Digest

Despite progress, gender stigma still haunts

Despite progress in improving attitudes toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, intolerance is still an issue, said Xiao Tie, director of the Beijing LGBT center.

As an open bisexual, she said that like many others she is under huge pressure from family and society, and the issue of sex remains largely "stigmatized".

"China's first LGBT report issued recently by the United Nations Development Programme may be a high-profile positive start to help build a more tolerant and respectful living environment for the communities here," she said.

Discrimination against LGBT people is still rampant in China, where many hold negative attitudes toward diversity of orientation, particularly at schools and work places, the report said.

Rules set for vote to elect HK chief

Candidates for Hong Kong's next chief executive must be endorsed by a majority of a nominating committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee decided on Aug 31. Voters in the special administrative region can then pick their leader from those candidates, the standing committee ruled in a legally binding resolution passed unanimously by the top legislature.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the standing committee, said the resolution was significant for the implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy and the gradual democratization of Hong Kong

The top legislator appealed for rational discussion and a concerted effort from Hong Kong people to realize the goal of universal suffrage in the 2017 election for chief executive.

Govt paves way to profit for sports investors

China will open up the million-dollar market of organizing commercial and mass sporting events, a move that will scrap the two-decades-old rule requiring government approval for such events and encourage more private investors in the State-dominated industry.

The decision, made at the State Council's executive meeting on Sept 9, is expected to "unburden enterprises to the utmost and give vitality to all kinds of sporting resources", according to a statement released on Sept 10.

Currently, all sporting events are subject to the approval of China's General Administration of Sport and its local bureaus. These sports watchdogs charge fees based on an event's importance and ability to attract advertisers.

The meeting also called for opening the broadcasting of sporting events to more media companies. Broadcasts now are dominated by the state-run China Central Television.

Guangzhou urged to improve handling of illegal immigrants

Guangzhou must improve its management of the growing number of illegal immigrants there, a new report says.

The report, published by the Guangzhou Developmental Academy with Guangzhou University, says Guangzhou has a transient foreign population of more than 1.92 million, the highest of any Chinese city. Another 28,000-plus expatriates stay in the Guangdong provincial capital for more than six months.

Visit by US security adviser expected to reduce turbulence

The upcoming visit to China of US President Barack Obama's top security adviser will help pave the way for a potential meeting of the Chinese and US leaders and provide an opportunity to raise issues of contention between the countries, specialists said.

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice is expected to reduce the recent turbulence in the relationship, including the tension caused by US reconnaissance flights along China's coast in late August.

This will be Rice's first trip to China as the top security adviser, and her heavyweight role in the Obama administration cannot be ignored, observers said.

Double mastectomy not always needed, report says

Women fighting cancer in one breast don't benefit from having both breasts removed, according to new research out Sept 9 that found the long-term survival rate was about the same after targeted surgery plus radiation.

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie announced last year she had a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of one day developing breast cancer, because she has a genetic mutation that substantially increases breast cancer risk.

(China Daily European Weekly 09/05/2014 page3)