A train rumbles through the Chinese countryside as passenger Guy Alitto, a University of Chicago historian and well-known scholar in China, talks about his life on the way to visit the tomb of Confucius.

This scene opens the documentary film, The Last Confucian and Me, which has been widely viewed across China as part of a China Central TV series on foreigners who have made an impact on the country. Alitto returned to Beijing last month where he was recognized along with other featured foreigners for “contributions to Sino-International exchange.” The documentary also will be translated into Italian and aired on Italian TV.

Alitto, who was interviewed at the University of Chicago’s Center in Beijing and other locations in the city, talks about his fascination with China and one of its forgotten heroes, Liang Shuming. A philosopher, rural reformer and political figure active throughout the first half of the 20th century, Liang had fallen out of favor after challenging Mao Zedong shortly after the Chinese People’s Republic was established. Alitto’s research helped to restore Liang’s rightful historical and national prominence.

The documentary is based on Alitto’s research and interviews with Liang. Alitto’s book, The Last Confucian: Liang Shu-ming and the Chinese Dilemma of Modernity, was first published in 1979, with several subsequent editions up to the present, in both Chinese and English. Liang had been viewed as a discard in “the dust-heap of history” until Alitto’s biography appeared. After the first edition was published, Alitto interviewed Liang in a series of recorded meetings, and published the transcripts in two volumes in 2006 and 2011.

“I didn’t even know he was still alive when I first published the book,” says Alitto, Associate Professor in History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Liang, who was living an anonymous existence in Beijing, learned of the book and contacted Alitto, who travelled to China for a number of personal visits. Their tape-recorded conversations are included in The Last Confucian and Me.

“It was fate that brought you together,” a young news reporter says to Alitto in the documentary. Fate was facilitated by fortunate circumstances for Alitto, who has an excellent command of Mandarin and became interested in China during a time of historic changes. The documentary traces his study of China as a graduate student in the 1960s, his quick proficiency in the language while studying in Taiwan, and his appointment as an interpreter for the first official Chinese delegations visiting the United States in 1972, after Nixon’s visit to China.

The documentary follows Alitto through vintage photographs of his work as an interpreter and scholar, and takes him back to a village where he did field work in the 1980s and 1990s. The film follows him as he visits the home of an elderly couple and shares tea and conversation with them about the old days of rural reconstruction reforms.

In interviews with Liang Shuming’s two sons, they describe the Spartan simplicity of their lives growing up in rural China. “I remember the plainness of the food,” one son remarks.

Alitto observes: “As things improve in China materially, there also may be an opening for improvements for society as well, not only in China but elsewhere.” When the first book of transcripts on Liang came out, it was given the English title “Has Mankind a Future?” The documentary closes with the answer: “We have a Future!”

Chinese film features Prof. Guy Alitto for his work with forgotten philosopher, political figure | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

WASHINGTON—Bryan Underwood, a former contract guard working at a U.S. Consulate in China, has been charged in a superseding indictment with one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government, two counts of making false statements, and one count of failing to appear in court pursuant to his conditions of release.

The superseding indictment, which was returned today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia, was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Underwood, 31, was first charged in an indictment on Aug. 31, 2011, with two counts of making false statements and was arrested on Sept. 1, 2011. On Sept. 21, 2011, Underwood was scheduled to appear at a status hearing in federal court in the District of Columbia, but failed to do so. The FBI located Underwood in Los Angeles and arrested him there in the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 2011. Underwood will be brought back to the District of Columbia for arraignment on the superseding indictment. If convicted of the charges against him in the superseding indictment, Underwood faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.

According to the superseding indictment, from about March 1, 2011, to about Aug. 5, 2011, Underwood knowingly and unlawfully attempted to communicate photographs and other information relating to the national defense to representatives of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with the intent and reason to believe that these materials would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of a foreign nation.

The indictment further alleges that on Aug. 5, 2011, Underwood made a false statement when he stated to an FBI representative that he was intending to assist the FBI when he wrote a letter stating his “interest in initiating a business arrangement” with the PRC. Underwood also made a false statement, according to the indictment, when he stated to an FBI representative that he was intending to assist the FBI when he took certain photographs of his place of work. Finally, the indictment alleges that Underwood failed to appear in court on Sept. 21, 2011 in accordance with the conditions of his release, after his initial arrest on Aug. 31, 2011.

“As this case demonstrates, we remain vigilant in protecting America’s secrets and in bringing to justice those who attempt to compromise them,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.

“Our national security depends upon our ability to keep our most sensitive information confidential. Bryan Underwood is charged with trying to pass American secrets to China and then lying to cover up his betrayal,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “I want to congratulate the FBI for so quickly tracking down this defendant in California so that he could be brought back to the District of Columbia to face these charges.”

“The FBI is committed to working with our partners in the U.S. Government to prevent the compromise of U.S. national security information by those who would attempt to sell it for personal gain,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. “Those who seek to flee from justice should know that the FBI will locate and apprehend them.”

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Ryan Fayhee from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Former Guard Charged with Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to People’s Republic of China | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — The soybeans are still standing in Dan Farney’s fields in Tazewell County, but they won’t be for long.

In about two weeks, the acres and acres of soybeans that Farney has been cultivating this spring and summer will start their journey from Pekin in central Illinois to Beijing, China.

“Pekin is right on the (Illinois River). The beans can go down the river, through the (Gulf of Mexico) and on to China,” Farney said Tuesday from his farm southwest of Morton.

A lot more soybeans from Illinois will soon make a similar trek.

Gov. Pat Quinn, who is in the middle of an eight-day trade mission to China, announced Monday a deal that will allow Decatur-based agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland to sell 6.6 million bushels of soybeans to a Chinese food company. 

The soybean sale only strengthens the bond between the Illinois agricultural industry and China as well as Pekin and Beijing, formerly Peking.

Pekin, south of Peoria, adopted its name because “from what I’ve always heard, the thought was … that if you went straight through the earth from Peking, China, you’d hit Pekin, Ill.,” said Pekin Mayor Lori Barra.

Barra said the name has stuck, even if the assumption of being antipodes was a bit off.

