The 59-year-old Chilean, whose appointment had been widely expected for weeks with Pellegrini saying last month he had a verbal agreement, takes over following Mancini's dismissal on May 13 after City were runners-up in the league and FA Cup.

A file picture taken in Cornella on Oct 27, 2012, shows Malaga's Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini during a Spanish League match between RCD Espanyol and Malaga. Manchester City on Friday said it had appointed Pellegrini to take over from Roberto Mancini, earmarking him as the man to bring long-term success to the English Premier League club. [Photo/Agencies]

"I am delighted to accept this hugely exciting opportunity. The club has a clear vision for success both on and off the pitch and I am committed to making a significant contribution," Pellegrini said on the club's website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

"Everything is in place for Manchester City to continue to be successful and I am excited to be able to work with such a talented squad, the executive team and the board to deliver for fans who are renowned for their steadfast support."

Former Villarreal and Real Madrid boss Pellegrini takes over a club with huge financial resources who last season failed to launch a meaningful defence of the Premier League crown they won in 2012, allowing Manchester United to win it back with ease.

Defeat by Wigan Athletic, who were relegated from the top flight soon afterwards, in the FA Cup final capped the end of a disappointing campaign for City and their Arab owners, who also watched a second successive Champions League group-stage exit.

Expectations are high at silverware-hungry City with chief executive Ferran Soriano saying last month that the club wanted to win five trophies in the next five years.

Pellegrini, known as 'The Engineer', has earned himself a reputation for building teams who play attractive, possession-based football which fits in with the style City have sought to play in recent seasons.

"Manuel is a hugely experienced and successful manager with a proven track record," chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said on the website.

"We have been greatly impressed throughout the selection process by his philosophy, his attitude and his commitment to the long term development of Manchester City. I am delighted that he has joined us."

Before a ball is even kicked, though, one of his first tasks will be to make a decision on the future of striker Carlos Tevez.

The Argentine, a former captain before a big fall-out with the club and subsequent reconciliation, has 12 months left on his contract and Pellegrini will need to weigh up whether to sell him, offer a new deal or let him just see out his contract.

He will also need to work out how to get the best back from the likes of David Silva, Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany, who were instrumental in their league title a year ago but who were often below par last season.

Graphics shows a letter to Wang Yaping, astronaut on China's Shenzhou X spacecraft, from the first astronaut teacher Barbara Morgan written in Los Angeles, the United States, on June 13, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

"I wish you could see smiles on my face, I am just really, really happy," Morgan told Xinhua via telephone when she was asked to comment on the launch of China's Shenzhou X spacecraft.

To Morgan, distance cannot separate Americans and Chinese, and teaching seems to have no boundary. "All over the world, we are really very exited," Morgan said.

"I have written a letter that I hope the Chinese news media will share with astronaut Yaping and all the people of China," Morgan wrote in an email to Xinhua. "I share your sense of pride and joy!"

In her letter to Wang, Morgan wrote: "You will be very busy up there, but please remember to take time to look out the window. China and all of this world are beautiful."

Wang, the female crew member among three "taikonauts," will broadcast a lecture to students throughout China about physics from a space laboratory.

Looking forward to watching Wang's lessons from space, Morgan laughed and said: "The students and teachers are eagerly waiting and I am too."

"Education is so important and space exploration is so important and I hope these are all going to be broadcast on the Internet, so that all of those on the ground in the world can watch," she said. "I am delighted about astronaut Wang Yaping and her crewmates in the Shenzhou X mission and I'm especially excited about Wang's upcoming -- and China's very first -- lessons taught from space."

Morgan, born in 1951, conducted her first teaching lesson in space in 2007 from the International Space Station. Via a video feed, she showed students how to exercise and drink water in space.

Twenty-one years before Morgan's success, U.S. female astronaut Christa McAuliffe was first selected to teach in space but failed to complete the mission, as Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members on January 28, 1986.

Morgan did not give up McAuliffe's dream of going into space. For more than a decade, she continued to press NASA for the chance to fly. In 1998, NASA eventually accepted Morgan as the first educator astronaut.

"It's always more challenging when you don't have your students in the same room with you, but luckily we have wonderful technology," Morgan said. "I know she (Wang) is going to do a wonderful, wonderful job."

Just like Morgan, many U.S. scientists and experts expressed congratulations to the successful launch of China's fifth manned space mission. They hope that the Shenzhou X mission will bring forth more cooperation and collaboration in space between the United States and China.

"Scientific collaboration is an excellent way to bridge understanding and develop friendships," Michael Rich, expert from the University of California Los Angeles, told Xinhua.

China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking procedures and to supply manpower and materials for an orbiting module via different docking methods.

"It is very difficult, and very expensive, to explore space. If the nations of the world can work together, we could work on larger missions than any of us could do by ourselves," said Professor Timothy Swindle, director of the Department of Planetary Sciences and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in the University of Arizona.

China's leadership has repeatedly promised all-out efforts to conserve resources and curb pollution.

The key report at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last November put promoting ecological progress as a long-term task of vital importance to the people's wellbeing and China's future.

At a study session with members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in late May, President Xi Jinping also pledged that China will not sacrifice the environment for temporary economic growth.

The State Council's latest policies of reducing air pollution can be regarded as an implementation of the principles.

They also showed that the government has a clear understanding of the nature of environmental issues in China.

As the State Council statement said on Friday, reducing air pollution is about people's welfare and the country's economic future.

On one hand, smog is visible and affects the life of everyone, rich and poor. It has proven that environmental crises can stir controversy and greatly undermine social stability.

On the other hand, it is closely related to transforming the economic growth pattern and promoting urbanization, the two most important issues in government work.

The country's biggest environmental issues are linked to its fast but extensive economic development.

There will be one answer to two questions if the country finds the way to realize an eco-friendly and sustainable growth.

Friday's policies are largely about restraining energy-consuming and polluting industries, transforming energy structure and harsher punishment on polluters. But it also included efforts to enhance legislation, transparency of environmental information, government efficiency and coordination of governments at different levels.

These are as important as direct environmental policies, if not more important.

According to the State Council, provincial governments will be assessed on their performance in reducing air pollution, and smog will be considered a public emergency to which local governments have to respond.

Environmental issues need comprehensive efforts from all sectors, particularly local governments. Their initiative is the vital for implementing the policies and supervising enterprises. Friday's policies urged them to act.

Everyone breathing should act, said the State Council, which just hit the point of all environmental issues in China.

A security guard stop a man running nearly naked at Peking University, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Xu Xiaofan/CFP]

The two, wearing only thong underwear and carrying inflatable dolls, were about to jump into the university's iconic Weiming Lake after the running prank. They were stopped by security guards, who were tipped off, and later taken away by police.

He Jie, who claimed to have been involved in the event, said the stunt was aimed at raising public awareness of music copyright protection.

He also said he and the other two are all alumni of Peking University and music lovers. They planned to make records after graduation two years ago, and the prevalence of music piracy forced them to organize this stunt, according to He.

The security guards received information about the event beforehand. Beijing News also received an email days ago detailing the time and place of the event.

A policeman said it is not illegal to wear thong underwear, but it was morally wrong.

Security guards stop two men running nearly naked at Peking University, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Pu Feng/Beijing News]

A total of 11 pictures of two of the reclusive animals was taken by two sheltered camera traps, which are over one km apart from each other, in April and May, said Liu Zhengxiang, director of the Gansu Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The Baishuijiang Nature Reserve is a 220,000-hectare area covered by dense forests in southern Gansu.

The shooting times and analysis of these photos shows they are of two different wild pandas living in the region, Liu said.

"The photos as well as droppings and food traces indicate frequent wild panda activity in the region," he added.

Wild pandas are alert animals, and it is difficult for zoologists to take pictures at close range.

For this reason, the reserve started using sheltered camera traps in 2012 to monitor and track wild pandas and other rare animals.

An inspector in the reserve found the photos earlier this week when he was checking the cameras.

They recorded the real living situations of wild pandas, and they can help zoologists study the panda population in the reserve, said Liu.

To better protect pandas, Gansu animal protection authorities are conducting a fourth field survey on the pandas, and zoologists will gather the animals' DNA information on a large scale for the first time.

The third national census of giant pandas, carried out in the 2000-2002 period, indicated the Baishuijiang Nature Reserve is home to 117 wild pandas.

A group photo taken 50 years ago shows nine children of a kindergarten in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province pose after a performance.  

