News » China » Official cars off roads during hazardous pollution

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• Official cars off roads during hazardous pollution
• Xi stresses loyalty, stability of armed police
• Premier stresses improving people's livelihood
• Work-related crimes to be seriously probed
• Mainland to allow overseas citizens in stock market
• Taiwan to ease investment restrictions
• Xi stresses loyalty, stability of armed police
• Guangdong to stop "laojiao" system in China
• China urges Syrian gov't, opposition to be pragmatic
• Guo Gengmao reelected Henan governor
• Li Xiaopeng elected governor of Shanxi Province
• China stresses normal exchanges with Japanese parties
• Shanghai need to improve waste services
• Beijingers call for Clean Air Act
• Former <em>laojiao</em> inmate files for compensation
• Shanghai handles 1,500 job-related crimes
• Workers get wages after Gangnam Style dance
• Jilin to enhance co-op with the DPRK, Russia, Mongolia
• Zhuhai-Macao gas line to be completed by June
• Commentary: Thawing ice in China-Japan ties requires genuine efforts

Official cars off roads during hazardous pollution Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST BEIJING - Thirty percent of official cars in Beijing should not be used when there is "extremely bad" pollution, traffic authorities confirmed Tuesday. The order was implemented on Monday evening to help combat the fourth round of heavy smog to hit the capital city in four weeks, Beijing Traffic Management Bureau said. Traffic authorities will monitor, take pictures and trace official cars that violate the government order. Whatever department the vehicles belong to will be punished. Beijing has a list of official cars that should not be used when there is heavy pollution. The capital categorizes air pollution days as "bad," "seriously bad" and "extremely bad" depending on indexes that include measurements of both fine and coarse air particles and ozone levels. Beijing's air quality has worsened again since Monday, with a significant thickening of the PM 2.5, or airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the average concentration of PM 2.5 was tested at 354 micrograms per cubic meter. To curb pollution, the government has introduced a number of measures, including moving heavy polluters away from urban districts.

Xi stresses loyalty, stability of armed police Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST BEIJING - Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed the stability of the armed police and its absolute loyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and also Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour of the armed police force. He urged them to build strong force with a fine work style. Xi reiterated that the armed police force should be aware of its role in maintaining stability and improve its fighting capacity in order to achieve multiple military tasks.

Premier stresses improving people's livelihood Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has stressed the importance of improving people's well-being and meeting their material and cultural needs. At a seminar, seeking opinions on a draft of this year's government work report, Wen said, "Improving people's livelihood is the center of the country's economic and social advancement, and also the center of government work." Wen has chaired three such seminars from January 24 to 29, at which representatives from various sectors have been invited to give their opinions on the draft. He said to push forward urbanization requires scientific planning and should coordinate the development of both urban and rural areas. Speaking about the haze blanketing many Chinese cities, Wen said efforts should be taken to optimize industrial structure, promote energy saving and emission reduction and advance ecological progress. He also urged better work to be done to create a fair competition environment for enterprises and promote reform and opening up. Entrepreneurs, citizens and experts from education, science, culture, health and sport circles as well as members of non-communist parties attended the seminars. They gave suggestions on various subjects, ranging from preventing air pollution and income distribution mechanism reform to distribution of agricultural products.

Work-related crimes to be seriously probed Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST BEIJING - China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has urged procuratorial organs at all levels to "actively" prevent and "seriously" investigate work-related crimes. Among the crimes are cases of abuse of power, bribery and dereliction of duty, according to a meeting held by the SPP on Tuesday. The SPP emphasized inspections over officials who exercise power, especially those who hold leading positions or are in charge of key procedures, the meeting heard. The SPP is dedicated to resolving the concerns of the people and resolutely investigating cases involved in judicial corruption and denial of justice. The SPP noted that procuratorial organs should clearly notice the anti-corruption agenda and step up efforts to prevent work-related crimes.

Mainland to allow overseas citizens in stock market Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST TAIPEI - The mainland's securities regulatory body announced Tuesday that it is considering to allow citizens of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao to invest directly in the mainland's stock market with the renminbi. Tong Daochi, an official of the mainland's securities regulatory commission, confirmed the proposal at a press conference after the unprecedented meeting of the cross-strait financial supervisory platform for securities and futures. Such investors should live and work in the Chinese mainland, added Tong.

