IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Rescue efforts made after mine fire

Rescuers were attempting to find 13 miners trapped by a fire that broke out underground in the early hours of July 4 in Benxi, Liaoning province. It was determined the miners might still be alive given that the shaft is connected to other nearby shafts, which should ensure ventilation, said Hao Chijun, head of the city's work safety administration and leader of the rescue effort. The mine caught fire around 3 am on July 4.

Xi sends message to civil society meeting

President Xi Jinping sent a message of congratulations to Civil Society 20 China 2016 on July 5, which kicked off in Qingdao. In his message, Xi said civil society organizations play an important role in public affairs as well as economic and social development. In the same vein, China welcomes friendly exchanges and cooperation with foreign NGOs. State Councilor Yang Jiechi delivered Xi's message at the opening ceremony.

Soccer investment to help local game

With Chinese capital flooding the European soccer market, investors hope that part of their return will be improved training for youth at home. Amid a Chinese buying spree of top European clubs, a consortium led by business executives Li Jian and Zheng Nanyan announced on July 5 that it has purchased an 80 percent stake in French Ligue 1 club OGC Nice, becoming the first Chinese majority owner of a top-tier French club. The club's current president, Jean-Pierre Rivere, will remain in the post to manage the club, which finished fourth last season, while the Chinese owners will provide funding and strategic support for further development and promotion, especially in China.

Li: Piraeus to be 'top-level' gateway

Premier Li Keqiang and his Greek counterpart vowed on July 4 to forge a famous Greek port into a top-level entryway in the Mediterranean, following the approval of a landmark concession deal. The visit to Beijing by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras came after the Greek Parliament approved on June 30 the purchase by China Cosco Shipping Corp of a majority stake in the Piraeus Port Authority. The company signed an agreement with Greece's privatization fund in April to acquire a 67 percent stake in the authority.

Vanke shares plunge amid battle for control

Shares of China Vanke Co, the country's largest residential developer, plunged by the 10 percent daily limit on July 4 in a sign of investors' disappointment amid the ongoing battle for control of the company. Analysts said the share dumping by investors was "within expectation". They said it could highlight investors' concern over the developer's future operation after its largest shareholder, Baoneng Group, a privately held insurer, threatened to oust the entire management team, which is led by founder and famed entrepreneur Wang Shi.

Overseas guests attend forum in Lhasa

The Samye Monastery in the Tibet autonomous region, which is usually filled with pilgrims and tourists, welcomed many overseas guests on July 5. The monastery, the first Buddhist one built in Tibet, hosted participants in the five-day Forum on the Development of Tibet, which opened on July 4 in Lhasa. The forum offers face-to-face exchanges for Tibetan officials and foreign advisers, according to the State Council Information Office, which is hosting the event with the regional government.

2017 pollution targets 'within reach'

A majority of Chinese provinces have performed well in reducing airborne pollutants and have a good chance of reaching the targets set in the national action plan by 2017, according to an assessment by the Chinese Academy of Engineering that was released on July 5. However, Beijing appears to have a tough challenge ahead, according to the assessment. China has been engaged since 2013 in a national campaign against smog. The Action Plan on Air Pollution Prevention and Control set emission reduction targets to be met by 2017.

China adjusts method of calculating GDP

China has changed its method of calculating the country's GDP, a move that is in line with international standards and is not an attempt to jazz up growth figures, the National Bureau of Statistics said on July 5. Research and development expenditure, which can bring continuous economic benefits to enterprises and was formerly excluded from GDP calculation, will now be taken into account. The change comes as China adopts the general methodology used by major developed countries for compiling measures of economic activity, the NBS said on its website.

End hidden product risks, IKEA told

Quality supervisory authorities in Shanghai have told Swedish furniture company IKEA to eliminate potential risks in chests of drawers it sells in China. They acted after the company said it was recalling the same types of products in North America due to safety hazards. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said on June 28 IKEA would recall 35.6 million chests of drawers from the United States and Canada that have safety risks. This includes 8 million MALM chests and dressers sold in the US.

(China Daily European Weekly 07/08/2016 page2)