Appeal for Peace

Delegates from China，South Korea and Japan at an assembly on August 15 at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing，Jiangsu Province.The day marked the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II.



Appeal for Peace

Delegates from China，South Korea and Japan at an assembly on August 15 at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing，Jiangsu Province.
The day marked the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II.

Lawsuit Requirements

The Supreme People's Court （SPC）released a circular on August 16 making it mandatory for relevant offcials of government bodies to personally appear in court when trials involving major administrative disputes take place.

The stipulation applies to administrative cases that affect the public interest， come under intense public scrutiny， and are likely to induce mass incidents. Courts should also issue notices to recommend offcials' appearance in other cases，the circular said.

“Offcials who should appear in court include government department principals， as defendants， as well as other offcials in charge of the specifc areas concerned in cases，” it said.

According to the SPC， those who cannot attend should designate other government staff to appear on their behalf. They should not have lawyers as their sole representatives in court.

The circular also banned courts from refusing or delaying such lawsuits， stating that principals of the courts found doing so will be disciplined and punished.

“Resolute efforts should be made to deter any illegal act to interfere in and obstruct a court's handling of an administrative case，”the circular said， urging courts to keep clear records of government offcials attempting to infuence case management and outcomes as proof of liability in the future.

Space Mission

China's Shenzhou-11 spaceship， set to take two astronauts into space，was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on August 12.

General assembly and testing will begin at the center ahead of the vehicle's launch， which is scheduled for mid-October， said a statement by China's Manned Space Engineering Offce.

The spaceship will transport personnel and supplies to China's second orbiting space lab，Tiangong-2， which is due to be launched in mid-September.

The astronauts selected for the mission are both male and have been undergoing intensive training，the statement said.

Tiangong-2， which will accommodate two astronauts for up to 30 days at a time， was delivered to the center in early July， and its carrier rockets arrived one month later.

Authorities' Responsiveness

Government departments have been required to respond faster and better to public concerns， according to a circular issued by the State Council，China's cabinet， on August 12.

“Regarding exceptional emergencies， press conferences should be held within 24 hours， and responses to other topics should be made within 48 hours，” said the circular， which stressed that information should be regularly updated.

The document said that spokespersons or departmental heads should be present at press briefngs，and information should be “accurate，well-founded and pertinent.” It added that in responding to public questions， offcials should be given a certain level of discretion， and mistakes should be tolerated to some degree.

The circular also contains a two-year plan to train all offcials in charge of publicity and spokespersons of State Council departments and administrations at or above county level.

Wealth Report

Guangdong Province in south China has overtaken Beijing as the Chinese mainland region with the largest super-rich population， according to a report from Hurun Research Institute and Chinese insurance giant Taikang Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

In May this year， the Chinese mainland was home to about 1.34 million high net worth individuals（HNWIs） each with assets over 10 million yuan （$1.51 million）—a 10.7 percent year-on-year increase—the report shows.

Among provinces and cities，Guangdong， rather than Beijing， now has the largest and fastest growingnumber of HNWIs with assets over 10 million yuan—about 240，000—chalking up 17.65 percent annual growth. Beijing ranks second with 238，000 such residents， followed by Shanghai and Zhejiang Province， the report shows.

Business owners， senior corporate employees， property speculators and professional investors are the four key occupational groups making up China's super-rich population， the report pointed out.

War Crime Survey

The Liji Alley Comfort Women Museum in Nanjing， east China，has begun collating information on military brothels， or so-called“comfort stations，” established by Japanese armed forces during their occupation of the city during World War II.

The investigation will produce a comprehensive record of Japan's war crimes， according to museum curator Su Zhiliang， and the evidence will be used in support of the ongoing application to have “comfort women” inscribed on the Memory of the World Register， established by UNESCO in the 1990s.

An exhibition and a report on the museum's fndings are scheduled for next year.

The survey will be completed in three parts: sourcing of plans， maps，photos and videos of Japan's military brothels in Nanjing； collating interviews with “comfort women” and witnesses； and interviewing those that lived nearby “comfort stations.”

NGOs from eight countries and regions， including China， the Republic of Korea and Indonesia， are working together on the nomination.

The museum， opened in December 2015， is situated on the former site of a WWII Japanese military brothel， which was established after Japanese troops occupied Nanjing at the end of 1937. Around 60 such brothels existed in Nanjing at the height of the Japanese occupation， according to Su.

