IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Sino-French fund to focus on global markets

China and France agreed to set up a joint fund by November to channel capital into investment projects in markets other than the two nations, which was among some 40 agreements reached at a high-level dialogue that ended on Sept 18.

The fund will be dedicated to identifying and implementing new projects globally across different sectors, with a special focus on infrastructure, renewable energies, healthcare, clean transportation and the environment, according to a circular issued after the third Sino-French High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue, which was held in Beijing.

Premier Li Keqiang, while meeting with the French delegation on Sept 18, said the fund is a breakthrough that will bring more openness and market vitality.

Scenic high-speed rail route opens in Jilin

China's first high-speed passenger railway to its borders with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Russia went into operation on Sept 20.

The 361-kilometer route, dubbed "the most beautiful" by Chinese media, runs from Jilin, the second-largest city in Jilin province, to Hunchun, where the borders of the three countries meet.

The trains, running at speeds of up to 250 km/h, cut the travel time between the cities from six hours to just over two.

Courts to avoid judgments in weak cases

Chinese judicial bodies have vowed to withhold making judgments in cases without strong evidence, in a move to protect human rights and avoid wrongful verdicts.

A lack of awareness of human rights protection and illegal maneuvering have been the main reasons for wrongful verdicts in recent years, Sun Qian, the country's deputy chief procurator, said on Sept 21.

From September last year to August, Chinese prosecutors concentrated on cleaning up 1,800 cases that had become backlogged for years because of a lack of evidence, he said.

Negative list system to increase market appeal

China is to adopt a new national market access system from 2018 for domestic and foreign investors, part of steps to make the market more attractive.

The "negative list" system will help to identify sectors and businesses that are off-limits in addition to the existing investment approval method of specifying categories as "encouraged", "prohibited" and "restricted".

A guideline for adopting a negative list approach was approved by the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms. The approach will be promoted in pilot regions over the next two years and will be implemented nationwide from 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Sept 21.

Major platform for talent development

This year's Western China Overseas High-Tech and High Talents Conference was scheduled to be held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, from Sept 23 to 26.

Two Nobel Prize winners and nine academicians from home and abroad are expected to discuss the latest research in their fields. The event, which involves efforts to attract and develop talent across several sectors, has introduced more than 125 projects worth 80 billion yuan ($12.5 billion) since 2009.

New rule to help lawyers assert rights

Several national authorities jointly issued a rule on Sept 20 designed to ensure that lawyers are not impeded in their practice. It also prohibits public statements designed to manipulate public opinion or pressure law enforcement.

The rule, announced by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Justice, says that law enforcement authorities should fully ensure lawyers' rights, including the right to get information, the right to petition and other professional rights.

Lawyers' requests to meet with clients should be fulfilled within 48 hours, except in cases involving state security, terrorism or major corruption; and prosecutors and police should listen to lawyers' opinions before concluding their investigations, as well as during death penalty reviews by the Supreme Court, the rule said.

New carrier rocket sets record

China staged the maiden flight of its latest Long March 6 rocket on Sept 20, taking 20 satellites into space - a record for a single Chinese rocket.

The launch, just after 7 am at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, also marked the first use of a new-generation, eco-friendly engine.

After the 29-meter, three-stage Long March 6 reached space, it released the satellites, which entered orbit in four groups, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, which developed the rocket.

As a "high-speed response" launch vehicle, the Long March 6 is the country's first new rocket in more than 20 years and has been under development since 2009.

New intercity railway lines to be added

More than 20 intercity lines will be added to the railway map in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the next several decades, according to a report released recently by regional transportation evaluation authority.

With an investment of about 615 billion yuan ($96.5 billion; 86.4 billion euros), the construction of 24 intercity railways in the region will be completed by 2050, with the total length reaching 3,453 kilometers, the Third Railway Survey and Design Institute Group Corp said in the report.

The 24 lines will crisscross an area of 216,000 square kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Yujiapu high-speed railway station started operation on Sept 20, shortening the travel time from Beijing to the central business district in Tianjin Binhai New Area to 45 minutes.

Watchdog moves into more govt offices

China's top anti-graft body will set up offices in more central authority departments this year to increase supervision, Xinhua News Agency said. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection already has 58 resident offices, supervising 102 central authority departments and institutions.

400 million can't speak Mandarin

About 70 percent of China's population can speak Mandarin and more than 95 percent are able to use standardized Chinese characters, Xinhua News Agency reported. However, about 400 million people are unable to communicate using the language, the report said. Regional languages and dialects are common in China.

Survey finds dental diseases common

Dental diseases are common in China, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Eighty-five percent of adults have periodontal disease, and 66 percent of 5-year-old children have decayed teeth. An online survey conducted by the China Oral Health Foundation showed that 91 percent did not clean their teeth regularly.

(China Daily European Weekly 09/25/2015 page2)