Coal mine blast kills at least 93

　　Ninety-three miners have died, and another 22 are still missing after a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in northeast China on June 20, according to the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety Supervision.

　　Another 22 miners were missing and 24 injured in the blast deep in the mine in the province of Heilongjiang

　　It was not clear what triggered the explosion at the Chengzihe mine in Jixi, 180 miles east of Harbin near the Russian border. Mine officials were not reachable for comment.

　　Taiwan firms profit on Mainland

　　Latest official surveys show that the 50,000 companies with Taiwan investment on the mainland mostly are making profits. In Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai Municipality,swheresthere are about 35,000 Taiwan-funded firms, some 60 percent are profitable, while 10 to 20 percent are breaking even.

　　Besides, some investors have failed on the mainland, owing to various factors including their unfamiliarity with local markets, policies and situation.

　　Premier Zhu invites experts for consultations on economy

　　Premier Zhu Rongji presided over an economic working forum on June 24. Some economists were invited to offer their advice on China's current difficult economic problems in the aspects of finance, taxation, employment and "san nong"(agriculture, countryside and farmer).

　　These experts are all renowned economists who have in-depth studies and original views on these problems. It is predictable that perhaps here lies the outline of the next major action to be taken for China's economic reform, which is budding today.

　　Gas pipeline runs over 4,000 Km cross China

　　China on Thursday launched a 140-billion-yuan (17 billion US dollar) natural gas transmission project, which is designed to supply billions of cubic meters of natural gas each year to the country's east from the northwest through a pipeline of up to 4,200 km.

　　The west-to-east gas pipelining project is the largest scheme started up in the beginning of the new century in China: investment of 27.3 billion yuan has been made for the prospecting and development of the upstream gas-field and 43.5 billion yuan for pipeline construction, investment of 68.8 billion yuan has been channeled to the downstream gas-using project as well as to the construction of urban pipe network, the scale of investment is in no way inferior to that of the Three Gorges Project, it will play a tremendous role in boosting the development of the western region.Migrant children now easier to receive education

　　The Chinese government has begun to implement a series of measures to provide education for its three million migrant children who accompany their rural parents to cities in search of a better life.

　　In Chinese cities, migrants who lack registration for permanent local residency do not enjoy the same privileges as other local dwellers in employment, education and social security.

　　Migrant workers have to pay extra fees if they want to have their children educated in public schools. If they cannot afford them, their children either have to go to schools run by other migrants, or simply get no schooling at all.

　　Chinese Satellite TV hijacked by Falun Gong cult

　　Television signals illegally broadcast by the Falun Gong cult cutsintostransmissions using the Sino Satellite (SINOSAT) from June 23 to 30 and blocked the World Cup finals in some rural and remote areas in China.

　　The Radio Administration of the Ministry of Information Industry said Monday that the hijacking of nine China Central Television Station (CCTV) channels and 10 provincial TV channels was committed by the overseas cult organization of Falun Gong, manipulated by its ringleader Li Hongzhi.

　　China's telecom market grows rapidly

　　China's telecom market is likely to keep double-digit growth in the coming years, looking ever more attractive to overseas investors, telecom analysts of Morgan Stanley predict.

　　"Given that China's fixed-line and cell phones penetration rates are only 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively, there is room for further development,"said Mark Shuper, a telecom analyst of Morgan Stanley.

　　China's dominant fixed-line telecom carriers, China Telecom, China Netcom and minor carrier China Railcom all said they would like to be listed in the overseas stock markets.

　　Universities and colleges' gates open wider this year

　　At 9 a.m. on July 7, 5.27 million students sat quietly in thousands upon thousand of classrooms across China, ready to begin college entrance examination which is probably the most important examination they will ever sit.Official statistics available show that 52 percent of Chinese university candidates could get admitted this year, while in 1981 the figure was only 2.4 percent.

　　Foreign currency deposits continued to grow

　　It is said by authority that China's foreign currency deposits had reached USD 242.76 billion by the end of June, USD 30.6 billion more than last year. It increased at a rate of 5.1 billon per month.

　　Some experts said, the rapid increase of foreign currency deposits first came from the favorable balance of foreign trade which was USD 10.43 billion in the first five months of this year. The second reason was that the actual foreign investment increased by 12.38 per cent, totally USD 16.922 billion. Besides, the income of tourism was also an important factor.

　　Owing to the reach foreign currency deposits, Renminbi enjoys higher status in the world. To some extents, it actually has circulates in Hong Kong and Macao. It also has become hard currency in the neighbor countries of China. China vows to improve workshop safety

　　Many workers have been killed this year in poorly-equipped small coal and gold mines due to floods and explosions.Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo on July 5 called on official at various levels to take tough measures in tackling problems affecting workshop safety insgroupsto prevent fatal accidents.

　　After listening to a report on the results of safety inspections of workshops across the country, Wu said more efforts are needed to rectify problems, close down small and accident-prone coal mines, and remove any hidden dangers in state-owned large and medium-sized coal mines

　　China's half year GDP up 7.8 percent

　　China's economy grew 7.8 percent in the first half of 2002 against the same period last year, well above the government's target of 7.0 percent, the GDP hit a height of 4,553.6 billion yuan (US.6 billion), official figures showed Monday. In an even better sign for economic planners, growth accelerated from 7.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter to 8.0 percent growth in the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

　　National Bureau of Statistics also released some other statistics, namely, Residents"income up 17.5 percent; fixed assets investment up 21.5 percent; summer grain output down by 2.9 percent.

　　Another clean canal appears in Jinan

　　Citizens of Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, fish along the banks of the city's canal to cool down and relax in the summer heat in weekend. Thanks to municipal environmental protection efforts, the canal has become cleaner with more trees along its banks, providing an ideal summer refuge for citizens.

　　2002 car sales to reach 1 million

　　Domestic sales of passenger cars made in China will exceed 1 million units this year, according to an industry association's latest forecast.

　　The upbeat forecast is based on the robust sales during the first half of this year, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

　　New product launches and price cuts made by manufacturers in China will continue to significantly boost sales. The first half of this year saw dozens of price cuts.

　　Su Hui, general manager of the Beijing Asian Games Village Automobile Exchange, said the improved consumption environment will also encourage more consumers to buy cars during the second half of this year.

　　Foreign-funded banks boom in Shanghai

　　Foreign-funded banks are steppingsintosa booming foreign currency service market in Shanghai.

　　On March 21, Citibank became the first foreign bank to enter the once protected business in Shanghai. The bank's board chairman and CEO, Sanford I. Weil, made his appearance on the historic day for his bank and opened an account for its first Chinese customer, Tang Haisong, CEO of etang.com.

　　After Citibank, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) was given green light to offer this service to local citizens and companies in its Shanghai branch.

　　These banks said they would concentrate on elite customers and enterprises. However, Chinese banks are trying to hold on to ordinary customers. Over 90 billion US dollars of individual savings are deposited in foreign currency accounts at Chinese banks.

　　Overseas investment increased by 18 per cent in first half

　　China's overseas direct investment achieved a year-on-year 18.7 per cent rise in the first half of this year, reflecting the country's promise of cheap labour and more open markets.

　　China attracted US.58 billion in overseas direct investment during the period from January to June this year, Vice-Minister Ma Xiuhong of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTEC) told reporters in Hong Kong.