Glass Bridge

Pollution Punishment

China addressed more environ- mental pollution cases in the fi rst 11 months of 2017, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

From January to November last year, China investigated over 35,600 violations of environmental protection laws and regulations, up more than 102 percent year on year, according to Tian Weiyong, an offi cial with the MEP.

Fines totaling over 1 billion yuan ($153 million) were handed out in 1,046 cases where violators must pay daily fi nes until they address their wrongdoings, up more than 43 percent and 31 percent year on year, respectively.

Meanwhile, more than 2,500 cases were transferred to public security departments, rising by over 46 percent year on year.

Environmental authorities have ordered production suspension or production cuts in more than 7,800 cases during the same period, ac- cording to Tian.

China held more than 6,400 offi cials in eight provincial-level regions accountable for environ- mental damage after inspections by central authorities from August to September 2017.

The inspections are part of China’s campaign to fi ght pollu- tion and environmental damage. Tackling pollution has been listed as one of “the three tough battles” that China aims to win in the next three years, according to the Central Economic Work Conference that concluded on December 20, 2017.

Permanent Residence

China has issued 4,819 new version permanent residence identity cards to foreigners since the project was launched in June 2017, the Ministry of Public Security said on December 26, 2017.

Compared with the old cards,the new cards are embedded with chips and can be read by machines, according to the ministry’s exit-entry administration bureau.

The new cards are a result of reforms aimed at making the cards recognizable by machines and widely known and accepted in various parts of society, including railways, civil aviation, insurance, hotels, and banks.

According to the ministry, the benefi ts enjoyed by foreigners hold- ing permanent residence cards will be announced later.

Renovating Homes

China will renovate 5.8 million dilapidated homes in 2018 to speed up urbanization.

The country started renovation of 6.1 million homes in 2017, more than the target of 6 million, ac- cording to Wang Menghui, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Total investment reached 1.84 trillion yuan ($280 billion) in 2017, he said.

Authorities should increase the supply of public rental housing and offer it to poor families and groups including sanitation workers, young teachers and migrant workers.

China plans to renovate 15 million homes from 2018 to 2020, according to an offi cial document. The plan is part of efforts to fulfi ll the government’s promise to rebuild rundown areas with a com- bined total of 100 million residents.

The transformation has remained a priority for the govern- ment in recent years. In the past eight years, more than 80 million people with poor living conditions moved out of rundown areas and into new homes.

Colorectal Cancer

Chinese doctors said the incidence of colorectal cancer has been rising among young white-collar workers due to unhealthy lifestyles and eat- ing habits.

Colorectal cancer usually occurs in people around 60 in developed countries, but in China, the average age at which people contract the disease is 45, said Professor Kong Dalu from Tianjin Cancer Hospital. “The number of white-collar [workers] under 30 diagnosed with colon cancer has been rising steadily in recent years, accounting for 10 percent of all inpatients with the disease,” he said.

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