IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Xi sees 'new vistas' in Sino-US ties

President Xi Jinping wrote in a congratulatory letter to the National Committee on US-China Relations that the two nations' relationship "enjoys whole new vistas". The organization held its annual gala at The Plaza hotel in New York on Nov 20, and Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the United States, read Xi's letter. In it, he offered "heartfelt appreciation" for the committee's efforts to promote China-US ties. He also congratulated the US corporations honored at the event. Microsoft Corp and Qualcomm Inc were honored for their efforts to enhance China-US relations by the way they conduct business in China. "Going forward, China will stay committed to deepening its reform, opening itself wider to the world and enhancing its friendship and cooperation with other countries," Xi wrote. "In this context, the China-US relationship enjoys whole new vistas." He added that he and US President Donald Trump, during Trump's state visit to China this month, "reached important consensuses on a broad range of issues".

President hails work of NGOs along Silk Road

President Xi Jinping called for nongovernmental organizations along the Silk Road to contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between people of different countries, promoting common development and building a community of shared future for mankind. He made the remark in a congratulatory message to the First Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network Forum, which started on Nov 21 in Beijing and drew nearly 200 representatives from more than 50 countries. Xi said the building of the Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network is an important step for strengthening exchanges and cooperation among people of the Silk Road countries and facilitating people-to-people connectivity. Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, read the president's message at the opening ceremony of the two-day forum. Song called for NGOs in countries along the Silk Road to contribute to promoting the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and building a community of shared future for mankind.

Nation 'leads world' in remote sensing tech

The Ministry of Science and Technology's National Remote Sensing Center published its annual Global Ecological Environment Sensing report on Nov 21, detailing landscapes, resources, roads, vegetation and other geological factors for more than 170 countries and regions across Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. "It is the world's most detailed and comprehensive geographic report for these continents, and all the data sets are available to the public," says Wang Qi'an, director of the sensing center. "China now leads the world in remote sensing technologies for scientific purposes," he adds. These new maps and data allow scientists and officials to get a deeper understanding of the environment, discover potential issues and create more effective planning and polices, Wang says.

Li urges Japan to get ties back on track

Premier Li Keqiang urged Japan on Nov 21 to get China-Japan relations back on the right track by continuing to improve bilateral ties and avoiding interference. A healthy and stable relationship is in line with the common interests of both countries, Li said in a meeting with a Japanese business delegation. Mutual trust is the key to improving bilateral ties, and grassroots exchanges are fundamental to the process, he said. Li said he hopes the two countries can work together to promote ties, based on four political documents that were signed between 1972 and 2008 and were confirmed as abiding principles by both countries in 2014. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries, while next year will be the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan.

System to guide suits of civilians vs military

A Beijing court and the People's Liberation Army established a working system on Nov 21 to help resolve civilian-military disputes. "The system will not only help us efficiently handle a rising number of disputes brought by ongoing military reform, but also improve our communications with military courts," says Wu Zaicun, president of Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court. China began a massive reform of its military two years ago. It has included merging departments to optimize efficiency and restricting commercial activities to safeguard security and prevent corruption. "As the reform is being pushed forward, some disputes have arisen between civilians and the military," says Sun Guoming, vice-president of the court. "While facing the boom, we've met difficulties in handling cases, which is why we urgently need the system," Sun says. Li Weihai, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, applauds the system, saying similar working mechanisms between civilian and military courts, such as liaisons, are common in developed countries.

Long March 6 lofts 3 satellites into orbit

China launched a Long March 6 carrier rocket on Nov 21 to send three small Earth-observation satellites into space. The Long March 6 blasted off at 12:50 pm at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province and put three Jilin 1-series satellites into orbit, according to a news release from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the major contractor of China's space programs. It was the second mission for the Long March 6, a new-generation, liquid-propellant rocket, the release said. The three-stage rocket's first launch was in September 2015, when it put 20 satellites into orbit, setting a record for the most satellites launched by a single Chinese rocket. Development of the Long March 6, the first of China's new generation of carrier rockets, began in 2009 at the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. The 29.3-meter rocket can place about a metric ton of payload into a sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above Earth. Its main propulsion is a 120-ton-thrust engine that burns liquid oxygen and kerosene.

Ancient tombs are excavated

Archaeologists have excavated 112 tombs in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, three of which are believed to be the region's oldest, the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology announced on Nov 21. The three tombs, one of which contains the remains of a male and female couple, are believed to date to the early Bronze Age more than 4,900 years ago, according to the institute. The tombs were discovered in May by construction workers building a highway in Nilka county.

Chengdu-Xi'an train link promotes travel, tourism

The trial run of a bullet train from Chengdu, Sichuan province, to Xi'an in neighboring Shaanxi province took about four hours on Nov 22, cutting travel time between the cities by about six hours. The Xi'an-Chengdu High-Speed Railway is expected to formally open on Nov 30, said Xia Yongjing, an information officer for China Railway Chengdu Group. It will run on a daily basis, she said, and is designed for speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. The train passes through Deyang, Mianyang and Guangyuan in Sichuan, and Ningqiang and Hanzhong in Shaanxi. Guangyuan is less well-known but has the Shu Path. Shu was the ancient name of Sichuan. The path is one of the world's oldest land transport systems, with the most complicated landforms, most dangerous roads and most abundant historical ruins, according to Zhang Hu, chief the Sichuan World Heritage Application Office of the provincial housing and development agency.

