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China, the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, will ban all forms of tobacco promotion by January 2011.A ban on tobacco advertising has been in place since 1996, but firms have managed to sidestep the rules and promote their brands in other more subtle ways such as sponsoring sporting events, or using their logos without mentioning "cigarettes" on television, radio and in newspapers and magazines.Xu Guihua, vice-president of China Tobacco Control Association, made the landmark announcement on Monday at a seminar in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. She said the country is committed to fulfill its obligations to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.China formally became a member of the convention last January.Xu said the nation lags behind other countries in efforts to control the use of tobacco, and the biggest problem is the lack of national regulations banning smoking in public areas.To date, fewer than half the cities have framed rules on smoking bans in some public spaces. Efforts to ban smoking in other areas such as karaoke parlors and restaurants have been stifled by unwilling owners and managers who fear a loss of business.Figures from the Ministry of Health show that China has an estimated 350 million smokers, almost a third of the world's 1.1 billion smokers.Cigarette makers spent more than 1.6 billion yuan (2 million) to promote their brands last year, according to China Youth Daily.In 2005 the government collected 240 billion yuan (.7 billion) in tobacco taxes.According to the WHO convention, tobacco products must carry prominent health warnings on the packaging.This measure needs to be implemented within three years from when China signed the convention.Within five years, China must fulfill it commitment to comprehensively ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.Last year, authorities found there were 231 instances of tobacco promotion considered illegal. The violators were fined a mere total of 1.23 million yuan (2,780).A senior official from China's State Tobacco Monopoly, who did not want to be named, said the administration was "actively taking measures" to fulfill its obligations to the convention.Regulations to further control tobacco promotion on the Internet were expected shortly, he said.Despite a willingness to cooperate, the official said tobacco producers were lawful enterprises, and it was not fair to "butcher the industry"."There is market demand for tobacco, people can choose if they smoke or not," he told China Daily.He said tobacco firms are using scientific and technological improvements in tobacco products to "lower" the harmful effects of smoking.However the WHO has long argued there is no way to make smoking healthier.Yang Yan, a researcher with Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said 12 percent of deaths in China are caused by tobacco related illnesses, and by 2025, that figure will climb to 33 percent.

A regional pilot scheme designed to provide basic medical insurance for all urban citizens will go nationwide this year, a senior labor official said Tuesday.A further 229 cities will be added to the scheme this year, Wang Dongjin, former vice-minister of labor and social security and head of a team of experts involved with the pilot, said at a national teleconference.By the end of the year, the scheme will cover 317 cities, Wang said.Dubbed by the public as a lifesaving project, the scheme has been well received by residents in the 88 pilot cities and has brought financial and medical relief to all beneficiaries, he said.Launched in September, the program, as of December, covered 40.68 million people with 620,000 of them already benefiting from it, Wang said.With an average annual premium of 236 yuan () for adults and 97 yuan for children, the scheme will be extended to at least 240 million non-working urban residents, such as children, students, the elderly, the disabled and the unemployed.These groups have been given access to the insurance plan through agents at schools and neighborhood communities, Wang said.For the disabled, home visits will be offered to help them sign up, he said.The premiums are paid by households, instead of individuals, he said. And the government will give subsidies annually to each participant, with more going to families of low-income earners and the disabled.Wang cited a recent survey showing 68 percent of those insured giving it the thumbs up.The poll also found that, between October and December, the number of patients who refused medical treatment for fear of high costs decreased by 10 percent.While subsidized by both central and local governments, the insurance scheme presents both personal and governmental liabilities and cannot be considered a welfare program in its entirety, Vice-Premier Wu Yi said at the conference.Personal contributions to enroll in the scheme cannot be lowered, she said.With the new scheme, China now has a three-layer medicare system, including the health insurance plan for urban employees launched in 1998 and the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme launched in 2003.Among those already covered by the medical scheme are more than 10.8 million urban residents in Jiangsu province, almost 4.7 million people in Anhui province, and in excess of 2.2 million urban residents in Gansu province.

