The visit of President Jiang Zemin to the US in October appeared to have been a success, marking a significant decrease in tension between the two countries. In the course of his meetings with President George W Bush, Jiang secured an explicit commitment to the "One China" principle, by which the US recognises that Taiwan […]
Category: Politics & Society
The Taiwan authorities have agreed to allow chartered flights to operate to and from the mainland to help carry the many Taiwanese wanting to return home during busy periods such as the Chinese New Year. The carriers will have to stop over in Macau or Hong Kong and the move still requires the approval of […]
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Jiang makes way for Hu
At the 16th congress of the Chinese Communist Party held in Beijing in November, President Jiang Zemin retired as head of the Communist Party to be replaced, as expected, by his prot�g� Vice-President Hu Jintao. The party described the handover as its first rule-based transfer of power. At the same time, Li Peng, Chairman of […]
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The pensions gap
With the ratio of retirees to active workers rising, China faces ever more severe problems in funding pensions benefits for retired workers. The looming crisis in China's pension system is beginning to attract more attention in the Western press – most often when retirees at state-owned enterprises stage protests to demand the payment of overdue […]
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FBI sets up Beijing base
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an office in Beijing at the end of October, South China Morning Post said. The role of the office is to work with the Chinese government to stop drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorism. Speaking at the opening ceremony, US Attorney-General John Ashcroft praised the Chinese government's co-operation […]