Nine people who took a group photo 50 years ago gathered again through the assistance of Hangzhou-based newspaper City Express to take a new group photo on June 10, 2013. The two photos went viral on Chinese Internet.[City Express photographer Xu Kangping/Asianewsphoto]

You are welcome to share your photos with China Daily online. Our email is photos@chinadaily.com.cn More photos

A line of fire runs across the field as farmers burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. Despite the government ban, farmers in China often burn crop stalks left after the harvest to clear the fields for the next planting. In 2008, the Chinese government also warned farmers not to burn crop stubble in an effort to improve air quality in and around Olympic host cities.[Photo/Xinhua] 

A line of fire runs across the field as farmers burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. Despite the government ban, farmers in China often burn crop stalks left after the harvest to clear the fields for the next planting. In 2008, the Chinese government also warned farmers not to burn crop stubble in an effort to improve air quality in and around Olympic host cities.[Photo/Xinhua]

A banner says people will be fined 2000 yuan if they burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

A line of fire runs across the field as farmers burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. Despite the government ban, farmers in China often burn crop stalks left after the harvest to clear the fields for the next planting. In 2008, the Chinese government also warned farmers not to burn crop stubble in an effort to improve air quality in and around Olympic host cities.[Photo/Xinhua]

A line of fire runs across the field as farmers burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. Despite the government ban, farmers in China often burn crop stalks left after the harvest to clear the fields for the next planting. In 2008, the Chinese government also warned farmers not to burn crop stubble in an effort to improve air quality in and around Olympic host cities.[Photo/Xinhua]

A line of fire runs across the field as farmers burn wheat stubble in Shangqiu, Henan province, June 14, 2013. Despite the government ban, farmers in China often burn crop stalks left after the harvest to clear the fields for the next planting. In 2008, the Chinese government also warned farmers not to burn crop stubble in an effort to improve air quality in and around Olympic host cities.[Photo/Xinhua]

Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks at a Security Council meeting on the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

The situation in Kosovo remains calm, but it is a calm shadowed by sensitivity and fragility, Wang noted, expressing China's concern about the fact that ethnic relations in the north remain tense.

"China has always maintained that mutually acceptable solution on the Kosovo issue should be sought within the framework of the Security Council Resolution 1244 and on the basis of dialogue among various parties," Wang said.

The Chinese envoy said that China welcomes the high-level direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina, and hopes that both parties will bear in mind the overarching interest of lasting peace in the region and the well-being of their peoples as they continue making progress in the process of dialogue in order to preserve peace and stability in the Balkans and in Europe as a whole.

Wang emphasized that China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia should be fully respected. "We hope that the parties concerned will adopt a prudent approach, stick to dialogue to resolve their differences, and avoid taking actions that might further complicate or escalate the situation."

In addition, Wang expressed China's appreciation of UNMIK's unremitting efforts to promote regional peace and stability and enhance dialogue.

An online recruitment service run by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) is ready for applications, and recruiting procedures including body check-ups will begin on August 1, according to a statement after a national teleconference on conscription.

The previous recruitment period began in October, and the change is the first in 23 years.

Sources said the decision has been approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

The statement said that the new recruitment period, which follows the graduation season, will help attract more talented young people to the army.

The MND asked conscription authorities across the country to prioritize admissions of better-educated young applicants.

The Chinese military started recruiting college graduates in 2001. More than 130,000 People's Liberation Army soldiers were college graduates as of the end of 2009.

To help the military recruit more students, the country's top legislature amended the Military Service Law in 2011, raising the maximum age for recruits to 24.

China also relaxed restrictions regarding the height, weight and appearance of recruits in 2011 to attract more young applicants.

Li Ning, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at China Agricultural University, together with his colleagues, published the sequence for the duck genome in the journal Nature Genetics on Monday.

The work identifies potential genetic factors influencing how ducks respond to avian influenza, according to a news release from the journal.

A farmer guides a flock of ducks in Changshan, Zhejiang province. Scientists have identified aspects of the genome sequence of ducks that will help in the battle against bird flu. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

"Ducks are like the natural reservoir of avian flu viruses," Li said, explaining that ducks could be affected by more different strains of bird flu than any other animal.

Avian influenza can affect many animals, even pandas, but most animals are only vulnerable to several strains. However, ducks can harbor 14 out of the 16 known hemagglutinin and all nine neuraminidase subtypes, Li said.

What has aroused scientists' interest in researching ducks is that despite their vulnerability to bird flu, ducks have strong immune systems that protect them from being killed by the flu.

After sequencing the whole genome of a 10-week-old female Beijing duck and comparing it with the genome sequences of other birds and mammals, the team found that the duck has fewer immune-related genes than mammals. Ducks also have a specific gene that responds to avian influenza.

"That means ducks survive avian influenza not because they have more immune genes, but because they have special genes that resist the virus," Li said.

Li's team examined the genetic expression of an H5N1-infected duck and found the genes. The reason that the team chose H5N1 in the experiment is that H5N1 has a higher mortality rate than other avian influenza viruses, including the H7N9 strain that recently surfaced.

"The duck-specific expansion and anti-viral activities of defensive genes are the most important discovery," said Liu Jinhua, a professor specializing in animal medicine at China Agricultural University.

Liu said scientists are using a vaccine to control the spread of bird flu among chickens, but since there is so much variation, vaccines sometimes do not work well.

"But if we can choose some chickens that are genetically resistant to bird flu, the effect would be better than a vaccine. The work of Li and his team sets a new scientific goal for breeding," he said.

However, Li has higher expectations for the research.

"Besides breeding, the research will also offer possibilities for new methods to cure bird flu," he said.

One example is that interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats was proved to be useful in resisting bird flu viruses.

"Maybe in the future, some new drugs would be developed to prevent both people and birds from dying of bird flu," he said.

Yet the possibility is not so far-fetched, as scientists warn the development of gene technology poses a serious challenge to anti-doping efforts.

Gene doping is the non-therapeutic use of DNA to enhance performance, and according to experts, has the potential to create super athletes.

"With the growing potential of genetic cures for muscle diseases and blood disorders comes the growing threat of misuse by the sports world," Arne Ljungqvist, vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said last week at the close of the Fourth Gene and Cell Doping Symposium in Beijing.

Introducing genes to the human body can increase an athlete's muscle power, stamina and pain resistance, giving them a competitive edge.

WADA has not found any evidence suggesting the use of gene doping in sports so far, but it has still allocated $15 million to research on risk and detection methods since the first symposium in 2002.

"We should be proactive," said Ljungqvist, who is also chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Medical Commission.

"We do have evidence that there is an interest out there in certain circles," he added. "There seems to be mental readiness to take it once it is made available in a safe way."

Other participants at the two-day meeting, which included more than 70 gene experts, anti-doping scientists and sports ethicists, echoed Ljungqvist's concern.

Li Ning, president of the Beijing You'an Hospital and a renowned gene therapist, urged the world to keep an eye on the potential threat.

"Any cutting-edge technology is a double-edged sword," he said. "I feel it won't take long before someone eventually misuses the technology for illegal purposes because the genetic edge is so overwhelming."

For example, Finnish cross-country skier Eero Mantyranta was found to have an innate mutation, which made his body produce abnormally high amounts of red blood cells and increased oxygen capacity up to 50 percent.

With greater stamina, Mantyranta claimed seven medals, including three gold, at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics.

Although it has not been proved, the technology is advanced enough to produce another Mantyranta artificially. A reliable detection method is also yet to be found.

"It's much more complex (than detecting conventional doping)," said Patrick Diel, a professor of endocrinology and biochemistry at German Sport University Cologne.

As nothing unusual would enter the bloodstream in gene doping, traditional blood and urine sample tests would not work.

Diel said it will be easier to identify the abnormal by analyzing sharp physiological changes before and after potential doping applications.

"It doesn't matter what technique you use," he said. "If some parts are changing in your body and your bio pattern is changing, then the technology can detect it."

Theodore Friedmann, chairman of WADA's gene-doping panel, agreed, but said signs of gene doping are subtle and can be easily confused with physiological changes resulting from a diet or illness.

Still, WADA said it believes a reliable testing method is not far away.

"I hope we are not very far from it," said Ljungqvist. "We always have a hope that for the next Olympic Games (in Rio in 2016) we will have a proper method in place."

While it offers the potential for enhancing sports performance, experts said gene doping also carries potential risks such as serious genetic damage, including cancer.

However, Zhao Jian, deputy director of the China Anti-Doping Agency, is more concerned about the potential ethical issues that come with health harms.

"Will it transfer to the next generation and who will we compete against in the future — human or artificial creature?" he said. "We still have much to learn about how things can go wrong."

While the global economy is undergoing transformation and consolidation, every nation including China should work to advance trade and investment liberalization to promote global growth, rather than resort to protectionism, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday.

