IN BRIEF (Page 2)

High hopes voiced for Xi's trip to US

President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States this month will produce fruitful results, according to China's Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai.

Cui told reporters that preparations for the visit are moving ahead quickly.

He did not reveal what the fruitful outcomes of Xi's visit would be, but said they would be "a pleasant surprise when made public".

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice visited China a week ago to prepare for the visit, and US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel visited Beijing Sept 5 to 6 to discuss issues relating to the president's trip.

Presidents meet to discuss bilateral ties

President Xi Jinping met with Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Sept 4 and urged the countries to boost bilateral relations.

Xi expressed appreciation for Kabila's attendance at the V-Day parade in Beijing on Sept 3, and said China is willing to work with his nation to deepen mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation, and to develop a strategic partnership to achieve win-win results.

The two sides are expected to keep close contact between high-level officials, promote strategic mutual trust, and act in close coordination on significant international and regional issues.

AU hails partnership for peace after donation

China has pledged $1.2 million to the African Union's Mission in Somalia. Smail Chergui, AU commissioner for peace and security, and Kuang Weilin, head of China's permanent mission to the AU, signed an agreement at the union's headquarters in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa on Sept 7.

Chergui thanked the Chinese government and recalled that in September last year the country also donated $2 million to support the AU's efforts to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and $1.2 million in January to the AU Peace Fund.

"This latest grant will help enhance the heroic efforts of Africa's soldiers for peace in Somalia," he said.

Training program for maternity medics

Twenty-two Ghanaian healthcare professionals have arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan province, to start a 90-day training course in maternity care.

The program, which runs from Sept 11 to Dec 9, is aimed at improving the professional knowledge and capabilities of medical workers in Ghana.

Since 2003, more than 3,500 Ghanaian officials, technicians and managerial personnel have been invited to China to attend seminars or training courses related to more than 20 fields. This year, more than 700 Ghanaians have benefited from Chinese human resources development cooperation programs.

Boreholes to help Rwandan families

Fifty-eight new boreholes, constructed by the Chinese government to benefit over 7,700 households in western and northern Rwanda, were opened on Sept 7.

The boreholes were made with a Chinese grant worth 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) signed in 2010.

The project was carried out by China Jiangxi Corp for International Economic and Technical Cooperation on behalf of Rwanda's Ministry of Natural Resources.

Twenty-eight of the boreholes were built in Musanze district, 17 in Nyabihu and 13 in Rubavu.

Agreement to boost cultural exchanges

China and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept 7, promising to promote cooperation by opening a cultural center. The Chinese center in Tunisia will be the second in northern Africa.

The countries' cultural ministers inked the document at an international art show about the Silk Road in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Luo Shugang, China's culture minister, said, "The Chinese center will be a platform for deepened cultural communication and cooperation between the two sides."

Deal with museums to promote exhibitions

Kenyan and Chinese museums are in discussions to promote the exchange of collections, Mzalendo Kibunja, director-general of the National Museums of Kenya, said on Sept 6.

He said a deal will be signed before the end of the year between his museum and the Palace Museum of Beijing and other museums in China.

"The agreement will facilitate Kenya's artifacts to be displayed in China and Chinese materials to be shown at Kenyan museums," he told Xinhua.

Kenya plans to hold a six-month exhibition in the three Chinese museums beginning December 2016. "The exhibition will display the country's diverse culture of 42 tribes and the oldest human fossils," he said.

Peacekeepersset off to Liberia

A team of 257 Chinese soldiers left Beijing on Sept 7 for a 12-month United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

They are the first team of the 18th batch of Chinese peacekeepers sent on tour since 2003, when China joined the peacekeeping mission in Liberia under the UN Security Council's Resolution 1509. The second team is scheduled to set off on Sept. 17.

The 18th batch has 508 soldiers - a 275-member engineering battalion, a 190-member transport battalion and a 43-member medical team. All personnel are from the People's Liberation Army Beijing Military Area Command.

Their mission includes infrastructure work such as road and bridge construction, repairs in residential areas and the country's airports, and reconditioning water and power facilities. The troops are also tasked with transporting personnel and materials, providing medical treatment, contagious and epidemic disease control and prevention.