Illinois is emerging as one of China’s major trade partners, “the dominant player for the (import) of soybeans, which is one of (the) top two agricultural products in Illinois,” said Mike Doherty, a senior economist and policy analyst for the Illinois Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural advocate and information group.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks Illinois second in soybean production in the nation, harvesting more than 460 million bushels in 2010. Only Iowa produces more beans with last year’s crop topped at 490 million bushels.

The USDA said China is the top customer of soybeans from the United States, importing about 825 million bushels, or one-quarter of the total soybean crop, in 2010. The USDA estimated that 13 percent of all U.S. soybean exports originate in Illinois.

But soybeans aren’t the only exports.

Illinois is home to Deere & Co., the Moline-based manufacturing giant of John Deere farm equipment; Caterpillar Inc., the Peoria-based heavy equipment manufacturer; and other agribusiness giants, all of which are sending their products overseas, said Doherty.

“We do have a high proportion of the nationally recognized agribusiness companies in Illinois,” said Doherty.

Caterpillar and Deere are heavily involved in China. Caterpillar opened a new logistics center there in 2010. Deere this year opened a new manufacturing facility, where farm equipment is made to be sold in China.

Quinn’s trade mission is not just focusing on agriculture. The governor announced a second deal on Monday to partner with a Chinese wind turbine maker, Xinjian Goldwind Science and Technology Co., to help build a wind farm in Lee County in northern Illinois.

The delegation to China, which includes lawmakers and campaign donors to the governor, is costing taxpayers about $133,000. Quinn brushed off criticism of the cost last week, saying the price of the trip is worth the potential return on investment.

“You can squeeze a nickel and lose a half dollar,” Quinn said.

Quinn adds he wants to be the “promoter in chief” for the state.

Illinois needs a relationship with China, said Doherty.

“Illinois is more tied to the international market than most other states,” said Doherty. “And certainly more than the other Midwestern states.”

Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.

From Pekin to Beijing — it’s all business | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BEIJING, CHINA (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM) — September 19, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn visited Beijing today during his business and economic trade mission in China, where he announced two business agreements that further strengthen the relationship between Illinois and China.

The agreements involving Illinois-based ADM and Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co., LTD (Goldwind) advance Governor Quinn’s aggressive goal of doubling Illinois exports by 2014.

“Illinois is a top competitor in the global economy, and our aggressive plans to double exports and develop innovative new partnerships in emerging technology fields are continuing our growth on the global stage,” Governor Quinn said. “Our state has the resources, human capital, and innovative drive to expand our global reach. These agreements represent our ongoing commitment to keep Illinois a leader in the global marketplace.”

During his visit to Beijing today, Governor Quinn announced that Goldwind, one of the largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world, will build a $200 million wind farm in Lee County, Illinois. The company will break ground on the Shady Oaks project later this fall. Once online, the project will provide 109.5 megawatts (MW) of power, and create more than 100 construction and a dozen permanent maintenance jobs in Illinois. According to the American Wind Energy Association, one megawatt of wind energy can provide enough electricity to meet the needs of 225-300 households. Therefore, 109.5 MW can provide the electricity needs of approximately 25,000 homes.

“As the largest and most competitive market in the world, the United States is a key component of Goldwind’s international growth. Thanks to visionary leaders like Governor Quinn, Goldwind and other renewable energy companies are able to generate an undeniable economic impact in the U.S. wind industry through job creation and supplier agreements,” said Goldwind Chairman and CEO Wu Gang. “Goldwind has generated a competitive global footprint and we are focused on continuing that momentum, continuing to demonstrate our technology advantages and continuing to build-out our global supply chain.”

Goldwind USA Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co, LTD, based in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. Goldwind USA established its headquarters in Chicago in 2010 to oversee operations in North and South America.

Governor Quinn also announced that Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), a worldwide food production company based in Decatur, Illinois, has entered into a $100 million sales agreement with Jiusan Oils and Seeds. Under the agreement, ADM will supply Jiusan Oils and Seeds, a manufacturer of soy products based in Harbin, Helongjiang, China, with 180,000 metric tons of soybeans by December 2012.

“This agreement connects Illinois soybean farmers with Chinese consumers and reinforces the growing ties between the State of Illinois and China,” said David Ragan, product line manager, ADM. “In addition to helping to meet soybean demand and keep costs consistent for Chinese consumers, this partnership also underscores ADM’s advancing interests in China and our commitment to serving China’s priorities in food security, food safety and food sustainability.”

China is the world’s largest market for Illinois soybeans, importing more than 104 million bushels of U.S. soybeans in the 2009/2010 marketing year valued at more than $160 million. Illinois is among the top five states in agricultural exports to China. Illinois agriculture exports to China have increased each year since 2007, from $149 million to $424 million in 2010.

China is Illinois’ third largest export destination. Illinois’ overall exports to China reached $3.18 billion in 2010, up from $2.47 billion in 2009. Nearly 30 Chinese companies have invested in Illinois, employing thousands of Illinois residents.

For updates on Governor Quinn’s trip, visit www.Illinois.gov or follow him on Twitter at @GovernorQuinn. More information about Illinois trade and business opportunities can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website at www.illinoisbiz.biz.

Gov. Quinn Announces Major Illinois-China Business Investments | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Daley, who has advocated for the inclusion of Chinese language curricula in Chicago Public Schools, also revealed almost $500,000 in grants for Chinese cultural and language programs.

Daley says he will still help the city build its relationship with China once he leaves office on May 16. Though he’s avoided speaking too specifically about his future plans, Daley’s supporters say he’ll certainly continue to use his connections with China to attract financiers to the city. Most recently, Daley discussed the development of a high-speed “mag-lev” train route from Chicago to O’Hare with the support of Chinese investors.

During his tenure, Daley strove to make Chicago the most China-friendly city in America, an effort that paid off earlier this year when Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the city.

Daley named co-chair of Obama’s student initiative for studying in China | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Le Gaga (NMS:GAGA), a vegetable producer in China that went public Oct. 29, said Q2 adjusted profit jumped 45% to $5.8 mil, helped by higher production. Revenue surged 45% to $14.2 mil. Production increased 40% to 32,064 metric tons, and production per unit of land rose 32%. It sees Q3 revenue of $14.7 mil-$16.2 mil. Shares fell 3% to 9.26.

