Today's Shanghai | News(1998)

1998---July

Continuous heavy rains compounded the situation in the flooded areas of Hubei Province, Hunan Province and Jiangxi Province, each of which has so far suffered a loss of at least US$1.5 billion.

Shanghai Grand Theater, another landmark in Shanghai's central area, is built with a total investment of US$145 million. It will stage its first opera at the end of August.

The city is widely carrying out the system of quality guarantee for newly-built residential buildings. Homeowners can sue real-estate developers if inferiro quality is detected.

The city's anti-flood agency has got fully prepared for any emergency situations resulted from floods as the Tai Lake has reached its warning line.

Shanghai's communications industry is enjoying rapid growth, reporting US$1.2 billion in output for the first half this year, up 22% over the same period last year.

After several years of painstaking efforts, the city's four greenhouses, equipped with facilities imported from Israel and the Netherland can now produce 1,800 tons of cucumbers, tomatoes and green peppers every year.

More and more local people are dialing the city's Environmental Complaint Hotline (86 21 5290 1111) to criticize the city's sanitation problems.

China's two oldest newspapers, Wenhu Daily and Xinmin Evening News, both headquartered in Shanghai, teamed up to form the Wenhui Xinmin United Press Group.

For the first time, Shanghai exported more machine products than textile goods during the first half of the year, according to the city's Commission of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade.

More than 400 management experts worldwide are gathered at Shanghai's Jiao Tong University to attend the Third International Conference on Management.

Shanghai will dismantle its largest slum area, located in the city's northwestern Putuo District, by the end 2000, in an effort to improve the city's housing conditions.

The city invited about 200 distinguished overseas Chinese scholars to attend a conference which aims to solicit advice from them concerning topics such as tapping China's abundant human resources to develop its high-tech industry and turn more research achievements into mass-production products in the next century.

Heavy rain hit Shanghai on July 23. The precipitation in every district of the city reached 50mm.

The crest of the Yangtze flooding which hit Wuhan on July 23 will not pose a threat to Shanghai and it is expected to flow into the East China Sea safely.

Shanghai's economic growth during the first half of the year fell short of the target 10% by 0.6%. However, the rate is still 2 percentage points higher than the national average.

In an effort to reduce air pollution, Qiangsheng Taxi Company, one of the largest taxi companies in Shanghai, are refitting cars to use liquefied petroleum gas.

Beginning this year, the city will stop establishing new government institutions and halt government hiring, a local official said. The city now has 109,000 government employees.

Amway announced this week that it will resume its operations in China after a three-month suspension due to a government ban on direct marketing. From now on, every Amway product will be marked with a price tag.

The city plans to refurbish the 22 bridges over Suzhou Creek before the year 2000 in order to beautify the river.

Heat-related illnesses have strained the local hospitals, leaving emergency rooms overcrowded and patients complaining about inadequate care.

A new weather service has begun in Shanghai. It is the forecast for ultraviolet (UV) ray. The UV index will tell people when the sunlight is good for the skin and when it is harmful.

The city is encouraging the establishment of more boarding schools for senior high school candidates. As part of the education reform, boarding schools have been regarded pilot schools citywide.

Shanghai's banks are seeing a surge in personal foreign-currency savings. The reasons behind this include enhanced exchanges with the outside world and a prevailing view that the US dollars will continue to be strong.

The first intelligent building that is funded by Japanese investors was completed, as planned, on July 17. Shanghai Senmao International Building, with a height of 203 meters, is the second highest building in Shanghai.

The student-apartment project for Fudan University started on July 18. The complex, projected to house 1000 students, is expected to be completed in next September.

The access charge for the initial installment of mobile phones in the city is expected to be reduced. This will boost people's craze for cellphones.

The Chinese Science Academy has announced its plan to clone pandas in an effort to save the ever-decreasing species. The project is said to be finished in three to five years.

Jiangsu province has completed the construction of a 42-story highrise in Pudong New Area in a bid to profit from the development drive of the area.

The Shanghai Statistical Bureau recently released a list rating local enterprises according to their sales and business turnover in 1997. Shanghai Volkswagen retained its number-one position with with US$3.2 billion.

While the city's record head wave had made this summer unbearable for many locals, retailers of electric fans and air-conditioners become the greatest beneficiaries.

The Shanghai Communist Party Committee convened a meeting on July 16 to prompt a continued anti-corruption campaign in the city.

Shanghai plans to develop nuclear power generating equipment capable of 1,000 megawatts in co-operation with Shandong province.

Shanghai is trying to get a foothold in the international commercial satellite-launching market by improving its reliability and lowering production costs of its launch vehicles.

