Plan aims to increase planting of tea oil trees

Authorities have set a target of ensuring that more than 6 million hectares of tea-oil camellias are planted by 2025, according to a three-year action plan released on Monday by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance.

The tea-oil camellia is a woody plant, and its exploitation has a long history in China. Given its environmental and economic importance, the document stated that China will expand plantation by 1.3 million hectares between this year and 2025, to produce more than 2 million metric tons of tea oil a year.

In addition, the country will upgrade about 850,666 hectares of forest by planting tea-oil camellias over the next three years, it said.

According to the plan, more than 992,000 hectares will be planted in 600 counties covering eight provinces and autonomous regions, including the provinces of Hunan and Jiangxi and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which are core areas for the trade.

Meanwhile, nearly 200 counties in seven provincial-level regions, including Chongqing and the provinces of Yunnan and Henan, have been designated as priority areas for expansion. More than 285,000 hectares are expected to be planted in those regions.

Fourth cultural heritage survey to be conducted

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration will launch a national survey of cultural heritage later this year, according to a meeting attended by cultural heritage authorities on Jan 5.

According to Li Qun, head of the administration, the survey will be active for three to four years so officials can get to know the number, location, features and condition of immovable cultural heritage nationwide.

Based on the results, a national catalog will be created to better assess their situation and help create policies to better protect cultural heritage, Li said.

Deng Chao, an official with the administration, said that apart from examining, registering and identifying newly found immovable heritage, the survey will focus on reexamining examples that have already been identified and registered.

A list of institutions focusing on the protection of cultural heritage will be made public along with the catalog, Deng said, adding that the survey also aims to help improve the skills of those engaged in heritage protection and raise public awareness of the need to protect sites.

The survey will be the fourth of its kind. The third was organized between April 2007 and December 2011, during which more than 760,000 immovable objects were examined and registered.

Authorities to better monitor rural poor

Authorities will bolster efforts to carry out regular monitoring of and to provide assistance to low-income residents in rural areas to prevent a large-scale lapse back into poverty due to illness, according to a notice published on Jan 3.

The notice, issued by the National Healthcare Security Administration and four other central departments, stressed the importance of establishing a long-term mechanism to aid the effort.

It stated that in rural areas, more than 99 percent of low-income people need to be covered by basic insurance. Moreover, targeted assistance needs to be provided to qualifying patients with high medical expenses.