TMCnet News
Kyodo news summary -2-+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, April 16_(Kyodo) _ ---------- Hu meets Taiwan ex-opposition leader, underscores China economy boom BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with Lien Chan, former head of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, on Sunday, and underscored China's booming economy which he said grew 10.2 percent in the first quarter this year. The meeting, held at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, was the second between the two in as many years. ---------- China GDP posts real 10.2% growth in January-March: Xinhua BEIJING - Chinese President President Hu Jintao said Sunday that China's gross domestic product grew by 10.2 percent in the January-March quarter in real terms from a year earlier, Xinhua News Agency reported. China's official news agency said Hu made the remark during a meeting with Lien Chan, former chairman of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, who is on a visit to China. ---------- Princess Aiko attends Gakushuin school fair TOKYO - Princess Aiko on Sunday attended a concert and took part in children's games at the student festival at Gakushuin, the school where she started kindergarten earlier this month. Accompanied by her parents, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, the four-year-old princess listened and clapped her hands, talking to her mother when a group of 50 second-year kindergarten pupils sang "Zo-san" (Elephant) and other familiar children's songs. ---------- Explosion at Chiba Cosmo Oil refinery, no casualties reported CHIBA, Japan - An explosion occurred at a Cosmo Oil Co. refinery in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Sunday morning and a fire that followed was put out three hours later with no casualties reported. There were 57 workers at the refinery, located on the shores of the Goi industrial district in Ichihara, when the blast occurred at around 5:30 a.m., and all were evacuated safely, the Ichihara fire department said. ---------- Myanmar raises interest rates YANGON - The Myanmar central bank and the country's commercial banks raised their interest rates by 2 percentage points effective April 1, the country's state-run press reported Sunday. The central bank raised its rates to 12 percent from 10 percent per annum, while rates at private banks were raised to 17 percent from 15 percent for ordinary loans, and from 13 percent to 15 percent for special loans for agriculture and industry. |