China farmer falls after earnings (Investor’s Business Daily) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

HONG KONG (AFP) – Air China is to buy 20 passenger planes from Airbus in deal worth 4.49 billion US dollars, the airline said in a statement filed with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Thursday.

China’s leading carrier said it would acquire 10 Airbus A330 and 10 Airbus A350 series aircraft from the France-based aviation consortium, for which it would pay in cash instalments.

The A330s will be delivered in stages from 2013 to 2015 and the A350s from 2018 to 2020, Air China said in its statement.

Airbus had granted Air China “significant price concessions” for the aircraft and the purchase will be funded by business operations, bank loans, and “other financing instruments,” the airline said.

Air China estimated the acquisition would increase the capacity of its fleet by 18.6 percent.

The acquisition will “optimise the fleet structure of the Company and is in line with the market requirements (and) will deliver more cost-efficient performance and provide comfortable services to passengers.”

Air China serves more than 120 domestic and international destinations with its fleet of more than 260 Airbus and Boeing jet aircraft, according to state media.

“Air China has ordered more than 200 Airbus and Boeing planes so far. In 2009, Air China carried 41.28 million passengers,” Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the airline’s website.

The statement follows several major acquisitions by Chinese carriers in recent weeks, including China Southern Airlines’ 3.78 billion-dollar deal for 36 Airbus planes.

The China Southern deal, for A320s and A330s between 2012 and 2015, was announced as China’s President Hu Jintao arrived in France for three-day state visit.

This week, Air China, China Southern and China Eastern — China’s three largest airlines — were among the reported buyers of 100 C919 airliners, the 190-seat jet built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

COMAC announced the deals at the Zhuhai Airshow in the southern province of Guangdong, challenging industry giants Airbus and Boeing in what is expected to become the world’s largest aviation market.

Airbus rival Boeing said earlier this month it expected China’s civil aircraft fleet to triple over the next 20 years.

“China is one of the world’s fastest growing and dynamic aviation markets, driven by the urbanisation of China, the growth of its economy and an ever increasing personal wealth,” Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for the US aerospace giant, told a briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Chinese airlines will need 4,330 new jets valued at 480 billion dollars over the next two decades, compared with global demand of 30,900 units during the period, he said.

Last week, the head of China’s civil aviation administration offered an even more bullish forecast, saying the country would have up to 5,000 aircraft to transport passengers and cargo by 2015, according to state media.

In September, Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific said it had confirmed an order for 30 long-range A350 Airbus aircraft with a book price of 7.82 billion dollars — the biggest single order in the carrier’s history.

Air China announces 4.49 billion-dollar Airbus deal (AFP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SHANGHAI (AFP) – Chinese stocks closed down 5.16 percent on Friday, as investors scrambled to bank profits before the government introduces any new monetary tightening measures, dealers said.

The Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, was down 162.31 points at 2,985.44 on turnover of 298.4 billion yuan (44.9 billion dollars).

It was the biggest single-day fall since the index closed down 6.74 percent on August 31, 2009.

“Investors are aggressively trimming their positions as they are afraid the government may announce further tightening measures over the weekend,” Huatai Securities analyst Zhou Lin told Dow Jones Newswires.

China said Thursday that consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in more than two years in October, raising expectations of another rate hike as Beijing admits it may miss its 2010 inflation target.

Banks and property developers led the decline amid fears over further tightening moves, traders said.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ended down 1.9 percent to 4.68 yuan. China Merchants Bank shed 5.2 percent to 13.99.

China Vanke plunged 7.1 percent to 8.53 yuan. China Merchants Property Development fell 7.7 percent to 16.74.

Metal stocks were also weak due to falling global commodities prices.

Yunnan Aluminum tumbled 9.4 percent to 12.50 yuan, while Western Mining was down 3.7 percent to 21.50.

China shares see biggest fall in 14 months (AFP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SANYA, China – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is keeping up the pressure on China to settle a territorial dispute with Japan and lower tensions in East Asia.

America’s top diplomat is making a rare visit Saturday to China’s Hainan (hy-nahn) Island. She’s delivering the same message to Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo that she conveyed just hours before to China’s foreign minister during a meeting in Vietnam.

These sessions are intended to ease strains in U.S.-China ties ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao (hoo jin-tow)’s state visit next year to Washington.

Clinton is calling for talks among the U.S., China and Japan to resolve a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing over islands in the East China Sea. The dispute has sent relations between China and Japan to new lows.

Hillary Clinton keeping up pressure on China (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SHANGHAI – China is not using its control over supplies of rare earth — exotic metals crucial in advanced manufacturing — as a diplomatic “bargaining chip,” state media quoted Premier Wen Jiabao as saying during a visit to Europe.

Recent reports that Beijing had temporarily suspended shipments to Japan of the metallic elements, used in computer disk drives, hybrid car components and other high-tech products, has drawn attention to China’s near monopoly on the materials.

Speaking to a China-European Union business summit in Brussels, Wen echoed other Chinese officials in denying Beijing had ordered traders to hold back rare earth shipments to Japan due to a recent flare-up in tensions, the newspaper China Daily reported Friday.

“China is not using rare earth as a bargaining chip,” said Wen, China’s top economic official.

The government’s official web site carried some of Wen’s remarks, including his call for sustainable development of China’s abundant reserves of the 17 minerals, which have exotic names like dysprosium and terbium.

“What we pursue is to satisfy not only the domestic demand but also the global demand of rare earth. We should not only stand from the present, but should also look forward to the future,” the government’s account of Wen’s remarks said.

“If rare earth minerals were used up, how would the world and China deal with the problem?” he said.

China produces 97 percent of the global supply of rare earths, and experts forecast that annual demand could exceed 200,000 tons by 2014, far exceeding current production level of 124,000 tons a year.

“It is necessary to exercise management and control over the rare earth industry, but there won’t be any embargo,” the China Daily quoted Wen as saying.

