The State Council executive meeting on Dec 7

The State Council executive meeting on Dec 7 approved major programs to revitalize the central region of China and promote informatization and major national science and technology projects for the 13th Five-Year (2016-2020) period. The meeting also passed a draft amendment to control water pollution.

China eases qualification requirements

The State Council relaxed the qualification requirements for 114 positions, including temporary tour guides and house cleaners.

The cabinet released a list of to-be-cancelled jobs requiring qualifications on Dec 8 that includes seven professional jobs and another 107 technical personnel, covering transportation, agriculture, tourism, investment, water resources, human resources and meteorology.

New measures to increase rural incomes

The State Council rolled out measures to increase rural residents’ income, with innovation to help them cultivate new business.

The circular put forward a target of doubling farmers’ 2010 per capita income by 2020.

The government will invest more in agricultural infrastructure construction concerning agricultural technology and power grid upgrades in rural areas. Also, more private capital will be encouraged to flow into rural areas, according to the circular.

China to streamline domestic green market

The State Council has decided to set up a unified system to enhance the quality and supply of green products by 2020, according to a circular released on Dec 7.

The system will set standards for the certification and identification of green products as part of supply-side reforms and efforts to bolster the global competitiveness of household products.

Responsible departments should publish unified green criteria and a directory of certified green products that prioritizes food and consumer goods used in daily life.

Move to promote strict controls on dangerous chemicals

The State Council issued a circular on Dec 6 to promote a comprehensive management system of dangerous chemicals.

The circular is aimed at strengthening management over dangerous chemicals and preventing major accidents from happening again, in an effort to ensure people’s safety.

Related work will be carried out from this month to November 2019, in three phases: making plans and publicizing them, implementation and supervision, and making summaries and reports.

Guideline to lift 10 million out of poverty

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Finance and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development have published a guideline aimed at helping 10 million people break out of poverty through employment.

The measures mapped out in the guideline include providing new jobs and skills training for the unemployed and helping middle school students who have dropped out of school because of a lack of money to continue their education at vocational schools.

5-year plan for intelligent manufacturing

China on Dec 7 released its five-year plan for intelligent manufacturing in a bid to increase competitiveness in the “factory of the world”.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance published the blueprint for 2016-2020.

The plan is a long-term strategic task to develop intelligent manufacturing to generate new growth to improve the country’s manufacturing sector.

Measures to help college graduates get jobs

The government will roll out measures to make it easier for college graduates to get a job or start their own businesses in 2017, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education on Dec 8.

The circular encourages small companies and grassroots organizations to hire graduates by providing subsidies. It also urges local authorities to create a favorable environment for graduates to start businesses by making use of business incubators and college technology parks.

Regulation on online games

The Ministry of Culture issued a regulation on online games, stating that users of online games should be registered with real names and ID numbers.

The regulation also asked online game operators to protect teenagers effectively, by setting a consumption limit on their time and money and blocking scenes and functions that are inappropriate for their age group.

The regulation will take effect on May 1, 2017.

New diagram of train schedules to be carried out

[Photo/Xinhua]

A new diagram of train schedules will be carried out across China on Jan 5, 2017, adding 135 pairs of passenger trains, according to China Railway Corporation.

After the launch of the new schedules, the number of passenger trains will reach 3,570.5 pairs, including 2,332.5 pairs of bullet trains.

The corporation says the booking time for train tickets will be shortened to 30 days beginning Dec 30, for the convenience of the new schedules.