IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Six Chinese confirmed killed in Bangkok

The number of Chinese nationals killed in the Aug 17 nighttime explosion in Bangkok rose to six on Aug 18, including four from the mainland and two from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, according to the Chinese embassy in Thailand.

The bombing killed 20 and injured 125, Thai media reports said on Aug 18. The dead included two Malaysians, and one each from Singapore, Indonesia and Britain.

Another 22 Chinese, with 17 from the Chinese mainland, two from Hong Kong and three from Taiwan, were hospitalized, the embassy said. More than 10 others, who sustained minor injuries, were discharged from the hospital, and one person remained missing.

Among the hospitalized Chinese, five were in serious condition in an intensive care unit.

Relatives of the injured Chinese started arriving in Bangkok on Aug 18. The Chinese embassy arranged for volunteers to assist at airports and hotels.

Positive trade growth seen for 2015

China's foreign trade is likely to see positive full-year growth in 2015, although it may experience single-month declines, the Ministry of Commerce said on Aug 19.

Shen Danyang, spokesman for the ministry, said that even though China's foreign trade seems weaker than expected because of lower global demand and rising production costs, the country has continued to optimize its range of products and approach to the global market through new trade routes and regional cooperation arrangements.

China encountered a notable drop in trade in the first seven months of this year, with foreign trade falling by 7.3 percent year-on-year to 13.63 trillion yuan ($2.23 trillion; 1.92 trillion euros), according to the General Administration of Customs.

Major developed and emerging economies also experienced declines, with exports falling by 5.2 percent in the United States, 8.1 percent in Japan, 16 percent in India and 14.7 percent in Brazil in the first half of this year, according to the World Trade Organization.

Commemoration shuts tourist attractions

The Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, will be closed from Aug 22 to Sept 3 as part of preparations for the parade to mark the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

Many scenic spots around Tian'anmen Square and Chang'an Avenue, including Wangfujing, Qianmen and several parks, will also be closed.

Attractions outside the city center, including the Great Wall and Summer Palace, are expected to remain open during the period.

Tourists are being advised to reschedule trips to the capital to avoid inconvenience.

Social stability makes Chinese cities livable

Chinese cities have become more livable compared with other cities around the world in the past 12 months, as terror and unrest elsewhere underlined stability in China, according to a global ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

A period of relative stability is the main reason why seven of the eight mainland cities that were rated have seen scores improve in the past 12 months. While the average global stability score has fallen by 2.2 percent over the past five years, mainland cities saw scores improve by an average of 0.45 percentage points in the same period, according to the think tank.

The EIU used five broad categories - stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure - to gauge the "livability" of 140 cities around the world. Using more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors, Beijing was rated the most livable city on the mainland, underpinned by its excellent educational and cultural resources. In the past 12 months, the city has moved up five places to 69th.

Faster approval for foreign drugs eyed

Procedures to approve the use of new overseas drugs in China are to be improved.

Such drugs can be given clinical trials in the Chinese mainland at the same pace as trials conducted overseas, after approval from China's top drug regulator, according to a guideline released by the State Council on Aug 18.

The guideline also says that domestic clinical trial institutions are encouraged to take part in trials conducted by their international partners to enable the data acquired to be used when the overseas developers apply to register the new drugs in China.

"Such measures are expected to greatly shorten the time needed for clinical trials of new foreign drugs in China, so they will enter the country more quickly," said Wu Zhen, deputy director of the China Food and Drug Administration.

New research center is established

The China Institute of International Studies officially founded the China-Asia and Africa Cooperation Center on Aug 20.

The center is a response to Chinese President Xi Jinping's call to further promote cooperation between Asian and African countries after an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April.

The director of the institute, Su Ge, who also leads the research center, says President Xi's Belt and Road Initiative provides a good opportunity for the new organization to focus on China's collaboration with Asian and African countries, an underdeveloped field in China.

"The center will strengthen communication and exchange programs with research institutes in Asia and Africa, as well as hold research seminars on Asian and African issues," he said.

SA firms want visa-free entry for BRICS

South African businesses have welcomed Russia's decision on Aug 18 to consider offering visa-free entry for tourists from China, India, Brazil and South Africa as fellow members of the BRICS bloc.

"This is a step in the right direction. If the business doors are open or 10 multi-year visas entry are issued, that will no doubt boost our economic growth," Brian Molefe, chairman of BRICS Business Council SA, told Xinhua.

Molefe said visa reform, together with a free trade policy, can create an estimated three million jobs every month.

Experts say South Africa's strict visa regulations are a stumbling block for mutual economic and trade deals among BRICS members.

Envoy stresses role in safeguarding peace

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations has highlighted the important role played by regional and sub-regional organizations in safeguarding world peace and security.

"Peace and development are the themes of our times, but the world is not peaceful yet. Regional turbulence, terrorism, major epidemics, natural disasters and other nontraditional security issues have been occurring now and then," said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, at a Security Council meeting on Aug 18.

Liu said China supports regional organizations in fully displaying their experiences, their advantages in regional, historical and cultural expertise to play their unique role in resolving regional conflicts through peaceful means.

Athletics team heads to World Championships

Kenya is sending a contingent of 68 to the world athletics championships starting in Beijing on Aug 22.

