A report released Wednesday by China’s State Oceanic Administration warned that sea levels monitored last year reached the highest level since 1980.

The average sea level along the Chinese coast in 2016 was 38 mm higher than that of 2015 and 82 mm higher than the average level between 1993 and 2011, the report said.

Over the period from 1980 to 2016, sea level readings at China’s coastal regions rose at an average rate of 3.2 mm per year, according to the report.

The report ascribed this situation to influences of climate change as well as El Nino and La Nina events.

Sun Shuxian, vice director of the administration warned that higher sea level may result in aggravated risks of storm tides, floods, coastal erosion, salt tides and seawater encroachment.

Another report released by the administration on Wednesday stated that the marine environment in waters under China’s jurisdiction was “basically stable” in 2016.

However, it also noted some “outstanding problems” such as offshore pollution, an unhealthy marine ecosystem and environmental risks such as reoccurrence of red tides.

China’s cabinet, the State Council, has recently issued a guideline on intensifying crackdown on counterfeiting and Intellectual Property Right (IPR) infringements.

Fighting counterfeiting and IPR violations will help ensure implementation of China’s IPR strategy, protect market order and improve the business environment, the guideline says.

The document requires a better market supervision system and demands improvements to the law, regulations and standards with appropriate information technology utilized in supervision.

The document mandates cooperation among regions and government agencies, along with international collaboration, to handle problems in production, circulation and sales.

E-commerce platforms must strengthen scrutiny of business operators.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the
Labour Party,
commenting on today’s attack in Westminster, said:

“Today’s horrific attack in
Westminster has shocked the whole country. All our thoughts are with the
victims of this outrage, their loved ones, families and friends.

“Those victims include civilians
and police officers, Londoners and visitors, subjected to a brutal and
indiscriminate assault.

“Our thanks and gratitude go to
the police and emergency services who responded so bravely, and to those –
including the MP Tobias Ellwood – who went to the aid of the injured and dying.

“This was not only an attack on
innocent people. It was also an attack on our democracy.

“But I know that Londoners and
people across the country will stand together in defence of our values and
diversity.”

22 March 2017

Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party, has responded to Wednesday’s attack in Westminster. 

She said:

“Our thoughts go out to all those affected by today’s attacks and we send deep thanks to the public servants who responded so quickly, bravely, and with care to treat the injured and minimise the number of casualties. We pay tribute to the lives that were so sadly lost and in particular to the police officer who died in the line of duty – we are truly in his debt.

“The response to such a heinous attack must be to strengthen our democracy, and refuse to give in to those who would harm it.”

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Daniel
Zeichner MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister, commenting on
the publication of the Transport Focus Bus Passenger Survey figures for Autumn
2016, said:

“These
results show once again that compared to national operators, municipal bus
companies provide some of the best bus services in the country. The
Government’s plans to ban local authorities from forming their own bus
companies in the future clearly flies in the face of all the evidence.

“This
year’s survey also suggests that congestion is becoming an increasing problem
for bus users. With traffic projected to grow, this problem is only going to
become worse. We really need to see local authorities and bus companies using
the tools available in the Bus Services Bill to address congestion, and clean
up our air.”