Across China: Beijing

China slams UK hearing

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, condemned the British House of Commons on Wednesday for holding a hearing on China's so-called human rights issue and inviting the Dalai Lama to take part.

"We express our strong indignation and opposition to such an act that forms an arrogant interference in China's domestic affairs and hurts Chinese people's feelings," the NPC's Foreign Affairs Committee said in a statement.

Tibet is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and Tibetan affairs are part of China's domestic affairs, the statement said, adding this had been widely recognized by the international community.

PC piracy down to 20%

ChinaLabs, an independent research firm which has been tracking software piracy in China for three years, said on Wednesday that personal computer (PC) software piracy rate fell by 4 percentage points to 20 percent of overall dollar value in 2007.

The PC software piracy rate in terms of copies also dropped from 52 percent to 41 percent in the same 12-month period.

Sales of legal software in terms of copies rose by 44 percent, while that of piracy software grew by just 6 percent.

Efforts by government agencies and enterprises to use legal software and the compulsory installation of legal operating systems on all newly sold PCs, were the main reasons cited.

DUI blacklisted

Beijing officials yesterday released a list of 1,366 people who had their licenses revoked for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.

The drivers were also banned from applying for licenses for at least two years.

Most of those caught could have avoided suspension had they paid fines in time, Wang Li, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, said.

Beijing rules forbid anyone who has drunk any alcohol from getting behind the wheel.

Those who flout the law could be fined 500-1,800 yuan or have their licenses suspended.

(China Daily 05/30/2008 page6)