China's tourism and insurance watchdogs have launched a campaign to raise public awareness of the need for travel insurance and to encourage insurance firms to sell travel policies.

The China National Tourism Administration is hoping that the travel and insurance sectors will be able to offer comprehensive and competitive policies for the ever-increasing number of Chinese tourists by 2010.

An administration source said it would join with the China Insurance Regulatory Commission to ensure tourists are offered more complete policies with improved services, and to ensure tourists are aware of the necessities of travel insurance.

In the next five years, insurance companies would improve accident policies and develop new policies, as well as improve risk awareness and warnings and raise compensation levels in case of accidents.

Source: Xinhuaears ago in the Qatari capital with a view on liberalizing global trade rules and reducing subsidies to facilitate the creation of a fairer trading system for developing economies.

The G8 leaders said the poorest developing countries face particular problems in integrating into the international trading system and the round should "deliver real cuts in tariffs, effective cuts in subsidies and real new trade flows."

The G8, which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, holds annual summits on major economic themes.

Source: Xinhua