IN BRIEF (Page 2)

China displays FC-31 at air show in Paris

China is determined to tap the military aircraft market of developed nations with the domestically developed FC-31 stealth fighter jet, the plane's chief designer said on June 19. Lin Peng of the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of Aviation Industry Corp of China said the FC-31 has received a lot of attention from potential foreign buyers. AVIC has been displaying a model of the FC-31 at the 52nd International Paris Air Show, which opened on June 19 at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. This has been the first time the State-owned aircraft giant brought its latest stealth fighter jet to a Western air show.

Cooperation gets boost on healthcare

Top Chinese officials and health ministers from Central and Eastern European countries pledged in Budapest on June 19 to give substance to the China-CEEC partnership, especially in healthcare. The Budapest Declaration announced on June 19 will not only serve as an anchor document to guide future implementation of their medical cooperation strategy, but also become another catalyst for the Belt and Road Initiative, officials said. The officials were attending the third CEEC-China Health Ministers' Meeting, which began on June 18 and ended on June 20. Officials from Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Lithuania, Montenegro and other nations in the region attended.

Beijing, Hanoi to improve defense ties

China and Vietnam will foster defense cooperation, strengthen strategic communication, settle differences appropriately, and maintain peace and security in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese military official said on June 19. The two countries are neighbors with a common goal and a shared destiny, and the relationship is developing with positive momentum, said General Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, who led a delegation to Hanoi on June 18 and 19. China attaches great importance to developing Sino-Vietnamese military relations and will strengthen cooperation with the Vietnamese military to push for greater development, Fan added.

Nation bans potent class of new drugs

Chinese authorities have banned a deadly synthetic opioid called U-47700 and three other potent synthetic drugs: MT-45, PMMA and 4,4'-DMAR. The Ministry of Public Security made the announcement at a news conference on June 19, noting the concurrence of the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the China Food and Drug Administration. Commercial factories that currently produce such drugs will be required to cease.

China's supercomputers still fastest

China's Sunway TaihuLight and Tianhe-2 are still the world's fastest and second-fastest machines, respectively, and the Titan supercomputer in the United States was squeezed into fourth place by an upgraded Swiss system, according to the latest edition of the semiannual TOP 500 list of supercomputers released on June 19. The Sunway TaihuLight, described by the TOP 500 list as "far and away the most powerful number cruncher on the planet", has maintained the lead since June last year, when it dethroned Tianhe-2, the champion for the previous three consecutive years. It means that a Chinese supercomputer has topped the rankings maintained by researchers in the US and Germany nine times in a row.

Li, Canadian PM talk over phone

Premier Li Keqiang, while talking with his Canadian counterpart on June 19, said China is ready to work with Canada to promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation and strengthen cooperation in fields such as clean energy and environmental protection. The two countries have started an economic and financial strategic dialogue, and the third round of free trade zone feasibility studies will also begin soon, Li told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the phone call.

Satellite fails to enter preset orbit

Communications satellite Zhongxing 9A, which was launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 12:11 am on June 19, has failed to enter its preset orbit. Abnormal performance was identified during the third phase of the rocket launch, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp said on June 19. The exact reason for the failure is under investigation, and measures are being taken to address the problem and send the satellite into the correct orbit. The solar panels and communication antennas, however, have been deployed and the satellite system is operating normally, according to CASC.

Beijing focuses on quality of progress

In the next five years, Beijing will make crucial progress in developing into a harmonious international city and integrating with Hebei province and Tianjin, the capital's Party chief, Cai Qi, said on June 19. In his report to the 12th Party Congress of Beijing, the newly elected Party chief said Beijing will hold an "exciting, extraordinary and wonderful" Winter Olympic Games in 2022. Meanwhile, he said, the city will focus on the quality of urban development and improve the city's environment and competitiveness.

