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Africa Weekly\News Digest

IN BRIEF (Page 2)

China Daily Africa | Updated: 2017-03-17 09:10

 IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Question time: Journalists from Chinese and foreign media compete to ask questions at a news conference held by Education Minister Chen Baosheng in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 12. Li Xin / Xinhua

Courts handling many Belt and Road cases

Courts across the country are handling a rising number of foreign-related lawsuits as the Belt and Road Initiative rapidly progresses, and market players will be equally protected to ensure a fair and just environment, He Rong, vice-president of China's top court said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. Statistics from the Supreme People's Court show that Chinese courts at all levels concluded 25,916 foreign-related cases of all types last year, up by 9.38 percent year-on-year.

Economic data point to further growth

China released upbeat macroeconomic data on March 14 indicating that the economy remained on solid footing at the start of the year, and analysts say the trend will continue through the year. Industrial output rose by 6.3 percent year-on-year in the first two months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Fixed-asset investment, a major driver of growth, increased by 8.9 percent year-on-year in the first two months, down from 10.2 percent in the same period last year. But it was the fastest pace since July.

New air route to link Harbin with Paris

Flights between the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin and Paris will begin on March 30. The round-trip flight, operated by Russia's Ural Airlines using an Airbus A320, will ply the route once a week with a stop in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg, according to Harbin Taiping International Airport. The Paris-bound flight will leave Harbin at about 1 am every Thursday and head back to Harbin an hour after its arrival in Paris. The flight will take 14 hours, slashing the current travel time between Harbin and Paris, which requires a transfer in Beijing or Shanghai and takes 16 to 19 hours.

Nanning to host China-ASEAN Expo

The 14th China-ASEAN Expo has been scheduled for Sept 12 to 15 in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, local authorities announced on March 13. This year's expo will highlight the theme of "Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Boosting Regional Economic Integration Through Tourism", Wang Lei, secretary-general of the expo, said at a conference of senior officials from China and ASEAN. Brunei will be the country of honor this year and will send more than 100 business representatives to the expo.

Institute set up for marine research

The State Oceanic Administration will open its fourth institute for marine research in Beihai in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. According to a memorandum signed by the administration and Guangxi, the institute will be key to achieving a strategy for becoming a maritime power supporting the Belt and Road Initiative and providing integrated ocean management.

Philippines' remarks on ships praised

China welcomes Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's move to allow Chinese research ships to enter waters close to the Philippines, where Chinese survey ships were spotted last year, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on March 14 ahead of a senior official's trip to Manila. A coastal state's rights over a continental shelf should not affect other countries' freedom of navigation, as supported by international law, Hua said.

Quality of agricultural products to improve

The Ministry of Agriculture published a five-year plan on March 13 to improve the quality of agricultural products, including measures to ensure that products such as apples, tea and pork can be traced back to their producers. The tracing platform will first be implemented in more developed areas, for products such as raw milk and turbot, the plan says. More than 97 percent of major agricultural products involved in routine monitoring will pass quality tests in the next five years, according to the plan.

Draft guidance for bike-sharing issued

Shanghai released draft guidance on March 12 for bike-sharing service providers to better regulate the rapidly expanding sector. It says each rental bike must have a GPS function that updates its location, and that users must be aged between 12 and 70, and between 145 and 195 centimeters in height. Rental bikes that have been in service for three consecutive years must be discarded as unserviceable and may not come back into service. The guidance also states that service providers must return the balance of deposits to users upon request within seven days.

Scenic area near telescope to open

Authorities in Pingtang county, Guizhou province, say the scenic spot where the world's largest radio telescope is located will be opened to tourists for free. The limit on the number of tourists per day is 2,000 to avoid disturbances to the telescope's function. The local authorities also announced a fee of 50 yuan ($7.20; 6.70 euros; 5.90) for shuttle bus tickets between the entrance and the telescope, and a fee of 50 yuan for a tour of an astronomy museum nearby.

Province reports new bird flu cases

Four more human cases of H7N9 bird flu have been reported in Jiangxi province, including one fatality, local health authorities said on March 13. The new cases brought the number of infections in the province this year to 36, with 12 deaths, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

Customs officers seize endangered wildlife

Customs officers have seized 236 wild animals smuggled from overseas, local authorities said on March 13. Authorities in Shenzhen said they intercepted a container truck at 1 am on Mar 12, finding 165 turtles and 71 scorpions hidden in three polystyrene boxes. The driver was detained and the animals were handed over to the city's wildlife protection center.

Region to improve rural infrastructure

All counties in the Tibet autonomous region, except for Medog, will have access to asphalt roads, while all townships will have proper roads constructed this year, according to the region's recent roadwork conference. In addition, postal outlets will be established in all townships, while 285 villages along the border will be connected by roads this year, it was announced.

