Premier Li Keqiang shares a light moment with students during his visit to Lanzhou University, Gansu province, on Aug 18. He encouraged graduates to be innovative and remain confident about the job market. Provided to China Daily

Environment

Three Gorges Dam flow promotes spawning

An experiment to increase water flow from the Three Gorges Dam is said to have helped fish spawn and reduced the harm caused by the hydro plants on the ecosystem.

The experiment has been carried out by the Three Gorges Dam and Yangtze River Water Resources Commission to boost water flow since 2011.

The dam released water three times from April to June each year.

Zhao Yimin, head of the Yangtze River Fishery Resources Committee, said the move is aimed at restoring aquatic conditions downstream from the dam during the spawning period of four major types of Chinese fish.

Legal

Crackdown on illegal online drugstores

The China Food and Drug Administration and four other State-level departments plan to crack down on illegal online drugstores and similar channels in a move to regulate online medicine sales.

It said on Aug 20 it will cooperate with the State Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to root out illegal online sales of medicine, especially fake drugs.

The most common fake cures are claimed to treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension and sexual dysfunction, so those kinds of medicine will get special attention, according to the administration.

Bo Xilai stands trial for bribery, embezzlement

Bo Xilai, former Communist Party of China chief of Chongqing Municipality, stood trial in open court on Aug 22 on charges of taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in East China's Shandong province.

The trial started at 8:43 am. The official microblog account of the court is updating the trial proceedings.

Bo, 64, was charged by the Jinan People's Procuratorate. The indictment was delivered to the Jinan Intermediate People's Court on July 25.

Bo took the advantage of his position as a civil servant to seek gains for others, as well as accepted bribes in the form of large amounts of money and property, according to the indictment.

He also embezzled a large amount of public money and abused his power, seriously harming the interests of the state and people, the document said.

The CPC Central Committee announced in April 2012 that it had decided to suspend Bo's membership in the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the CPC Central Committee, as he was suspected of being involved in serious discipline violations. The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection also filed the case for investigation.

Diplomacy

President Xi meets WHO director-general

President Xi Jinping said on Aug 20 that China will continue to improve public health and enhance cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Xi made the remarks while meeting WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The Chinese government prioritizes its people's health and will make unremitting efforts to further implement reform of its public health system, Xi said.

He promised that the Chinese government would continue to effectively distribute public health and medical resources in order to achieve full coverage of basic health services to all the people by 2020.

Xi voiced his appreciation to WHO's support for China's efforts to contain the H7N9 bird flu, noting that the Chinese government will remain alert to the control of such epidemic diseases, especially when concerning food safety.

Commemoration

Japanese mourn victims of Nanjing Massacre

A group of Japanese citizens from cities and prefectures including Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa and Kyoto took part in a gathering in Nanjing on Aug 15 to honor those killed by Japanese forces, especially those killed during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937.

The assembly of 37 Japanese and hundreds of Chinese at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese Invaders, on the 68th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, took place as dozens of Japanese cabinet ministers and lawmakers paid their respects at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

Health

Investment sought for elderly care

Foreign and private investors are being encouraged to invest in the elderly care market, a move top policymakers say can help boost domestic demand and create jobs.

The government will simplify procedures and slash administrative charges to allow non-governmental groups to run homes for the elderly, said a statement issued after an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, on Aug 16.

"We encourage social investors to establish professional elderly care institutions and support overseas investors to invest in senior care," the statement said. "Market access will be widened."

China has the world's largest elderly population of nearly 200 million and this is growing rapidly.

(China Daily European Weekly 08/23/2013 page2)