Farmland conversion contributes to global greening

China's conversion of farmlands to forests and grasslands has contributed more than 4 percent to the growth of global green areas, according to a release from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration published on Feb. 3.

Since 1999, China has launched two projects returning 14.2 million hectares of farmland to forests and grasslands, with the central government investing more than 570 billion yuan ($84 billion) to the cause, the administration said.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Seniors, children in rural areas priority in COVID protection

Authorities have pledged to continue to prioritize seniors and young children in rural areas as the group that needs the most protection against COVID-19, even though the virus had subsided nationwide.

The weeklong Spring Festival holiday, which officially ended on Jan. 27, didn't cause a spike of COVID-19 infections in thinly resourced rural areas as experts had feared, and the risk for the virus to further spread among farmers was described by a senior agricultural official on Feb. 3 as low.

From: China Daily

China's Red Cross to aid Turkiye, Syria after earthquakes

The Red Cross Society of China said that it will send the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Red Crescent cash to help with disaster relief and rescue operations after strong earthquakes shook Turkiye and Syria on Feb. 6.

Each organization will receive $200,000, the society said.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Schools ready to hire coaches to improve sports education

Schools and universities can establish positions for sports coaches to offer guidance to students and alleviate the shortage of sports teachers, a new guideline said on Feb. 10.

The guideline, issued by the General Administration of Sport and three other departments, said primary, middle, high schools, secondary vocational schools and universities can all establish such full-time or part-time posts.

From: CHINA DAILY

Emergency medical response system to be upgraded

China will build major medical centers and increase the number of teams to handle health emergencies and contagious diseases following its experiences battling COVID-19, officials said on Feb. 27.

The nation also plans to increase its stockpiles of emergency medical materials, Guo Yanhong, head of the National Health Commission's medical emergency department, said at a news briefing. The COVID-19 epidemic highlighted the significance of the country's emergency medical treatment capacity as other public health threats continue to emerge, Guo said.

From: China Daily

UN body seeks new global consensus on safeguarding human rights

United Nations (UN) human rights chief Volker Turk on Feb. 27 deplored the weaponization of human rights in the context of geopolitical shifts.

Turk, who took office as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last October, was speaking at the opening of the 52nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He called for a "new world-wide consensus on human rights", arguing that it is a question of survival that nations and communities should arrive at a common understanding.

From: Xinhua

UN stresses importance of right to development

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council held a high-level meeting on Feb. 28 and March 1 to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, stressing that the landmark declaration was a ground-breaking achievement.

"The time had come to recognize the right to development as a human right -- on a par with other human rights and fundamental freedoms," said Amina J. Mohammed, UN deputy secretary-general and chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.

From: Xinhua

Number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients decreasing in China

Chinese mainland registered 37,611 COVID-19 hospitalized infections on Feb. 9, including 424 severe cases, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Feb. 11.
 
The number of hospitalized infections fell from 98,742 a week ago on Feb 2.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

'No 1 Central Document' issued for 2023

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and State Council on Feb. 13 unveiled the highly anticipated "No 1 Central Document" for the year, which pledged to advance the national strategy of rural vitalization with the whole of the Party's strength and accelerate the modernization process in rural regions, according to Xinhua News Agency.

In a summary of the document published by Xinhua, central authorities said the CPC Central Committee has agreed work related to agriculture, rural villages and farmers will be the most important among the Party's key tasks, and cannot risk any mistakes.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Digital education in-focus at session

Entitled "Promoting Innovative Development of Higher Education with Digital Transformation", a parallel session on higher education was held in Beijing on Feb. 14 during the World Digital Education Conference.

The session was a way for participants from different countries to share their experience in the digital transformation of higher education, promote the rebuilding of higher education and serve its innovative development.

