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SHANGHAI will put a food poisoning warning system on its daily television and Website weather forecasts, the city’s food and drug watchdog said yesterday.

The city started researching an early warning system for toxins last year and set up a mathematical model and treatment procedures, said Xie Minqiang, vice director of the Municipal Food and Drug Administration.

“We analyzed and compared food poisoning incidents and weather data for the past few decades and found they were closely connected,” Xie said.

Weather conditions with the right temperature and humidity that continue for three days or more can be a catalyst for bacteria forming in food and the early warning system can help advise the public of this, Xie said.

Xie said the system had been almost completed and an internal trial will be held this month.

The food poisoning warning system will be published from June along with the weather forecast and advice on morning exercising and laundry, Xie said.

It would not be published every day, just during the period when there was a danger of food poisoning, mainly from April to October, Xie said.

Food safety was a major concern during the city’s annual parliamentary session after several food contamination scandals last year, including the fatal melamine-tainted milk scandal last September.

There were 17 mass food poisoning incidents last year, up 30.77 percent from a year before, involving 467 people but no fatalities.

Fifteen incidents involving 403 people were caused by bacterial contamination.

HOME prices declined in March compared to a year earlier in 70 Chinese cities as they extended losses for a fourth consecutive month, the country’s top economic planner said yesterday.

Prices in 70 medium and large cities fell 1.3 percent year on year last month, the National Development and Reform Commission said on its Website. Prices dropped 1.2 percent in February, 0.9 percent in January and 0.4 percent in December.

Around the country, prices of new and second-hand homes dropped an average of 1.9 percent and 0.4 percent on an annual basis respectively, while on a month-on-month basis, they edged up 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent, according to the NDRC.

Shanghai’s housing prices fell 2 percent last month from a year ago while they gained 0.4 percent from a month earlier, according to the NDRC’s online report. The prices of new apartments slipped 2.7 percent year on year but recorded no change from February. The second-hand home prices withdrew 1.5 percent on an annual basis but were 0.8 percent higher than the previous month.

The prices of new homes in 21 cities tracked by the NDRC declined from a month earlier and over the same period, while 35 cities posted mild gains. Meanwhile, in the used-home sector, prices in 18 cities dropped while they gained in 39 cities, it said.

The National Bureau of Statistics also said yesterday on its Website that 448 billion yuan (US$65.6 billion) was invested in real estate in the first quarter, a year-on-year growth of 4.1 percent. Investment in new houses, excluding those designated for relocation uses, rose 3.2 percent from a year earlier to 342.2 billion yuan.

A total of 201 million square meters of units started construction between January and March, a year-on-year drop of 16.2 percent. In the same period, 99.22 million square meters of properties were completed, a 26.3-percent rise from a year ago.

SHANGHAI’S key stock index dipped in morning trade after three days of gains with weak performances by power stocks.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.11 percent, or 2.87 points, to close at 2,510.83 points. Turnover was 87.4 billion yuan (US$12.8 billion). Losers outnumbered gainers 455 to 388 and 65 remained unchanged.

The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks the smaller domestic market, edged up 0.49 percent to close at 840.00 points.

China’s power output in March fell about 2 percent from a year earlier as the world’s third-biggest economy slowed, an official from the China Electricity Council said, citing preliminary data compiled by the industry group.

Huaneng Power International Inc, the listed unit of China’s largest power group, was down 1.01 percent to 7.85 yuan after output fell last month. Huadian Power International Co Ltd lost 1.21 percent to 4.88 yuan. Datang International Power Generation Co, a unit of China’s second-biggest electricity producer, dipped 0.80 percent to 7.48 yuan.

Automakers were among the gainers among speculation the government would announce new measures to boost car purchases. SAIC Motor Co, China’s largest car maker, surged 7.18 percent to 10.45 yuan. Beiqi Foton Motor Co, China’s biggest commercial-vehicle maker, surged the 10 percent daily limit to 11.09 yuan.

Cosco Shipping Co, a unit of China’s biggest shipbuilding company, said first-quarter profit dropped more than 50 percent, citing the decline in shipping traffic and rates because of the international financial crisis. Its shares were down 1.20 percent to 11.56 yuan.

Sichuan Changhong Electric Co, China’s second-biggest television maker said profit may decline more than 50 percent in 2008 because operations were hurt by the Sichuan earthquake in May. Its shares edged up 0.44 percent to 4.61 yuan.

