Further Strengthening Cotton Market Management 　　Recently, the National Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the People's Bank of China jointly issued the Circular on Further Strengthening Cotton Market Management. 　　The Circular notes that the cotton purchase work went on smoothly last year, but cotton market control was loosened somewhat in some cotton-producing areas and some illegal cotton operational activities have emerged. Such illegal practices have not only disrupted normal cotton circulation order and harmed cotton-growers' interests, but have also caused waste of cotton resources and the loss of state tax revenue. To end this situation, the circular calls for further strengthening cotton market management, including strictly prohibiting illegal purchase of cotton and banning private cotton-trading markets 　　 HomeNews 1999-01-08 Page1