 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
China to scrap May Golden Week holiday
Beijing (AFP) Nov 9, 2007 China will scrap its Golden Week holiday held in May, one of three week-long breaks initially set-up to boost retail sales and bolster the national economy, officials said on Friday. Instead, days off for Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival, will be granted. "Recently there have been repeated calls by political leaders and society in general for adjustments to our system of legal holidays," said a notice by the National Reform and Development Commission announcing the plan. The changes could go into effect as early as next year, it said. China introduced three annual "Golden Weeks" in 1999, including the Spring Festival early in the year and the October 1 National Day holiday, to help lift the economy out of the Asian financial crisis. But with several straight years of double-digit economic growth, this had increasingly been seen as unnecessary. The changes will raise the number of legal days off each year, including holidays and weekends, to 115 from the current 114. They also signify that culture is re-gaining official status after being frowned upon for decades by the Communist Party. Among reasons cited for the change were problems created by massive travel bottlenecks as millions of Chinese head for their hometowns for the week. "The new arrangement better respects people's right to rest, as there are now more holidays and they are spread through the year more reasonably," Xinhua quoted an official with the government panel that advised the change as saying. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links China News from SinoDaily.com
Analysis: Long-run wins for green Olympics
Washington (UPI) Nov 7, 2007 Beijing's efforts to meet clean-air standards in time for the 2008 Olympics are drawing increased skepticism as the August deadline approaches. Worst-case scenarios depict marathoners coughing their way through smog to the finish line, prompting the International Olympic Committee to suggest that some competitions may be delayed due to pollution. Yet even if Beijing fails to meet Olympic expectations on time, some analysts say China's attempt to do so will have at least one or two lasting benefits for Beijing and beyond. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
