From our archives

September 6, 1983

New rule facilitates applying for transnational marriage

A common Chinese citizen can marry a foreigner within a month of submitting an application, under a new regulation - the first of its kind issued last month.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Chinese applicant must produce a residence certificate and a certificate issued by the local county government or institution where he/she works, listing marital status, trade, work position and the name of his/her prospective marriage partner, and the foreign partner must hold a passport, certificate of nationality, residence permit, and certificate of marital status issued by a notary public of his home country.

Agricultural zoning nears completion

Agricultural zoning has been completed or is nearing completion in 86 percent of China's 2,100 counties, said a national conference in Beijing recently.

Since the beginning of 1982, 200,000 agro-technicians have been engaged in a nationwide survey of land and water resources and climatic conditions and other factors affecting agriculture to determine which kind of crops will give the highest yields in specific areas.

For example, Sichuan province has reduced its cotton-growing area by 120,000 hectares since 1981 as the zoning program showed the province is with high underground water level and excessive rainfall, which are not conducive to good cotton crops.

Processing boom at Pearl River

The Pearl River delta in Guangdong is booming as China's largest processing base for overseas firms, according to provincial authorities.

There are now more than 7,000 establishments with 200,000 workers operating on the 10,000-sq km delta at the mouth of the Pearl River.

More than $150 million in processing fees have been collected over the last few years.

(China Daily 09/10/2008 page9)