178.75 million US dollars. Of the applications for China-bound investment, Asia Cement Corp was given approval to invest 33.16 million dollars in Jiangxi Yadong Cement. The mainland has replaced the United States as Taiwan's largest market since November 2002.


Vocabulary
expo 博览会
converge 集中
fecund 多产的
exhaust 废气
witty 智慧的
mull 考虑
cursorily 草率地
cratch 标准
pheasant 野鸡
aficionado 迷
enteroviral 肠病毒的
complications 并发症
secretions 分泌

 

 

Provincial final concludes
央视英语演讲福建赛场落幕
By Daisy,
Photo by Yao Fan



Forty-five contestants from twenty-eight universities all over Fujian Province participated in the Provincial Final of the Fourth "CCTV" Cup English Speaking Contest held on June 4th and June 5th at Xiamen University. The contestants' speeches under the given topic "The Greatest Invention in My Eyes" and their witty responses in the impromptu speeches and Q&A section were highly appreciated by the judges and audience. Wang Chenye and Huang Danqi from Xiamen University, together with Chen Ziye from Jimei University won the first prize in the contest. The three contestants will represent Fujian Province to join in the nationwide final to be held in Beijing this August.