IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Bengbu's jade industry on rocky road

In Chinese, the word yu, or "jade", is often used to refer to the most beautiful and precious things. People who know the language well will recognize the word because it appears in many idiomatic old saws, usually those expressing wishes for prosperity and good luck.

Dynasties and duplicates

Although Bengbu in Anhui province has no raw jade, it's still one of China's most important hubs for carving the stone.

Expat backs big shake-up of system for buying tickets

Before high-speed railways began to spread in China, Bob Covey, an expat working in Shanghai with his Chinese wife, often had a convoluted and prolonged journey back to his wife's hometown, Shaoxing in neighboring Zhejiang province.

New line opens up western region and boosts freight trade

The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, has slashed train travel times by half to less than 12 hours.

Harbin-Dalian route keeps running as temperatures plunge to -40 C

Since its official launch in December 2012, China's first high-speed rail line that operates in regions with extremely low temperatures, as low as -40 C, has been undergoing monitoring to see how it copes - and it is coping well.

Bullet trains slash journey times as families head home

China's growing high-speed rail network has made life a lot easier for people traveling back home during the annual Spring Festival holiday rush, according to passengers.

Workers switch from motorcycles to rail

Migrant workers in Guangdong province had to endure long, uncomfortable motorbike rides when they returned to their hometowns in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guizhou province for Spring Festival in previous years

SOEs under graft spotlight

Lack of supervision and a strong desire for benefits were blamed for rampant graft cases involving senior managers in major State-owned companies, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Customs staff stand trial for bribery

Eight customs officials are on trial for accepting bribes to allow vehicles to pass through Customs without being checked.

Monopolies 'increase risk of corruption'

Monopolies in the power, communication and financial industries can increase the possibility of corruption as well as broaden the income gap, said a consultant to the State Council, who suggested those are areas where economic reforms should be pushed further this year.

City's former Party chief had ties to Ling Jihua

A Party chief with suspected ties to former senior political adviser Ling Jihua has been removed from his position, Shandong Satellite TV reported on Sunday.