Former mayor embroiled in milk scandal stripped of NPC position
Ji Chuntang, former mayor of Shijiazhuang, capital of the northern province of Hebei, was yesterday dismissed as deputy to the National People's Congress for his role in last year's adulterated milk scandal. Shijiazhuang was blamed for covering up the scandal and failing to take appropriate action. Mr Ji resigned as mayor last September when the scandal came to light. He then was stripped of the post of deputy secretary of the Shijiazhuang City Committee of the Communist Party. Milk powder produced by Sanlu Group, which was based in Shijiazhuang, was found to have been adulterated with the industrial chemical melamine, prompting the deaths of at least six children and making more than 300,000 others ill. Staff Reporter
Co-operation stressed ahead of US treasury chief's Beijing visit
US Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner vowed to push forward co-operation between Washington and Beijing ahead of his maiden official visit on Saturday. Mr Geithner stressed that the Obama administration was committed to establishing a positive, co-operative and comprehensive relationship with Beijing. 'We have an obligation to make sure that as we fix the crisis, we are putting in place a better foundation of a more balanced and sustained world recovery,' he said. During Mr Geithner's three-day visit, he is scheduled to discuss 'strengthening bilateral economic ties to promote stable, balanced and sustained economic growth in the two nations,' the US Treasury Department said. Beijing was reportedly irritated by Mr Geithner's remarks that the mainland manipulated its currency, comments he made before taking office as treasury secretary in late January. Staff Reporter
Mine collapse kills three
Three people were killed and one injured when a quartz mine collapsed in Yingde, a city in northern Guangdong, on Tuesday evening, Xinhua reported. According to the report, the victims were among seven people who allegedly exploited the mineral illegally. Three of the miners were detained by local police while a taskforce had been set up to look into the cause of the accident. Staff Reporter
