点击下载音频

U.S. treasury chief starts China visit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China since taking office in January.

Geithner is expected to meet with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Wang Qishan. He will also deliver a speech at Peking University.

According to the US Treasury Department, Geithner and Chinese leaders will discuss how to strengthen bilateral economic ties to promote stable, balanced and sustained economic growth in the two nations.

Chinese vice premier meets U.S. lawmakers

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan has met in Beijing with Rick Larsen and Mark Kirk, co-chairmen of the U.S.-China Working Group in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Their meeting came after lawmakers from the U.S.- China Working Group unveiled four bills to foster closer relations with China on matters like trade, climate change, energy and Chinese language education promotion.

Chinese authorities vow to ensure food safety as new law goes effective

A new Food Safety Law takes effect in China as of Monday.

Authorities have pledged to use the law as a platform to intensify monitoring and law enforcement, hoping to curb repeated food scandals battering the industry's reputation and consumer confidence.

The law aims to improve the efficiency of the food safety monitoring network through tougher standards, strict supervision, a recall system for substandard products and severe punishment of offenders.

Chinese mainland delegation on procurement spree in Taiwan

A Chinese mainland business delegation has arrived in Taiwan to kick off a buying spree to expand trade ties and offset the effects of the global economic downturn.

The group comprises about 80 representatives of 35 companies, including IT and home appliance giants Lenovo, Haier and Changhong.

This is the first among seven to nine delegations the mainland is sending to Taiwan from May to September to help develop the island's economy.

China raises gasoline, diesel benchmark retail prices

China has raised gasoline and diesel benchmark retail prices by 400 yuan per tonne as of Monday.

The National Development and Reform Commission says the benchmark retail price for gasoline would increase by 7 percent and the price of diesel by 8 percent.

It is the third oil price adjustment this year as crude prices jumped 30 percent in May.

Number of A/H1N1 flu cases on Chinese mainland rises to 33

Nine new cases of the A/H1N1 flu were confirmed on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, bringing the total number to 33.

One case was confirmed in Beijing, one each in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai, and five in Guangdong Province.

The central province of Hubei also reported a suspected case.