IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Li: China, Canada willing to study FTA

China and Canada are willing to conduct feasibility studies toward a free trade agreement in an open and pragmatic manner, Premier Li Keqiang said after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec 4. Trudeau, who took office two years ago, was on his second official visit to China from Dec 3 to Dec 7. Li said relations between the two countries are in a "golden age" and that they should further diversify cooperation because they share great complementary advantages. "China stands ready for an open and candid discussion toward a free trade agreement with Canada, and both China and Canada are willing to jointly facilitate free trade and investment," Li said.

Stable China-Japan ties emphasized at dialogue

A stable, healthy relationship between China and Japan conforms to the shared interests of the two countries, former vice-premier Zeng Peiyan said in Tokyo for the third round of a dialogue between Chinese and Japanese business leaders and former high-ranking officials, which kicked off on Dec 4. "Chinese leaders attach great importance to developing relations with Japan," added Zeng, who is now chairman of the nongovernmental organization China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "Economic and trade cooperation is one of their shared interests and is believed to be 'a ballast stone' for stabilizing bilateral relations." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China and Japan have an inseparable relationship. At their meetings in October, leaders of the two countries reached the consensus on consolidating the momentum to move China-Japan ties forward, deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation on all fronts and jointly exploring third-party markets.

PLA Air Force units explore new airspace

The People's Liberation Army Air Force recently sent its electronic intelligence aircraft to conduct long-range training over the Yellow and East China seas, said Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, spokesman for the PLA Air Force, on Dec 4. Shen said at an unidentified air base in northern China that during the exercise, the electronic intelligence aircraft used a route that the Air Force had not flown before and reached areas it had never been to. In addition to the reconnaissance planes, the Air Force also dispatched fighter jets, early warning aircraft and air-defense missile units to take part in the operation, he said. Shen said several Air Force units carried out long-distance exercises over open seas in the past month, exploring new routes and airspace that had never been used by Chinese Air Force aircraft.

Chinese tourists resume trips to South Korea

A Chinese tourist group began a visit to South Korea on Dec 2, eight months after package tours were halted because of a diplomatic dispute sparked by the US military's deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the country. The tourist group of 32 people from Beijing was to spend five days in Seoul, according to Sun Lichan, director of the marketing department of Haitao Travel, the tourism company that organized the trip. Any industry related to Lotte Group will be avoided in the company's new travel schedules, Sun said. The Lotte Duty Free Shop, a former popular shopping spot for Chinese tourists, will be replaced by the Shilla Duty Free Shop. South Korea's trade and tourism industries saw downturns because of the THAAD issue. In March, Chinese travel agencies stopped selling package tours to South Korea after the THAAD deployment.

Beijing limiting signs on tops of buildings

The Beijing city management authority is limiting the number and placement of signs on buildings in order to "create an urban skyline that is visually clear and bright", and to strengthen urban management. The campaign was launched as part of the capital's urban planning for 2016 to 2035. According to a notice from the Beijing Commission of City Management, all signs and billboards attached to roofs must be removed. In addition, there can be only one sign with a building's name on the third story or higher, and the name should be the same as the one registered with planning authorities. Each of the capital's 16 districts will launch an enforcement campaign, the notification said, and any failure by institutions or individuals to remove "noncompliant" signs will be noted on their credit record. According to Beijing Daily, nearly 9,000 signs and billboards had been removed by Nov 30.

Provincial roads to go cashless

A total of 800 highway lanes in Jiangxi province will adopt mobile payment at toll stations before the end of December, the highway administration said on Dec 4. Scanning devices are being installed at toll stations, and some are already in use, according to the administration. As of October, the province had 335 toll stations.

Airline to launch Lijiang-KL service

Lucky Air, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, is scheduled to launch direct flights linking Lijiang, Yunnan province, with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in mid-December. The debut flight will be on Dec 12, the airline announced on Dec 4. An Airbus A320 will operate three round-trip flights per week, it said. This will be Lucky Air's second direct service to the Malaysian capital; it also operates flights from Kunming. The service is expected to help boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two cities, the airline said.

Yunnan province reports H7N9 case

Yunnan local health authorities reported a case of human infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus on Dec 4. A 64-year-old man from Kunming was confirmed as having the infection on Nov 30. A dozen chickens raised by the man died before he fell ill, according to the provincial health and family planning commission. The man has been hospitalized, and those who had been in contact with him have been checked and found not to be infected.

Huangshan lowers admission charge

Mount Huangshan in Anhui province lowered its winter admission fee at the beginning of December, the management committee said on Dec 4. The ticket price was reduced from 230 yuan ($35; 29 euros; ￡26) per person to 150 yuan, and discounts have been applied to cable car rides, according to the committee. Huangshan, one of China's most famous mountains, is known for its stunning sunrises, winter snow scenes and views from above the clouds. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.

President Xi vows more openness for business

China will not close its door to the world, and will only become increasingly open, with its business environment becoming more open, transparent and regulated, President Xi Jinping said. Xi made the pledge in a message sent to convey his congratulations on the start on Dec 6 of the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, in which more than 1,100 prominent political, economic and academic figures from around the world are participating. Vice-Premier Wang Yang spoke at the opening ceremony of the forum, saying that China will deliberate on a timetable and a road map for expanding the opening-up in some priority areas. Xi said China's economy has the foundation, conditions and impetus to maintain stable growth and sound momentum. China will continue to forge global partnerships, expand common interests with other countries and further liberalize and facilitate trade and investment, the president said. Xi welcomed global businesses to invest in China to share the opportunities brought by the country's reform and development. The country will further comprehensively deepen its reform, spur innovation capability in all walks of life and unleash the dynamics of development, Xi said.

