IN BRIEF (Page 2)

New bullet-train lines now open

China opened two major high-speed rail lines on Dec 28, linking the country's less developed southwest with built-up coastal areas. The openings also mark Yunnan province's entry into the nation's high-speed railway network. The new lines link its capital, Kunming, with Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The 2,252-kilometer Shanghai-Kunming rail line traverses five provinces - Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan - and cuts rail travel time between the two cities from 34 to 11 hours, according to China Railway Corp, the nation's rail service provider.

Satellites launched for ground imaging

China launched two commercial remote-sensing satellites on Dec 28 to compete with foreign companies that dominate high-resolution ground imaging. The SuperView 1A and 1B were lifted atop a Long March 2D carrier rocket at 11:23 am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, developer of the satellite series. After the devices are placed in position 500 kilometers above Earth, they will start to take pictures with a ground image resolution of 0.5 meter - the clearest yet produced by Chinese commercial satellites, according to Yang Yike, director of high-resolution satellite projects at the company.

Supervision of officials heightened

China will continue its pressure against corruption in 2017, strengthening supervision and severely punishing officials who break Party rules, according to senior leaders. A pilot reform program for an integrated supervision system will also be on next year's anti-graft agenda, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee determined on Dec 28. The Party has gained the upper hand in the fight against corruption, and "the high pressure against graft will be maintained", a news release from the meeting said.

Courts set up to improve efficiency

Two new circuit courts - one in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and the other in Zhengzhou, Henan province - were established on Dec 28 to improve judicial efficiency and reduce the burden of case hearings on the Supreme People's Court. All 12 presiding judges of the Third Circuit Court in Nanjing will be from the top court. The presiding judges, with an average age of 45, each have at least 10 years of experience. Under the latest judicial interpretation issued by the top court, the current six circuit courts cover 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China.

Join hands to beat bullies, experts say

Teachers, parents and public security authorities need to work closer together to combat bullying, according to a senior judicial official. The Supreme People's Procuratorate, the top prosecuting authority, received about 1,900 cases related to school bullying in the first 11 months of 2016, leading to 1,100 arrests and 2,300 prosecutions, according to data released on Dec 28. Shi Weizhong, deputy director of the authority's Juvenile Procuratorial Affairs Office, says Chinese laws covering juveniles are too general to provide guidance on intervention and rectification.

Water projects promise benefits

China plans to launch at least another 15 major water conservancy projects next year, increasing targeted investment in the field to more than 900 billion yuan ($129.7 billion; 124.1 billion euros; 105.8 billion), the Ministry of Water Resources announced on Dec 28. Having launched 21 projects in 2016, construction work is now underway on 106 projects altogether, increasing total investment to 800 billion yuan. The latest, the Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project, began on Dec 29.

Students seeking success in startups

A survey released by Renmin University of China on Dec 28 found that more than 120,000 college students - or 28 percent of respondents - are running their own business or have had a related experience. Only 10.2 percent said they don't want to start their own business. The report is based on information collected from more than 430,000 students at 1,767 universities and colleges across the country. It found that chasing dreams and freedom are two main drivers for college students seeking to become entrepreneurs.

Baby penguins go to 'kindergarten'

Sunasia Ocean World, an aquarium in Dalian, Liaoning province, has sent more than 20 young penguins to a "kindergarten" where they will learn survival skills. The penguins will be in class for two months, learning to eat on their own and practicing swimming, according to Han Han, a keeper at the aquarium. Penguins go to the kindergarten when they are 1 month old, Han said. It helps the youngsters get to know each other before the important business of finding a mate.

Regulation details bike-sharing rules

To standardize the development of the online bike-sharing industry, the Shenzen Transport Commission unveiled a draft plan on Dec 27, adding violations such as illegal parking to people's credit records. Renting bikes through smartphones and parking them at the users' convenience has grown in popularity. In Shenzhen, Guangdong province, there are about 120,000 rental bicycles, and the number is expected to increase to 210,000 by the end of January, according to the commission. Recognizing online bike-sharing as part of the city's transportation system, the authority will integrate bicycle lanes and bicycle parking facilities in street renovations.

Oil giants face $24m Bohai Bay spill claim

Fishermen affected by the 2011 Bohai Bay oil spill are demanding 170 million yuan ($24.5 million; 23.4 million euros; 20 million) in damages from the oil giants behind the disaster. Lawyers representing 205 people from Yantai, Shandong province, who are suing China National Offshore Oil Corp and ConocoPhillips, revealed the compensation figure on Dec 28, according to a source at Qingdao Maritime Court. The plaintiffs claim their livelihoods have been severely affected by leaks from the Penglai 19-3 Oilfield. Two spills over a period of weeks in June 2011 polluted more than 6,200 square kilometers of the sea, according to investigative reports.

