Before athletes from around the world began competing for the highest honors in winter sports in Beijing 2022, a group of Chinese kids from a remote mountainous village had basked in their own Olympic glory.

 

Exuding confidence with crystal-clear voices, a choir of 44 children sang the Olympic Anthem, in Greek, at the iconic “Bird’s Nest” stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 4. 

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China will enhance its regulation of off-campus tutoring by stepping up legislation and enhancing supervision, said the Ministry of Education in its 2022 work plan. 

 

According to the plan, posted on its official website on Feb. 8, the ministry will conduct regular inspections on national holidays, at weekends, as well as in winter and summer vacations. Any off-campus tutoring activities featuring curriculum subjects during these periods will be shut down, said the ministry.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China will continue to advance the opening-up of its high-level education, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in its key tasks for 2022 released on Feb. 8.

 

Efforts will be made to step up cooperation with other countries in the sector, such as advancing the high-quality development of the Education Action Plan for the Belt and Road Initiative and stepping up cooperation with ASEAN countries in vocational education and mutual recognition of academic qualifications, according to the ministry.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

The expanding list of drugs and medical consumables included in China’s bulkbuy program is expected to cover traditional Chinese medicines and more orthopedic and dental implants this year, the National Healthcare Security Administration said on Feb. 11.

 

Since 2018, China has launched six rounds of a centralized procurement program that is estimated to have saved more than 260 billion yuan ($40.7 billion) in medical insurance costs and patient expenditure, said Chen Jinfu, deputy director of the administration.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

Vaccination among students should occur according to the basic principles of informed consent and voluntariness, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said on Feb. 13.

 

The commission said, in a statement, that it opposes mandatory vaccination or taking vaccination as a prerequisite for students to participate in classes and activities in schools and kindergartens.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Feb. 14 urged efforts to “gather wisdom from all sides” to improve the government’s work, and specified measures to bolster China’s industrial economy and service sectors.

 

While chairing a State Council executive meeting, Li was briefed on the handling of suggestions from deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and proposals from members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 2021.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

A Chinese envoy on Feb. 14 called for the prioritization of four key issues related to poverty and hunger reduction: food security, protection of vulnerable groups, sustainable development, and social justice.

 

Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the appeal at the 60th session of the Commission for Social Development.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China has managed to greatly reduce the number of accidents and casualties in its chemical industry since 2019, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

 

“Thanks to the joint endeavors of various government bodies, the safety situation in the hazardous chemical sector continues to be stable,” Sun Guangyu, a senior official for hazardous chemical supervision at the ministry told a news conference on Feb. 15.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

A central-level disease control and prevention body, which was established amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will take charge of a range of work regarding China’s emergency response capacity, monitoring of infectious diseases and oversight of the public health sector, according to a circular issued on Feb. 16.

 

The document, issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, stipulates that the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control will also be tasked with supervising and managing local disease control agencies and disease control work at medical institutions. 

 

From: CHINA DAILY

 

 

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Feb. 17 said it will continue fully supporting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and meet its demands in containing the current COVID-19 outbreak.

 

The commission said in a statement on the website that it has been paying close attention to the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. 

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Primary and secondary schools in China will appoint vice principals who will be in charge of law-related affairs to ensure better protection for students and tackle juvenile delinquency and school bullying.

 

The relevant measures that will come into effect on May 1 require that at least one vice principal responsible for such work is appointed in each primary or secondary school, the Ministry of Education said on Feb. 17.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China welcomes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to visit the country, including a visit to Xinjiang, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Feb. 19.

 

Wang attended the 58th Munich Security Conference via videolink and made the remarks in responses to queries concerning China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

The No. 1 Central Document for 2022 was released on Feb. 22, underscoring ensuring food security and preventing a large-scale reoccurrence of poverty as the priorities for this year’s work on agriculture and rural affairs.

 

The document, unveiled by central authorities, stressed advancing rural vitalization, while pushing ahead with continuing breakthroughs in core agricultural technology and increasing farmers’ incomes.

 

From: CHINA DAILY

 

 

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has seen great achievements in education, healthcare and employment after stepping up efforts to improve the people’s livelihood over the past few years, an official from the local government said.

 

Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government, shared these and other achievements with guests from home and abroad during a seminar themed “People First” on Feb. 22 via video link, which was jointly held by the government and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

The quality of legal services provided through a mini program on popular instant messaging tool WeChat, will be improved to meet increasing demand, an official with the country’s top court told media on Feb. 22.

