China is extending the right to legal aid to foreigners living in the country, in line with WTO rules.
A senior official at the Ministry of Justice says that China has had a legal aid system in place for eight years. Over 300 thousand people in the country are guaranteed access to legal aid, but until now very few foreigners were among them.
Legal aid is a free service offered to individuals who need court representation but cannot afford it. Under the rule, they are guaranteed a lawyer to represent them who is paid directly by the government.
***
The telecommunication industry has rapidly expanded in China, with the total number of telephone users increasing to 370 million from 72 million in 1997.
Cell phone ownership stood at a whopping 170 million at the end of May, compared with just 9 million five years ago.
China is expected to top the world with a total of nearly 500 million fixed line and cell phone users in 2005.
***
Vice Premier Qian Qichen says China will continue to positively develop its tourism industry, and work on establishing basic facilities everywhere to expand employment.
Inspecting tourism services in Jilin and Liaoning provinces in north-east China, Qian Qichen says that the country is continually increasing its investment in tourism, and will continue to do its utmost in promoting the industry.
The vice premier also notes that because tourism is a labor-intensive industry, its development will accelerate social development, and expand employment in the country.
***
China will implement a temporary rule governing the investigation of foreign trade barriers on November 1st. This will help to eliminate various barriers China encounters in foreign trade and investment.
A Chinese foreign trade official says the regulation gives domestic firms the right to apply for an investigation on trade and investment barriers. It has also established strict rules concerning how an investigation can be carried out.
In the 1990s, US and European countries set up trade barriers investigation systems to protect the interests of their companies.
***
Global banking giant, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has obtained approval to offer Internet banking services in China to mainland citizens as well as international customers.
The Bank says it plans to add the Chinese mainland to its growing online banking base, which comprises more than 3 and a half million customers in 19 countries worldwide.
The new license, granted by China’s central bank, permits HSBC to provide a wide range of online personal banking services on the Chinese mainland, including account balance and transaction enquiries, check book orders, statement downloads and transfers to local mainland and overseas banks.
***
Asian stock markets tumbled on Monday, and Japanese shares sank to fresh 19-year lows. The falls follow Wall Street's sixth straight week of losses amid uncertainties about the Middle East and global economic recovery.
Tokyo's Nikkei average closed almost four percent lower at 8,688, its lowest since June 1983.
In Hong Kong, share prices closed lower following substantial losses on Wall Street on Friday. Trading sentiment was also undermined amid the ongoing labour dispute at US West Coast ports.
The Hang Seng Index closed down 119 points or two percent at 8,931.
On the Chinese Mainland, stock markets are still closed due to the national holiday.
The police in Beijing have put on a show for local residents in a bid to encourage the public to join their security efforts.
The program, held in Longtan Park in southern Beijing, included an exhibition of police history, Mao-era uniforms, performances by police employees, and martial arts and acrobatics by officers.
The most exciting part of the event is that the visitors are allowed to emulate police officers and search for landmines or drugs.
Special vehicles, pistols and guns, a fingerprint recognition system are also on display.
*****
The average life-span of people in the Tibetan Autonomous Region has risen to sixty-seven, from thirty-six half a century ago.
In fact, Tibet now has one hundred and sixteen inhabitants over one hundred years old.
This is largely due to greatly improved nutrition, education and health care.
Most Tibetan villages have their own clinics and a comprehensive health care system has been established.
*****
China's wool and blended-fabric product exports have reached three-and-a-half billion US dollars, accounting for over six per cent of the total export of textile commodities.
Since China's entry into the World Trade Organization, Chinese textile manufacturers have been deepening their research on applying advance technologies in improving the quality, variety and styles of Chinese wool products, with a view to enhancing domestic products' competitiveness in the world.
*****
And its good news all round for the entertainment scene in China as the latest figures indicate that people have been spending more on cultural pursuits in recent years.
In 1998, expenditure on things such as entertainment and education ranked second after spending on clothes, and is predicted to reach 550 billion yuan by the end of 2005.
Overseas companies also see potential in China's cultural sector. More than 2,000 performances by foreign artists were held in Beijing last year.
1--Do you want black or white coffee?
2--White, please.
1--Look! There's a folk concert tomorrow evening.
Do you want to go?
2--I don't like folk music very much.
1--What kind of music do you like?
2--I like classical music. Do you?
1--Not very much. Classical music sends me to sleep.
2--I don't believe you.
1--It's true.
2--You are funny!
1--So are you! How about another coffee?
===================================
注解：
1）black or white coffee：加糖或加牛奶的称作white
coffee.什么也不加的称作black coffee.
2）folk concert：民间音乐会。folk作“民间的”、
“具有民族传说的”解。如folk dance，folk music,
folk songs, folk tale等。
3）classical：经典的。如classical music, classical
literature等。
4）How about...?（你以为）...怎么样？征询对方的意见时
常用的句型。如，征询关于时间安排的意见时，可以说How
about tomorrow？征询活动内容时可以说How about playing
tennis now?征询人选意见可以说How about Jane?等
Conversation A
(Emily comes into the living room on a Saturday morning.)
Emily : Hi, Mom. I need to talk to you.
Sue : OK. What about?
Emily : I don't really like the way I look.
Sue : What? Why not?
Emily : I'm tired of my hairstyle.
Sue : What's wrong with it? I like it.
Emily : A lot of my friends have cool new hairstyles. But I've had the same hairstyle for three years!
Sue : Is that all? Well, we can easily fix that!
Conversation B
Emily : Great! But can I go to a real hair salon this time? I know we save money by going to Cheap Cuts, but . . .
Sue : Sure. I think we can afford one haircut at a nicer place.
Emily : Actually, I don't want a haircut. I want long hair, so I'm letting it grow.
Sue : If you don't want a haircut, then what do you want?
Emily : Well, that's what I want to talk to you about.
Conversation C
Sue : Do you want a perm?
Emily : No. Straight hair is in style right now. But can I dye it?
Sue : Maybe. What color?
Emily : Well, Brittany just dyed hers blue, and it looks really cool!
Sue : You may not dye your hair blue!
Emily : Purple? Green?
Sue : Are you kidding?
Emily : No. A lot of kids at school are doing it.
Sue : You may dye your hair, but no strange colors!
Sally : Oh, OK.
Key Words
hairstyle (n)
Grace has long hair. But now she wants a shorter hairstyle.
hair salon (n phr)
I never go to hair salons. My mom cuts my hair.
to grow (v)
Wow, your son is so tall! He's grown a lot since last summer!
perm (n)
My hair is straight. I want to get a perm.
to dye (v)
Lisa's hair is black, but she dyed it red.
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