IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Smog prompts 309 flight cancellations in Tianjin

Hundreds of flights have been canceled in north China's port city of Tianjin because of the heavy smog that limited visibility on Jan 1. The municipal government has issued an orange alert for smog and haze on Saturday night. An orange alert means heavy pollution -- PM2.5 higher than 150 -- for three consecutive days. A total of 309 flights have been canceled, 15 forced to land in other airports and one returned as of 3 pm, according to the airport. Emergency plans have been activated to take care of the stranded passengers.

TV series focuses on corruption cases

A three-part anti-corruption documentary, produced by the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and China Central Television, began airing nightly on Jan 3 at 8 pm on CCTV-1. The series provides the first full look inside the stories of corrupt officials, including luxurious lives lived at the public's expense and tearful expressions of regret, with analysis of their illegal behavior and ideological transformation. The series was made to educate the public and to act as a strong warning to public servants, according to a statement by the commission.

Farmers to share in business earnings

China will reform collective ownership in rural areas in the next five years to enable farmers to have a share in the operating assets in their villages, a guideline issued by the central government said. Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, said at a news conference on Jan 3 that the move is aimed at increasing the income of farmers by ensuring their rights to a share of the assets. Earnings from such collective assets could come from factories, contracting services or other enterprises run by the village.

Box office revenue stagnant in 2016

Movie box office takes for China's film industry remained stagnant in 2016, but most industry insiders see it as a blessing in disguise. Last year's box office total was predicted to reach 60 billion yuan (57.8 billion euros; 48.8 billion). Instead, it was 45.7 billion yuan, growing a mere 3.73 percent over 2015's 44 billion yuan, the lowest in a decade. The construction of movie theaters rushed ahead at breakneck speed, with about 26 a day, or 9,552 new screens a year. China now has 41,179 movie screens, the most in the world, with 85 percent of them capable of projecting 3-D films.

Foreign currency loophole closed

Chinese residents now need to fill out an application form indicating the purpose of foreign exchange purchases, reflecting strengthened scrutiny from the nation's top currency regulator, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, amid renewed pressure from capital flight. The application form includes 11 purposes residents can check, including travel and medical care. The form specifies that residents will not be approved to purchase foreign currency if they hope to make overseas purchases not yet open to domestic individuals, such as overseas housing and insurance with investment returns.

Tsai warned before her overseas trip

The Chinese mainland will share development opportunities with Taiwan but at the same time firmly opposes "Taiwan independence" activities, Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in his New Year's greeting. The remarks were issued a week ahead of Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's trip to Latin America, which was to start on Jan 7. Analysts said that if Tsai continues to provoke Beijing, Taiwan will face more punishment from the mainland.

First freight train rolling to London

China launched its first freight train to London on Jan 1, China Railway Corp said. Departing from Yiwu West Railway Station in Zhejiang province, the train will travel for 18 days over more than 12,000 kilometers before reaching its destination. It will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France before arriving in London.

Xi urges more efforts to ensure food safety

China's top leadership has called for more efforts to ensure food safety, noting there are still many problems despite an improving food safety situation. More efforts should be made to ensure food safety for the public, said President Xi Jinping in his latest instructions on the country's food safety work. The president called for the most rigorous standards, the most stringent regulation, the most severe punishment and the most serious accountability for improving food safety control. He stressed administration under the law, enhancement of work at the grassroots level and professionalism of food safety inspectors, and demanded a comprehensive food safety system from farm to table.

3 billion rail trips expected in 2017

China's railways are forecasting at least 3 billion passenger trips in 2017, China Railway Corp said on Jan 3 during its annual meeting in Beijing. That would put the railroads over that mark for the first time. In 2016, 2.77 billion trips were made on China's railways, including 1.44 billion trips by high-speed trains, which accounts for more than 52 percent of the total, according to Lu Dongfu, general manager of the railway operator. The record for a single day was 14.43 million trips, during October's Golden Week holiday travel rush.

China urges deeper BRICS partnership

President Xi Jinping called on BRICS countries on Jan 1 to deepen their partnership for a brighter future. China will host the ninth summit of the leaders of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, in September, Xi said. Xi called for the enhanced partnership in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Jacob Zuma, Brazilian President Michel Temer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the letter, he also briefed the leaders on China's blueprint for promoting BRICS cooperation during Chinese presidency of the bloc this year.

