R&D fund bolstered by private sector

Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of special reports to mark achievements in various sectors during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

China set to continue shooting for the stars

It was midnight in mid-October, but Chen Min, who lives in a village near the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, was still up and about. The vendor in her 20s was earning extra money by selling snacks to visitors who had arrived to watch a rocket launch.

China to buy more grain abroad, shift farming focus

China expects to increase its grain imports during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20) rather than continue to increase its farming capacity, according to Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu.

Rise in soybean imports expected to continue

China's soybean imports rose 13 percent in the first nine months of the year, compared with the same period last year, and officials said the trend is likely to continue through the period of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Yangzhou record for fried rice is revoked

The recognition given by Guinness World Records to Yangzhou in East China's Jiangsu province last week for the world's largest serving of fried rice has been revoked.

Ice hockey energized by Olympic fanfare

Ice hockey is riding on the momentum of Beijing's successful Winter Olympics bid to involve more Chinese youth in the sport.

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'Disturbance' only harms China, Japan

A senior Chinese official said neither Chinanor Japan benefits from increased tensions in the region and should strive to eliminate them through cooperation.

New center to fight cross-border crime

China will establish a comprehensive law enforcement center in Yunnan province aimed at strengthening intelligence exchanges with Laos, Myanmar and Thailand to curb drug-trafficking and illegal immigration along the Mekong River, said a senior official at the Ministry of Public Security.

Online panda game to raise global awareness

Jiang Xuefan, a visitor from Beijing, had a pleasant surprise when she came across 12 panda twins in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on Saturday.

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Avoid deals too good to be true, tourists told

Tourists will be punished if they do not abide by contracts they sign with travel agencies that offer incredibly cheap tour packages, China's top tourism watchdog said on Sunday.