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A rural entrepreneur examines the quality of eco-friendly handbags in Nanmayi Village， Yiyuan County， east China’s Shandong Province， on April 28.
Tariff-Free Drugs
On May 1， import tariff exemptions went into effect on all common drugs including cancer drugs， cancer alkaloid-based drugs and imported traditional Chinese medicine.
Value-added tax on the production and import of drugs will also be lowered.
It is estimated that the policies will lower drug prices by at least 20 percent， said Shi Luwen， Director of the International Research Center on Medicine Management at Peking University.
The measures will signifi cantly enhance the availability of the drugs， reduce the burden on patients and their families and will help prevent poverty due to illness， he said.
According to the National Cancer Institute （NCI）， the market in China for antineoplastic drugs used to fi ght tumors exceeds 120 billion yuan （$19.1 billion）.
The Chinese Government has been focusing on easing the fi nancial burden of patients and their families in recent years.
NCI statistics show that 3.5 million new cancer patients are diagnosed in China annually， with lung cancer， breast cancer and stomach cancer ranked as the top three.
Law for Assessors
On April 27， China’s top legislature passed a law on people’s assessors， which allows citizens to work with professional judges to try court cases.
The law was adopted after the second reading at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress （NPC）.
The practice of assessors has existed in China for a long time， but the country did not have a law in the system prior to the new legislation.
Assessors will be able to decide on both law application and facts on a three-person bench， but will only focus on the facts on a seven-person bench.
Li Shouwei， an offi cial with the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission， said the seven-person bench will usually be composed of three judges and four assessors.
“It is more prudent to use the seven-person bench to try cases with a big social impact，” Li said. “The assessors have broad life experience and know the public concerns well. These advantages are good to ensure a better trial.”
Chinese citizens who are 28 years old or above， uphold the Constitution， obey the law and are honest are eligible to serve. In most cases， assessors are randomly selected. But lawyers， notaries， arbitrators and others are excluded from service.
Also excluded are people who have received criminal punishment， been removed from public posts， disbarred or listed as having defaulted on court orders.
In 2015， a pilot to formalize the practice began in 10 provincial-level regions.
According to a progress report， a total of 13，740 assessors had participated in the pilot through April. This included 30，659 criminal cases； 178，749 civil cases； and 11，846 administrative cases.
Reusable Rockets
Research has been launched to retrieve the fi rst stage of the Long March-8 carrier rocket， which is still under development and is expected to make its maiden fl ight around 2021， according to a Chinese rocket expert.
It is part of China’s initiative to develop reusable space vehicles， Long Lehao， chief designer of carrier rockets at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology， told a space conference in Harbin， capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province， in April.
The Long March-8 rocket has two stages and two boosters： the fi rst stage and boosters are expected to be recovered through a vertical landing， said Long， who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
If successful， the new rocket would provide commercial launch services to customers around the globe， Long said.
Bao Weimin， Director of the Science and Technology Commission of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， said China’s reusable carrier vehicles will use dif-ferent technology from that used by U.S. commercial space fi rm SpaceX.
Carbon Cut Effects
The implementation of China’s carbon dioxide mitigation pledge under the Paris Agreement could save lives and bring notable health benefi ts， according to a recent study.
Researchers from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University conducted a modeling study in which the health benefi ts of China’s Nationally Determined Contribution （NDC） in the power generation sector are estimated， economically quantifi ed and compared with the costs of implementation， both at the national and regional level.
The research was published in the journal， The Lancet Planetary Health， in April.
It showed that China’s mitigation pledge is expected to create signifi cant economic costs， but it will lead to an upgrade of the industrial structure， increase energy effi ciency and advance low-carbon technology. This is expected to reduce atmospheric emissions and improve air quality and human health. Researchers found that 18 to 62 percent of the implementation costs of China’s NDC could be recovered by the resulting health benefi ts by 2030. In addition， by 2050， the overall health benefi ts would substantially increase to as much as three to nine times the original implementation costs of the NDC.
