Authorities answer concerns of the public

Departments and ministries under the State Council, China's Cabinet, have responded to a wide range of public concerns in the past week, in areas that include the quality of school running tracks, real estate registration, illegal loans, cross-border capital flows and the cultivation of innovative talent.

In response to the recent "toxic running track" incidents that drew wide public concern nationwide, education ministry officials said they had paid great attention and have taken effective measures. Educational authorities at various levels will inspect and test school running tracks, and any that pose a risk to students' health will be dismantled and rebuilt. Those responsible for the defective tracks will be dealt with according to the law and relevant regulations, the ministry said. Meanwhile, a revised national standard for running tracks will be discussed to guarantee students' health.

The Ministry of Land and Resources said it will launch a special inspection into the real estate unified registration system in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. According to the inspection plan, by the end of this year all concerned cities and counties will issue a new real estate registration certificate. Any local authorities failing to implement the real estate registration system in a timely manner will be reported to the State Council.

After four ministries and departments jointly issued an announcement on illegal loans on university campuses in April, the Education Ministry reminded students last week to be wary of the hidden dangers and risks of illegal internet loans and urged them to enhance their precautionary knowledge of financial risks. The ministry asked students to establish reasonable and scientific views on consumption, learn more about finance and internet security and stay away from illegal internet loan providers.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission and Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly issued an announcement on June 22, naming the first batch of pilot regions for a project that aims to combine medical and elderly support services. According to the announcement, the 50 pilot cities and districts will explore various methods of combining medical and elderly support services, and by the end of the year there will be at least one pilot city or district in each province and region. The two departments will subsequently launch an investigation to research local pilot areas, the announcement said.

In response to cross-border capital flows in May, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said in a statement last week that supply and demand in China's foreign exchange had become more balanced. This indicated an easing of pressure from cross-border capital outflows, with China's economic operations basically meeting expectations, the statement said.

Elsewhere, Deputy-Minister of Education Du Yubo recently said the core mission of higher education should be to serve economic and social development. It should produce high-quality talent and scientific and technological achievements for economic transformation and upgrades, he said, adding that colleges and universities should accelerate transformation and cultivate innovative and skilled talent to meet social demand.