IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Xi greets astronauts in milestone video call

President Xi Jinping greeted two Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong II space lab during a video call on Nov 9 afternoon. Xi asked about the physical condition, living conditions and work progress of Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong during the half-month they have been in space so far. The mission will last a month. Xi encouraged the astronauts to redouble their efforts and cooperate with each other closely to complete the mission successfully.

Two fugitives in France facing extradition

Two of China's most-wanted fugitives, suspected of economic crimes, will be extradited from France to face trial at home, a senior official from the Ministry of Public Security has confirmed. Both of the fugitives are female, and are former executives of private companies. They are accused of fraud and using illegal means to raise funds. Both have been detained by French police and are awaiting extradition.

Local officials can sue polluters for damages

Chongqing and the provinces of Guizhou, Jilin, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan and Yunnan became the first of seven pilot areas in a plan that allow provincial governments to sue companies that cause environmental destruction, or negotiate an out-of-court settlement to obtain money needed to fix damage they caused. Previously, that power was reserved for the State Council, the highest executive organ of State power. The plan will make it easier to force polluters to pay for damage they cause.

Corruption fighters selected for provinces

Three provincial authorities have been chosen to try out a new anti-graft commission next year as a way to streamline efforts to combat major corruption, the top discipline watchdog said on Nov 8. The commissions, to be tried in Beijing and in Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces starting in January, will be independent from local government to prevent interference, according to a source that declined to be named with the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Members will be elected by local legislators in December and headed by the provincial Party chief.

Outdoor sports get big facilities boost

The General Administration of Sport has unveiled multiple plans to boost the outdoor sports industry through infrastructure and education as China pledges to build a healthier nation. The administration has set its sights on boosting participation in such sports as hiking, mountaineering, canoeing and sailing. The country is planning to build five national outdoor sports centers, 50 mountain trails with logistics facilities, 1,000 clubs for open-water sports including canoeing and sailing, and 2,000 aviation camps for sports such as paragliding and skydiving by 2020, according to plans released on Nov 8.

Hebei to reduce household coal use

Hebei province will cut out all household coal-burning in areas surrounding Beijing in a year to reduce pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, a plan says. Villages will use gas for heating and cooking, or use electric devices, and receive electricity or gas subsidies for three years based on the cost of replacing their coal-burning devices, according to the plan. By the end of 2020, all fuel for producing heat in the area should be clean energy, according to the plan.

Alliance to tighten Belt and Road link

Twenty national scientific and research organizations from countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative issued a declaration on Nov 8, establishing an alliance of international scientists to promote cross-border cooperation. The declaration was made after a two-day forum attended by more than 350 scientists from 40 countries and regions. It includes mechanisms such as holding the forum every two years, multilateral personnel exchange and student training programs, and joint scientific research projects.

Shanghai Planetarium to be opened in 2020

The groundbreaking ceremony for the world's largest planetarium took place in Shanghai on Nov 8, with the facility scheduled to open in 2020. Located on Lingang Avenue in the Pudong New Area, the Shanghai Planetarium will cover more than 58,600 square meters and cost 528 million yuan ($77.9 million; 69 million euros; 62.2 million). It will consist of a main building, a public observatory, a tower telescope, an observation site for youngsters and a restaurant. When completed, it will be the second comprehensive planetarium on the Chinese mainland, along with the Beijing Planetarium. People will be able to observe the galaxy, learn about astronomy and experience using observation instruments.

British banker found guilty of murder in HK

A jury at Hong Kong's High Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Nov 8 in the trial of British banker Rurik Jutting, for the murders of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in 2014. Jutting, a 31-year-old British investment banker, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the judge, Justice Michael Stuart-Moore, who said he is "an extreme danger to women". His lawyer, Tim Owen, said his client will apply to serve his sentence in the United Kingdom under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement between Hong Kong and Britain.

Security website assists fight against fraudsters

A website run by cybersecurity company Qihoo 360 that helps fraud victims is expanding its reach after a positive response from police and the public, the team behind the site says. 110.360.cn, the first platform of its kind in China, accepts reports of telecom, online and offline scams and provides tips on how people can avoid falling prey to con artists. The service was launched in May last year in partnership with the Beijing Public Security Bureau and has so far received more than 180,000 reports from victims, according to Liu Yang, a Qihoo 360 data analyst who works on the platform.

Inflation edges further up in October

China's consumer price index grew by 2.1 percent in October on a year-on-year basis, up from 1.9 percent in September, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Nov 9. The CPI, a key gauge of inflation, had ended four consecutive months of decline in September, when it rose to 1.9 percent. The 2.3 percent year-on-year figure reached in April was tied with February and March for the highest level since July 2014.

President emphasizes role of journalists

President Xi Jinping stressed on Nov 7 the importance of "a sound environment for public opinion", calling it crucial for governance and national stability. Xi made the remarks while meeting in Beijing with representatives of the All-China Journalists' Association and winners of this year's China News Award and Changjiang Taofen Award, the country's top two journalism awards. Xi urged the country's journalists to follow "the correct political direction", conform to the Communist Party of China Central Committee, adhere to the Marxist view of journalism, stick to the standpoint of the Party and the people, and uphold socialism with Chinese characteristics.

