Demographics survey to sample 1% of population

The State Council has decided to sample one percent of China's total population to gauge the latest developments in the country's population.

The sample survey will start on Nov 1 next year, and is expected to cover about 14 million people, the General Office of the State Council said in a statement.

The National Bureau of Statistics will work with other departments to set up a coordinating unit, which will be responsible for organizing and carrying out the sample survey, the office said.

It has asked all departments taking part in the survey to follow their duty, fully collaborate and share information with one another.

The regulations on China's national censuses require the country to conduct a census every 10 years and a sample survey of one percent of the population between two censuses.

China has conducted four such sample surveys since 1987, a National Bureau of Statistics official said.

The sample survey in 2025 will have great significance in terms of improving the population development strategy for the new era, coping with population aging and promoting the high-quality development of the country's population, the official said.

Premature deaths from major chronic diseases drop

Premature mortality from major chronic diseases declined to 15 percent last year from 18.5 percent in 2015, a senior official at the National Health Commission said.

The commission has promoted a chronic disease health management system covering the whole population, the whole life cycle and the whole process, said Yu Xuejun, deputy head of the commission at a news conference.

The commission has included the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes in the Healthy China Initiative, and promoted the implementation of the country's medium-and-long-term plan on chronic disease prevention and treatment, Yu said.

More than 97 percent of counties and districts have participated in a national campaign promoting a healthy lifestyle, according to Yu.

Plan to open up services in certification, accreditation

China has unveiled an action plan to promote the reform and opening-up of its certification and accreditation industries, the country's top market regulator said Friday.

The action plan, implemented on Aug 28, defines the goals, tasks and measures to achieve high-standard opening-up of certification and accreditation from 2024 to 2030, Pu Chun, deputy head of the State Administration for Market Regulation, told a news conference.

The plan encourages companies to improve new technologies and the credibility and quality of products to win market trust, increase demand and enhance competitiveness.

China has established a comprehensive framework for international cooperation and mutual recognition, and has participated deeply in international conformity assessment activities, said Pu.

As of the end of June, China had joined 21 international certification and accreditation organizations, and signed 15 multilateral mutual recognition agreements and 128 bilateral cooperation arrangements for mutual recognition, official data shows.

Railway passenger trips up by 14.5% from Jan to Aug

China's railway network has set a record by facilitating nearly 3 billion passenger trips from January to August, an increase of 14.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

The surge marks the highest number of passenger trips recorded for this timeframe in history, reflecting the robust recovery of rail travel in the country, said national railway operator China State Railway Group on Thursday.

To accommodate passengers' needs, the railway system has strengthened its capacity. An average of 10,730 passenger trains are now operating daily, representing a 10.5 percent increase from last year. The railway department has conducted dynamic analyses of travel patterns, allowing for timely adjustments to train services in popular regions. Additionally, the introduction of special tourist trains aims to bolster tourism and accommodate senior travelers.