IN BRIEF

Environment

Alien species a menace

Alien species of plants and animals will become an increasing menace over the next decade due to the rapid development of the world economy and a lack of awareness of proper prevention measures, experts have warned.

A greater number and variety of invasive species may be accidentally introduced into China with the rapid growth of world trade, tourism and transportation, said Wan Fanghao, director of the department of invasive biology at the institute of plant protection under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The alien species may pose a threat to agriculture and even humans, Wan said. China, one of the countries most affected, has confirmed more than 520 varieties of alien species, including 268 plants, 198 animals, and microorganisms, Wan said, citing data provided by the academy.

Finance

Official expenses open for scrutiny

Central government departments in China have been making public their annual budgets recently in what was considered unthinkable a few years ago. Despite the progress made in fiscal transparency, experts feel that the data being released is still vague and does not satisfy taxpayers' demands.

This is the third instance that government departments are revealing their revenue and expenditure, after the new rules on spending came into effect in 2008.

So far, 92 of the 98 government departments and State-funded organizations have laid bare their accounts since April 23 - the same number as last year and 18 more than in 2010.

Employment

Talent pool to be enlarged

The number of better-educated laborers has been increasing in China along with a substantial growth in the talent pool, official statistics show.

The country was home to 120 million managerial, professional and skilled workers at the end of 2010, up by 7.8 million from 2008. They accounted for 11.1 percent of the country's labor force, according to statistics released on Monday.

Among the talent pool are nearly 30 million business management personnel, 55.5 million technical professionals, 28.6 million highly skilled personnel and around 10.5 million rural staff with practical skills.

China plans to enlarge its talent pool to 180 million by 2020, which would account for 16 percent of the labor force, according to the country's talent development plan for 2010-2020.

Health

Red Cross hospitals to be checked

Hospitals that use the Red Cross as part of their name will undergo thorough scrutiny as part of a nationwide campaign in June. The Red Cross Society of China and the Ministry of Health will jointly conduct the campaign, said Zhao Baige, executive vice-president of the country's biggest humanitarian organization.

The final results of the first-ever rectification campaign on the mainland will be made public after it is completed, Zhao said. Hospitals that fail to meet requirements will be stripped of the right to use the Red Cross name.

The Red Cross Society of China is still struggling to rebuild its image, which was damaged by Guo Meimei, a young woman who claimed to be a Red Cross official and showed off her lavish lifestyle online last year.

Weather

Fund to aid cloud seeding

The government will launch a special fund to support weather modification operations by local authorities in areas that are prone to drought and haze, a Ministry of Finance statement said on May 15.

It is the first such resource to subsidize local efforts to adjust the weather, with 160 million yuan ($25.4 million; 20 million euros) allocated to the fund arranged through the central government budget.

According to a joint statement from the ministry and the China Meteorological Administration, State subsidies for weather modification are designed to bring about artificial rain and snow, to prevent hail, and to reduce snow and fog by using aircraft, guns and rockets.

Provincial-level governments should support weather modification with local revenue and can apply for a national allowance only after they have run into fiscal problems, according to the statement.

Food

Fake pig ears pose big risks

Some stewed pig ears, a popular food item in East China, have been found to contain chemicals that could cause blood and heart problems, raising fresh concerns over food safety in China.

The affected pig ears, sold at a market in Ganzhou, the second-largest city in Jiangxi province, were made from gelatin and sodium oleate, the food safety office under the Jiangxi provincial health department said on May 15. The local public security bureau is investigating the matter, the department said.

China Daily