From owner-cndpsu-l@LISTS.PSU.EDU Wed Mar 3 00:46:47 1999 Received: from LISTS.PSU.EDU (psuvm.psu.edu [128.118.56.2]) by gauss.casr.fau.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) with SMTP id AAA12988 for ; Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:46:46 -0500 Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by LISTS.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 8522; Wed, 03 Mar 99 00:44:28 EST Received: from LISTS.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 9682; Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:44:22 -0500 Received: from LISTS.PSU.EDU by LISTS.PSU.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8c) with spool id 7171 for CNDPSU-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU; Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:44:20 -0500 Received: from PSUVM (NJE origin SMTP@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 9656; Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:44:19 -0500 Received: from CND.ORG (207.151.78.100,55772) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Wed, 03 Mar 99 00:44:18 EST Received: (from daemon@localhost) by CND.ORG (8.8.5/8.7.3) id VAA14643; Tue, 2 Mar 1999 21:45:09 -0800 (PST) Received: from cnd-d.cnd.org (cnd-d [24.128.209.202]) by CND.ORG (8.8.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id VAA14639; Tue, 2 Mar 1999 21:44:38 -0800 (PST) Received: (from ray@localhost) by cnd-d.cnd.org (8.8.8/8.8.0) id AAA05954 for cnd-g-lists@cnd-b.cnd.org; Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:42:40 -0500 Approved: cnd-editor@cnd.org X-URL: http://www.cnd.org/CND-Global/ X-Delivery-Notice: this mail was approved for CND-Global posting X-To: cnd-g-lists@cnd.org Approved-By: cnd-editor@CND.ORG Message-ID: <199903030542.AAA05954@cnd-d.cnd.org> Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 00:42:40 -0500 Reply-To: cnd-editor@cnd.org Sender: "China News Digest (Global Service) IV" From: CND-Global Editors Organization: China News Digest (CND) Subject: CND-Global, March 3, 1999 (GL99-027) To: CNDPSU-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ C h i n a N e w s D i g e s t +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ (Global News, No. GL99-027) Wednesday, March 3, 1999 ============================================================================ CND is a community-based free news/info service provided by volunteers. Views expressed are those of the contributor or the original author. Due to lack of staff, facts are not verified and readers' discretion is advised. All CND publications are copyrighted. Archiving and redistribution are hereby permitted provided that it is with proper acknowledgment to CND and that CND publications are not used in part or in whole to generate any form of revenue directly or indirectly. See trailer of this package for more information about CND and its services. ============================================================================ ISSN 1024-9117 Table of Contents # of Lines ============================================================================ 1. News Brief (3 Items) ................................................. 49 2. Albright: Better Progress When Rights and Trade Issues Not Linked .... 24 3. China Cuts Telephone, Internet Rates ................................. 28 4. WTO Considers Giving China Special Role .............................. 27 5. Official Media Broadcast Landmark Township Election .................. 24 6. Well-known Chinese Female Writer BING Xin Passes Away ................ 20 7. News from Taiwan (11 Items) .......................................... 53 8. What's in March 2nd's Hua Xia Wen Zhai Zeng Kan #168 (zk9903a) ....... 34 For CND Golf Shirt, see http://www.cnd.org/shirt or e-mail cnd-shirt@cnd.org ============================================================================ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. News Brief (3 Items) ................................................. 49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) UN Rights Commission Unlikely to Censure China (2) China Democracy Party Cancels National Forum (3) NPC and CPPCC to Hold Annual Sessions in Beijing (1) UN Rights Commission Unlikely to Censure China [CND, 03/02/99] Although the pressure to condemn China on its dismal human rights record has increased, foreign diplomats in Beijing do not believe that a censure motion would be brought to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday. "A motion is looking a lot more likely than a month ago and there is certainly far more support than a year ago. But there is still only a slim chance of it going to a vote," said a diplomat. The European Union diplomats are waiting to see especially what the U.S. will do in the Geneva meeting later this month. Most diplomats suspect that the U.S. government will not take any actions to condemn China. (DING Yungui, WU Yiyi) ____ ____ ____ (2) China Democracy Party Cancels National Forum [CND, 03/02/99] The China Democracy Party (CDP) announced the cancellation of a national forum on China's obligations to the United Nations covenants on human rights, AFP reported. In a faxed statement issued through the U.S.-based Free China Movement, the CDP cited "the harsh crackdown by the Communist government" as the reason. The International Covenants Discussion Forum had been scheduled between March 1st to 3rd. Two activists who are responsible for organizing the forum are still under police detention. (Jian-Min LI, YIN De An) ____ ____ ____ (3) NPC and CPPCC to Hold Annual Sessions in Beijing [CND, 03/02/99] The National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will open their annual sessions later this week in Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The opening day of the NPC session will be highlighted by the Government Work Report from Premier ZHU Rongji. Besides official reports, the government will present the NPC delegates proposals for six constitutional amendments. According the official Xinhua News Agency, these amendments are aimed to promote private enterprises, push the nation towards a law-ruling society and hold up the theories of the socialist market economy. Over 5,000 NPC deputies will take part in the meeting in the capital city. About two thousand of the deputies will join the CPPCC session, which will start on Wednesday and last for eight and a half days. The second plenary session for the Ninth NPC is scheduled to begin on Friday with the CPPCC members sitting in some of its meetings. Hong Kong's chief TUNG Chee-hwa will attend the NPC session as a non-voting delegate and be seated with the presidium. (LIU Weijun, WU Yiyi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Albright: Better Progress When Rights and Trade Issues Not Linked .... 24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CND, 03/02/99] U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright criticized Beijing over its increased crackdown on dissidents in the past months, but emphasized that the U.S. would not penalize China by holding back talks on China's World Trade Organization (WTO) entry, AP reported on Monday. "We determined some time ago that it was not a good idea to link human rights and trade and that we actually make better progress with both when they are not linked," said Albright at a news conference following the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister TANG Jiaxuan. Albright later met with Premier ZHU Rongji, aiming at reaching an agreement on WTO issues before Zhu's April visit to the U.S. Before meeting the Premier, Albright paid a visit to the studios of China Central Television (CCTV). She highly praised the CCTV for its "Focal Point" news programme, which frequently reveals corruption cases involving low-level officials. "I think what you are doing is very important and I salute you," Albright said. Albright will leave Beijing on Tuesday after meeting with President JIANG Zemin. (Xiayi KE, WU Yiyi). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. China Cuts Telephone, Internet Rates ................................. 28 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CND, 03/02/99] China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) announced new cuts for telephone rates effective Monday, according to the China Daily. The ministry cut the monthly charge of lines leased by Internet service providers (ISPs) by 111,600 yuan (US$13,446). The reduced rate will amount to 320,000 yuan (US$38,600) per month. Consequently, the monthly rate for a 60-hour internet account is to drop to four yuan (US$0.46), reduced by one yuan. The phone cuts will reduce phone installation and mobile phone access fees significantly. The phone installation fees in Beijing has been about 3,600 yuan, while the new rate is about 500 yuan. Calls to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan will be cut from 8.10 yuan to five yuan per minute. However, fees are not lowered for overseas calls. The cuts for domestic rates were due to an increasing complaint from consumers, according to a MII official. MII Minister WU Jichuan pledged that there would be a cut for international telephone rates in the future. Telephone users in China have steadily increased over the years. Last year, the number of telephone users reached 110 million, which translates to about one telephone for every 10 Chinese. (Dan WU, WU Yiyi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. WTO Considers Giving China Special Role .............................. 27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CND, 03/02/99] World Trade Organization may consider giving it a special role of "observer with privileges," the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing sources from Europe. The role would possibly give China the chance to make its views heard, but won't allow it the right to vote in negotiations, block proposals, or discussions. The WTO's last annual report revealed that for the first time, China was among the world's top 10 of both commercial service importers and merchandise exporters. It is also one of the world's largest clothing suppliers, capturing 18 percent of world's clothing exports. China's status as an important trading nation makes it difficult to exclude it from the WTO. The special role can be a way to alleviate members' growing tasks in negotiations as the Millennium approaches. Also as the WTO is busy implementing procedures to make the markets more open and accessible to foreign competition, many countries fear these actions would make it even more difficult for China to join. Negotiations for Beijing's membership has been going on for 12 years. If this year doesn't see a successful ending for Beijing, the special observer role will very likely be approved by the WTO. (LIU Yanping, WU Yiyi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Official Media Broadcast Landmark Township Election .................. 