Chinese entertainment comes to Madagascar

Chinese TV programs, 52 movies, 10 television series, five cartoons and seven Chinese documentaries, will be broadcast on Malagasy National Television. A memorandum of understanding was signed recently by Madagascar's Minister of Communications Vonison Andrianjato and Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiaorong in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. The Chinese programs will help the Malagasy people understand and appreciate Chinese culture, according to Andrianjato. In addition, 88 Malagasy athletes will be sent to China for five months of training this year.

Compensation sought over unfit foods

The Guangdong Consumer Council has filed the country's first public-interest lawsuit to request compensation in the field of consumption. The lawsuit is requesting compensation for the consumption of meat from sick and dead pigs, and of pork preserved using hazardous liquid. On behalf of consumers, the council is requesting compensation of more than 10 million yuan ($1.44 million; 1.35 million euros; 1.17 million) from 20 defendants, as well as an apology through mainstream media and payment of lawyers' and litigation fees.

President urges PLA to use nation's expertise

President Xi Jinping on March 12 urged the Chinese military to further boost integration with civilian sectors, while highlighting scientific and technological innovation as the key to military upgrades. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the People's Liberation Army should take advantage of China's achievements in science and technology to help modernize its weapons and equipment.

Stealth fighters to get domestic engines

A domestically developed engine will power the J-20 stealth fighter, the nation's latest stealth fighter jet, according to Chen Xiangbao, a senior scientist working for Aero Engine Corp of China. "The engine's development is proceeding well. We also have begun to design a next-generation aviation engine with a thrust-to-weight ratio that is much higher than that of current types," says Chen, who is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The People's Liberation Army Air Force recently confirmed that the J-20 has been put into active service.

Memorial held to remember Sun Yat-sen

Ceremonies were held on March 12 to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the death of Dr Sun Yat-sen, the renowned statesman who led the revolution that ended imperial rule in China. Representatives from all walks of life attended a ceremony in Zhongshan Park, named after Sun, in Beijing. A moment of silence was observed before attendees showed their respect to Sun by bowing three times in front of a statue of him.

Authorities step up efforts to protect ecology

Chinese forestry authorities stepped up their efforts in ecological restoration and protection last year, planting more than 6.78 million hectares of forest, according to the National Afforestation Committee Office on March 12.

Big-data center to improve children's health

China's first big-data research center for children's health has been established in a bid to improve the country's child medical care system. The center, built by Wuhan University and a Beijing-based pediatric technology firm in Wuhan, aims to develop a more complete medical care system for children in relation to disease prevention, diagnosis and personalized treatment.

Disasters affected millions in February

Natural disasters affected 1.15 million people in China in February, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on March 14. Natural disasters led to economic losses of 480 million yuan ($69.4 million; 65.3 million euros; 57.2 million) and more than 100 people were relocated, the ministry said. Natural disasters included freezing weather, snowstorms, drought, earthquakes, landslides and forest fires. More than 2,000 houses were damaged and 76,300 hectares of crops were affected.

Rules for online catering to be tightened

Beijing Municipality has pledged to strengthen the regulation of online catering platforms to ensure food safety, the city's Food and Drug Administration said on March 15. Supervision of platforms will include checking the quality of ingredients, the health condition of restaurant chefs and business licenses and health certificates, the administration said. Thirty-four restaurants have been ordered to withdraw from waimai.meituan.com, one of the most popular platforms in China, for selling cold dishes without a license, said Li Jiang, head of the administration's food market regulation office. The administration plans to conduct food safety spot-checks at the restaurants and will order them to post pictures of their kitchens and cooking processes on the platforms.

41% of imports don't meet standards

More than 40 percent of consumer goods imported to China last year through e-commerce platforms fell short of standards, China's quality watchdog said on March 15, World Consumer Rights Day. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine conducted random quality inspections on 1,013 batches of such products last year, including toys, paper diapers, clothing and kitchenware, with 415 samples found to be substandard, accounting for 41 percent of all sampled products, according to Han Yunping, spokesman for the administration. The quality of consumer goods imported through channels other than e-commerce proved to be higher, with 29 percent falling short of standards, according to the administration.

Xinjiang increases itsgeneral aviation fleet

Xinjiang's general aviation fleet will import 10 new aircraft from Switzerland this year to develop tourism, improve emergency rescue capabilities and boost its role in the Belt and Road Initiative. The first of the 10 aircraft - all of which are Pilatus PC-12s produced by Switzerland's Pilatus Aircraft Co - arrived recently in Shihezi in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region; the second plane is expected to arrive soon, says Lin Haitao, head of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Aviation Business Administration.

 IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Out of Africa: Visitors appreciate an exhibition of African sculptures at the National Museum of China in March. Provided to China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/17/2017 page2)

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