Worldwide manhunt nets 50th fugitive

A global campaign to catch China's most-wanted fugitives saw the return of its 50th corruption suspect, the top anti-graft watchdog said on Dec 5. The milestone was achieved with the detention of Zhou Jiyang, 47, who has been on the run in Hong Kong for nine years, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He was among 100 Chinese fugitives for whom Interpol issued red notices - international arrest warrants - in April 2015. He was detained by Zhejiang police on Dec 1 and any ill-gotten assets will be confiscated according to the law. The case is still under investigation, the CCDI said in a statement. Since April 2015, half of the 100 corrupt fugitives have been brought back from more than 16 countries and regions to stand trial, which fully reflects "China's firm determination and resolute confidence to pursue the fugitives to the end", the CCDI said.

Eateries reassure customers

Several restaurants in Shanghai, including McDonald's and Taoyuan Village, said on Dec 5 that their products are completely safe after a recent official spot check found 10 eateries selling substandard youtiao, fried dough sticks usually eaten for breakfast. Officials from the Shanghai Consumer Council raided 29 popular eateries and reported those not changing the cooking oil frequently or producing food where certain indicators exceeded the standards to the city's Food and Drug Administration. Five were closed by the FDA for not having a business license, while another five were ordered to come up to code. Youtiao sold in two McDonald's outlets in Yangpu district and a diner in Changning district were found to contain residues of plasticizer, but none exceeded the national upper limit of 1.5 milligrams per kilogram.

Zhangjiakou offers free skiing for youths

Youngsters from Zhangjiakou, co-host of the 2022 Winter Olympics, can ski for free at major resorts in Chongli district during the 2017-18 season, a move to inspire more young people to participate in winter sports. Seven ski resorts - Genting, Wanlong, Taiwu, Fulong, Dolomiti, Changchengling and Cuiyunshan - will provide runs and cable car services for skiers under 16 until the end of the ski season, according to the city's sports bureau. The aim is to create a strong atmosphere for winter sports and provide an opportunity for children to get involved in it, says Zhang Dianzhong, an official at Zhangjiakou education commission, one of the initiators of the program. "China aims to have 300 million people participating in winter sports by 2022, when Beijing and Zhangjiakou will host the Winter Olympics," Zhang says, adding that the program is just one of many efforts to reach that goal.

Amphibious plane passes assessment

The AG600, a large amphibious aircraft developed by China, has passed the official technical quality assessment for its maiden flight, according to Aviation Industry Corporation of China. Designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, the 37-meter-long AG600 has a wingspan of 38.8 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 metric tons.

Vice-premier meets with British PM

Visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong met with British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in London on Dec 5, the first full day of her official visit to the United Kingdom, which lasted until Dec 7. Liu said the successful 19th CPC National Congress has injected new impetus into future development of the Sino-UK relationship. Additionally, the Belt and Road Initiative provides new opportunities for cooperation between China and the United Kingdom, she said. The two sides should fully implement the important consensus of the leaders of both countries, further enhance mutual trust, properly handle differences and push practical cooperation in various fields to new levels, Liu said.

Even more public data to be open

China will further integrate government information systems and enable more information to be disclosed on how public resources are distributed, according to a decision made at the State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Dec 6. The government will work to consolidate and integrate the national data sharing and exchange platform to enable connectivity across networks and data and administrative services, it was decided at the meeting. This move is part of the government's effort to streamline administration, enhance compliance oversight and provide better and faster administrative services to the public. Chinese leaders have stressed on multiple occasions the importance of integration, sharing and disclosure in the running of government information systems. Li said the integration and sharing of government information systems should be accelerated to deliver better administrative services.

Tibetans invite US lawmakers to region

US lawmakers are welcome to visit Tibet to better understand the autonomous region of China, Danzeng Langjie, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Tibet autonomous region, said in Washington. "Seeing is believing. We've extended our invitation to ask more senators and representatives to visit Tibet, and they said they are very interested in going to the region to see for themselves the changes and achievements in Tibet," Danzeng Langjie said at a news conference on Dec 5 after a delegation that he led met with US senators Steve Daines, John Barraso and representatives Darin LaHood and Rick Larsen.

Company may launch new space centers

China Great Wall Industry Corp, the country's largest space contractor on the international market, is considering using existing overseas launch facilities or building new ones in foreign territories to lift Chinese carrier rockets, executives said. Yin Liming, the company's president, said on the sidelines of the fifth China Space Forum held by the company in Beijing that working with foreign nations to use or construct launchpads or launch centers would strengthen China's international space cooperation. He said this would allow China to use launch facilities that have geographic advantages such as those near the equator.

Rescue exercise involves 4 nations

China, Australia, New Zealand and the United States kicked off a three-day humanitarian aid tabletop exercise on Dec 6 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to further strengthen coordination and cooperation in joint rescue missions. The exercise, dubbed Cooperation Spirit 2017, involved 28 naval and air force rescue personnel from the four countries. The training scenarios involved joint search and rescue operations for downed planes in the eastern Indian Ocean.

(China Daily European Weekly 12/08/2017 page2)