Electronics megastore pulls crowds
永乐思文明珠店开业
Photo by Liang Wei



Yongle and Siwen, two giant retailers of household electronic appliances, have merged. The first Yongle-Siwen megastore opened on September 24 on Jiahe Road. Now the largest electronic goods store in Fujian, the shop has been drawing the crowds since its opening.

 

 

Economics

Fujian to build two major urban economic spheres
我省将构建两大城市经济圈
The Specialized Framework Plan for Central Cities in Fujian Province has recently been approved by an expert panel in Beijing. According to the plan, Fujian will build two national or international level urban economic spheres, one centering on Fuzhou and the other on Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.

Jewelry prices may rise before year-end
金饰年底前可能涨价
The international gold price hit an 18-year high last week, but in Xiamen's gold shops, prices of gold jewelry have largely remained unchanged. Local gold dealers say that if the international gold price remains at this high level, gold prices in Xiamen may rise before the end of the year.

Xiamen ranks 3rd for engineering machinery
工程机械厦门排老三
A survey of China's engineering machinery industry by the Chinese edition of Forbes shows that six major production centers for engineering machinery have emerged in China. They are Xuzhou, Changzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Jining, and the Liuzhou region, with Xiamen ranking third in terms of production value.

Construction of Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway kicks off
福厦铁路月底动工
Construction of the Fuqing section of the planned Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway is set to begin on September 30, marking the commencement of the Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway Project. The new railway, with a total length of 273 km and a total investment of RMB 12.42 billion, is scheduled for completion in 2009. When it is finished, the journey between the two cities will take less than two hours.

 

 

Society

32 Xiamen-based enterprises among Fujian's top 100
福建百大企业厦门占32席
Dell (China) tops the list of Fujian's top 100 enterprises for 2004, with annual sales of RMB 30.358 billion. The computer giant has been number 1 for three years in a row. Also appearing on the list are 31 other Xiamen-based enterprises, three more than last year. Xiamen C&D ranks 4th and Xiamen International Trade Group is among the top 10 for the first time.

Mooncake game winners to pay income tax
博饼要纳税
Although Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, many companies and institutions are still enjoying the mooncake gambling game. The local tax authority has reminded winners to pay a 20% personal contingent income tax.

Non-medical organizations banned from TCM services
非医疗机构不得打中医招牌
Following a circular recently issued by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fitness centers, saunas and other non-medical service establishments will be barred from offering massage, skin scraping or cupping services and from using the traditional Chinese medicine service provider designation.

Bus hero wins compensation
见义勇为获赔偿
Chen Longhua, who was injured while trying to catch a thief on a bus, has settled out of court with the bus company for 3,500 yuan. He originally demanded 12,000 yuan, arguing that the bus driver did nothing while he attempted to subdue the thief, and therefore should be responsible for his medical bills for injuries sustained as a result of his brave act.

Paternity tests to be available to private citizens
亲子鉴定将向个人开放
The central blood bank in Xiamen, which until now has conducted paternity tests for government organizations only, has decided to make tests available to individuals as demand surges. Private citizens requesting such tests may submit an application directly to the central blood bank.

Homing pigeons lose their way
数千只信鸽迷失
A large number of homing pigeons have failed to return home after being released in Yueqing, Zhejiang for two large-scale races. The recent rash of sun spots confused the birds, causing serious losses for Xiamen's pigeon keepers.

Raw and semi-raw food banned
生食半生食遭禁售
In a bid to ensure food hygiene and public health during the upcoming National Day Holiday, local authorities have conducted unannounced inspections of some of the city's catering establishments. They have announced a ban on seafood intended to be eaten raw as well as raw and semi-raw food on buffet tables in order to prevent outbreaks of intestinal infectious diseases in Xiamen.

Xiamen University faculty and students to embark on internship in the Philippines
厦大师生将到菲实习
Under a goodwill partnership agreement recently signed by the Xiamen University Department of Journalism & Communication and the Philippines-based World News, the department will send several faculty members and students to the Philippines each year for research and internships. They hope to develop a more intimate understanding of the Chinese-language media in the island nation.

 

 

City News
Edited by Lily

Beijing 北京

National Grand Theater to open in 2007
国家大剧院2007开放
The amazing National Grand Theater, under construction next to the Great Hall of the People near Tian'anmen Square, is scheduled to open in April 2007. The huge new landmark is in the process of interior decoration, and is being equipped with world-class stages and sound systems.



Subways ready for travel spike during holiday season
地铁备迎国庆高峰客流
The subway network will carry approximately 15.05 million passengers during the upcoming National Day holiday that will begin from October 1. To ensure normal operation of the subway system, all trains currently in use have been checked thoroughly, and 14 trains have been prepared in reserve. The hours of operation will also be extended to cope with the increased demand from passengers.

Seeking more foreign investment
国企招徕外资
A group of Beijing's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) has rolled out the red carpet for investors by launching a shareholder promotion conference. 156 projects, with total assets of 29.1 billion yuan (US$ 3.6 billion), were opened to all investors including state-owned enterprises, private capital and even individuals. These projects cover a wide range of industries, with manufacturing representing the largest sector at 31% of the total project capital.

Shanghai 上海

Diver sues aquarium after shark bites ear
被鲨鱼咬起诉水族馆
A 24-year-old man is suing Shanghai Changfeng Park after a shark in its aquarium bit his ear and head while he was scuba diving. Zhang is seeking 415,000 yuan (US$51,235) in compensation, including 400,000 yuan for mental distress. Park managers say Zhang did not follow instructions from his dive leader and made his ascent too quickly, running into the shark.