Premier Li Keqiang meets Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in Beijing on Friday. PHOTO BY WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

"Any nation that conducts trade protectionism is doing harm to its neighbors and will bring all parties concerned to a dead end," said Li during his official meeting with Klaus Martin Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Li's remarks came amid escalating trade friction between China and the European Union.

The EU recently said it will impose an interim anti-dumping duty of 11.8 percent on imports of Chinese solar panels, the largest such action by the bloc.

The rate may be increased more than five-fold in August if the EU and China fail to reach a consensus on the issue.

China has strongly opposed the duties and called for solving the problem through dialogue and consultation. The nation later announced it would initiate an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into wine from the EU.

On Thursday, the EU further requested consultations with China on the latter's anti-dumping duties on certain high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes from the EU, which started in November and are scheduled to last for five years.

During a Friday meeting of the State Council, Li called for efforts to boost domestic demand in the solar panel market, so as to support Chinese manufacturers that are under pressure in foreign markets.

Experts said the China-EU friction in the PV sector would set a bad example, leading to trade remedy measures in other fields and hindering the global economic recovery.

Li's remarks also come as the global economy is still struggling for recovery.

The latest Global Economic Prospects report by the World Bank Group said that the global economy is transitioning into what is likely to be a smoother and less volatile period.

"The world economy is in a period of deep consolidation and lacks growth momentum, and it is also challenged by various risks," said Li.

"The top concern worldwide would be how to sustain stable economic growth," he said.

"Nations should enhance cooperation," he said, and more than that, nations should "address each other's concerns while they are committed to seeking their own development and benefits."

The euro area is now estimated to contract by 0.6 percent in 2013, even weaker than the previous forecast of 0.1 percent contraction, while China's growth estimate was cut to 7.7 percent from the previous 8.4 percent, according to the World Bank report.

"We expect the World Economic Forum would play a significant role in advancing the liberalization and convenience of trade and investment worldwide," Li told Schwab.

Behind the heavy wooden doors, a 600-year-old shrine stands along with political slogans from the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). Modern art adorns ancient walls and customers dine elegantly in a set remodeled from 1970s factories.

The hotel is the only winner in China this year in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, in which 43 projects from 11 countries competed in eight categories.

The award recognizes the efforts of private initiatives in restoring and conserving architecture with heritage value in the region. Previous winners include Cichen Town in Zhejiang province and 796 Huaihai Road in Shanghai.

"The renovation has not only restored the storied past of the place, but also extended its life," Abhimanyu Singh, director and representative of UNESCO's Beijing Office, said as he presented the award in late May.

A deserted complex five years ago, the Temple Hotel in Dongcheng district is now a mix of restaurant, art gallery and hotel that receives more than 3,000 visitors a month. It regularly hosts free art exhibitions, as well as workshops with renowned writers as a way to "connect to its past as an imperial publishing house".

Juan van Wassenhove, co-founder of the Temple Hotel, said, "We also want to introduce master classes with great musicians, because the acoustics are amazing."

US lighting artist James Turrell dedicated his China debut to the hotel, which features installations by Beijing artist Wang Shugang.

Built in the 15th century, the Zhizhu Temple (the Temple of Wisdom) complex, where the Temple Hotel is situated, served successively as an imperial publishing house for Buddhist scriptures, a Buddhist temple and a Lama temple.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhizhu Temple was converted to a residential complex and later a television factory. In the 1960s, a huge fire damaged the northwestern corner of the complex and the main hall.

The buildings lay deserted until 2007, when the site was discovered by Van Wassenhove and his Chinese partners Lin Fan and Li Chow.

A banker with JPMorgan for many years, Van Wassenhove has always harbored a passion for art and architecture. The three all felt the urge to do something for the city they have chosen to live in.

"As we walked by chance into the Zhizhu Temple, my partners and I, under the overwhelming decay, could see beautiful remains of wooden architecture awaiting careful and authentic restoration," Van Wassenhove said.

For the next five years, the trio worked with carpenters and painting restorers from Nanjing, construction workers in Beijing and master designers from the US to renovate the complex.

A total of 400 truckloads of debris was removed, 43,000 roof tiles cleaned and replaced by hand, and 70 painted wooden panels restored — each beam being measured precisely to identify the degree of damage and to ensure that no old material was wasted.

"We tried our best to preserve the originality of the place. We really wanted to apply this concept of ‘restore the old as old' and to respect the layers of history," Van Wassenhove said. "It's not always reasonable in terms of cost, but this is a way of respecting the city."

In the end, the shrines, factory mill and political graffiti were all preserved.

"It's part of the history. We consider ourselves as guardians of this place. We are here to preserve, not to judge," Van Wassenhove said.

Beijing architectural historian Cui Jinze said the Temple Hotel project could provide the inspiration for architectural renovation in China.

"The example of the Temple Hotel shows it is technically possible to preserve the original nature of Chinese wooden architecture," Cui said.

It is also a good illustration of how a cultural relic can serve both commercial and public purposes, Cui added.

"There are many restaurants at cultural relics in China that don't allow public visits. Among the cases I have investigated in the country, Zhizhu Temple is the best example in terms of architectural preservation, business operation and public interest. Business is not necessarily a bad thing, as it goes hand in hand with the promotion of culture."

Van Wassenhove attributes the success of the project to his Chinese peers.

"When talking about China, people think of cheap products, but we want to prove that Chinese excellence exists. For this place, nothing would have been possible without these Chinese carpenters, masons, painting restorers and private sponsors," he said.

The government should incorporate optimizing the country's economic structure and intensifying innovation with environmental protection efforts, according to a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

Topping the 10 measures is a target to reduce pollution emissions per unit of GDP by at least 30 percent in heavy-polluting industries before the end of 2017.

"These measures can have their effects in the short term," said Chai Fahe, vice-president of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.

"Given that adjusting industrial structures and altering development modes both require a relatively long process, raising the ability to control airborne pollutants by about one third first, using advanced technologies, is very important for now," he said.

This measure corresponds with a ministry-level move in February, when six heavy- polluting industries: thermal power, iron and steel, petrochemicals, cement, non-ferrous metals and chemicals, in 47 cities were asked to gradually comply with special international emission limits on airborne pollutants from March 1.

Chai told China Daily in an earlier interview the annual amount of smoke and dust from these six industries contributes more than 70 percent of total emissions.

"The level of dust concentration emitted by coal-burning boilers in thermal power plants has been reduced from 30 milligrams per cubic meter to the strictest in the world — 20 milligrams per cubic meter," he said.

The State Council also asked local governments to enact emergency management response measures during periods of heavy pollution, such as restricting traffic flow or placing emissions limits on polluting industries.

"This is an important signal sent by the State government, calling for all levels of governmental officials to treat heavy pollution as seriously as severe natural disasters like earthquakes," Chai said.

He added that an emergency plan in response to heavy air pollution has been raised to national level, rather than simply being a spontaneous policy of local governments.

Another measure that illustrates the government's determination to control air pollution is the emphasis placed on strengthening the implementation of the environmental impact assessment system.

Under this measure, no loans should be provided to projects that haven't passed the assessment, and no electricity or water should be offered to such projects.

Other measures confirmed include mandatory disclosure of environmental information by heavy-polluting industries and enterprises, tougher fines for illegal behavior, and cooperation between regions and large cities.

China International Publishing Group and Yale University have launched what they claim is the world's first drama series aimed at helping to teach Mandarin to beginners.

The two sides held a launch event for the new integrated multimedia program, Encounters: Chinese Language and Culture, in Beijing on Friday.

The 20-episode series tells the story of several US citizens during their stay in China, and the stories of their Chinese friends.

Based around the video series, they have created accompanying textbooks for teachers and students, and developed other products, including DVDs, audio and a rap song.

The resources are available on encounterschinese.com.

"Growing foreign exchanges with China mean the Chinese language is drawing increasing attention worldwide," said Zhou Mingwei, president of China International Publishing Group.

"The enthusiasm for Mandarin presents a growing challenge for publishers to provide good learning materials to students."

Zhou said he is confident that Encounters will become widely recognized as an ideal platform for Mandarin study.

Han Hui, a chief editor at Sinolingua Co Ltd, a China International Publishing subsidiary that specializes in Chinese language teaching and learning materials for foreigners, added: "It is fair to say that Encounters is, both at home and abroad, the first Mandarin teaching material that blends language and cultural knowledge in a 20-episode plot.

"Encounters is different from any published Mandarin learning materials in terms of teaching method. It is a total immersion program that provides a Mandarin language environment to the learners.

