What's news

Scholarships for Kenyan students

China's Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa has farewelled recipients of this year's Chinese government scholarships, offered to Kenyans wishing to study in China.

"Kenya and China are at a crucial stage of development, and the exchanges between the two countries enjoy great prospects," Liu said.

Scholarship recipients were to depart for China on Sept 2.

"The cordial relationship between China and Kenya, featuring political trust and economic and cultural collaboration has benefited both countries," Liu said.

The Chinese government has awarded scholarships to Kenyans every year since 1982. Two hundred Kenyans are now studying in Chinese universities through such scholarships.

Chinese samples free of Ebola

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention had tested 20 suspected cases of Ebola by the end of last month, but none tested positive for the lethal virus.

CDC officials made the announcement on Sept 2.

Li Dexin, a researcher at the center's Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, said China is now capable of Ebola virus screening and testing.

Testing methods include searches for nucleic acid, antigens and antibodies. The nucleic acid test is the best in terms of accuracy and efficiency, he said.

China-Eurasia Expo highlights opening-up

The Fourth China-Eurasia Expo opened on Sept 1, aiming to be a bridge to facilitate economic and technical cooperation among countries along the ancient Silk Road.

Chi Wenjie, deputy secretary-general of the secretariat of the annual expo, said 10 significant forums and exchange activities will be held during the six-day event with a theme of building the Silk Road economic belt through opening-up and cooperation.

The forums include the China-Eurasia Economic Development and Cooperation forum, Eurasia News Media Forum, Central Asia Technological Innovation and Cooperation Forum and a summit on the application of the Beidou navigation satellite system.

The Silk Road economic belt revival project, initiated by President Xi Jinping, involves more than 40 Asian and European countries and regions with a combined population of 3 billion.

Chi said 48 countries and regions from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania and Africa were taking part in the expo.

Chinese firm eyes Indian rail projects

Chinese and Indian companies are working on a joint bid for five high-speed railway projects in India as India speeds up economic development under its new leadership.

The Indian government will soon open the projects for public bidding and Tata Projects, one of the fastest growing infrastructure companies in India, is in talks with an undisclosed Chinese company that owns the advanced technology used in the bid, said Vinayak Deshpande, managing director of Tata Projects.

Industry insiders believe the potential partner would be one of China's major rail companies, CSR Corp or CNR Corp, though neither company would confirm they were part of the bid.

Hotline helps Chinese overseas

China has opened a global call center to help Chinese traveling or working overseas.

Chinese diplomats have guided or evacuated compatriots out of turmoil or criminal assaults this year in places such as Libya, South Sudan and Vietnam.

The country will "weave a full-time safety net that spans the globe to make sure our compatriots receive timely consular protection and service from the motherland wherever they are", Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the inauguration ceremony at the ministry on Sept 2.

Officials have estimated that the number of Chinese citizens going abroad this year may exceed 100 million, the largest of any country.

The 24-hour global hotline 12308 will be able to deliver help when it is needed, Wang said.

Insurance firms fined for price fixing

The antitrust regulator has announced fines on 23 Chinese insurance firms and a local industry association.

The 23 provincial insurance companies and Zhejiang Insurance Industry Association were fined more than 110 million yuan ($17.8 million; 13.6 million euros) for fixing new car insurance discounts and other anti-competitive practices, the National Development and Reform Commission said.

The commission "has treated local and foreign companies equally", it said on its website.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce, another market regulator, said on Sept 1 that it had given Microsoft 20 days to reply to queries on the compatibility of its Windows operating system and Office software suite as part of an anti-monopoly investigation.

Airport vows to reduce delays

Airport managers in Beijing say they will help Chinese airlines improve their punctuality, which has become a big concern for travelers.

"We will optimize our timetable for arrivals and departures, strengthen coordination with airlines and air traffic management authorities and streamline ground operations," said Zhao Ying, general manager of Beijing Capital International Airport's operations center.

The airport has said it plans to move some domestic flights to airports in neighboring cities such as Tianjin and Shijiazhuang to release more slots for international services.

Foreign airports and airlines are lining up with the airport to attract more Chinese travelers, industry leaders say.

"The Chinese market is extremely important to us," said Rosemarie Andolino of the Chicago Department of Aviation. The department is looking forward to working collaboratively with Beijing airport to bring more air services to both cities, which is important for job creation and economic development."

Courts build credentials in maritime disputes

More foreign companies are opting to have marine disputes resolved in Chinese courts as the judiciary's reputation grows with the increasing number of maritime cases in which it has provided equal protection to overseas litigants, China's top court said.

With the development of the international shipping market and the global economic crisis, disputes over marine freight, watercraft rentals, vessel collisions, ship construction and ocean pollution have multiplied, said China's Maritime Adjudication, a white book of marine trial records over the past 30 years in Chinese and English.

On the dockets of 10 Chinese maritime tribunals, most in coastal cities such as Shanghai and Qingdao in Shandong province, were 21,548 marine disputes last year, compared with just 18 when the first six marine courts were opened in 1984, said the white book, issued by the Supreme People's Court on Sept 2.

Foreigners using free legal aid on the rise

The number of foreign offenders receiving legal aid has increased since a law was amended last year requiring the government to provide free help to foreigners who face life sentences or the death penalty.

The Ministry of Justice says legal aid authorities handled more than 800 cases involving foreigners last year after the law took effect in January 2013, a 20 percent increase from the year before.

"More foreigners staying in China and the amended Criminal Procedure Law enlarging the scope of our legal services to foreign defendants has contributed to the sharp increase in such cases," said Sang Ning, deputy director of the ministry's legal aid center.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/05/2014 page2)