The study also showed that regions differ in their share of health benefi ts.
Fishing Partners
A villager shows his cormorants to tourists before fi shing on the Suihe River in Lingbi County， east China’s Anhui Province， on April 29. The performance depicted a traditional fi shing method using cormorants.
HPV Vaccine
A human papilloma virus （HPV） vaccine has become available in China for women between 16 to 26 years old as the country steps up efforts to fi ght cervical cancer.
The country’s top drug regulator has allowed the new vaccine to enter the Chinese market after meeting certain requirements.
There are three HPV vaccines which cover different kinds of viruses and different age groups from 9 to 45 years old. The new vaccine can help prevent 92.1 percent of all kinds of cervical cancers.
In addition， all HPV vaccines available worldwide can also be purchased in China.
Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually acquired infection with certain types of HPV. There is also evidence linking HPV with other cancers affecting both male and female genitals.
HPV vaccine producers have been asked to develop risk management plans and track their products’development after entering the market.
Ace Combatants
Soldiers from the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force participate in the 10th Annual Warrior Competition at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman， Jordan， on April 30.
Belt & Road Students
More international students from countries covered by the Belt and Road Initiative studied in China last year， said the Ministry of Education on April 30.
A total of 317，200 students from Belt and Road countries came to study， up 11.6 percent over 2016， accounting for 65 percent of the total international students in China， according to a ministry statement.
Some Chinese universities have launched programs inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative to attract students from these countries.
Renmin University of China， for instance， has established a new college， named after the Silk Road， in Suzhou， Jiangsu Province. The college will formally open in September， offering a two-year postgraduate program on contemporary Chinese studies. It will provide full scholarships for international students. Six other universities also signed an agreement with the Belt and Road Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission to enroll more international students from Belt and Road countries.
Positive PMI
China’s manufacturing sector expanded at a slightly slower pace in April than the previous month， but still maintained a “momentum of steady growth，” the latest data showed on April 30.
The purchasing managers’ index（PMI） for the sector came in at 51.4 in April， down from 51.5 in March， the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said. A reading above 50 indicates expansion， while a reading below refl ects contraction.
Despite the slight decline， the April fi gure was still higher than the average of 51 for the fi rst three months of the year and 51.2 for April 2017.
Production saw steady expansion and demand was “generally stable，” according to senior NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe， as the subindex for production held steady at 53.1 and the new order sub-index dropped slightly to 52.9.
Chen Zhongtao， analyst with the China Logistics Information Center， held a similar view， stating that the new fi gures refl ected stability in domestic demand， production and employment.
The sub-index for employment decreased 0.1 to 49， remaining relatively high for the new normal of economic growth， Chen added.
China’s non-manufacturing sector expanded at a faster rate for a second consecutive month in April.
The sector’s PMI rose from 54.6 in March to 54.8 in April， higher than the 54 registered in April 2017.
The sub-index for new orders rose one point from the previous month to 51.1， showing faster growth in market demand.
Sub-indices for intermediary prices， sales prices and business outlook all increased from the previous month.
The service sector， which accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP， showed sound momentum， with the sub-reading up 0.2 from March to 53.8.
Faster expansion was also seen in air transportation， courier services， accommodation， telecommunications and software， the NBS said.
Engineering Challenges Surmounted
Liujing Yujiang Bridge opens to traffi c on May 1. The bridge is one of the most diffi cult sections of the Liuzhou-Nanning highway reconstruction and expansion project， with a total length of 1，127 meters.
Tourism Boom
China saw a tourism boom during the three-day May Day holiday（April 29-May 1）， with tourism consumption becoming more diversifi ed， offi cial data showed. The country’s tourism industry earned 87.16 billion yuan （$13.73 billion） in revenue during the holiday， up 10.2 percent from a year earlier， according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During the holiday， tourist destinations across China received a total of 147 million domestic tourists， a year-on-year increase of 9.3 percent.