DALLAS -- Several leading US airlines have asked federal regulators for the right to operate new nonstop flights between the United States and China beginning in March 2009.American, the largest US carrier, said it applied Monday for a route from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Beijing. A similar bid failed several months ago, partly because American's management and pilots couldn't agree on work rules for the flights.Continental applied Monday to fly between Newark, N.J., and Shanghai. The Houston-based airline said its flights would serve the financial hub of New York and a large Chinese-American population in the area. US Airways said it is seeking to offer nonstop service between its Philadelphia hub and Beijing, China. Delta Air Lines Inc. asked to fly from Atlanta to Beijing and Shanghai; and Northwest Airlines Corp. filed to offer service between Detroit and the same two Chinese cities. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines proposed to fly between San Francisco and Guangzhou starting in 2008, and between Los Angeles and Shanghai in 2009. Air service between the two countries is restricted by agreements between the two governments. US airlines eager to tap the growing Chinese market must apply to the Department of Transportation for new routes. In the competition for Chinese routes, US airlines gather support from politicians and customers to sell their proposals to federal regulators. For example, American, a unit of Fort Worth-based AMR Corp., boasted support from four US senators and three governors. Schwarzenegger favors proposal for non-stop flights to China California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he favored a proposal for non-stop air services to China from two major Californian cities. Schwarzenegger made the remarks after United Airlines submitted an application to the US Department of Transportation Monday to add daily, non-stop services from San Francisco and Los Angeles to China in 2008 and 2009. "China's more than 1 billion citizens represent an important market for Californian products and services," Schwarzenegger said in a statement e-mailed to Xinhua. "United Airlines' proposal to add a daily, non-stop service between our state and China is a great opportunity to promote California tourism and pump up our state's economy," said the governor. "Direct flights between California and China will only have a positive impact on our state and I look forward to working with United Airlines in the future as we continue to strengthen our economic ties with this important Pacific Rim partner," he added. United Airlines' application proposes a non-stop service between San Francisco and Guangzhou in 2008, and a daily non-stop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai in 2009. In 2006, exports from California to China totaled almost 10 billion dollars, up from 5.5 billion dollars in 2003 when the governor took office, according to the statement. California is the number one US state in terms of total exports to China and the top exports include computers and electronic products, waste and scrap materials, transportation equipment and heavy machinery.

BRUSSELS - Javier Solana, European Union top diplomat, expressed here on Thursday his concern over Taiwanese leaders' comments on the Chinese province's application for UN membership."I have noted with concern the comments made by Taiwan's leadership on October 24 concerning Taiwan's application for UN membership under the name of Taiwan," Solana said in a statement."The EU has a substantial interest in peace and stability in East Asia. It has a particular interest in the continued prosperity and security of Taiwan and in the maintenance of peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait," he said.    The fundamental position of the EU is that the Taiwan question must be solved peacefully through cross-Strait negotiations between all concerned parties."We have concerns about the current policy of Taiwan's authorities to pursue a referendum on the question of UN membership in the name of Taiwan," Solana said, adding "This concern flows from the EU's conviction that both sides of the Strait should refrain from statements or actions which might raise tension across the Strait and which might be perceived as a unilateral change in the status quo."The proposed referendum would risk making it harder for Taiwan to enjoy the pragmatic participation in the activities of specialized multilateral fora, "when there are clear public interests for this and when statehood is not required." he said"I therefore want to encourage both sides to take further initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, practical cooperation and confidence-building," he concluded.

The four-day Beijing air quality exercise held earlier in the month was met with mixed reaction.Diverse opinions were expressed by private car owners and public transport users.During the four days, cars bearing odd and even license plates were allowed on the roads on alternate days to see what effect this would have on the reduction of air pollution.According to a survey by Beijing Youth Daily, 61.9 percent of car owners opposed the practice in a long run while 78.2 percent of public transport users lauded it. The survey covered 3,000 residents.On the positive side, the exercise between August 17 and 20, showed a reduction in haze and smoother traffic flow.On the negative side, it has sparked further debate on the number of vehicles in the capital. About 1,000 new cars are registered every day in the city.Car owners argued that smoother traffic comes at the expense of individuals' convenience."Does being a car owner mean you have limited rights? That would be cruel and inhuman," Wang Hongsheng, head of the Volkswagen Polo club in Beijing, said.Fifty-seven percent of car owners shared his opinion.Among non-drivers, 21.9 percent did not think the even-odd plate exercise was a reasonable, scientific way to gauge air quality."It is an arbitrary way of stripping car owners of their rights. They pay for the convenience," a respondent said.Apart from the purchase price, the cost of owning a car in Beijing ranges from 10,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan (,300 to ,900) a year, he said.The survey also showed 36 percent of car owners were in favor of "public transport if managed well"."People are fed up with the poor condition of buses, and the metro where people are packed like sardines," another said.On options to improve traffic conditions, 49.9 percent said efficiency and lowering public transport fares should top the government's agenda instead of restricting car-ownership.Twenty-six percent of respondents said more roads and bridges should be built to reduce congestion, 14.5 percent were in favor of more flexible parking fees in relation to localities, and 9.5 percent said the use of bicycles, and walking should be promoted.