1999 Highlights

January 17-19 National Postmaster Meeting, the first meeting of its kind since the independent operation of China Post was held in Beijing.

January 27 State Development Planning Commission issued Notice from State Development Planning Commission on State Post Bureau's Accession to Special Registration for State Planning Project.

March 1 Changes in postal rates took effect: within the first 100g for domestic mail, postal rate for every 209 is raised from 0.50 yuan to 0.60 yuan for intra-city mail and to 0.80 yuan for inter-city mail. Domestic postcard tariff adjusted from 0.40 yuan to 0.60 yuan.

April 5 SPB inaugurated the establishment of the new-term Stamp Design Appraisal Committee and convoked the first meeting of the Committee. The Committee is 15 members. Mr. Jin Shangyi, President of Central Fine Art Institute, Chairman of All-China Fine Art Association and member composed of National Political Consultative Conference assumes Chairman.

April 24 National Postal Operation Meeting was held in Zhengzhou. M.. Liu Liqing, Postmaster General of SPB and Mr. Tan Xiaowei, Deputy Postmaster General of SPB attended and addressed the meeting.

May 4 to SPB provided 10-round training programs to l,llg managers from 370 post bureaux at the prefectural level in December 10 30 provinces.

May 6 Zhu Rongji, Premier of China and other officials from State Council endorsed China Postal Savings Bank Deal submitted by the People's Bank.

May 9 SPB reported the US embassy to China Protesting Statement and sent to Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily Agency and the Chinese Embassy to Yugoslavia condolence telegram which expressed utmost indignation and rigorous denouncement to the bombing of the Chinese embassy to Yugoslavia by NASA headed by the USA and deepest grief to the decrease. On this occasion, China National Philatelic Company issued a special memorial envelope titled" In Memory of the Deceased and Call for Peace".

June 1 "Beijing Municipal EMS Operation Management Rules" took effect, which is to regulate the EMS market, the first regulation of its kind at the provincial and municipal level in China.

June 18 SPB organized the National PIC Network Project WOrking Meeting. Mr. Liu Liqing, Postmaster General of SPB attended and addressed the meeting.

June 22 SPB, State Foreign Currency Administration and State Administration of Customs jointly issued a notice, which stipulates that from June I on, special statements to customs on import and export currency sale and settlement between banks and custom between foreign currency administrations and customs across China have to be posted as EMS by post offices. "lider SPB rather than by other means.

June 23 SPB and China United Telecom'Ltd., through friendly negotiation, signed a set of cooperative agreements on product--selling, service-running, product-collecting, etc. in accordance with the principle of mutually complementary, mutually beneficial, long-term cooperation and mutual development.

June SPB and Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare agreed to jointly formulate" Notice of Authorized Social Insurance institutions Entrusting State Post Bureau to Operate Pension Payment as an Agent".

July SPB decided to launch" Build New Image and Provide Quality Service" program throughout the postal enterprises aimed to further promote service standardization. Across China, SPB employed 103 social supervisors.

August 23 The 22nd UPU Congress commenced in Beijing. Mr. Wu Bangguo, Vice Prime Minister presided over the opening ceremony and Mr. Jiang Zemin, President of P. R. China addressed the ceremony. People's Daily had published a social editorial titled" Opening China Welcomes Post People from across the World" and Xinhua News Agency had broadcast the whole text of the editorial. Prior to and during the Congress, '99 China World Philatelic Exposition and '99 Beijing China international Postal Technology and Equipment Exhibition were held in Beliing.

September 7 Grand celebration programs for the 125th Anniversary of the Founding of the UPU took place in Beijing.

September 15 The 22nd UPU Congress, with a duration of 24 days, achieved a complete success, and approved Beijing Postal Strategy which include the development guideline for the world Post and a series of other decisions and resolutions.

September 30 A grand first-day issue ceremony for stamps titled "the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of People's Republic of China-Great Union of All Nationalities" was held in Beijing. Mr. Tian Jiyun, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress unveiled the stamp.

October 12 State Science and Technology Ministry issued a document approving SPB to access to Special Registeration for State Planning Project.

November 7-22 Mr. Liu Liqing, Postmaster General of SPB led a delegation to USA and Brazil and signed Agreement on Enhancement of Mutual Cooperation and Agreement on Jointly Issuing Postage Stamp with USPS and Brazil Post respectively.

November 11 Mll issued a document availing SPB to the National Public Telecom Network across China to build up comprehensive service platform and to operate computer information internet service and licensed SPB to operate the service in point.

November 30 The ceremony of donating 3,191 pieces of commemorative envelopes, 20 sets of gold-foiled philatelic stamps and 56 sheets of stamps titled" Great Union of All Nationalities" to the first trial flight of" Shenzhou (i.e. magic ship)" an experimental spaceship was held in Beijing. Mr. Liu Liqing, Postmaster General of SPB and ML Wang Liheng, President of China Aero-technology Group jointly contributed a set of philatelic products to be carried by "Shenzhou". Mr. Liu Andong, Deputy Postmaster General of SPB presented a complete set of philatelic products to China Aero-technology Group. Another set of philatelic products were contributed to China Stamp Museum for collection.

December 9 High Speed Flat Sorting Machine developped by China Postal Academy passed the appraisal. The first postal savings iC card was issued in Shanghai.

December 19 SPB held the first-day issue ceremony for the stamp entitled Macao's Return to the Motherland in Beijing. Ma Tian Jiyun, Vice Chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress unveiled the stamp.

December Post bureaux at the provincial level completed the operation registeration procedures and post bureaux below the provincial level basically went through the registration procedures required for post enterprises.