New finance minister likely to stay on course

China announced the appointment of a new finance minister on Nov 7. Xiao Jie, a former tax chief and deputy finance minister, will replace Lou Jiwei as minister. Lou had been finance minister since 2013. It is generally believed that Lou, nearly 66, has passed the conventional retirement age for ministerial-level officials. Analysts said major fiscal policies will not change and the country can use more policy tools to help anchor its economic growth.

National park to protect wildlife, scenic places

An area on the border of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces will be the second addition to a trial national park program and will focus on protecting wild Siberian tigers and leopards, according to government officials. The addition has been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner. The trial program is intended to streamline the management of scenic spots and reduce reliance on raising funds through commercial activities, environmental groups said on Nov 9.

Election starts for 19th CPC Congress

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China released guidelines on Nov 9 for the election of delegates to the Party's 19th National Congress, marking the beginning of the election process. A total of 2,300 delegates will be elected by 40 electoral units across the country. The election will be completed by June, according to a CPC Central Committee statement. Delegates to the 19th National Congress should be excellent Party members, the statement said, adding that candidates' beliefs, political integrity and moral qualities were the most important qualities. During the election process, intra-Party democracy and discipline should be priorities.

Courts send 49 to jail for Tianjin blasts

Courts in Tianjin sentenced 49 people to prison on Nov 9 -including 24 company managers and staff and 25 government officials - who were found guilty of crimes that led to the devastating warehouse blasts that killed at least 165 people in August 2015. They were tried by the Second Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin and nine other grassroots courts between Nov 7 and 9. All suspects agreed with the verdicts and expressed remorse as the rulings were read, sources at the Tianjin High People's Court said.

Homes move away from coal-fired heating

An extra 75,000 households in Beijing can use clean-energy-fueled heating facilities instead of highly polluting coal stoves this winter, local authorities said on Nov 9. In a campaign to replace coal with cleaner fuel, Beijing has phased out coal-fired heating facilities in 75,000 households during the first 10 months of this year, reducing the city's annual coal use by 225,000 metric tons, according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

Travelers are urged to get on the road

China is to promoting road trips and recreational vehicle travel, tourism administration authorities said on Nov 9. The China National Tourism Administration, with 10 other ministries and commissions, released a series of guidelines to assist the development of these forms of travel. The guidelines set a goal of building 2,000 campsites, as well as developing popular itineraries and destinations for domestic road trips by 2020.

Foreign reserves fall in October

China's foreign exchange reserves fell for the fourth consecutive month in October, indicating sustained capital outflow pressure, despite initial signs of stabilization in the world's second-largest economy, analysts said. Foreign exchange reserves fell by $45.73 billion (41.79 billion euros; 36.84 billion) - the biggest monthly drop since January - to $3.12 trillion, following a drop of $18.79 billion in September, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, said on Nov 7. They stood at the lowest level since March 2011, according to central bank data.

Nation to pursue fast medical sector growth

China will pursue rapid growth in the medical sector until 2020, while enhancing the sector's ability to innovate and improving quality, according to a plan unveiled on Nov 7. The sector's main business revenue should maintain medium-high annual growth of more than 10 percent, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on its website.

Conference encourages healthier lifestyles

Shanghai will host the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion from Nov 21 to 24, aiming for high-level advocacy for health advancement by all social sectors worldwide, the country's top health authority and the World Health Organization announced on Nov 7. It demonstrates again the strong commitment of China's top leadership to people's health, according to Song Shuli, spokeswoman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Ministry responds to queries over NGOs

China's law enforcement officials responded on Nov 8 to questions about how overseas NGOs will operate in China once a new law takes effect in January. At a briefing held by the Ministry of Public Security and Shanghai Public Security Bureau in Shanghai, the ministry said there will be no "transitional period" for overseas NGOs. Overseas NGOs in China are expected to prepare for the new regime and authorities are working on ways to assist them.

Door open to defense dialogue with ROK

China is willing to hold defense-related dialogue and develop cooperation with the Republic of Korea on the basis of mutually respecting each other's security interests, the Ministry of Defense said on Nov 7. The comments came following this year's disruption of high-level China-ROK defense talks as a result of the ROK's decision to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system.

AVIC to put domestic cargo jet in the skies

China's leading aircraft maker is developing a large cargo jet based on the Y-20 military transport plane in an attempt to put an end to foreign dominance in the field. Designers at the Aviation Industry Corp of China are doing preliminary research on the Y-20F-100, a civilian variant of the Y-20 heavy-lift transport jet developed for the People's Liberation Army, and they will redesign the airframe and cargo loading system, the state-owned defense technology giant said in a statement.

Sichuan-Tibet Railway to be completed in 2025

The most difficult part of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, the Kangding-Nyingchi section, will begin construction in 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. As the second railway connecting Tibet with the rest of the country, the project is expected to be completed in 2025, five years earlier than planned. The 1,838-km track starts in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the lowlands of China's southwestern region, and will pass through Sichuan province's Ya'an and Kangding, and Tibet's Nyingchi and Lhasa. The new line will reduce the travel time from Chengdu to Lhasa to about 13 hours.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/11/2016 page2)