Today's Shanghai | News(1997)

1997---October

Preparations for '97 Shanghai Tourists' Festival, scheduled on November 2, have been fully completed. This year's main sponsor is Nanshi District which has focused the festival's main activities on several of its brand-name scenic spots such as Yu Garden.

'97 Shanghai Science & Technology Festival will be held in the early part of next month. Its theme is "to explore ways to sustainable development".

The antique market on Fuyou Road, which has been an open-air one since its birth at the beginning of this decade, will soon be moved to Fangbang Middle Road's "Treasure House", an indoor market with a total area of 3,000 square meters.

The Municipality's anti-drugs committee recently held a meeting to announce its plans to crack down on drugs dealers and drugs addicts.

The list of China's top 500 foreign-invested businesses includes 56 companies from Shanghai. Shanghai Volkswagen is on the top of the list as the country's largest car maker.

On October 27 more than 600 tons of donated clothing were loaded on ships leaving for the disaster area in Chongqing and Yunan.

The Third Shanghai International Film Festival is being held. The film market was opened on October 27, and about 30 worldwide film makers attended the exchange.

This year's science & technology for adolescents will be held next month. About 1.5 million students ranging from pupils to college students will participate in it.

The city's education commission has released the latest news on the employment of this year's college graduates. More than 30,000 students found their jobs and there are still about 1,500 students who haven't found a job yet.

Mayor Xu Kuangdie met with the visiting Norwegian King Harald V. They talked about cooperating to clean up Suzhou Creek.

China's biggest shipping conglomerate, the Shanghai-based China Shipping Company, has set up two companies to expand its business.

Pudong's GDP reached US$4.8 during the first nine months this year, up 18 percent from that of the same period last year.

The Eighth National Games ends tonight. During the 12-day event, Shanghai Team won the first place, with 42 gold medals, which is followed by Liaoning Team and Shandong Team.

The closing ceremony for the Eighth National Games will be held tonight. More than 2,300 middle school students will take part in the performances.

In the first 9 months this year, Shanghai's retail business developed at a rate of 16.3%. The total retail sales reached about US$12 billion.

In the first three quarters this year, Pudong New Area reached a total gross domestic product of US$48 billion, up 19.8% over the same period last year.

The city government has been making unremitting efforts in improving the traffic situation, but there are still many problems. To help people have a better understanding of the traffic situation, members of the city's People's Congress suggested Shanghai Traffic Handbook be compiled.

The Bank of China recently announced that starting from October 23, interest rates will be reduced. It is the third reduction of interest rates since 1996.

Teachers in Shanghai will soon have better housing than most citizens and get a higher salary than government officials, thanks to a regulation approved by the Standing Committee of the city's People's Congress this week.

Five local greenhouses bought from Israel and Holland have produced about 1,750 tons of vegetables worth US$850,000 over the 12 months.

China's first medical research and treatment center on children's growth and development opened earlier this week at Shanghai's Ruijin Hospital which celebrated its 90th anniversary on October 23.

Last year, China sold 9.5 million refrigerators, 6.7 million air conditioners and 10.5 million washing machines. To boost the sales of household appliances, Confortec China '97, an international household appliance exhibition, opened at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center on October 23.

The city will convene its sixth plenary session of the 10th People's Congress in December. The members will elect deputies to the Ninth National People's Congress and new members for the city's 11th congress's Standing Committee.

Two million people in northeast Shanghai now have tap water thanks to a Sino-British project. The city's first foreign-0funded tap water project, Shanghai Bovis Thames Dachang Waterworks Co., Ltd. began its operation on October 22.

More than $40 billion in imports and exports passing through Shanghai Customs in the first nine months of 1997, up 15 percent over the same period last year.

The Third Shanghai International Film Festival will be held on October 24. Most of the 269 films from 43 countries and regions will make their debut.

The window on Shanghai, the Bund, is about to expand. The city plans to develop a 460-meter waterfront at the southern end of the Bund.

A survey on drinking habit reveals that wine is the second most popular alcoholic beverage and beer comes first. About 53 percent of those surveyed prefer beer to wine.

Shanghai Airlines will become the first airline in China to operate the Boeing Next- Generation 737. The airliner recently sighed a leasing agreement with the International Lease Finance Corp. of the United States.

Mr. Gong Xueping, the former vice-mayor of the city, now is the city's vice-secretary of the Communist Party of China.

President Jiang Zemin met with the vice-editor-in-chief of Times Corp., Henry Miller, in Shanghai West-Suburb Hotel on October 16. He was also interviewed by a Time magazine reporter.

Shanghai Huashan Hospital, the first hospital opened by the Red Cross Society of China, celebrated its 90th anniversary. Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Li Peng wrote inscriptions expressing appreciation for the hospital.