While tours around major cities and to the countryside were the top choices for tourists， culture， education and revolution-themed tours were also popular， the ministry report showed.
Import Expo
Nearly 1，100 companies from all over the world have confi rmed their attendance at the China International Import Expo， the organizing committee said at a ceremony held on April 28.
Some 25 companies， most of which are leaders in high-end intelligent equipment or automobiles， signed contracts with the organizers at the ceremony.
The organizing committee said the exhibition area will exceed 180，000 square meters， and new manufacturing technology will be showcased for the fi rst time at the expo， which will be held in Shanghai in November.
The committee invited 47 nonexhibiting companies including state-owned enterprises， large private enterprises and foreign companies to attend the ceremony.
Rising Profits
More than 60 percent of Chinese public companies reported profi t growth in the fi rst quarter， partly due to a recovery in commodity prices amid ongoing economic restructuring.
Some 3，500 fi rms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges posted combined net profi ts of nearly 850 billion yuan （$133.56 billion） in the January-March period， according to fi nancial information provider Wind.
More than 2，200 companies increased their profi ts year on year， with 576 doubling their growth rates.
Producers of construction material saw the most rapid profi t increase at 182.58 percent， followed by iron and steel factories and defense companies. Businesses in non-ferrous metals and telecommunication also registered increases of more than 50 percent.
Analysts attributed the improved performance of steel， non-ferrous metal and other cyclical sectors to the country’s supply-side structural reform， which， aimed at downsizing saturated industries and economic rebalancing， has prompted a rebound in commodity prices.
“While the reform contributed to faster profi t growth in most of the cyclical companies， consumptiondriven sectors， such as food and beverages， and emerging industries also saw considerable increases，”said Yang Delong with the First Seafront Fund. Improving corporate profi ts were also aided by a solid economy in the fi rst three months of the year， which extended the resilience of last year with 6.8-percent year-on-year growth.
Fulfilling a Dream
An entrepreneur examines processed timbers in Zhaili Village， Yuezhuang Town， Yiyuan County， Shandong Province， on April 29.
With assistance from the local government， young people in Yiyuan County are encouraged to make full use of local agricultural resources and start up their own businesses.
5G Development
China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd.（China Unicom）， the country’s second largest telecommunications operator， said on April 26 that it will fi nalize the large-scale commercialization of 5G by 2020.
China Unicom will start 5G testing this year， pre-commercialize 5G in 2019 and fi nally achieve the large-scale commercialization of the cutting-edge technology in 2020， said Ma Hongbing， general manager of the operation and maintenance department at China Unicom， at a cooperative partner conference on April 26.
Ma said that 16 cities including Beijing， Xiongan， Shenyang and Qingdao will be the focus of largescale 5G testing this year.
China is striving to accelerate the research and development of 5G， as the super-fast technology is expected to drive 6.3 trillion yuan（$979 billion） of economic output in the country by 2030.
Ma added at the conference that the company will also launch cloud computing tests in 15 provinces and cities this year.
Traditional Look
A group of students receive a course in social practices at a scenic spot in Xinyang， Henan Province， on April 30.
In recent years， Xinyang has been devoted to building a beautiful countryside and developing rural tourism. So far， more than 130 beautiful villages including those featuring special cultural traditions have been built.
Airplane Project
A joint China-Russia project to develop a wide-body aircraft has begun the concept defi nition phase for the body and tail of the plane.
“A team of Chinese and Russian engineers are currently drafting a general technical proposal for the CR929， a 280-seat jet with a range of 12，000 kilometers，” said Guo Bozhi， General Manager of China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co. Ltd. （CRAIC）.
“The CR929 will make extensive use of composites in its structure，”said Guo， who is also deputy general manager of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China （COMAC）.
Shanghai-based CRAIC is a joint venture between COMAC and its Russian partner United Aircraft Corp（UAC）.
It was set up in May 2017 to develop the CR929.
