What's news

China and Namibia seek closer investment ties

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met the visiting Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob in Sanya, Hainan province, with the latter eyeing more Chinese investment in Namibia.

"China encourages its enterprises to actively take part in Namibia's infrastructure construction and conduct cooperation in investment," Li said.

China hopes Namibian authorities can soon approve a bilateral agreement on investment protection signed in 2005, Li said.

Namibia was the only African country to attend this year's four-day Baoa Forum for Asia in Hainan that was to end on April 11, and therefore must represent the important force of rising Africa, Li said.

Geingob said Namibia welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in his country and applauded the current cooperation.

Bank head lauds China's activities in Africa

China has played a positive role in redefining Africa and helped the continent grow, says the president of the African Export-Import Bank, Jean-Louis Ekkra.

Ekkra made the remarks at the third annual Dubai precious metals conference, which was being held under the theme Engaging with Africa. Chinese firms are investing in nearly all countries of the continent, Ekkra said.

"China provides both financing and know-how to explore the vast opportunities in Africa."

It was thanks to China' s contribution that Africa has become the second-fastest growing region in the world after Asia, he said.

Ekkra also praised Dubai's role as a trade hub linking Africa with China, as 40 percent of global gold trade passed through the Gulf Arab emirate last year.

"China as a shareholder in the African Export-Import Bank has just doubled its stake to 3 percent; however, we are again in talks as we would welcome an even higher stake."

China and Laos to speed up rail talks

China and Laos pledged on April 8 to speed up railway construction talks with the aim of signing agreements as soon as possible.

Negotiations on an inter-governmental railway agreement have been initiated to promote the interconnection of the two neighboring countries, Premier Li Keqiang and visiting Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong announced after meeting in Sanya, Hainan province.

Li said the China-Laos railway is the focus of ongoing major cooperation between the two countries, and China hopes an agreement can be reached as soon as possible to set the stage for further cooperation.

The two countries, both at a critical stage of deepening reforms and restructuring their economies, are facing an increasing number of cooperation opportunities, Li said.

Thongsing thanked Li for China's support for Laos as well as for the concrete benefits it has brought to its people.

He said Laos will grasp the opportunity of China's economic expansion for its own development.

Ming Dynasty cup sells for record $36m

An 8.2-centimeter-tall porcelain cup from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) fetched a staggering HK$281.24 million ($36 million) at an auction in Hong Kong on April 8, setting a new record for Chinese porcelain at auction.

Shanghai billionaire Liu Yiqian won the bidding via telephone.

The cup, which is in pristine condition, was made using the doucai method of fashioning porcelain that began during the Ming Dynasty, was for appreciation and not for use. It is commonly known as a "chicken cup" because it is decorated with paintings of chickens.

The cup celebrates the pinnacle of the Chenghua style of porcelain-making from 1465 to 1487 that is renowned for refining the doucai method. Well-preserved examples from that period are rare.

Xi urges Israel to make brave decisions

President Xi Jinping called on April 8 for Israel to "make courageous decisions as early as possible" to push forward peace talks with the Palestinians, with efforts now "at a critical stage".

China will continue to play a constructive role during the process, Xi told visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Xi's remarks came as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators ended another session with no sign of a breakthrough in efforts to salvage peace talks. However, an Israeli official said they had agreed to meet again.

Peres, a senior figure with a political career spanning more than 60 years, said Israel would work with the Palestinians and the international community to overcome difficulties and push the peace talks forward.

Warning on dengue fever, malaria issued

China's top health authority has issued a public alert for dengue fever and malaria, which pose a risk to more than half the world's population.

The alert was announced on April 3 by the National Health and Family Planning Commission to mark World Health Day, which is marked on April 7, the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948.

The commission's focus this year is on pathogens and parasites that spread via certain vectors, or paths - via mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks - or from one infected animal to another, including humans. Besides dengue fever and malaria, bubonic plague and epidemic encephalitis B are concerns.

Last month, eight imported dengue cases were detected among a group of 28 Chinese returning to Chongqing from a trip to Indonesia and Singapore.

Intervention needed to stem rise in cancer

Cancer has been on the rise in China and without timely intervention will become a major public health challenge, senior cancer experts warned.

According to the 2013 Cancer Registry Annual Report, 3.09 million Chinese developed cancer and 1.96 million died in 2010.

The estimates were based on data from 145 cancer surveillance sites in 24 provinces covering 158 million people and are highly reliable, said Chen Wanqing, director of the National Central Cancer Registry under the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

He said the effects of cancer intervention are usually seen in 15 to 20 years, and "it is urgent for the government to introduce more forceful and comprehensive campaigns to rein in the rising trend of cancer".

China Daily-Xinhua 

(China Daily Africa Weekly 04/11/2014 page2)