"The videos, textbooks and online resources are integrated, so that users will find the learning material much more enriched than previous textbooks," she said.

An especially strong feature of Encounters, she added, is the cultural detail that is used throughout.

"The first 20 episodes include 60 cultural details, from ancient science in China to Chinese people's habit of taking naps," she said.

Encounters is already being used as a teaching tool in 40 universities and high schools in the United States.

The accompanying textbooks were compiled by Yale professors, and their Chinese counterparts were responsible for scriptwriting and filming.

The project cost $5.5 million to put together, half from China and half from the US.

Yale President Richard Levin, who did not manage to attend the ceremony, described Encounters as "a truly monumental collaborative effort" between Yale and China International Publishing Group.

"I believe this collaborative effort will prove to be a powerful Chinese language and cultural learning tool for thousands of learners," Levin said in a statement.

"I also hope that, true to its name, Encounters will become a bridge that spans East and West."

After Encounters I, being targeted at beginners, the publishers are already preparing Encounters II for more advanced learners.

Inda Duzih Pitkanen, a 35-year-old Indonesian who has been in China for four years, and who has been teaching herself Mandarin for two years, said the program "will not only be useful and helpful, but also interesting for prospective learners".

She added: "Audio-visual media is more powerful in many ways. As an independent, Mandarin beginner, I would enjoy a more elaborate kind of language teaching, which offers cultural and historical content, in English."

China and the European Union may launch negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty, despite their ongoing dispute over solar panels.

Zhang Haiyan, a professor of EU-China investment and trade at Antwerp Management School in Belgium, said: "Both Brussels and Beijing have already signaled their eagerness in kick-starting such an investment negotiation but it is not easy to forecast how soon it will be concluded."

EU foreign ministers have put the possibility of an agreement between Beijing and Brussels on the discussion agenda at Friday's meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxemburg.

At the meeting, European Commission free trade negotiators have a mandate to negotiate an agreement between Brussels and Washington on combining a free trade market of 800 million people.

The foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states have also discussed the solar panel anti-dumping dispute, with Beijing and Brussels striving to reach negotiated prices for China's solar exports.

Brussels accuses China of dumping the panels on the EU at reduced cost, claiming Chinese manufacturers are receiving unfair government subsidies.

If no compromise is reached by Aug 6, the European Commission will raise the temporary anti-dumping penalty to 47.6 percent from 11.8 percent.

Zhang, a long-time observer of China-EU economic and trade relations, is certain any talks will turn into a marathon wrangle.

He says Brussels may put non-commercial items such as sustainable development, social responsibility and human rights on the negotiating agenda while trying to gain more market access in China. In turn, Beijing will ask Brussels to accept equal investment status for its State-owned enterprises, which are increasing their presence overseas.

"All these are bones of contention and it is not easy to find convergence," Zhang said. "However, any talks should be easier than those between Beijing and Washington."

Zhang said Beijing has shown a realistic and flexible attitude over bilateral investment agreement negotiations with Washington and Brussels. China and the US concluded their ninth round of talks this month although the negotiators have not achieved a basic framework for agreement so far, Zhang added.

New attempt

Glyn Ford, a former member of the European Parliament, said he is looking forward to Beijing and Brussels taking a constructive attitude to solving the anti-dumping problem and preparing for a fruitful summit in November.

"This should be a tone-setting summit for both Brussels and Beijing and I hope it will be a fruitful, not soured, one," Ford told China Daily in an interview. He hopes both sides can kick-start investment agreement negotiations at the summit.

With Brussels negotiators obtaining a mandate to talk to Washington on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), observers say this is another attempt by old powers to contain emerging economies, such as China and Russia, following Washington's strategy of negotiating with China's neighbors on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Brussels says its trade deal with the US is expected to boost the EU economy by 0.5 percent, or 119 billion euros ($158.7 billion) annually, due to the removal of tariffs and red tape.

But Ford said, "I am thinking both Brussels and Washington should consider engagement with China, instead of containment."

Suggesting that China, the US and EU sit down to talk about global power balances, Ford said Washington's TPP initiative includes geopolitical and containment considerations because it aims to form a free trade bloc with China's neighbors.

Pierre Defraigne, executive director of think tank the Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation, based in Brussels, warned that US use of the TTIP and TPP to contain China's strategic rise by controlling its export-led growth will reopen competition.

Meanwhile, a shift from a multipolar world to a bipolar one based on economic competition will eventually lead to strategic confrontation, he said.

Christopher Lewis, Senior Fellow of the Schiller Institute in Germany, said the Obama administration's foreign policy is aimed at building alliances in Asia to try to counter the influence of China. The TTIP, is only a further attempt to unify two economic systems under the banner of liberalization and global governance, he said.

However, Huo Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, does not see the TTIP as "a contrived containment" of China.

But he foresees a potential rise in trade protectionism and collective sanctions towards China, in the name of equal market access, a level playing field and intellectual property rights. He also said it is not easy to produce immediate, tangible results, as Europe and the US have varying rules and interests in comparatively advantageous sectors.

The move was part of a series of fish releases in lakes and reservoirs on the plateau intended to maintain biodiversity and help clean the waters.

The Nuozhadu plant spent 3.85 million yuan ($620,000) to buy 6.35 million fish, including 350,000 indigenous fish. On Friday, about 10 officials from the Pu'er city government attended the fish-release ceremony and put 2.15 million fish into the reservoir.

Workers release fish into the Nuozhadu Reservoir in Pu'er, Yunnan province, on Friday. About 2 million fish were released to maintain biodiversity and help clean the waters. YU JIANGNING / FOR CHINA DAILY

Yunnan, known for its natural beauty as one of the top tourism destinations in China, also has a fragile ecology, which will take a long time to recover if damaged.

Experts said the fish releases, though seemingly just a small step, were positive for maintaining the natural environment.

The release was another step to keep the commitment to maintaining the biodiversity of areas surrounding the reservoir, said Wang Ziwei, the plant's manager, at the ceremony.

An annual fish release was also carried out last week to put 7 million fish into Dianchi Lake, a polluted body of water in the provincial capital Kunming, to help purify the water, local authorities said.

Located about 40 kilometers from downtown Pu'er, the Nuozhadu Reservoir is equal to 16 Dianchi Lakes, with a designed restoration of 23.7 billion cubic meters of water.

Owned by China Huaneng Group, the Nuozhadu dam is 261 meters high, making the plant the biggest of eight hydropower plants on the Lancang River, a major river in Yunnan. The river is known as the Mekong in Southeast Asia.

"Hydropower plants often arouse controversy about their ecological impact, so our plant keeps a close eye on the environmental impact in addition to the economic output," Wang said.

"Therefore, we are trying to maintain a good ecosystem in the reservoir so that people nearby can also benefit from the project."

Since the start of construction, the plant has paid attention to environmental issues and biodiversity protection.

"Usually, hydropower reservoirs drain water from the bottom that will easily lower the temperature of the downstream water and threaten living conditions for fish and other species.

"Therefore, we invested an additional 200 million yuan to build the dam so that it can simultaneously drain some water from the bottom and some from above to raise the water temperature, which will be helpful to fish downstream," Wang said.

Ouyang Xibin, director of the security and environmental protection department at the plant, said the fish will mature in five years and bring at least 1.5 billion yuan of revenue for local residents, who are allowed to fish in the reservoir.

Two years ago, Huaneng Group established a rescue station for endangered animals, the first sponsored by a company in China. So far, the station has provided shelter for 102 injured animals such as lorises, crocodiles, monitor lizards and black bears.

At the station, a dozen monkeys were playing or fighting in iron cages on Friday and the breeders said all the animals will be released into the wild when their injuries have healed.

Li Yingqing and Guo Anfei in Kunming contributed to this story.

Commander Nie Haisheng, astronaut Zhang Xiaoguang, and Wang Yaping, the second Chinese woman in space, removed the soft floor inside the 10-meter-long space module, and installed new cladding.

A news release from the manned space program did not detail the total area of the floor involved.

"The new cladding is conducive for astronauts to stabilize their body in the micro-gravity environment," an expert was quoted as saying in the release.

The change of cladding was also aimed at helping engineers improve the design of future space labs, the expert said.

The release did not detail how long the replacement took, but previous space missions by other countries have showed that it usually takes longer for astronauts to fix things in space than on Earth.

The mission's spokeswoman Wu Ping said previously that there will be more replacement work carried out on some seal rings inside the Tiangong-1 during the mission, meaning similar fixing work lies ahead for the astronauts.

On Friday, the three also moved supplies from Shenzhou X to Tiangong-1, and rechecked the condition of the space module.

