Category: Society

(Xinhua)15:39, July 01, 2019

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) — The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, Chinas busiest high-speed railway, saw over 350,000 passenger trips made each day on average in the past eight years.

A total of 1.03 billion passenger trips had been made via 944,000 trains since the railway started operation on June 30, 2011, according to the operator of the railway.

Growth of passenger trips averaged 20.4 percent each year during the past eight years, with steady improvement of the passenger load factor.

With the countrys two metropolitans as terminals, the railway connects several economic hubs in north and east China including Tianjin and Nanjing.

China has the worlds largest high-speed railway network, with operating mileage exceeding 29,000 km by the end of 2018.

(Xinhua)08:52, July 02, 2019

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) — With less than 1,000 days to go before the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, a newly-developed center for winter sports promotion in Beijing has become a popular attraction for community residents.

The underground center, the first of its kind in Xicheng District, covers an area of 800 square meters, comprising five parts for smart skiing, VR skiing on ski simulators, childrens rock climbing, a Beijing local indigenous ice sport bingcuqiu, as well as an exhibition of Winter Olympic culture.

Since it opened on May 22, the Baizhifang Ice and Snow Experience Center has hosted more than 1,000 visitors from the Baizhifang subdistrict. Local residents book free tickets through community staff.

The experience center is very convenient for children to gain simple knowledge of winter sports, said Mi Tao, a resident who took his eight-year-old son to the center for the first time.

The Baizhifang winter sports experience center inside a neighborhood was previously shabby rental rooms. Due to safety concerns, the local government closed the rental rooms.

The subdistrict had been looking for a place to build a winter sports venue. The size of this emptied place is suitable and we decided to build the center after sports experts assessed the site, said Ge Li, deputy director of the subdistrict office.

The long-term experience center makes ice and snow sports closer to people as many residents like them, he said, adding that the traditional bingcuqiu sport fits both children and the elderly.

With sports equipment, coaches and barrier-free facilities, the center attracts as many as 100 residents a day. With government investment, the center is operated by a private non-profit organization.

The center is for public welfare, but we must first ensure the safety of all participants. Workers are available at each sports experience site to offer help and instruction, said Sun Xueyu, a female worker at the center.

According to her, the center may adjust the variety of sports according to the demands of residents in the future. Winter sports lectures and classes for children will also be organized.

As part of the efforts to brace for the 24th Winter Olympics, China is aiming to encourage 300 million people in the country to participate in winter sports.

(Xinhua)14:12, July 02, 2019

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) — Several provincial-level regions on Monday started implementing the China VI vehicle emission standards ahead of schedule to ramp up efforts against a major source of air pollution.

Sales and registrations of new vehicles in regions including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hebei Province and Guangdong Province now have to comply with what is believed to be one of the worlds strictest rules on automobile pollutants.

In Beijing, all new buses and other heavy-duty diesel vehicles shall follow the new emission rules, while all new vehicles are expected to follow suit starting Jan. 1, 2020.

All existing vehicles on the roads are obliged to meet the previous China V emission standards.

According to official data, emissions from some 6.2 million vehicles were responsible for 45 percent of Beijings concentration of small, breathable particles known as PM2.5, a key indicator of air pollution.

Compared with the National V standards, the new rules demand substantially fewer pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matters and introduce limits on particulate number and ammonia.

The new emission standards were initially set to take effect nationwide from July 1, 2020. A three-year action plan on air pollution control released last July urged early implementation in major heavily-polluted areas, the Pearl River Delta region, Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality.

Automakers and the market have been preparing for the tougher rules.

Manufacturers have completed the development of most China VI models and have entered the stage of mass production and sales, said Liu Youbin, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

By June 20, 99 light vehicle makers had unveiled environmental protection information of 2,144 new models and 60 heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers unveiled information on 896 green models, Liu said.

The market has basically accomplished a smooth transition, Liu said.

Li Hong, an official with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), said roll-outs of China VI vehicles as well as preferential tax and fee policies would boost Chinas auto market.

The production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) will continue its relatively fast growth, Li said.

Car sales in China continued to drop in May, with about 1.913 million vehicles sold, down by 16.4 percent year on year, CAAM showed. Bucking the trend, sales of NEVs kept growing that month, edging up 1.8 percent year on year.

China saw robust sales growth of NEVs in the first four months this year with 360,000 NEVs sold, surging by 59.8 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Chinese authorities have announced that the tax exemptions on NEV purchases will continue through 2020 to boost the countrys green development and retain a strong domestic market.

(Xinhua)14:32, July 02, 2019

HONG KONG, July 2 (Xinhua) — Chief Executive of Chinas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam on Tuesday strongly condemned the violent acts of some protesters who stormed the Legislative Council (LegCo) building.

