Maggie Zhang/Shanghai Daily news

CNOOC Ltd, China's biggest offshore oil company, ran print adverts in Washington D.C. publications yesterday to stress that its takeover attempt of Unocal Corp is a friendly offer that will benefit both the United States and China.
CNOOC said it believes that the more people know about the facts behind its offer, the more comfortable they will be with it, the firm said on its Website.
The company noted that its offer respected US security concerns and keeps jobs in the United States. It clearly provides value for Unocal shareholders.
"CNOOC believes these ads will be particularly important as the US Congress begins to hold hearings over the next two weeks," the firm said. "It is imperative to underscore the facts in its offer to Unocal while the transaction has in some cases become embroiled in emotional debate surrounding US-China policy issues."
It was the firm's latest step to gain more headway in its bid for Unocal. The ads followed CNOOC Chairman Fu Chengyu's lengthy editorial in the Asian Wall Street Journal, easing US worries and stressing that the firm's bid will do good for the United States as well.
The company also wrote a letter to the US Congress, speaking out on the firm's stance to acquire Unocal in a friendly offer and it welcomed discussion.
CNOOC's bid to acquire Unocal for US$18.7 billion at US$67 for a Unocal share in late June, caused concerns that a Chinese's company's acquisition of US oil assets may infringe on US interests.
The CNOOC board was scheduled to meet yesterday to approve changes to the takeover bid following several weeks of negotiations with the US oil and gas group, the Financial Times reported.
CNOOC directors will also consider granting management a green light to raise the state-owned company's offer above its current level of US$67 a share, the report said, quoting figures familiar with the matter.
CNOOC attempt to takeover Unocal comes amid China's surging appetite for energy. The attempt marks China's biggest overseas acquisition if the purchase succeeds. The bid trumped rival Chevron Corp's stock-and-cash offer in April.
The acquisition is expected to more than double CNOOC's oil and gas output and increase its reserves by nearly 80 percent to about 4 billion barrels of oil.