SHANGHAI supermarkets that were checked recently by local health teams are experiencing the Month of the Rat.

All four of the chains inspected so far showed rodent traces that exceeded health standards, and in the worst case the rat droppings and other traces were more than 20 times the allowable limit.

The Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, a local government agency in charge of pest control, began a month-long campaign on March 20 to stamp out vermin in local markets.

The first phase centered on cleaning up the stores. The second, which began on Tuesday, involves checks at five outlets at each of 12 major supermarket chains.

So far, 19 outlets of four supermarket chains have been inspected, and none met cleanliness requirements.

The inspectors were on the lookout for any sign of rodents, including droppings, footprints, scratches and bite marks. The city’s allowable level of rodent traces is 2 percent of all areas checked within in a store.

The highest “rat index” reading was 41.3 percent at the Jiangwan outlet of Hualian GMS. The five Lotus outlets checked averaged 11.74 percent, Metro’s outlets rated 9.2 percent and Century Lianhua 8 percent.

The committee discovered mice and rat droppings at sales counters for bread and cooked food in outlets of Hualian GMS.

Fresh rat droppings were found at a warehouse for Century Lianhua while its cash counters and fire extinguisher boxes exhibited rat markings. An outlet of Lotus on Yanggao Road S. had rat marks 10 times above the standard.

“The final result will be announced after the inspection is finished, and we will organize training for the supermarkets found to have severe problems,” said Peng Guilan, an official with the committee. “We can also impose fines ranging from 2,000 yuan (US$293) to 5,000 yuan.”

Officials said a serious rat problem usually indicates poor management awareness and incorrect operations. For instance, door gaps and drainage grates should be smaller than 6 millimeters to prevent rats from entering.

Inspectors were also on the lookout for cockroaches, and all the stores checked came in below the city standard of 3 percent of sampled areas.

But that good news was tempered by the fact that breeding season for the roaches doesn’t start until June.

Shanghai’s traffic might be affected again today as weathermen forecast another heavy fog following yesterday’s cover which delayed flights and disrupted shipping.

Forecasters yesterday reminded drivers to be aware of low visibility of around 500 meters in suburban areas. The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau issued a yellow fog alert on Friday night, the least serious one on the three-scale alert system. It was canceled yesterday morning.

Visibility in some suburban areas dropped to under 200 meters on Friday and early yesterday. At Pudong International Airport, visibility was only 100 to 200 meters, according to the bureau.

About 160 flights have been delayed since Friday at Shanghai’s two airports. Affected passengers were all able to land or leave by 2pm yesterday, airport authorities said.

The fog also seriously hampered water traffic at the mouth of the Yangtze River, said port immigration police.

Police said the Yangshan and Waigaoqiao ports, the city’s major freighter terminals, had canceled or delayed arrivals of nearly 100 container vessels since Friday morning. Waterways were disrupted between 5am and 10am on Friday and a second strike caused shipping traffic on the river to be suspended again after 6:30pm.

Water traffic started to improve after 8am yesterday, said Waigaoqiao Port immigration police who were closely monitoring the situation for a recurrence of conditions.

Fog also caused suspension of ferry services to three local islands. All resumed after 9am yesterday.

Shanghai expats will be able to get an English version of Hangzhou discount tourism coupons from today.

Altogether 10,000 Hangzhou coupon books, worth 2 million yuan (US$285,700), will be distributed in Shanghai, officials said yesterday.

The coupons can be redeemed at participating scenic spots, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues in Hangzhou and surrounding counties which including Tonglu, Fuyang and Lin’an.

People can get the coupon book, which contains 20 10-yuan coupons, by presenting their passport from the South Beauty Restaurant at Xintiandi or at the six Shanghai branches of the Hangzhou-based Shunfeng Restaurant.

Or you can register your details at the Website bignosechina.com and the coupon book will be sent out.

The coupons will also be distributed in several universities and international schools for foreign students. The coupon book comes with a user’s guide.

The English coupons work the same way as the Chinese ones.

The 10-yuan coupon can be redeemed when spending at least 40 yuan.

For example, if admission to a scenic spot costs 40 yuan, using the coupon will cut the price to 30 yuan.

Hangzhou is the first city to issue an English version of travel coupons.

According to the Hangzhou government, they wished the coupons will arouse expats’ interests to visit the city, which is praised as “the Heaven on Earth” in China.

