British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves the EU headquarters after the first day of the two-day EU summit in Brussels Nike Air Max Womens Sale , Belgium, early Oct. 20, 2017. (XinhuaYe Pingfan)
LONDON Air Max 95 Womens Sale , Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa Mayand her senior ministers remained tight-lipped Wednesday over theamount Britain will have to pay to leave the European Union(EU).


Virtually every media outlet in London is reporting that thefigure will be around 50 billion euros (59.3 billion U.S. dollars),a sum that neither 10 Downing Street nor the official Brexit officedenied.


Leading commentators in London are convinced a deal in the orderof 50 billion euros has been offered by London, and welcomed byBrussels Air Max 90 Womens Sale , as a way of paving the way for post-Brexit tradetalks.


Questioned Wednesday afternoon in the House of Commons, Treasuryminister Liz Truss declined to comment on what she described asmedia speculation. Truss insisted any financial settlement wascontingent on Britain getting the right overall outcome.


She told MPs that Britain would meet its commitments and get agood deal for the British taxpayer.


Earlier veteran Conservative and former front-bench minister KenClarke, asked Theresa May's deputy Air Max Womens Sale , Damian Green to welcome reportsthat the Brexit bill has being settled by the EU and Britain.


Green, standing in for May at the weekly Prime Minister'sQuestions, responded by saying Clarke "had been around long enoughto know not necessarily to believe everything he reads".


He then added: "But he's absolutely right in that what we areabout is making sure we get the best possible deal at this stageand Britain as a country that meets it internationalobligations."


British negotiators are eager to see progress on Brexit madeahead of crucial "make or break" decisions early December at ameeting of EU member state leaders. What they agree will determinewhen future trading relations will move to the next stage fordiscussion.


One politician unhappy with the prospect of a bumper checkheading to Brussels was Nigel Farage Nike Air Max 95 Sale , founder of Britain's anti-EUUKIP party.


On his social media site, Farage said: "Even if the UK wasguaranteed tariff-free access to the single market, it's not worth50 billion euros. Christmas has come early for the EU."


Vince Cable Nike Air Max 90 Sale , leader of the minority Liberal Democrat party,said: "If these numbers are correct, it means we're paying a heavyprice to leave an institution that has benefited the country fordecades.


"The true cost of Brexit is becoming clearer by the day. Thisunderlines why people should have a referendum on the final deal Nike Air Max Sale ,with the option of an exit from Brexit."


In a radio interview Wednesday former Conservative leader andleave-supporter Iain Duncan Smith described a likely deal as abargain for Britain, saying the country would save "a staggeringamount of money".


With payments spread over many years, said Duncan Smith Air Max 95 Sale , thedivorce bill would represent a small percentage compared to whatBritain would have paid over 40 years to stay as a member.


A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesperson said:"Intensive talks between the UK and the European Commissioncontinue to take place in Brussels this week as we seek to reach anagreement.


"We are exploring how we can continue to build on recentmomentum in the talks so that together we can move the negotiationson to the next phase and discuss our future partnership."Enditem




URUMQI， Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- ****. Loaded with heavy snow， a willow branch snaps on to the roof of an SUV parked outside Yili Iron and Steel， a steelworks in northwest China.


This year winter is set to be colder than ever， and the same could probably be said for the Chinese steel industry.


Oversupply in China's steel sector has caused years of plunging prices and factory shutdowns amid a sluggish economy.


Last year， Yili Iron and Steel， northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region， registered a loss of 600 million yuan (87 million U.S. dollars). Many other major Chinese steel manufacturers faced similar difficulties. Wuhan Iron and Steel， China's first specialist steel maker， posted a net loss of 7.5 billion yuan (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) for its listed subsidiary in 2015.


Despite a recent rebound in steel prices and market demand， oversupply still hinders the industry.


The second day after hard snow， Yili Iron and Steel turned off a 530 cubic meter boiler. This marks the beginning of attempts to reduce output every winter.


"Winter in Xinjiang is long and cold， leading to a sharp shrink in market demand from the construction sector. So capacity-cutting becomes routine for local steel makers，" said Yuan Zhizhong， deputy chief engineer of the group.


The capacity-cutting period can last up to four months.


Across China， steel makers are encouraged or forced to shut down or reduce output to shed unnecessary production.


China has shut down several steel plants with a total capacity of over 90 million tonnes over the past five years.


It plans to further reduce crude steel output by 100 million to 150 million tonnes by 2020， according to the ministry's 2016-2020 plan.


But the "iron men" on the factory floor at Yili Iron and Steel are much more optimistic.


"Do you know at what temperature molten iron turns into steel?" asked Bahnur， a steel worker at Yili， while sending cement and other auxiliary materials through a conveyor belt. "1，600 degrees Celsius."


Proficient in operations， Bahnur has gone through ups and downs since he started at the company in 1994.


"Today things are much better than 18 years ago，" he said.


Having been in the red for five years， the then-state-owned steel maker stepped into a new era in 1998， becoming a mixed ownership company using an employee stock ownership plan.


"Back then， nobody could see the road ahead，" Bahnur said.