Today's Shanghai | News(1997)

1997---June

On the night of June 30 there will be about 100 chorus groups along the Huangpu River singing patriotic songs in a gesture of welcoming Hong Kong's return the next morning.

Pudong New Area has been the center for investments from Hong Kong. People in the area have hung up banners and slogans, expressing their best wishes for the return of Hong Kong.

The last seven days away from July 1 witness the festival atmosphere in Shanghai. Signs of countdown are to be seen everywhere.

After three years of construction, the city's third suspension bridge across the Huangpu River opens to traffic on June 24. The 6,017-meter Xupu Bridge links Sanhang Road in Pudong New Area and the intersection of Longwu and Puxi roads in southwest Xuhui District.

Corporate consolidation is spreading throughout the country, driven by a government policy that encourages acquisitions, standardized bankruptcy procedures and new jobs for the laid-off.

The ninth Multinational Instrumentation Conference and Exhibition opened on June 23 under the sponsorship of the China Instrument SOciety, Oriental-Western Promotion Ltd. and the Machinery Branch of the China Instrument Society.

International United Online Corp. intends to beef up the ISP business in Shanghai by forming a local branch which now has already signed up 1,500 clients.

The traditional concept of having more children for security at old age is changing quickly in rural Shanghai as more people turn to an old age pension system.

Shanghai Petrochemical Co. is taking technological upgrading programs that will enable it to become China's largest producer of ethylene, polypropylene fiber, and acrylic fiber.

Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, located in northern Pudong New Area, has expanded its area from 5.5 to 6.4 square kilometers.

Hong Kong now has become the largest investor in Shanghai and second largest trading partner. The traditional economic cooperation between the two cities has been stepped up.

Theme parks are now attracting fewer visitors as before. Because of their high-priced tickets and the number of theme parks that opened in Shanghai, some have to close as a result of the scarcity of visitors.

Opium War, a historical recount of the Opium War, is about to be projected in major cinemas. Its premiere was held at Shanghai Film City on June 16.

There are now about 1000 training centers in Shanghai that provide retraining and re-careering courses for those laid-off workers.

A new term describing the cultural activity in Shanghai has surfaced. It is called "plaza culture". People throughout the city are now holding various kinds of celebrations at those plazas. Such activities will climax on the nights of June 30 and July 1 when Hong Kong is returned to the motherland.

In 1998, all taxis in Shanghai will adopt the charging system by using IC cards. Invoices will be history.

Many shopping centers in Shanghai now provide tailoring services. Many shoppers have gradually formed the habit of coming to shopping malls to have their clothes made.

Shanghai undertook a US$22 million housing initiative on June 16 to provide bigger apartments for residents now living in cramped rooms.

The first national research center dedicated to identifying potential drug-making substances will be set up in Shanghai. The screening center will be a major step in achieving self-sufficiency in new drugs.

The country's first legislation governing property management, passed recently by the Shanghai People's Congress, is to take effect on July 1. The law will clarify the rights and obligations of those who own and manage property.

Last month about 157,200 overseas tourists visited Shanghai, a 17.4 percent increase from last year.

Last month Shanghai approved 130 foreign-invested projects, according to the Shanghai Foreign Investment Commission.

The sprawling Central Green Site park project in Pudong's Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone has become a focus of public attention as it nears completion.

'97 Shanghai Travel Festival will be given from November 2 to November 8. The scope of the festival is expected to be far larger than last year's.

More than 20 global carmakers will bring along 50 of their state-of-the-art automobiles when they gather here in Shanghai for Auto Shanghai '97, which will open on June 11 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center and the Shanghai International Exhibition Center.

Hong Kong's return makes headlines news almost every day. People of all walks of life are waiting for the historic moment twenty days later.

Flag manufacturers throughout the countries are working overtime to finish their orders to make flags to Hong Kong Special Administrative District, Hong Kong's official name after it is returned to the motherland.

Starting from this month, car buyers can purchase a Santana 2000 at a price that is US$1000-2000 lower than the previous price.

The two days at the weekend has provided local residents opportunities to unwind in neighboring scenic spots. Last year, about one million residents spent their weekends in tourist cities such as Hangzhou and Suzhou in nearby Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

Shanghai Police have recently announced its determination in cracking down crimes in summer. Throughout the first few months this year, the police department has handled about 7000 cases.

ATM (automated teller machine) is not new in Shanghai. Throughout the cities there have been installed hundreds of such machines. Nevertheless, local residents seem to be uninterested in the new gadget. Experts suspect that the underlying reason is that most of them are cyberphobic, afraid to operate through computerized financial transactions.

Anti-corruption has recently been a hot topic. One director from the central anti- corruption office wrote an article suggesting three ways to combat corruption at various levels of the governmental departments.

The suburbs of Shanghai witnessed a boom in its economic development in the recent years. Many trans-national corporations have settled down there with local offices. Its industrial output last year contributed about 40% to that of the city.

Statistics show that last year vehicle ownership increased dramatically. There were 464, 261 trucks, 204,300 cars, 5,889,820 bicycles and 477,564 mopeds.

