Guangdong police arrest 230 pyramid scheme members

A total of 230 members of Shanxinhui, a Shenzhen-based company suspected of organizing and leading a pyramid scheme, have been arrested in southern China’s Guangdong Province, police said Sunday.

Of the 230 members, 142 have been detained to face criminal charges. Fifty-five companies involved in the case have been investigated, the public security department of Guangdong province said in a statement.

Beijing police have also detained 63 people after members of the pyramid scheme gathered in the capital city Monday. Four others were put under non-criminal detention.

Chinese police have previously investigated Shanxinhui for allegedly manipulating people into taking part in pyramid selling and cheating them out of huge amounts of property under the guise of helping the poor.

Zhang Tianming, legal representative of the company, and other suspects have been put under coercive measures, which may include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention or arrest.




Typhoon Haitang makes landfall in Taiwan

Typhoon Haitang made landfall at 4:40 p.m. Sunday in Pingtung county in Taiwan, the island’s weather agency said.

The center of Haitang was located at northwest of Eluanbi after its landfall and moving in a north-northwesterly direction. The storm’s periphery has entered southern and southeastern Taiwan, posing threat to the areas south of Nantou and Chiayi, as well as Hualien and Taitung in eastern Taiwan.

Residents in Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Nantou, Chiayi, Tainan and Taitung were advised to stay vigilant against downpours and strong winds.

Extreme torrential rain Sunday and Monday in Kaohsiung and Pingtung was forecast while torrential rain in Chiayi, Tainan and Taitung were anticipated. Possible geological disasters were also warned of by the weather authorities.

Haitang is the second typhoon following Nesat to hit Taiwan this weekend. It is the first time in 50 years that dual tropical storms struck the island almost simultaneously.

Typhoon Nesat, which made landfall Saturday evening in Taiwan’s Yilan county, brought rain in many parts of the island, causing damage.




International Army Games events kicked off in China

Photo taken on July 30, 2017 shows the opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2017 in Korla of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Six events of the International Army Games 2017 were kicked off at three sites in China Sunday.

Video footage showing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s congratulations to the general open ceremony of the Games in Russia Saturday was broadcast at the opening ceremonies held in Korla of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Changchun of Jilin Province and Guangshui of Hubei Province.

The International Army Games 2017, which last from July 29 to Aug. 12, consist of 28 events to be held in Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Chinese Army, Navy and Air Force will also take part in eight events in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s congratulatory video at Saturday’s general opening ceremony was also played at the opening ceremonies in China Sunday.




China encourages university student enlistment with subsidies

China allocated 1.63 billion yuan (US$242.3 million) of financial aid to encourage university students to join the army in 2016, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE) Sunday.

A total of 124,100 university students ranging from undergraduates, postgraduates to doctoral students received funding last year for enlistment in the armed forces, while 8,117 ex-servicemen were also subsidized with 44.6 million yuan of funding to pursue their higher education degrees.

China has formed a comprehensive education aid system to encourage more university students to join the army, and those veterans can also be financially supported if they are willing to go to college, the MOE said.

The annual subsidy for each undergraduate will not exceed 8,000 yuan, and the sum for masters or doctoral students can reach up to 12,000 per capita each year, said the MOE.

The students’ university name roll will be maintained during the period of enlistment, and they can resume their study after leaving the army, according to the MOE.




PLA capable of defeating all invading enemies: Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has the confidence and capability to defeat all invading enemies and safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks after reviewing a grand military parade at the Zhurihe military training base in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to mark the PLA’s 90th founding anniversary.

The PLA also has the confidence and capability to build a stronger military and make new and greater contribution to realizing China’s two centenary goals and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, and safeguarding world peace, Xi said.