Although Tiangong-1 has been uninhabited for the year since the previous mission crew lived in it for nearly 10 days last June, the astronauts confirmed the air quality, moisture and temperature levels inside the module remained normal.

The Shenzhou X spacecraft blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province on Tuesday. The mission will last for 15 days.

The spacecraft conducted a successful docking with the orbiting Tiangong-1 at 1:18 pm on Thursday. The three astronauts moved into the module three hours later and all remain in good condition.

Wu said that the astronauts will have more rest than the previous crew.

During the Shenzhou IX mission, one astronaut of the three remained on duty all night to watch out for any unexpected incidents.

But during the current mission, staff on the ground will monitor the condition of the space vessels, and alert the astronaut on night shift to any emergencies, China Central Television reported.

In the coming days, the astronauts will carry out more space-science and technical experiments, and give their first lecture to students on the ground, said spokeswoman Wu.

The high-profile pledge came in an online notice issued by the administration on Thursday, informing the public of a meeting earlier that day between it and Johnson & Johnson, a US medical device, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer.

Since 2009, the company has issued 33 product recalls on the Chinese mainland, statistics from the administration show.

Visitors at a food safety exhibition wait to sample lead-free deep-fried dough sticks in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Friday. The event was meant to improve residents' knowledge of food safety. JU HUANZONG / XINHUA

However, the Health Times reported on Sunday that Johnson & Johnson has issued 51 product recalls since 2005 worldwide, of which 48 were not issued on the Chinese mainland.

Products recalled ranged from blood-sugar meters to hip-implant parts, while most were over-the-counter medications, including the allergy medicine Zyrtec and pain reliever Motrin, reports said.

Complaints about these products included musty smell, the presence of metal shavings and excessive dose concentrations.

Many of the products have remained on the mainland market.

The company has withdrawn about 1.6 million bottles of products, including the popular cold syrup Children's Tylenol, in South Korea in late April, citing a risk of liver damage.

In early May, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety ordered Janssen Korea to halt production of five drugs, including the children's syrup, citing improper concentration of the main active ingredient.

Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the company's unit on the mainland, issued an announcement shortly after the recall alleging that the problem syrup was limited to South Korea.

In response to public concern over double standard practices, the company issued another online announcement on Friday, saying the same standards of quality control and product recall are enforced in all of its markets, including China.

All product recalls issued in China are carried out in line with the country's rules and regulations and are reported to the CFDA, it said.

The company added that overseas recalls not issued in China are for products that are not registered, sold or produced in the country.

According to China's regulations for drug recalls issued in 2007, the entity issuing the recall should be a specific producer of a problem drug.

Sun Zhongshi, a professor with the national monitoring center for the rational use of medication under the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said that recalls should be uniform in all countries if the problem detected involves the efficacy of, or an adverse reaction to, the drug products.

For problems mainly concerning quality control, the company only withdraws products in the affected areas, he added.

But Sun said that company should inform drug authorities in various markets of all recalls for reference purposes.

Despite the fact the latest recall in South Korea didn't affect products sold in other markets, including China and the US, the CFDA met with the company on Thursday to address product quality and recall issues.

Frequent recalls over quality concerns reflect possible flaws in the quality management system of Johnson & Johnson, and the company should carefully look into the sources of the issue to eliminate safety risks and ensure the quality of products for the market, the CFDA said in an online notice issued after the meeting.

"Problem drug products recalled outside of China have to be recalled within the country as well," it pointed out.

TIMELINE

• Jan 14:

Several models of two types of separately packaged contact lenses were recalled because they might not have been completely sealed.

• Jan 30:

The US FDA found that meticillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus in baby calming comfort lotion made by Aveeno, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, exceeded the permitted level and asked Johnson & Johnson to remove it from the markets.

• Feb 15:

A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson recalled hip-implant products branded Adept.

• Feb 22:

The US FDA asked Johnson & Johnson to recall implantable orthopedic equipment in backbone sleeves made by DePuy.

• March 25:

Johnson & Johnson recalled more than 2 million glucose meters branded OneTouch, made by subsidiary LifeScan.

• April 23:

Johnson & Johnson withdrew about 1.6 million bottles of its products including Children's Tylenol in South Korea.

Source: Health Times/ China.org.cn

An official from China Food and Drug Administration, who preferred to remain anonymous, told China Daily on Friday that the administration has gathered opinions from experts on revising the Food Safety Law. However, no specific timetable was revealed.

Amendment of the current Food Safety Law, which took effect in June 2009, is "urgently necessary" as some of its articles fail to meet the changes of the food safety situation, such as the adjustment of food safety supervision and the development of food industry and technology, the administration revealed in a statement released on June 6 on its website.

Liu Peizhi, deputy director of China Food and Drug Administration, said revisions may include harsher punishments for law violations and new regulations on areas uncovered by the current law, such as online food businesses.

"Work on the Food Safety Law revisions should start soon," added Li Shichun, president of China Law Society's food safety law committee. "Revising the law will be a major step (in the improvement of China's food safety)."

A major reason revisions are needed is to help cope with changes in the food safety supervision mechanism, he said.

China streamlined its food safety supervision authorities in March, by promoting the former vice-ministerial level State Food and Drug Administration to a ministerial-level central government department.

"The new China Food and Drug Administration is responsible for food safety supervision on a wider range of aspects, including the manufacture and sale of food, which makes food safety supervision easier," Li said.

Prior to the new administration, food safety supervision and management was handled by many different departments, which resulted in responsibilities being shifted or evaded, and that made law enforcement more difficult, according to Dong Jinshi, food safety expert and vice-president of the International Food Packaging Association.

After amendment, the law may give clearer definition of responsibilities to the departments, including Ministry of Agriculture and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, added Li.

China's media has been hit frequently in recent years with food safety scandals, many of which have aroused public outrage.

The melamine incident in 2008, in which poisonous melamine was added to milk to make it seem rich in protein during quality tests, left 300,000 babies sick and caused six deaths nationwide.

Recycled edible oil has also been a target of police actions, arousing suspicion of the use of gutter oil in many restaurants and drug manufacturers.

The recent occurrences are largely attributed to lack of creditability and legal awareness of food enterprises, according to a statement from the China Food and Drug Administration.

Lenient punishment and lack of supervision also worsened the situation.

Many experts have also called for intensified law enforcement and severe punishment for food safety violations, while others blame the lack of enforcement on unfair protections from local governments.

Some areas have even designated more than 15 days a month, during which quality supervision authorities are not allowed to conduct inspections, according to a statement from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

A sound market order is crucial to improve food safety, according to Li from the China Law Society.

"Lack of order in the market also leads to many other problems," he said. "Writing laws alone will not solve food safety problems."

Shan Juan and Zhao Yinan contributed to this story.

Shanghai takes measures

The food safety situation in Shanghai remains stable, orderly and under control, according to the local food safety watchdog on Friday.

The municipality has been beefing up its efforts to crack down on food safety crimes, with a total of 108 criminal suspects seized from January to May, involving 20 million yuan ($3.23 million), said the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.

In addition, it has kicked off a special checkup for healthcare foods, especially those that claim to be effective for weight-loss, boosting energy and relieving hypertension.

Moreover, a blacklist system introduced by the administration has so far barred 11 companies for violations of food safety rules and regulations.

During a planned food safety publicity week, Shanghai will launch a series of educational campaigns to further promote food safety public awareness

Checkups will also be launched in supermarkets and restaurants in the metropolis to ensure safer and healthier dining.

Xu Yuyue

"The goal of reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade volume by 2015 is completely within reach and is expected to be realized in 2014 despite the downturn in the first quarter," said Sergey Tsyplakov, trade representative of the Russian Federation in China.

The trade volume between the two countries dropped by 3.9 percent to $20.675 billion in the first quarter, according to customs data.

"The decrease was due to the price decline of international commodities," Tsyplakov said at the 24th China Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, which opened on Friday night.

China's imports from Russia mainly include oil and raw materials, the price of which has fallen remarkably in past months.

In addition to energy cooperation, the two countries can strengthen cooperation on technology, agriculture and tourism, said Lu Nanquan, deputy director of the Russian Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Aerospace, nanotechnology, high-end manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, biochemistry and information technology are key areas in which China and Russia can compliment each other, said Lu.

China is currently Russia's largest trading partner, with the trade volume between the two countries reaching $88.16 billion in 2012.

Xi said the development of bilateral relations offers a great opportunity as the two countries are both at a crucial period of nation building and have a similar governing philosophy.

He said the two sides should enhance political guidance and overall planning of their relations, maintain high-level exchanges and deepen exchanges of state governance experiences.