Attraction of Handicrafts

Children look at clay sculptures at a cultural center in Raoyang County， Hebei Province， on August 14. A series of activities to do with folk customs were held there during the summer vacation for children.

Residential Permit

Beijing will introduce a new residence permit system on October 1，local authorities said on August 11.

According to provisional regulations released the same day， Chinese citizens who stay in Beijing for over six months with a stable job， fxed residence or in full-time education will be able to apply for the new permit， which will be issued in about 15 days. Holders of the permit will be entitled to many of the benefts enjoyed by Beijing's over 20 million permanent residents—educational opportunities， employment support，senior citizen benefts and social welfare.

Deep Sea Research

Staff members sample seafoor sediment through a sampling tank onboard deep sea exploration ship Zhang Jian in the Solomon Sea off Papua New Guinea on August 14.

Zhang Jian started environmental exploration in waters near the New Britain Trench in the Solomon Sea on August 12.

New BGI HQ

China's BGI has chosen Queensland，Australia， as its Asia-Pacifc headquarters and will start operating from its new Brisbane hub forthwith.

BGI， formerly known as Beijing Genomics Institute， one of the world's top genome sequencing centers， will employ 10 local researchers at its new HQ， the company announced during a media conference on August 16.

BGI president and co-founder Wang Jian said the new center will be based within the existing grounds of the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

“We have been considering coming to Queensland for some time given the strength of Queensland's research sector and the visionary state government committed to innovation and science as the driving forces of economic development，” Wang said.

Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Jackie Trad said she was delighted about BGI's establishment，as it means more job opportunities for local researchers.

“They will be working closely with Queensland universities and government bodies on key research issues in genomics， healthcare， agriculture and biodiversity，” Trad said.

Stock Connect

The Chinese Government has approved plans to connect the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges， Premier Li Keqiang said on August 16.

The preparation for the launch of the Shenzhen-HK Stock Connect scheme is generally in place， Li said at a State Council executive meeting.

A similar link between the Shanghai and Hong Kong bourses was launched in 2014. It allows investors on the mainland and those in Hong Kong to trade selected stocks on each other's exchanges.

“The rollout of Shenzhen-HK Stock Connect after that between Shanghai and Hong Kong marks another concrete step for China's capital market toward becoming one that is more law-based， marketoriented and global. It will generate many positive outcomes，” Li said.

The Shenzhen-HK Stock Connect arrangement will help investors to share more of the dividends from economic growth on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong and promote closer partnership between the two markets while shoring up Hong Kong's role as an international fnancial center， the premier added.

The scheme will be launched at an appropriate time this year after the regulatory rules and technical preparations are completed， China's securities watchdog said on August 12.

Urbanization Promoted

China has made signifcant progress in shanty-town renovation and affordable housing and public transportation construction， an offcial said on August 16.

By the end of June， the country had met 66.9 percent of its annual shanty-town renovation target， 8.2 percentage points higher than in the same period last year， said Zhao Chenxin， a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission（NDRC）， at a news briefing.

As for affordable urban housing projects， 97.9 percent of the annual target had been reached as of the end of June， Zhao said.

In the frst half of 2016， city and intercity railway networks grew rapidly. Rail transit in 25 cities reached a length of more than 3，300 km， and another 3，800 km is under construction in 37 cities. The intercity traffc network has hit 1，250 km.

Moreover， local governments of all provinces and municipalities， as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps， have released their reform plans on the household registration system.

The Central Government is supporting 37 towns to innovate infrastructure investment fnancing，helping small and medium-sized cities and towns to improve underdeveloped infrastructure such as water，heat and gas supply systems as well as sewage and garbage treatment facilities.

Zhao also said that China will strive to foster new pillars of economic growth and deepen international cooperation in its urbanization drive.

New Energy Power Generation

A tidal current energy generator set situated in Zhoushan， Zhejiang Province， on August 15.

The 3.4-megawatt generator set was independently developed by China. When it achieves stable operation， it is expected to generate 6 million kwh of electricity annually.

SDR Bonds

A division of the World Bank has been allowed to issue bonds denominated in special drawing rights（SDR） in China's interbank bond market.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development was approved to issue bonds worth 2 billion SDR （$2.79 billion）， according to a statement on the website of the People's Bank of China on August 12. The Chinese yuan will be the currency of settlement. The inclusion of the yuan in the SDR will take effect in October.

