IN BRIEF (Page 2)

TCM herb as alternative to antibiotics

Researchers at the University of Southampton said on May 23 they are to study how herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine can treat recurrent urinary tract infections. The investigation aims to assess whether the herbs can replace antibiotic treatments.

Beijing man tests positive for Zika

Beijing has reported China's second case of the Zika virus. A 35-year-old man identified only as Song, of Fengtai district, showed signs of the virus - a rash and a fever - during a return flight from Bolivia on May 21. After alerting border control officers of his symptoms, he was admitted to hospital and tested positive for the virus, the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control said. The first Zika case was reported on May 15.

Wild panda population surges in Sichuan

The number of wild giant pandas in the southwest province of Sichuan has risen 15 percent in the past decade, official data released on May 24 show. The area now has 1,387 pandas, 74 percent of the total population in China. The endangered animals are scattered across 37 counties, covering more than 2 million hectares. Another 364 pandas live in captivity.

Renowned author dies aged 104

Yang Jiang, the writer and translator, died aged 104 on May 25 in Beijing. Yang was known for her modest, subtle and witty writing style and became a household name for her novels, essays, plays and translated works. Her most popular novel, Baptism, about a group of intellectuals adjusting to a new society in the early 1950s, has been translated into French and English, while her memoir, Six Chapters from My Life Downunder, has been translated into English, French, Russian and Japanese.

Lhasa seeks preservation, balanced growth

Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, has rolled out a series of measures to protect its historic villages, local officials said on May 24. In recent years, the regional government has vowed to turn Lhasa into one of China's special cultural heritage sites as well as a world tourism destination.

Antipollution law gets a performance review

The revised Environmental Protection Law has performed well in reducing pollution since taking effect on Jan 1, 2015, by providing new enforcement tools, including higher fines and other legal sanctions, according to an assessment released on May 23. The revised law, regarded as the strongest-ever version, allows environmental authorities to levy fines on polluters on a daily basis with no cap, which has brought swift corrective action, the assessment said.

Watchdog to check chemical storage sites

China will begin a nationwide safety inspection of sites where dangerous chemicals are stored, the State Administration of Work Safety said on May 23. The move follows a fire at a chemical warehouse in late April that killed a firefighter in Jingjiang, Jiangsu province. Companies will be severely punished if they fail to ensure safe storage of chemicals, such as ammonium nitrate, nitrocellulose and sodium cyanide, the watchdog said.

'Sky painter' thangka shines in the capital

A weeklong exhibition featuring 70 thangka, traditional Buddhist paintings on cloth, by Langkajie and his successors opened on May 21 at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. It is the first time his work has been exhibited in the city. Born in the 17th century, Langkajie is a celebrated thangka master often referred to as the sky painter because of his unique style.

Delegates gather for W20 meeting in Xi'an

More than 200 delegates from around the world converged in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on May 24 for the opening of the Women 20 meeting. The three-day event discussed topics such as equal participation and innovative development, including gender perspectives in global economic governance, women's employment and entrepreneurship and social protection, women's role in the digital economy, and an innovative women's network.

Warning after wild elephants kill two

Residents in the southwestern province of Yunnan have been warned to stay alert after two fatal incidents involving wild Asian elephants. A 71-year-old farmer in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture was attacked and killed by the animals near his vegetable shed on the morning of May 22, just a week after another villager died in a similar attack in the same area, the local authorities said.

Initiative connects China-UK strength

Chinese and British companies are closely and successfully engaging in projects linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, demonstrating the compatibility of Chinese and UK expertise across the globe, a report said. A total of 21 examples of UK-China cooperation in 10 countries on projects worth more than $27 billion are included in a report jointly released by the China-Britain Business Council and Tsinghua University on May 25. The report includes case studies from some of the UK's most renowned companies such as HSBC, BP, LME, Linklaters and KPMG.

Experts test new waters for salmon farming

Scientists are exploring the feasibility of open-net salmon farming in the Yellow Sea, marking the first attempt to breed cold-water fish in temperate seawater. China imports millions of tons of salmon from Norway and Chile every year, as all of China's marginal seas - from Bohai Sea in the north to the South China Sea - are too hot for the fish. Scientists with the Ocean University of China have identified a cold-water mass in the center of the Yellow Sea off Shandong province that they are confident will be suitable.

Govt puts $20b aside for education subsidies

China will spend 134.5 billion yuan ($20.5 billion; 18.3 billion euros) to subsidize compulsory education this year, the Ministry of Finance said on May 24. The amount is 3 percent more than in 2015. Children in China receive nine years of compulsory education, usually from ages 6 to 15. The subsidy will used to balance education resources between urban and rural areas, the ministry said.

Chinese film fest opens in Strasbourg

The sixth Chinese Film Festival in France opened in Strasbourg on May 24. The event, which is organized by the Cultural Center of China in Paris and the Group Pathe, will visit several cities, including Lyon and Reunion Island, before it closes on July 19.

List reveals most popular Chinese dishes

Fish with Sichuan pickles topped a list of the 10 most popular Chinese dishes published on May 23. Compiled by the China Hotel Association, the list is based on data from China's major online ordering platforms as well as public surveys. Second on the list was kung pao chicken.

Textbooks to include more traditional culture

China has revised its primary and secondary school textbooks to include more about ancient poetry and traditional culture. "Our Chinese textbooks lack content on traditional culture," Wang Xuming, president of the Ministry of Education's Language and Culture Press, said after the move was announced. "This revision will go someway to making up the shortfall." The updated textbooks will arrive in schools in the autumn.

Baidu to shut down forum to fight piracy

Baidu said on May 23 it will gradually close its online literature forum over concerns about piracy. The move comes in response to accusations by Xinhua News Agency that the internet company's Tieba platform is a major source of pirated literature.

Chinese, Russian FMs highlight bilateral ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, highlighted on May 24 the strength of their countries' bilateral ties and common positions on international issues during a meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. As to the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, China is willing to closely cooperate with Russia so as to further elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, Wang told Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers. China and Russia need to accelerate connecting the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union for both sides to reap the benefits, he said.

Plaza dancers bust a groove to claim record

China has set a record for the most people dancing in plazas in multiple locations at the same time, according to Guinness World Records. The record-keeper says 31,697 people in Beijing, Shanghai and four other cities set the standard on May 21 by performing choreographed dance moves for more than five minutes.

(China Daily European Weekly 05/27/2016 page2)