China has denied it was halting exports, but Japanese trading firms said shipments stopped around Sept. 21, held up at Chinese ports by increased paperwork and inspections. That came after Japan arrested a Chinese fishing boat captain whose trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats off disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Concern about rare earth supply had been brewing long before September’s restrictions to Japan. To cope with growing demand at home, China has been reducing export quotas of rare earths over the past several years. In the second half of this year, the government has capped overseas shipments at 7,976 tons, down 49 percent from the first half, according to figures from China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Shaken by the potential threat of supply disruptions to its manufacturers, Japan is considering becoming a global center for rare earth recycling and is partnering with Mongolia to develop new rare earth mines.

Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved new funding for securing rare earths as part of 5.05 trillion yen ($61 billion) in new economic stimulus.

Concerns over the issue are prompting a resumption of some projects in the U.S. and Australia that had been postponed for years due to competition from cheap Chinese suppliers.

Meanwhile, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that geologists have discovered a large, still untapped new deposit in central China’s Henan province.

Authorities were drawing up plans to prevent illegal mining of the reserves, it said.

Premier: China won’t block rare earth exports (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Sept. 23 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Draftfcb Executive Chairman Howard Draft has been named the first-ever Honorary Chairman of China’s annual ROI Festival, now marking its third year.

(Photo: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20100923/CG70480)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100923/CG70480)

Judging took place last week in Shanghai where Mr. Draft expressed his enthusiastic support of the Festival at a press conference that attracted over 50 journalists.

“I strongly support the ROI Award Festival because it allows advertisers and agencies to establish even closer partnerships.  It’s reassuring to see clients and agencies alike increasingly value the effect of ROI in advertising,” said Mr. Draft.  ”At Draftfcb we are all about creativity and accountability.  I am glad to see the rapid development and progress of the Chinese advertising industry, and its commitment to similar ideals.”

This year’s Festival received more than 2,000 entries submitted by 400+ Chinese agencies.  The winners will be announced at a ceremony on November 11th in Shanghai. That same evening, Mr. Draft will receive the Silver Medal Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Advertising Federation to commemorate his 33 years in the industry and his contributions to the advertising scene in one of the world’s largest advertising markets.

Mr. Draft will also be inducted into the Direct Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame on October 12th in San Francisco.

About Draftfcb

Draftfcb is the first global, behavior-based, holistic marketing communications organization to operate against a single P&L.  In delivering its clients a high Return on Ideas(SM), the agency is driven by The 6.5 Seconds That Matter(SM), an operating system that recognizes the brief period of time marketers have to capture consumers’ attention and motivate them to act. With nearly 140 years of combined expertise, Draftfcb has roots in both consumer advertising and behavioral, data-driven direct marketing and firmly believes there is no way to separate creativity from accountability. Part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), the Draftfcb network spans 92 countries with more than 9,200 employees. The agency’s corporate leadership team includes Howard Draft, executive chairman; Laurence Boschetto, CEO and president; Jonathan Harries, vice chairman and global chief creative officer; and Neil Miller, chief financial officer. For more information, visit www.draftfcb.com.

SOURCE Draftfcb

Howard Draft Named Honorary Chairman at China’s ROI Festival | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chileans were euphoric Sunday after a narrow drill broke through 688 metres of solid rock to reach an emergency refuge where the miners had gathered. The trapped men quickly tied two notes to the end of a probe that rescuers pulled to the surface, announcing in big red letters: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter.”

“Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy,” President Sebastian Pinera said at the mine.

And where many were beginning to give up hope, the scene above ground became a celebration Sunday night, with a barbecue for the miners’ families, roving musicians, lit candles and Chilean flags making the barren landscape seem festive.

But rescuers said it could take as long as four months — until around Christmas — to carve a second shaft some 68 centimeters in diameter, wide enough for the miners to be pulled up one by one.

The men already have been trapped underground longer than all but a few miners rescued in recent history. Last year, three miners survived 25 days trapped in a flooded mine in southern China, and two miners in northeastern China were rescued after 23 days in 1983. Few other rescues have taken more than two weeks.

The miners’ survival after 17 days is very unusual, but since they’ve made it this far, they should emerge physically fine, said Davitt McAteer, who was assistant secretary for mine safety and health at the U.S. Labor Department under President Bill Clinton.

“The health risks in a copper and gold mine are pretty small if you have air, food and water,” Mr. McAteer said.

Still, he said the stress of being trapped underground for a long period of time can be significant.

“There is a psychological pattern there that we’ve looked at,” Mr. McAteer said. But “they’ve established communication with the guys; there are people who can talk them through that.”

The hole already drilled will be used to send down small capsules containing food, water and oxygen if necessary, and sound and video equipment so the miners can better communicate with loved ones and rescuers. That two-way communication may be key to keeping them thinking positive.

A video camera lowered down the probe shaft Sunday showed some of the miners, stripped to the waist in the underground heat, waving happily. But they weren’t able to establish audio contact, Pinera said.

“I saw eight or nine of them. They were waving their hands. They got close to the camera and we could see their eyes, their joy,” the president said.

The miners seemed to be aware that their rescue may take a long time, according to one of them, Mario Gomez, perhaps the eldest of the trapped men at 63, who wrote a note to his wife.

“Even if we have to wait months to communicate. … I want to tell everyone that I’m good and we’ll surely come out OK,” Mr. Gomez wrote, scrawling the words on a sheet of notebook paper the miners tied to the probe. “Patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive.”

Mine officials and relatives of the workers had hoped the men reached a shelter below where the tunnel collapsed Aug. 5 at the San Jose gold and copper mine about 530 miles (850 kilometers) north of the capital, Santiago. But they had said the shelter’s emergency air and food supplies would last only 48 hours.

Mr. Gomez wrote that the miners used vehicles for light and a backhoe to dig a channel to retrieve underground water.

It was unclear whether their air supply was in danger of running out.

Rescuers had drilled repeatedly in an effort to reach the shelter, but failed seven times. They blamed the errors on the mining company’s maps. According to Gomez’s note, at least some of those earlier probes were close enough that the trapped miners heard them. The eighth attempt finally worked.

Mr. Gomez’s note, which the president read aloud on live television, focused on expressions of faith and love for his family. But frustration also showed through in one line, where he declared that “this company has got to modernize.”

