face union

Europe and China face off over trade, currencyReuters Wednesday November 28 2007
By Chris Buckley and Jason Subler
BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - China and the European Union on Wednesday kicked off a summit marked by mutual recriminations over trade frictions ranging from product safety to the value of the Chinese currency.
A host of EU leaders has descended on Beijing for a set of meetings expected to touch on sore spots including China's currency policy and what the European Union sees as its lax controls over fake goods.
At the start of the talks, Li Keqiang, a newly elected member of the Communist Party's top leadership who is likely to become a vice premier next year, praised the strengthening of economic and political ties.
"The cooperation and development has brought real benefits to the peoples of both China and the EU," Li told European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
"Especially on major international issues, our consultation and coordination are frequent and political trust has constantly grown."
Despite Li's conciliatory tone, all signs over the past few days have pointed to significant differences of position over the pace, if not the direction, of China's economic reforms.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson raised hackles by criticising Beijing for not acting quickly enough to address the problems of food and product safety or piracy of intellectual property.
Dismayed by the yuan's failure to strengthen against the euro, European monetary officials led by European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet are also in Beijing to press their case that China needs to let its currency trade more freely.
While the yuan has risen 9.7 percent against the dollar on top of its initial 2.1 percent revaluation in July 2005, it has fallen about 11 percent in total against the euro.
The People's Bank of China said on Tuesday that it and the Eurogroup officials had come to a basic agreement on avoiding big swings in exchange rates, but earlier comments by Premier Wen Jiabao suggest Beijing is sticking to its gradualist approach.
The European Union's tone has toughened along with a surge in its trade deficit with China, which Brussels expects to rise nearly 30 percent this year to 170 billion euros ($253 billion).
Stanley Crossick, founding chairman of the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said Chinese officials had failed to register how strongly felt were European complaints about trade and the deficit. Beijing was exhibiting a "dangerous complacency" in the face of growing protectionist sentiment in Europe.
"In Europe it's building up against you (China), and you don't seem to be taking that into account," Crossick said.
The European Union will also press Beijing on human rights, raise concerns about China's increasing role in development aid to Africa and discuss issues including North Korea, Myanmar and Iran, an EU official told Reuters. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Brussels, writing by Jason Subler, editing by David FogartyJenks moves into Class 6A championship game, will face Union

By Barry Lewis, World Sports Writer
11/24/2007 11:03 PM

EDMOND -- For the fifth time in 10 years, Jenks and Union will meet in the Class 6A state championship game.

Chris Adkins rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns to help second-ranked Jenks keep alive its bid for a ninth state title in 12 seasons with a 35-7 victory over No. 3 Midwest City on Saturday night at Wantland Stadium.

On Sunday, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association will announce the date and site for the Jenks-Union title game next weekend. It will be a rematch of top-ranked Union's 42-41 overtime win in Week Two. Union advanced with a 13-6 win over Muskogee on Friday.

The Jenks-Midwest City game was expected to be a duel of two of Class 6A's top five leading rushers, Adkins and Midwest City's Timothy Flanders.

Adkins, a standout in Jenks' state title run last year, had his typical big playoff performance while Flanders, who was playing with a sore hip, and the Bombers offense were shut down for most of the game by the Trojans' defense, led by lineman Tony Gillespie.

"I was real relaxed the whole bus ride over," Adkins said. "I was real confident. We watched a lot of film of them all week and the whole team was real relaxed."

Adkins, whose 22 carries came in the first three quarters, wasn't slowed down much by virus-like symptoms that struck him during the game.

"He was fine before the game but got the horrible throw-ups late in the second quarter," Jenks coach Allan Trimble said. "He was really sick. He was pretty weak, but he triggered a couple of nice drives in the second half."

That helped put the game away after Jenks (12-1) held a 21-0 lead at halftime. Adkins increased his season totals to 1,589 rushing yards and 30 TDs. His Midwest City counterpart, Flanders, entered the game with 1,544 rushing yards and 20 TDs.

But Flanders only had 12 total yards until midway through the fourth quarter before breaking loose for a 36-yard run. Flanders then took a short pass from Vershon Moore and turned it into a 40-yard TD with 3:11 left to end Jenks' shutout bid.

"He (Flanders) is really fast, he's a dandy," Trimble said. "But our defense tackled well and when we had to tackle those guys in the open field, we were able to do it."

The Trojans only allowed 72 yards before Midwest City's 80-yard scoring drive.

Flanders, who had an interception on defense, finished with 43 yards on nine carries. Moore was held to 36 yards on 19 rushes. He completed only 5-of-13 passes for 73 yards. His backup, Jase Chilcoat, didn't fare much better as he went 1-for-6.

Jenks quarterback Mark Ginther completed 8-of-14 passes for 166 yards and a TD. He also punted once, for 42 yards, to pin Midwest City at its 3 in the first quarter.

Adkins and Gillespie helped set the tone early. On the first play from scrimmage, Gillespie tackled Moore for a 6-yard loss.

"All night long they had a hard time with Tony," Trimble said.

After the Bombers (12-1) were forced to punt without making a first down on their opening series, the Trojans drove 52 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead. Ginther's 30-yard pass to Tramaine Thompson was the big play. Adkins carried three times for the final 12 yards, scoring from the 2.

Adkins scored on a 40-yard run with 2:07 left in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.

Gabe Lynn's interception set up a 67-yard scoring drive late in the second period. After a holding penalty, Ginther had completions of 43 yards to Alonzo Adams and 24 yards to Dallas Beeler. On second-and-goal, Ginther rolled left and found fullback Grant Goodwin alone in the left flat for a 5-yard TD toss as Jenks took a 21-0 lead into halftime.

Adkins' night on the field ended with his 1-yard TD run with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

His backup, Colton Dost, picked up 58 yards on seven carries in the fourth quarter. Dost scored the Trojans final TD on a 16-yard scamper with 5:39 remaining and Jenks was well on its way to the title game.

Jenks and Union last played in the title game in 2004, with Union winning 27-17.