Singaporean National Day celebrated
在厦新加坡人欢度国庆
Photo by Yao Fan



About 200 Singaporean and Chinese guests celebrated the 40th Singaporean National Day at the Marco Polo Xiamen on August 9th. Mr. Lim Eng Hoe, the Singaporean Consul General in Xiamen attended the celebration and made a speech during the occasion. Also present at the celebration were Ms. Wang Meixiang, Vice Governor of Fujian Province, and Huang Ling, Vice Mayor of Xiamen.

 

 

Economics

Top 8 most valuable brands worth RMB 25.7 billion
8大品牌价值257亿元
The list of China's 500 most valuable brands of 2005 has recently been unveiled in Beijing. Xiamen-based Amoi Electronics, whose brand is worth RMB 7.062 billion, appears high on the list. Also appearing on the list are Kinglong, Xiagong, XOCECO, Xianglu, Malata, Xiamen Airlines and Yinlu. These eight Xiamen-based brands have a combined value of RMB 25.7 billion.

Bundled sales of moon cakes banned
月饼不能搭售其他商品
The Fujian Provincial Administration of Industry & Commerce and Department of Quality Supervision will take actions to rectify the market for moon cakes from Aug. 20 to Sept. 20. The two government agencies have announced a ban on bundled sales of moon cakes and the mixed packaging and sales of moon cakes with other produces.

Outlets for contamination-free aquatic products to be set up
将设无公害水产品专销点
Local authorities will take steps to support the establishment of dedicated outlets for contamination-free aquatic products, improve the entry system for the aquatic product market, strengthen the routine quality inspection of aquatic products, and keep up the good work in monitoring the fishery environment and forecasting of aquatic diseases.

 

 

Society

Xiamen makes its first electronic map
首张自造电子地图诞生
"Xiamen Online Electronic Map Search System", developed by Xiamen Kingtop Information Technology Co., Ltd., has recently commenced in trial operations on the "In Xiamen" website (www.17517.com). With the launch of the new system, local people can visit any corner of the island from the comfort of their homes.

Haicang to provide free premarital physical examinations
海沧实行免费婚检
Following the abolishment of compulsory premarital physical examinations, the rate of premarital physical examinations has plummeted. In order to ensure the health of the next generation and to increase the rate of voluntary premarital physical examinations among young couples, Haicang District has recently started to provide free premarital physical examinations.

Xiamen living expenses low
厦门生活花费较低
According to the latest ranking of cities worldwide classified by cost of living, which has recently been published by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, Xiamen occupies 110th position in the ranking of 131 cities. Of the Chinese cities, Hong Kong ranks 20th, Taipei 43rd, Shanghai 54th, Beijing 63rd, Guangzhou 78th, and Shenzhen 84th.

Xiamen plans to reproduce white dolphins artificially
厦拟人工繁殖白海豚
The number of white dolphins in seawaters around Xiamen has probably dropped to less than 100 or even lower. To improve the situation, local authorities are considering implementing artificial reproduction to increase the number of white dolphins and building a protection center for endangered species.

"New-generation mobile phone banking" launched
"新一代手机银行"推出
All services provided by bank tellers are now available on mobile phones. CDMA 1X subscribers of Xiamen Unicom who hold an account with the Xiamen Construction Bank will have access to financial management services on their mobile phone handsets after filing an application with the bank.

Key special care recipients exempted from hospital registration fees
重点优抚对象看病免挂号费
The municipal government is about to publish the Measures on Medical Aids for Key Special Care Recipients in order to make it easier for such people to receive medical treatment at affordable costs. Under these measures, key special care recipients in Xiamen will be exempted from registration fees when seeking medical attention at the city's 40 medical organizations.

Local people consider themselves to be most glamorous
厦门人认为自己最有魅力
The first survey on the glamour of Chinese people indicates that Xiamen people think they are the most glamorous while people in Dalian believe that they have the biggest potential for development. The survey was conducted in 10 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen. The survey shows that people with high and medium-incomes tend to believe they are more glamorous, with people in management and students giving themselves the highest glamour ratings.

 

 

Education

Financial aid provided to poverty-stricken students
助学金资助贫困生
This week, the Xiamen Education Foundation will provide a total of RMB 420,000 in three different financial aids for 193 poverty stricken university freshmen and senior one middle school students. These financial aids are sponsored by the "Xiamen Cigarette Factory Foundation for Teacher Rewards & Student Aids", "Powerlong Education Foundation", and the "Luda Foundation for Student Aids".

Xiamen has new public university
厦门再添一所公办大学
The three-in-one higher-education institution, consisting of Xiamen Radio And Television University, Xiamen Educational College and Xiamen Employees' University, has been officially named "Xiamen City Vocational College".

 

City News
Edited by Lily

Beijing 北京

Sculpture designs for 2008 Olympics sought
征集2008奥运雕塑设计
The Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games will solicit designs from sculptors and designers all over the world via China's embassies and consulates overseas and other international agencies and institutions. The organizers will choose 290 pieces of work from all the entries in the first half of 2006 before making three replicas of each selected entry to tour the major cities across the country.

Population issues on the agenda
共议控制城市人口激增
An open discussion between Beijing residents and the city's policy makers thrust the thorny issue of how to deal with the city's burgeoning population into the public limelight. Beijing will intentionally slow down its population growth to an annual rate of 1.4 per cent, down from the current 2.5 per cent. By 2020, its population will total 18 million. Beijing's rapidly expanding population has long been blamed as the major cause of the city's increasingly serious social problems.