Chile is the world’s top copper producer and a leading gold producer, and has some of the world’s most advanced mining operations. But both the company that owns the mine, San Esteban, and the National Mining and Geology Service have been criticized for allegedly failing to comply with regulations. In 2007, an explosion at the San Jose mine killed three workers.

Liliana Ramirez couldn’t believe it when Chile’s mining minister said her husband had sent a note to his “Dearest Lila.”

“I know my husband is strong, and at 63, is the most experienced miner who could lead his co-workers,” she said, but she vowed to keep him above ground once he’s rescued.

Authorities and relatives of the miners hugged, climbed a nearby hill, planted 33 flags and sang Chile’s national anthem after discovering the miners had survived.

Along the length of Chile, horns honked, flags waved and people watched the drama unfold live on television and computer screens. It was a rush of good news in a country still rebuilding from a magnitude-8.8 earthquake Feb. 27 and its resulting tsunami, which together killed at least 521 people and left 200,000 homeless.

Trapped Chilean miners face months before rescue | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chile’s president euphorically waved the note, written deep inside a collapsed mine, that his country waited 17 agonizing days to see: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter,” one of the trapped miners wrote in red letters.

Authorities and relatives of the miners hugged, climbed a nearby hill, planted 33 flags and sang the national anthem after a probe sent some 688 metres deep into the mine came back with the note. “Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy,” President Sebastian Pinera said.

Where many were beginning to give up hope, the scene above ground became a celebration Sunday night, with a barbecue for the miners’ families, roving musicians, lit candles and Chilean flags making the barren landscape seem festive.

The miners’ ordeal may have just begun: Rescuers say it could take four months — until around Christmas — to get them out.

Relatives of the miners trapped in the San Esteban gold and copper mine, stand by as the news that a probe has reached the place were they might be are announced, near the city of Copiapo, Atacama desert, 800 km north of Santiago, on August 22, 2010.

The men already have been trapped underground longer than all but a few miners rescued in recent history. Last year, three miners survived 25 days trapped in a flooded mine in southern China, and two miners in northeast China were rescued after 23 days in 1983. Few other rescues have taken more than two weeks.

The miners’ survival after 17 days is very unusual, but now that they’ve made it this far, they should emerge okay, a leading U.S. mine safety expert told The Associated Press.

“The health risks in a copper and gold mine are pretty small if you have air, food and water,” said Davitt McAteer, who was assistant secretary for mine safety and health at the U.S. Department of Labor under president Bill Clinton.

For the moment, news that the men even survived a tunnel collapse on Aug. 5 was outshining all other details.

A video camera lowered down the probe shaft showed some of the miners, stripped to the waist in the underground heat, waving happily. But they weren’t able to establish audio contact, Mr. Pinera told reporters at the scene.

“I saw eight or nine of them. They were waving their hands. They got close to the camera and we could see their eyes, their joy,” Mr. Pinera said.

Word of the miners’ survival was a rush of good news in a country still rebuilding from a magnitude-8.8 earthquake Feb. 27 and its resulting tsunami, which together killed at least 521 people and left 200,000 homeless.

Hundreds gathered, cheering and waving flags, in the capital’s Plaza Italia where Chileans traditionally celebrate national victories. Along the great length of Chile, people were glued to television and computer screens as the drama unfolded in live feeds from the remote mine.

“I am okay thanks to God. I hope to get out soon,” wrote one of the trapped miners, Mario Gomez. “Patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive.”

Mr. Gomez, 63, appeared to be aware that it will take a long time for rescuers to reach him and his fellow miners. “Even if we have to wait months to communicate. … I want to tell everyone that I’m good and we’ll surely come out okay,” he said.

Mine officials and relatives of the workers had hoped the men reached a shelter inside the mine when the tunnel collapsed the San Jose gold and copper mine about 850 kilometres north of the capital, Santiago. But they had said the shelter’s emergency air and food supplies would only last 48 hours.

Rescuers drilled repeatedly in an effort to reach the shelter, but failed seven times; they blamed the errors on the mining company’s maps. According to Mr. Gomez’s note, at least some of those probes were close enough that the trapped miners heard them.

Hopes rose after the eighth attempt early Sunday when they heard hammering sounds and sent down a probe. The miners put their two notes in a plastic bag and tied it to the end of the probe. Mr. Pinera triumphantly showed the bag to the crowd above ground and read both notes to the crowd above ground.

Liliana Ramirez couldn’t believe it when Chile’s mining minister said her husband had sent a note to his “Dearest Lila.”

“I know my husband is strong, and at 63, is the most experienced miner who could lead his co-workers,” she said. “But no more mining (for him.)”

Mr. Gomez wrote that the miners used vehicles for light and a backhoe to dig a canal to retrieve underground water.

The opening that rescuers dug to the miners is not wide enough to haul them out. Rescue equipment brought from outside the country was being assembled Sunday to dig a tunnel 68 centimetres in diameter through which the miners will eventually be brought to the surface.

The hole already drilled will be used to send down small capsules containing food, water and oxygen if necessary, and sound and video equipment so the miners can communicate better with loved ones and rescuers.

Chile is the world’s top copper producer and a leading gold producer, and has some of the world’s most advanced mining operations. But both the company that owns the mine, San Esteban, and the National Mining and Geology Service have been criticized for allegedly failing to comply with regulations. In 2007, an explosion at the San Jose mine killed three workers.

Among his expressions of faith and love for his family, Mr. Gomez criticized his employer in the note that the president read out loud to the world, saying “this company has to modernize.”

Perhaps the biggest threat to the miners now is the stress of being trapped underground for a long period of time.

“There is a psychological pattern there that we’ve looked at,” said Mr. McAteer, the U.S. mine safety expert. But “they’ve established communication with the guys, there are people who can talk them through that.”

Given sophisticated drilling techniques and equipment, Mr. McAteer predicted the miners may get out more quickly than four months.

The depth needed “is not a terribly, terribly big hole to drill,” he said. “That’s a long period of time. We ought to be able to get them out in a period of weeks, not months.”

33 miners in Chile trapped for 17 days are alive | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BEIJING – China confirmed Sunday it had renewed Google’s license to operate after a monthslong standoff over Internet censorship, saying the company had pledged it wouldn’t provide “lawbreaking content.”

