IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Cross-Straits ties on modern history work

Experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have compiled a modern history of China, the first since 1949. The 1,268-page work, which elaborates on a series of major issues concerning politics, the military, foreign affairs, ideology and culture, comprises two books: one on the general history of that period, and the other on various special subjects. Since 2010, 57 historians, including 34 from the mainland, 21 from Taiwan and two from Hong Kong, have worked on the project.

Supercomputer tops list of world's fastest

China's newest supercomputer has dethroned the Tianhe-2 at the top of a list of the 500 most powerful supercomputers in the world. For the first time, the country has taken top spot without using US technology. The newcomer, Sunway TaihuLight, is twice as fast and three times as efficient as Tianhe-2, which was also made by China. The new system was developed by the Chinese National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology and installed at the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.

2020 health plan to ease burden on the poor

All Chinese living below the poverty line in rural areas will have access to basic medical care and other health services "close to" the national average by 2020, according to a guideline released by 15 central government departments on June 21. The government will mobilize various social resources and take more precise measures to support the development of healthcare services in poor areas, the guideline said.

Man sentenced to death for bus attack

A court in Shandong province sentenced a man to death on June 21 for setting a bus on fire on Aug 20, 2014. Xu Xiaofu sought revenge on society by starting the fire, which left three people dead and 16 injured, Yantai Intermediate People's Court said. Xu boarded a bus with a bottle of gasoline in his bag in Longkou and set fire to it at about 8:30 am. A passenger died at the scene and two others died in a hospital. Xu has said he will appeal to sentence.

New media tangles with copyright

Copyright disputes between new and traditional media are growing, and require a mature copyright protection system, according to an annual report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a top think tank, on June 21. "Copyright infringement has restrained new media's development," said Tang Xujun, lead researcher for the report and director of the CASS Institute of Journalism and Communication.

Wenchang cashes in on new launch center

China's fourth and most southerly space launch center is preparing for its maiden launch at the end of this month, boosting local tourism. Construction of the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan province has resulted in the costal city improving facilities to welcome more space enthusiasts and visitors.

Hospital alliance to promote exchanges

A hospital alliance between China and countries in Central and Eastern Europe was set up on June 20 to facilitate cooperation in health and medical care. The China-CEEC Hospital Collaboration Alliance has 47 founding members, including 34 major hospitals from China and 13 from five of the European countries, including the Czech Republic.

Father held for trying to kill intersex baby

Police have detained a father who is accused of attempting to kill a newborn intersex baby in Henan province. The intersex baby was born on May 13 in Anyang, and police said the father and grandfather attempted three times to kill the child before the mother contacted authorities. The father was detained and the grandfather was released pending trial, according to the mother.

1.6b yuan to boost less-developed areas

The Chinese government has allocated 1.6 billion yuan ($242 million; 215 million euros) to support projects in less-developed regions, the National Development and Reform Commission said on June 20. The funds will target areas in 21 provincial regions. The move aims to fight poverty, with priority given to agriculture and rural infrastructure.

National gene bank begins trial in Shenzhen

A national gene bank established by China's gene research giant BGI started trial operations on June 18 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Wang Jian, chairman of the company, said the gene bank has a collection of 10 million samples of biological material. The project is expected to boost research and business in the fields of health, agriculture, species diversity and environmental protection.

Tibet aims to preserve its starry nights

China has launched its first dark-sky reserve in the Tibet autonomous region's Ngari prefecture. The reserve, initiated by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and the regional government, covers 2,500 square kilometers and aims to limit light pollution by stepping up protection of dark-sky resources for education and tourism development.

Tibet hydropower plant hit by quake restarts

Two hydropower generators are running again in the border county of Gyirong, Tibet autonomous region, one year after being damaged by a magnitude-7.5 earthquake in Nepal. The generators provide electricity for 10,000 people in 25 villages. Two other generators at the plant are to be repaired this year. The quake on April 25 last year claimed heavy casualties in Nepal and left 26 dead in Tibet.

Police rescue animals from criminal gang

Two lar gibbon monkeys, a species under state protection in China, were saved by police and put on display in Kunming, Yunnan province, on June 20. The police smashed a wildlife trafficking ring and seized 96 wild animals, including slow loris and pythons. The ring contacted buyers and sold animals online, police said.

Science ship begins service off east coast

China's most advanced marine science ship, Xiangyanghong 01, went into service in Qingdao, Shandong province, on June 18. The 100-meter ship, with a displacement of 4,980 metric tons and a range of 15,000 nautical miles, has remote sensing equipment that can explore as deep as 10,000 meters. The ship will conduct its first task in the Indian Ocean, according to the State Oceanic Administration's First Institute of Oceanography.

Report: Disney to become top attraction

Shanghai Disney Resort, which opened on June 16, is expected to surpass the Palace Museum (also known as the Forbidden City) in Beijing as the top spot for visitors to China. According to a report by online travel agency Ctrip, the resort is expected to receive at least 15 million visitors a year, more than 40,000 a day. Last year, the Palace Museum received 15 million tourists.

Standards raised for license plate bidders

Prospective car owners in Shanghai must now meet more requirements to bid for a car registration plate. Bidders must be residents of the city, or have at least three years of uninterrupted payments of social security or income tax. In addition, neither the bidder nor automobile may have been registered for a plate before, while buyers must have a clean driving record for at least a year. The new standards take effect on July 19.

Transport links to support NE Asia

China is keen to rejuvenate its northeastern rust belt through transportation connections with other Northeast Asian nations. Three provinces - Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning - have built a dozen railway and road transport links with Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Mongolia. Air routes also reach more than 70 countries, according to sources at the Harbin International Economic and Trade Talk Exhibition, a five-day event that closed on June 19.

(China Daily European Weekly 06/24/2016 page2)