BEING HEARD: Premier Wen Jiabao delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum annual meeting on anuary 28 (YAO DAWEI)

PM Visits Europe

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a "trip of confidence" to Europe from January 27 to February 2.

In his first overseas tour in 2009, Wen visited Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Britain and the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. He also attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Switzerland's ski resort of Davos.

During the trip, Wen exchanged views with European leaders on the impact of the global financial crisis. He also witnessed the signing of a series of important contracts between Chinese and European enterprises in the fields of trade and investment, energy, science and technology, culture and education cooperation.

Wen delivered a special address at the WEF annual meeting, in which he expressed optimism that China's economy will continue to grow fast and steadily and called for confidence, cooperation and responsibility in overcoming the current global financial crisis. He said that the global financial crisis is a challenge for the whole world, and the pressing task for the international community is "to take further measures to restore market confidence as soon as possible."

The Chinese Premier also made five suggestions on the new world economic order. He called for all sides to reinforce economic and trade ties, carry forward international financial system reform, strengthen regulation of international financial activities, protect the interests of developing nations, and tackle climate change to guarantee the common prosperity of the world.

Serfs Emancipation Day

Tibet's local legislature endorsed a bill on January 19 to designate March 28 as an annual Serfs Emancipation Day, to mark the date on which about 1 million serfs in the region were freed 50 years ago.

"The 382 legislators attending the session unanimously voted for the proposal," said Legqog, head of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Autonomous Regional People's Congress.

On March 28, 1959, the Central Government announced it would dissolve the aristocratic local government of Tibet and replace it with a preparatory committee for establishing the Tibet Autonomous Region. The move came after the Central Government foiled an armed rebellion staged by the Dalai Lama and his supporters, most of whom were slave owners attempting to maintain serfdom.

That meant the end of serfdom and the abolition of the hierarchical social system characterized by theocracy. About 1 million serfs and slaves, accounting for 90 percent of the Tibetan population in the 1950s, were thus freed.

Medical Plan Approved

China's State Council, or the cabinet, passed a long awaited medical reform plan that promises to spend 850 billion yuan ($123 billion) by 2011 to provide universal medical services to the country's 1.3 billion population.

The plan was studied and passed at the executive meeting of the State Council, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, on January 21. Medical reform has been deliberated on by the authorities since 2006.

According to the reform plan, the authorities would take measures within three years to provide basic medical security to all Chinese in urban and rural areas, improve the quality of medical services, and make medical services more accessible and affordable for ordinary people.

Swift Justice

Tian Wenhua, former Board Chairwoman of the Sanlu Group that was at the heart of China's melamine-tainted milk powder scandal, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court on January 22. She was accused of producing and selling fake or sub-standard products.

Sanlu and Tian were also fined 50 million yuan ($7.30 million) and 20 million yuan ($2.92 million), respectively, according to a court ruling.

Among the other 11 people involved in the scandal who were convicted the sameday, two were given the death penalty, one received the death penalty with a reprieve, three were sentenced to life in prison and six got five to 15 years.