China's Property Law Takes Effect

China's landmark Property Law that provides equal protection to both state and private properties was put into effect on Oct. 1 ,2007.

The law approved by the national legislature in March after repeated revisions and unprecedented eight readings is seen as a significant step in the country's efforts to further economic reforms and boost social harmony.

The 247-article law stipulates that no units or individuals may infringe upon the property of the state, the collective and the individual.

"The law will inspire people's enthusiasm to create wealth and is helpful for them to fully enjoy the fruit of reform and opening-up," said Xu Xianming, president of the China University of Political Science and Law.

To give equal protection to private property by law is in accord with the Constitution, the proposition of the Communist Party of China and people's common requests, according to Wang Liming, a professor of Renmin University of China who participated in the legislation process of the law. To address public concerns over fraudulent acquisitions and mergers of state property, the law stipulates that illegal possession, sharing, and destruction of state property is prohibited. Those who cause loss of state property shall bear legal liability, according to the law.

The concept of improving the protection of private property was first brought up at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in November 2002. In March 2004, the NPC adopted a major amendment to the Constitution, stating that people's lawful private property is inviolable.                                                                                                                                          

(From Xinhuanet)

Law Targeting Work Discrimination to Take Effect on Jan. 1

The Employment Promotion Law, to take effect on Jan. 1, 2008, is expected to boost employment by banning job discrimination. The law highlights the government's role in ensuring equal opportunities in a fair employment environment and combating work discrimination, Zhang Xiaojian, vice-minister of labor and social security, said in a recent online interview.

 The nine-chapter 69-article law, adopted in August by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, has a chapter explicitly outlining the government's responsibility for employment aid.

 He said the enterprises--- labor-intensive small-and-medium ones in particular---that hire people with living difficulty will be subject to tax reduction and exemption and social security subsidy under the new law. Disadvantaged people, too, will be entitled to three years of tax reduction and exemption and micro-credit loans in entrepreneurial activities.

Meanwhile, seniors unable to start their own businesses and are not otherwise employed will be offered public welfare posts such as patrollers and cleaners and receive work subsidies as well as social security funds accordingly from local administrations, Zhang said.

He asserted that the law will urge all levels of government to "significantly expand communities" public welfare posts?for those individuals identified as the most needy. Likewise, free professional education and training will be prioritized for children from zero-employment households.

 A lifelong training system of employment and re-employment for urban and rural workers alike, already set up with packages of national training plans for employees and professional training instructors, will be strengthened by the law's enactment. Earlier reports also said the law would oblige employers to offer training to their recruits.

In effect, the relevant content on improving such a training mechanism is "the most important aspect of the law and will prove vital to China's long-term employment situation in the future,"Zhang said.                                                                                     

(From China Daily)

IFAD President: China Achieves Remarkable Success in Poverty Alleviation

The Chinese government had made remarkable success in its poverty alleviation drive in recent years, said Mr. Lennart Bage, the head of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), in a recent interview.

 He said China, a fast-growing country which has been experiencing tremendous changes, is an active member of the IFAD.

In the past 30 years, China has made rapid progress in poverty alleviation and development, and it now ranks first among all IFAD members in terms of combined efficiency, said the IFAD president, who has been to China several times since 1980.

Bage said that every time he visited China, he was impressed by the great changes taking place in the country, not only urban areas, but also in rural areas.

On the question as to what influence China's agricultural development would have on the world's food security, Bage said that when he began to engage himself in the agricultural sector in the 1970-80's, he was aware that China, with limited arable land resources, managed to provide its large population with sufficient food and clothing, which in itself is a great contribution to the world's food security.

The IFAD and China began their cooperation in 1981, and the two sides have carried out a large number of cooperation projects since then.The IFAD has until now 20 loan projects in China, most of which are in remote mountainous areas. As a result of the fruitful cooperation between the two sides, the livelihood of the population living in poverty in some parts of China has been improved and their income increased.

But China is also faced with some problems and challenges in its agricultural development drive, such as those of narrowing the development gaps in different regions and tackling climate change, Bage said.

The proportion of the population living in poverty in China has dropped dramatically, which marks an important step forward in its poverty elimination efforts, he said, expressing the confidence that China will achieve still greater success in further eliminating poverty and tackling relevant challenges in the future.

(From Xinhuanet)

China Issues Regulations for National Survey of Polluters

The State Council, China's cabinet, issued regulations for national survey of pollution sources on Oct. 15 ,2007.

The content of the 42-article statute, signed by Premier Wen Jiabao, was not specified, but the State Council said it outlined "the scope, content and measures" of the first national survey to identify the whereabouts of the country's worst polluters, which will begin in 2008 and be completed the following year.