Xi sets steps for deepening reform

President Xi Jinping called for continuous and resolute efforts to deepen overall reform as the top reform agency convened on Nov 21 for the first time since the Party's national congress established reform procedures in multiple areas. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, set down requirements while presiding over the first meeting of the 19th Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform. The group is headed by Xi. During the meeting, Xi stressed that great achievements have been reached in deepening reform, and that there remains huge potential for further measures. Members of the leading group, including Li Keqiang, Zhang Gaoli, Wang Yang and Wang Huning, attended the conference. The president required local authorities to focus on reform tasks set at the CPC's 19th National Congress. The congress, which was held last month, drew up the blueprint for the country's development in the coming decades.

First fleet of self-driving taxis expected by March

The first fleet of 50 self-driving taxis developed by a Chinese startup company is expected to hit the road in East China's Anhui province by March, which may give the nation a head start over other countries in terms of commercial autonomous vehicles. Customers will be able to order self-driving taxis in Anqing, Anhui province, through a ride-hailing app, says Wang Jing, founder of JingChi Corp. During the test period, the cab will have a "safety officer" in the driver's seat, says Wang, a former senior vice-president at Baidu Inc who used to run Baidu's autonomous driving division. "As the government gradually shapes policies and regulations of automated vehicles and more passengers get used to the service, we would consider removing the safety officer in the future," he says. If that happens, China will be two years ahead of a global target for commercial use of self-driving vehicles set by the auto and technology industry.

Power merger generates energy behemoth

China's largest coal mining company and a major power generator said on Nov 20 that their merger was completed, creating the world's largest utility provider by capacity as the country continues to reform its huge State sector. Coal producer Shenhua Group and China Guodian Corp, one of the top five State power producers, announced the official merger into a new entity called China Energy Investment Corp. It comes as the country is trying to cut industrial overcapacity and streamline State-owned enterprises. The merger will create an energy behemoth with combined assets estimated to exceed 1.8 trillion yuan ($271.5 billion; 230.9 billion euros; ￡204.6 billion) and the fourth-largest Chinese energy sector SOE after China National Petroleum Corp, the country's largest oil and gas supplier and producer; China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, the world's biggest refiner; and State Grid Corp of China, the nation's electric power giant.

Guideline for working with children issued

A guideline detailing the skills needed by adults who provide charity services for children - such as day care, physical therapy and education - was jointly released by five social agencies in Beijing on Nov 20, based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The guideline was released in the wake of alleged child abuse at a day care center run by online travel agency Ctrip and at other facilities in recent months. Questionnaires were collected from 265 service providers in 21 areas of China who have worked for an average of 5.4 years. The guideline listed four behavioral standards - always considering the child's best interest, avoiding discrimination and banning all forms of abuse, along with listening and showing respect. It stressed that providers should be able to communicate well, not only with children but with their parents and teachers, and be highly sensitive to children's psychological and behavioral problems.

Pretrial meeting held over missing MH370

A pretrial conference in the high-profile litigation related to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared on its way to Beijing in 2014, was focused mainly on exchanges of evidence and clarifying appeals and opinions of the parties and ended on Nov 21, a lawyer involved in the litigation says. The two-day conference was held at Beijing Railway Transport Court, which said 37 cases related to the missing flight are now ready to be heard. Families of passengers are seeking compensation ranging from 10 million yuan ($1.5 million; 1.29 million euros; ￡1.14 million) to 75 million yuan from defendants Malaysia Airlines Systems, which operated the flight and was subsequently renamed Malaysia Airlines Berhad; aircraft maker Boeing; engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce; and German insurance company Allianz. Pretrial conferences are held to understand the demands and opinions of litigants, often in highly complex cases with large amounts of evidence and many litigants, in accordance with Civil Procedure Law. It indicates that a trial is near.

Supply of leukemia medicine resumes

A pharmaceutical company has resumed supplying leukemia medicine for children after a severe shortage triggered widespread panic among the families of patients. Premier Li Keqiang urged all parties involved on Nov 20 to take swift action to ensure availability. The medicine, mercaptopurine, is the main medication for acute lymphocytic leukemia in children. Zhebei Pharmaceutical, one of the certified producers, has promised to provide 60,000 bottles to its national distributor and make the medicine available in hospitals and pharmacies within the next few days, according to news website Zhejiang Online. The company delivered 15,000 bottles on Nov 21, according to the WeChat account of Deqing county, where it is located.

Xinjiang offers free education

Starting on Dec 1, 857,200 high school students in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will each receive 15 years of free education, according to the regional education department on Nov 21. Fees for tuition, textbooks and accommodations will be waived for the students, who are studying at high schools and secondary vocational schools in Xinjiang. Additional subsidies will be provided to students from poor families. Xinjiang has become China's first provincial-level region to offer free education from preschool to high school.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/24/2017 page2)