Briefly

BRICS nations boost space cooperation

China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa will further strengthen their cooperation in the space industry as the five countries established on Wednesday a committee dedicated to boosting joint efforts. The BRICS Joint Committee on Space Cooperation will open a new chapter of cooperation in remote-sensing satellite observation and data sharing, according to a statement from the China National Space Administration. The joint committee will guide cooperation on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation to better serve economic and social development in member countries, Zhang Kejian, head of the Chinese administration, said at the committee's first video meeting. He said that the new entity will enable BRICS space agencies to deepen their collaboration.

Basic pension again increased for retirees

China will raise the basic pension payments for retirees in 2022, the 18th consecutive year with an increase, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced on Thursday. The average monthly payment for pensioners of enterprises, government agencies and public institutions will be lifted by 4 percent from the 2021 level, said a circular jointly issued by the human resources ministry and the Ministry of Finance. Last year, China raised basic pension payments for retirees by 4.5 percent from the previous year's level.

China Daily - Xinhua