Briefly

Former top adviser under investigation

Qi Tongsheng, the former top political adviser in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, is under investigation after being accused of seriously violating Party disciplines and laws, China's top anti-corruption authorities said on Tuesday. The Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision announced the probe on their official website. Born in July 1952 in Pingshan, Hebei province, Qi began his career in 1968 and joined the Communist Party in 1984. Over the years, he held key positions in Ningxia, including director of the region's Development and Reform Commission and vice-governor. In 2013, Qi was appointed chairman of the Ningxia Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He later served as deputy director of the National CPPCC's Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee.

Philippine ships face 'control measures'

The China Coast Guard said on Tuesday that its vessels monitored and took action against two Philippine ships that entered waters near China's Huangyan Island in the South China Sea without permission earlier in the day. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the China Coast Guard, said in a statement that the Philippine vessels, identified by hull numbers 3001 and 3002, entered the area without authorization from the Chinese government. He added that the Coast Guard followed the vessels and implemented "professional, reasonable and legitimate control measures." Liu reiterated China's position that it has "indisputable sovereignty" over Huangyan Island and the surrounding waters, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the region. "We urge the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements," Liu said. "The China Coast Guard will continue to enforce the law and protect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in these waters."

245m jobless people covered by insurance

The number of people in China covered by unemployment insurance reached 245 million by the end of September, sources with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security have said. The ministry will promote the coverage of unemployment insurance to vocational workers and optimize the linkage mechanism between employment, unemployment insurance and subsistence allowances, it said. Data from the ministry shows that last year, 7.3 million unemployed people nationwide received unemployment insurance benefits totaling 72.9 billion yuan ($10.4 billion), up 13.6 billion yuan from the previous year.

China Daily - Xinhua