Premier Li stresses efforts to boost employment

At the State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on Sept 20, the government decided to step up efforts to expand employment.

China has made employment a top priority and taken more proactive policies, which has helped the country add more than 13 million urban jobs every year, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

Entrepreneurship and innovation should be encouraged to create jobs, with measures to be rolled out to support migrant workers to start their own businesses back home.

The State Council also urged developing market-oriented, specialized “makerspaces” and mass innovation and entrepreneurship demonstration bases, strengthening guidance services for innovation and improving policy support.

Details:>> Premier Li stresses efforts to expand employment

Cross-border e-commerce to boost foreign trade

Also at the executive meeting, the State Council decided to establish more pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce in cities with development potential.

China already has 13 pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce in cities, including Hangzhou, Shanghai and Tianjin, where new models for technical standards, business procedures and regulatory mechanisms are being implemented.

Some good practices are going national, such as the development of online comprehensive service platforms that incorporate customs clearance, logistics, tax refunds, payments, fundraising and risk control services, as well as offline industrial parks providing whole-industrial-chain services.

Based on the principles of inclusive, prudent and effective supervision, the State Council urged integrating information on online platforms and establishing guarantee mechanisms to prevent transaction risks and protect consumers’ legal rights.

Detail:>> China to further cross-border e-commerce to boost foreign trade

Nationwide investigation on pollutants to be carried out

The State Council released a circular providing guidelines for the second nationwide investigation on pollutants, which is scheduled to be carried out on Dec 31.

The probe is aimed at strengthening supervision on pollution, enhancing environmental quality, and reinforcing pollutant-related risk control.

The investigation will mainly target State-owned enterprises (SOEs), institutions and private entities that produce industrial, agricultural, residential and mobile pollutant sources, or possess concentrated pollutant treatment facilities.

Detail:>> China to carry out nationwide investigation on pollutants

China to strengthen protection of cultural relics

China will continue to strengthen protection of cultural relics and crack down on criminal acts, according to a circular released by the State Council.

The circular made clear responsibilities to be taken by local governments, government departments and relics protection units and museums.

Cultural heritage departments are asked to formulate regulations on law enforcement, supervision and investigation. Public security departments are required to combat crimes relating to cultural relics, and guide security work of relics protection units and museums.

Customs departments are responsible for entry and exit of cultural relics and fighting relics smuggling. Also, industrial and commercial departments should conduct inspections on related businesses.

Detail:>>State Council urges more protection of cultural relics

China to build world-class universities

Chinese authorities on Sept 21 initiated a project that aims to elevate 42 of the country’s higher education institutions to a world-class level.

Another 95 institutions have been designated to develop world-class courses, according to a circular jointly issued by the ministries of education and finance, as well as the National Development and Reform Commission.

Dubbed “Double World Class,” the project includes Peking University, Renmin University of China and Tsinghua University, among others, it said.

The institutions were selected after a process of peer competition, expert review and government evaluation, according to the circular.

Detail:>>China strives for world-class universities, courses

National catalog of occupational qualifications

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has issued a notice to release the national catalog of occupational qualifications.

It contains 140 items covering key industries such as economics, education, healthcare and transportation. No qualifications are allowed beyond the catalog, and items that do not belong to the industry access categories should not be linked to employment and entrepreneurship, according to the notice.

IPR safeguarded to boost foreign investment

The Ministry of Public Security and 11 other government departments issued a joint action plan to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) of foreign companies.

According to the plan, infringement of business secrets, patents and plant variety rights will result in severe punishment, so will malicious trademark registration, imitation of famous brands, and internet piracy.

Supervision on imports and exports, as well as delivery, will be enhanced, and serious infringement cases will be thoroughly investigated to protect legitimate interests.

China pilots joint ownership housing plan in Beijing, Shanghai

The housing authority has endorsed a pilot joint ownership housing initiative in Beijing and Shanghai, according to a notice released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The plan aims to provide affordable housing to households that have difficulties in purchasing a home and push supply-side reform in the housing sector.

The notice asked for detailed rules on buyers’ qualifications, pricing, division of property rights, utilization and maintenance, as well as a clear stipulation on rights and obligations of related bodies.

The notice said that the initiative should be in line with the view of central authorities that houses are built to be lived in, not for speculation.

China to step up business registration information sharing

The State Administration of Taxation issued a circular to push forward the “all-in-one” business registration reform by enhancing information sharing.

The move focuses on alleviating the burden on taxpayers and tax staff at the grassroots level to release market vitality and increase initiative and creativity in governments’ work.

Taxation reform boosted to stimulate market vitality

Reform in the taxation system will be reinforced to optimize taxation conditions, as stated in a document released by the State Administration of Taxation.

The notice asked to speed up construction of electronic taxation bureaus, formulate operational and technical norms, and upgrade provincial online taxation service halls.

In the future, taxpayers will be able to handle most taxation issues on the internet, such as tax payment and invoice application, according to the notice.