IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Xi's book praised during Turkish launch

The publication ceremony for the Turkish-language version of President Xi Jinping's book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China was held in the Turkish capital Ankara on April 17 and was attended by Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek. The book was released as trade with Turkey reached $19.5 billion last year. The two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges. The Turkish version of the book gives readers access to the Chinese leader's ideas on governance, the dreams and pursuits of the nation and the goals and tasks of China's reform and development, Liu said.

New PLA units are told to be combat-ready

President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, asked People's Liberation Army commanders on April 18 to focus on strengthening their units' combat capability following the establishment of 84 large units. Xi met with commanders of these new units at the commission's headquarters in Beijing. The new units must prepare themselves for combat and study wars, and they should concentrate on improving their joint operation capabilities and technology level, Xi said. The president also told the new forces to conduct more combat exercises and give priority to building "newtype" fighting capabilities.

Reforms to get boost in financial crime battle

China will further beef up its fight against money laundering, funding for terrorism and tax evasion as the central government calls for intensified supervision efforts to ensure the implementation of reforms. The three areas were highlighted at the 34th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform on April 18. It will seek to establish a supervision system and structure to fight the three illegal activities through the use of financial intelligence and monitoring and data sharing, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Li calls for boosting pace of economic growth

Premier Li Keqiang called at a meeting on April 18 for boosting the nation's economic transformation and pace of growth by promoting technological innovation, emerging industries and effective investment and consumption. Hundreds of government officials and well-known entrepreneurs were present at the meeting, which focused on enhancing new development concepts and new economic drivers. Among them were Lei Jun, founder of gadget maker Xiaomi, and the automobile company BYD's Chairman Wang Chuanfu. Amid domestic structural conflicts and downward pressure, China's economy can no longer proceed with the old development model as it confronts a sluggish world economic recovery, the premier said.

Survey finds bullying affects half of students

The 21st Century Education Research Institute, a think tank in Beijing, surveyed 1,003 students from 12 schools in the city - four primary schools, four middle schools and four high schools - and found that younger students experience school bullying more frequently than older ones, and male students are bullied more than their female peers. It found that nearly half of students had been intentionally bumped or knocked down by classmates. About 6 percent said they are targeted by bullies on campus every day.

Beijing under siege by catkins from trees

The Beijing municipal government is looking at ways to deal with the masses of willow and poplar catkins - pollinating flowers - blowing throughout the city. To solve the problem, the Beijing Landscape and Forestry Bureau said it will trim and thin trees and treat 400,000 willow and poplar trees with chemicals this year to limit their catkin production. It will also replace willow and poplar trees with other kinds of trees to gradually reduce the problem. In addition, it will use high-pressure water jets to reduce floating catkins and has asked the urban cleaning department to clear away the debris in a timely manner.

Readership on rise, mostly in digital form

Chinese adults read an average of just under eight books in 2016 - a tiny increase of 0.02 percent over 2015 - while a rapid increase of 6.1 percent was seen in the number of people reading digital content. Of the nearly eight books read by an average adult in 2016, about five were in print form and three were digital, according to Wei Yushan, head of the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, who announced the academy's major findings from the 14th survey of Chinese reading habits.

Forum will focus on ties with Japan

The 13th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, an annual key dialogue about China-Japan relations and exchanges, will kick off in Beijing in December just after the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. The results of a public opinion survey about ties between the two countries will be released ahead of the forum, according to event co-sponsors China International Publishing Group and Japanese nonprofit think tank Genron NPO on April 18. The forum, held alternately in Beijing and Tokyo, aims to improve bilateral relations and deepen understanding.

10 cases of bird flu have been found to date

Beijing has reported 10 human H7N9 bird flu cases so far this year, according to the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control on April 18. The two most recent cases were reported on April 5. In both, the patients had contact with live poultry. One patient died of the infection on April 8 after treatment failed. The other was still being treated and was said to be in stable condition. Beijing has begun environmental monitoring in six districts that are involved in agriculture. Experts recommend that people avoid contact with dead and live poultry and only buy poultry with quarantine certificates.

Construction begins on panda-themed library

Construction of a panda-themed library started on April 18 in Sichuan province, home of the endangered animals. The library, located at the Chengdu Panda Road Primary School, is expected to open next year. With a planned area of around 1,000 square meters, the facility will be able to house tens of thousands of books, audio files and videos on giant pandas in different languages, according to school principal Zhang Mingrong. The idea for the library came from several third-graders at the school and was later approved by the local government.

Taxes cut to help spur growth of businesses

New tax cuts to spur economic dynamism were approved at the State Council's executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, on April 19. Some pilot taxation incentives will be expanded and the value added tax will be consolidated. They are the first tax incentives since the two sessions legislative and advisory meetings, "and they must be fully implemented in a timely manner," Li emphasized. Tax burdens on businesses will be eased by about 350 billion yuan ($50.8 billion; 47.4 billion euros; ￡39.7 billion), a goal set in this year's Government Work Report in March. The government will further streamline tax structures as part of a flatter and more transparent tax system.

Beijing urges US to change export policies

Beijing urged Washington on April 19 to "adjust its outdated policies" on exports to China in light of a recent analysis saying US policy in areas like high-tech goods "significantly contributes" to its trade deficit with China. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said it is hoped Washington will "create conditions for handling its trade deficit". China is "willing to expand imports from the US based on the actual needs of the domestic market", Lu said, responding to a question about the analysis at a daily news conference in Beijing.