Taiwan to ease investment restrictions Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST TAIPEI - Taiwan's financial regulatory body said on Tuesday that it will ease the investment ceiling on mainland financial institutions operating in the island. Huang Tien-mu, a senior official with Taiwan's securities and futures regulatory body, said Taiwan will raise the investment ceiling on the amount the mainland's Qualified Domestic Institutional Investors (QDII) funds may invest in Taiwanese shares. It will rise to 1 billion US dollars from 500 million US dollars. The Taiwan authority will also reduce the qualification period of mainland-based financial institutions establishing representative offices in the island from five years of engaging in international securities and futures experience to two years, according to Huang. Mainland investors' business experiences in Hong Kong and Macao will also be considered as a qualification for carrying out business in Taiwan, Huang said, adding that further adjustment will be made if necessary. In addition, Huang said Taiwan's financial regulatory body is considering increasing the shareholding proportion of mainland-based securities and futures institutions joining stock in their Taiwan counterparts. It is also considering allowing qualified mainland individuals to invest in Taiwan's capital market. Huang was speaking at a press conference after the first meeting of the cross-Strait financial supervisory platform for securities and futures.

Xi stresses loyalty, stability of armed police Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:38 AM PST Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed the stability of the armed police and its absolute loyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Guangdong to stop "laojiao" system in China Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:36 AM PST South China's Guangdong Province is planning to end the "laojiao" -- re-education through labor -- system within the year, according to the provincial judicial department Tuesday.

China urges Syrian gov't, opposition to be pragmatic Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:32 AM PST A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday urged the Syrian government and the opposition to be pragmatic in finding a solution to the ongoing crisis in the war-torn country.

Guo Gengmao reelected Henan governor Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:59 AM PST Guo Gengmao was reelected governor of central China's Henan Province Tuesday at the first session of the 12th Henan Provincial People's Congress, the provincial legislative body.

Li Xiaopeng elected governor of Shanxi Province Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:09 AM PST Li Xiaopeng was elected governor of north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province on Tuesday at the first session of the 12th provincial People's Congress, the local legislature.

China stresses normal exchanges with Japanese parties Posted: 29 Jan 2013 02:26 AM PST China has long maintained normal communication and exchanges with Japan's ruling and opposition parties, as well as its non-governmental organizations, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

Shanghai need to improve waste services Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST Shanghai should give priority to dealing with toxic waste, and support paid services for collecting garbage, a member of the city's political advisory body said on Monday. "The volume of the city's household waste surged from 2005 to 2011," Yuan Wen, a member of the Shanghai committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said during the committee's annual session. The city produces more than 7 million metric tons of household garbage a year, or some 20,000 tons a day, according to the Shanghai environmental protection bureau's data in 2011. That equates to more than a kilogram a day per person. The city has been trying to promote waste classification in 2,130 communities, but little progress has been made. "Many people just turn a deaf ear to our call to reduce the waste and classify it," she said. Yuan said authorities should allow companies to handle the waste. "Based on our research, 60 percent of the citizens are willing to pay for waste collection," she said.

Beijingers call for Clean Air Act Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST   A woman wearing a mask cycles on a heavy haze day in Beijing January 29, 2013.[Photo/Agencies]  BEIJING - The fourth round of heavy smog to hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory illnesses and prompted calls for legislation to curb pollution. Pan Shiyi, a celebrity real estate developer and prolific microblogger with 14 million followers, on Tuesday said he is planning to propose a Clean Air Act to the local legislature and government. Pan, a deputy to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, started an online poll at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, the results of which will be included in his report to the lawmaking body and the municipal government, he said. Within three hours, more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter. They have good reason to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of murky haze, described by many native Beijingers as the "worst fog ever," began to choke the Chinese capital on Monday and worsened on Tuesday, reducing visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city proper. "I'm standing outside my office building but am unable to see its top," wrote one office worker who posted a picture of her office building obscured by the putrid air in downtown Beijing in Sina Weibo. The smog has also led to a surge in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. A pediatric hospital in downtown Beijing has treated a record 9,000 children this month, mostly flu, pneumonia, tracheitis, bronchitis and asthma patients. Anxious parents and doctors almost all blame the particulate matter in the smoggy air for the respiratory infections. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some pedestrians have taken to donning gas masks and respirators. The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts continue to cite excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is ample wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China's top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies' outdated production technologies yield large quantities of substandard, high-polluting gas fuel that contains five times as much sulphur as gas products in the United States. "The smoggy weather has sounded an alarm to oil companies," said Yue Xin, a specialist on fuel and emissions studies with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. "It's high time to improve fuel quality in order to cut emissions." Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan's proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include clauses providing for "car-free days" in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions, and more effective protection for the public. Schools and kindergartens should close on smoggy days, one male Sina Weibo user suggested. Adequate protection should also be given to those who work outdoors, like traffic police, the user noted. "None of the police officers I saw on the street were wearing a mask," he wrote. "They said they were not allowed." Moreover, the Weibo user said residents should be allowed to stay home on smoggy days, even if they will have to make up for the missed work hours on weekends. "The Clean Air Act should start with a car ban," said Wang Lifen, a former CCTV reporter and prolific microblogger. "Everyone -- senior officials and VIPS included -- should take buses and subways instead of private cars." Wang said she walks to her office every day and would be happy to travel around the city by bus or bike. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths from bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia in Britain in December 1952, prompting the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution.