It will also soon hold a photography contest for expats in China, with the works to be displayed in Shanghai and Hangzhou.

The Chinese version of the Hangzhou travel coupon was issued in Shanghai in early March, causing a mad rush.

When the coupons were being distributed police had to be called to maintain order and the distribution had to be halted temporarily.

SHANGHAI – SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD retiree Chen Dafu had to take a job as a parking attendant at a Shanghai hotel to make ends meet after the stock market wiped out half his life savings last year.

But his fortunes are changing with the Shanghai market, which has swung from one of the world’s worst performing bourses last year to this year’s best.

Chen prays it continues so he can recover his lost 40,000 yuan (S$8,870), cash his chips and walk away.

‘I’m still trapped, but I have got 20,000 yuan back since the start of this year,’ he said outside a bustling Shanghai brokerage hall this week.

‘I hope the rally continues until the end of the next month, so that I can get most of my losses back.’ While markets are stumbling around the globe, the Shanghai Composite Index has shot up more than 34 per cent this year, after losing 65.5 per cent of its value last year.

So do Shanghai investors know something that their counterparts in Tokyo, London and New York are missing? Apparently not, is the consensus among most experts, who say the share prices reflect neither the fundamentals of listed companies, nor the overall economy.

‘That’s the Chinese stock market, it’s not driven by market forces at all,’ said Sherman Chan, a China economist for Moody’s Economy.com.

The market is buoyed by investors’ optimism the government will steer the economy out of the financial crisis, or a least pump cash into it and improve conditions for the bourse’s state-controlled giants, Ms Chan and others agree.

‘It is primarily driven by sentiment, that is why we see such wild fluctuations,’ she said. ‘When it was good times, we saw the best performance in China, when things turned we saw the worst performance.’ London’s Financial Times newspaper was harsher in a recent analysis, calling Shanghai ‘a mockery of a market’.

Investors often bet on what Beijing’s next policy might be, over companies’ balance sheets, experts say. China’s strict controls on the flow of money and investments mean its citizens seeking to invest in equities have no option but Shanghai and the smaller Shenzhen exchanges. At the same time, the rules keep out all but a very few foreigners.

Tickets for World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China started to be sold on Thursday in Hong Kong.

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, the Hong Kong government and the China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Ltd., which is the sole official agent for ticket distribution in Hong Kong, jointly organized a sales launching ceremony on Thursday.

The Shanghai World Expo offers nine different types of tickets under two broad categories including individuals and groups.

Tickets on sale in Hong Kong range from 107 HK dollars (about 13.8 US dollars) to 1063 HK dollars (about 137.3 US dollars). Group tickets were on sale begin on Thursday, while individuals can place their order from July 1.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Director General of Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Chen Xianjin said that a total of233 countries and regions and international institutions have confirmed participation.

Chen said the Expo expected to attract 70 million local and international visitors and he anticipated satisfying ticket sales in Hong Kong.

The Shanghai World Expo will be held from May 1 to Oct. 31 next year.

Lebanon, N.J. – Amici International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amici Imports, has opened a 1,300-square-foot permanent showroom in Shanghai, China.

The showroom, targeting the commercial and residential development currently underway in cities throughout Asia, is a to-the-trade-only showroom.

“Our business continues to grow rapidly in this part of Asia and we needed this showroom to better serve our customers here in China,” said Jeff DeSantis, president of Amici Imports. “With the success of our Dubai showroom, this was the next logical step to better service our customers in what is becoming a very important market to our company’s future growth.”

The location will carry the full range of Amici’s distribution from India, Nepal and China as well as its broadloom goods being produced in Italy and India.

Julia Tao has been named showroom manager. The showroom is located at 798 Zhenguang Road.

For the first time, people in Taiwan can buy tickets directly for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo instead of going through a third party.

Travel Service Taiwan began selling tickets to the expo today. The event, which runs next year from May through October, showcases innovations from around the world.

Soundbit: Chen Xianjin, Vice director of Shanghai Expo Bureau “Now 232 countries and world organizations will take part in Shanghai Expo 2010. We predict there might be more than 70 million tourists from both China and other countries. It will the biggest expo in its history of 160 years, as the tourists are also numerous.”

Organizers expect nearly a million Taiwan citizens to attend the Expo.

Xinhua News Agency Correspondents reporting from TaiPei.(XHTV)