Team manager Joseph Kinyua said he is optimistic the country will improve on its medal tally from the previous championships in Moscow, where Kenya ranked fourth with a medal haul of five gold, four silver and three bronze.

"We are taking the best, and with the best set of coaches Kenya has no other option but to do better than Moscow. We want to top the medal table, but I know hosts China will be a tough nut to crack, and so will Jamaica and the United States," Kinyua said on Aug 17 as the team departed for China's capital.

Nation to showcase cultural heritage

The Kenyan government has started discussions with Chinese authorities to help showcase the East African nation's cultural heritage in Chinese museums, officials said on Aug 17.

Director-general at the National Museums of Kenya, Mzalendo Kibunjia, told Xinhua in Nairobi that discussions were at an advanced stage to promote cultural products in the Chinese market.

"We began discussions with three Chinese museums in March to explore the possibility of staging an international cultural exhibition and showcase Kenya's rich cultural heritage," said Kibunjia.

The three museums are the Palace Museum in Beijing and provincial museums in Yunnan and Guangdong.

"We have developed a concept paper that outlines the modalities of organizing a cultural exhibition in Chinese museums. Our goal is to expose Kenyan cultural symbols in China," Kibunjia said in Nairobi.

Chinese monks wow at kung fu show in Kenya

Chinese Shaolin Monks staged a thrilling performance in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, on Aug 19.

Revelers watched 11 young Shaolin monks swing into action during the opening ceremony of Zhengzhou Week at a luxury hotel on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa, and senior Kenyan officials attended the colorful event.

In his opening remarks, the Chinese envoy said there was solid bilateral cooperation with Kenya.

"Ever since the establishment of our diplomatic ties in 1963, the China-Kenya relationship has been developing in leaps and bounds," he told the audience.

Anti-graft campaign 'good for China, US'

Stronger anti-graft teamwork is good for China and the United States, observers said in response to a story in The New York Times on Aug 16 that questioned Operation Fox Hunt, China's global manhunt for corrupt officials and economic fugitives.

The story quoted unnamed US officials as saying some Chinese law-enforcement officers were "operating secretly" in the US to pressure prominent expatriates to return home, and "most likely are entering on tourist or trade visas".

However, a source close to China's Ministry of Public Security insisted the rules are strict. "If necessary, after getting approval from the ministry, the special operation teams will apply for official visas to countries to nab fugitives or persuade them to come back," the source said on condition of anonymity.

They added that Chinese judicial authorities had provided evidence to US counterparts and asked them to assist in extraditing corrupt Chinese officials.

CFA prepares to stand on its own

China's soccer reform took a step forward on Aug 17 when the top governmental sports body pledged to relinquish its administrative grip on the Chinese Football Association.

As part of the State Council's comprehensive reform plan in March, separating the semi-administrative CFA from the General Administration of Sport, the governing body, is key to overhauling the entire management system and making the Chinese game more professional.

The administration said its officials and staff members will withdraw from CFA management, making the association an NGO with independent operations and financial systems.

Visiting troops arrive for parade

Foreign troops have been gathering in Beijing to prepare for their participation in China's military parade on Sept 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II.

More than 100 soldiers of Kazakhstan's guard of honor left for the Chinese capital on Aug 17 and will participate in training with their Chinese counterparts, the Kazinform news agency reported.

Eighty-five Russian soldiers arrived on Aug 18 and were soon to join the parade rehearsals, Russian media said. Two other military groups, from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, arrived on Aug 16.

The Sept 3 parade is the first time China has invited troops of other nations to participate in a military parade, which is usually held once a decade to mark the country's National Day on Oct 1.

Pandas affected by road are mating again

Communities of wild giant pandas in Shaanxi province have begun mating again - more than four decades after being cut off by a road built over Mount Qinling.

Long-term monitoring has shown that the rare animals have been visiting each other via an ecological corridor built in 2005 by Shaanxi Guanyinshan National Nature Reserve and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

"It was estimated that it would take 20 years or longer before the corridor could play its role, but we have achieved gene exchanges between populations in only 10," said Liu Xiaohai, executive director of the WWF China project, which helped create the corridor.

Life bans for drivers in safety campaign

Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department has published China's first blacklist of bad drivers as part of a national campaign launched in July to crack down on traffic violations.

The list bans 387 people from driving for life. Another 10,909 drivers had their licenses revoked for serious violations in the first seven months of 2015. These drivers will be able to reapply for a license after two years.

Chen Yufeng, commissar of the provincial public security department's traffic management Bureau, said the life bans sent a warning to drivers: "Among the 387 drivers, 77 percent were involved in hit-and-run incidents and the rest drove while drunk. People's lives need to be respected."

Fitness fears for college students

The average fitness level of primary and secondary school students in China has improved slightly after years of decline, but that of college students continues to worsen, according to a national report.

The deterioration of elementary and high school students' physical condition has been tackled with an increasing emphasis on physical education, the first Annual Report on Development of Youth Sports found.

The report was jointly released by the General Administration of Sport's Youth Development Department and Beijing Sport University ahead of the 2015 National Youth Future Star Sunshine Sports Games in Yichang, Hubei province.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/21/2015 page2)