Sarkozy's Offer to Hu Jintao for State Visit Confirmed [By Jiang Aitao Tel: 1619]

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has invited Chinese President Hu Jintao, to France.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, says China highly values stronger Sino-French ties, and is willing to work with Paris, to develop strategic partnerships.

Taiwan chief negotiator Chiang Pin-kung meets Shanghai mayor Han Zheng

Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation is in Shanghai after a four-day visit in eastern China's Jiangsu Province.

Shanghai mayor Han Zheng says the three agreements on opening regular flights, boosting financial and judiciary cooperation and the consensus on allowing mainland companies to invest in Taiwan, are a major stimulus to the development of cross-Strait ties.

China helps workers retrieve 9.7 bln USD of back pay

The Chinese government helped retrieve over 66 billion yuan or about 9.7 billion U.S. dollars of back pay for more than 16 million workers by the end of 2008.

Yang Zhiming, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, says almost all back pay has been recovered by the end of 2008, three years after the authorities started to address the problem.

He called for more effort to prevent new back-pay complaints, especially among rural migrant workers.

Peres to meet Obama in Washington next week

Israeli President Shimon Peres is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama in Washington next Monday.

Peres will visit the White House during a trip to the United States to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference.

Peres will be the first Israeli leader to meet Obama in the White House, preceding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is scheduled to meet Obama in mid-May.

Gaza children still suffering

The children in Gaza are continuing to suffer both physically and psychologically, three months after the end of Israel's assault on the coastal enclave.

The United Nation's children's Fund warns that it is critical that supplies and materials needed for recovery and rehabilitation are allowed in.

The agency says the fighting took a heavy toll on children's psychological well-being, with a recent UN study reaffirming that mental health, anxiety and stress are the main health problems in Gaza.