Briefly

BEIJING

Public opinion solicited for National Congress

China will start to solicit public opinions online on Friday for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to be held in the second half of this year. Until May 16, the public is encouraged to bring forward their opinions on eight aspects such as adhering to and strengthening the Party's leadership and promoting full and strict governance over the Party, deepening reform and opening-up and improving people's well-being. The opinions will be collected, sorted out and analyzed by related departments, thus providing reference for the Party's 20th National Congress.

Grand Canal sections to be refilled with water

The Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China, is set to see all of its dried-out sections refilled this year with a water-supply project getting underway on Thursday. Launched by Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong－four of the regions the canal flows through, this project is estimated to pour 515 million cubic meters of water into the northern part of the canal, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. The water will primarily come from other water bodies including some sections of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, recycled water and accumulated rainwater, the ministry said.

TIANJIN

Cargo trains collide in Jizhou district

A collision between two cargo trains occurred around 1 pm on Thursday in Tianjin's Jizhou district, China Media Group reported. No injuries were reported. The trains were loaded with goods and had no passengers. The rail line links Datong in Shanxi province with Qinhuangdao in Hebei province. An investigation is underway.

GUANGXI

Marine reptile fossil found in South China

Researchers have discovered the partial skeleton of a previously unknown marine reptile recognizable as an Ichthyosauromorpha, which lived approximately 250 million years ago, according to the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). The fossil, which dates back to the Lower Triassic, was unearthed in the city of Baise in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and was named "Baisesaurus robustus" by the research team involved in its discovery. Based on three-month restoration work, the researchers believe the reptile was about 3 meters long－much larger than any Early Triassic Ichthyosauriformes that have been found in China.

China Daily - Xinhua