China is pushing for greater stability and better public services at the country's vast rural regions in a bid to shore up lagging civil service and advance urban-rural integration.

 

In a guidance document on advancing rural community establishment co-issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, Party and government authorities asked provincial governments to pilot rural communities at selected villages, to accommodate "profound changes in the rural area" such as demographic changes and migrant population.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Conditions for China's most humble elementary schools have improved significantly since the year's beginning.These schools, located in remote rural areas, generally faced shortage of teachers and teaching stuff. Things have changed thanks to the completion of a national project to extend digital educational resources to them, 64,000 in total, by the end of 2014. 

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

President Xi Jinping has encouraged children in China to love their country, to be good people and to contribute to social progress.

 

Xi was speaking to some 3,000 members of the Chinese Young Pioneers (CYP) organization and teachers at the CYP's quinquennial congress in Beijing on June 1, International Children's Day.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts after a passenger ship carrying 458 people sank in the Hubei section of China's Yangtze River on the night of June 1 .

The ship, named Dongfangzhixing, or Eastern Star, sank at around 9:30 p.m. after being caught in a cyclone in the Jianli section in Hubei Province of the Yangtze River, according to the Yangtze River navigation administration.

Xi also ordered learning lessons and enhancing measures to ensure the safety of people's lives.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

On June 8, Chinese government released a white paper upholding China's unique pattern of protecting human rights and elaborating the progress in 2014.

 

"The tremendous achievements China has made in its human rights endeavors fully demonstrate that it is taking the correct path of human rights development that suits its national conditions," says the white paper published by the State Council Information Office under the title "Progress in China's Human Rights in 2014."

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China was honored for reaching the World Food Summit (WFS) target at the 7th “Outstanding progress against hunger,” a special event hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy on June 7. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang attended the award ceremony and delivered a speech.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

A delegation from the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) led by Luo Haocai, former Vice-Chairman of the 9th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, visited Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore from May 18 to 27. During the ten-day visit, the delegation had discussions with officials and scholars from ministries of foreign affairs, national commissions on human rights, universities and think tanks on human rights’ protection, the development road and academic researches of human rights and reached a consensus on a wide range of issues.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org 

 

 

3.3 million rural teachers in China are expected to get a pay rise thanks to a recently issued five-year plan, the Village Teachers Supporting Plan (2015-2020), which aims at promoting a more fair and balanced education system. 

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

Ai Weiwei’s modern art exhibition is going on at Beijing 798 art zone starting from June 6, which draws attention from some small circles in Beijing and foreign media. The exhibition named after “Ai Weiwei” was approved by authorities and it showcases the re-assemblage of a 400-year-old ancestral hall of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in two different areas. The art insiders said ordinary people interpreted this as the modern civilization’s impact on ancient buildings. Two more Ai’s modern exhibitions will be held this week in Beijing.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

55.1 percent of netizens said the human flesh searching has been abused, according to an online survey conducted by China Youth Daily’s social research center which interviewed 1839 respondents.

 

Human flesh searching has played a positive role in fighting corruption and curbing bad practices. However, more and more incidents showed that this form of online vigilante justice is getting closer to cyber bullying. Some Internet users felt they are fully justified to hunt down and punish their targets. But usually, those who are tracked down will suffer online violence and their friends and families will also be affected.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

The Chinese government spent 109.5 billion yuan (17.9 bln U.S. dollars) aiding people who can't afford medical services during the 2009-2014 period, an official said on June 17.

 

Government spending on medical aid rose by an annual average of 13.8 percent during the period, said Jiang Yu with the Ministry of Finance.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China will increase investment in projects focused on people's livelihood in order to stabilize growth and facilitate economic restructuring, China's cabinet said on June 17.

 

The central government will invest more in upgrading the power grid in rural areas, building grain storage and sewage disposal facilities, relocating old urban industrial zones and other projects, according to a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

President Xi Jinping has stressed poverty relief in underdeveloped rural areas as key for economic development nationwide.

 

On June 18,Xi made the remarks at a Communist Party of China symposium on poverty relief and economic and social development in the 2016-2020 period.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Top US and Chinese officials are joining frank talks on a variety of issues, including cyber security and human rights at the ongoing Sixth Round of US-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) and the Seventh China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) held in Washington on June 23 and 24. 

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

China's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Wu Hailong on Wednesday said China co-sponsored a discussion on gender equality during a Human Rights Council (HRC) session.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China published a report on the United States' human rights situation on June 26.

 

The report, titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2014," was released by the Information Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, in response to "the 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" issued by the U.S. State Department on June 25 local time.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China has made headway in relieving malnutrition during the 2002-2012 period, according to a population-wide health survey released by the country's health authorities on June 30.

 

The "2015 report on Chinese nutrition and chronic disease" was released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) during a press conference.

 

From:Xinhua

 

 

The China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) introduced its upgraded website both in English and Chinese languages on July 1. 

