Simplify administrations and develop green finance

The State Council executive meeting on June 14, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, decided to abolish a batch of industrial product permits or delegate the permission power to lower levels and simplify approval procedures to promote innovation.

It also decided to establish innovative pilot zones of green finance in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guizhou provinces, and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to promote transformation and upgrading of the economy.

Details:>>Quick view: State Council executive meeting on June 14

State Council inspections hold people accountable

The General Office of the State Council issued a circular on the results of verification and accountability regarding major issues that were revealed during the special inspections conducted by the State Council last year.

More than 110 issues were looked into after last year’s inspections, including stalled progress in projects that received investments from the central budget, idle financial funds, arbitrary charges imposed on enterprises and lack of medical insurance funds in place, with 1,089 people being held accountable.

After uncovering these issues, 16 typical cases were publicized as negative examples. They include the Beijing Construction Quality Management Society charging enterprises arbitrary fees, centrally invested projects being severely postponed in Tangshan city of Hebei province, and the Bureau of Finance in Kaiyuan city, Liaoning province, misappropriating funds for affordable housing projects.

Details:>> State Council inspections hold people accountable

New negative list for FTZ foreign investment

The State Council on June 16 released a new foreign investment negative list for free trade zones in an effort to further ease investment access.

The new management measures on foreign investment access will take effect on July 10, replacing the old one issued in April 2015.

The negative list covers 15 sectors, such as mining, leasing and commercial services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and financing. Among the sectors, 40 categories and 95 special management measures are included.

Compared to the 2015 list, it cuts 10 categories and 27 measures concerning such fields as aviation manufacturing, waterway transportation, banking services and education.

The negative list provides an outline of the sectors in which foreign investment is restrained and is applicable to China’s free trade zones.

Details:>> China introduces new negative list for FTZ foreign investment

More welfare for the elderly

The State Council released a guideline on providing more quality public services for senior citizens, as a way to deal with an aging society.

The guideline is aimed at encouraging more social forces to get involved in elderly care industries, providing targeted services for major vulnerable groups while allocating more public resources to older people in rural areas.

Hospitals and elderly care institutions were asked to enhance cooperation and services, and more efforts should be made to build rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes and palliative care institutions.

As an integral part of elderly care, families and communities are asked to do their part. Community elderly care centers will receive more government funding.

People over the age of 80 can re-register their hukou where their offspring are registered. Age-friendly facilities and communities will be encouraged in cities.

Details:>> China to further improve quality of eldercare

Separate city and community management function from SOEs

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), along with other three departments, released a plan demanding State-owned enterprises (SOEs) separate functions unrelated to their core businesses.

It requires the SOEs to separate its functions, including management of city facilities and community, transfer assets without compensation and properly arrange related employees.

SOEs should transfer public facilities previously managed by them, including roads, bridges and their lighting facilities, environmental sanitation facilities, public transportation facilities, city parks and squares.

More simplified taxation administrative approvals

The State Administration of Taxation released a circular on further simplifying administrative approvals on taxation, which will take effect on July 1.

The circular asked to cancel the items of certificates and licenses, and ratification documents needed for taxation approvals, and replacing the need for copies of agents’ identity documents with on-site check of original identifications.

List of qualified institution of higher education

As of May 31, China had a total of 2,914 qualified institutions of higher education, according to a list released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on June 15.

Among the institutions, 2,631 are colleges and universities, 265 of which are independent colleges, while 283 are adult higher education schools.

The list came at a time when high school graduates are completing their college applications after this year’s national college entrance exam, which took place on June 7 and 8.

The MOE also warned students of fake colleges that have been popping up across China in recent years, and called on students and their families to stick to the official list of qualified institutions of higher education.

Details:>> China lists qualified institutions of higher education

Science and technology innovation plan on healthcare

Six departments, including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, jointly published a plan on the science and technology innovation of the healthcare industry.

To achieve the goals of improving the science and technology innovation capacity, developing the healthcare service industry and cultivating innovation talent, the plan listed 12 tasks, such as strengthening applicable fundamental research, promoting advanced technology innovation and developing healthy medical products.

Garbage classification in government departments

Garbage classification will be promoted in government departments and public institutions, according to a recent official circular.

The circular was jointly issued by five government departments, including the National Government Offices Administration, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and National Development and Reform Commission.

The plan will be initially implemented in central government and provincial government departments by the end of 2017.

It will also be implemented in public institutions in many cities by the end of 2020.

Investigation on the retraction of academic papers

An international medical journal’s retraction of 107 papers by Chinese medical researchers has severely harmed the reputation and integrity of the country’s scientific community and revealed a flawed oversight system, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Nearly all of the 524 authors connected with the papers are clinical cancer doctors at key public hospitals.

The ministry said it would launch a thorough investigation into the incident at a news conference. Results will be made public, and anyone found with misconduct will be punished, according to the ministry.