Record filing to become easier in three provinces

To help reduce burdens for enterprises and people who need to file records, local authorities in Hebei, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces will work to standardize procedures and ensure quality service.

According to an official reply sent to the provincial governments last month and released on July 7, the State Council, China's Cabinet, has given the three provinces its approval to pilot reform on standardized management of administrative record filing.

Aiming to boost the vitality of market entities, the pilot program was put forth to respond to suggestions to streamline procedures for citizens who plan to start new businesses and seek administrative approval from local governments.

The program began on July 1 and will run through June 30 of next year, covering all administrative record-filing matters in provincial, city and county government departments.

According to the official reply, the management system should be improved to sort out and strictly standardize all administrative record-filing matters. In particular, the amount of required materials should be reduced, with procedures minimized, time shortened and costs lowered.

Emphasis will be placed on services frequently requested by businesses and individuals to explore intelligently-driven record filing, according to the circular.

Skyscraper height control tightened

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, has issued a circular to tighten scrutiny over the height of planned high-rise buildings for the sake of construction quality and public safety.

The decision was made at a time local governments have been improving the management of construction projects in terms of safety and quality amid possible loopholes that may lead to safety risks.

According to a circular issued by the commission recently, the number of new buildings above 250 meters will be strictly limited.

If such buildings need to be built, the construction plans should face stricter checks on various aspects such as fire safety, and should be filed with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The commission also banned the new construction of skyscrapers above 500 meters, according to the circular.

For buildings above 100 meters, construction plans will face strict scrutiny over seismic performance. High-rises should be in keeping with the city's size and their own firefighting capacity, the circular said.

Nation's biodiversity conservation improved

Living conditions for rare and endangered species have undergone notable improvement as a result of the country's ongoing biodiversity protection and ecological restoration efforts.

China will build a comprehensive monitoring system for biodiversity conservation, enhance international cooperation and promote public participation, Ministry of Ecology and Environment official Cui Shuhong told a news conference on July 7.

By the end of 2019, China had 11,800 nature reserves, accounting for 18 percent of the country's land area and meeting the Aichi Biodiversity Targets' goal of protecting 17 percent of terrestrial areas ahead of schedule, he said.

Populations of several rare and endangered species have gradually recovered, and the numbers of Siberian tigers, Asian elephants and crested ibises have grown rapidly, Cui said.

Rare and endangered species such as the wild giant panda, Tibetan antelope and milu deer are living in better environments, he said.

He added that the giant panda has been removed from the list of endangered animals, with 1,800 now living in the wilderness.