IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Government

New city on Yongxing Island

Sansha, the newly established city on Yongxing Island in Hainan province, will be an important base for safeguarding China's sovereignty and a key asset in marine resource development.

The prefecture-level city was created on July 24 after Sun Shaochi, the vice-minister of civil affairs, announced the State Council's approval for the proposal at a special ceremony.

Luo Baoming, Party chief of Hainan province, said in a keynote speech that Sansha was established to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

The city government's main administration building is on Yongxing Island, a part of the Xisha Islands. A military garrison is also stationed on the island.

Xiao Jie was elected mayor of the newly established city during the first session of the Sansha People's Congress on July 23.

Development

East fades as west rises

Growth in central and western regions of China was stronger than the traditional coastal powerhouses in the first six months of the year. The shift was due mainly to the transfer of technology and manufacturing, a focus on infrastructure and declining exports, analysts said.

A total of 22 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities published their first-half growth figures, after the National Bureau of Statistics reported 7.8 percent national growth in July.

Most regions in East China reported growth lower than 10 percent, while inland provinces grew above that level. Guizhou province, in Southwest China, registered the highest first-half growth of 14.5 percent, while Beijing and Shanghai were neck and neck with 7.2 percent.

Legislation

Good Samaritan rules on cards

Regulations that seek to better protect Good Samaritans in China will soon come up for legislative approval, the China Foundation for Justice and Courage said on July 23.

The Ministry of Public Security has submitted the draft proposal for review by various government departments, said Guo Yuying, secretary-general of the foundation.

Those who are badly injured or even disabled because of their heroic deeds are the people who really need legal protection and financial assistance.

Labor

Trade union target 'on track'

The target of trade union representation in 95 percent of overseas-funded enterprises by 2013 is on course to be met, a senior union official said.

Of the approximately 180,000 overseas-funded corporations in China, 81.2 percent have established unions, said Wang Ying, a senior official with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

The federation will continue to push for more union representation, as challenges still exist, she said.

Some overseas-funded enterprises believe that they do not need unions as they already have a sufficient wage and welfare distribution system with adequate labor protection. "But workers often tell us that employers are falling short in these areas," she said.

Aviation

Carbon tax talks with EU stall

Beijing remains firm on its stance of settling the carbon tax dispute with the European Union through a multilateral approach, a Chinese official said.

The official, who requested anonymity, said talks between China and the EU over the tax are making little progress.

The EU sent a delegation to Beijing for discussions on the Emissions Trading Scheme, often called the carbon tax, during the third round of the EU-China Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on July 10. But sources close to the talks said no breakthrough had been made.

Under the tax, the EU began charging airlines that use EU airports for carbon emissions on Jan 1. The first payment is due on April 30, 2013.

Society

Flood sends hammer sales soaring

The heavy rains and flooding on July 21 have left many Beijing residents worried about how they might escape from a submerged car and prompted increased online sales of safety hammers.

Such concerns began to arise after a man found himself unable to escape from a car and died after the car became waterlogged under the Guangqumen Bridge in Beijing. The vehicle's automatic windows had ceased working under water, leading him to try in vain to break them.

Taobao, China's largest online marketplace, said hammer sales increased 598 percent from July 21 to July 23, while the number of torches and lifejackets sold increased nearly 20 times.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/27/2012 page2)