He also called on the two countries to upgrade and strengthen cooperation in major areas.

The president congratulated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, adding that China supports the self reliance of the continent's countries.

China believes the international community should enhance cooperation with Africa, in a bid to promote the continent's development and achieve common prosperity, he said.

The international community should fully respect African countries' development path and forge a partnership with the continent based on equality, mutual benefit, cooperation and win-win, said the president.

China will continue to call on relevant parties to respect Africa's aspiration for independent development and fulfill their commitments to Africa, in order to help the continent achieve greater development, he said.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is an effective mechanism, he said, noting that China is willing to work with Ethiopia to enhance the building of the forum.

China supports Ethiopia to join the World Trade Organization, Xi added.

Desalegn congratulated Xi on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft.

China's development has brought opportunity for developing countries, he said, noting that Ethiopia is committed to achieving national modernization and hopes to learn from the Asian nation.

He suggested that the two countries should enhance cooperation in the areas of infrastructure building, energy and resource exploitation, manufacturing and human resources.

Ethiopia is willing to beef up coordination with China on UN affairs and climate change issues, he said.

Desalegn also praised China's African policy.

He said Africa hopes to enhance the comprehensive partnership with China through the mechanism of the FOCAC, so as to realize common development.

Ethiopia will continue to make contributions in developing Africa-China relations, he said.

Also on Friday, Desalegn met with Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang, voicing his commitment to stepping up friendship and cooperation between Ethiopia and China.

The Ethiopian parliament hopes to strengthen its exchange and cooperation with the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative organ, he added.

Zhang, NPC Standing Committee chairman, echoed Desalegn's call on promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two nations. He proposed the two parliaments intensify their exchanges concerning legislation and supervision, and improve legal systems to help boost strategic national development and cooperation.

The maneuver was a warm-up task for the three-person crew that is expected to carry out scientific experiments and technical tests during the remainder of their 15-day journey.

Video clips show the three astronauts, including China's second female astronaut in space, wearing blue jumpsuits while installing the floor boards after receiving instructions from the ground control center.

The astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping, were launched into space onboard China's Shenzhou X spacecraft on Tuesday afternoon from northwest China's Gobi Desert.

They entered the Tiangong-1 on Thursday afternoon, after the Shenzhou-10 completed an automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong-1 at 1:18 pm on Thursday.

The Shenzhou X is China's fifth manned spacecraft and the first application-orientated flight under China's space program since the country introduced its manned space program in 1992.

The astronauts are scheduled to conduct a manual docking with the space module during their journey, as well as give a lecture to students back on Earth.

China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking procedures and to supply manpower and materials for an orbiting module via different docking methods.

The Tiangong-1 space lab has been in orbit for about 620 days. It will remain in service for another three months.

The module is considered the first step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to do by 2020.

At a meeting with Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Li said, "Trade protectionism is a blind alley while the creation of an open, free and fair trading environment is the right path toward an economic recovery."

Li's comments came after the European Commission decided earlier this month to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China.

The premier said the world economy is undergoing a "period of in-depth readjustment" with a lack of enough momentum for growth, and that risks and challenges should not be underestimated.

The foremost task of the international community is still to achieve a stable recovery, Li said, adding that no country can prosper single-handedly in the world.

"All countries should cooperate with each other and one should take into account others' rational concerns while seeking its own national interests," the Chinese premier said.

Li told Schwab that he hopes the WEF plays an active role in promoting liberalization and facilitation of global trade and investment.

Schwab is in China ahead of this year's WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, themed "Meeting the Innovation Imperative."

The recovery of the world economy and China's push to "upgrade" its economy demands more competitive and high-quality development driven by innovation, Li said.

China is ready to cooperate more closely with the WEF on studies of some major issues, Li told the WEF founder.

Schwab said he is optimistic with the future of the Chinese economy, and the WEF will work with China to support Chinese enterprises' efforts to get better involved in the world economy and help the world to better understand the country meanwhile.

Sang will pay a state visit to China on June 19-21, as a guest of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During the visit, leaders of the two countries will hold talks on bilateral relations, regional affairs as well as issues of common concern, said Hua.

She said relevant departments of the two countries are negotiating on cooperative documents on politics, the economy, trade and culture.

China and Vietnam are important neighbors and partners, said Hua, adding that the two countries are both at a crucial period of reform and development.

"The sound and stable development of bilateral relations conforms to the common interests of both countries," she said.

She said China expects to enhance political mutual trust through Sang's visit, promote pragmatic cooperation, as well as strengthen communication and coordination in a bid to push forward the development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

The development of the domestic PV sector is also in line with China's initiatives to upgrade industrial operations, according to a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

China's internationally-competitive PV sector has met with difficulties due to subdued overseas demand, the statement said, adding that support must be granted to the PV sector to help it out of this predicament.

China will take more initiatives to promote distributed solar PV power projects to boost PV utilization, it said.

Chinese power suppliers on the grid are urged to prioritize purchases of solar power and buy all available solar power, said the statement.

Power transmission lines linking production facilities and grid companies must be built when a solar power project is under construction, it said, adding that the transmission lines and the power projects must be put into operation at the same time.

China will improve policies to support more solar power facilities with government subsidies in power pricing, said the statement. The renewable energy fund will be expanded to ensure that more distributed PV projects receive government subsidies in time.

Financial institutions are encouraged to support PV companies and help them overcome financing difficulties, said the statement.

China will support research and development into key materials and key facilities in the PV sector, it vowed.

To foster bigger and stronger companies and curb the blind expansion of production capacity, China will encourage mergers and reorganizations among PV makers.

Earlier this month, the EU imposed an interim anti-dumping duty of 11.8 percent on imports of all Chinese solar panel products, including panels, cells and wafers. If both sides fail to come to an agreement, the duty will be raised to an average of 47.6 percent in two months.

Chinese solar panel firms have complained that the EU's punitive duties will eat away at their low margins and could even drive them out of the market.

The government should incorporate optimizing the country's economic structure and intensifying innovation into its environmental protection efforts, according to a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council that was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

China will strictly control high energy-consuming and polluting industries, adjust its energy structure and enhance control of PM2.5, airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can pose health risks, in populated regions and metropolises, it said.

During periods of heavy pollution, local governments should enact emergency response measures, such as implementing traffic restrictions or instituting emissions limits for polluting industries, according to the statement.

Air pollution in China, an increasingly conspicuous and discussed problem, is the result of long-term accumulation, said the statement.

"Curbing air pollution is a complicated and systematic project that requires long and arduous efforts," the cabinet noted in the statement.

Other preventative measures include reducing the emission of pollutants, with a special focus on small-scale coal-fueled boilers, the environmentally-friendly transformation of major industries and urban dust control.

According to the statement, strict controls will be put in place for industries that produce large amounts of waste and pollution and hope to expand. Efforts to eliminate outdated technology in the steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum industries, among others, will also be strengthened.

The statement vowed to further promote clean production and set a goal of reducing key industries' emissions of major air pollutants by at least 30 percent by the end of 2017.

Supplies of clean energy such as natural gas and methane will be increased, and construction projects that fail to pass environmental evaluations should not be given permission to begin, it statement.

The measures should be enforced to ensure that pollution control efforts can take effect as soon as possible and that new points of economic growth can be cultivated at the same time, the statement said.

The government also plans to establish discharge standards for key industries and require heavily polluting companies to publicize environmental data.

A ranking of air quality in major cities should be made public, the statement said.

To conserve energy and cut emissions, the government will also intensify efforts to collect pollutant discharge fees and offer more credit support for projects to curb air pollution, according to the statement.

These measures came after Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian's remarks earlier this month highlighted industrial restructuring and adjusting the country's energy mix as keys to addressing air pollution.

Acknowledging that China's atmospheric environment situation is grave, Zhou said that the resource and environmental conflicts that developed nations have encountered for a century have surfaced in China overnight.

Multiple Chinese cities were choked by dense smog early this year. Beijing's average PM2.5 density in January was 180 micrograms per cubic meter, about 30 percent higher than the level recorded during the same period in 2011, according to meteorological data.

The cyber affairs office is responsible for diplomatic activities regarding cyber affairs, spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing.

China will continue to maintain communication and cooperation with all sides, she said, adding that China believes that rules should be formulated under the framework of the United Nations and China has put forward specific initiatives to work with all sides for the peace and security of cyberspace.

She said China will communicate with the United States about cyber security through the cyber security work group under the China-US strategic and security dialogue.

Hua said China has been one of the major victims of cyber attacks and the country opposes cyber attacks in all forms.