New school brings education to 600 kids

About 600 children from Namibia's San community can now get an education thanks to a new primary school built by the China Youth Development Foundation.

The $1 million school was built at Tallismanus settlement in the eastern Omaheke region, about 414 kilometers from the capital, Windhoek.

About 27,000 San people, the oldest inhabitants of the region, live in Namibia today. The group has the lowest literacy rate (23 percent) in the country. The 2011 census showed only one in five San children attended school, largely because of discrimination and historical prejudices.

The foundation is a Chinese NGO that works with disadvantaged communities through its Hope Schools Project.

Robust growth forecast for outbound tourism

China, the world's biggest outbound tourism market, will continue to make rapid strides with trips and overseas consumption, according to a report.

This is despite a slowdown in the growth of outbound tourist trips in recent years.

The report said the number of Chinese outbound tourist trips reached 109 million last year, up by 11 percent on the previous year and accounting for 9.58 percent of international tourists.

The Market Research Report on Chinese Outbound Tourist Consumption (2014-2015) was released by the Beijing-based World Tourism Cities Federation.

China marks 50th year of Tibet autonomy

A grand ceremony kicked off Sept 8 in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the region's founding.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, delivered a keynote speech at the ceremony. China will deepen the battle against separatism and crack down on all kinds of separatist activities, Yu said.

The fight against separatism will be carried out according to law to firmly safeguard national unity and Tibet's stability, Yu said.

Chinese central authorities sent a congratulations message for the 50th founding anniversary of the Tibet autonomous region, stressing the Communist Party of China's leadership is the only way for Tibet to realize real autonomy.

China and Pakistan stage joint air exercise

The Chinese and Pakistani air forces held joint military training in China, a People's Liberation Army Air Force spokesman said.

Code-named Shaheen-IV, which means eagle in Urdu, the drill is the fourth of its kind between the two neighbors. The location was not disclosed.

It comes at a time when both countries have pledged to toughen their fight against threats including terrorism, separatism and extremism.

PLA Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke said: "The Chinese Air Force is ready to expand the scope and domains of cooperation with the air forces of countries around the globe to jointly address various challenges and crises."

Circular boosts dancing in public squares

Four ministerial-level departments, including the Ministry of Culture and General Administration of Sport, issued a circular on Sept 6 regulating dancing in public areas. Dancing in public square is a popular community activity for Chinese people, especially among female senior citizens. The circular said the dancing is encouraged in China and local authorities should provide convenient outdoor venues and facilities for residents. The circular urged local governments to offer free lessons and promote the creation of more dance routines.

Pricey gift cakes out, watchdog warns

High-priced mooncakes are prohibited as gifts for officials during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 27 this year, according to a notice issued by the Information Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog. The commission solicited help from the media nationwide to perform a watchdog role, detecting and publicizing breaches of austerity rules.

Cargo train returns to SW China from Europe

A cargo train consisting of 41 carriages completed its first laden voyage from the city of Lodz, Poland to Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan province, on Sept 6.

The train, carrying mostly food and beverages including beer and cookies, took 16 days to travel the 9,826-kilometer Chengdu-Europe cargo line.

The Chengdu-Europe express railway service started in April 2013. So far, a total of 106 cargo trains have traveled to Lodz from Chengdu, exporting goods worth $693 million, but all have returned to China empty, according to Wan Wenjun, deputy manager of the Chengdu-Europe express railway company.

Guidelines issued to promote big data

The State Council has issued guidelines to boost the development and promotion of big data, it announced in a statement released on Sept 5. The framework, ratified by Premier Li Keqiang, aims to forge a new model for social governance in the upcoming five to 10 years while highlighting accurate management and multidimensional cooperation.

Special fund to help poor minors in lawsuits

Shanghai High People's Court and the Children's Foundation of Shanghai have launched a special fund to support cash-strapped minors involved in lawsuits and criminal cases.

It is the first attempt in the country to establish a cohesive mechanism involving judicial aid and social assistance to support disadvantaged children who are involved in civil lawsuits or fall victim to crime.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/11/2015 page2)