Apr62017

China pledges to improve secondary education coverage

East Asia
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China aims to increase secondary education coverage nationwide to 90 percent or more by 2020 from 87.5 percent in 2016, the Ministry of Education announced on Thursday.

Despite a rise in the gross enrollment rate of the country’s high schools, poor areas in central and western China still face a shortage of educational resources and slower development in secondary vocational education, said Lyu Yugang, senior official with the ministry, at a press conference.

There has been an imbalance between the development of high school education and secondary vocational education in affluent eastern China, added Lyu.

According to a plan released by the ministry on Thursday, China will promote secondary vocational education, and improve facilities in schools and the education funding mechanism from 2017 to 2020.

More resources will go to schools in poor and ethnic regions, and the right to education for students with disabilities as well as children of poor families and migrant workers should be ensured, Lyu said.

Apr62017

Press release: Welsh Secretary: Aston Martin creating a lasting legacy in Wales

MOD
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Aston Martin’s investment in St Athan will create a lasting legacy for the region, Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns will say when he attends a special ceremony to mark the beginning of the redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) site into the car brand’s newest manufacturing facility.

Work has already begun on staff facilities at the site and the second phase will start in earnest when the company today (6 April) gains access to the three Ministry of Defence “super hangars” that will house the manufacturing plant.

In February 2016, Aston Martin Lagonda announced that the DBX – a ‘crossover’ sports utility vehicle – would be made at St Athan with the creation of 750 jobs with a likely further 1,000 across the supply chain and local businesses in Wales. The first vehicle is expected to come off the production line in 2020.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will be on hand at the prestigious event in the Vale of Glamorgan which marks the start of the transition of the aircraft hangars into Wales’ newest, state of the art manufacturing plant.

Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns said:

Thanks to the close partnership between the UK and Welsh Governments and the prestigious Aston Martin brand, the St Athan site is springing back to life as a significant centre of employment, bringing with it valuable skills and a lasting legacy for the entire region.

As the UK exits the EU, we are determined that our country remains a great place to invest and to do business. Aston Martin’s decision to invest in Wales shows that we are creating and supporting the right conditions for industry investment. The UK Government’s comprehensive industrial strategy will build on that success, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure, skills and support in place for our world-leading industries as well as support for new emerging sectors to flourish.

The automotive sector is the UK’s largest manufacturing export sector and is spread nationally. St Athan will be the sole production facility for the new Aston Martin crossover vehicle. With growing demand for these types of vehicles in markets such as China and the United States, it is expected that over 90% of the production from St Athan will be exported outside of the United Kingdom.

Apr62017

Press release: Welsh Secretary: Aston Martin creating a lasting legacy in Wales

HM Government
image_pdfimage_print

Aston Martin’s investment in St Athan will create a lasting legacy for the region, Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns will say when he attends a special ceremony to mark the beginning of the redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) site into the car brand’s newest manufacturing facility.

Work has already begun on staff facilities at the site and the second phase will start in earnest when the company today (6 April) gains access to the three Ministry of Defence “super hangars” that will house the manufacturing plant.

In February 2016, Aston Martin Lagonda announced that the DBX – a ‘crossover’ sports utility vehicle – would be made at St Athan with the creation of 750 jobs with a likely further 1,000 across the supply chain and local businesses in Wales. The first vehicle is expected to come off the production line in 2020.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will be on hand at the prestigious event in the Vale of Glamorgan which marks the start of the transition of the aircraft hangars into Wales’ newest, state of the art manufacturing plant.

Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns said:

Thanks to the close partnership between the UK and Welsh Governments and the prestigious Aston Martin brand, the St Athan site is springing back to life as a significant centre of employment, bringing with it valuable skills and a lasting legacy for the entire region.

As the UK exits the EU, we are determined that our country remains a great place to invest and to do business. Aston Martin’s decision to invest in Wales shows that we are creating and supporting the right conditions for industry investment. The UK Government’s comprehensive industrial strategy will build on that success, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure, skills and support in place for our world-leading industries as well as support for new emerging sectors to flourish.

The automotive sector is the UK’s largest manufacturing export sector and is spread nationally. St Athan will be the sole production facility for the new Aston Martin crossover vehicle. With growing demand for these types of vehicles in markets such as China and the United States, it is expected that over 90% of the production from St Athan will be exported outside of the United Kingdom.

Apr62017

Remarks at the bilateral meeting with His Excellency the Honourable Baron Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru

Australia
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PRIME MINISTER:

Mr President welcome, it’s great to see you again.

We had a great discussion at the Pacific Islands forum and congratulations on being the chair for the next Pacific Islands forum. We look forward to meeting with all of our neighbours in the Pacific in Nauru.

I hope you are having a good visit, I know Australia for you and your team is familiar territory but we really welcome you here.

I want to thank you for the great cooperation that Nauru shows in working together with us to combat this scourge of people smuggling.

Your efforts, your collaboration is so appreciated.

We have got a lot of other things to discuss – on development, growing the economies of the Pacific and of course in dealing with the big environmental challenges you face as well.

So welcome Mr President, it’s great to have you here in Sydney and in Australia.

PRESIDENT OF NAURU: 

It’s great to be here. We know who our friends are and we always try to work alongside them with this fight against people smuggling and I think the program is working very well.

[ENDS]

Apr62017

Draft to protect good Samaritans

East Asia
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Draft regulations aimed at protecting good Samaritans and their families in Henan province would block companies from firing employees, including those unable to work due to injuries sustained in an act of bravery.

The proposals, which are open to public feedback until April 30, also include rewards of up to 100,000 yuan (US$14,500) and “green channels” at hospitals to fast-track patients who help save others.

Children of people killed or disabled while acting as good Samaritans could enjoy privileges when entering high school or college, according to the draft released on Saturday.

The government document clarifies five situations in which a person can be defined as a good Samaritan, including protecting State security, helping authorities crack a significant criminal case or conducting a rescue during or after a disaster.

“Good Samaritans deserve rewards and help,” said Li Min, the daughter of Li Xuesheng, a resident of Henan’s Shangqiu city who died in 2005 while saving two children playing on a railway track in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. “I’m happy to see that the government has considered that and made it part of the regulation.”

Wang Junzhang, 36, of Jiaozuo, who saved two boys from a frozen lake in Beijing in 2014, added: “I think this draft is very detailed. It will better protect good Samaritans and will definitely encourage more people to help others.”

Last month, the Ministry of Public Security issued a draft guideline on protecting and rewarding good Samaritans. Henan followed the step and carried out a draft of its own on that basis.

“The revised version will be presented to the provincial legislature and will be officially issued as a local law if passed,” said Yuan Shuhang, an official with the Henan Legislative Affairs Office, whose office is responsible for considering the suggestions collected and making necessary revisions.

“It will have greater legal validity than similar regulations or guidelines released before,” he added.