IN BRIEF (Page 3)

US firm boss freed after union deal

A US company executive who was held captive by his workers in a plant in Beijing over a financial dispute has been freed following mediation by the local trade union.

Chip Starnes, 42, left his plant located in the northeastern Huairou district on June 27 with his lawyer after being trapped in his office for six days by workers over disputes on salary and severance packages.

Both sides were satisfied with the final result, said Chu Lixiang, director of the trade union's labor rights department, adding that the 97 workers had signed settlement agreements.

Trade

'Positive' sign on free trade pact

China is becoming "positive" toward the US-led Asia- Pacific free trade agreement, saying it may join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, although it will take time to do so, according to sources at the Ministry of Commerce.

"China is still doing its research (on the TPP)," said a source close to the issue.

Consensus has been reached on the importance of the free trade pact, a step forward from some time ago, when many people were opposed to the proposal, an official told China Daily on condition of anonymity. The US launched the TPP in 2010 in an attempt to strengthen trade relations with the Asia-Pacific region, and in April participating countries approved Japan joining the TPP talks. Eleven nations are involved, including Canada, Peru, Chile, Vietnam and New Zealand.

Shanghai gets go-ahead for free trade zone

The State Council approved Shanghai's free trade zone project on July 3, which will catapult the city to the forefront of global logistics centers.

The project, occupying 28 square kilometers, will center around the Yangshan Deep Water Port and will take more than 10 years to build.

When completed, the free trade zone will provide world-class transport and communications facilities and a tax-free environment for domestic and foreign enterprises as a major hub of their supply chains in Asia.

The project, mapped out at the start of this year, is the first of its kind in China and is also one of Shanghai's major tasks for 2013.

Transport

Rail firm looks to logistics market

China Railway Corp, a spin-off of the former Ministry of Railways, has announced its decision to develop high-speed rail express business in a bid to make gains in the country's logistics market.

Currently in China, about 80 percent of express deliveries are by road, 15 percent via air and 5 percent via railway and other modes of transport, according to Hong Houxing, an analyst with Anbang Logistics.

Sun Zhang, a professor from the Urban Mass Transit Railway Research Institute at Shanghai's Tongji University, said rail express' share in the country's logistics market only counted for about 1 percent.

"Express delivery by rail will grow for sure in the long run as it's faster compared to road transportation and costs less than cargo flights," said Hong.

Society

Stronger laws urged on personal info

Tougher measures to ensure the security of personal information are needed, legal experts said, after police detained four people accused of illegally purchasing students' family details and defrauding money from their parents.

Police say the suspects called the students' parents in Shanghai, pretending to be doctors and teachers, and asked them to transfer money. They were caught by police in Xiamen, Fujian province, on June 6. A list containing the names and personal information of 400 Shanghai students was also seized.

"The suspects allegedly purchased the students' information online. The data might have been sold several times before they reached the suspects," said police spokesman Zhuang Liqiang.

New filial law sparks debate

An amended law that requires children to regularly visit their ageing parents has been welcomed by many, but some say it will be only symbolic.

Family members should care about the psychological needs of their older relatives, and should visit them or send greetings on a regular basis, according to the law on protecting the rights and interests of the elderly, which came into effect on July 1.

The law was passed to protect the lawful rights and interests of parents aged 60 and older, and to carry on the Chinese virtue of filial piety.

To highlight the implementation of the law, a court in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, held a public hearing and ruled that the two defendants must visit their ageing mother at least once every two months after both failed to provide support to the 77-year-old.

Economy

Premier confident on growth target

China is capable of meeting its economic growth target of 7.5 percent this year, Premier Li Keqiang said on June 28 in his first public speech since the country's stock market plunged earlier that week.

Some economists had feared the growth rate could deteriorate in the second half of the year and that the Chinese economy may fall short of its growth target.

The economy is still making steady progress, Li said. Not only can China maintain a relatively high long-term growth rate, but it can also improve the economy's quality by making further reforms and allowing the market to play a bigger role, he said, while meeting representatives attending the Third Global Think Tank Summit in Beijing.

Energy

Industry to pay 15% more for natural gas

The price of natural gas will rise by an average of 15 percent for non-residential users from July 10, in a move it is hoped will help end overcapacity in industrial sectors and boost natural gas imports.

The National Development and Reform Commission said on June 28 that if gas consumption does not exceed last year's level, users will have to pay a maximum of 0.4 yuan (6.5 cents) more per cubic meter, but fertilizer producers will pay a maximum of 0.25 yuan more.

Industry

Factory activity lowest in 4 months

Factory activity declined in June, with the government appearing prepared for a slower-than-ever growth rate during structural reforms to the economy.

The Purchasing Managers' Index, a gauge that mainly indicates operating conditions in the manufacturing sector, slipped to a four-month low of 50.1 from 50.8 in May, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on July 1.

A separate PMI survey conducted by HSBC Holdings showed an even lower index for the sector in June - a three-quarter low of 48.2, down from 49.2 in May and 50.4 in April.

For both indexes, a reading higher than 50 means expansion, while below 50 indicates contraction.

Diplomacy

US claims about Xinjiang rejected

China strongly opposes claims by the United States that it has been discriminating against and imposing restrictions on Uygurs and Muslims in the wake of a recent terror attack in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

At least 24 people, including 16 Uygurs, were killed in an attack in Lukqun township on June 26, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Eleven attackers were killed.

"We are sorry to see the US government making comments about the incident and even criticizing China's ethnic and religious policies before learning the facts," said Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a regular news briefing in Beijing.

China Daily

(China Daily Africa 07/05/2013 page3)