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China
Tops in Science and Technology Personnel
China’s science and technology personnel now numbers 38.5
million, with 1.09 million engaged in research and development,
respectively ranking first and second in the world. Though per
capita GDP in China amounts to just US $1,000, it is estimated
that its comprehensive science and technology innovation index
is equivalent to countries with per capita GDP levels of US $5,000
to 6,000. China has reached advanced levels in certain fields
like biology, aerospace and nanometer technology. The country
will organize the construction of a nuclear power station in the
next five years, and the production of civil aircrafts is included
in its science development plans for the next 15 years.
Shenyang
International Horticultural Expo Opens
The 2006 Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition opened
to tourists in the Qipan Mountain International Tourism Resort
in eastern Shenyang on April 30, 2006. The exposition will run
for six months until October 31st, during which time it is expected
to receive about 10 million visitors. The exposition takes the
theme: “Harmoniously Coexisting with Nature.” There
are over 100 specially constructed gardens at the expo, including
52 gardens typical to Chinese municipalities, provinces, Hong
Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and 23 gardens of Italy, Australia, Kenya,
Singapore and other countries and regions. There are also 25 theme
gardens showing traditional Chinese medicines, gardening techniques
and various environmental protection technologies. Some local
performances will be presented during the expo, and primary school
students from China and abroad will be admitted free of charge.
Aviation Compensation Increased in China
From March 28, 2006, China’s airlines raised their maximum
compensation limit for the death or injury of passengers on domestic
airlines from RMB 70,000 (US $8,750) to RMB 400,000 (US $50,000)
per individual, in accordance with a newly revised regulation
issued by country’s top aviation authority, the General Administration
of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC). A previous regulation was issued
in 1989 and later amended in 1993, but a huge gap remained in
the levels of compensation compared with international flight
operators. The newly revised regulation also raised the compensation
amount on individual passengers’ “carry-on baggage”
to RMB 3,000 (US $375) and RMB 100 (US $12.5) per kilogram of
checked luggage.
Great
Wall to be Remeasured
Experts from the Beijing cultural relics and architecture protection
and research institutes recently visited the Badaling section
of the Great Wall in an attempt to measure precisely the length
of the wall in Beijing. Over the next two years, the experts will
examine all of the sections of the Great Wall in Beijing to accurately
determine its height, length, building structure and condition.
Modern technology and instruments such as aeronautic remote sensing
tools and GPS technology will be used to aid their work. The Great
Wall in the Chinese capital was last measured in 1984 with simple
tools, and the determined length was 629 kilometers. It is expected
that the new technology will determine that it is in fact longer.
Re-treading
the Steps of Monk Xuanzang
This year marks the 1,342nd anniversary of the death of Monk Xuanzang,
the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk who made the historical pilgrimage
to India for the Buddhist scriptures via the Silk Road. To commemorate
his great contribution to the development of Chinese Buddhism,
Buddhist organizations from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao
and Taiwan are jointly holding and participating in a six-month
event titled “Walking the Path of Monk Xuanzang.” They
are putting on Buddhist musical events, holding Buddhist ceremonies
and presenting Buddhist exhibitions along the route of his pilgrimage,
aiming to further the development of the religion in China. The
route starts at Xi’an, the Tang Dynasty capital, crosses
into Pakistan and India, and ends at India’s Nalanda Monastery.
Upon their arrival in India, they will present The Platform Sutra
of the Sixth Patriarch, a classical Chinese Buddhism work, as
a gift to the Nalanda Monastery.
The Search
for Lost
Treasures
Throughout history, more than 10 million of China’s cultural
relics have been scattered in overseas countries. In a bid to
recover the lost articles, the Chinese Government established
the Overseas Lost Cultural Relics Rescue Fund has launched a “state
treasure recovery campaign” by organizing a group of antique
experts and collectors to visit these countries and bring the
treasures home. Their first stop was the Japanese capital of Tokyo,
where the 112th Japanese National Antique Fair was held between
May 3 and 5. Many Chinese antiques and cultural relics were auctioned
at the fair. A dozen antique collectors participated in the visit
to Japan, and the fund is also planning trips to Europe to recover
more of China’s national treasures.
Ten Millioin Students to Sit 2006 College Entrance Exam
During the 2006 College and University Enrollment Meeting, China’s
Minister of Education Zhou Ji estimated that some 10 million high
school students will participate in this year’s national
college entrance exam, a record high since the examination was
reintroduced in 1978. That figure is up from the 8.67 million
college hopefuls that sat last year’s exam, with 5.04 million
of those successfully finding a place in various colleges and
universities around the country.
More Help
for the Poor
The amendments China made to the Five Guarantees Granted to Farmers
came into effect on March 1, 2006. Under the amendments, impoverished
farmers will see improvements in government-funded social security.
The government will now provide food, clothing, housing, healthcare,
education, daily necessities, burial services and allowances to
the country’s most needy families. At the end of 2005, about
3.285 million people were covered by the Five Guarantee supply
system, and there were 32,572 nursing homes for the elderly in
rural China.
4th World
Choir Games to Be Held in Xiamen
The 4th World Choir Competition will be held in Xiamen, Fujian
Province, from July 15 to 26 this year. More than 400 choir groups
from 60 countries and regions will take part in the competition,
involving over 25,000 singers. There will be 26 competition categories,
including children’s choir, mixed choir, hymns, modern songs
and folk songs. Five large-scale concerts will be held during
the competition, while 150 smaller performances will be put on
in street squares. At the same time, Xiamen will also host the
World Choir Forum, and the China Wind Small Commodity Fair.
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