Diplomacy

Border agreement to boost ties

The world's two most populous nations has tried to remove a long-term irritant in their relations by signing a border agreement.

The Border Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China, which started on Oct 22, the Press Trust of India said.

The deal, along with Singh's visit, is a sign of improved Sino-Indian ties, experts said. Premier Li Keqiang visited India in May. In a statement before departing on his five-day trip to Russia and China on Oct 20, Singh indicated that the proposed border cooperation agreement with China will top his agenda.

"India and China have historical issues, and there are areas of concern," he said.

"The two governments are addressing them with sincerity and maturity, without letting them affect the overall atmosphere of friendship and cooperation."

Transparency

Macao publishes assets of officials

Authorities in the Macao Special Administrative Region for the first time have declared the personal assets of officials and other high-ranking public servants in a move to intensify their anti-graft efforts.

Personal assets of more than 400 high-ranking public servants with the SAR, including Chief Executive Chui Sai On, members of the Legislative Assembly, administrative office directors, chiefs and deputy chiefs with government departments and public enterprises, were made public on Oct 19 on the website of the Court of Final Appeal of Macao.

The move came after a proposal on the declaration of public assets of officials was passed by the assembly in April last year.

It was also part of Chui's efforts to live up his promise during his inauguration as the region's chief executive in 2009 to build "a government under the sunshine" and promote clean government.

Chui declared that he owns two real estate properties in Macao and one on the Chinese mainland, of which he owned 50 percent of the property rights.

He also owns three parking spaces and is a sponsor or board member at eight other entities, including three universities.

Employment

Local govts urged to increase incomes

Premier Li Keqiang urged local governments on Oct 21 to work harder to increase workers' incomes and social insurance. Trade union representatives pledged to strengthen collective bargaining to meet the goals.

"The ultimate goal of economic development is to benefit our people," Li said during his report delivered to about 1,900 delegates at the 16th National Congress of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, who gathered in Beijing for the five-day meeting.

The government will create more job opportunities, ensure workers' incomes increase in line with economic growth and share the fruits of development, he said.

He stressed that all levels of government should attach great importance to solving problems involving pensions, healthcare, minimum living subsidies and housing.

Li said he noticed a worrying phenomenon, that some employers failed to make a contribution to their workers' insurance when their companies encountered difficulties.

Xi offers support to overseas Chinese

President Xi Jinping has urged overseas-educated experts and professionals to contribute to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, whether they return home or stay abroad.

Xi made the remarks at a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Western Returned Scholars Association, an organization formed by Chinese returnees from abroad.

The gathering took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct 21 and was attended by about 3,000 people.

Xi said the government supports students and scholars studying abroad, encourages them to return to China and guarantees them the freedom to come and go as they wish.

"You are warmly welcome if you return to China. If you stay abroad, we support you in serving the country in various ways," Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying.

The history of government-funded study overseas dates back to the 1840s.

Since 1978, China has continually increased the number of students sent to study abroad.

Between 1978 and 2012, 2.64 million students were sent overseas, with 1.09 million (41.3 percent) returning to China.

GM Food

Call for more data as certificates expire

Agricultural experts and the public are calling on authorities to accelerate progress on information disclosure about genetically modified food as the expiration date of biosafety certificates for two strains of GM rice approaches.

Questions from the public over the safety of GM food have grown in China since the Ministry of Agriculture issued biosafety certificates for two strains of pest-resistant GM rice in 2009.

The strains still need registration and production trials, which will take three to five years, before commercial planting can begin, according to the ministry.

The certificates will expire on Aug 17, 2014, according to Huazhong Agricultural University, the developer of the two strains.

Luo Yunbo, head of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, said that research conducted by his team five years ago showed that pigs suffered no ill effects when fed with GM rice.

"Compared with feeding with non-GM rice, there was no difference in the health condition of the pigs after they were fed with GM rice for 90 days," Luo said.

Scientists ask to plant GM crops

Experts in genetically modified product research have revealed that they petitioned the central government in July to increase the production of genetically modified crops.

More than 60 academics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering signed the petition and submitted it to the government, said Li Ning, from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at China Agricultural University.

Li, who also signed the petition, described the GM crop situation in China as "extremely grave".

China is one of the largest consumers of GM produce, but it currently depends on imports, rather than growing and selling its own GM crops, he said on Oct 20.

Premier Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev attributed the signing of a deal in Beijing on Oct 22 to high-level cooperation. Under the deal Russia will supply oil to China. Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

Heavy smog shrouds Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Oct 21, as schools were closed and some buses stopped running because of poor visibility. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

(China Daily European Weekly 10/25/2013 page2)