Today's Shanghai | News(1997)

1997---August

On August 28, a formerly headmaster, Mr. Liu Zunian, became the 500,000th cellphone user in Shanghai. Only five years ago, there were only 10,000 users.

The meeting for the Political Bureau of the Communist Party on August 27 suggested that the 15th Plenary Meeting of the Party be held on September 12.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the would-be highest building in the world, Shanghai Global Financial Center, expected to be completed in 2001 at a height of 460 meters, was held on August 27. Present at the foundation-laying ceremony are its investors, most of them Japanese companies, and city leaders.

As September 1 (the beginning of a new semester) approaches, the State Education Committee issued a statement that prohibits the presence of electronic toys (such as Tamagotchi) in classrooms across the country.

Thanks to computer networks, Shanghai's information industry receives a new boost. Shanghai Online, an AOL-like commercial online service is a star witness of such rapid development. Founded less than one year ago, it has 8,000 subscribers and its home page received more than ten thousand hits a day.

In the past five years, the number of highrises in Shanghai doubled. It is expected to reach 2000 by the end of this year.

Mayor Xu Kuangdie made a keynote speech in the recent meeting for the high-tech industry. He pointed out the importance of high tech to the development of the city. He also outlined the blueprint for the industry: by the year 2000, the output of high-tech industry should account for more than 20% in the total industrial output.

Shanghai Automobile Group launched its fall sales campaign for its brandname car, Santana, in the Beijing and northeast taxi market. It aims to increase the percentage of Santana 2000 in the national taxi industry.

Foreign enterprises, or even joint ventures, were not supposed to deal in the import and export business in Shanghai. But it is history. Recently three joint ventures were allowed to participate in this prospering business.

According to a recent survey conducted among the education circle, 88% of the teachers and 73.2% of the students among the respondents think highly of the education reform carried out among universities and colleges.

Shanghai medical instruments industry has developed rapidly in recent years with the help from modern science and technology.

Fake brandname goods worth $1.4 million were destroyed earliest this week at the meeting to fight against imitation products.

Shanghai Airlines, the first local airline in China, has got approval to fly overseas. The routes, however, will be confined to Hong Kong, Macao and some Southeastern Asian countries.

More than 2,100 Shanghai residents married foreigners last year, up 67 percent from 1991, according to a survey by the city's civil affairs bureau.

The 11th Typhoon of the season hit Shanghai and coast of neighbouring Zhejiang Province on Monday evening. The windforce near its centre exceeded force 12. Accordingly, the cities suffered great disaster.

The first flame of the Eighth National Games was lit on August 12, 1997 outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, the venue of Hong Kong's official handover on July 1.

China's biggest shipping conglomerate, dubbed a shipping "aircraft carrier", comprising Shanghai Shipping(Group) Co., Guangzhou Shipping (Group) Ltd., Dalian Shipping (Group) Co., China Shipping International Marine Technology Service Ltd. and ZhongJiao Marine Industry, was set up in Shanghai on August18,1997. It'll help the city became an international shipping center.

Doctors at the Shanghai Shuguang Hospital can now treat patients thousands of miles away through a multimedia computer network using special software designed by the Shanghai Act Science & Technology Co.. That allows doctors to see and talk to the patients through a telecamera and a microphone.

After five years of efforts, Shanghai has set up 300 air routes to 97 cities at home and abroad. Currently, Hongqiao Airport serve forty-one overseas and domestic airlines including carriers from the United States, Germany, Japan, Australia, Austria, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao.

The eastern section of elevated highway on Yan'an Road, the city's No 1 municipal project this year, will be completed within 100 days.

A major environmental protection project - Shanghai's shipping sewage disposing project - has gone into operation after receiving approval from the Ministry of Communications.

China United Telecommunications Corps will break the monopoly of the city telephone service and that could mean lower prices for customers. The company expects to install its own exchange of 100,000 lines in the city by the end of next year.

The municipal government is determined to collect more taxes to enhance this year's budgetary income from individuals and foreign-related firms, and the trade and real estate sectors.

China's largest botanical garden for the blind is being built in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province. The garden covering 9,000 square metres, donated about $100,000 will be completed next spring.

Mayor Xu Kuangdie inspected some of the stadiums built for the Eighth National Games. He also expressed thanks to those construction workers and volunteers on spot.

Shanghai Post and Telecommunications Bureau recently donated RMB 19,970,000 to the organizing committee of the Eighth National Games. And postal workers promised that they will provide the best service they can deliver to ensure the success of the sports event.

A marketing war has been going on for months among manufacturers of VCD machines, players of compact video disks. Some sellers have dropped the unit price to as low as US$60.

1997 "China Complex", a new event during the forthcoming '97 Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival, will feature the famous national brands in the garments industry.

Decorated-car parade will still be one of the most appealing activities during the '97 Shanghai Tourism Festival. About 30 such cars will take part in the crowd-drawing parade.

The latest statistics show that in the first six months this year 225 people from Shanghai were invited to Taiwan for 53 cooperative activities in cultural, educational, scientific and technological, as well as aviation and postal fields.

Foreign-funded firms are becoming the backbone of the city's foreign trade. The past six months witnessed a 30-percent increase in exports which now topped US$2.5 billion.

A recent survey shows that some 40 percent of manufacturers in the city intend to put more investment over the next six months.

Intel Corp. introduced a version of anti-virus software this week in Shanghai during a seminar in Jing'an Hilton.

Local industry is expected to grow at a rate of 14 percent annually in the next three years to produce output worth US$90.4 billion in 2000.

Making international phone calls is costing less than usual. Post and telecommunications authorities in Shanghai have announced their reduction in charges for nighttime international calls in an experiment from August 1 to October 31.

Overseas funds, advanced technologies and management are the key factors to develop Shanghai into an international financial, economic and trade center, a local economist recently said.

The '97 International Children's Arts Festival opened early this month. About 1,500 children from 14 countries took part in the event.

More Shanghai enterprises are heading westward. They are putting more investment in inland provinces such as Yunnan.

In order to promote the cultural education for the local citizens, the city government has been successful in helping more libraries and bookstores built across the city.

Shanghai Port achieved about 1.12 million TEU in the past six months, a 31.31% increase over the same period last year.

Shanghai Commodity Inspection Bureau has recently announced its decision to protect 34 brand names owned by local companies. They include Conch (shirt), White Cat (detergent), Hero (pen), Phoenix (bicycle), White Elephant (battery), Zhonghua (cigarette), and so on.

Shanghai Education Development Foundation will spend US$1.9 million this year, mainly for higher education.

Shanghai ferreted out more than 1,200 smuggling cases from early last year to this June. The total amounted to about US$176 million.

Shanghai has worked out an outline for a new round of economic development projects in its efforts to become an international economic, trade and financial center.

Shanghai's economy will continue to grow at a rapid rate in the third quarter this year. The expected rate is 13 percent.

The pen and pencil industry in flourishing in Shanghai and neighboring provinces because of the increasing affluence in this region.

August 1 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. Municipal leaders go to the barracks to celebrate the holiday together with the soldiers.

The site for Pudong International Airport has been proved by scientists to be reasonable and environmental-friendly. Seven measures will be taken to keep environmental balance and protect the annual migration of birds.

China will set up a social security system to meet the needs of a market economy and nation's conditions.

More than 126 foreign entries have been submitted for the film contest during the third Shanghai International Film Festival, a ten-day event in late October.

The city will put more money (approximately US$2.4 million) this year in basic science research, an increase of 25 percent from that of last year.

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