The California-based giant said Friday it had received approval to operate in the world’s most populous country, after it agreed to stop automatically rerouting users of Google.cn to its site in Hong Kong, which is not subject to China’s online censorship.

The company began the rerouting earlier this year when it decided to stop censoring its search results on the mainland site. The Chinese government operates the world’s most extensive system of Web monitoring and filtering, blocking pornographic sites as well as those seen as subversive to Communist rule.

Search requests at Google.cn from within mainland China now require an extra click that then takes the user to the Hong Kong site. That small concession was enough to persuade China’s regulators to renew the license, the company said.

An official with Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed the license was renewed for another year for Beijing Guxiang Information Technology Co. Ltd., the operator of Google’s China website, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.

China’s decision to allow Google to continue operations has resolved a monthslong dispute that had threatened the company’s future in the country.

Xinhua said that Guxiang had agreed to “abide by Chinese law” and “ensure the company provides no lawbreaking content” in its renewal application letter.

“After our assessment, we decided that Guxiang had basically met the requirements,” the ministry official, who was not identified, was quoted as saying.

The website of the ministry, which regulates the Internet in China, listed Guxiang on Sunday among some 200 companies whose licenses had been renewed until 2012.

Guxiang also agreed that all content it provides is subject to the supervision of government regulators, the official said.

The conflict arose in January when Google decided to end its four-year practice of omitting search results that the Chinese government considers subversive or pornographic. Google made the decision after blaming Chinese computer hackers for an attack it said was aimed at stealing the company’s technology and e-mail information from human rights activists.

China is not yet a big moneymaker for Google, accounting for an estimated $250 million to $600 million of the company’s projected $28 billion in revenue this year. But the number of Internet users in China is estimated at 384 million, more than the nearly 200 million in the United States.

China confirms it renewed Google operating license (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

XINYU CITY, China and SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 8 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (“LDK Solar”; NYSE: LDK), a leading manufacturer of solar wafers and PV products, announced today that it has signed a contract to supply solar modules to the Power Systems division of Italy-based ABB SpA (“ABB”), a subsidiary of ABB Group. Under the terms of the agreement, LDK Solar will deliver 13 megawatts (MW) of solar modules to ABB in the third quarter of 2010. A wider cooperation agreement is under negotiation to supply ABB with larger volumes of solar modules in the remainder of 2010 and 2011.

“We are very excited to commence a relationship with ABB Group. This relationship will allow LDK Solar to take advantage of the wealth of solar opportunities that ABB has developed in Europe,” stated Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar. “This sales contract with ABB demonstrates our continued momentum in growing our module business, specifically with European customers.”

About LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) is a leading vertically integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) products and the world’s largest producer of multicrystalline wafers. LDK Solar manufactures polysilicon, mono and multicrystalline ingots, wafers, modules, and engages in project development activities in selected segments of the PV market. Through its broad product offering of mono and multicrystalline solar wafers and modules, LDK Solar provides its customers with a full spectrum of solutions. LDK Solar’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province in the People’s Republic of China. LDK Solar’s office in the United States is located in Sunnyvale, California. For more information about our company and products, please visit www.ldksolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement – LDK Solar

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, LDK Solar’s ability to raise additional capital to finance its operating activities, the effectiveness, profitability and marketability of its products, the future trading of its securities, the ability of LDK Solar to operate as a public company, the period of time during which its current liquidity will enable LDK Solar to fund its operations, its ability to protect its proprietary information, the general economic and business environment and conditions, the volatility of LDK Solar’s operating results and financial condition, its ability to attract and retain qualified senior management personnel and research and development staff, its ability to timely and efficiently complete its ongoing construction projects, including its polysilicon plants, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in LDK Solar’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on information available to LDK Solar’s management as of the date hereof and on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about LDK Solar and the solar industry. Actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results because of such and other risks and uncertainties. LDK Solar undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections except as may be required by law.

SOURCE LDK Solar Co., Ltd.

http://www.ldksolar.com

LDK Solar Signs Module Supply Contract with ABB | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

First authorized distributor in Asia to launch an electronic components e-commerce site with an integrated China payment capability

HONG KONG, July 8 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Avnet Express, part of the Avnet
Electronics Marketing operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), has launched
a comprehensive e-commerce website in Asia. The site
http://www.avnetexpress.com/asia represents the first distributor website in
Asia to offer a China payment capability.

(Logo: http://chicagopressrelease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/6970aa18be010917.jpg.jpg )

Known as Avnet Express, Asia, the new site provides design and purchasing
executives at OEM and EMS firms with rapid access to inventory held across
Asia. They can also enjoy online access to Avnet Electronics Marketing’s
global component menu, which now includes more than four million different
parts.

“Right now about 15 percent of our web customers are shopping from Asia
– and having their parts shipped from the warehouse in the U.S. The ability
to access and purchase inventory within Asia will provide Asia customers
reduced cycle time and logistics costs, enabling them to order products from
the location closest to their operation,” said Beth Ely, senior vice president
of new channel development for Avnet Electronics Marketing (EM).

“Local payment options and local customer service support from within the
region will also make it easier for them to do business. Avnet Express is the
first distributor to launch a website which will provide a consistent global
platform with localized content and functionality,” Ely added.

Avnet Express, Asia is a sophisticated e-commerce platform that enables a
comprehensive end-to-end online service — from part and inventory searches,
price checking, ordering to online payment. The site has been designed with a
host of powerful functions such as parametric part searches, Bill of Material
(BOM) optimization and parts cross-referencing. It can be viewed in 13
currencies and nine languages, including simplified Chinese and Japanese and
payments can be settled via AliPay, UnionPay, Visa and MasterCard.

With a rich library of information on 140 different franchised lines,
Avnet Express, Asia offers engineers a fast and efficient resource to search
Avnet EM’s Asia inventory in real time to check on availability and pricing.
The site also supports searches and ordering across different regions as well
as worldwide, allowing customers to buy products from much further afield if
necessary.