Almost 3,000 representatives from international organizations, government institutions and universities attended the session online and off at Tsinghua University.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Violent crimes, prosecutions fall over past 5 years

Serious violent crimes have fallen in number and proportion to total crimes, with the number of prosecutions dropping by 27.8 percent compared with the previous five years, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

The number of prosecutions for violent crimes such as homicide, robbery and kidnapping in 2022 was the lowest in the past two decades, and the proportion of prosecutions for serious violent crimes among total crimes dropped from 25 percent in 1999 to 3.9 percent in 2022, according to statistics released by the SPP at a news conference held on Feb. 15.

From: China Daily

Basic medical insurance funds to cover drugstore bills in China

China is encouraging drugstores nationwide to integrate with the reimbursement system for outpatient services under the country's medical insurance schemes.

The move will enable those covered by medical insurance schemes to have their medicine bills incurring at drugstores reimbursed by medical insurance funds, according to a circular released by the National Healthcare Security Administration on Feb. 15.

From: Xinhua

Study on disaster risks to help improve safety

China released its survey results on the integrated risk of natural disasters on Feb. 15, the first of its kind in the country aiming to help prevent disasters in the future.

Zheng Guoguang, secretary-general of the National Disaster Reduction Commission, told a news conference that the results reveal hidden risks posed by natural disasters and disaster resistance capacity in some key regions.

From: Xinhua

Residents' rights, freedoms well-protected, HK govt says

The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has continued to firmly uphold the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents following the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, and law enforcement actions in national security cases are evidence-based and in strict accordance with the law, a delegation from the Hong Kong government told a recent UN meeting.

The government delegation, which was led by the Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Gracie Foo Siuwai, attended the meeting of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, to respond to the committee's concerns on the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

From: CHINA DAILY

China participates in 3rd review of implementation on Int'l Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

A high-level Chinese delegation participated in the third review of its implementation on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) ON Feb. 15 and Feb. 16.

The Chinese delegation consists of representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Front Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Supreme People's Court, Ministry of Education, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, National Health Commission, National Religious Affairs Administration, National Disease Prevention and Control Administration and National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, as well as the governments of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region.

The delegation was led by Ambassador Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

From: Xinhua

China makes "great leap forward" in human rights protection: senior diplomat

Over the past years, China has made "a great leap forward" in protecting all Chinese people's economic, social and cultural rights "in a coordinated manner," said Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on Feb. 16.

While briefing the media on the country's human rights development following a two-day review of its report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Chen said China follows a people-centered development philosophy, strives to meet the people's aspirations for a better life, and keeps promoting economic and social development to improve the people's welfare.

From: Xinhua

China's top court issues guideline on environmental protection

China's top court issued a guideline on Feb. 17 aiming to help the country achieve its climate targets of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and realizing carbon neutrality before 2060 through legal services.

The 24-article guideline made by the Supreme People's Court highlights the significance of putting the environmental restoration first, clarifying that judges should balance the relationship between development and emission reduction of enterprises in case handling.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Urgent action called for at climate change seminar

Experts said reducing emissions is an urgent task in mitigating climate change at a seminar held by the National Climate Center in Beijing on Feb. 20.

Luo Yong, professor from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University, said adaptation to climate change cannot replace reducing emissions as a way to deal with the fact the world will face more changes due to global warming.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Tibet residents welcome New Year with yak stew, mask dance performances

The atmosphere is festive in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, as residents gear up to celebrate Losar and usher in the Year of the Rabbit with religious rituals, lavish feasts and family reunions.

Losar, or Tibetan New Year, is set according to the lunisolar Tibetan calendar. Due to differences in elevations and harvesting times, the festival is celebrated at different times across the region.

In Lhasa, celebrations for Losar, which falls on Feb. 21 this year, began on Feb. 19, which was the 29th day of the 12th month on the Tibetan calendar.

From: China Daily

Tibet to invest 13.7b yuan to improve people's well-being

Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region has announced plans to invest 13.7 billion yuan (about $1.99 billion) this year in initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of local residents.