Mobile spending surges in 2016

Chinese mobile payments are expected to continue to surge overseas this year, as tech-savvy millennials increase spending on travel and purchases, analysts say. Outbound spending by Chinese tourists via mobile devices in 2016 jumped more than sevenfold year-on-year, with the number of transactions soaring by 730 percent, the country's largest third-party payment provider, Alipay, said on Jan 4. Transactions made via mobile wallets could surge to 90 percent of total business volume this year, up from 71 percent last year, according to James Yan, research director at Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

Government efficiency listed as top priority

China will work harder to use simpler, more straightforward procedures and balanced market regulation to streamline government administration. A series of decisions to accomplish this goal was announced on Jan 4 during the State Council's executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. The State Council is the highest executive agency of state power. The measures include delegating more authority to local governments and reducing central government certification and evaluation requirements. Also, the country will issue its first guideline for market supervision and regulation to make its business environment more inviting.

Anti-graft effort satisfies 62% of public

Six out of 10 people are satisfied with China's anti-graft efforts in 2016, according to a poll by the top state-run think tank. The approval level among the public of 62 percent was higher for functionaries, at 95 percent, in the poll by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The poll, based on more than 5,000 questionnaires, is part of the sixth annual report on the evaluation of China's anti-graft drive released by the academy on Jan 4. The past year's crackdown appears to be having the desired effect, says Jiang Laiyong, secretary-general of the government Integrity Research Center at the academy.

Guideline sets limit on betrothal gifts

A county in Henan province recently issued a guideline on arranging weddings and funerals in which it said that the total amount of money a man gives his fiancee's family should not exceed 60,000 yuan ($8,645; 8,213 euros; 7,014). Betrothal gifts are a tradition deeply rooted in Chinese culture, especially in rural areas. The guideline, issued by the Taiqian county government, states that a wedding banquet should serve no more than 10 tables of guests and the total number of vehicles used should be six or fewer. Those who don't follow the rules will be punished, according to the guideline.

Ring road in Lhasa expected to ease traffic

Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, is expected to have a ring road opened by June this year to improve traffic flow and accelerate the city's development. With a planned investment of 11.3 billion yuan ($1.62 billion; 1.53 billion euros; 1.31 billion), the ring road is nearly 100 kilometers long, with seven tunnels and 27 bridges, according to the city government. The road links Lhasa Gongkar Airport in the south and with three highways. It also crosses over the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. After it opens, drivers will be able to circle the city's downtown area in just two hours at a maximum speed of 60 km/h.

16 million illegal publications seized

Law enforcement officers confiscated more than 16 million illegal publications last year, and shut down or banned more than 14,000 websites disseminating "harmful information". The figures were released by the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications on Jan 4. In 2016, the office disposed of more than 4.5 million items of online pornography as well as other harmful information, handling more than 600 criminal cases. More than 1,300 people were criminally punished.

500 new electric buses hit the road

A fleet of 500 electric buses hit the roads on Jan 4 in Tianjin, increasing the number of such buses to 1,346. The buses, the result of a joint venture between Tianjin Bus Group and Shenzhen-based carmaker BYD, have a range of more than 200 kilometers on a full charge, says Wang Deqi of the bus group, adding that that's enough for a bus to run its daily route. The group also opened a charging station capable of serving 80 buses at one time and 448 buses in a day.

Telefraud suspects back from Vietnam

Five telecom fraud suspects have been repatriated from Vietnam, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Jan 4. The suspects - one from the Chinese mainland and four from Taiwan - were arrested following allegations that they had been masquerading as law enforcement officials to extort money from people in Zhejiang province through telephone scams. The five have been implicated in at least 27 fraud cases involving more than 1.33 million yuan ($191,300; 181,754 euros; 155,213), the ministry said.

China scholar named on Forbes '30 Under 30' list

He Jiang, the first Chinese person to deliver a Harvard University commencement address, made the 2017 Forbes "30 Under 30" on Jan 3. He, a 29-year-old postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was chosen in the healthcare category after being nominated by his professors at Harvard. He used a new technology called single-virus tracking super-resolution imaging, known as STORM, to understand more about how influenza infects cells. He discovered human genes with strong anti-viral effects.

City official shoots 2, then kills himself

An official in Panzhihua, Sichuan province, killed himself on Jan 4 after shooting two of the city's top officials, local authorities said. Chen Zhongshu, the city's land and resources chief, broke into a meeting room at the local conference and exhibition center at about 10.50 am. He shot Zhang Yan, the city's Party chief, and mayor Li Jianqin as they were having a meeting. Police are still investigating the case.

Murals discovered in ancient tomb

Archaeologists have found murals dating back more than 900 years in a tomb in Zhangzi county, Shanxi province. The tomb is from the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). The colorful murals are largely painted on a white background. The upper parts feature acts of filial piety, says Zhang Guanghui, a research fellow at Shanxi Archaeological Research Institute. Beneath, are murals of people working and cooking. Flanking the gate of the tomb, there are images of herdsmen and cattle. The pictures are adorned with floral, animal and cloud motifs, Zhang says.

(China Daily European Weekly 01/06/2017 page2)