Extracts.
State Council Approves Draft Law on Population and Family Planning
The State Council approved in principle a draft law on population and family
planning and a draft decree for the protection of integrated circuit (IC)
designs Wednesday.
The draft law and decree were discussed and approved at an executive meeting
of the State Council, presided over by Premier Zhu Rongji.
The participants agreed that though the country has made outstanding
achievements in population control and population quality improvement, there
remains a huge and strenuous task to maintain the low rate of population
growth.
Hence, the meeting concluded that it is necessary that the country
promulgate a law on population and family planning.
The participants also shared the view that IC technology forms the basis of
the information technology industry and stands to play a major part in
promoting the use of information technology in the national economy.
They agreed that the decree would protect IC design patents and encourage
innovation in IC technologies.
In the meeting it was decided that the draft law on population and family
planning will be submitted to the National People's Congress Standing
Committee for approval after further revisions, and that the draft decree on
the protection of IC designs will be promulgated by the State Council after
further revisions.
****
Chinese Leaders Greet Newly-Elected Lao Counterparts
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice President Hu Jintao on Wednesday
respectively greeted their newly-elected Lao counterparts, Prime Minister
Boungnang Vorachith and Vice President Choummali Sayasone.
In a message of congratulation to Vorachith, the Chinese premier, on behalf
of the Chinese government and in his own name, congratulated him on his
election as the prime minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The Chinese government attaches importance to the traditional friendship
between China and Laos and will continue, as always, to develop the
good-neighborly relations between the two countries, Zhu said.
He believed that during Vorachith's premiership, Laos will make even greater
achievements in its opening drive and economic development.
In a separate message to Sayasone, Hu said China and Laos are two
neighboring countries and the two peoples have long enjoyed a traditional
friendship.
The good-neighborliness and friendly cooperative relations between the two
countries have kept developing in recent years thanks to concerted efforts
of the two sides, he said.
He expressed the belief that under the guidance of the joint declaration on
the bilateral cooperation between China and Laos, which was signed during
Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Laos in November last year, the
comprehensive cooperative relations between the two countries, characterized
by long-term stability, good-neighborliness and mutual trust, will develop
further in the new century.
"To this end, I am willing to work with you to make ceaseless efforts so as
to benefit the two peoples and to contribute to the peace, stability and
development in the region," he said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan also congratulated Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad on his re- appointment.
****
Lao Deputy PM to Visit Myanmar
Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence
Lieutenant-General Choummaly Sayasone is due to arrive here on Thursday for
a three-day official visit to Myanmar
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/myanmar.html> .
Sayasone is to pay the visit at the invitation of Myanmar Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Military Affairs Lieutenant-General Tin Hla, said
an official announcement here Wednesday.
****
Cuba, South Africa Sign Cooperation Accords
Cuba and South Africa
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/southAfrica.html> on Tuesday signed
cooperation agreements on culture, science and technology, sports, aviation
and maritime commerce, local media reported.
Visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki and his Cuban counterpart,
Fidel Castro, attended the signing ceremony.
South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma and Cuba's acting vice foreign
minister Angel Dalmau signed two treaties on air services and maritime
commerce.
The accord on science and technology is expected to enable the two countries
to develop low-cost drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, it is reported.
Under the sports accord, Cuba
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/cuba.html> will help train South
African athletes.
Mbeki, who arrived in Havana on Monday, is expected later Tuesday to address
the University of Havana and will be decorated with the Jose Marti Order,
the highest honor given to foreigners. He would travel to the west of Cuba
before flying home on Thursday.
South Africa maintains close ties with the Caribbean island nation despite
opposition from the West, especially the United States
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> . Cuba offered support
to the African National Congress, which Mbeki now heads, in its fight
against apartheid.
****
Senior CPC Leader Calls for Better Work Style
A senior Party leader has called on cadres and officials in rural China to
improve their work style so as to promote rural development and stability.
Wei Jianxing
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/cpcdir/wprofile.html> , a
member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call during a five-day
fact-finding tour of China's southernmost province of Hainan
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/hainan.html> which ended
Tuesday.
Wei said rural cadres and officials should study the speech on Party
building made by CPC General Secretary Jiang Zemin
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/jzm/jzmhome.htm> during his
recent inspection tour of Hainan.
Most of the grass-root cadres and officials are good but some have problems
like loose work styles, abuse of power for personal gains, he said.
No cadre or official should accept cash or securities from departments,
individuals, overseas investors, or private entrepreneurs that have work
relations with the cadres and officials, said Wei, who is also chairman of
the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
Cadres and officials are not allowed to take advantage of wedding and burial
ceremonies of their family members by accepting money or gifts, said Wei.
Many people who are related to the families use such occasions to give money
or gifts to leading officials or cadres, while some officials intentionally
use the occasions to collect money from their subordinates.
Wei said grass-root democracy should be expanded and the scope of making
administrative affairs transparent in villages should be expanded to the
county level.
Farmers should have the right to know, participate and supervise the village
affairs and administrative affairs, said Wei.
Wei also said supervision should be strengthened to ensure rural cadres and
officials improve their work styles, and stay away from corruption.
****
Security Council Fails to Adopt Resolution on Mideast
The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt a resolution on sending a
UN observer force to the Middle East to check the violence in the
Palestinian territories occupied by Israel
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/israel.html> due to the objection
by the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> .
The vote was cast on a draft submitted by the nonaligned movement (NAM)
caucus represented by Bangladesh
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/bangladesh.html> , Columbia,
Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Singapore
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/singapore.html> and Tunisia
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/tunisia.html> . China and Russia
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> voted in favor,
while Britain, France
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/france.html> , Norway
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/norway.html> and Ireland
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/ireland.html> abstained. Ukraine
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/ukraine.html> did not take part
in the vote.
The draft revolution requests U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to consult
Palestine and Israel on immediate and substantive steps to implement the
resolution and to report to the council within one month.
It expresses the council's "readiness to act upon receipt of the report to
set up an appropriate mechanism to protect Palestinian civilians, including
through the establishment of a United Nations observer force".
The draft was polished during extensive consultations between the NAM caucus
and concerned parties in the past several days.
In the draft, the council expresses its grave concern at the continuation of
tragic and violent events since September 2000, which resulted in deaths and
injuries, mostly among Palestinians.
It also expresses grave concern at the dire economic and humanitarian
situation due to the closures of the occupied Palestinian territories, and
at the expansion of Israeli settlements in the territories.
Calling for the immediate cessation of all acts of violence and the return
to the positions which existed before September 2000, the council urges a
resumption of negotiations within the Middle East peace process.
The draft appeals to Israel and Palestine to implement "promptly and without
preconditions" the understandings reached at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit last
October.
It asks the international donor community to extend rapid economic and
financial aid to the Palestinian people.
The Palestinians have been pushing for the dispatch of a UN military
observer force to check the violence in West Bank and Gaza as the six-month
conflict left more than 400 dead and caused severe economic losses to the
Palestinians.
Speaking after the vote, US acting ambassador to the UN James Cunninggham
said the US veto was based on the reason that it sees the NAM initiative
"unbalanced, unworkable and hence unwise".
In December 2000, a Palestinian call for a UN observer force failed to get
the minimum number of votes required for adoption in the 15-member council.
Palestinian representative Al-Kidwa said the Palestinian side still welcomes
Annan to continue his efforts in helping seek solutions to the Middle East
conflict.
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