24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CND, 03/02/99] The China Central Television (CCTV) on Friday presented a documentary on the first township direct election one month after the secret ballots were cast in Buyun, Sichuan Province, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The state propaganda officials ordered a media blackout on the December election, fearing the story might serve as a bad example and affect stability. Yet, they recently changed their mind by giving approval to broadcast the footage. On December 31, 1998, 6,200 voters in the 11 villages of Sichuan's Buyun township gathered to directly vote for their chief. As a rule, the local party official should appoint the chief. The county people's congress will approve the appointment afterwards. Direct elections in China are limited to the village level. Sources from Beijing said senior Party members were split about the election. Some were in favour of recognizing the result. The majority agreed the approval should not send a wrong message that this practice is encouraged. (Jijun TANG, WU Yiyi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Well-known Chinese Female Writer BING Xin Passes Away ................ 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CND, 03/02/99] BING Xin, a well-known woman writer, passed away in Beijing on Sunday, February 28, at the age of 98, South China Morning Post reported on Monday. Born as XIE Wangying on October 5, 1900, Bing Xin has been regarded as one of the most famous women writer of the Chinese contemporary literature, especially children's literature. A representative piece of her work is "Letters to My Young Readers", a collection of 29 stories. Politically she is respected for her openness about her opinions. In the spring of 1989, she signed a petition for the release of WEI Jingsheng. She was known to hold an opposing view against the Three Gorges Dam project. She was the third major literary figure China lost in recent months, following the death of QIAN Zhongshu and XIAO Qian. Novelist BA Jin, 95, is one of the last from the older generation of literary figures. (Jim YANG, WU Yiyi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. News from Taiwan (11 Items) .......................................... 53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Taiwan's China News (03/01/99 - 03/03/99) Contributor: Chang-Jiu Chen; Abridged by: TIAN Yu. * Taiwan will make buying US-made Aegis warships its top priority, local newspaper reported. * Minister of Education LIN Ching-jiang said that Taiwan will have a 12-year compulsory education system in place by 2001. * Taiwan is a victim of narcotics rather than a transit point for drugs, law enforcement officials insisted. In a rebuttal of a US report which named Taiwan as a major drug-producing and drug-transiting area, officials from the Investigation Bureau pointed out that Taiwan's all-out efforts to crack down on narcotics have been acknowledged by US President Bill Clinton. * Chinese officials confirmed that Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman WANG Daohan's visit Taiwan will be postponed. The announcement follows accusations from Beijing that Taipei is insincere about improving cross-strait ties. * Taipei Mayor MA Ying-jeou may visit Hong Kong, but only as a private citizen, Taiwan's official news agency reported. * In a survey conducted by the Mainland Affairs Council last month, 65% of Taiwan citizens said they question Beijing's sincerity in talks across the Taiwan Strait, and more than 40% are opposed to the present dialogue between the two sides. * After a five-year silence, Central Broadcasting Systems resumed its Korean programming in what can be called diplomacy across the airways. * Foreign Minister Jason Hu headed off with a delegation to Macedonia to strengthen ties with the country through loans and a plan for economic cooperation in a three day trip. * Premier Vincent SIEW easily weathered a no-confidence motion mounted by opposition legislators and will spend the next year immune from another vote as stipulated in the Constitution. * Taiwan was delighted at a Beijing message which stated that it would send negotiators across the straits to pave the way for a landmark visit by a higher envoy. * Already fading from relevance, the late Chinese "generalissimo" CHIANG Kai-shek is about to suffer a fresh loss of face--the stripping of his smiling image from most Taiwan banknotes. A total revamp of Taiwan's currency for the next millennium, announced by the central bank, will focus on modern themes--high technology, sport and education. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. What's in March 2nd's Hua Xia Wen Zhai Zeng Kan #168 (zk9903a) ....... 34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _From: Hua Xia Wen Zhai Editorial Board Hua Xia Wen Zhai Zeng Kan (Supplement to CND Chinese Magazine) Special Issue #168 "Cultural Revolution Museum (XLVII)" March 2, 1999 ISSN 1021-8602 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents (zk9903a) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Zhang Zhixin's Tear ...............................................MO Li 2. Trifles in Guangdong During Cultural Revolution ............YUE Zhonghan 2. Research Document: Heterodox Thoughts During the Cultural Revolution (Part 8) ...............SONG Yongyi and SUN Dajin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CND-CM Executive Editor: HUA Xinmin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please send contributions to hxwz@cnd.org. Include your name and E-address in the Hz, or uuencoded GB or BIG5 file(indicate if you wish to be anonymous) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PDF version of this issue will be available via anonymous ftp from ftp.cnd.org [149.159.2.6] under /pub/hxwz/PDF-NEW, or canada.cnd.org [142.132.12.100] under /pub/cnd/hxwz/PDF-NEW. The filename will be ZK168.pdf. Use the URL ftp://ftp.cnd.org/pub/hxwz/PDF-NEW/ZK168.pdf for web access. Please Note that if you use Acrobat Reader, version 3.0 is required! 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