The central bank also said over the weekend in its latest statement that it will keep the yuan “basically stable” at a “bal-anced level”, while analysts said
Yuan appreciationa rise in the value of the yuan may start to stabilize after its sharp appreciation in the rst half of the year.
In a previous statement after its monetary policy committee meeting for the rst quarter, the central bank had said it would resort to the market “in a larger extent” in deciding the value of the yuan, an indication that was absent in its latest statement.
“It may mark a major ad-justment of the exchange rate policy,” said Liu Dongliang, a currency analyst with China Merchants Bank.
“The yuan’s appreciation may start to slow.”
The yuan’s mid-point rate was 6.8277 against the US dollar yesterday, the seventh consecutive day it stood at the 6.82 level.
Local banks ready to offer ‘ rst-rate services’
have said. English-speaking
employees in bank branches will also be able to exchange
The country’s banks are fully 16 foreign currencies with prepared to provide rst-rate Chinese yuan.
Lenders in Beijing have services to overseas and do-mestic visitors to the Beijing also reportedly set up 201
Games, a senior industry of-ATM machines around
Games venues, hotels and cial said yesterday.
“After three years’ prepa-the airport, which are able ration, we are now ready to to accept credit cards that meet customers’ demand for carry Visa, Master and China financial services during Unionpay logos.
To deal with credit card fraud, the Olympics,” said Yang
Zaiping, executive vice-the Bank of Communications president of the China Bank-has worked with Visa to carry
out anti-fraud training for its ing Association.
Local banks have improved employees in Olympic venues their service standards, net-including Beijing, Shanghai, work and hardware over the Shenyang and Qingdao, of- cials said.past years and are now ready
Improvements have also to welcome the expected 1 mil-lion visitors coming to China reportedly been made to local
for the Olympics next month, banks’ services.
A recent survey showed Yang said.
In Beijing, there are now that 84 percent of bank cus-363 currency exchange tomers waited more than 15 offices, 82 of which are ex-minutes before being served, pected to provide services compared with 37.5 percent
last May, the banking asso-round the clock.
Similarly, 1,887 of the ciation said.
The association has also capital’s 3,200 banking
branches will be capable of opened a 24-hour “12345”
handling foreign currencies, Olympic hotline in Beijing, Travelers walk past an ATM machine at the Olympic Media Village in Beijing last weekend. Chinese banks are ready to provide foreign credit cards and offering its services in eight rst-rate services for visitors to the Games, including round-the-clock currency exchange and a multi-language hotline.traveler’s checks, officials different languages. Xu Jingxing
By Wang Xu
Central
MeteorologicalObservatory
WEATHER
July 29-30
Migrant workers need to be protected urgently
>MIGRANTS, From Page 1
Xu Lu, deputy division chief of ACFTU’s international liaison department, said there was an urgent need to protect migrant workers from HIV/AIDS, and prevent them from becoming a high-risk group for the gen-eral population. “It’s important that we take immediate steps, focusing on migrant workers, to prevent the spread of the epidemic.”
Xu Zhenhuan, ACFTU vice-chairman, said his organization had been using its network to educate migrant workers on HIV/AIDS prevention and treat-ment. The ACFTU launched the Red Ribbon Campaign in 2004, aiming to raise mil-lions of workers’ awareness on HIV/AIDS.
And in line with China’s AIDS Action Plan for the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), the government will introduce
AIDS intervention program among 90 percent of the mi-grant workers by 2010.
Constance Thomas, director of the ILO Of ce for China and Mongolia, said the ACFTU-ILO project would help China focus on higher risk segments of the migrant work force and develop messages and services to change their specific risk behaviors.
“We need to move beyond just raising awareness to changing risk behaviors that lead to HIV infections among workers and their families.”
Leading actor Wang Bao-qiang, who was once a migrant worker in Beijing, was chosen to speak for the campaign. “The HIV situation in China is worrying … It’s time we took rm action to protect migrant workers from the disease … If I can save even one life with my words, I will consider it a job well done,” he said.
Huge civilian casualties
>BLAST, From Page 1
The attack came on the eve of deliberations by Turkey’s top court on whether to ban the ruling party for allegedly trying to steer the country toward Islamic rule. There was no evidence of a link or claim of responsibility.