Najib said this in response to Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's call in Parliament yesterday that vernacular schools be closed down to foster greater unity.

"It is important for the Chinese and Indian communities to have these schools because it is where they instill values (in their children)," said Najib.

"The Chinese community, especially, has no uniformed religion, so the presence of these schools are important to instill values. Although the issue is debatable, the rights of each race to ...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:16:18 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165335/MTY1MzM1XCOdmLbI.html

Investment in soccer could also boost Australia's exporting and diplomatic efforts, thanks to the surging popularity of the sport in Asia.

Researcher and economist John Wilkinson says universities could leverage Australia's membership of the Asian Football Confederation by offering training programs for Asia's new breed of football administrator.

Dr Wilkinson estimates the 2018 World Cup could contribute $5.4 billion to the local economy if Football Federation Australia is successful in its bid to host the Cup, which runs for five weeks and is considered the biggest sporting event in the world.

He also says soccer could be the avenue for deepening cultural contacts with the region.

"Encouraging more Asians to travel to Australia (given the rise in Asian overseas travel) necessitates gettin...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:04:44 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165334/MTY1MzM09rcfDuCH.html BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China attaches importance to humanitarian problems resulting from cluster bombs and supports international efforts to resolve this issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a press conference on Tuesday.

Liu said that "China would continue its effort with other parties for an early and proper solution on the humanitarian problems arising from cluster bombs."

He said a government experts' group, under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), had been working to ban cluster bombs, and China had taken an active and constructive part in its work.

The CCW took effect in 1981. It bans or restricts the use of specific types of weapons that are considered to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering to combatants or to affect civilians indiscriminately.

Cluster bombs can spread hundreds of bomblets over a target area. Many of these fail to explode immediately, posing a threa...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:14:14 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165333/MTY1MzMztWm4Zq5v.html Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi(L) meets with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo in Hong Kong, China, on Dec. 2, 2008. The two sides discussed Sino-Philippine bilateral relations on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Asia Meeting. (Xinhua/Wong Pun Keung)
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HONG KONG, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met here Tuesday with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo to discuss Sino-Philippine bilateral relations on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Asia Meeting.

Yang hailed the smooth proceeding of the Sino-Philippine relations, noting that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two countries.

Yang said China is willing to make concerted efforts with the Philippines to promote high-level exchanges, deepen mutual cooperation, withstand the international financ...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:13:58 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165332/MTY1MzMyzypT1ori.html BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials of the communist parties of China and India on Tuesday pledged to cement party ties.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with a delegation of the Indian Communist Party (Marxist), headed by Sitaram Yechury.

In talks here, Li and Yechury exchanged views on bilateral ties and party-to-party relations.

Noting China and India are large developing countries, Li said it was China's established policy and strategic decision to develop a long-term, stable good-neighbor relationship with India.

Deeper bilateral cooperation brought tangible benefits to both nations, Li said.

Li said China would like to work with India to address mutual concerns.

On inter-party ties, Li said the Indian Communist Party (Marxist) has done a lot of work to promote bilateral ties.

"The CPC will step up exchange and coop...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:13:44 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165331/MTY1MzMx3h3gF6P3.html Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi(L) meets with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in Hong Kong, China, on Dec. 2, 2008, during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Asia Meeting. (Xinhua/Wong Pun Keung)
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HONG KONG, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew here Tuesday on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Asia Meeting to exchange views of China-Singapore bilateral relations.

During his talks with Lee, Yang said China and Singapore had maintained close contact and the bilateral relations between the two countries had developed rapidly in recent years with satisfying results, such as the operation of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park and the good beginning of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City.

Yang said China is willing to work together with Singapore to promote the relations between the two countr...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:13:29 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165330/MTY1MzMwFGzVGBgT.html

"At this moment, I still think China's GDP will rise 9percent in 2009. The likelihood of this scenario is more than70 percent," Wang Tongsan, a senior CASS researcher, said in anews release setting out its forecasts for next year.

But Wang attached two conditions to the scenario: that theU.S. economy touches bottom soon and that China's pro-growtheconomic policies have a clear impact.

The central bank slashed borrowing costs by 1.08 percentagepoints last week, the deepest cut in 11 years, to complement a4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus plan unveiled on Nov.9.

CASS's forecasts for 2009 include:

-- consumer prices to rise 4 percent on average;

-- fixed-asset investment to rise 20 percent;

-- the trade surplus to come out at $236.9 billion;

-- retail sales to rise 16 percent;

-- broad M2 money supply to grow 16-17 percent;

--...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:03:01 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165329/MTY1MzI5zkVBRu82.html

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said Clinton was hischoice for the post when he announced his national securityteam on Monday.

"We are looking forward to working with her," ChineseForeign Minister Yang Jiechi said at the 2008 Clinton GlobalInitiative meeting in Hong Kong.

Clinton has said the U.S. relationship with China will bethe most important bilateral relationship in the world thiscentury.

Noting China's support was crucial in striking amultilateral deal to disable North Korea's nuclear facilities,she has said: "We should build on this framework to establish anortheast Asian security team."

Yang was in Hong Kong for the two-day conference thatbrings together Asian political and business leaders,celebrities and humanitarians to address the region's problemsin education, energy and climate change, and public health.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton agreed to make publicthe nam...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:02:46 +0800 /articles/08/1203/165328/MTY1MzI463SOQMmK.html

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top economic policy makers willconvene next week to plot how to secure growth of at least 8percent in 2009, government officials said on Tuesday.

Beijing has dramatically relaxed its policy stance inrecent weeks out of concern that the global financial crisis isbadly damaging growth and job creation in the world'sfourth-largest economy, risking social instability.

The annual central economic work conference, which willtake place from Monday until Wednesday, will discuss how toimplement the recently adopted "expansive" fiscal policy and"moderately easy" monetary settings, one of the officials said.

"The meeting will focus on making arrangements to implementthe revised policies and will set a goal of 8 percent for 2009economic growth," he said. The official declined to be named ashe is not authorised to speak to the media.

Annual GDP growth slowed to 9.0 percent in the third...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:02:31 +0800     BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Top official Zhou Yongkang on Tuesday urged local authorities to further boost the economy in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, gateway to southeast Asia.

    Guangxi should strive to be the first among western China's provinces and autonomous regions to build an all-round, well-off society, Zhou said.

    His comments came nine days before the 50th anniversary of the region.

    Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the region had achieved dramatic economic and social progress in the past five decades.

    He attributed the achievements to the joint efforts of the CPC central committee, the central government and people of all ethnic groups in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    ...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:01:17 +0800 /articles/08/1202/165326/MTY1MzI2Zry8oxHI.html Finance Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:59:51 +0800 /articles/08/1202/165325/MTY1MzI1KFUmcJyg.html
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Launching its inaugural guide to restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong and Macau, Michelin inspectors gave three stars to Lung King Heen, a Cantonese restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel run by Chinese chef Chan Yan-tak.

They also awarded three stars to Robuchon's Robuchon a Galera, in the Grand Lisboa casino resort in Macau, and two to L'Atelier de Joel Rubuchon in Hong Kong.

Lung King Heen, which translates to "view of the dragon", and Robuchon a Galera were the only restaurants to secure three stars in the new guide.

Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin guides, said the company had been monitoring Chan's career very closely, and that the restaurant had been inspected 12 times to give it the three-star approval.

"We have followed him for a few years, ...]]> China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:58:04 +0800 /articles/08/1202/165323/MTY1MzIzyIwG7Lnj.html China Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:57:51 +0800 /articles/08/1202/165322/MTY1MzIyRFeePfkr.html Business Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:55:13 +0800