Scientists at a Shanghai tumor center say there is a possible link between the Epstein-Barr virus and breast cancer.

China's first exhibition of ceramic art is being held in Xiangyang Park. Many of the artistic works by modern artists are on display.

The spokesman for the Foreign ministry Mr. Shen Guofang announced that President Jiang Zemin, invited by the U.S. President William Clinton, will visit the United States of America from October 26 to November 2.

The first four days of the Eighth National Games witnessed fierce and yet friendly competition. Record-breaking in weight-lifting seems to be a piece of cake for women athletes.

On October15, President Jiang Zemin attended the foundation-stone laying ceremony for Pudong International Airport.

On October 14, Intel announced that it would increase its investment in its factory in Waigaoqiao to US$198 million, making the chip factory the largest one in the free trade zone.

The fourth National Sports Fine Arts Exhibition was held in Shanghai Museum. Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch attended the opening ceremony.

On the night of October 12, the grand opening ceremony for the Eighth National Games was held. Millions of viewers nationwide watch it.

Shanghai planners expect the city's economic growth to outpace 12 percent this year. Statistics show that the city reported a GDP of US$28.77 billion from January to September, a surge of 13.1 percent over the same period last year.

The National Day has brought a sudden increase of visitors. According to the latest statistics, more than 1 million residents spent the four-day holiday traveling in scenic spots in neighboring provinces.

UN's Second "Urban Environment Forum" was held in Shanghai on October 7. About 200 representatives from more than 70 cities worldwide attended the forum.

Shanghai Online, a local online commercial service, has announced the website for the exclusive coverage of the Eighth National Games. The address is http://8th-Ngames.online.sh.cn.

Psychological education is called for among medical students thanks to a study recently released. The study found that more than 30 subjects said "Yes" to "Are you often troubled psychologically."

The beginning of October saw the increasing of coverage on the Eighth National Games which is only five days away. As delegations have arrived, the service industry in Shanghai have been trying to create a better image of the largest city in China.

The Yan'an Road section of the elevated road is about to be completed. Hopefully it will alleviate crowded traffic during the Eighth National Games.

"How many schools of opera existed or are there in China" has puzzled researchers for decades. Now a recent book published by Shanghai Art Research Institute and Cishu Publishing House has provided an exact figure: 335.

The local industrial sector is expected to turn out goods worth US$15.8 billion in the remaining three months this year, said Xu Zhiyi, director of the Shanghai Economic Commission.

The textile industry, the sector which has so far produced many laid-off workers, is reviving itself through adopting innovative technology to develop new products so as to establish a solid foothold in the competitive market.

Scientists with Shanghai Innovation Association have developed a device that automatically sort domestic waste and recycle certain items.

Three years of health-care reform has saved the city US$362 million in medical costs, said an official from the Shanghai Medical Security Bureau. The growth rate of medical fees has dropped from 51.5% in 1993 to 15%.

The city will invest US$24 million to treat six tributaries to Suzhou Creek that are major sources of pollution.

An international electronics and telecommunications exhibition will be held at ShanghaiMart next June. This show is sponsored by China Institute of Communications, Shanghai Telecommunications Industry Office and Shanghai Posts and Telecommunications Administration Bureau.

Freshmen in Shanghai's colleges and universities are students who take their studies seriously, according to a poll published in Wenhui Daily.

Shanghai attracts millions of tourists each year although it is disadvantaged as far as its attractions is concerned. Its appeal lies mostly in its bustling commercial streets and ever-increasing skyscrapers. From January to July, 920,000 foreign tourists visited to Shanghai.

Shanghai Online, China's AOL, has been visited by 2,000,000th visitor after one-year operation. It now receives 12,000 to 15,000 hits each day and has a registered membership of 12,000.

Jiading District is developing six pillar industries to push forward its economy. They are automobiles, electronics, metals, fine chemicals, telecommunications cables and garments.

The city completed 10 water conservation projects worth US$434 million during the past five years.

The first eight months witnessed fast growth in Waigaoqiao. The free-trade zone received US$3.6 billion in investment from 3,027 projects.

Starting from October 1st, many gas stations began to sell leadless gasoline, which is a clear sign of the city's efforts to improve the environment.

"Watching lamps" is an event associated with holidays. This year's National Day presented local residents and tourists alike opportunities to view beautifully decorated lamps throughout the city, especially in the Bund.

Early on the morning of October 1st, thousands of people from various parts of the city attended the flag-raising ceremony in front of the City Hall.

October 1st marks the 48th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China. City leaders visited factories, sending holiday greetings to workers still working during the holiday.

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