Led astray by fake GPS maps
假电子定位图驾车麻烦
A number of people are having trouble with the GPS navigation systems in their cars because they are installed with counterfeit electronic maps. However authorities are doing nothing about the problem, as there are no laws regulating the industry. Industry sources, however, say the number of fake maps on the market far exceeds the number of genuine ones.

Improved transport info
改善交通信息服务
An intelligent transport information center is to be built by the end of this year, so that commuters can get details about traffic jams and crowded buses or subways from a single source. The center will provide information about taxis, public buses, subways and the maglev train in Pudong. By 2010, both local residents and visitors will be able to subscribe to text message services which give them real time traffic information while looking for appropriate routes and travel plans for reaching their destination.

Biggest Chinese dictionary on display
展出中国最大字典
The largest dual language dictionary ever compiled will lend its verbiage to the Shanghai Library. The Grand Ricci French-Chinese Dictionary is an enormous tome written and edited by more than 200 experts at a cost of more than US$10 million. It includes 13,500 characters and more than 300,000 Mandarin Chinese expressions.

Guangzhou 广州

Prison hosts job fair
监狱主办招工会
Some 120 inmates at the Guangzhou Prison have signed letters of intention to work for 18 companies during a job fair. The labor bureau plans to hold one job fair for inmates each year. Ex-convicts in Guangzhou are entitled to up to five free professional training courses. Both convicts and employment agencies can get monthly subsidies from the government when a convict is employed.

Car number proceeds to go to foundation
车号拍卖做基金
Guangdong's legislators are discussing a proposal to sell car registration plate numbers, and to use the proceeds to establish a new foundation for traffic accident victims. At present, less than 20 percent of Guangdong's private car registration numbers can be sold.

Construction begins on landmark building
"西塔"将成中国最高建筑
The West Tower, with a design height of 432 meters will be the highest building on the Chinese mainland. The construction will begin later this year and will be finished by the end of 2009. Located at the center of the Pearl River New Town, the building will be a new landmark in Guangzhou and one of southern China's most prestigious business centers. It will contain a variety of properties, including high-grade offices, five-star hotels, department stores and international conference centers.

New insurance service for the elderly
推出老人保险新卡
Guangzhou City Authorities are planning to introduce transport insurance and a new type of IC card for senior citizens from Jan. 1, 2006. Citizens over the age of 65 will be able to purchase a 10 yuan IC card, which will entitle them to free bus travel for one year, and will also provide insurance. They will be able to claim compensation from the insurance company if they are involved in an accident while taking a bus. The maximum compensation available will be set at at least 7,000 yuan.

Chongqing 重庆

Asia-Pacific mascots named
"憨憨""跃跃"成亚太城峰会吉祥物
The panda and the kangaroo, the two mascots of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, are to be called Hanhan and Yueyue.



Illuminations turned on
彩灯工程启动
The colored lanterns in Chongqing city center have been turned on and will remain illuminated until October 20. The lanterns represent the completion of the eleventh phase of the illuminations project in Chongqing.



Employees in key enterprises net 1574 yuan
骨干企业职工月均收入1574元
Latest figures show that the average income of employees in key enterprises in Chongqing over the first seven months this year was 9444 yuan, an increase of 10.8% over the same period last year. Their average monthly income was 1574 yuan.

Hong Kong 香港

Consumer Price Index up 1.4% in August
消费物价指数八月上升1.4%
Hong Kong's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.4 percent in August, a slightly larger increase than July's 1.3 percent rise. This was mainly attributable to increases in private housing rental and jewelry prices. It also represents a continuation of the climb which started at the beginning of this year and which marks a full-fledged economic recovery.

Bank plans more branches on mainland
"东亚"欲在大陆增设分行
The Bank of East Asia (BEA), Hong Kong's fifth largest lender in terms of assets, plans to open two more sub-branches in the mainland's less developed provinces by early next year, boosting its number of mainland outlets to 25. It is the latest in a series of moves by overseas banks aiming to expand throughout the mainland and to tap into the potential of the Chinese financial services sector.

Taipei 台北

Taiwan's exports soar
八月出口激增
Taiwan's export orders soared by 22.7% in August over the same month last year due to high seasonal demand for consumer electronics. Export orders totaled 734.84bn New Taiwan dollars (USD 22.15 bn). The growth was even higher than July's 8.71%.

Taiwan marks Confucius' birthday
台南纪念孔子诞辰
Tainan City marked the 2,556th birthday of Confucius from September 24. The four-day cultural festival held at the Confucian Temple aims to recall the spirit of Confucius, spread Confucian thought and help middle and primary school students understand the great philosopher. The Tainan Confucian Temple was built in 1665, and is known as the first academic institution in Taiwan.

Nokia opens 3G development center
诺基亚台北建第三代手机城
The Nokia Mobile Services Development Center will work with operators and regulators to develop products and services that take advantage of the increased bandwidth that 3G services provide. Areas that the center will focus on include the development of Chinese-language content, IP (Internet Protocol) multimedia applications and certification for local application developers.


Vocabulary
commencement 开始
contingent 偶然的
paternity 父亲血统的
intestinal 肠道的
astray 迷路
scuba 水中呼吸器
inmate 同狱犯人
mascot 吉祥物