 

The website and its English-language version, which were launched in August 1998, are the only authorized portals for China’s human rights related information. The websites aim at presenting an objective picture of China’s human rights conditions in a comprehensive and prompt manner. As a window for the world to understand China’s human rights progress, they are dedicated to telling human rights stories in China, and introducing Chinese and foreign conceptions of human rights. They have played important roles in raising public awareness of human rights and letting China have more say in the international human rights field.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

On July 1, China's top legislature adopted a new national security law highlighting cyber security and demanding the establishment of a coordinated, efficient crisis management system.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

On July 6, The human rights delegation of China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO) visited Mexico and held a joint press conference in Mexico. This is the first time the Chinese delegation for human rights visited Mexico.

 

From:chinahumanrights.org

 

 

On July 7, China's envoy to the UN office in Geneva has expressed disagreement with relevant comments by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the country's National Security Law.

 

From:English.news.cn

 

 

China will probably introduce an overall two-child policy in one or two years, senior demographers expect, as the top population authority said the government would keep fine-tuning birth rules to ensure a sustainable and balanced population growth.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

First-tier cities appear to have become less glamorous for university graduates facing pressure to find jobs this year.

 

A record number of students graduated from college amid China's economic slowdown, making the job-hunting season one of the toughest in history.

 

College graduates reached a record high of 7.49 million, up 220,000 compared with 2014, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

 

From:chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

The number of China's online population, the world's largest, hit 668 million in June, with 594 million of those using mobile devices to go online.

 

From: CRI Online

 

 

China will expand its critical illness insurance system to cover more urban and rural residents, the State Council, or China's cabinet, decided on July 22.

 

All participants in the country's basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents will be protected against critical illness by the end of this year, according to a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

 

The coverage of China's basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents exceeded 95 percent by the end of 2014, reaching more than 1.3 billion people, official data show.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

The seminar on “New Normal of China’s Economy: Sustainable Protection of Development Right” opened in Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE) on Thursday. The seminar, hosted by the DUFE, was launched by China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), and co-sponsored by DUSE’s Human Rights Research and Education Center.LuoHaocai, Chairman of the CSHRS, attended the seminar and delivered a speech. More than 70 experts and scholars from universities and human rights research institutions had in-depth discussions on the sustainable protection of right to development under the ‘new normal’ economic landscape.

 

From: chinahumanrights.org

 

 

At around 4 p.m. July 26 local time ( around 9 p.m. Beijing time), a suicide car bomb hit Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, causing casualties to many countries. The Chinese Embassy in Somalia is located in the hotel, and one security staff of the Chinese Embassy working in the hotel died from severe injuries with three other staff mildly injured.

 

The Chinese side is deeply shocked by the terrorist attack and strongly condemns it. We are saddened by the loss of the Chinese staff, and extend deep condolences. We also express sincere sympathies to the bereaved family and the injured. The Chinese side also mourns for all the victims.

 

From: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

 

“China highly appreciates the positive roles of overseas NGOs, and will welcome and support their friendly activities in China. China will provide better services for overseas NGOs,” said GuoShengkun, Minister of Public Security on July 25.

 

A symposium on overseas NGOs was jointly held by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) in Shanghai on July 25.Guo presided over the symposium.

 

From: chinahumanrights.org

 

 

A BBC Monitoring journalist wrote in his July 29th article after watching the live-broadcast topical debate program aired by a TV channel in Jinan, Shandong province on July 26 that Chinese media become braver to challenge oversights about political broadcasts and want more government transparency under President Xi’s anti-graft campaign.

 

From: chinahumanrights.org

 

 

China will launch a massive sample survey of senior citizens on August 1. This survey, the fourth China has made on the living situation of senior people in rural and urban areas, will last about one month with the effort of 40,000 census-takers, according to a press release held by China National Committee on Ageing.

 

From: People's Daily Online

 

 

The southwestern province of Sichuan plans to relocate 1.2 million residents out of areas where the geography is blamed for grinding poverty.

 

The resettlements will target villages with harsh living conditions or fragile biodiversity, as well as scattered settlements in which it is hard to provide infrastructure and public services, the provincial government said at a press conference on July 30.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Kazakhstan`s capital before glitzy Astana took over its mantle in 1997, Almaty is the less-fancied competitor in a two-horse race which will be voted on by 90+ International Olympic Committee (IOC) members on July 31.

 

"Beijing is still the favourite but it is getting closer to call as the announcement nears," Christoph Becker, a sports editor for Germany`s Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung, told AFP.

 

From: AFP

 

 

No child under six years of age can be left alone without proper care in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, according to a new local draft law released for public scrutiny.

 

The draft adds that minors must not be physically harmed by parents or guardians. Minors should not be subjected to chronic hunger as punishment, according to the draft law, which also protects children from the use of insulting language by their guardians.

 

From: Ecns.cn

 

 

A proclamation of IOC President Thomas Bach about 4330 kilometers away sent Beijing into ecstasy.

 

On July 31, German announced to the world in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, making the Chinese capital the first city to host both summer and winter Olympics.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

New measures have been introduced that cut the minimum waiting time for foreigners seeking residence permits in Beijing by five days.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

The United States said Thursday victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery were trafficked by the country's military in a rebuttal of a Japanese ruling party committee's claim that they were recruited by private companies rather than coerced.

 

From: Yonhap News Agency/chinahumanrights.org