A number of ministry-level departments, including those responsible for finance, national development and reform, and emergency management, have responded recently to issues of public concern.
Teacher-training program receives 2.18b yuan
The central government has allocated 2.18 billion yuan ($311.90 million) to provide training for primary school, middle school and kindergarten teachers in central and western regions, the Ministry of Finance said in a notice released on July 9.
The teachers will be encouraged to receive training through various channels, including outside training, online study, and visiting scholarship programs at elite schools, it said.
Areas of extreme poverty should be given priority when distributing the funds, the ministry said.
China launched a national training program for teachers at primary and middle schools and kindergartens in 2010.
In the past decade, 18 billion yuan has been allocated for the program and more than 15 million teachers and school principals have received training, the ministry said.
Guideline to boost private sector's transport role
No restrictive thresholds shall be set to prevent private companies' participation in the construction and operation of transport infrastructure, a guideline published on July 8 said.
The guideline, aimed at encouraging the private sector to fund transport infrastructure, was jointly issued by 12 departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission.
It said barriers to market access should be made equal to ensure fair competition. For example, private enterprises should not be restricted from bidding for projects by local rules that require them to set up subsidiaries in places where the projects take place.
Private enterprises will also be encouraged to participate in the construction of major railway projects, and the operation and development of railway passenger and freight stations, mobile internet services and express logistics, it said.
615m yuan provided for flood disaster relief
China allocated a total of 615 million yuan ($87.82 million) to six provincial-level regions on July 8 for disaster relief in areas hit by floods, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.
The funds, allocated by the ministries of finance and emergency management, were channeled to Chongqing, the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Guizhou, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
While 430 million yuan will be used for flood control, the remaining 185 million yuan will be used to help people affected by the disasters, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.
On July 7, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded the emergency response for flood control to level three as incessant downpours continued to wreak havoc across vast stretches of the country.
Heavy rain has lashed large parts of southern China since June, with the waters of many rivers in affected regions exceeding warning levels.
Nine professions gain government recognition
China has given official recognition to nine new professions in an effort to promote employment amid COVID-19 prevention and control measures, according to a statement released on July 6 by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Bureau of Statistics.
The new professions, including blockchain technician, online marketer, online learning consultant and community health assistant, are mostly in the public health sector, emerging industries and areas related to poverty alleviation, it said.
Five other jobs, including livestreaming salesperson and internet information auditor, have also been recognized, while three types of work related to public health services, such as epidemic prevention coordinator and sanitation worker, have been upgraded into professions, the statement said.
It is the third time China has added new professions to its occupation list since 2015, when the country unveiled the latest edition of its occupational classifications.