COMAC is undertaking the design and development of the fuselage and empennage， or the tail， according to the work distribution arrangements of both sides.
Tariff-Free Drugs
On May 1， import tariff exemptions went into effect on all common drugs including cancer drugs， cancer alkaloid-based drugs and imported traditional Chinese medicine.
Value-added tax on the production and import of drugs will also be lowered.
It is estimated that the policies will lower drug prices by at least 20 percent， said Shi Luwen， Director of the International Research Center on Medicine Management at Peking University.
The measures will signifi cantly enhance the availability of the drugs， reduce the burden on patients and their families and will help prevent poverty due to illness， he said.
According to the National Cancer Institute （NCI）， the market in China for antineoplastic drugs used to fi ght tumors exceeds 120 billion yuan （$19.1 billion）.
The Chinese Government has been focusing on easing the fi nancial burden of patients and their families in recent years.
NCI statistics show that 3.5 million new cancer patients are diagnosed in China annually， with lung cancer， breast cancer and stomach cancer ranked as the top three.
Law for Assessors
On April 27， China’s top legislature passed a law on people’s assessors， which allows citizens to work with professional judges to try court cases.
The law was adopted after the second reading at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress （NPC）.
The practice of assessors has existed in China for a long time， but the country did not have a law in the system prior to the new legislation.
Assessors will be able to decide on both law application and facts on a three-person bench， but will only focus on the facts on a seven-person bench.
Li Shouwei， an offi cial with the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission， said the seven-person bench will usually be composed of three judges and four assessors.
“It is more prudent to use the seven-person bench to try cases with a big social impact，” Li said. “The assessors have broad life experience and know the public concerns well. These advantages are good to ensure a better trial.”
Chinese citizens who are 28 years old or above， uphold the Constitution， obey the law and are honest are eligible to serve. In most cases， assessors are randomly selected. But lawyers， notaries， arbitrators and others are excluded from service.
Also excluded are people who have received criminal punishment， been removed from public posts， disbarred or listed as having defaulted on court orders.
In 2015， a pilot to formalize the practice began in 10 provincial-level regions.
According to a progress report， a total of 13，740 assessors had participated in the pilot through April. This included 30，659 criminal cases； 178，749 civil cases； and 11，846 administrative cases.
Reusable Rockets
Research has been launched to retrieve the fi rst stage of the Long March-8 carrier rocket， which is still under development and is expected to make its maiden fl ight around 2021， according to a Chinese rocket expert.
It is part of China’s initiative to develop reusable space vehicles， Long Lehao， chief designer of carrier rockets at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology， told a space conference in Harbin， capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province， in April.
The Long March-8 rocket has two stages and two boosters： the fi rst stage and boosters are expected to be recovered through a vertical landing， said Long， who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
If successful， the new rocket would provide commercial launch services to customers around the globe， Long said.
Bao Weimin， Director of the Science and Technology Commission of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， said China’s reusable carrier vehicles will use dif-ferent technology from that used by U.S. commercial space fi rm SpaceX.
Carbon Cut Effects
The implementation of China’s carbon dioxide mitigation pledge under the Paris Agreement could save lives and bring notable health benefi ts， according to a recent study.
Researchers from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University conducted a modeling study in which the health benefi ts of China’s Nationally Determined Contribution （NDC） in the power generation sector are estimated， economically quantifi ed and compared with the costs of implementation， both at the national and regional level.
The research was published in the journal， The Lancet Planetary Health， in April.
It showed that China’s mitigation pledge is expected to create signifi cant economic costs， but it will lead to an upgrade of the industrial structure， increase energy effi ciency and advance low-carbon technology. This is expected to reduce atmospheric emissions and improve air quality and human health. Researchers found that 18 to 62 percent of the implementation costs of China’s NDC could be recovered by the resulting health benefi ts by 2030. In addition， by 2050， the overall health benefi ts would substantially increase to as much as three to nine times the original implementation costs of the NDC.
The study also showed that regions differ in their share of health benefi ts.