Lam said she was saddened and shocked by the use of violence and vandalism, stressing that any illegal acts committed by the protesters would be investigated.

This is something that we should seriously condemn because nothing is more important than the rule of law in Hong Kong, she told the media. I hope community at large will agree with us that with these violent acts that we have seen, it is right for us to condemn it and hope the society will return to normal as soon as possible.

On Monday night, some radical protesters stormed into the Legislative complex and destroyed equipment inside the chamber of the building.

After the midnight, the police cleared roadblocks and drove off protesters who were staying in the Legislative Council complex.

Speaking with the media early Tuesday, Lam said that some protesters confronted the police, blocked roads and used unidentified liquid to attack police officers on Monday.

Some protesters tried to intrude the LegCo Complex, using a roll cage trolley as a battering ram and iron poles to shatter glass doors of the LegCo. They, during the clash, also threw toxic powder at the police.

On Monday evening, a number of protesters stormed into the complex, destroyed the chamber and defaced the Hong Kong emblem.

(Xinhua)07:55, July 03, 2019

A primary school principal has been transferred to procurators in northeast China for allegedly assaulting underage girls.

The suspect surnamed Wang was the principal of the Shuikou Primary School in Gaotai Township of Liaoning Province. Wang, 50, is suspected of sexually abusing five minors, according to local authorities.

According to the education bureau of Suizhong County, which administers the township, parents of the students last month reported to authorities about five underage girls being sexually abused by Wang, which led to the suspects detention.

The school has 120 students and eight faculty members. Wang has been principal of the school since 1991.

(China Daily)09:27, June 04, 2019

President Xi Jinping has called for more efforts to encourage the public to grasp the importance and necessity of trash sorting, so that all of society can help improve the living environment and contribute to green and sustainable development.

Xi said in a recent instruction published on Monday that the enforcement of trash sorting also saves resources by enabling recycling. It is an important indicator of a societys level of civilization, he said.

The key to promoting trash sorting is to step up scientific management, establish a long-term mechanism and nurture good habits, he said.

Xi called for steady, concrete efforts to guide the public and for adjusting measures to fit local conditions as the country moves forward with trash sorting measures.

He also underlined the need for extensive endeavors to educate the public on the subject, and through effective supervision and guidance to enable more people to develop responsible habits.

The president has highlighted the importance of trash sorting on several occasions.

In December 2016, he chaired a meeting of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs in which measures promoting a trash sorting mechanism were studied.

The establishment of a waste disposal system that separates trash into categories during collection, transport and processing procedures must be accelerated, he said at the time.

A trash sorting system, developed on the basis of the rule of law, must be carried forward by authorities, ensure participation from all of society and coordinate the development of rural and urban areas, the president added.

Starting this year, trash sorting has been promoted in all cities at the prefectural level or above. It was piloted in 46 cities earlier.

A survey conducted by the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment found that 92.2 percent of the public recognized the importance of trash sorting to the protection of the environment. More than 30 percent of respondents said they think they are doing very well, or relatively well, with sorting.

More than 13,000 individuals across the country responded to the survey.

Ren Yong, head of the ministrys Environmental Development Center, said a viable option to encourage trash sorting by the public is to offer incentives to residents to participate.

He noted, for example, communities in Xiamen, Fujian province, that have a mobile phone app that rewards residents for separating waste at collection points.

It is also important to ensure the separation of trash during transport, he said.

It is a systematic project from the beginning to the end, and thus it will require a step-by-step effort, he said.

(CRI Online)13:46, June 16, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 1, 2018. President Xi attended a working dinner with President Trump in Buenos Aires on Saturday. [File Photo: Xinhua]

The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman says U.S. President Donald Trump should meet with Chinas President Xi Jinping face-to-face to find a credible and gradual approach to solving the trade dispute between their two countries.

In the commentary published on June 4, Friedman argues that President Trump was right to address the challenges that come from Chinas industrial upgrading, but says the solution is a level playing field, not a battle ground. He also called on President Trump to abandon his attempts to isolate China.

(Chinadaily.com.cn)16:24, June 27, 2019

[Photo from web]

The man who violently attacked a woman on a street in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Saturday has been placed under criminal detention for violence and sexual assault, local police said in the early hours of Thursday.

A CCTV footage showing the man punching and kicking a woman for 68 seconds on a street in the early hours of Saturday began to circulate Monday evening on social media, and soon turned into a hot issue on the internet.

In the footage, a woman, Wu, is seen walking alone while looking at her cellphone. Suddenly, a man walks over to her and starts punching her in the face with his fists. He then kicks her in the head and abdomen after she falls on the ground. The man also tries to pull down her skirt. At last, the man drags her out of the monitoring range of the surveillance camera.

