IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Battle tank for export displayed at air show

China North Industries Group Corp, commonly known as Norinco, the country's biggest developer of land armaments, expects the VT-5 tank to lure foreign military officers from developing nations at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

The state-owned defense giant said the VT-5 is the most advanced light-duty tank now available in the international market. For the armies of most developing nations, heavier main battle tanks, such as the US M1 Abrams and the German Leopard 2, are too expensive and "overqualified" for their basic needs, Lin Wei, a spokesman for Norinco, said during the air show, adding that they are often too heavy to operate on the roads and bridges of developing countries.

Four circuit courts to be established

China's central authority responsible for implementing reform has approved a plan to establish four more circuit courts, aiming to share the burden of case hearings in the national top court and to improve judicial efficiency. The plan, approved on Nov 1 during a meeting of the Leading Group for Overall Reform, led by President Xi Jinping, outlines proposals for new circuit courts in Chongqing municipality; Xi'an, Shaanxi province; Nanjing, Jiangsu province; and Zhengzhou, Henan province. The country now has two circuit courts - in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Shenyang, Liaoning province - that were set up at the end of 2014 and began operating early last year.

Beijing, Kuala Lumpur to develop patrol ships

China and Malaysia have agreed to jointly develop and build a littoral mission vessel for the latter's naval forces, signifying deeper defense cooperation between the two nations. The deal, witnessed by Premier Li Keqiang and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, was signed on Nov 1 in Beijing. The first two vessels Malaysia purchases from China will be built in China, with two more built in Malaysia, according to Najib. Further Malaysian-built ships will be subject to government financing.

925 peacekeepers to be sent to Africa

China will dispatch 925 peacekeepers to South Sudan and the Darfur region of Sudan in December on a yearlong UN peacekeeping mission. A 700-member infantry battalion, the third batch to be deployed in Juba, capital of South Sudan, will depart in mid-December, and an engineering regiment consisting of 225 troops, the 13th batch to be sent to Darfur, will leave in late December.

Rising PMI level is signal of recovery

China's official Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector hit its highest level in more than two years, higher than expectations, sending a signal of the country's economic recovery. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the PMI in October registered 51.2, the best performance since July 2014 and higher than 50.4 in September and August, and 49.8 a year ago. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector, while below 50 means contraction. The production subindex reached 53.3, compared with 52.8 in September. The new order subindex rose to 52.8 from 50.9 last month. The two indexes reached their highest levels this year, indicating faster growth of the supply and demand sides in the market.

Wuxi to build town to illustrate IoT

The city of Wuxi, in Jiangsu province, is to build an internet of things town, the first of its kind in China. According to a plan released on Nov 1 at the World Internet of Things Exposition, an entire IoT industrial chain will be developed in Hongshan, a township of about 60,000 people, including IoT research and development, production and innovative applications. Meanwhile, Hongshan will develop tourist attractions, along with urban and business areas, taking IoT development into consideration.

Shanghai singles are seeking their own kind

Nearly 80 percent of young, single people in Shanghai say they want their partners to have been born in the city, a survey showed. The survey of more than 1,800 people aged 18 to 40 in Shanghai also found that the number of "leftover men" - those still single in their 30s - is larger than that of "leftover women". According to the survey, 77.4 percent of the respondents born in Shanghai said they only wanted Shanghai natives as partners. People born in East, South and Southwest China, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, are inclined to have partners born in South China, the survey found.

Handwriting found at emperor's tomb

Handwriting and symbols were recently discovered at the tomb of Emperor Liu He from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), as archaeologists began dismantling the outer coffin, according to the Nanchang Evening News. Liu He (92-59 BC), who was later given the title Haihunhou (the Marquis of Haihun), was the grandson of Emperor Wu, the greatest ruler of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), a prosperous period in Chinese history.

Central bank to remove 1 jiao coin series

One series of the 1 jiao coin (0.15 cent) is being removed from circulation starting on Nov 1, making the coin more valuable for collectors. People's Bank of China, the central bank, has called on banks nationwide to hand over all that series of 1 jiao coins, adding that no new ones are to be distributed. The coin, minted mainly from 1991 to 1999, is among the fourth series of renminbi coins. It is favored by collectors because of its design, which features a nonagon inside the edges on both sides of the coin.

China and Belgium sign extradition treaties

China and Belgium signed two treaties on the extradition and transfer of sentenced people on Oct 31, paving the way for further cooperation in Beijing's anti-corruption efforts. The treaties were among seven cooperative documents signed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/04/2016 page2)