News digest

Convention center set for major role

The China National Convention Center in Beijing was experiencing a few days of calm in early November before becoming the hive of activity during the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Week.

Starting on Nov 5, six of the seven days of meetings will be held at the former Beijing Olympics facility, including the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting, the Ministerial Meeting, the APEC CEO Summit and the APEC Business Advisory Council Dialogue with Leaders.

The center, which has hosted numerous exhibitions, conventions and commercial activities, will also provide catering services to more than 73,000 people during the week.

The center has been preparing for the APEC events since October 2013. Its working groups have visited Indonesian island Bali as well as Chinese cities Shanghai, Ningbo and Qingdao to meet various event organizing committees and local convention center operators.

Liu Haiying, CEO of the China National Convention Center, said the CNCC has improved its facilities based on the demands of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week, experience of catering to high-level events as well as the lessons they learned from these visits.

Zambia's bank chief calls for better know-how

At a three-day meeting of finance and fund managers and senior bankers, Zambia's central bank chief said Africa must improve its technical knowledge and skills to support its economic revival.

The meeting, organized by the African Export-Import Bank and the Bank of Zambia, created a platform to structure trade deals.

Michael Gondwe, the central bank governor, said at the start of the meeting that trade and export development was crucial to the continent's economic revival, which creates the need for technical knowledge and skills.

"It is worth noting that banks have an important role in fostering cross-border trade and that means Africa having a breed of banks with the right knowledge and skills to support African traders in their cross-border trade transactions," he said.

"Given the risky, competitive global and African banking environments, African banks are compelled to update their knowledge and skills to enable them to offer innovative and tailor-made financial and technical assistance to their clients."

Scientists to discuss building radio telescope

Kenya will host space science officials from nine African countries to discuss establishing the world's largest radio telescope.

Dubbed the Square Kilometer Array, the radio telescope project is a venture between African countries, the European Union, China, Australia and Canada.

Conceived in 2006, the project will collect data within a square kilometer radius and will be 10,000 times more powerful than existing radio telescopes.

"Senior officials and scientists will explore ways to consolidate Africa's support toward a project that will elevate space technology to a new level. The radio telescope project will bring large capital investments and create jobs," said Paul Baki, National SKA Technical Committee chairman.

"The Square Kilometer Array project will have multiple benefits in the fields of aviation, biomedical research, land surveying and telecommunications," said Baki.

Trade ties with Morocco to grow

China will expand its cooperation with Morocco to step up bilateral ties, visiting Chinese top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng said.

Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was on a three-day visit in Rabat. He met Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Nov 4 and separately held meetings with Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and President of the Chamber of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami on Nov 3. He has also held talks with Mohamed Cheikh Biadilla, president of the Senate of Morocco.

Yu said the two countries have cooperated in the areas of politics, economy and cultural exchanges since establishing diplomatic ties 56 years ago.

King Mohammed VI and other Moroccan leaders pledged closer cooperation with China.

China urges dialogue in Burkina Faso

China called on all parties in the West African country of Burkina Faso to resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation to restore order following recent mass protests.

Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore resigned on Oct 31 and fled to Cote d'Ivoire following days of mass protests over his bid to amend the nation's Constitution to extend his 27-year rule.

The military on Nov 1 appointed Lieutenant Colonel Issaac Zida to lead an interim government, a move that triggered demonstrations on Nov 2 with protesters pressing the military to cede power and a return to civilian rule.

China hopes all parties in Burkina Faso can resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation to restore order, national stability and development, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

The African Union urged the army in Burkina Faso on Nov 3 to transfer power to civilians within a two-week period.

Top adviser meets Algerian officials

Chinese top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng said the legislative bodies of China and Algeria will promote exchanges and boost bilateral cooperation.

Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, arrived at Algiers on Nov 1 and met with Abdelkader Bensalah, chairman of the Council of Nation of Algeria.

According to an official with the Chinese delegation, Yu and Bensalah exchanged their views on bilaterial ties and agreed to further cooperation.

Yu also was set to meet with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, the official said.

Algeria was the first leg of Yu's four-nation tour in North Africa and the Gulf region. He was traveling to Morocco, Bahrain and Jordan.

Reform favored over stimulus, hints Li

The economy will not be given massive government stimulus in the face of slowing growth, Premier Li Keqiang signaled at a symposium in Beijing on Nov 4.

Instead, he said he is pinning his hopes on a quicker pace of reform.

During the meeting with economists and business leaders, Li said more efforts should be made to "boost the quality and efficiency of the economy and the improvement of people's lives".

More support should be given to new technologies and sectors to make them new "engines" of China's economy, while traditional industries like agriculture, manufacturing and services should strengthen their competitiveness, Li said.

Intellectual propertycourts set to open

China's top court has accelerated the process of setting up intellectual property rights courts to handle disputes in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province before the end of the year.

The Supreme People's Court has carried out extensive research and held discussions with many legal experts on the issue.

In August the top legislature selected Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong as the first places to where the courts would be set up.

The court in Beijing will start to operate before Nov 10, said Wang Chuang, deputy chief judge of the intellectual property tribunal under the Supreme People's Court.

The capital's intellectual property court in Haidian district, home to many technology giants and colleges, appointed 25 judges last month, the Beijing Times reported.

China Daily-Agencies

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/07/2014 page2)