IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Campaign to curb school bullying

The State Council's Education Supervision and Guidance Committee has launched a campaign to curb bullying in primary and middle schools, including physical and verbal bullying. Cyberspace bullying will also be targeted.

PE gets bigger role in admissions

The Ministry of Education has urged admissions officers at high schools and colleges to give more consideration to students' attendance in physical education class, in an effort to encourage young people to exercise more. In a related shakeup, local education officials will now be punished if the overall fitness of students in their areas declines for three consecutive years.

Inbound tourism sees jump in Q1

China's struggling inbound tourism industry showed strong growth in the first quarter, with more than 6.22 million visits to the mainland, an increase of 10.9 percent on the same period last year, according to a report on May 9 by travel agency Ctrip. Beijing still ranks first on the must-see list, with more than 54 percent of visitors saying they would definitely visit the capital, says the report, which cited data from the China National Tourism Administration.

Maltese ship's crew questioned

Chinese authorities are questioning the crew of a Maltese-flagged ship after it collided with a Chinese fishing boat on May 7, killing at least two sailors and leaving 17 missing, China National Radio reported. The ship's Greek captain and 19-member crew (mostly Filipino) said they were unaware they had collided with another craft in heavy fog, the report said. The ship, Catalina, did not stop after the accident but was later ordered to dock in Beilun, Zhejiang province, for investigation.

37 detained in firearms crackdown

Beijing police have solved 30 cases involving illegal firearms as part of a special campaign launched in March, about one-third more than last year, the city authorities said on May 9. Thirty-seven suspects were detained. The police have encouraged the public to report any firearms, including airsoft guns and shotguns, offering a reward of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,530; 1,340 euros).

Official calls for media exchanges

Media in Asia and Europe should expand exchanges and cooperation to promote mutual understanding between the continents, Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, said at the opening ceremony of the Asem Media Dialogue on Connectivity in Guangzhou on May 9. More than 200 media representatives, business executives and officials from 51 nations and regions attended the event, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the information office.

China-made maglev starts operating

The first China-made mid- to low-speed magnetically levitated rail line began operating on May 6 in Changsha, Hunan province. The maglev shuttles between the city's south railway station and the airport, with one stop in between. It takes about 19 minutes to complete the 18-km journey, with the train able to can carry 363 people at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour, according to operator Hunan Maglev Transport Co. The price of a one-way ticket is 20 yuan ($3.08; 2.69 euros).

Speedier delivery to aid transplants

China has established fast channels for human organ transportation to shorten delivery times, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on May 6. Authorities covering health, transportation, public security, aviation and railways will support the channel. For example, aircraft carrying organs will be given priority during takeoff and landing.

Most career women say no to second child

Nearly 60 percent of working mothers in China don't want to have a second child, according to a survey by recruitment website Zhaopin to coincide with Mother's Day, which in China fell on May 7. China relaxed its four-decade family planning policy in January to allow all couples to have a second child.

Breast cancer deaths fall, but cases rising

The breast cancer mortality rate in China has begun to fall thanks to improved early detection and treatment, a leading specialist says - but the disease is still on the rise. Jiang Zefei, a breast cancer expert with the People's Liberation Army 307 Hospital, made the remarks at Run for Her, an event to raise awareness of the illness, at the Great Wall on May 6. More than 300 volunteers, including breast cancer survivors, participated in the activity organized by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals. Official data show the incidence of breast cancer has increased at an average annual rate of 3 percent in recent years to almost 43 people in every 100,000.

Long March 7 rocket on its way

China's new-generation Long March 7 rocket departed the Tianjin port for its launch base in Hainan province on May 8. It took researchers eight years to develop the medium-sized rocket, which can carry up to 13.5 metric tons of payload into low Earth orbit, according to Li Hong, director of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp's Carrier Rocket Technology Research Institute.

TV singing show to return after a decade

Super Girl, a popular TV singing contest, will return to screens after a 10-year break. The show, which is produced by Hunan Satellite TV in the central city of Changsha, is similar to American Idol and was one of China's earlier talent shows. About 610,000 people have registered to enter the new series.

Police hunt killer of whale shark

Police in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region are hunting the killer of a whale shark after detaining two people for buying the butchered state-protected animal. A netizen posted photos online on May 7 showing the animal being pulled out of the sea off Beihai.

Smoking declines after increase in tobacco tax

A tax hike on tobacco has resulted in a drop in smoking in China, where nearly half of all men smoke, the World Health Organization said on May 10. The Ministry of Finance raised the tax and introduced other controls in May of last year. The WHO estimates the number of cigarettes sold in China between April 2015 and March fell 3.3 percent from the same period a year before. The decrease included a 5.5 percent reduction in sales in the cheapest class of cigarettes.

City tests students' toxic school claim

Claims by 15 students in Jilin province that they were poisoned after being exposed to toxic substances at their school were called into question on May 10 when the Da'an city government released what it said was proof the school was free of toxins. The authority said an indoor environmental test by a professional company had proved the student dormitory at Xin'anli Township Junior High School was safe.

City halts petrochemical plant study after protest

Authorities in Longkou, Shandong province, have canceled studies into building a petrochemical plant on artificial islands off its coast after residents protested over the potential environmental impact. The decision on May 10 highlights the challenges facing governments as they seek sources of growth amid a sharp economic slowdown while dealing with residents who are increasingly aware of environmental risks. Last month, at least two Chinese cities scrapped plans for garbage incinerators after public protests.

First hospital founded by insurance firm opens

Sunshine Union Hospital, the first hospital in China founded by an insurance company, opened on May 8 in Weifang, Shandong province. Sunshine Insurance Group invested 3 billion yuan ($460 million; 404 millions euros) to set up the facility in cooperation with the city government.

Pledge to open market to boost elderly care

China had 222 million people aged 60 years or older at the end of last year, making up 16 percent of the population, according to official data released on May 10 at the fifth China International Senior Services Expo. Gao Xiaobing, vice-minister of civil affairs, said at the event that improving elderly care services was "a pressing task" and vowed to open up the senior care service market.

Report: Animated films see box-office surge

China-made animated films earned more than 2 billion yuan ($306 million; 269 million euros) at Chinese box offices last year, up 78 percent on the previous year, according to data released on May 11 at the 12th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival in the eastern city of Hangzhou. Fifty-seven animated movies were screened in China, including 43 domestic productions, and ticket sales amounted 4.4 billion yuan, up 45 percent year-on-year.

Cross-Straits efforts fight telecom fraud

Working groups from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan were scheduled to meet from May 12 to 14 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, to discuss cross-Straits cooperation in fighting telecom fraud. A Taiwan delegation traveled to Beijing on April 21 to discuss telecom fraud with mainland police and visited a detention center holding 45 suspects from Taiwan who were deported from Kenya last month.

(China Daily European Weekly 05/13/2016 page2)