Shanghai's Party Secretary Mr. Huangju arrived in Johannesburg on July 9 starting one-week official trip to South Africa. July 10, Vice Secretary of The Community Party of South Africa met with Mr. Huangju and had a friendly talk expressing African's thanks for Chinese efforts on against apartheid struggle.

According to latest statistics, there are over 18,920,000 residents in Shanghai having a hand in stock market.

Charge for telephone installation fell again in Shanghai, from previous RMB 3,500 (approximate US$423) to RMB2,000 (approximate US$241.84). Meanwhile, Charge for ISDN, telephone line lease also reduced.

After devoting major efforts to collect taxes, in the first half year, Shanghai Tax Organization at all levels collected total amount RMB 37,820,000,000 which is up 9.7% to the corresponding period.

July 10, Shanghai Municipal No. 1 major project -- Heat Supply project of (SGM)Shanghai General Motor Co., Ltd. was completed and went into operation in Jinqiao Develop zone in Pudong area.

On July 9 afternoon, China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) signed contract with SGM and gained three-year-carry right on shipping import vehicle spares to Shanghai from Canada.

Up to this July, total amount for import and export from Shanghai Port to Hong Kong is still up rising, though Asia Financial Crisis is influencing whole market. Total is US$3,630,000,000 which is up 2.9% to the corresponding period.

Chongming County will hold Forest Tour Festival'98 in October. It will hold some activities with forest features. For instance, hunting, climbing, cliff, bamboo raft drifting, fishing, etc.

The annual national university entrance examination was held between July 7 and July 9. More than 52,041 high school graduates took part in.

Shanghai's Party Secretary Huang Ju led a delegation to visit Singapore and three African countries including South Africa. His trip to the southeast Asian country will last for 5 days.

A new expressway in connecting neighboring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces will soon be under construction. The road will also connect the already-built Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway and the being-built Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway.

Shanghai Da Zhong Taxi, characterized by its ever-increasing fleet of Volkswagen, has become the industry's flagship. Founded ten years ago, it now boasts of 3000 taxis.

The proportion of female and male students is getting nearer. Universities are enrolling more female students. As a result, female students outnumber their male counterparts in many universities in Shanghai.

Shanghai's students are paying to experience hardship. The so-called "hardship summer camps" will offer students the opportunities to work on the farm.

The annual national university entrance examination is scheduled between July 7 and July 9. More than 52,041 high school graduates will take part. However, the high temperature is expected to persist.

Shanghai Tourism Festival '98 is expected to be held between October 17 and November 8. Its opening ceremony will be consisted of a series of activities such as thousand-person long-distance running.

A Guangdong delegation, led by its governor Li Changchun, is visiting Shanghai to study feasibilities of cooperation between the two most developed regions in China.

Visiting US President Bill Clinton and his entourage left Shanghai on the morning of July 2 and flew to Guilin where he stayed for more than 9 hours before leaving for the last destination during the state visit - Hong Kong.

Yesterday's temperature hit a new high, registering 37.1 degrees centigrade. It's the third consecutive day of high temperature. The number of such hot days is expected to be 9 to 14.

President Jiang Zemin and the delegation from the central government attended the anniversary celebration for Hong Kong's return to the motherland. President Jiang delivered an important speech.

US's first lady, Hillary Clinton, addressed to hundreds of women at an auditorium of Shanghai Library. She said that women of all nationalities should work together to hold up their half of the sky.

After visiting Shanghai Library, Shanghai Radio Station and Shanghai Museum and, Bill Clinton said that Shanghai is "one of the most exciting places in the world" and "people in Shanghai have received good education".

About 80,000 laid-off women found jobs in 1997 thanks to the help from the Shanghai Women's Federation.

Elderly Chinese are running a greater risk of suffering a bone disease called osteoporosis and related fracture, according to researchers in Shanghai.

Trade between Shanghai and Hong Kong continues to grow despite the Asian financial turmoil. During the first five months this year, Shanghai imported US$581 million worth of goods from Hong Kong, up 16.6% from the same period last year.

The municipal government has set up a new group to boost Shanghai's information industry. Called The Shanghai National Economy and Social Information Industry Leading Group, it will plan, oversee and adjust the city's information industry as a whole.

Visiting US President Bill Clinton, accompanied by Shanghai Mayor Xu Kuangdi, participated in Shanghai Radio Station's call-in program -- "Residents & the Society". He answered many questions from local callers.

US President Bill Clinton arrived in Shanghai on the night of June 29 on the third-leg of his nine-day state visit to China.

The city launched a two-month publicity campaign on June 28 to observe the International Year of the Ocean. More than 1,000 youngsters attended an activity on the Bund to call on the public to help protect the sea from pollution.

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