Society

In order to promote water conservation, Beijing will expand its strict water quota system to all enterprises in the city in 2011 and 2012, said Cheng Jing, head of the Beijing Water Authority, on May 3.

The city will continue to strengthen water resources management and will phase out private water wells after the South-to-North Water Transfer Project is completed in 2014.

Cheng said that Beijing is now in its 12th consecutive year of drought. In the past five years, the precipitation of the city dropped 20 percent, and the inflow of water into the city's reservoirs fell 70 percent.

The city is seeing a steady decline in the amount of surface water and groundwater, and its water availability per capita is only one-thirteenth of the global average.

Furthermore, the postponement of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project to 2014 has made Beijing’s water crisis even worse. Therefore, all enterprises and individuals in the city have to reduce their water consumption.

On May 4th, the Youth Day, the first torch relay activity of Shenzhen Universiade was held at Beijing University, the place where the May Fourth Movement originated. 54 torch bearers set out from the hundredth anniversary schoolroom of Beijing University and started the torch relay, which indicate the torch of the Universiade will follow the footprint of the pioneers of the May fourth anti-imperialist patriotic movement and pass on between the new generation university students.

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Vice Premier of State Council Li Keqiang took part in the launching ceremony for torch firing and passing activity. Beijing University is the alma mater of Vice Premier Li Keqiang who was radiant with happiness and smile on the face when came back.

China said Wednesday that it hopes the United States will be more objective and fair when assessing its efforts to protect intellectual property rights (IPR).

Ministry of Commerce spokesman Yao Jian made the remarks when commenting on the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)'s recently released "Special 301 Report" regarding IPR protection. China remained on the office's Priority Watch List this year.

Twelve countries, including China, Canada, India and Russia, were on the Priority Watch List, indicating that the office believes these countries have insufficient IPR protections or enforcement.

A court in southeastern China's Fujian province has ordered the country's biggest gold miner, Zijin Mining Group, to pay a criminal fine of $4.6 million for toxic mine spills that highlight the challenges of policing heavy polluters with close ties to local authorities.

A company vice-president and the manager, deputy manager and environmental protection officer of the mine were detained in connection with the spills at the Zijinshan Gold and Copper Mine nearly a year ago, which poisoned a river, killing off fish and devastating the area.

Longyan City Intermediate People's Court rejected the company's appeal against an earlier ruling fining it 30 million yuan ($4.6 million) for a "serious offence related to environmental pollution," Zijin Mining said Wednesday in a notice to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The court ordered the company to pay the balance remaining after taking into account administrative fees already paid, and five defendants were given prison terms of between 3 years to 4 1/2 years in the case, it said without specifying details.