Sao Tome restores ties with Beijing

China and the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe resumed diplomatic relations on Dec 26. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart from Sao Tome and Principe, Urbino Botelho, signed a joint communique at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing to resume diplomatic ties. The ceremony on Dec 26. The African nation broke off ties with Taipei last week. Beijing suspended its relationship with Sao Tome and Principe in 1997 after that country established "diplomatic ties" with Taipei.

Data fraud subject to criminal law

Falsifying environmental data to avoid pollution regulations is a criminal offense, according to a set of new judicial interpretations on environmental crimes framed by the top court and top procuratorate and released on Dec 26. It is the first time for such fraud to be subject to criminal punishment. Previously, administrative penalties were usually meted out. The court and the procuratorate issued interpretations on a number of environmental offenses. The new interpretations, which take effect on Jan 1, are widely considered an indication that judicial punishment of environment-related crimes will be strengthened.

Outbound tourism to see steady rise

China's outbound tourism industry is expected to see slower but steady growth over the next five years. Visits by Chinese outbound tourists are forecast to reach 150 million in 2020 from 117 million in 2015, with an estimated average annual growth rate of about 5.1 percent, according to the China National Tourism Administration. The administration released its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) on Dec 26. It said domestic visits by Chinese tourists in 2020 would reach 6.4 billion, with total revenue in the tourism industry soaring to 7 trillion yuan ($1 trillion; 960 billion euros; 820 billion).

Tibetans lead team to South Pole

Tibetan mountaineers have proved their world-class competence once again after two climbers from the region achieved "seven plus two" on Dec 25 - reaching the highest peaks on all seven continents and Earth's two poles. Graduate students Tsering Tandar and Dechen Ngodup, sponsored by the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, Hubei province, reached the South Pole at 6:16 am on Dec 25. In doing so, they finished the nine-challenge adventure known as the Explorers Grand Slam, which has been accomplished by only about 50 people in the world.

Improved ties with Vatican sought

China is willing to conduct constructive dialogue with the Vatican and hopes that the Vatican will adopt a flexible and pragmatic attitude, a top religious affairs official said on Dec 27 as the country's Catholic church representatives gathered in Beijing for a national assembly. China's stance on improving ties with the Vatican has long been that the country is willing to hold talks with the Vatican "based on relevant principles to narrow differences and expand common ground", Wang Zuoan, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said at the opening of the Ninth Assembly of Chinese Catholic Representatives.

5-year visa aims to promote S. Korea

South Korea will introduce a new five-year renewable visa in January to attract affluent Chinese tourists. The move was made against the backdrop of a decrease in Chinese arrivals in the second half of 2016. The visa allows holders to return for stays of up to 30 days. Chinese tourists who buy specialized four-day travel packages costing 17,350 yuan ($2,498; 2,389 euros; 2,038) or more can apply. China's leading tour company, Ctrip, predicted that only 1 percent of mainland tourists would be eligible for the new visa.

Testing starts on first maglev rail

Beijing's first rail line using magnetic levitation technology is scheduled to start running next year, with engineers now testing the new trains, city officials announced on Dec 25. The overhead maglev line, called S1, will run in the western suburbs. It will stretch about 10 kilometers and have eight stations. The line will make scenic spots in Beijing's suburbs more easily accessible to residents and tourists.

Probes to head for Mars, Jupiter

China plans to send unmanned probes to explore Mars and Jupiter by 2030, according to a senior space official. Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said at a news conference in Beijing on Dec 27 that the government has decided to send a robotic probe to Mars to orbit and land on the red planet around 2020. The probe will conduct scientific research on the Martian soil and atmosphere and search for signs of water. A larger probe will set off for Mars around 2030 to take samples and return them to Earth, he said.

Xi says support for UN remains firm

President Xi Jinping praised cooperation between China and the United Nations and reaffirmed China's firm support for the organization in a phone conversation on Dec 26 with outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Xi said the world is facing many new problems that require stronger global governance and more work from the UN, and he praised Ban's contribution to deepening China's cooperation with the UN during his 10 years as head of the organization. Xi stressed that China would maintain close cooperation with the incoming secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, to reinforce China's ties.

Regulator maps out cybersecurity strategy

China's top internet regulator has mapped out a national security strategy, aiming to safeguard cyberspace sovereignty, security and interests of cyberspace development. The Cyberspace Administration of China said on Dec 27 that the government will safeguard cyberspace sovereignty and national security, protect key information infrastructure and crack down on cyberterror and cybercrime. Wang Xiujun, deputy head of the administration, said the work includes international cooperation.

Liaoning departs for Pacific drill

The CNS Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group has set off for the Western Pacific where it will take part in an open-sea exercise, a spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Navy has announced. According to the PLA Navy, the group carried out "full-element" training in the East China Sea on Dec 24, which mainly involved J-15 carrier-borne fighter jets. The planes performed air tactical confrontation drills and air refueling operations, while ships conducted resupply training, the navy said.

(China Daily European Weekly 12/30/2016 page2)