More details of the case were unveiled in a statement released by Dalian police around 1 am on Thursday. Wu and her friend surnamed Yu were walking home together after having a drink. They said goodbye to each other near the community where Wu lives. As the 29-year-old continued to walk home, she was attacked by the man. After she became unconscious, the man dragged her into the hallway of an apartment building and sexually assaulted her. The man then fled on a taxi, the police said.

Yu tried to contact Wu after returning home but received no reply so became worried. She decided to go to Wus place and check on her. On her way, Yu saw Wu who had just gained consciousness. Wu then used Yus phone to call the police at 1:35 am.

After receiving the call, a police officer and two assistance officers arrived at the scene at 1:39 am. The police asked Wu to go to the hospital after taking pictures and videos of her injures. Yu then accompanied Wu to the hospital where she was treated for facial soft tissue injuries. She was later sent home.

At 11 am, Wu went to the Donghualu street police station to file a statement. The police then launched the investigation and located the suspect surnamed Wang around 9 pm on Tuesday. Wang was arrested about an hour later.

Wang, 31, from Dalian said Wang had emotional disputes with his girlfriend and was drunk. He took a taxi to go to his girlfriends place and she broke up with him over the phone. Wang became furious and got off the taxi. He then met Wu and carried out the attack.

On Tuesday morning, the public order bureau of the Ministry of Public Security asked the public to provide leads on the incident, as there were no clear signs or landmarks to indicate where the attack took place. Also, the source of the footage was unclear, the bureau said in its Weibo post.

The bureau added another post around noon on Tuesday again, asking people to provide information about the footage. It also asked the man to turn himself in.

Many people started to share in the comments their analysis of the footage based on the accent of the woman, the manufacture of the surveillance system and the environment of the scene.

Dalian police said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that the incident took place in the city.

(Peoples Daily Online)09:19, June 27, 2019

Wang Fan in flight training (Photo/Official WeChat account of Beihang University)

The first female civil aviation pilot is expected to graduate from Beihang University soon. Wang Fan, who is among the first batch of female students ever enrolled in Beihangs flight program, has completed her studies ahead of time.

Growing up with a dream of flying, Wang Fan became one of the first female pilots of Beihang in 2016. In just three years, she has finished the course, which lasts almost four years, with honors. She is now working on her graduation project and is expected to graduate this year.

Wang Fan in flight training (Photo/Official WeChat account of Beihang University)

I dont think female pilots are a special group. I see myself as a pilot, regardless of gender. You choose a career, and you take it seriously, Wang said.

Founded in 1993, the Flying College of Beihang University began recruiting female pilots in 2016. So far, a total of 33 female students have been admitted to the program, which includes 1.5-2 years of theory in China and 1-1.5 years of flight training abroad.

Wang Fan (left) poses for a photo (Photo/Official WeChat account of Beihang University)

Wang Fan (Photo/Official WeChat account of Beihang University)

Wang Fan (1st from right) poses for a photo with her classmates (Photo/Official WeChat account of Beihang University)

(CNTV)10:57, June 26, 2019

Photo taken on June 6, 2017 shows the construction site of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the Lingdingyang waters, south China. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Guangdong, Chinas top province by economic output, has released details of preferential tax policies for overseas talents working in Greater Bay Area.

According to official documents released last week by Guangdongs Department of Finance, high-end and urgently-needed overseas talents working in the nine cities of Greater Bay Area – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing – will receive a personal income tax subsidy from the government, allowing them to enjoy a 15 percent personal tax rate.

For example, an employee who earns one million yuan (about 150,000 U.S. dollars) annually has to pay taxes of 450,000 yuan (70,000 U.S. dollars). However, under the preferential policy, the tax amount payable is cut down to 150,000 yuan (20,000 U.S. dollars), and the rest taxes will be subsidized by the government.

The Greater Bay Area is currently dedicated to attracting more overseas talents as a way to drive technological innovation. In addition to tax subsidies, the local government also initiated construction of youth apartments and an innovation service center earlier this year in order to optimize living and working environment to lure global high-end talents.

According to the development plan released by the Chinese government in February, the Greater Bay Area, which covers an area of 56,000 square kilometers and home to nearly 70 million people, will become an influential economy primarily driven by technology and innovation by the year 2035. It is predicted that by 2022, the total GDP of the region will rank first among the worlds top four bay area commercial regions.

To boost economic transformation and technological advancement, the government is increasing its support to scientific research. Shenzhen government will invest over four billion yuan in fundamental research this year, and the budget for technology research and development grows from 3.9 billion yuan to 12.3 billion yuan in 2019.