“Avnet Express Asia complements our existing business extremely well and
is an integral part of the Avnet EM supply chain,” said Stephen Wong,
president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia. “We are well known for our
design services and supply chain solutions. Now, leveraging the power of the
Internet, Avnet Express, Asia extends our offering still further, giving
customers the option of choosing different searching, ordering and purchasing
models to suit their needs.”

“Our regional teams can also provide field sales and application support
if necessary to meet special customer requirements. This adds real value for
customers and differentiates Avnet Express, Asia from typical e-commerce
websites and is a further demonstration of our commitment to customer
service,” added Wong.

    Follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/AvnetDesignWire
    Contribute to our technical forums @: http://community.em.avnet.com
    View product and company videos @
    http://www.avnetondemand.com/components/channel/7/
    Buy our components @ http://www.avnetexpress.com/asia

About Avnet Electronics Marketing

Avnet Electronics Marketing is an operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet,
Inc. that serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and
electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in more than 70 countries,
distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing
associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group’s Web site is
located at http://www.em.avnet.com . Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a Fortune 500
company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer
products and embedded technology in the world. Avnet accelerates its partners’
success by connecting the world’s leading technology suppliers with a broad
base of more than 100,000 customers and providing cost-effective, value-added
services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended June 27, 2009, Avnet
generated revenue of US$16.23 billion. For more information, visit
http://www.avnet.com .

More information about Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia is available at
http://www.em.avnetasia.com .

    CONTACT

    Avnet Electronics Marketing
     Bethany Helvie, Public Relations
     Tel:   +1-480-643-7183
     Email: Bethany.Helvie@avnet.com

     Jaime Chan
     Tel:   +852-2410-2735
     Email: jaime.chan@avnet.com

     Brian Paterson (EBA)
     Tel:   +852-2537-8022
     Email: brian@eba.com.hk

SOURCE Avnet Electronics Marketing Asia

http://twitter.com/AvnetDesignWirehttp://community.em.avnet.comhttp://www.avnetondemand.com/components/channel/7http://www.avnetexpress.com/asiahttp://www.avnetexpress.com/http://www.em.avnet.comhttp://www.avnet.comhttp://www.em.avnetasia.comhttp://chicagopressrelease.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/6970aa18be010917.jpg.jpg

Avnet Express Launches Asia-wide Ecommerce Site | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Xue Feng, a naturalized US citizen born in China, was detained in November 2007 over the sale of a database about China’s oil industry. He was handed an eight-year sentence on Monday despite appeals by the United States.

“We remain extremely concerned about his rights to due process under Chinese law,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters.

“We call on China to grant Dr. Xue humanitarian release and immediately deport him back to the United States,” he said.

“The protection of US citizens overseas is our highest priority,” Toner said.

The United States has “consistently and will continue to raise his case at the highest levels,” he said.

US Ambassador Jon Huntsman attended Xue’s sentencing and earlier expressed dismay over the punishment. Toner said that US diplomats had paid close to 30 consular visits to Xue since his detention.

At the time of his arrest, Xue was working for the US energy and engineering consulting firm IHS.

Both Xue and IHS have stated that they believed that the database was a commercially available product. After Xue purchased the database, it was subsequently classified as a state secret, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, a rights group.

Xue’s arrest and drawn-out trial has cast a spotlight on the pitfalls of doing business in China, especially for those born in China who have been educated abroad and taken on a foreign nationality.

US urges China to free geologist ‘immediately’ | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BEIJING, July 2 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — China Real Estate Information Group
and Chine Real Estate Assessment Center have jointly released the Sales
Rankings of China Real Estate Enterprises in the First Half of 2010. The data
indicated that in the first half of 2010, 11 real estate enterprises ranked
among the Ten Billion Sales Amount Club. Among them, Evergrande and Vanke
continued the previous competitive situation and respectively were deemed
champions in terms of sales area and sales amount in the first half-year.
Macro-control had effect on the performance of leading enterprises, but
generally speaking, large-scale real estate companies maintained stable
development. An original report from Sina Leju assesses the situation as
follows:

The growth of the Top 20 enterprises is stable

Data in the Sales Rankings of China Real Estate Enterprises in the First
Half of 2010 indicated that most large-scale real estate enterprises still
maintained good growth momentum in the first half year.

The rankings of sales amounts indicated that the sales amount of 11
enterprises in total exceeded 10 billion yuan. Among them, the sales amount of
Vanke, Evergrande, Poly, Greenland, and Greentown exceeded 20 billion yuan,
ranking as the top 5. With the sales amount of 35.5 billion yuan, Vanke became
the only member in the 30 billion yuan region. Evergrande, Poly, Greenland and
Greentown formed the echelon of 20 billion yuan.

The research institutions hold the opinion that although there have been
great changes in the whole situation of real estate industry due to
unprecedented severe micro-control policies since Apr. 2010, there still has
been obvious growth in the performance of the top 20 enterprises. According to
the statistics, generally speaking, compared with sales of the second half of
2009, the sales of real estate enterprises in the first half of this year
declined to some extent. But compared with the sales of the first half of 2009,
most enterprises in the rankings still realized growth of about 30%. The
performance of some enterprises such as Evergrande, Country Garden and
Greenland almost doubled.

Evergrande and Vanke maintained competition for the leading position

It is noteworthy that the rankings indicated that Evergrande and Vanke
have respectively maintained the leading positions in terms of sales area and
sales amount, continuing the competition for the leading position since the
beginning of this year. According to the statistics, the sales amount of Vanke
and Evergrande in the first half-year was respectively 35.5 billion and 21.1
billion yuan. Vanke was the only real estate enterprise of which the sales
amount exceeded 30 billion yuan.

However, the sales area of Evergrande and Vanke was respectively 3.32
million square meters and 2.94 million square meters in the first half of this
year. Evergrande was the only enterprise of which the sales area in the first
half-year exceeded 3 million square meters, maintaining the dominant position
in sales area.

Research institutions hold the opinion that the competition between
Evergrande and Vanke has been in a stalemate. According to the statistics,
since the first quarter of this year, Evergrande has surpassed Vanke in terms
of sales area, and Vanke has maintained the leading position in terms of sales
amount. Generally speaking, in several rankings, the two leading positions of
sales area and sales amount belong to Evergrande and Vanke.

