Society

China's capital is weighing new restrictions on car use aimed at curbing the increasingly severe traffic congestion born of China's growing love affair with the automobile.

Gridlock-fighting measures being considered include fees for drivers to use certain congested roads and a system that would bar vehicles from some roads during peak traffic times, depending on whether the final digit of their license plates is an odd or even number, according to a proposal posted for public comment Monday on the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport's website.

The commission also pledged to build more freeways, subways and parking structures, including park-and-ride facilities. And it recommended raising parking fees and called on residents to work more from home and to use bicycles more—an effort to reverse the near disappearance of pedaled transport over the past decade as car use has exploded in the capital.

The measures could change or be eliminated before any new rules are made final. Monday's document left vague many details, including timing, and the committee didn't respond to a request to comment.

China's premier is making his first visit to India in five years, trying to stabilize a crucial relationship as New Delhi forges closer defense and commercial ties with the U.S. and several Asian countries, who in turn are anxious to contain Beijing's growing clout across the Asia-Pacific region.

Wen Jiabao is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday with about 400 business leaders—one of the largest Chinese trade delegations ever to visit India—on a visit that China hopes will refocus relations on commerce and allow the first Chinese bank to operate in India.

Beijing is keen to bring more stability to the relationship following a string of disputes in the past two years over border issues, visas, water and China's close ties with Pakistan, India's regional rival.

The concern for China now is that India—with the region's third-biggest economy, and second-biggest armed forces—is being drawn into a loose strategic alliance with the U.S. and its Asian partners to counterbalance Beijing's growing economic and military might.

Cambodia's prime minister kicked off a visit to China on Monday, where he was expected to sign more than a dozen agreements in areas such as energy and infrastructure, emphasizing China's growing presence in the region's less-developed countries.

Hun Sen said before his departure that Beijing will provide soft loans to Cambodia for projects that include building a new road and two bridges, one across the Mekong River in the capital, Phnom Penh, and another across the Bassac River, on the outskirts of the capital.

Other deals concern agricultural exports and the development of a coal-powered electricity plant in the coastal province of Preah Sihanouk. The value of the deals was not announced.

Mr. Hun held talks Monday with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. He was also scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and top lawmaker Wu Bangguo during his five-day stay.

Updates: China police take Zeng Lingquan (曾令全) in custody.

The funny thing is if you do research online Zeng Lingquan (曾令全) was reported as human trader on 2008.01.11 in Sina.com, but still can send mentally handicapped slave workers to Xinjiang province until in custody.

Tens of mentally handicapped workers in Toksun county Xinjiang show us what is modern slave.

Photo taken on the 11^st Dec 2010. The tourist wanted to drink some water and reached this factory by mistake 2 years ago, now he has worked hardly without salary for 2 years.