IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Trade lobbies sign deal to rein in fake goods

Trade lobbies in Kenya and China have launched an online window to help reduce logistical costs for import and export trade between the two countries, and thus rein in trade in fake goods.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Amanbo, the first online Sino-Africa business platform, signed an agreement in Nairobi on Nov 24 that would mean stricter scrutiny of products.

Under the deal, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry will help verify the quality and standards for Kenyans who want to post their products for the Chinese market. Amanbo would then allow Kenyans to open free online shops to advertise in China while displaying products for import.

China condemns terror attack on Mali hotel

China strongly condemns the attack on Nov 20 at a hotel in Mali's capital, Bamako, that killed 27 people, including three Chinese nationals, and pledged to step up cooperation with the international community to fight terrorism.

"China will strengthen cooperation with the international community and resolutely crack down on terrorist activities that kill innocents, and safeguard the peace and stability of the world," according to President Xi Jinping.

The attack took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The jihadist al-Murabitoun group based in northern Mali claimed responsibility.

Ambassador: Business should use platforms

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong has advised business circles in both China and Ghana to make use of platforms and pursue shared benefits and win-win cooperation.

She said the Chinese government has rolled out the new trend and policies to boost cooperation in production capacity and equipment manufacturing with major international partners in order to ensure quality and efficiency in economic growth.

Sun was speaking at the China-Ghana economic and trade forum in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest commercial city, during a celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mayor of Kumasi Kojo Bonsu said China-Ghana cooperation has a lot to offer in terms of investment opportunities.

Drones face restrictions on where they go

The drone maker DJI Technology Co says it has changed its flight systems to ensure its drones keep out of restricted areas, such as over Tian'anmen Square in Beijing and the White House in Washington.

DJI of Shenzhen, which claims 70 percent of the world's drone market, said its Geospatial Environment Online system will provide DJI drone users with up-to-date guidance on locations where flights may be restricted by regulation. It can also raise safety concerns.

The new system will allow users who have verified DJI accounts to temporarily unlock or self-authorize flights in some of those locations "to accommodate the vast variety of authorized applications".

The system will be launched first in North America and Europe, while other regions will continue to use a no-fly zone geo-fencing system the company introduced more than a year ago.

Xi cites Hu Yaobang as a role model

The Communist Party of China Central Committee held a symposium on Nov 20 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of Hu Yaobang.

President Xi Jinping spoke about Hu's "glorious achievements", saying Hu, the former general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, had made outstanding contributions to national independence and liberation, socialist revolution and exploration and creation of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Li seeks to calm waters in region

Premier Li Keqiang has urged countries outside the region to avoid taking action that may cause tension in the South China Sea.

They should respect and support the efforts by countries in the region to uphold peace and stability in there, Li said.

Raising a five-point proposal on the South China Sea at the 10th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, he called for outside powers to "play a positive and constructive role and refrain from taking action that may cause tension in the region".

His remarks came after the United States sent military ships and warplanes close to Chinese islands in recent weeks to assert its "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea.

Telescope's 'retina' undergoes final test

Scientists carried out the last step in testing a key component of China's gigantic radio telescope on Nov 21. After its scheduled completion next September it will be the largest such telescope in the world.

A team successfully tested the installation of the telescope's "retina", a mechanism weighing 30 metric tons and suspended 140 to 160 meters above the half-finished reflector dish, which will collect signals from the universe.

The telescope, 500 meters in diameter, is composed of 4,500 mostly triangular panels with sides measuring 11 meters that create a parabolic shape or hemisphere. The motion of the panels alters the collective shape of the antenna, which is capable of reflecting radio signals from the universe to a focal point, where the receiver dome sits.

New ship to ferry supplies to islands

The ground force of the People's Liberation Army commissioned its largest ship in Sansha, Hainan province, on Nov 23, planning to use it to transport materials to islands in the South China Sea.

PLA Daily reported that the ship is a new-generation logistics support vessel for the PLA Army. It is 90 meters long and has a full-load displacement of 2,700 metric tons, making it the largest ship in the army's watercraft fleet, the report said.

The ship is capable of ferrying heavy-duty weapons and accommodating a helicopter. It will be used to transport supplies, weapons and equipment to places in the South China Sea and to conduct search-and-rescue operations, the report said.

Xi'an's famous dishes to be given protection

As Xi'an cuisine gains in popularity, the ancient city's industrial standards authority has said it plans to regulate the recipes for its most-famous dishes.

Xi'an Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau said on Nov 24 that it is soliciting public opinion, especially from those in the food industry, to create standards for five foods, including roujiamo, also known as the Chinese hamburger, and yangroupaomo, pita bread in mutton soup.

Yang Yihui, an official with the bureau, said the government wants to specify the basic requirements for making these foods to support the branding power of Xi'an cuisine.

Southern cities more friendly to elderly

A study of 150 cities across China has shown that southern coastal cities are more age-friendly than those in the north.

Biaozhun Ranking, a research institute based in Beijing, has released its latest Top 50 Age-friendly Chinese Cities list, with the popular tourist resort of Xiamen in Fujian province ranking first. Among the top 50, 39 cities are located in the southern part of China. Zhejiang province has eight cities on the list, Guangdong has six, and Jiangsu has five.

Consumption will be given another boost

China will increase imports, make it easier for overseas shoppers to receive tax refunds and allow foreigners to visit more of the country for 72 hours without visas, the central government said on Nov 23. Outlining a number of measures aimed at encouraging consumption and stabilizing the economy, the State Council said the country will start to import more advanced equipment and daily consumer goods.

Internal trade barriers to fall

China will accelerate reforms to remove internal barriers to both foreign and domestic trade, the State Council said on Nov 23. It said on its website that it is seeking to "eliminate all kinds of conspicuous and hidden administrative monopolies" and "strengthen anti-monopoly laws" in an attempt to remove protectionist policies between provinces.

China Daily-Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/27/2015 page2)