China believes that cyberspace needs neither fighting nor hegemony, but it does need regulations and cooperation, she said.

The unexplained death of a 14-year-old boy at an electronics factory in Dongguan, Guangdong province, has led to renewed calls to eliminate child labor in China, where World Day against Child Labour is celebrated on Wednesday.

Liufu Zong was in his Dongguan Jinchuan Electronics Co Ltd dormitory and did not wake up at about 7 am, on May 21.

Zong's roommates said they checked to see if he was all right when he did not wake, but his body was cold, so they rushed him to hospital.

They added he returned to the dormitory around 10 pm the night before and seemed normal.

Police investigating the case discovered the boy concealed his real name and age from his employer.

A third-party employment agency sent Zong to the electronics factory using an identity card in the name of "Su Longda", who is older than 18.

According to China's labor law, 16 is the minimum age for employment.

"It was difficult for us to determine that the boy was underage and he looked similar to the individual pictured on the ID card," commented Cheng Yun, the human resources director at Dongguan Jinchuan Electronics.

Cheng said the company has about 600 contract employees, and about 300 others who signed contracts with employment agencies.

The boy's father, Liufu Kuanyuan, said Zong was always healthy before he headed to Dongguan as a migrant worker.

"My son was healthy before he left home. He took cold showers during the winter and he rarely had colds or fevers," he said, though he did add he was shorter and thinner than his peers.

Liu said he believed his son dropped dead due to overwork.

"He worked about four or five extra hours every day. How can a 14-year-old bear working so long?"

He said he had advised his son over the phone to quit the job since he often complained that it was exhausting.

HR director Cheng, however, believes that Zong's death may have been due to his lifestyle.

"I heard from his roommates that he often went to Internet cafes and occasionally would not return to the dormitory. When he did stay in he often played with his phone until late at night."

However, Cheng confessed that her company did not provide health checks when recruiting workers and instead only asked employment agencies to send "healthy workers".

Deng Zhijian, a Chang'an township human resources bureau official, in Dongguan, said records showed workers often did overtime at the electronics factory.

Zong's job was to test computer motherboards and he was paid 11 yuan ($1.79) an hour, and worked about 50 extra hours a month, after starting work on March 1.

Compensation dispute

Zong dropped out from school age 12. He helped his farmer father provide for the family of six, which included a grandfather in his 80s, two younger half-brothers and his poorly stepmother.

He took part-time jobs with his father in nearby villages doing construction work, until February, when he went to the industrial city of Dongguan with friends.

Chen Zhaocai, Zong's relative, who is handling the case on behalf of the boy's family, said he believed overwork and a toxic workplace environment caused the boy's death.

"I became more certain of this after the factory refused to allow the boy's father to go to see his workplace," said the 75-year-old.

Currently, Zong's corpse is being held at the funeral home, as compensation negotiations between his family and the company have come to a deadlock.

After two rounds of negotiations, Dongguan Jinchuan Electronics agreed to pay 100,000 yuan ($16,300) as "comfort money for the bereaved family", aside from the compensation that will be decided on by the arbitration authorities.

Chen said Liufu's family will not accept compensation less than 1.2 million yuan.

A thorny issue

The Asia Pacific region has the largest number of child laborers in the world — 113 million out of the global total of 215 million, according to the 2010 Global Report on Child Labor released by the International Labour Organization.

While official data from China is not available, analysis of data from other countries in the region indicates child labor is most prevalent in agriculture, followed by services and manufacturing, according to Simrin Singh, senior specialist on Child Labor from the Decent Work Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific under the ILO.

Dongguan labor authorities introduced regulations to crack down on child labor in 2008 after an investigative report by Southern Metropolis Daily exposed abusive child labor rings.

The report said thousands of children from poor villages in Sichuan province were trafficked to Dongguan, a transit point, where factories throughout the province selected them.

Li Shulong, a veteran journalist from Dongguan, said the number of underage workers has decreased as factories face fines of 5,000 yuan per month for every child caught working, in addition to which they face the loss of their business license. Deng, the township labor official, said his daily inspections of factories include the illegal use of child labor but only two or three companies had been found guilty of doing so in the past three years.

He admitted, however, that factories using underage workers, have become more covert.

"It is hard for us to supervise if these child workers use other people's IDs and the workers themselves — who only care about making money — do not cooperate with our inspectors when we suggest they look too young," Deng said.

Xue Hong, an associate professor on labor rights from East China Normal University, said the abuse of interns is another worrying phenomenon.

"For money, some vocational schools force their students to work in factories as interns in the summer or winter holidays as a precondition for academic credits," she said.

"In China, using interns without signing a contract is legal, which means employers can fire interns whenever they want.

"Meanwhile, the working hours and work pressure for student workers is the same as ordinary employees, which is not fair."

Measures required

ILO has been working with the Chinese government to provide direct services to vulnerable children through integrating a life-skills education curriculum in schools, equipping students with the basic skills necessary to migrate safely, avoid risks, and find a decent job.

More than 2,700 teachers have been trained to teach this life-skills curriculum, which more than 77,000 at-risk students have received, Singh said.

Sound labor policies, legal protection for young workers and strong enforcement, plus a quality educational system up to the minimum age of employment would help prevent child labor, Singh commented in an e-mail.

Jiang Mengyun contributed to this story.

The house, named Etho, was jointly designed by around 160 students from Peking University and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

"Our dream of building a cutting-edge, net zero solar home will come true after one month of construction," said Peng Xuesong, 21, a journalism student at Peking University, who is involved in the building project.

Besides using renewable energy sources, Etho features a home automation system that allows occupants to control a number of features through a tablet, phone or computer.

The system can also change lighting levels and allows for the monitoring of appliances and outlets.

He said that students majoring in architectural design, engineering, electronics, journalism and law are taking part in the project.

The two universities have been working on the design of the house for the past year.

Besides design, around 20 students of architecture from Peking University will work together with a professional construction team to make the solar home a reality, he said.

The current construction site is only temporary. The house, which will be divided into four modules, which will be transported to Datong in Shanxi province in July when it is completed, where it will be exhibited during the Solar Decathlon China 2013.

The contest is jointly organized by the National Energy Administration, the US Department of Energy and Peking University.

Built at an altitude of 2,580 meters, the airport will connect the Shennongjia region to Hubei's capital city Wuhan with a 50-minute flight, Wuhan Evening News said on Friday.

According to Chen Guohua, vice-general manager of Hubei Airport Group Company, the Shennongjia Airport, which cost 1 billion yuan ($163 million), and hopes to transport 250,000 passengers and 1,500 tons of cargo every year.

The duck, at the intersection of Fumin and Changle roads in the city's Jing'an district has attracted a number of photographers, the Oriental Morning Post reported on Friday.

Bar workers confirmed that the bar owned the duck, which was made in a Beijing factory and cost about 6,000 yuan ($976.8) to 8,000 yuan, according to the Xinmin Evening News.

Shen Shixiong, a manager at the bar, said the duck was a publicity stunt based on one that sailed gracefully in Hong Kong harbor.

That 16.5-meter-tall, 19-meter-long duck, by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, caused a sensation during its 39-day visit to Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. Copycat ducks appeared in cities such as Wuhan, Qingdao, Luoyang and Shenzhen.

Liu Yongpei, an expert of intellectual property rights from the Shanghai Jiaotong University, warned that the copycats infringed the Hofman duck.

Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the comment at a symposium on cultural restructuring held on Friday.

The country's cultural restructuring has been ongoing since 2006, with the aim of turning state-funded cultural institutions into profitable companies.

Liu called for efforts to nurture key cultural enterprises, and to establish and improve a modern cultural market system.

Furthermore, he also stressed providing Chinese people with equal access to public cultural services.

The Ministry of Culture (MOC) on Thursday issued a directive supporting the reform and development of art and entertainment groups formerly funded by the state.

According to the MOC, all 2,103 state-funded art and entertainment groups are now companies.

However, most of these groups are still struggling to adapt to modern management styles and have weak capabilities in making profits, according to the directive.

Minister of Culture Cai Wu urged cultural authorities to complete their shift from running art and entertainment groups to simply managing them.

The figure resulted in a net increase of 66.86 billion yuan in May from April's forex purchase position of 27.363 trillion yuan, according to the bank.

The May purchase figure was down from April's 294.35 billion and the average 315.3 billion during the first four months of the year, indicating a falling trend in the volume of capital inflows, PBOC data showed.

China has witnessed accelerated capital inflows since major economies launched monetary easing policies.

Net foreign exchange purchases totaled 1.22 trillion yuan in the first three months, more than double last year's total.

