It is Taiwan's worst air disaster. Among the dead is Taiwan's central bank governor Sheu Yuan-dong, who was returning from Indonesia for the Southeast Asian central bank governors conference. Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng jointly oppose threatened U.S. military strikes against Iraq. The photographs were taken by Deng's eldest daughter, Deng Lin. China proposes tough new measures to crack down on doping in athletics.
China plays down concern over anti-Chinese violence in Indonesia.
Leng Wanbao demands authorities put disgraced Beijing Communist Party boss Chen Xitong on trial to restore public confidence in the uphill battle against corruption. A European Union team visits a Beijing prison as part of a human rights dialogue with China a day after the EU says it will avoid criticizing Beijing's record at a forthcoming U.N. meeting. Hollywood star Richard Gere urges the U.S. Congress to increase aid for Tibetan refugees and to explore the idea of negotiating with China safe corridors for their passage to Nepal and India. Feb. 26 Hong Kong strikes down a pre-handover law allowing people to sue each other for violations of their basic rights. China's communist elite gathers behind closed doors for a three-day plenum one week before the opening of the annual session of parliament.