 

Sun Fuhui, deputy director of the Information Center at the Supreme People’s Court, said it plans to link several online platforms, including those dealing with mediation, case filing and the delivery of rulings, to create unified access via the WeChat mini program for nationals.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

The domestic job market has performed better than expected in 2021, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Feb. 22.

 

Around 12.7 million jobs were created in urban areas last year, surpassing the target of 11 million. The average surveyed unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, falling by 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. 

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

Seventeen people have been held accountable for an alleged woman abuse case in Fengxian county, East China’s Jiangsu province, the provincial authorities said on Feb. 23.

 

Among them, Lou Hai, Party chief of Fengxian, has been removed from his post, and Zheng Chunwei, head of the county government, has been demanded to resign, according to a report issued by an investigation team of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the provincial government of Jiangsu.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China’s agricultural authorities will make all-out efforts to ensure a harvest of summer grains despite the challenges caused by floods during the sowing period last fall, a senior official said on Feb. 23.

 

Tang Renjian, minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said that a third of the country’s wheat-growing areas were planted late due to the floods in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed unswerving adherence to China’s path of human rights development. 

 

Xi made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Feb. 25.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Two batches of mainland health experts have arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to work with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak, a health official said on Feb. 26.

 

The central government will continue to support Hong Kong in epidemic prevention and control, with mainland experts continually working closely with their Hong Kong counterparts, National Health Commission official Wu Liangyou said at a press conference.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech on Feb. 28 calling on the international community to uphold equity and justice to promote the sound development of the global human rights cause.

 

Wang issued his call at the high-level segment of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which he attended via video link.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

 

The Chinese government is weaving an even stronger protection net for women and children, with a resolute stance voiced and tough measures pledged against human trafficking.

 

Following an alleged case of abuse against a woman in east China that grabbed much attention in February, a 10-month nationwide operation has been launched to crack down on the abduction and trafficking of women and children starting from March 1 to better protect these groups.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China issued a white paper on the country’s progress in developing sports for persons with disabilities on March 3. 

 

Titled “China’s Parasports: Progress and the Protection of Rights,” the white paper was released by the State Council Information Office one day before the opening of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Actively coping with an aging population and building a senior friendly society is a pressing matter in China’s long-term development plans, a spokesman for the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference said on March 3.

 

The CPPCC National Committee has held special conferences and seminars on the subject, conducted field research and offered suggestions such as promoting a “silver economy” to help seniors find work, said Guo Weimin, the spokesman. 

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

The protection of public interests has achieved remarkable results, with the number of cases handled increasing steadily and the fields of public interest litigation becoming more diverse, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said on March 3.

 

Procuratorates have focused on the protection of the environment and national resources, as well as food and drug safety, as such cases accounted for 69.1 percent of those handled, said Gong Ming, a member of the SPP’s Procuratorial Committee.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

China will beef up policy support as it strives to improve environmental quality and forge ahead with its climate targets, according to this year’s government work report.

 

Submitted to the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress for review on March 5, the report noted “significant” environmental improvement in 2021 following efforts to strengthen protection and promote sustainable development.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

China has included reducing the academic burden on primary and middle school students in its annual Government Work Report, while also renewing its pledge to promote equal and high-quality education.

 

With 290 million students at schools and universities across China, the country must ensure that education, which is vital to millions of families and to the future of the nation, is properly run, the report, released on March 5, said.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

Chinese lawmakers are considering a draft decision to give more seats in its national legislature to people from the grassroots level and women.

 

The draft decision on the quota and election of deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fifth session of the 13th NPC for deliberation.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

March 8 marks International Women’s Day. President Xi Jinping has extended his best wishes to the country’s women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life.

 

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, conveyed his greetings on March 6 during a joint group meeting at the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body.

 

Xi attaches great importance to protecting women’s rights and interests and has on many occasions hailed their role in the country’s development. His discourse on women-related issues has charted the course for advancing the well-rounded development of women.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

The central government will do its utmost to stabilize the job market this year by continuing the employment-first policy, strengthening assistance to market entities and eliminating improper restrictions in the operation of the job market.

 

According to the annual Government Work Report, released on March 6, it will prioritize the stability of the market and companies to help stabilize employment. Fiscal and financial policies will also be focused on boosting employment.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

China welcomes the visit by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights to China, including Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this May, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office at Geneva Chen Xu said here on March 8.

 

“We will work with the High Commissioner’s Office to make preparations for the visit,” Chen said at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Chinese judicial authorities have stepped up efforts to better protect women and children, according to work reports of the country’s top court and top procuratorate.

 

The reports were submitted to the ongoing session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) for deliberation on March 8, coinciding with the International Women’s Day.