The frst batch will be put on the market “soon，” said the statement， adding that interbank debt denominated in SDRs will diversify investment portfolios both in China and abroad.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China， the country's largest lender by market value， will be the lead underwriter for the issue.

These will be the frst bonds denominated in SDR since 1981.

Apple Investment

U.S. tech giant Apple will increase investment in China and actively participate in China's “Internet Plus”strategy and smarter manufacturing，said the company's CEO Tim Cook in Beijing on August 16.

Cook made the remarks while meeting with China's Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli， who called on U.S. companies to increase their investment and expand the industrial chain of their businesses.

Zhang said that trade and investment cooperation between China and the United States injects dynamism into the two countries' economic development and boosts global growth.

Cook also said that Apple plans to set up an independent research and development center in China before the end of this year， the frst in the Asia-Pacifc region， though he did not reveal the specifc location.

Licensing Suspended

The People's Bank of China （PBOC）said on August 12 that it will halt the licensing of new non-bank payment agencies， as authorities try to better regulate the fast-expanding industry.

“No new institutions will be approved for a certain period，in principle，” the PBOC said in a statement， while announcing an extension of business licenses for 27 third-party payment agencies that have already qualifed.

Those agencies， including industry leader Alipay， were frst authorized in 2011 and will have their services extended for another fve years.

Some of them， however， will have to narrow their scope of service due to serious violations of rules or sluggish business， the PBOC said.

There are around 270 thirdparty agencies that own payment licenses in China， with online transactions surging 46.9 percent year on year to 11.8 trillion yuan （$1.8 trillion）last year， according to statistics from consulting frm iResearch.

With the exception of Alipay and Tencent's Tenpay， however， many third-party agencies have struggled to fnd good proft models， with some starting to explore services such as peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms.

Manufacturing Breakthrough

Train G8041 is ready to depart from the Dalian North Railway Station in Liaoning Province bound for the provincial capital of Shenyang on August 15. This marked the beginning of China Standard Electric Multiple Units （EMUs）trains coming into operation.

China designed and developed the EMUs and owns all of the associated intellectual property rights.

Share Acquisition

The State Grid Corp. of China has reached a deal to gain control of Brazil's CPFL Energia SA， after two major shareholders agreed to sell the Chinese company their stakes in the $7.3-billion utility， according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Bonaire Participacoes and Banco do Brasil SA's pension fund，known as Previ， have given informal approval to sell their combined 44.5-percent stake in CPFL for 25 reals （$7.8） a share， said the insiders who asked to remain anonymous.

The terms are the same as those the Chinese company earlier offered when it agreed to buy Brazilian company Camargo Correa's stake in the power distributor in July， and the deal will likely be announced in a few weeks， according to one of the people.

State Grid is currently engaged in due diligence for the Camargo Correa deal， a process that will take two more weeks， according to a third person with knowledge of the matter. After that， State Grid will send a formal offer to CPFL's shareholders，who then have 30 days to respond.

The sale would increase State Grid's stake in CPFL to 68 percent. The Chinese company has to extend the offer to all shareholders，which also include subsidiary CPFL Renovaveis， according to another person. The full deal could reach 50 billion reals （$15.6 billion）， including debt， the person said.

Greening Beijing

The Beijing Municipal Government has raised over 10 billion yuan （$1.51 billion） from social enterprises to landscape the capital， the city's Landscape and Forestry Bureau said on August 12.

The funds are being used by projects of public-private partnerships and other foundations to build wetland parks， plant fruit trees and start seedling nurseries， said an offcial with the bureau.

From 2011 to 2015， nearly 90 billion yuan （$13.6 billion） went into fxed assets investment in Beijing's landscaping industry， a majority of which was backed by the government.

The bureau plans to increasingly utilize more market-oriented approaches to collect funds in the future by giving preferential treatment to enterprises that invest in and establish “green foundations.”

Vitalizing Village Economy

A tourist walks along an alley in a village in Songyang County， Zhejiang Province.

Located in southwest Zhejiang， Songyang has more than 100 intact traditional villages， which can provide people with a chance to feel the beauty of green mountains and water and relieve stress.