A number of ministry-level departments, including those responsible for education, agriculture and rural affairs, market regulation, and public security, have responded recently to matters of public concern.
Museum outreach efforts to help school students
Museums in China are being encouraged to design exhibitions and education programs suitable for primary and secondary schools, a guideline published on Oct 19 said.
Jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, it called for more cooperation between museums and primary and secondary schools across the country in an effort to help students better use museum resources.
It said museum resources should be fully utilized and asked museums to strengthen online education to promote the integration of their resources with the education system.
Educational museum exhibitions should be held regularly in villages so that primary and secondary students in small and medium-sized cities and rural areas can have access to museum resources, the guideline said.
There are more than 5,500 registered museums in China, according to official data.
Oceangoing opportunities in wake of fishing ban
China will provide remote online training and examinations for fishermen affected by a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River Basin who are willing to work on oceangoing fishing boats to help promote their re-employment, a notice published on Oct 19 said.
Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, it required local authorities to accurately determine the employment needs of local fishermen and the local demand for oceangoing fishing crew to better match them.
In January, China began a 10-year fishing moratorium in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River Basin. It will be expanded to all the natural waterways of the country's longest river and its major tributaries by the start of next year.
The full-scale ban is likely to affect more than 113,000 fishing boats and nearly 280,000 fishermen in 10 provincial-level regions along the river, according to earlier estimates.
Campaign to tackle internet market problems
A campaign has been launched to address the most acute problems in the internet market, including unfair competition on e-commerce platforms, a notice published on Oct 24 said.
Jointly issued by the State Administration of Market Regulation and 13 other ministries that are members of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting System for Network Market Supervision, it said the campaign aims to centralize efforts to tackle problems while protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and operators to safeguard a fair and orderly market environment.
The campaign, which will run until December, will look into problems such as unfair competition on e-commerce platforms, the online sale of fake and shoddy goods and the illegal trade in wild animals and plants, the notice said.
Age ceiling for first-time driver's licenses scrapped
China will allow people over 70 years old to apply for their first driver's licenses as long as they are fit and healthy enough to drive safely, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Oct 22.
From Nov 20, people over 70 will be allowed to apply for first-time licenses to drive small vehicles and mopeds, the ministry said at a news conference in Beijing.
Applicants will be required to pass assessments of their memory, judgment and reactions, as well as having annual health checkups and submitting the results, it said.
Considering the increasing life expectancy and improving health of Chinese people, more seniors will need to drive or learn to drive, said Liu Yupeng, an official with the ministry, adding that the move is aimed at meeting new demands from the nation's aging population.
The upper age limit for applicants for driver's licenses for large and medium-sized passenger or freight vehicles will be raised from 50 to 60, the ministry said.
