IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Xi urges all to bolster security

President Xi Jinping urged people from all walks of life to mobilize to bolster national security, which would enhance their sense of happiness and safety. The country had its first National Security Education Day on April 15. The day was designated by China's top legislature in July. Xi also called for more education about the country's security law, which he said would raise public awareness about all kinds of national security risks.

Gas suspected in eye surgery injuries

China's top health authority said on April 15 that it is closely watching the ongoing investigation into what caused serious eye injuries, including blindness, among dozens of patients who received eye surgery at two hospitals nine months ago.Impurities contained in perflutren, a medical gas commonly used to fill the hollow eye during surgery, may be the culprit. But experts have been unable to identify the impurities because of testing limitations and an insufficient amount of remaining samples, the China Food and Drug Administration said. Media reports said 18 patients blinded in one eye following eye surgery at Peking University Third Hospital in June are waiting for investigation results.

University graduates in no rush to start work

China's relatively slow economy has not cast a shadow on the employment prospects of college and university graduates, according to a new report from recruitment company 51job. With a record 7.65 million students about to graduate and enter the job market in July, only 6.7 percent said they have, so far, failed to receive a job interview or are worried about getting one. At the same time, graduates are becoming pickier about prospective employers, with a growing number saying they would be reluctant to tie themselves into a binding contract with an employer.

IP infringement cases often involve foreigners

Nearly one in six lawsuits received by the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court in 2015 involved an overseas party, with most claiming trademark or patent infringement. Accusers include luxury brands such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and Fortune 500 companies like General Electric and Microsoft, the court said. The parties come from 15 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The court, established to strengthen the handling of intellectual property disputes, received more than 1,640 cases last year, an increase of nearly 127 percent from the previous year.

Deadly frogs found by customs officers

Inspection and quarantine officers in Beijing intercepted 10 deadly frogs on April 15 in a shipment that was supposed to contain clothing, the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said. The poison dart frogs, among the most dangerous species in the world, was the largest haul of the species ever intercepted by authorities in China, said Zhang Jijun, director of the mail department of the bureau. X-rays showed the parcel posted in Poland contained 10 plastic bottles. The bottles had been wrapped in clothing and newspapers.

Database to match overseas talent, jobs

China is to build a database of overseas talent as part of a digital platform to match foreign experts with potential employers, a senior official said on April 17. The platform, the first big-data project of its kind in the country, will include all legally employed foreign workers' nationalities, areas of expertise and industry, their employer and city of residence, according to Zhang Jianguo, director of the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs.

Students sickened at school on toxic site

The Ministry of Environmental Protection started an investigation on April 17 into what caused some 500 students at Changzhou Foreign School in Jiangsu province to come down with pollution-related illnesses. The school had relocated in September to a facility built on a toxic site. Illnesses seen since then include leukemia, dermatitis, eczema, bronchitis and blood abnormalities. The school said doctors checked 641 students, and 493 were diagnosed with various diseases and conditions. The local government confirmed the new campus was built on a brownfield site that had housed three chemical factories. They had produced highly toxic chemicals including carbofuran and methomyl.

TV rule pushing stars' kids off air

Producers of reality television shows in China have been adjusting programs that feature celebrities and their children after a directive from China's media regulator banning the exploitation of stars' children, an official said. The move to keep kids out of reality television has been known since January, when the regulator informed the television companies.

Funeral held for top space scientist

A funeral for Liang Sili, one of China's top space scientists, was held at Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on April 18. Liang, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics, died on April 14 at age 91. President Xi Jinping offered condolences to Liang's family, saying that the scientist dedicated his life to China's space program and contributed greatly to making the country a strong space power.With wide-ranging achievements in research on missile and rocket control systems, Liang was considered one of the founders of China's space industry.

Chinese reading expands with tech

Chinese people, on average, read eight books in 2015, a small increase over previous years that may be attributed in part to mobile technology. The Chinese Academy of Press and Publication issued its findings about reading on April 18 after a survey, its 13th since 1999. This one had responses from 45,911 people from 81 cities and townships in 29 provincial regions, including both urban and rural areas. Adults and minors answered different questions. To the delight of many, 81 percent of Chinese under age 17 have a reading habit.

Tiger protection area expanding

The protection zone for Siberian tigers will be expanded, according to an ecological protection plan from Jilin province. Nine new protection zones covering an area of 390,000 hectares will be built. By 2020, an 800,000-hectare habitat for tigers and leopards would be created, capable of sustaining more than 30 mature tigers.

Tomb robber had archeological training

Five suspects charged with robbing ancient tombs in Guangyuan have been put on trial at the city's Zhaohua district court. One of the suspects, Yin Guoming, 33, used to be part of an archeological team in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and has tomb excavation experience. The robbery occurred on Dec 21 in Zhaohua district. The judgment will be issued later.

Alliance to push Belt and Road

A coalition to promote international communication and improve cultural exchanges as a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative was launched on April 18 in Beijing. The Media Communication Alliance was created by the State Council Information Office and includes media and cultural organizations from countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. A total of 17 media outlets participated in the launch ceremony.

Shanghai puts teeth into e-food oversight

Shanghai will require companies that offer food ordering and delivery through online sites to sign a contract committing them to unified standards of service. The commitment, drawn up by the Shanghai food market watchdog, will require vendors to display their latest food operations license and to prepare food safely, according to the draft of the Shanghai Food Safety Law and Regulations.

Procedures in works for residence reform

China's top planning authority has pledged it will issue procedures designed to help migrant workers and their families acquire full urban residential status. The National Development and Reform Commission will, for the first time, take over leadership of the process and speed up the change.

(China Daily European Weekly 04/22/2016 page2)