China marks 115th birthday of former leader Mao Zedong

Xinhua article

SHAOSHAN, Hunan, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) — The newly inaugurated Mao Zedong Square in his hometown of central Hunan Province was crowded with people Friday to mark the 115th birthday of the former Chinese leader.

Thousands of people gathered at the square near Mao’s birth place, Shaoshan Village, after midnight to cherish the memory of the “Great Helmsman” who led the nation to found New China in 1949 and served as top leader until he died in 1976.

People paid tribute in front of Mao’s 10.1-meter-tall bronze statue — many presented bouquets and some brought birthday cakes. Most people hummed along when “The East is Red”, a song in tribute of Mao, was played.

Mao’s grandson, Mao Xinyu, was also in the crowd to pay his tribute.

Nearly every Shaoshan villager had noodles for breakfast Friday, a traditional Chinese food to celebrate birthdays as people believe long noodles bring long lives.

“Chairman Mao is always alive in our hearts and we eat his birthday noodles every year,” said village official Mao Yushi. Thelocal government set up six huge pots and 20 tables outside its office building Friday morning, offering free noodles to passersby.

Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 citizens in Shaoshan marked the date with a marathon race starting from Mao’s former residence across town. “The Beijing Olympics and the torch relay to Shaoshan have encouraged many people to take up sports,” said Yang Guang, the city’s Party chief.

“Throughout his life, Mao always loved his hometown and all its people,” said Yang. “We’ll build his hometown into a better place… This is the best way to commemorate him.”

In the run-up to Mao’s birthday, Shaoshan City opened an expressway and two highways, inaugurated the Mao Zedong Square and a museum where Mao’s belongings were kept. “We’re also renovating Mao’s memorial hall and building more car parks to facilitate visitors,” said Yang.

Shaoshan, now labeled a landmark in China’s modern history, receives millions of people from home and overseas every year.

In Beijing, nearly 20,000 people visited Mao’s Mausoleum on Tian’anmen Square, including Mao’s elder daughter Li Min.

“Now that I’m in Beijing, I must visit Chairman Mao,” said an old lady from the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. “I just wish to make a bow and show my respects.”

“I visit Mao’s Mausoleumn twice every year, on Sept. 9 and Dec.26,” said Kang Diantong, a 74-year-old retiree in Beijing.

Mao was born on Dec. 26, 1893 and died on Sept. 9, 1976.

By midday Friday, Chinese Internet users had left nearly 50,000 messages on the online memorial page of People.com.cn, the official website of the Chinese Communist Party.

“You are forever the pride of the Chinese nation,” one message reads. “A great person is someone you remember whenever you look back into history.”

China donates $500,000 to support Zimbabwe cholera fighting

Via People’s Daily.

HARARE, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) — China donated 500,000 U.S. dollars to Zimbabwe on Tuesday to boost the country’s efforts to arrest cholera epidemic which has killed more than 1,000 people since the first outbreak in August.

Speaking at the donation ceremony at the Health Ministry office building in Harare, He Meng, Charge d’Affair of the Chinese Embassy in Harare, said as a long-term friend of Zimbabwe, China shares the concerns of international community over the current cholera situation, and sympathies with Zimbabwean people in their sufferings.

“At the moment, Zimbabwean people are eagerly waiting for assistance fighting against cholera, we sincerely hope and believe that the money would be made best use of under the coordination of the Zimbabwean government and UN agencies, so as to alleviate the epidemic situation and help Zimbabwean people to overcome challenges at an earlier date, ” He said.

Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa said with the help of international organizations and countries friendly like China, the situation is now much better. He spoke highly of good relations between the two countries.

At least 1,000 people have died of cholera while nearly 24,000 cases have been reported in Zimbabwe since August this year. However, reports on Tuesday say the disease has been contained and cases are on the decline.

Zimbabwe’s health sector got a major boost at the weekend when the country received 140 tons of medical supplies from the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Since Zimbabwe declared cholera and the health system a national emergency, a number of donors and diplomats have come in with sizeable donations.

Over the weekend, Tanzania donated 40 tons of medical supplies to fight the cholera epidemic while SADC has launched an emergency request for medical aid.

Last week, the United Nations Population Fund donated five tonsof surgical sundries towards central hospitals’ maternity services for a period of at least three months.

A fortnight ago, Namibia responded to Zimbabwean government’s request for assistance with a donation of 200,000 dollars worth of drugs.

Two weeks earlier, South Africa had partnered the Zimbabweans government to contain the cholera outbreak in Beitbridge.

Other non-governmental organisations and UN agencies have also assisted through the provision of incentives for staff working in cholera treatment centres, logistics and experienced staff.

The assistance from the donor community is earmarked either for cholera or revival of the health sector.

China not to reduce assistance to Africa despite financial crisis

(Wen Jiabao with Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos)

Xinhua article.

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) — China said Friday it would not reduce assistance to Africa because of the international financial crisis.

Premier Wen Jiabao made the remark when meeting with Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

“We will implement the follow-up actions agreed upon during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2006,” Wen noted.

President Hu Jintao announced eight measures at the summit for China-Africa cooperation, including China’s pledge to double its assistance to Africa by 2009, provide 3 billion U.S. dollars of preferential loans and 2 billion dollars of preferential buyer’s credits, as well as establish a development fund of 5 billion dollars to encourage Chinese firms to invest in Africa. Debt cancellation was another major measure.

During the past two years, China had increased its aid to African countries, and made great strides toward debt relief and tariff exemption for African countries, according to officials.

As for the current international financial crisis, Wen told dos Santos that China was ready to keep close cooperation with Africannations in the reform of international financial system.

“We should strengthen our confidence and work together to tide over the crisis,” he said.

Angola had become China’s largest trade partner in Africa. Wen hoped the two nations would expand channels and optimize structure to achieve balanced and stable growth of bilateral trade.

China encouraged its companies to join in Angola’s infrastructure construction and energy resources exploitation, and also encouraged its financial institutions to cooperate with the African nation through business, Wen said.

Echoing Wen, dos Santos said the Chinese business made important contribution to his country’s social and economic progress.

The president hoped that the two nations would work together to offer support and convenience for the Chinese business to participate more in Angola’s development.

Dos Santos expected more achievement in the win-win cooperation between the two sides.

China’s top legislator Wu Bangguo also met with president dos Santos on Friday.

Hailing the growth of China-Angola relations, Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress(NPC), China’s top legislature, said the two countries should increase cooperation to push forward the bilateral ties.

Wu said the NPC was ready to promote exchanges and cooperation in various levels with Angola’s parliament, in a bid to help advance China-Angola relations.

Dos Santos said his country firmly supports the parliament to make more cooperation with China’s NPC.

The president was here on a four-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.