Former <em>laojiao</em> inmate files for compensation Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST A local court in Central China's Hunan province filed a lawsuit on Jan 28 in which a former laojiao inmate who claims she was wrongfully detained has asked for compensation. Tang Hui, who was sentenced to 18 months in laojiao in Hunan's Yongzhou city last year, has filed a suit against the local laojiao committee, asking for compensation of 2,400 yuan ($380) for the time she spent in the labor camp. Yongzhou Intermediate People's Court issued a notice to accept the case on Jan 28. Previously, local laojiao committee had turned down Tang's compensation request, arguing that the laojiao decision was not wrongfully made. Tang was released within a week after being sentenced in August, as the laojiao committee said her daughter, who was only 17, still needs her mother's care. Tang was sentenced after she repeatedly and publicly demanding tougher punishment for the people who raped her then 11-year-old daughter and forced her into prostitution. She also claimed two local police officers, who were also involved in the case, were not convicted. Related stories: Laojiao system to be phased out 'Laojiao' system reform responsive to people's concerns Web users back laojiao system reform Govt vows reform of laojiao system Former official pursues lawsuit over unfair laojiao sentence Lawyers calling for reform of laojiao system

Shanghai handles 1,500 job-related crimes Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST Courts in Shanghai handled a total of 1,528 job-related crime cases in the past five years, according to reports submitted by courts and procuratorial organs during Shanghai's two sessions. Some 187 officials at the county level and 14 department chief level officials were involved. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Shanghai investigated 1,658 cases of corruption and bribery in last five years, including 239 officials at the county level and 14 department chief level officials.

Workers get wages after Gangnam Style dance Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST All overdue wages have been paid to the migrant workers who staged a special protest a week before by performing a popular horse-riding dance in the street in Central China's Hubei province, the Wuhan Evening News reported. Lu Yongxiong on Jan 21 led several migrant workers and copied the actions of South Korean rapper Psy's viral dance video "Gangnam Style" in front of a building they had constructed, trying to win public attention and get paid. Under the coordination of government departments, which noted the wide media coverage, all 40-odd workers received a total payment of 206,000 yuan ($33,000) on Monday. Lu and his team were paid 44,000 yuan. To celebrate their success, more construction workers danced the dance again in front of the building on Monday.

Jilin to enhance co-op with the DPRK, Russia, Mongolia Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:06 AM PST Jilin province in Northeast China will speed up the development of the Changchun-Jilin-Tumenjiang pilot zone in the next five years, to enhance the cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russia and Mongolia, according to a leading official from Jilin government. "The development of the Tumenjiang area has entered a new phase. As the cooperation between China, Russia, the DPRK, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia deepens, the area will become an international logistics corridor," said Chen Weigen, deputy governor of Jilin province. The zone, accounting for one-third of Jilin province's population and half of the province's economic output, is the key area connecting China with Northeast Asia. The province will reopen the Hunchun-Kamesova railway in 2013, followed by new policies that aim to promote the existing joint rail and water transportation routes between China, Russia, the DPRK, the ROK, Japan and other countries.

Zhuhai-Macao gas line to be completed by June Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:48 AM PST A Chinese official said Tuesday that construction will be completed on a gas pipeline from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, to Macao Special Administrative Region before June.

Commentary: Thawing ice in China-Japan ties requires genuine efforts Posted: 29 Jan 2013 01:38 AM PST Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama is currently in China for a visit aimed at improving the strained Japan-China relations.

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