Great Gains in Combating Smuggling in 1998 Outstanding results were yielded in battling smuggling in China in 1998. In the year, over 8300 smuggling cases were crashed valued at 15.4 billion yuan, an increase of 15% and 129% over a year earlier respectively. Of which 1805 were major cases each valued at over 50000 yuan with a total value of 13.7 billion yuan, a rise of 60% and 120% over a year ago respectively.
		Good Classrooms need Good Teachers In the Today's Focus column, a short note appeals for improving the essence of teachers. It says that over the past years, much manpower and materials have been injected into schools. However, great attention has not yet been paid to improving the quality of education. It calls for enhancing improvement of the teachers' ranks. The note points out that many schools have been built under the Hope Projects in the poverty-stricken areas, but there are not enough qualified teachers, giving a drag to the raising of the educational level.
		China's NPC to Convene Annual Plenary Session March 5 The Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) will convene its second annual plenary session in Beijing on March 5 this year to examine amendments draft of China's Constitution and a government work report.
		China to Put Deng Xiaoping Theory into Constitution China is to add Deng Xiaoping Theory into its Constitutional Law in a bid to enhance the legal position of the Theory when the deputies discuss amendments of the Constitution during the upcoming Second Plenary Session of the Ninth NPC to convened on March 5.
		Fourth Asian Winter Games Open in South Korea The Fourth Asian Winter Games, the largest ever in the history of the Winter Asiad, kicked off Saturday afternoon with a grand opening ceremony at an indoor ice rink in the mountain resort of Yongpyong, Kangwon Province in South Korea.
		Chinese Vice-President Continues Tour in Cote d'Ivoire Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao ended his visit in Abidjan Saturday morning and left for Yamoussoukro to continue his three-day official visit in Cote d'ivoire.
		Two Chinese-Presented Rare Birds Arrive in Japan A pair of rare crested ibises given to Japan by the Chinese government arrived Saturday at an ibis conservation center on Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture in the Sea of Japan.
		China's NPC Adopts Decision on HK Deputy's Resignation China's top Legislature, the NPC Standing Committee, adopted a decision Saturday governing the resignation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) deputies to the NPC.