Sichuan to try quake insurance program

Fu Mingquan, a resident of Longmen, Sichuan province, was glad to learn that earthquake insurance covering houses would be available on a trial basis in areas prone to quakes.

China pledges continued help as Nepal rebuilds

A senior official has pledged that China will continue to help Nepal in its post-earthquake reconstruction.

Errant officials to be penalized for pollution

Government officials found responsible for environmental pollution will be held accountable beyond their terms of office, according to a new national guideline.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Preserving the past to finance the future

In the mountainous Southwestern region of Zhejiang province lies Songyang, a county containing more than 100 traditional villages whose geographical isolation has preserved their traditional charm and maintained a style of farming that has been used for centuries.

Protection plan or white elephant?

I've visited many counties and villages where the local tourism bureaus were eager to show off their big projects.

Ex-villager returns to open businesses

Tibet's biggest land port, Khasa, has lifted many border residents out of poverty over the past three decades and brought even more opportunities for them to improve their quality of life.

Around China

Sichuan

5 more netted in abduction

Mainland police arrested five more people over the past two days on suspicion of involvement in Hong Kong's biggest kidnapping-for-ransom case in 17 years.

Reforms could have global impact, vice-minister says

As China adjusts to a more sustainable long-term economic growth model, countries around the world should be aware of the impact that the reforms could have on the global economy, Cui Yuying, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office of China, said on Monday.

Quake didn't destroy spirit of Nepal

Compared with the disorderly situation at the Kathmandu International Airport when I landed two days after the earthquake, everything seemed like it was getting back to normal when I was leaving Nepal on Saturday.

Satellites help detect secondary disasters

A disaster relief group formed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has spotted a number of serious secondary disasters in Nepal, which was hit by a devastating earthquake in late April.