Chinese man detained for smoking on int’l flight

Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) and face detention. [File Photo]

Chinese police have detained a man over the weekend for smoking on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok.

The man, a 54-year-old Chinese national surnamed Wang, was apprehended upon arrival of the flight FD568 in Hangzhou City, eastern Zhejiang Province Saturday night.

Wang admitted that he smoked in the toilet while the aircraft was in air. A cabin attendant smelt the smoke and reported him to the captain, who alerted the airport police in Hangzhou.

Wang was punished to spend five days in detention for disturbing the order of public transport.

China has more than 300 million smokers. There have been reports of Chinese on long-haul flights succumbing to urge to smoke.

Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) and face detention.




3D printing helps treat young heart disease patients

Ma Chengqiang, 16, and 8-month-old Yang Youhong from northwest China’s Qinghai Province have both undergone life-saving heart surgery in Shanghai thanks to 3D printing advances.

“Our children have had the world’s latest 3D printing technology heart surgery. We are so lucky,” said Ma Wenming, grandfather of Ma Chengqiang. “Moreover, the fees including transportation, accommodation, diagnosis and treatment are all free. We are really grateful.”

The two children are among the beneficiaries of a China-Belgium charity project, launched in April by Shanghai Children’s Medical Center and Belgium’s Materialise NV, one of the largest 3D printing software and services providers in the world.

The project provides free treatment, especially with the 3D printing technology, for children diagnosed with congenital heart disease from underdeveloped regions in western China, said Ji Qingying, deputy head of the medical center.

Each year, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center conducts more than 3,700 heart operations on children across the country, ranking first in the world’s medical institutions. Heart surgery would normally cost a family 80,000 to 100,000 yuan (11,600 to 145,00 U.S. dollars).

The project plans to do 15 to 20 heart surgeries every year using 3D printed devices.




Xi urges strengthened party education campaign

Liu Yunshan (C, rear), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, addresses a meeting for further implementation of a year-long education campaign within the CPC to strengthen Party discipline in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has called for further implementation of a year-long education campaign within the Communist Party of China (CPC) to strengthen Party discipline.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on the campaign, which focuses on the study of the Party Constitution and rules, as well as the speeches made by Xi, and calls for being qualified Party members.

In the instruction read at a meeting held on Sunday, Xi noted that the campaign launched last year had achieved remarkable results.

The campaign has helped with the strict management of the CPC and must be carried on, said Xi.

The campaign should prioritize political training, Party members’ words and deeds, the latest theoretical developments and it should guide all to become qualified Party members, Xi noted.

In addition, the campaign must focus on “a key few” leading officials and grassroots party branches. It should also promote a solution-based approach and make full use of role models, according to Xi.

Xi urged CPC committees at various levels to support the campaign and make sure the achievements provide organizational guarantees that will promote balanced economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress and coordinated implementation of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy.

The Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy refers to making comprehensive moves to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, deepen reform, advance the law-based governance of China, and strengthen Party self-governance.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said at the meeting that through the campaign, CPC members should stay highly consistent in their thoughts, politics and actions, with CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core.

More effective rules and systems should be put forward to address the behavior of “a key few” leading officials, so that they can set an example with their loyalty, integrity and responsibility, said Liu.

Liu also called for combination of the campaign and the central tasks to inspire CPC members to contribute to the overall reform and development.

Zhao Leji, head of the CPC Central Committee’s organization department, read Xi’s instruction at the meeting.

Senior leader Liu Qibao, Zhang Chunxian and Zhao Hongzhu attended the meeting.




Shanghai steps up fight against invading foreign species

Shanghai border control authorities will blacklist people who intentionally bring in non-native plants and animals multiple times.

Officials with Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said ports have reported more instances of people bringing in invasive speices as exchanges between Shanghai and the world have increased.

Shanghai borders screened 20 million inbound tourists and 12 million parcels last year and blocked more than 7,000 entries involving 124 dangerous non-native species.

They included the Mediterranean fruit fly, which attacks fruit crops and the pine wilt nematode that threatens forests.

Officials say existing regulations stipulate a fine up to 5,000 yuan (about 730 U.S. dollars) for offenders, but this is not enough of a deterrent, so they will blacklist repeat offenders.

Being blacklisted may be recorded on people’s credit and police records, the officials said.

Repeat offenders could face criminal charges once an amendment submitted to the legislature is passed, they added. The officials did say they would be lenient on those who did not know the species were controlled.




Chinese senior lawmaker urges relentless gov’t crackdown on fake, inferior drugs

A senior Chinese lawmaker on Saturday called on the government to better regulate the price and quality of medicine.

Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks after leading a five-day legislative inspection of pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers, retailers, and medical institutes in Shandong Province.

He said fake, inferior, and over-priced drugs are a huge public concern. Despite laws to address the situation, problems remain due to certain departments turning a blind eye to illegal activity by pharmaceutical businesses.

Li said there should be “zero tolerance” for irregularities and a serious crackdown was needed to get the public back on side.

He stressed that changes must start from strengthening the administration capacity, particularly at the grassroots levels, to ensure drug supervision is improved.