Xinhua China News Digest at 16:00 GMT, April 17

The following are China news stories moved by Xinhua News Agency as of 16:00 GMT, April 17.

TOP STORIES:

* China installs underground turbine of Three Gorges project

YICHANG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China Friday began to install underground generators of the Three Gorges project, in addition to the 26 turbines on the banks of the Yangtze River, the project developer said.

* Death toll rises to 13 in central China colliery blast

CHANGSHA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Death toll has risen to 13 in a blast Friday at a detonator and dynamite warehouse at a coal mine in Chenzhou City of central China's Hunan Province, a local official said.

* China Focus: "Do not let your neighbor collapse" -- emerging Asian economies seek internal support

BOAO, Hainan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Emerging economies have never been in the spotlight as they are today, as they are expected to provide the power to push the globe at a time when the developed economies are struggling, to recover from the financial crisis.

* Blast hits central China colliery

CHANGSHA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A blast occurred Friday at a detonator and dynamite storehouse in a coal mine in central China's Hunan province, local authorities said.

* Nanjing Massacre witness libel suit compensation paid out

NANJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Libel damages have been paid to the lawyers of Chinese Nanjing Massacre survivor who won a lawsuit in Japan, she said on Friday.

* China Focus: Leaders to seek "Asian value" to tackle financial crisis at Boao Forum for Asia

BOAO, Hainan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Although Asian leaders lost a chance to discuss a prescription for the financial crisis at the ruined ASEAN summit in Thailand, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is expected to offer a platform for them to seek the "Asian value" in tackling the worst global economic turmoil in seven decades.

* French National Assembly President to visit China

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- French National Assembly President Bernard Accoyer will visit China from April 19 to 26 at the invitation of Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress(NPC), the NPC announced Friday.

* Developing, emerging economies should unite in face of crisis: Fidel Ramos

BOAO, Hainan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Fidel V. Ramos, former president of the Philippines and now chairman of the Board of Directors of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), has urged the developing and emerging economies to unite to cope with the financial crisis.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

* China to restart new stock issuance after reform: official

BOAO, Hainan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Yao Gang, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said Friday that new stock issuance will restart for sure, but it should take place after relevant reform has been completed.

* China's e-commerce giant Alibaba to expand business in U.S?

BOAO, Hainan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China's business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce giant Alibaba Group still regards the United States as its most important market in its overseas investment strategy, Wei Zhe, chief executive officer of the company, said Friday.

* China's CNPC to lend Kazakh state oil company 5 bln U.S. dlrs for oil assets

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), China's largest oil producer, said Friday would lend 5 billion U.S. dollars to the Kazakh state oil company.

* Air China loses 9.15 bln yuan in 2008, earns 981 mln in Q1

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Air China Limited (Air China), a major airlines in the country, reported a profit loss of 9.15 billion yuan (about 1.34 billion U.S. dollars) in 2008.

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Duty editor: Wang Jiaquan @ 8610 6307 3665

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