• Beijing launches a $81 million project to preserve historical and cultural relics in Tibet; Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway construction started; 30th anniversary of China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship marked
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    • Even as protests on Tibet spread to other parts of China, including Xi’an in the north-west and Harbin in the north east, the Chinese government launched a 570 million yuan ($81.43 million) project to preserve 22 historical and cultural relics in the southwest Tibet Autonomous Region1. The project, to last till 2010, will be the largest such project launched in Tibet so far2.

    In another major infrastructural initiative, the construction of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed (350 km/hr) railway started. The project, estimated to cost over 220 billion yuan ($316 billion), is stated to be the most expensive construction project since 19493.

    Among developments in bilateral relations, China and Japan marked the 30th anniversary of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship. On the occasion, the Chinese and the Japanese Foreign Minister reiterated their interest to make joint efforts to ensure the success of the upcoming state visit of President Hu Jintao to Japan4.

    Chinese and Russian delegations held talks in Beijing on strategic issues including the current international security situation, non-proliferation, regional concerns and on multilateral arms control. Both sides expressed an interest to support arms control processes under the multilateral framework5.

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