State Council executive meeting on Nov 15

The State Council executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 15, passed guidelines for fighting poverty, developing education and strengthening environmental protection, which are all part of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

Details >>Quick view: The State Council executive meeting on Nov 15

Transparency in government affairs

The State Council issued a circular on Nov 15 regarding efforts to further promote the transparency of government affairs.

One hundred county-level governments will be selected to carry out pilot projects for the standardization of government affairs transparency in sectors such as land use and planning, environmental protection, poverty reduction, disaster relief and social insurance.

Openness will be established with basic lists of government affairs for public openness and review mechanisms.

Details >>State Council to further promote openness in government affairs

Contingency measures for local government debt risks

The State Council released a circular for contingency measures to deal with local government debt risks, on Nov 14.

Local governments will take full responsibility to pay their debts. Provincial governments will take overall responsibility for dealing with local government debt risks and local governments above country-level will make contingency plans in accordance with local conditions.

Details >>State Council releases contingency plan for local govts’ debt risks

Strategic measures to revitalize China’s northeast regions

The State Council issued a circular on Nov 16 to set up 14 measures to revitalize China’s northeast regions.

Aimed at promoting the regions’ economic development, the measures include efforts regarding administrative management system reform, State-owned enterprise reform, private economy development, upgrades of traditional industries, transformation of resource-oriented regions, cultivation of new driving forces, construction of innovation platforms, infrastructure development, creation of opening-up platforms, cooperation and training initiatives, enhancing local government’s responsibilities, financial support, and strengthening of policy promotion, coordination and inspection.

Details >>State Council to further revitalize China’s Northeast

Rewards for local governments with top performance

Local governments that successfully implement major policies could be given priority treatment on development projects, reforms and policies, according to a State Council’s circular released on Nov 17.

Local governments will be assessed on 24 criteria, including creating jobs, fighting poverty and cutting overcapacity in steel and coal industries, during annual and daily checks by the State Council.

Details >>Top performing local governments to win rewards

Detailed rules on registration of infant formula

China Food and Drug Administration recently issued detailed regulations on the registration of baby milk formula. The regulations stipulate application materials regarding milk product formula, and on-site review of applicants’ manufacturing, inspection, development and research, and testing capabilities.

Ministries issued a development plan for domestic trade circulation

Recently, ten ministries including the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Land and Resources issued a development plan on domestic trade circulation during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.

The plan puts forward tasks on promoting innovation and transformation of brick-and-mortar businesses, upgrading consumption structure, coordinating development between urban and rural areas and building a law-based business environment.

Quality of vocational school teachers will be further improved

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance released a plan on improving the quality of vocational school teachers during the 2017-2020 period, which focuses on both professional ethics and teacher skills.

China to build patent pools for university scientific achievements

The Ministry of Education recently released an action plan on promoting the transfer and transformation of university scientific achievements, which aims to receive high market recognition through building patent pools and repositories of transferable scientific achievements.

According to the plan, universities directly under the ministry will set up related systems and mechanisms by the end of December this year.

MIIT sets steel overcapacity-cut target by 2020

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a plan on the adjustment and upgrading of the steel sector during 2016-2020 on Nov 14. According to the plan, major progress will be achieved in the steel sector’s structural reform, and the industry will be “fundamentally bailed out”.

Crude steel output will be reduced by 100 to 150 million tons by 2020. And the whole sector will be modernized and its energy consumption and pollutant emissions will be within the nation standard by 2020, according to the plan.