YUSHU, Qinghai - Reconstruction work began Tuesday in quake-devastated Yushu County in northwest China's Qinghai Province, bringing many homeless residents a hope to move into better, safer houses.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake on April 14 destroyed most of the structures in the county's Gyegu Town, the quake's epicenter.
Governor Luo Huining declared the start of the reconstruction program Tuesday morning at a foundation-laying ceremony held for the new neighborhoods to be built in Trangu and Ganda villages of the town.
The rebuilding of the two villages will be a pilot project for the whole region's reconstruction program, according to the governor.
The two villages were almost completely razed to the ground in the quake, which killed at least 2,200 people while leaving more than 100,000 homeless.
The new rural neighborhoods will be built on the debris of the two villages with planning, first-rate infrastructure and beauty, Luo said....
By Xie Yu (China Daily)
Comment from leader a demonstration of better cross-Straits ties
Beijing - Mainland experts on Monday hailed Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's pledge that the island will never ask the United States to help fight a war with the mainland, saying it demonstrates Ma's determination to push for better cross-Straits ties.
In a CNN interview, conducted entirely in English via video conference and broadcast on April 30, Ma, speaking from his office in Taipei, said that "we will continue to reduce the risks so that we will purchase arms from the United States, but we will never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan. This is something that is very, very clear."...
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-05/04/content_9804241.htm
It is called, NORMALIZING Ties.
(Xinhua)
BEIJING - Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA) opened its first tourism office on the mainland here on Tuesday.At the opening ceremony, mainland-based Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association (CTEA) announced that it would open a counterpart office in Taipei on Friday. "The establishment of the two offices is to help create a service channel, intensify promotion and increase service quality for cross-Strait tourism," said Janice Seh-jer Lai, head of the TSTA.
Shao Qiwei, the chairman of the CTEA, said the offices show that tourism between Taiwan and the mainland has entered into a normal and regular stage.
The number of Chinese visitors to Taiwan reached 385,000 during the first quarter, and could top 1 million by the end of this year, Shao said.
A total of 1.212 million mainland tourists have visited Taiwan since the it lifted a ban on mainland tourists in June 2008....
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-05/04/content_9809061.htm
Taiwan pledges not to seek US help in war
By Xie Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-04 07:22
Comment from leader a demonstration of better cross-Straits tiesBeijing - Mainland experts on Monday hailed Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's pledge that the island will never ask the United States to help fight a war with the mainland, saying it demonstrates Ma's determination to push for better cross-Straits ties.
In a CNN interview, conducted entirely in English via video conference and broadcast on April 30, Ma, speaking from his office in Taipei, said that "we will continue to reduce the risks so that we will purchase arms from the United States, but we will never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan. This is something that is very, very clear."...
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-05/04/content_9804241.htm
It is called, NORMALIZING Ties.
Taiwan opens first tourism office on mainland
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-04 20:59
BEIJING - Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA) opened its first tourism office on the mainland here on Tuesday.Shao Qiwei, the chairman of the CTEA, said the offices show that tourism between Taiwan and the mainland has entered into a normal and regular stage.
The number of Chinese visitors to Taiwan reached 385,000 during the first quarter, and could top 1 million by the end of this year, Shao said.
A total of 1.212 million mainland tourists have visited Taiwan since the it lifted a ban on mainland tourists in June 2008....
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-05/04/content_9809061.htm
Drought causes 'irreversible' damages
By Li Yingqing , Guo Anfei in and Wang Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-04 07:28
Animal and plant life in Yunnan might not be able to recover
KUNMING - The worst drought in 50 years in the southwestern province of Yunnan has damaged local diversity, provincial forestry officials said.
The severe drought has affected about half a million hectares of natural reserves, with shrinking wetland and water shortages for wildlife, according to the latest figures from the Yunnan provincial forestry bureau....
