Briefly

BEIJING

Train tickets on sale for Spring Festival

Train tickets for China's upcoming Spring Festival travel rush will go on sale on Saturday, according to the country's railway operator. The travel rush, usually a period with high transportation demand as people return home to celebrate the Spring Festival, will run from Jan 7 to Feb 15. China's railway authorities will step up efforts to coordinate COVID-19 prevention and control with transportation work to improve the quality of railway transportation during the travel rush, according to the China State Railway Group. China's railway system will constantly optimize its COVID-19 response and transportation services to improve passengers' travel experiences, the railway operator said.

Court vows further protection for TCM

China's top court has introduced guidelines on strengthening judicial protection for intellectual property in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The guidelines, issued recently by the Supreme People's Court, put forth targeted measures regarding major areas and key issues of TCM, providing clear guidance for the adjudicatory work related to TCM intellectual property. The guidelines vow to beef up the judicial protection of well-known trademarks, traditional brands and time-honored brands in TCM, and promote the passing down and development of TCM brands.

TIBET

Tibet to build three waste-free cities

China's Tibet autonomous region will strive to build three cities, including the regional capital Lhasa, into waste-free cities by 2025, according to regional authorities. Lhasa, Shigatse and Lhokha of this southwestern region are included in a national drive to build around 100 waste-free cities in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), which is led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and 17 other ministerial-level bodies. Waste-free cities aim to achieve minimum production, optimized utilization and safe disposal of municipal solid waste. A relevant work program recently issued by the regional government of Tibet puts forward multiple waste-free tasks for the three cities, including promoting green agricultural production, building green mines, and enhancing the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste. China started piloting waste-free cities in 2019.

Xinhua