Beijing

Palace Museum goes smoke-free

Widely known as the Forbidden City, the Palace Museum celebrated the 37th International Museum Day with a series of activities on Saturday. Activities included the launch of a mail service, a musical performance, the opening of several exhibitions and the signings of agreements. The museum also announced that it will become a smoking-free zone. At the launch ceremony for the mail service, Palace Museum Director Shan Jixiang sent the first mail to Fung Ming-chu, director of the Taipei Palace Museum in Taiwan. "The two Palace Museums are from the same roots. I hope our exchanges and cooperation will increase further," Shan says.

Management accounting experts meet

National and international experts on management accounting and domestic entrepreneurs gathered in Beijing on Saturday for China's Internationalized Talents of Management Accounting meeting. Aimed at spreading the theory and application of management accounting among enterprises in China, the meeting was held jointly by domestic and foreign accounting associations. Jiang Weiliang, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said the development of enterprises relies heavily on talents and enterprises will benefit from the introduction and popularization of management accounting.

Nanjing

Airline bomb hoax suspect caught

A man who allegedly made false bomb threats that affected flights in five Chinese cities was caught on Friday afternoon in Yancheng City, Jiangsu province, the municipal police said on Saturday. From 5:22 pm to 5:25 pm on Friday, police in the cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangzhou received phone calls claiming there were bombs on airplanes bound for Shanghai. Police started an investigation immediately and caught a 43-year-old man surnamed Ji, in Yancheng, in less than two hours. Ji admitted to having made the fake bomb threats. Further investigation is under way.

Langfang

Trade fair attracts billions in investment

Hebei province - which surrounds Beijing and Tianjin - has attracted new investment worth billions of dollars during a four-day trade fair, which was launched on Saturday. Foreign companies have committed about 15 projects worth $5.5 billion on the first day of the China Langfang International Economic and Trade Fair. Among the participating industries included those from the service sectors, high-end manufacturing, technology and bio-pharmacy. The new capital airport, which is scheduled to start construction next year and complete its first phase in 2018, is expected to increase the attractiveness of the province and draw in more investment.

News Watch

Torrential rains batter south

Heavy rainfall and hailstorms continue to sweep through southern China. At least 53 people have been killed and several others are reported missing. Ten provinces have been affected, including some in Central China. Guangdong province has been worst hit, with rainstorms battering five cities, including the provincial capital Guangzhou. At least 22 people have been reported dead, with 16 people reported missing in the province. More than 650,000 people throughout the province are affected. The rainstorms that triggered flooding and landslides, have made transport conditions difficult.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily 05/19/2013 page2)