Fishing Partners
A villager shows his cormorants to tourists before fi shing on the Suihe River in Lingbi County， east China’s Anhui Province， on April 29. The performance depicted a traditional fi shing method using cormorants.
HPV Vaccine
A human papilloma virus （HPV） vaccine has become available in China for women between 16 to 26 years old as the country steps up efforts to fi ght cervical cancer.
The country’s top drug regulator has allowed the new vaccine to enter the Chinese market after meeting certain requirements.
There are three HPV vaccines which cover different kinds of viruses and different age groups from 9 to 45 years old. The new vaccine can help prevent 92.1 percent of all kinds of cervical cancers.
In addition， all HPV vaccines available worldwide can also be purchased in China.
Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually acquired infection with certain types of HPV. There is also evidence linking HPV with other cancers affecting both male and female genitals.
HPV vaccine producers have been asked to develop risk management plans and track their products’development after entering the market.
Ace Combatants
Soldiers from the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force participate in the 10th Annual Warrior Competition at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman， Jordan， on April 30.
Belt & Road Students
More international students from countries covered by the Belt and Road Initiative studied in China last year， said the Ministry of Education on April 30.
A total of 317，200 students from Belt and Road countries came to study， up 11.6 percent over 2016， accounting for 65 percent of the total international students in China， according to a ministry statement.
Some Chinese universities have launched programs inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative to attract students from these countries.
Renmin University of China， for instance， has established a new college， named after the Silk Road， in Suzhou， Jiangsu Province. The college will formally open in September， offering a two-year postgraduate program on contemporary Chinese studies. It will provide full scholarships for international students. Six other universities also signed an agreement with the Belt and Road Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission to enroll more international students from Belt and Road countries.
Positive PMI
China’s manufacturing sector expanded at a slightly slower pace in April than the previous month， but still maintained a “momentum of steady growth，” the latest data showed on April 30.
The purchasing managers’ index（PMI） for the sector came in at 51.4 in April， down from 51.5 in March， the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said. A reading above 50 indicates expansion， while a reading below refl ects contraction.
Despite the slight decline， the April fi gure was still higher than the average of 51 for the fi rst three months of the year and 51.2 for April 2017.
Production saw steady expansion and demand was “generally stable，” according to senior NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe， as the subindex for production held steady at 53.1 and the new order sub-index dropped slightly to 52.9.
Chen Zhongtao， analyst with the China Logistics Information Center， held a similar view， stating that the new fi gures refl ected stability in domestic demand， production and employment.
The sub-index for employment decreased 0.1 to 49， remaining relatively high for the new normal of economic growth， Chen added.
China’s non-manufacturing sector expanded at a faster rate for a second consecutive month in April.
The sector’s PMI rose from 54.6 in March to 54.8 in April， higher than the 54 registered in April 2017.
The sub-index for new orders rose one point from the previous month to 51.1， showing faster growth in market demand.
Sub-indices for intermediary prices， sales prices and business outlook all increased from the previous month.
The service sector， which accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP， showed sound momentum， with the sub-reading up 0.2 from March to 53.8.
Faster expansion was also seen in air transportation， courier services， accommodation， telecommunications and software， the NBS said.
Engineering Challenges Surmounted
Liujing Yujiang Bridge opens to traffi c on May 1. The bridge is one of the most diffi cult sections of the Liuzhou-Nanning highway reconstruction and expansion project， with a total length of 1，127 meters.
Tourism Boom
China saw a tourism boom during the three-day May Day holiday（April 29-May 1）， with tourism consumption becoming more diversifi ed， offi cial data showed. The country’s tourism industry earned 87.16 billion yuan （$13.73 billion） in revenue during the holiday， up 10.2 percent from a year earlier， according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During the holiday， tourist destinations across China received a total of 147 million domestic tourists， a year-on-year increase of 9.3 percent.
While tours around major cities and to the countryside were the top choices for tourists， culture， education and revolution-themed tours were also popular， the ministry report showed.