The regulations stipulate that any officials, survey compilers and survey respondents who falsify data should be "criticized, punished or fined". The national survey will be conducted every ten years, according to the regulations.

The Chinese government set a target of reducing discharges of major pollutant discharges by ten percent over the 11th five-year plan period ending in 2010, but fell well short of its goal last year, prompting China’s leaders to announce the introduction of a national survey.

The survey is aimed at determining the number, sector and geographical distribution of the country's polluters in the country.

 "The regulations aim to ensure the survey is carried out scientifically and effectively and the data obtained is accurate," said a statement from the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council.

 In recent years, China's rapid economic growth has given rise to greater pollution and the existing data has been insufficient for environmental surveillance.

Statistics show that there are more than 1.45 million industrial enterprises in China, but only 80,000 of them have been included in the government’s key surveillance data.

(From Xinhuanet)

More Than Half of Farmer Workers in China Join Trade Unions

About 62 million farmer workers in China, or more than half of the total, had joined trade unions by the end of September 2007, said vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Sun Chunlan.

Trade unions across the country have taken measures to enroll more farmer workers in recent years so that their interests and rights were better protected, said Sun.

 Thirty-two million farmer workers have been insured against industrial injury and 27 million had been covered in medical insurance by the end of July, Sun said.

There were 23 million farmer workers in China's trade unions at the end of 2005.

The formation of trade unions in the Wal-Mart outlets in China last year was a major breakthrough in expanding trade unions for better protection of workers?rights in overseas-funded companies in China.

(From Xinhuanet)

Beijing Official: Olympic Preparations Boost Human Rights Development

China's preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics have boosted the country’s human rights development and improved the welfare of the people, said Liu Jingmin, vice-mayor of Beijing and executive vice-president of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee.

The quality of the lives and environment of the Chinese people, Beijingers in particular, have been improved tremendously during the preparation process, Liu said.

"We've also involved people from all walks of life in our preparations of the Games, and solicited their ideas in designing the Beijing Olympic emblem, mascots, theme and venues," Liu said at a press briefing on the sideline of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

A comprehensive survey is held every six months to adjust and improve the organizers' work at public's will and suggestion, he said. "To honor our commitments to the International Olympic Committee, we're also issued regulations to open the Games and its preparations to foreign journalists," Liu said.

"Preparations for the Games have been going along with China's development, and the rights of the people have been protected and improved in this process," he added.                                        

(From Xinhuanet)

China Vows to Foster More Professional Cadres From Minorities

China is focusing on recruiting more cadres from minority groups to address the imbalance in the governmental ranks.

Young minority cadres at county level will receive a high-level education, and outstanding young minority talents will be selected and sent to Chinese or foreign universities for further study, according to the Personnel Department of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.

The country plans to cultivate 3,400 postgraduates and 800 PhDs from minority groups in 2008, while 3,000 minority postgraduates and 700 PhD students have been enrolled this year.

"The number of leading cadres from minorities has been increasing in recent years, but many of them are in politics with few in professional posts from hi-technology, economy and enterprise management," said Zhang Xiangji, director of the personnel department of the commission.

 China has about three million cadres from minority groups, only 15,000 more than in 2002. The number of minority cadres above county level in the Party or government organizations has reached about 50,000, up 19 percent compared with 2002.

According to the plan on minority affairs released earlier this year, the number of minority employees as a percentage of the employee total will increase by 0.5 percentage points to nine percent by 2010, which nearly equals to the percentage of the minority population in the country's total.

(From Xinhuanet)

 New Rules Designed to Help 140 mln Migrants

According to Mr. Zhang Xinfeng, vice minister of public security, a soon-to-be-released document for local governments will help 140 million migrant people get access to better housing, medical services and education for their children.

"All local governments should incorporate the document's new measures for the migrant population into their economic and social development plans," Zhang said on Nov. 20, 2007, at the meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security, which reviewed the document draft.

Under the new measures, governments will: Be responsible for educating the children of migrant workers in their adopted homes.

 Build dorms for migrant workers to improve their living conditions. Encourage migrant workers to obtain insurance cover for work and basic medical care.

Provide them with the same free services available to the registered population in areas such as infectious disease prevention and treatment, children's vaccination and maternity care.

Gradually commit to giving migrant workers in stable employment the opportunity for permanent residency status. Migrant people have to register for temporary residency when they move to a city.

However they do not have access to education for their children and some free medical services.

Official figures show there are currently about 140 million migrant people across the country, roughly 10 percent of the total population.                                                                 

(From China Daily)