Briefly

JIANGXI

Freshwater lake sees lower water level

The water level of China's largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake, has continued to decline due to persistent high temperatures and the lack of rainfall, local authorities said on Tuesday. The water level at the lake's landmark Xingzi hydrological station had receded to 7.99 meters as of Tuesday morning, down by about 4 meters in the past 31 days, according to the Jiangxi provincial hydrologic monitoring center. The lake entered this year's dry season on Aug 6, the earliest date since records began in 1951. Drought relief efforts have been initiated with the water level of Poyang expected to decline further due to a heat wave and dry weather expected in the coming week.

BEIJING

First batch of pork reserves to be released

Chinese authorities will release the first batch of pork into the market from central reserves on Thursday to ensure pork supplies, the country's top economic planner said Tuesday. The National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments will guide local authorities to release pork reserves as public holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day Holiday are around the corner. At present, local authorities in provincial-level regions including Guangxi, Sichuan, Jilin, Ningxia and Hunan have started to release pork reserves. The NDRC said it will pay close attention to market changes and increase the pork supply if necessary. Pig farms are advised to sell hogs at a normal rate, and related enterprises are required to release commercial pork reserves in an orderly manner to increase market supply, according to the NDRC.

Forum promotes women in science

The 2022 China-Japan-ROK Forum on Women in Science, hosted jointly by the China Association for Science and Technology, the Japan Science and Technology Agency and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, was held in Beijing on Friday. Zhang Yuzhuo, executive vice-president of CAST, delivered opening remarks, saying that women working in technology are the vanguards of scientific and technological civilization and the drivers of social development. Female scientists from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea and experts from United Nations agencies shared their insights on topics such as the experiences and practices for encouraging, cultivating and supporting women scientists at a panel discussion. The forum offers a rich buffet of opportunities to share ideas on how to foster an encouraging ecosystem for female scientists to grow and develop.

China Daily - Xinhua