china to strengthen links with caribbean state
27 September 2007

China is to strengthen its economic and trade ties with the two-island state of Antigua and Barbuda, following a meeting between top officials this week.  Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met Wednesday with Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Baldwin Spenser to discuss bilateral ties.

The economy is largely dependent on tourism in the Carribean. In the medium term, prospects for economic growth will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialised world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

Mr Spenser, for his part, hoped that the two nations would step up exchanges and cooperation in such areas as infrastructure and human resources training.  The two-island nation’s head of state has been Queen Elizabeth II, since 6 February 1952, and she is represented by Governor General Louisse Lake-Tack, who took up the post on 17 July this year.


china's government cabinet slashes red tape

China's State Council has decided to scrap 128 administrative procedures for examination and approval and amend 58 in order to cut government red tape.

"The elimination and adjustment of the 186 administrative procedures is conducive to smoothing relations between the government and markets, government and enterprises, government and society, and government and the public," said a circular from the State Council, Cabinet.

The announcement will come as welcome relief to businesses and the country’s estimated population of 1.3 billion citizens, whose economy has become more market orientated over the last 25 years.

Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivised agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalisation of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment.  Since October 2001, the State Council has   pushed a comprehensive reform of administrative procedures for examination and approval, and scrapped 1 806 items subject to examination and approval, said the circular.

The circular gave no details of the procedures that had been amended or scrapped.  The reform had laid a solid foundation for the government that could more effectively administer public services and social order, it said.  "Many redundant and excessive procedures have been eliminated," it said, adding the government should deepen the reform, strengthen supervision over administrative and approval rights and build a government ruled by law.

Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2006 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 130 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines.   Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. 

BuaNews-Xinhua