Today's Shanghai | News(1999)

March

NATO's air strike against Yugoslavia has attracted the attention of the young. To help them know more about this east European country, Shanghai Film Art Center unveiled a Yugoslav Film Week on April 2, which will last until April 8.

Shanghai, a coastal metropolis encircled by the Yangtze River and Huangpu River, is lacking enough drinking water to meet the ever-growing need.

All Viagra pills on the Chinese market are now illegal and the State is stepping up its crackdown on illegal trade, said State Drug Administration. The SDA will decide whether Viagra be allowed on the Chinese market before the end of the year.

Following the completion of the second phase of Waigaoqiao Standard Container's Wharf, the free trade zone will continue to direct its major efforts to attract funds to establish distribution enterprises.

Statistics show eel fry import witnessed a big increase in Shanghai port this year. From January to February, 36 tons of eel fry, one of Chinese food favorites, was imported.

A United States trade delegation specializing in infrastructure know-how, and led by Commerce Secretary William Daley, arrived on March 30 in Shanghai for a one-day visit.

"Taotao", China's first transgenic test-tube cow, was born on a farm in Shanghai's suburban Fengxian County. It is an important breakthrough in the research of transgenic animals in China.

As cars are enjoying wider and wider popularity, private "car carers" that provide after-sales services have appeared in the city.

A new air traffic control tower will be built at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to improve its control system capability.

Fashion China, the first apparel trade fair in China solely for the industry, opened this week at the Intex Shanghai.

More foreigners are asking for notarial help during their stay in Shanghai. The city handled a total of 60,000 notarial cases last year, up 15.8% over the previous year.

The Fortune Global Forum, scheduled to be held in Shanghai on September 27-29, will be the most significant gathering of CEOs of multinational companies in China.

The first Chinese language website dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of depression is being promoted in Shanghai. Its URL is http://www.Seroxat.com.cn.

Shanghai Airlines is working out a plan to deal with the millennium bug problem in a bid to keep flights safe as the millennium approaches.

Lingerie featuring about 98 brands from 17 countries will be shown in ShanghaiMart from March 25 to 27. The exhibition is called '99 Dessous China.

The panda cub that came to Shanghai from Chongqing on January 26 finally adopted the name "Lele" (meaning "happy) over the last weekend.

Bayer, one of the German chemical giants, will provide a US$168.400 grant for chemical research and development at Tongji University in Shanghai.

"Creation--welcome the challenges of the knowledge economy" is the theme of the fifth Shanghai Science and technology Festival scheduled to be held from October 7 to 13.

Shanghai has finalized its economic development strategy for the next three years focusing on industry instead of services. As one of the nation's key industrial bases, Shanghai began to reshape its economic strategy in the early 1990s with emphasis placed on the tertiary industry.

Shanghai has reported progress in the reform of its higher-education system. The city has reduced its number of higher-education institutions from 51 to 39 by mergers and incorporations.

The city is planning to take strong measures to regulate the development of its entertainment facilities which include discos, music bars, karaoke bars and video game arcades.

Shanghai Normal University launched the first center aimed at coordinating research concerning the "comfort women" phenomenon during the World War II in China on March 17.

The Pudong International Airport now under-construction will make Shanghai the first Chinese city with two international airports. The new airport is scheduled to open for traffic on October 1.

China will give priority to initial public offerings (IPO) of high- tech firms to foster the nation's high-tech industry, according to China's securities regulatory authority.

Pudong New Area will build a power plant at Waigaoqiao this year to help solve the city's electricity shortages. The project design involves the installation of two 900-megawatt generating units.

While it may take a few months before Viagra, the world-famous blockbuster in curing male impotency, receives approval from the State drug Administration, clinical tests on the drug have already been completed.

Local English language enthusiasts will have a chance to enjoy a famous national English speech contest in Shanghai. The Fourth Annual "21st Century Cup" National English Speech Competition will be held on March 26 at the Shanghai Jing'an Hilton Hotel.

Shanghai is still facing serious water pollution despite efforts to curb it. Everyday, a large amount of sewage is discharged into rivers throughout the city.

Consumer associations in Shanghai handled 15,702 complaint cases, retrieving US$975.120 for consumers, last year. The complaints mostly concern the quality, prices, fraudulent ads and fake products in real estate, home decoration and daily consumable goods, electronics, services, medical services and goods.

The city boasted safe transportation for more than 18.7 million passengers during the Spring Festival holiday season, 1.8 million more than the same period last year.

Shanghai's Pudong New Area plans to lure US$700 million in foreign funds this year as a stimulus to its economic development. 400 projects are expected to be launched with the investment.

The development of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the top symphony in China, will receive a boost thanks to a batch of brand-name instruments donated by the British Government.

The city has opened its first free hotline for tap-water users. The line is established by the Tap-water Service Center under Shanghai Tap-water Company with the aim to provide quality service for customers.

Shanghai Jiaotong University established a Science History and Science Philosophy Department on March 9. It is the first such department throughout China.

Trade value reached about US$1.21 billion during the East China Fair '99 which closed on the afternoon of March 11.

Shanghai still has many unused offices waiting to be sold or rented even though their rentals increased by 34% last year.

More than 30,000 big trees will be planted in urban areas this year to bring shade to the local residents. Last year, the city planted 16,314 big trees in People's Square and along many major roads.

Shanghai Municipal Government plans to issue a bilingual CD-ROM about the country's largest city. The disc, due out in May, will contain 1,000 pictures, a number of 20-minute videos and articles on various aspects of the city.

Families and companies from 17 foreign countries and Taiwan Province donated altogether US$48,970 to 162 local students during the Shanghai Sunrise Sponsorship Party.

The city's economy proceeded well between January and February but didn't develop as quickly as expected. GDP grew by 7.7% to reach US$6.2 billion.

The overcast weather over the last few days may continue, but the weather changes are still within the normal range for March.

The '99 East China Import and Export Commodities Fair, the biggest regional fair this century, is scheduled to open on March 5 at ShanghaiMart and Shanghai International Exhibition Center.

The city has decided to launch a series of projects in a bid to improve the environment. The priorities will be put on curbing industrial waste drainage, stemming air pollution and adding more trees to green belts.

An extra-small baby born one month premature on February 26 has survived her early critical days. The baby's weight is about 748 grams.

Shanghai's residents are happy to give their blood for free but somehow hesitate to donate bone marrow, which doctors say slims down the chances of finding help for leukemia sufferers.

Shanghai women are playing such important roles in the city's social, cultural, and economic life that in some professions there are concerns over women's disproportionately dominating role, according to the chairwoman of Shanghai Women's Federation, Ms. Meng Yankun.

Grand Hyatt Shanghai, which is expected to open on a trial basis on March 19, aims to become one of the best hotels in China and one of the top 10 in the world in the next five years.

After eight years of efforts, Pudong New Area has formed a high-tech corridor that produced products worth US$4 billion last year.

Cancer pathogenic composition has changed in correlation with changes in residents' dietary habits and their lifestyles, according to the latest statistics from Shanghai Cancer Institute.

Shanghai Language Work Committee is working out regulations concerning the use of foreign languages in signs, according to a recent committee conference.

In recent years more than 100 police officers have been fired for improper behavior, according to police sources. The practice of eliminating unqualified officers has gone a long way in cleaning up the image of the police.

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