1,000 drones used by police across country

At least 1,000 drones have been put into use by police nationwide to assist in a wide range of operations, including tracking suspects, monitoring traffic and locating opium farms, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The actual number is likely to be much higher, according to Li Mu, who works at the ministry's test center for special police equipment and oversees the quality of unmanned aircraft. Local police continue introducing drones but have yet to report the condition of their fleets to the ministry, so the actual figure of police drones is probably higher than the estimation, he adds.

Second scientific expedition begins

China began its second scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on June 17 to study changes in climate, biodiversity and environment. The expedition will last five to 10 years. China's first comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau began in the 1970s.

Seize opportunities in China, Li urges US firms

US companies are welcome to continue investing in China and seize opportunities brought by the nation's fast growing service industry and efforts to upgrade the manufacturing sector, Premier Li Keqiang told 15US representatives, who were attending the ninth round of the China-US CEO and Former Senior Officials' Dialogue in Beijing. Common interests of both countries far override differences for the world's largest developing and developed economies, Li said. The two presidents have reached consensus to boost a stable development of bilateral ties, and both nations can settle differences through dialogue, he said.

Tesla eyes Shanghai for its new auto plant

US electric car manufacturer Tesla Inc will soon produce vehicles in China to seize a bigger share of the world's largest new energy vehicle market. Tesla's production facilities will be located in Shanghai's Lingang Economic Development Zone, and an agreement could be announced as soon as this week, Bloomberg News reported. The possible partnership came after China's top planning body voiced its support for international cooperation in electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell cars.

Beijing, Seoul hold in-depth talks

Beijing and Seoul had in-depth discussions on issues that included the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on June 20, vowing to properly handle disputes and quickly put relations back on track. Executive Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Yesui reached the consensus with Lim Sung-nam, the Republic of Korea's first vice-minister of foreign affairs, during a regular vice-ministerial strategic dialogue between the two foreign ministries held in Beijing. The two sides exchanged ideas on issues that included bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula "in an in-depth and candid way", Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news briefing.

Incoming chief exec has hopes for HK's future

HongKong's chief executive-designate, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, says she hopes the city will take advantage of China's increasing economic power to seek new impetus for its long-term prosperity and stability. Lam, the first female chief executive of the HongKong Special Administrative Region, says she is optimistic on China's future development and that Hong Kong's rapid growth as an international financial center and regional business hub could not have been achieved without the nation's economic takeoff since the reform and opening-up. Lam says Hong Kong could use its experience in asset management and risk management to make a contribution to the nation's major development plans, including the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Standards to improve English signage

China released its first national standards on the use of English in public service areas on June 20 in an effort to eradicate errors and provide better services to English speakers. The standards include principles on the use of English - including translations from Chinese - in 13 public sectors, including transportation, tourism, entertainment, sports and education. They include avoiding word-for-word translations, rarely used vocabulary and expressions that damage the image or interests of China or other nations. The standards, jointly released by China's Standardization Administration, the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission, will be adopted on December 1.

China, US dialogue seen as 'positive'

China said it is willing to maintain communication and cooperate with the United States on solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue on the eve of the first round of the China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in Washington. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remark on June 20 as a senior US diplomat said the dialogue will focus on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and other issues such as the South China Sea and maritime issues, working to defeat ISIS and other risk reduction efforts, and military-to-military relations.

Website is helping police combat fraud

110.360.cn, a website set up by software security giant Qihoo 360 to combat telecom fraud, has helped police nationwide crack more than 100 cases in the past two years. It has helped solve cases involving a total of 170 million yuan ($25 million; 22.4 million euros; ￡19.8 million) after sharing data and analysis with more than 200 public security departments across China, according to a company statement. The website was established in cooperation with the Beijing Public Security Bureau in May 2015 as a platform for citizens to report online and offline scams.

Books on Japan's invasion published

China unveiled a historical book series on June 19 telling of the atrocities of Japanese military forces in World War II, as the 80th anniversary of the July 7 Incident in 1937 approaches. The 51-book series collected data such as coded telegrams and secret documents from the Japanese military and government at the time. The editorial committee selected, categorized and photocopied more than 20,000 pages related to the Japanese invasion of China, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/23/2017 page2)