Learn Chinese

China’s far western Xinjiang region will earmark 50 billion yuan (7.7 billion U.S. dollars) for poverty alleviation in the next five years, a local official said Monday.

Zhao Guoming, head of the regional poverty relief office, said 60 percent of the fund will be used on supporting distinctive industries and the rest on improving housing conditions in rural areas.

A total of 35 billion yuan, or 70 percent of the poverty alleviation fund, will go to the cities of Kashgar and Hotan and autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu Kyrgyz in southern Xinjiang, Zhao said.

The regional government aimed to help the per capita annual net income of farmers and herdsmen in poverty-stricken regions to grow at higher than nationwide average rate to 5,000 yuan in 2015, the official said.

He added that 10 billion yuan is from the central and regional governments, 30 billion yuan from various aid and 10 billion yuan from farmers and herdsmen themselves.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L) and Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi meet the press after their meeting in Budapest, capital of Hungary June 05, 2011. Yan Jiechi will attend the 10th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Godollo, Hungary June 6-7. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

BUDAPEST, June 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Sunday met here with Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations.

Yang said that China-Hungary relations have been developing steadily, with bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation, coordination and communication in all fields deepening constantly in recent years.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Europe recently and China would like to work with Hungary to further expand bilateral cooperation and open a new chapter in bilateral relations, Yang said.

Yang said China would continue to encourage Chinese businesses, tourists and student to invest, travel and study in Hungary.

China hopes that Hungary, who holds the current EU rotating presidency, will continue to play a positive role in pushing the EU to oppose trade protectionism and recognize China’s full market economy status so as to promote the continual development of China- EU relations, Yang said.

Martonyi said that Hungary remains committed to developing relations with China by adhering to the principle of mutual respect and trust.

Hungary welcomes investments from Chinese enterprises and would like to expand cooperation with China in fields such as culture, tourism, education, Martonyi said.