BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) Friday criticized Changchun city in northeast China's Jilin Province for not doing enough to cope with air pollution.In the first 10 months of this year, air quality in Changchun saw continuous degradation, with the amount of time with serious pollution increasing by 7 days compared to the same period last year, while days with good air quality decreased by 22, according to an MEP statement.The inspectors found some of the city's air quality indicators were "extremely high" for a long period of time.Changchun was criticized for outdoor straw burning and not implementing emergency responses strictly, the statement said.Several companies in the city were also criticized by the ministry for breaching emission rules.Additionally, 25 development zones in the city lagged behind in upgrading coal-fired boilers and some companies in the zones lacked desulfurization facilities.The city should submit plans to address the problems to the inspectors within 20 working days, the ministry said.China is intensifying efforts to fight pollution and environmental degradation after decades of growth left the country saddled with problems such as smog and contaminated soil.A total of 6,471 officials in eight provincial-level regions were held accountable for environmental damage after inspections by central authorities from August to September.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, which concluded earlier this week. custom fidgetrubber arm bandsvinyl wristbandsthe wristband factorycustom sweatbands no minimum
HONG KONG - A youth exchange program named "Belt and Road Journey" kicked off here Thursday, aiming to raise awareness of the opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative.Twenty young people will travel by train at the end of this month to cities including Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Kazakhstan's Almaty.The 20 young people, aged between 18 and 25, were selected from more than 500 applicants.During the six-day trip, they will visit local businesses and landmarks, and interact with local university students, one of the organizers, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said at a press conference.In this way, the young people from Hong Kong will get "first-hand knowledge of the economic and cultural landscape of different Belt and Road regions," the organizer noted.The journey will be filmed and broadcast as a special TV series in September, as part of the HKTDC's ongoing efforts to promote the Belt and Road Initiative through the media and social media channels to attract more young people to get involved.HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Raymond Yip described the program as a flagship Belt and Road promotion event for young people this summer.He hoped that through direct interaction with local youths and visits to companies, the trip will help young people here gain a deeper understanding of the initiative.The initiative, proposed by China in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.