EU is urged to normalize the status of China

China urged the European Union on April 19 to fulfill the provisions of the protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization as soon as possible. State Councilor Yang Jiechi made the remark after talks with Federica Mogherini, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission. They led the seventh round of high-level strategic dialogues at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Under Article 15 of the protocol, WTO members were to end after Dec 11, 2016, the organization's surrogate country approach regarding anti-dumping investigations of China. The date was exactly 15 years after China's admission.

Turkish leader eager for Belt and Road forum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on April 18 that he looked forward to attending the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation planned for May in China and to meeting with President Xi Jinping. Erdogan spoke during his meeting with Vice-Premier Liu Yandong in Ankara, the Turkish capital. He requested that Liu convey his greetings to Xi and said his meetings with the president in recent years had promoted strong ties between Turkey and China. The Turkish president said the region, as well as the world, will benefit from strengthened dovetailing of the development strategies and deepened cooperation in various fields between the two countries.

Interpol red notice issued for suspect

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said on April 19 that Interpol had issued a red notice for criminal suspect Guo Wengui. Spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks in response to a question at the ministry's routine media briefing. An Interpol red notice indicates a high priority and is the nearest thing to an international arrest warrant.

Safety in workplace improves in first quarter

Workplace accidents and deaths in China dropped in the first quarter of this year as the government stepped up work safety inspections, data released on April 19 showed. The number of workplace accidents plunged by 26.3 percent year-on-year to 10,131 in the first three months, while the death toll in those accidents dropped by 16.6 percent to 7,196, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

China seeking students from along Belt, Road

China will try to attract more students from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, education officials said at a news conference on April 19. The students are expected to become the majority in China's international student group in the years to come, the officials said. Recruitment of students from those places will be a "mission of great significance" for the Ministry of Education going forward, said Xu Tao, director of the ministry's international cooperation and exchange department.

Country to draft job skills plan with BRICS

China plans to draft a skills-training action plan with other BRICS nations, Hao Bin, an official of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said on April 19. The action is aimed to get rid of poverty and enhance cooperation of labor and employment research organizations so that developing countries have a greater voice in global governance. Hao, who is the ministry's director of international cooperation, spoke at the 2017 First BRICS Employment Working Group Meeting, a preparatory meeting for a conference of labor and employment ministers of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The conference will be in Chongqing in July.

Harbin students send tiny satellite into orbit

A nanosatellite made by students at the Harbin Institute of Technology was launched in the United States on April 18 as part of a mission to the International Space Station. The satellite, LilacSat-1, was on a Cygnus cargo spacecraft launched atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 11:11 am, according to Wei Mingchuan, the 26-year-old team leader and a second-year PhD candidate in astronautics at the institute in Heilongjiang province. LilacSat-1 consists of two conjoined cube units, each with a side length of 10 centimeters. The 2-kilogram satellite will be deployed at an attitude of about 400 kilometers above the ground from the space station within three months of docking with the cargo craft.

Green card to become smart ID with chip

Foreign permanent residents in China will have their "green cards" upgraded starting in July, which may make their daily life and work easier in the country, according to a reform plan issued by the Ministry of Public Security on April 17. The existing permanent resident's permit, known as the Chinese green card, will be replaced by the Foreign Permanent Residence Identity Card. Similar to the second generation of ID cards for Chinese citizens, the machine-readable smart card will contain a chip in which the foreigner's identity information is kept, and the information will be shared by railways, airlines, hotels and banks, according to the plan. The card also has anti-counterfeiting features, officials said.

THAAD deployment's 'immediate halt' sought

Beijing has urged "an immediate halt" to deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense antimissile system in the Republic of Korea after Washington and Seoul agreed on its early deployment. Hwang Kyo-ahn, ROK acting president, confirmed the consensus for "a swift deployment of THAAD" at a joint news conference with visiting US Vice-President Mike Pence on April 17 in Seoul. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said "there is no change" in China's position of opposing the deployment. The deployment has angered Beijing and Moscow and chilled ROK-China ties, as its radar can reach up to 2,000 kilometers.

Scientists unlock role of TCM drug in weight loss

Chinese scientists have identified the chemical mechanism of celastrol, which they call one of the most potent natural weight-loss agents, marking another step toward its possible future development into a major weight-loss drug. The compound is extracted from the roots of the thunder god vine, a toxic herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to cure arthritis and autoimmune diseases. A research team led by Zhang Xiaokun, president of Xiamen University's Institute for Biomedical Research, found celastrol can change a cell's metabolism by eliminating inflamed mitochondria, leading to weight loss.

China, Vietnam to press ahead on trade initiative

China and Vietnam on April 17 vowed to push forward with the Belt and Road Initiative and maintain stability at sea. State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh spoke during the 10th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee on Cooperation, which they led jointly. Minh was on a China visit from April 16 through April 18. Yang said both nations should make efforts to ensure successful visits of their leaders to each other's countries this year. The two leaders agreed to plan this year's work, with "deepening high-level interaction" as the main focus.

(China Daily European Weekly 04/21/2017 page2)