Taxi passengers can enjoy TV programs
的士乘客可欣赏电视
Taxi passengers in Beijing can enjoy television programs now as more than 1,000 local taxis have been fitted out with mobile TV sets. A small TV screen plays programs automatically after the driver turns on the meter. The passenger can also adjust the volume. The television shuts down automatically 30 seconds after the driver turns off the meter.

Olympic flowers on display
奥运花卉试展
More than 800 kinds of flowers are on display in Yuyuantan Park in Beijing, to test which species do well during the city's hot and humid summers. These flowers will be displayed at locations all over Beijing, including the different Olympic gymnasiums in the city. More than 1,000 types of flowers have been tested, and 500 have been pre-selected.



Shanghai 上海

Crack down on power theft
打击私自偷电
With power consumption reaching record levels, the local power department is going all out to crack down on power theft. Of all power theft cases investigated, residential power thieves accounted for nearly 95 percent. During this campaign, the authorities are finding that restaurants and hairdresser's located in residential buildings are the most frequent power stealers.

VW's Shanghai venture slashes car prices
上海大众大幅降价
The larger of Volkswagen's two China auto making ventures has slashed prices on some cars by up to 13.7 percent as it tries to fend off intense competition in the world's third-largest automobile market. Analysts say the move could reignite a price war, which would weigh heavily on the sector's already wafer-thin profit margins.

New school rules say students must learn gratitude
学生须学会感激
Shanghai Education Committee has issued a revised edition of regulations for middle school students, which says they must learn to be grateful. Today's generation of "only children" are self-centered, and they must learn to be grateful for others' kindness. Students must first learn to be grateful for others' kindness if they are to make any contribution to society.

Guangzhou 广州

Fuel fee mulled for taxi fare
的士费酝酿追加燃油费
Passengers may have to pay a one-yuan (US$ 0.12) fuel add-on fee each time they get a taxi from September. The city's taxi industry association sent a proposal to the pricing bureau in April calling for a fuel surcharge during oil price hikes to relieve the pressure on drivers. Many residents are strongly against the surcharge saying the taxi fares are already expensive enough.

Air conditioner to put power demand on ice
夜间制冷减轻电力需求
A new air conditioning system that makes ice overnight and uses cheap-rate electricity may be key to reducing the strain on China's over-strained power grid. Called an Ice Storage Air Conditioner (ISAC), the device on trial in Guangzhou is an air-conditioning unit that makes ice during off-peak hours, when electricity costs are only 27.8 per cent of the rate charged during the day.

Customized underwear in hot demand
订制内衣热销
Customized underwear is becoming increasingly popular among Guangzhou residents of all ages. People are buying lingerie not only for themselves but also for others as gifts. Customers frequently personalize underwear with sugarplum prints, nicknames of their close ones, and other meaningful patterns, making them popular among all generations.

Chongqing 重庆

Chongqing-Zhanjiang expressway to be opened
渝湛铁路即将通车
The construction of Chongqing-Zhanjiang expressway is in the final phase. The last section of 46 kilometers from Chongxi to Tongzi is still under construction. It is estimated that the expressway will be opened to traffic by the end of the year.



Global remittance received in 15 minutes
全球汇款只需15分钟
The Bank of Communications and The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China launched a new international remit service in Chongqing. The citizens could remit foreign exchange to more than 170 countries and areas of 75,000 outlets in 15 minutes. The remitter, holding one's ID card and password could receive remittance immediately after filling in a receipt form.

Hong Kong 香港

Manufacturers urged to go "green"
生产商环保要求须提高
The need for manufacturers of consumer products and related parts and accessories to go "green" is becoming increasingly urgent. The warning is further underlined by the introduction of two new European Union (EU) directives soon. New green rules affect exports not only to the EU but to the United States, Japan and even the Chinese mainland as well.

Colleges open to more mainlanders
高校吸引更多大陆学子
Hong Kong universities are attracting more and more mainland students to study in Hong Kong. Hong Kong universities enroll mainland students according to their performance in the university entrance examination, as well as a written examination and interview organized by each school. Due to the tough competition, most of the applicants are top students on the mainland.

Taipei 台北

Airline group gets go-ahead to hold talks with mainland
航空公司欲求中秋直航
A private Taiwan agency has been authorized to arrange talks with mainland representatives on passenger and cargo charter flights across the Straits. If the negotiations go well, the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday might see the opening of passenger charter flights for Taiwanese businessmen working in China to return to Taiwan for family reunions.

Try to make Ghost Month offerings "greener"
"鬼节"供品更环保
Taipei authorities are taking a novel approach to this year's annual Ghost Month, when people burn thick stacks of paper money to appease the spirits of the dead: they're providing small garbage bags to limit the amount of immolated cash. To insure that wandering ghosts will not disturb the peace and prosperity of the living over the ensuing 12 months, many Chinese burn copious amounts of paper money and set up tables laden with food during the seventh month of the lunar year-Ghost Month.



Taiwan ranks 2nd for high-tech products in East Asia
高科产品跃居前茅
Taiwan's high technology products rank second in East Asia in terms of value-added rate, trailing only those of Japan.The four East Asian countries and regions -Japan, China's Taiwan, South Korea and the Chinese mainland - have been sparing no efforts to develop their information and communications industries since the late 1990s, when a revolution in information technology and communications occurred. Taiwan is facing strong competition from the Chinese mainland and India, whose production costs are relatively low and whose technological growth rates are high.


Vocabulary
solicit 征求
burgeoning 急速增长
limelight 焦点
wafer-thin 极薄的
grid 电网
immolated 献祭的
copious 大量的
acquiesce 默许
consul 领事
'bundle 捆绑
artificial 人工的
glamorous 迷人的