IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Oversight of goverment deals to increase

China will create integrated, standardized platforms for bidding, government procurement and other deals involving public resources - the country's latest move to ratchet up its national anti-corruption drive.

At an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, leaders decided to integrate by the end of June 2016 the now-scattered and disjointed platforms covering construction project bidding, the transfer of land-use rights, mining rights, state-owned properties and government procurement projects. Experts said the exchanges of such public resources are prone to bribery since they involve a large amount of money and lack transparency.

In addition, an "up-to-standard, open, transparent and efficient" platform will be in place by the end of June 2017 to form an integrated public resources exchange market, a statement released after the meeting said.

The statement said the building of integrated application sites would help cut bureaucracy, improve efficiency and prevent corruption.

Tourism upgrades set as self-guided trips rise

China is to increase its investment in tourism as more and more people plan trips around the country on their own.

Measures will include providing better shops and restaurants, improving tourism information centers and upgrading centers where travelers can plan their trip and book accommodations, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

The construction of roads connecting scenic spots will be accelerated, along with car parks, airports in less-developed provinces, and toilets at scenic spots. The measures were approved by the State Council on July 28.

Xi extends thanks for IOC trust and support

President Xi Jinping sent a letter of appreciation to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for the selection of Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, as host of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"Today, Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, has won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Let me extend, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, our appreciation to the IOC for its trust and strong support over the years," Xi said in the letter.

"To present a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Winter Olympics is the aspiration of over 1.3 billion Chinese people. We will fulfill all our commitments and witness, together with the people of all other countries and the IOC, the advent of a new phase in the development of Olympic winter sports and in the spread of the Olympic spirit."

Former military leader faces prosecution

The Central Committee Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China has expelled Guo Boxiong, a former military leader, from the Party.

The bureau has also referred his case to military prosecutors. The bureau also decided to transfer his case to military prosecutors.

Guo, 73, formerly served as the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The decision was made after the bureau approved a report by the Central Military Commission disciplinary inspection authority on Guo's investigation. It found that he took advantage of his post to seek promotion and other benefits for others and accepted bribes personally or through his family.

President highlights Sino-Turkish links

President Xi Jinping outlined key areas of cooperation between China and Turkey, including high-speed railways, new energy and finance, on July 30.

Making a rare appearance at a business forum, Xi highlighted China's expertise in high-speed railways, wind-powered electricity and the photovoltaic industry.

He also said China is willing to link its advanced industrial capacity with that of Turkey.

Many Chinese railway enterprises want to take part in construction projects in Turkey, Xi told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and about 300 businesspeople from both countries at the forum in Beijing.

China, with the world's longest high-speed rail network, has worked with Turkey on the major components for the first high-speed rail link connecting Ankara and Istanbul.

The multi-billion-dollar line began operating last year, and Turkey plans more projects, including a high-speed line linking its eastern and western borders.

China will not leave Somalia, says envoy

China will not withdraw its diplomatic staff from Somalia despite the July 26 bombing of a building that hosted the Chinese embassy, the ambassador to the East African country said on July 30.

The staff, which is seeking a new temporary office, will not be frightened off, Wei Hongtian said.

"China will, as always, continue to support the peace process of Somalia and reconstruction after the war," Wei said. "We will not leave Somalia."

An armed police officer at the Chinese embassy was among 15 people confirmed dead in the suicide car bombing at the Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu, where the embassy is located. Four workers were injured in the blast. Two were in stable condition in Somalia and two were taken to Nairobi, Kenya, for treatment.

Al-Shabab, a Somalia-based militant group linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility.

Religious interests to be safeguarded

China will better manage religious personnel and safeguard the legal interests of the religious community, authorities said on July 30.

A spokesman for the State Administration for Religious Affairs said it has "paid great attention" to reports about Shi Yongxin, abbot of the Shaolin Temple and vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China. The administration has asked the Henan provincial Religious Department to look into accusations made against the abbot.

His accuser, Shi Zhengyi, posted a series of allegations on the Internet that said Shi was an "embezzler and womanizer" and had illegitimate children. A monk at the temple told Beijing's Mirror Evening News that the abbot said the accusations are false.

Fewer rural children left behind, report finds

Rural Chinese schools reported half a million fewer children with absentee parents last year than in 2013, as many were reunited with their migrant worker families, the Ministry of Education said on July 30. About 20.8 million left-behind children attended rural primary and junior high schools last year, a ministry report said.

The phrase is used in China to describe rural children who live with relatives other than their parents, often their grandparents, while their parents work away from home, often in big cities.

Dormant websites may be put to sleep

A survey of websites at all levels of government found that 6,373 sites were inactive, the People's Daily website reported on July 30. The government will either shut down the dormant websites or urge the owners to improve them, citing concern that inactive sites may undermine government credibility, the People's Daily site said. According to initial results of the survey, governments across the country had 85,737 websites.

Program to reduce underage drug use

The central government launched a three-year program on July 30 to reduce the number of underage drug users and increase awareness about the hazards of drugs among youth. The program, led by the National Narcotics Control Commission and the Ministry of Education, is aimed at keeping the proportion of underage drug offenders at less than 0.3 percent of all drug offenders and achieving a "notable reduction" in new users.

Flight MH370 wing part discovery confirmed

Malaysia confirmed early on Aug 6 that a piece of a wing washed up on an Indian Ocean island beach recently was from Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, the first trace of the plane found since it vanished last year with 239 people on board.

"Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370," Prime Minister Najib Razak said in an early morning televised address.

"I would like to assure all those affected by this tragedy that the government of Malaysia is committed to doing everything within our means to find out the truth of what happened."

The announcement, providing the first direct evidence that the plane crashed in the ocean, closes a chapter in one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history, but gives victims' families little clue as to why it disappeared.

The plane disappeared on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It was carrying a dozen crew members and 227 passengers from 15 countries. There were 154 Chinese passengers on board.

"It's not the end," said Jacquita Gonzales, who lost her husband Patrick Gomes, a flight attendant. "Although they found something, you know, it's not the end. They still need to find the whole plane and our spouses as well. We still want them back."

The airline described the discovery as a major breakthrough in resolving the disappearance of MH370.

Report: Job picture to brighten slowly

China's labor market shrank slightly in the second quarter, as the wider economy continued to stabilize and recover, but jobs will rebound slowly through December, a joint report by online recruiter Zhaopin and the China Institute for Employment Research predicted on July 30.

The report is based on an index developed by the institute to monitor trends in the labor market. After reaching 2.46 in the first quarter (its highest point since 2011), the index saw a slight decrease to 2.03 in the second quarter, which was attributed to the macroeconomy.

The service sector and private sector contributed more to employment than before, the report said, adding that China's labor market is undergoing a broad restructuring, along with the national economy.

New rule covers HIV as work hazard

China's National Health and Family Planning Commission has issued a regulation recognizing HIV as an occupational hazard in some professions.

The move standardizes responses to occupational HIV exposure to better protect the rights of health workers and to curb AIDS-related discrimination, said Wu Zunyou, director of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention. The regulation, which takes effect immediately, mainly covers jobs in medicine, public security and judicial departments. It does not cover prostitutes.

Under the regulation, those exposed to the disease will be given a treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves taking anti-HIV medication as soon as possible to try to reduce the chances of becoming HIV positive.

Capital cuts wait for residency permit

Beijing's exit-entry department introduced new measures on Aug 1 to cut the minimum waiting time for foreigners seeking residence permits by five days.

Previously it took at least 15 working days, but the new policy will reduce this to 10. The authorities did not say whether all applications will be processed in 10 working days, but did confirm more staff members using improved technology will handle this work.

The documents required for applicants, such as passports and photographs, and the fees, will not change, said Che Yan, director of the municipal public security bureau's administration department.

Modified mosquitoes aid dengue fever battle

More than half a million specially bred male mosquitoes are being released on Shazai, an island in southern China, every week to fight dengue fever. The mosquitoes, produced at a science park "factory" in Guangdong province, can make female mates infertile.

Scientists have managed to reduce the number of mosquitoes by more than 90 percent in some areas of the island, which lies in a suburb of Guangzhou.

The mosquito "factory" was opened on July 17 and can produce 10 million male mosquitoes a week infected with wolbachia, a bacterium that exists widely in many insects, including mosquitoes. Research shows that eggs produced by mosquitoes that mated with wolbachia-infected males are infertile.

Academy amends membership rules

New rules to prevent corruption at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country's top think tank, mean higher government officials no longer will be nominated as candidates for the society.

In addition, candidates' employers and their parent institutions will no longer be allowed to make recommendations, while incumbent academics who accept bribes in elections will face disciplinary actions, including dismissal.

The academy said on Aug 1 that 157 candidates were nominated for election this year and a preliminary review of the candidates had been completed. The academy elects new academics every two years. This year, there are 65 vacancies.

Navy stages live-ammo drill in South China Sea

The People's Liberation Army navy has conducted its largest ever live-ammunition drill in the South China Sea. The exercise involved more than 100 naval vessels, dozens of aircraft and a number of electronic warfare units in a sophisticated electronic warfare scenario, PLA Daily reported.

The PLA's Second Artillery Corps, which operates China's strategic and cruise missiles, also sent several battalions to the drill. Video footage from China Central Television showed the PLA mobilized some of its most advanced weapons, including the J-11 fighter jet and Type-054 frigate. Dozens of missiles and torpedoes and thousands of cannon shells and bombs were fired.

Efforts to clean air bearing fruit

Most Chinese regions with pollution problems made significant progress in efforts to improve air quality last year because of measures to curb smog, according to a report by the Clean Air Alliance of China, a Beijing think tank.

The average PM2.5 concentration in 10 polluted Chinese regions declined by 11.9 percent year-on-year in 2014.

Despite the progress in many areas, Beijing was the least successful of the 10 regions. Beijing's concentration of PM2.5 declined by 4 percent, the lowest decrease among the regions, while Shanxi province saw the largest - 16.7 percent - thanks to slumping coal production there, the report said.

Bid to improve standards for guides

A guideline on protecting the rights and interests of more than 700,000 tour guides on the Chinese mainland was released on July 30. Under the guideline, travel agencies should sign contracts with tour guides, specifying job description, salary and social insurance.

If agencies want to hire part-time guides, they should do so only from other travel agencies with the employers' permission. At the same time, the guideline encourages travel agencies to establish a performance-based reward system using appraisals such as tourists' feedback.

The China National Tourism Administration, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions jointly released the guideline.

(China Daily European Weekly 08/07/2015 page2)