To find job openings has become easier thanks to networks. The job agencies in Shanghai have been networked and job seekers can use the terminal to log on the network to view the 600 pieces of job information that is updated daily.

Shanghai Charity Foundation has developed a lot since it was founded three years ago. Up till now, it has collected about US$13 million donations and it will subsidize more than 10,000 families during the rest of this year.

Nanshi District has been tapping its tourism potential. Relying on one of the city's most bustling commercial cities, Yuyuan, the district has been restoring and renovating famous historical structures in order to attract more visitors.

The construction of Zhoujiazui Road has been recently completed. As the first major project finished this year, the road facilitates the traffic flow between Yangpu District and the city proper.

Shanghai has maintained almost zero inflation this year, allowing the city to gather the final momentum for new economic takeoff. Key economic indicators such as the gross domestic product (GDP) and industrial output and sales all posted double-digit growth while the price index dropped to the lowest level in the 1990s.

Twenty-seven percent of retail goods inspected in a recent sweep by authorities were found to be substandard or even shoddy. The government has promised to impose severe punishment for those seller.

Shanghai must redouble its efforts to develop public transit if it is to loosen congestion on its street, a senior government official says. The city suffers from chronic traffic jams even though it has built a subway and elevated highways downtown and enlarged its urban road system.

Ke Shouliang, a name that was unknown to people throughout the country a few days ago, now has become a household name. His feat of driving across the Yellow River attracted national attention on June 1.

The 4th Shanghai Home Computer Show will be held at Shanghai Exhibition Center from July 25 to 29. The show aims to popularize the use of computer at home.

The Shanghai female volleyball team wound up as the champion of the Eighth National Games which will be held later this year in Shanghai. They fought fiercely against the PLA team.

As Hong Kong will return to the motherland within 30 days, experts from the economic circle of both cities are exploiting more opportunities for co-operation between these two metropolises.

1.83 million children in Shanghai led a happy holiday on June 1. Primary and high schools in the city organized students to attend various kind of activities either for holiday celebration or for the return of Hong Kong.

Shanghai's universities boast more than ten thousand professor and associate professors. But many of them, devoted to academic research, don't give lectures to undergraduates. Some educators are now suggesting that students be allowed to attend lectures delivered at other universities.

Debates are still going on over the school bags of students. Many teachers are arguing that students should have less books in their school bags. Nowadays, students are required to carry to school many miscellaneous exercise books along aside with their textbooks.

Electronic pets are entering Shanghai's market. But due to the high prices, few people buy them.

The environment within the Inner-ring Road in Yangpu District is getting better thanks to the relocation of 29 factories emitting either polluted air or water.

Coca-Cola China Ltd., headquartered in Shanghai, is once again sponsoring a nationwide youth soccer league. One round of preliminary matches of the '97 Coca-Cola Youth Soccer League ended last Friday in Nanjing and Dongguan in Guangdong Province.

City port authorities will embark on a new project in Wuhaogou in Pudong to build 20 berths for container ships.

Cosmetic products are selling well. According to retail statistics, the sales of cosmetics in Shanghai equal those of video recorders, cameras, water heaters and motorbikes.

Shanghai Dazhong is the major player in China's car industry. The production for its new model Santana 2000 has been 80% nationalized. It produced the 800000th Santana on May 30. It has become the largest domestic car maker.

Patterned after "Silicon Valley", China's "Medicine Valley", located in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park in Pudong New Area, has been playing an ever-increasing role in the medicine industry. This year's output is expected to reach US$120 million.

Dongfang(Orient) Road, located in Pudong New Area, has recently been regarded as the city's fourth commercial street, after Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road and Sichuan Road. Besides, the only job market in the area is also located at the street.

Seven foreigners have been made honorary citizens of Shanghai for their great contributions to the city's economic and social development.

With less than a month before Hong Kong returns to China, Shanghai is stepping up its efforts to strengthen economic co-operation with the territory.

Most people in Shanghai now prefer domestically manufactured color TV sets to their foreign counterparts, according to a recent survey on the shopping habits of the local residents.

The 26-years-old notorious stalker and killer Wei Guangxiu confessed to the crimes in a seven-hour trial on May 27 in Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, giving judges details on when, where and how he assaulted his victims. He was sentenced to death.

June 1 is the International Children's Day. About 1000 honored students attended the celebration meeting during which Vice-major Meng Jianzhu delivered a speech.

A new concept in health promotion was brought out. Shanghai Y Wellness Club, in the Shanghai Youth Cultural Activities Center building in southern downtown, encourages people to pursue wellness - a combination of strong body, healthy spirit and acute mind.

A new park in Pudong New Area that contains the biggest expanse of green space in urban Shanghai will be open to public in time to welcome Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty.

Through March, 891 Hong Kong-invested companies had been set up in Pudong New Area (excluding Waigaoqiao), representing 43 percent of all foreign-invested companies in the new area.

Although a relatively low proportion of people in Shanghai carry the hepatitis B virus, the city is still highly vulnerable to the disease, a senior medical official has warned.

In honor of the 16th anniversary of the death of Madame Soong Ching-ling, the late honorary Chinese President, a memorial hall in her old residence was officially opened.

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