Research institutions hold the opinion that Evergrande has been the leader
again in terms of sales area since the first quarter of this year, and is the
only enterprise hitting new highs in performance every month. Link-relative
rate of sales amount and sales area still keep growing for Evergrande every
month in the adjustment of the real estate market in the first half of this
year among all enterprises in the rankings (except February during the Spring
Festival). The size of sales area of a single project of Evergrande is
generally relatively large. The sales amount has increased by about 100%
compared with that of the first half of 2009, demonstrating the posture of
outshining others in the adverse situation. Sufficient land reserve, low cost
and strong execution will become the driving force of Evergrande for further
breakthroughs. It is hopeful that the construction volume of the enterprise
can exceed the expectation of the market, which may support the continuation
of sales growth in 2010.

    For more information, please contact:

     Jimmy
     Tel:   +86-10-5953-9521
     Fax:   +86-10-5895-1005
     Email: zhoumi8@gmail.com

SOURCE Sina Leju

Evergrande Wins the Sales Championship in the China Real Estate Industry in the Past Half Year and Becomes the Only Enterprise to Completes Sales Targets | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

WUXI, China and GRENOBLE, France, June 29 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Suntech
Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world’s largest producer of
crystalline silicon solar panels, today opened a representative office in
Montbonnot (Isere), France, to better serve its local partners throughout the
region’s growing solar industry. Since Suntech established its presence in
France in 2008, the French solar market has become one of Suntech’s top three
markets in Europe.

“We are going the distance to meet the needs of our local partners,
including distributors and installers, by providing them with responsive and
top-quality service,” said Jean-Yves Lindheimer, recently appointed head of
Suntech France, after welcoming key industry partners and public
representatives to the new office. “The Grenoble area provides an ideal
environment for our office in France, as this community shares Suntech’s
commitment to driving technology innovation and sustainable development.”

The event was also attended by Frank Weber, Marketing Director for Suntech
Europe, who stressed the strategic importance of this new development: “The
French solar market is booming; and, in our view, sustainable, long-term
growth will require steady commitment and support from major industry
players,” he said. “Above and beyond our high-value solar products, we will
continue to provide our partners with reliable services and support – giving
them the tools and confidence to drive market growth.”

The new office features a solar product training center for distributors
and installers to learn more about the advantages of Suntech’s industry-
leading product offerings. In addition, Suntech professionals will provide
hands-on installation training, particularly for Suntech’s popular Just
Roof(TM) offering that elegantly replaces traditional roofing materials with
long-lasting, high-performing solar panels. The office will be home to a
technical customer support team with decades of local industry experience, and
is expected to grow in tandem with local market demand.

“As Europe is Suntech’s largest sales region globally, we must not forget
that our local partners here are the chief ambassadors for Suntech products
and the entire solar industry,” said Frank Weber. “We are focused on providing
all of our partners every asset they need as we grow together in France,
Europe, and around the world.”

About Suntech

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. produces industry-leading solar products
for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With
regional headquarters in China, Switzerland, and the United States, and
gigawatt-scale manufacturing worldwide, Suntech has delivered more than
10,000,000 photovoltaic panels to thousands of customers in more than eighty
countries. Suntech’s pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that
are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Our mission is to
provide everyone with reliable access to nature’s cleanest and most abundant
energy source.

For more information about our people and products, please visit
http://www.suntech-power.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements
constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can
be identified by terminology such as “plans to”, “expects to,” “anticipates,”
“future,” “intends to,” “plans,” “believes,” “considers” and similar
statements, and includes Suntech’s ability to continue to provide partners
with reliable services and support to drive market growth. Such statements
involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further
information regarding these and other risks is included in Suntech’s filings
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report
on Form 20-F. Suntech does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-
looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as required under applicable law.

    For further information, please contact:

    In France
     Agence Valeur D'image
     Virginie DEBUISSON
     Tel:   +33-610-800-652
     Email: v.debuisson@valeurdimage.com

    In Europe
     Bjorn Emde
     PR Manager
     Suntech Power Ltd.
     Tel:   +49-89-544-599-926
     Email: bjoern.emde@suntech-power.com

SOURCE Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

http://www.suntech-power.com

Suntech Grows with Solar Industry in France | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BEIJING, June 23 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Summer travelers to Beijing are
looking for ways to beat the heat, especially families with younger children.
The China Guide ( http://www.thechinaguide.com ), a high quality China travel
company, is offering a number of summer activities for families to keep the
kids happy and parents entertained.

“As a parent of three children in China I have years of experience dealing
with family travel and child-friendly activities,” says Peter Danford, owner
of The China Guide. “We keep the tour at a pace which suits the children, and
is flexible in case they become tired or side tracked.”

A popular item on The China Guide’s family itineraries is an afternoon at
Tuanjiehu Park. It is an off-the-radar spot as it is mostly enjoyed by the
local neighbourhood and not a touristy park. Outdoor swimming is available
including waves, artificial beach and slides. Small electric boats are
available for rent on the lake or a simple stroll around the park path is also
relaxing.

The China Guide is also offering a variety of other activities for
families that include local parks, amusement rides, the toy market, Kung Fu
lessons and the Beijing Zoo. “With a one child policy Chinese tend to give a
lot to their children, and thus Beijing has a lot to offer for youngsters,”
adds Danford.

Families can put together their own custom itinerary using The China
Guide’s ‘Build Your Own Tour’ system. Items can be selected based on
categories including family-friendly activities and prices are immediate. To
see the Build Your Own Tour’ system visit:
http://www.chinatourbuilder.com/tour/index.php?main_page=itinerary_add

The China Guide

The China Guide, ( http://www.TheChinaGuide.com ), is a Beijing based
travel agency, American owned and operated. Specializing in western-style
service and quality with hassle free web bookings, they work with clients to
customize tours that match their travel style. Operating only in China, they
have up to date knowledge and offer exciting experiences for travelers
including their famous Sleep on the Great Wall tour. The China Guide avoids
the common factory shopping stops that are not reflective of the true China.

SOURCE The China Guide

http://www.TheChinaGuide.com

The China Guide Beats the Summer Heat for Family Travelers | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.