The initiatives include providing livelihood subsidies for border residents, supporting medical professionals in aiding Tibet, and upgrading the oxygen supply facilities in border counties and townships located in areas 3,500 meters above sea level, the regional government said on Feb. 21.

From: Xinhua

Hangzhou offers subsidies to multiple-child families

Hangzhou will provide child-rearing subsidies to families with a second or third child born this year to the same couple and registered in the city, Chinanews.com reported.

The policy is part of a livelihood project on nurturing children passed at the third plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th Hangzhou Municipal People's Congress on Feb. 22.

The proposed one-off subsidy for families with a second child is 5,000 yuan ($725.73), and 20,000 for families with a third child.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Report gives overview of population's mental health

Chinese people's mental health was generally good last year, with about one in 10 adults at risk of depression, according to a report released on Feb. 23.

The rate of those prone to depression was slightly lower than the level recorded in 2020, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Psychology said.

The decrease is partly attributed to the increasing accessibility of mental health services in recent years.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

China's transport network now covers over 6 million km

As of last year, China's transportation network has grown to cover more than 6 million kilometers, the minister of transport said recently.

From 2018 to 2022, China's transportation sector saw investments of 17 trillion yuan ($2.44 trillion) in fixed assets, Minister Li Xiaopeng said at a news conference on Feb. 23.

China's railway network covers 155,000 km, of which 42,000 km are high-speed railways, accounting for more than two-thirds of the world's high-speed railways.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

China calls for immediate improvements to coal mine safety

China's top emergency management watchdog on Feb. 24 ordered immediate safety rectifications at the nation's coal mines to eliminate major risks after a coal mine collapsed in Alxa League, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Feb. 22.

Comprehensive inspections and rectifications should be conducted to root out the major hidden safety hazards in key sectors and fields, said the Ministry of Emergency Management, calling for efforts to resolutely prevent major accidents from happening, in order to safeguard people's lives and property and maintain social stability.

From: Xinhua

China's top internet regulator releases new personal information guidelines

China's top internet regulator issued a guideline on Feb. 24 aiming to better protect personal information by specifying procedures and requirements for providing such information overseas.

The 13-article guideline, which requires personal information processors to sign standard contracts with the information receivers overseas, has been disclosed on the website of the Cyberspace Administration of China, with a sample contract attached available for download.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

China to promote more impartial, inclusive global human rights governance: FM

The 52nd regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) began at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Feb. 27, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressing the opening ceremony.

The session will last through April 4, starting with a high-level segment from February 27 to March 2, and dignitaries representing more than 125 Member States addressing the Council.

From: CGTN

Chinese FM elaborates on China's proposals on global human rights

There is no single model for human rights development, and China opposes countries politicizing human rights issues and interfering in other countries' affairs in the name of human rights, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said via video link at a high-level segment of the 52nd regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Feb. 27.

Qin said that there is no single model for human rights that fits all, and China adheres to its own path of human rights development, actively participates in global human rights governance, and has made historic achievements in promoting China's human rights cause.

From: CGTN

Opinions heard on draft plan

The upcoming reform of the institutions of the Communist Party of China and the State will seek to tackle some difficult major issues of public concern and exert significant influence over socioeconomic development, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Feb. 28.

The reform will give priority to key sectors and areas and come up with targeted and strong measures that are wide-ranging and touch upon deeply vested interests, he added.

From: chinadaily.com.cn

Relocation projects help boost income of residents

An increasing number of people who participated in State-sponsored mass relocation projects, aimed at curbing some of China's most entrenched poverty, have landed jobs near their new homes, with their income rising much faster than the average for rural residents nationwide, authorities said.

The employment rate of the 9.6 million people who moved out of their isolated hometowns to live closer to factories and schools during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, as part of the nation's sweeping poverty-alleviation drive, reached 94.46 percent by the end of 2022, up 2.54 percentage points year-on-year, Xinhua News Agency reported on Feb. 28.

From: CHINA DAILY