A number of central government departments, including those responsible for environment, education, tourism and agriculture, have responded recently to matters of public concern.

Countrywide plastics record system established

China has set up a nationwide reporting system to record the utilization and recycling of single-use plastics, according to a document released by the Ministry of Commerce on Nov 30.

The document was aimed at urging the business sector to reduce consumption of single-use plastics, encourage plastic recycling and the use of recyclable and degradable substitutes.

Retailers, e-commerce platforms and takeout food outlets are required to report their use and recycling of such products, the document said.

At the beginning of the year, the government released a plan to ban or significantly reduce the production and use of environmentally unfriendly plastic products in the next five years to contain pollution.

By 2025, China expects to effectively control plastic pollution, substantially reduce the amount of such waste in key cities' landfills and establish a complete plastics-management system, and to have made progress in the development of alternative products.

COVID-19 measures for students and teachers

The Ministry of Education has rolled out measures to prevent and control COVID-19 on campuses during the winter months and next spring because the risk of cluster infections rises at these times.

The ministry has ordered schools nationwide to make arrangements for the winter vacation and the spring semester in a timely and preemptive manner, allowing students to leave schools in batches, the notice said.

To prevent COVID-19 clusters on campuses, the ministry has ordered schools to actively take measures to prevent infections caused by cold-chain food imports.

It also stressed the importance of health education, guiding teachers, students and parents to be aware of personal protection and habits such as regularly washing hands, wearing face masks in public and adhering to regulations on social distancing.

Smart tourism construction set to be completed soon

China aims to finish building a batch of scenic areas, resorts, towns and cities featuring technology-based smart tourism by the end of the year. The move is part of an effort to promote high-quality development of the sector, according to a guideline published on Nov 30.

The guideline, issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and nine other government departments, said that by then, the country expects to see arrivals and consumption return to pre-COVID-19 levels.

By 2025, the country's tourist attractions rated 4A, the second-highest level in the five-tier standards system, or higher will be upgraded to make the provision of services more "intelligent", it said.

To achieve these goals, the guideline ordered tourist attractions and resorts to expand 5G network coverage and accelerate the application of unmanned, noncontact facilities.

It has also urged tourist destinations to make use of advanced technologies such as big data and cloud computing in order to provide detailed information about traffic, weather and related matters in a timely manner.

Patrol team to assist with fishing ban on Yangtze

Authorities will build a team to patrol the Yangtze River Basin to assist fishery administration and ensure the implementation of the 10-year fishing ban, according to a guideline published on Nov 30.

The guideline was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Ministry of Finance.

As a result of the fishing ban, fishermen now have to find new ways of earning a living.

According to the guideline, those who are familiar with the condition of the river and have no convictions for illegal fishing will be prime contenders during the patrol team recruitment drive.

As part of a body formed to assist enforcement and administration of the ban, the team members will not qualify as law enforcement officers. However, they will be allowed to help in the collection of evidence and conduct initial enquiries under the guidance of such officials, the guideline said.