China yesterday confirmed that presidents of all
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states will attend the
organization's summit slated for June 15 in Shanghai.
Chairmen of the Parliaments of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States meet with
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's Kremlin. Russia and China
moved to fortify their growing security cooperation in Central Asia but
reassured the United States that their new-found unity of purpose in the
region was not designed to subvert US interests
there.[AFP] |
Presidents of Mongolia, Pakistan
and Iran, three SCO observers, will also attend the summit, Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news briefing.
On the sidelines of the summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao will hold
bilateral meetings with presidents of the SCO members and observers, including
Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Liu said.
The spokesman said China had discussed Iran's nuclear issue with the country
in the past and will continue to do so in the future to improve mutual
understanding.
"China will continue to make positive efforts to help peacefully solve the
Iran nuclear issue through negotiations," Liu said when asked whether the
nuclear issue will be raised at the meeting between Hu and Ahmadinejad.
India, another SCO observer, will send its Minister of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Murli Deora to the summit, Liu said.
Liu also confirmed that Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Executive Secretary
Vladimir Rushailo of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Deputy
Secretary-General Wilfrido. V. Villacorta of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations will attend the summit as guests.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met in Beijing yesterday with visiting
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, exchanging views on the Iran
nuclear issue.
Both Li and Araghchi agreed the Iran nuclear issue should be solved through
negotiation.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai held talks with Araghchi
yesterday.
China yesterday called for a positive response to the proposals offered by
the five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany on the nuclear
question.
SCO summit means holiday for Shanghainese
The upcoming Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) summit is being greeted
with extra warmth by residents of Shanghai, as many will be given five days
holiday during the event.
According to a notice issued by the municipal government at the end of May,
all the city's school children, civil servants and some private sector workers
will not have to work from next Wednesday to Sunday (June 14-18). However, they
will have to clock in this weekend.
The notice said the holiday is due to some specific traffic control measures
in the city during the summit period.
Many residents are preparing to travel outside Shanghai during the holiday,
dubbed a "Mini Golden Week" by travel agents who have reported a surge in
reservations.
According to Zhang Lei, spokesman for the Spring International Travel Service
in Shanghai, reservations are twice as high as normal for the time of year.
"The current demand is close to the peak period before the May Day vacation,"
he said. "South China's Hainan Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
are very popular destinations on the mainland. Our charter-flight tours to the
two places are already fully booked."
Hong Kong and Macao are the most popular destinations outside the Chinese
mainland, and the company's tours are already sold out, he said.
Shanghai Railway Administration has announced that three additional trains
will travel to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The administration estimates
passenger numbers will be 10 per cent higher than usual, up to 120,000 people on
the busiest days.
Zhang Qi, a secretary working for a State-owned company, said she has planned
a three-day trip to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province. However, when she
tried to book a room yesterday, she found very few vacancies.
"I can predict the city of Hangzhou will be swarming with Shanghainese," she
said.
Civil servant Zhu Jiang said he has been considering a trip to Hainan since
he found out about the holiday.
"I will make the trip if I can ask enough friends of mine to travel
together," he said. However, many of his friends working for private companies
will not get time off during the summit.
"The SCO summit has given me a wonderful gift! But seriously, I do not think
the summit will have much impact on our normal lives," he said.
A lot of work has been done to ensure the city does a good job hosting
leaders of the six SCO member states China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as other international observers and
representatives.
In an effort to improve the local environment, the government has taken
measures to clean the river, expand greenery coverage and renovate a few public
buildings.
The local traffic administration has made special provisions to control
traffic, and all drivers involved in the event will be trained on safety and
diplomatic etiquette.
"The traffic controls will have some impact on locals, but we will try to
keep disruption to a minimum," said a source with the administration told China
Daily.