China's foreign trade volume grew 0.4 percent year on year in May to 345.1 billion US dollars, down from the 15.7-percent gain seen in April, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Experts believed that the slow growth of foreign trade is partly due to government rules to curb capital inflows disguised as trade payments.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China's top forex regulator, announced in May that it would step up controls on capital inflows. These include stricter checks on mismatches between cargo and cash flows and increased oversight of current account transactions, effective from June 1.

Hua Chunying said further advancement of cooperation is the common aspiration of both sides.

Hua's comments came after media reports said the partnership between China and Africa will continue to exist but on the basis of greater equality, as there are problems when it comes to cooperation.

"China-Africa relations lie in both sides' actions based on sincere friendship, mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development, rather than words," she said.

The Chinese government always and will continue to resolve specific problems with a sincere attitude, Hua added.

Both Mengniu and Yashili suspended trading in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on the same day as media reports said earlier that Mengniu might take over Yanshili with an offer of tens of billions yuan.

Mengniu announced in May that it will pay HK$3.18 billion ($409.8 million) for a 26.9 percent stake in China Modern Dairy Holdings Ltd, which operates 22 dairy farms across the country. The move aims to complete its whole industry chain.

Ningbo Port Group and APM Terminals and A.P. Moller-Maersk will set up a joint venture to invest and operate berths 3, 4 and 5, comprising a one kilometer quay in Ningbo's Meishan Container Terminal, the statement said.

Ningbo Port Co Ltd will invest 1.44 billion yuan into the joint venture, and takes up a 67 percent stake. An affiliate company under Maersk will invest 7.08 billion yuan and takes up a 33 percent stake.

Ningbo is the sixth-largest container port in the world and the third-biggest in China.

Chinese shipbuilding companies got 4.04 million TEUs (twenty-foot container equivalent units) orders in May, passing South Korea and Japan to become the largest order receiver globally, the China Securities Journal reported on Friday.

These orders are worth of $1.1 billion.

The orders indicate that a rising number of ship owners saw the shipbuilding price has bottomed out, and they believe the time is ripe to "buy low", said analysts.

From January to May, global shipbuilding orders soared 70 percent year-on-year to 40.67 million TEUs.

The bureau carried out a survey in March and June of 1,903 enterprises out of 46,597 companies in the province.

Private enterprises suffered most with 84 percent facing losses of $3 billion.

Wenzhou city was affected most severely with direct company losses of over $1.8 billion.

Zhu Hong, the deputy director of risk control sector, Zhejiang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, explained that there is still a long way to go for local companies to produce items of lower cost and higher quality to meet global standards.

The new UK headquarters is at 300 South Oak Way, Green Park, Reading. Green Park is at the heart of the "M4 corridor", the center of Britain's information, communication and technology sectors.

The new, 13,000-square-meter office complex will house Huawei's main UK operations and will help meet the future needs of the company's growing workforce, according to a Huawei statement.

Cathy Meng, Huawei's executive director of the board and chief financial officer, said the move reaffirms Huawei's long-term commitment to the UK. In September 2012, Huawei said it will invest 650 million pounds ($1.02 billion) and spend a further 650 million pounds on procurement in the UK over the next five years.

"Today's move marks the beginning of an exciting new period of development for Huawei UK. We are on track to fulfill our long-term commitment to the UK," Meng said during the opening ceremony of the new headquarters.

Huawei opened its first office in the UK in 2001. The company now has 800 people in the country. Meng said she expects the figure to reach 1,500 by 2017.

Mark Hoban, the UK's employment minister, said Huawei's investment was significant. "It will bring a welcome jobs boost to the region," he said.

The pilot programs include two pre-tax deductions that will cut research and development expenses and those of personnel training, as well as a payment extension of personal income tax, said Hou Jin, vice-head of the high-tech zone.

Enterprises are encouraged to pay for five insurances and old-age pension to retain research workers. A pre-tax deduction is allocated in proportion to 150 percent of the actual amount of R&D expenses.

Training expenses, in the amount of up to eight percent of personal income, can be waived when enterprise income taxes are calculated.

Personal tax payment can be made in installments in five years, upon verification of a competent taxation authority, if equity shares are awarded to research fellows as incentives.

Similar policies were first introduced in Zhongguancun, Beijing's high-tech zone. All the pilot programs will expire by Dec 31, 2014.

The local government said that residents can start applying for photovoltaic panel installation on June 20, according to Xinhua New Agency.

Demonstration projects have already started in cities including Yichun and Ganzhou in the province.

The average installation capacity for each home will be 3 kilowatts and the overall capacity of the first phase in the province will be about 3 megawatts to 6 megawatts.

According to China's 12th Five-Year Plan, the country's distributed power generation will reach 10 million kw, and 100 cities will be built with distributed power as their main energy resource by the end of 2015.

The other six countries are Belarus, Indonesia, Latvia, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine. The commission said that the anti-dumping duties, once lifted, may cause substantial damage to steel-related industries in the US in the foreseeable future.

This is the second five-year "sunset review" since September 7, 2001, when the duty was first introduced. In 2006, the US Commerce Department initiated the investigation again and the ITC later made an affirmative response, extending the order to a decade.

A "sunset review" is an evaluation of the need for the continued existence of a program or an agency. In this case, the review was conducted every five years after anti-dumping duties were introduced.

The Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly urged the United States to abide to its commitment against protectionism and work together with China and other members of the international community to maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.

The provincial disease control and prevention center said Friday that 104 students at a school in Xinpu Village, Shimen Township, have experienced continuous fevers, coughing and headaches since June 9.

Liu Fuqiang, a professor with the center, said 42 students in stable condition are still under observation at local hospitals.

Liu said an enteric virus caused the illnesses, and virus samples have been sent to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for further analysis.

The Liwan District People's Court in the provincial capital of Guangzhou convicted Li Jun, a former official of the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau, of molesting three minors under 14 on multiple occasions between September 2011 and June 2012.

Li, 44, got to know the boys by chatting with them online. He subsequently invited them to his home by promising them money or other rewards, the court said.

Li was in charge of the bureau's civil organization administration department before he was detained on July 4 last year.

The case is the latest in a string of child molestation cases that have popped up across the country in recent weeks.

David McMahon, a U.S. teacher who worked in Shanghai, was arrested on Thursday over allegations that he molested six children aged six to ten.

The survey, including 423,685 participants from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, showed 58.6 percent said they have never donated blood with more than half adding that they would be willing to.

Starting in September last year in an effort to encourage more people to give, Shanghai residents can make an appointment for blood donation through interactive touch screens in taxis.

Supervisors of the Red Cross Society of China hold a press conference in Beijing on June 14, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Supervisors of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) have rejected a proposal to reprobe the "Guo Meimei" controversy that stoked public suspicion over the charity's credibility two years ago.

The RCSC social supervision committee made the announcement at a press conference on Friday, citing voting results from a recent committee meeting.

The RCSC, a major charity in China, has been battling public mistrust after Guo Meimei, a young woman who claimed to be a chief of an organization with RCSC links, posted photographs online flaunting her wealth in mid-2011.

The issue triggered concern over how donations are used by the country's state-run charitable organizations, though an official investigation later that year ruled out any link between Guo or her wealth with the RCSC.

Jin Jinping, a committee member, said on Friday some members did raise the reinvestigation proposal and that the charity previously publicized a formal report on the incident after police-led investigations two years ago.

However, the committee, an independent panel that was created in December last year as a third-party body to supervise the charity, has no legal power to open such investigations or summon any of those concerned as a witness, she said.

"So during the vote, we believe that the committee should advise the RCSC to coordinate with authorities concerned to probe the incident when new evidence is available," Jin said.

Local residents donate blood in Handan, North China's Hebei province, June 14, 2013. June 14 is the 10th World Blood Donor Day. The theme of this year's nationwide campaign is "each blood donation is the gift of life-saving". Advocates promote voluntary blood donations and urge regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood, particularly young people, to begin doing so. [Photo by Hao Qunying/Asianewsphoto]

Residents donate blood in Bozhou, East China's Anhui province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Liu Qinli/Asianewsphoto]

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Residents donate blood in Bozhou, East China's Anhui province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Liu Qinli/Asianewsphoto]

Volunteers give blood at a mobile blood collection center in Lin'an, East China's Zhejiang province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Hu Jianhuan/Asianewsphoto]

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Residents give blood in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Zhang Zhenxiang/Asianewsphoto]

Local people line up to donate blood in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Yu Fangping/Asianewsphoto]

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People donate blood in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, June 14, 2013. [Photo by Yu Fangping/Asianewsphoto]

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