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Weather change drives out smog

A strong cold front has swept across northern China and helped disperse smog that had covered a vast part of the country.

The cold air brought rain and snow in some parts of the northern and northeastern regions. Strong winds also caused the temperature to drop as much as 14 C.

Smog in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province was dispersing on Feb 27 after covering northern and central China for almost a week.

The National Meteorological Center had issued 12 smog alerts since Feb 20, including nine yellow and three orange alerts. China's meteorological alerts are labelled blue, yellow, orange and red in order of ascending severity.

Violent crime on the rise last year

Terrorism and violent crime became frequent last year, seriously affecting social stability, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a report on Feb 24.

In 2013, terrorism-related crime was still the key factor that threatened people's safety and disturbed the country's public order, according to an annual report by the academy on China's rule of law.

As international terrorism unfolded last year, terrorist attacks in western areas of China, especially in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, also became frequent and serious, said Ji Xiangde, a researcher at the academy's Institute of Law.

Japanese firms sued over forced labor

Thirty-seven Chinese citizens filed a lawsuit in a Beijing court on Feb 26 demanding Japanese apologies and compensation for forced labor during World War II.

It is the first time that Chinese forced laborers, including Zhang Shijie (pictured), 88, and their relatives have lodged such a class-action case in a Chinese court. Observers said the case will increase pressure on Japan to correct its interpretation of its militarist history.

The forced laborers and their relatives want apologies to be carried in mainstream media in China and Japan, as well as compensation from Mitsubishi Materials and Mitsui Mining and Smelting.

Kang Jian, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit is aimed at safeguarding the victims' dignity and human rights.

Dozens of wartime compensation suits have been filed by Chinese and South Korean citizens in Japan, but Japanese courts have rejected almost all of them.

The bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Feb 27 passed the draft decisions to designate two new national days, one on Sept 3, to mark victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the other on Dec 13, to commemorate more than 300,000 Chinese killed by Japanese aggressors during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

(See more on page 24)

China seeks early end to hostilities in S. Sudan

China wants South Sudan's pro-government and opposition forces to cease hostilities immediately and resolve their disputes in a peaceful manner.

"We are gravely concerned about the military conflict and casualties in South Sudan," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Feb 26.

Earlier this month, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, an East African bloc, warned in a statement that the conflict would undermine the ongoing mediation process and worsen the suffering of South Sudanese.

The IGAD expressed serious concerns over the heavy fighting and urged the two parties to honor the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed by the government and the rebels on Jan 23 in Addis Ababa.

"We urge the conflicting sides in South Sudan to implement the ceasefire agreement substantially and resolve disputes appropriately with peaceful means to resume stability at an early date," she said.

Both the government and the rebels in South Sudan accuse each other of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement signed between the two groups during peace negotiations in Ethiopia.

More bilateral ties planned with Tanzania

China and Tanzania have agreed to push forward their relationship as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Tanzanian counterpart Bernard Kamillius Membe in Beijing on Feb 25 and hailed the profound friendship, mutual respect, trust and support between the two countries.

China is willing to work with Tanzania to celebrate the golden jubilee of bilateral ties and utilize the opportunity to enhance high-level exchanges, practical cooperation, consultation on international affairs and advance win-win bilateral ties, Wang said.

Alliance with Algeria to usher new era

The comprehensive strategic partnership that China and Algeria established on Feb 24 is the first of its kind among China's relationship with Arab countries, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika have decided to raise the level of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of strategic cooperation between the two countries, Hua told a regular press briefing.

"The Chinese side places great importance in developing China-Algeria relations," Hua said, adding that Algeria is a major African nation that plays an important role in the Arab, Islamic and non-aligned movement world.

"China is ready to proceed from this fresh starting point and join with the Algerian side to advance the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership," she said.

Hua said the partnership reflects the broadness, depth and high level of China-Algeria relations.

Obama and Dalai meeting decried

A meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama on Feb 21, which took place despite China's warnings, has prompted sharp criticism from the Chinese government and observers.

Obama hosted a closed meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House on the morning of Feb 21, defying repeated protests from Beijing since the meeting was announced on Feb 20.

Beijing voiced immediate opposition after the meeting, decrying Washington for meddling in China's domestic affairs.

Calling the Tibet autonomous region a "sacred and inalienable part of China", Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang criticized Washington for "grossly interfering in China's internal affairs" and reaffirmed that it allows no foreign interference in Tibet-related affairs.

Toshiba's product recall excludes China

Toshiba Corporation has recalled products worldwide due to a risk of spontaneous combustion in its washing and drying machines, but China was not included.

There are 30 models, totalling 583,000 machines sold between July 2005 and Nov 2011 listed in Toshiba's announcement, some of which were also sold in the Chinese market.

Reports said that China had been neglected due to a lack of relevant laws and regulations, People's Daily reported.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 02/28/2014 page2)