Import Expo
Nearly 1，100 companies from all over the world have confi rmed their attendance at the China International Import Expo， the organizing committee said at a ceremony held on April 28.
Some 25 companies， most of which are leaders in high-end intelligent equipment or automobiles， signed contracts with the organizers at the ceremony.
The organizing committee said the exhibition area will exceed 180，000 square meters， and new manufacturing technology will be showcased for the fi rst time at the expo， which will be held in Shanghai in November.
The committee invited 47 nonexhibiting companies including state-owned enterprises， large private enterprises and foreign companies to attend the ceremony.
Rising Profits
More than 60 percent of Chinese public companies reported profi t growth in the fi rst quarter， partly due to a recovery in commodity prices amid ongoing economic restructuring.
Some 3，500 fi rms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges posted combined net profi ts of nearly 850 billion yuan （$133.56 billion） in the January-March period， according to fi nancial information provider Wind.
More than 2，200 companies increased their profi ts year on year， with 576 doubling their growth rates.
Producers of construction material saw the most rapid profi t increase at 182.58 percent， followed by iron and steel factories and defense companies. Businesses in non-ferrous metals and telecommunication also registered increases of more than 50 percent.
Analysts attributed the improved performance of steel， non-ferrous metal and other cyclical sectors to the country’s supply-side structural reform， which， aimed at downsizing saturated industries and economic rebalancing， has prompted a rebound in commodity prices.
“While the reform contributed to faster profi t growth in most of the cyclical companies， consumptiondriven sectors， such as food and beverages， and emerging industries also saw considerable increases，”said Yang Delong with the First Seafront Fund. Improving corporate profi ts were also aided by a solid economy in the fi rst three months of the year， which extended the resilience of last year with 6.8-percent year-on-year growth.
Fulfilling a Dream
An entrepreneur examines processed timbers in Zhaili Village， Yuezhuang Town， Yiyuan County， Shandong Province， on April 29.
With assistance from the local government， young people in Yiyuan County are encouraged to make full use of local agricultural resources and start up their own businesses.
5G Development
China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd.（China Unicom）， the country’s second largest telecommunications operator， said on April 26 that it will fi nalize the large-scale commercialization of 5G by 2020.
China Unicom will start 5G testing this year， pre-commercialize 5G in 2019 and fi nally achieve the large-scale commercialization of the cutting-edge technology in 2020， said Ma Hongbing， general manager of the operation and maintenance department at China Unicom， at a cooperative partner conference on April 26.
Ma said that 16 cities including Beijing， Xiongan， Shenyang and Qingdao will be the focus of largescale 5G testing this year.
China is striving to accelerate the research and development of 5G， as the super-fast technology is expected to drive 6.3 trillion yuan（$979 billion） of economic output in the country by 2030.
Ma added at the conference that the company will also launch cloud computing tests in 15 provinces and cities this year.
Traditional Look
A group of students receive a course in social practices at a scenic spot in Xinyang， Henan Province， on April 30.
In recent years， Xinyang has been devoted to building a beautiful countryside and developing rural tourism. So far， more than 130 beautiful villages including those featuring special cultural traditions have been built.
Airplane Project
A joint China-Russia project to develop a wide-body aircraft has begun the concept defi nition phase for the body and tail of the plane.
“A team of Chinese and Russian engineers are currently drafting a general technical proposal for the CR929， a 280-seat jet with a range of 12，000 kilometers，” said Guo Bozhi， General Manager of China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co. Ltd. （CRAIC）.
“The CR929 will make extensive use of composites in its structure，”said Guo， who is also deputy general manager of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China （COMAC）.
Shanghai-based CRAIC is a joint venture between COMAC and its Russian partner United Aircraft Corp（UAC）.
It was set up in May 2017 to develop the CR929.
COMAC is undertaking the design and development of the fuselage and empennage， or the tail， according to the work distribution arrangements of both sides.