 

China stands firmly opposed to domestic violence, strictly punishes abusers in accordance with laws, read a work report of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC).

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

China’s efforts to better protect people’s personal information resulted in a rapid rise in the number of lawsuits last year, according to the work reports of the country’s top judicial authorities unveiled on March 8.

 

Prosecutors nationwide charged 3,436 people with harming people’s personality rights — breaches against people’s right to privacy or reputations — for example through online defamation or misuse of people’s personal information. The figure represented a 51.3 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate work report.

 

From: CHINA DAILY

 

 

The number of people charged with the crime of buying trafficked women and children increased to 328 last year from 155 in 2000, according to an annual work report of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, China’s top prosecuting authority.

 

People accused of such trafficking dropped to 1,135 last year from 14,458 in 2000, with an average annual decline of 11.4 percent, according to the report released on March 8.

 

A crackdown on the trafficking of women and children has been a hot topic among national lawmakers and political advisers who are gathering in Beijing for the ongoing two sessions.

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

China and a group of countries called on the UN rights body to continue to attend to violation of children’s rights at immigration detention centers in some countries on March 9.

 

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of a group of countries at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council, Jiang Duan, minister of the Chinese mission to the UN in Geneva, said the world is still faced with multiple challenges in the protection of children’s rights, including the violation of children’s rights at immigration detention centers.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Employment, education and healthcare are high on the agenda this year so that people’s livelihoods can be continuously improved, according to Premier Li Keqiang.

 

The government will implement fiscal and monetary policies to support employment goals, as employment is not only a matter of livelihood, but also closely related with development, he said at a news conference on March 11.

 

From: CHINA DAILY

 

 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has underlined the need to put the people’s lives first and stick to the dynamic zero-COVID strategy with scientific and targeted measures, in order to speedily curb the spread of the virus nationwide.

 

Xi made the remark on March 17 while presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. During the meeting, the top CPC leadership analyzed the current COVID-19 situation in the country and urged stringent measures to respond to the virus.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

China’s top political adviser Wang Yang has stressed the importance of achieving enduring stability in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region by promoting development.

 

He said that the region should answer rumors and attacks with the fact that people of all ethnic groups there enjoy happy lives.

 

Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remark during an inspection tour in Xinjiang from March 18 to March 22.

 

From: CHINA DAILY

 

 

China and a group of countries on March 21 called on the UN Human Rights Council to continue to attend to serious human rights violations against indigenous people and take necessary actions accordingly.

 

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of the group of countries at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council, Jiang Duan, minister of the Chinese mission to the UN in Geneva, said they are deeply concerned about serious violations of human rights of indigenous people by some countries.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

People-centered development should be at the heart of the global community’s approach to tackling inequality, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva Chen Xu has said at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted economic and social development, and particularly the livelihoods of people in developing countries, he said on March 25. This has exacerbated inequality, bringing severe challenges to global development.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

The key to democracy lies in whether its people are truly masters of their country, a Chinese envoy said here at the ongoing session of the Human Rights Council on March 25. 

 

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of a group of countries at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva Chen Xu said that democracy and human rights are a common pursuit of humanity, and diversity is a fundamental feature of human society and that countries with different histories, cultures and national conditions may choose different forms of democracy.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on March 27 called for more efforts to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation and ensure that rural vitalization policies are fully implemented and deliver tangible benefits. 

 

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting in Qujing, Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

 

From: Xinhua

 

 

Premier Li Keqiang called on March 29 for thorough investigation of cases involving the abduction of women and children and urged timely measures to enable their rescue, rehabilitation and return to their families.

 

In an instruction issued to a national teleconference of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, on cracking down on human trafficking, Li highlighted the need to offer more care to the victims of human trafficking and better protect their privacy.

 

From: China Daily

 

 

China is capable of disposing of COVID-19 medical waste in a timely manner, an official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said.

 

By the end of last year, annual disposal capacity for medical waste stood at 2.15 million metric tons, an increase of 39 percent on 2019, said Ren Yong, director general of the ministry’s Department of Solid Waste and Chemical Management, in a news conference on March 30. 

 

From: chinadaily.com.cn

 

 

The Communist Party of China Central Committee attached great importance to the crash of the China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 aircraft after it took place. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of the People’s Republic of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered important instructions, requiring that all-out efforts be made in search and rescue and the aftermath be properly handled. He sent leaders from the State Council to Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, to guide this work. He gave important instructions on workplace safety on March 24 and heard a report on the handling of the crash at a meeting convened by the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau on March 31, at which Xi delivered a speech and arrangements were made for the follow-up work. 

 

From: Xinhua