HSBC plays its role on the river bank

Zhang Shengyuan cruises on Honghu Lake in Hubei province, keeping an eye on the birds and their eggs.

Foreign firms seek water solutions

Foreign companies are buying into the Chinese water treatment market, after the country vowed to invest 430 billion yuan ($63 billion) in the sector during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15).

IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Shandong's changing environment

Shandong will see a fundamental change in its environment as the province puts great efforts into construction of environmental facilities, said Jiang Yikang, Party secretary of the province. It plans to have a "circular economic system" and green development model in place by 2015 to reduce the main pollutants. Water quality will also be improved, with over 90 percent of urban effluent treated.

Restored watershed and rivers that can sustain aquatic life

As they now see more blue-sky days and clear rivers, Shandong residents are finding that their living environment has greatly changed.

40% of wetlands restored at a cost of 1.3 billion yuan

With work underway across 80,000 hectares of wetlands, half of Shandong province's wetlands fauna and 70 percent of the ecosystem's flora have been preserved over the past six years.

Apple's shine attracts another trademark suit

Just after it settled a long-running dispute over rights to the iPad name in China, Apple Inc is facing another trademark conflict, this time with a Jiangsu company that alleges Apple's Snow Leopard operating system violates its existing trademark.

Microsoft sues over navigation software

Software giant Microsoft has filed a complaint against a Beijing-based maker of auto navigation systems, claiming copyright infringement on its Windows CE software and asking for more than 3.67 million yuan ($577,775) in compensation.

ip scene

Inner Mongolia

Domestic auto giants in fracas over foreign technology claims

Intellectual property disputes between domestic carmakers and foreign companies have been common as China develops its own automotive industry, but a recent conflict over technology is between two homegrown giants.

Citroen: High hopes for luxury DS brand

Citroen's high-end marque DS might be obscure to Chinese consumers, but the French carmaker aims to change that perception and rapidly expand sales in China by producing a slew of models locally.

Ensuring child safety

Editor's note: The following is the latest in a series of weekly auto safety tips provided by premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz: