XI URGES USE OF NEW CODE TO PROTECT RIGHTS

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping called on Friday for advancing the implementation of the newly adopted Civil Code so it can be used to better serve the country's comprehensively law-based governance and safeguard the people's rights and interests.

Xi made the remark while presiding over a group study session of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau on the first law defined as a "code" in the country.

Xi hailed the important status of the code in the legal system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and described it as a basic law that has fundamental significance, stabilizes people's expectations and benefits future development.

It is significant for the nation to promote comprehensive law-based governance and step up construction of a socialist country ruled by law as well as developing the socialist market economy and improving the country's basic socialist economic system, Xi said.

It is also conducive to sticking to a people-centered development philosophy, protecting people's rights and interests according to the law, promoting the country's human rights cause and advancing the modernization of the country's governance system and capacity, he added.

The Civil Code was adopted by the third session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Thursday, and will take effect on Jan 1.

In addition to general and supplementary provisions, the Civil Code includes six parts on real rights, contracts, personality rights, marriage and family, inheritance and tort liabilities. Experts said the legislation also contributes to the global drive to protect people's rights, as the Civil Code provides a legislative reference on how to promote fairness, justice, dignity and each and every person's right to pursue happiness.

Xi stressed that the Civil Code reflects the country's socialist nature, conforms to the people's interests and expectations, abides by the country's development and also provides equal protection for people's rights in such areas as life and health, property security, facilitation of transactions and human dignity.

He called for efforts to strengthen popularization of and education on the code among the people, emphasizing that learning about the Civil Code should be a part of the national educational system.

Xi urged government departments to be fully aware of the scope and limit of their power in fulfilling their duties. Governmental departments, oversight agencies and the judiciary should exercise their powers according to the law, and people's civil rights must be protected, he added.

XI EXCHANGES LETTERS WITH PERUVIAN PRESIDENT OVER COOPERATION ON COVID-19 FIGHT

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra compared notes on bilateral cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent exchange of letters.

Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, once again expressed sincere sympathies to the Peruvian government and people on the spread of the coronavirus disease in Peru.

At Peru's request, China has sent an anti-epidemic medical expert group to the country, he noted, adding that he hopes that they will contribute to Peru's battle against the epidemic.

Xi said he is willing to work with his Peruvian counterpart to strengthen bilateral practical cooperation in various fields such as epidemic response, safeguard public health security, and achieve an early economic recovery, so as to usher in the 50th anniversary of China-Peru diplomatic relations next year with more tangible results.

In his letter, Vizcarra thanked the Chinese government for sending the expert team to Peru, providing and helping Peru purchase anti-epidemic supplies, as well as sharing China's experience in COVID-19 containment.

The Peruvian president reiterated that his country attaches great importance to the Peru-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

He said he believes that the Peruvian and Chinese people will eventually overcome the challenge of COVID-19 through cooperation and demonstrate once again the resilience of the two ancient civilizations and their capacity to prevail over all adversities.

FIRST DOMESTICALLY MADE CARRIER BEGINS SEA TESTS

The CNS Shandong, China's first domestically made aircraft carrier, has begun a round of sea tests and exercises this month to test weapons and equipment efficiency, an official said on Friday.

Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, made the remark in response to news reports that the carrier had left port in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Monday to take on its first training mission since being commissioned five months ago.

"According to our yearly testing schedule, the navy is organizing sea tests for the CNS Shandong and will conduct relevant training exercises," Ren said.

"The purpose of this training is to test weapons and equipment efficiency, improve the aircraft carrier's training capability and further elevate its ability to carry out future missions."

The CNS Shandong — China's second aircraft carrier and the first such ship wholly designed and built domestically — was commissioned in December. Construction began in late 2013 and the vessel was first lowered into the water in April 2017. Its first sea trial was carried out in May 2018.

In response to another question regarding China's military budget growth this year, Ren said the money would primarily be used to improve living and training conditions as well as the welfare of troops. It would also be used to modernize weapons and equipment of the People's Liberation Army.

The budget would also support institutional and policy reform of the PLA and be used to fund combat-readiness training and other military missions such as peacekeeping, humanitarian rescue, disaster relief and others, he said.

This year, China plans to have an annual defense budget of about 1.27 trillion yuan ($178 billion), a 6.6-percent rise year-on-year. The budget's growth rate is the lowest since 1988, when a 3.81 percent increase was proposed.

"The budget growth has maintained a moderate and steady increase," Ren said, adding that the growth would allow the PLA to better fulfill its missions.

STUDENTS FROM CHINA TARGET OF VISA ACTION

The US is planning to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduate students and researchers whom the Trump administration believe to have direct ties with China's military.

The targeted students are those studying in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas, due to an alleged technology-theft threat. But there was no direct evidence that pointed to wrongdoing by those students, US officials reportedly told the Times.

The visa cancellation could impact 3,000 to 5,000 Chinese students and researchers, and some of those affected might be working on important research projects, according to the report.

In the past few years, some senior officials in the Trump administration have portrayed Chinese studying in the US as a threat to national security. Some Republican lawmakers introduced bills that would require more reporting from colleges, universities and laboratories about funds from China, and also prohibit students or scholars with ties to the Chinese military from entering the US.

Three Republican lawmakers unveiled a new bill, the Secure Campus Act, on Wednesday to prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving visas to the US for graduate or postgraduate studies in STEM fields.

The legislation has received immediate pushback from universities in the US.

Calling the legislation "incredibly self-defeating and racist", Dino Villagran, associate professor of chemistry at University of Texas at El Paso, said, "I am absolutely confident that this will never see the light of day to become law".

"The racist Chinese STEM student visa ban that the GOP just introduced in Congress reflects some of the worst eras of US history. It is counterproductive to American peace and prosperity. It is fundamentally unfair and morally wrong," Seth Jacobson, assistant professor of planetary science at Michigan State University, wrote on Twitter.

A Chinese graduate student in materials engineering at the University of Southern California, has been waiting for his visa in Shanghai since June 2019.

"I feel we are targeted," he told China Daily. "Since Trump took office, the government has been tightening the policies towards Chinese students step by step.

"I expect studying in the US will be more and more difficult. As to this latest visa ban, it's not clear how to define the 'direct tie' to Chinese military.

"No matter if it gets to be is implemented or not, I can see there'll be more restrictions on Chinese students in the high-tech areas," he said. "So, we need to be prepared for even more ridiculous policies in the future. I plan to complete my study through the internet this fall.

CHINA'S 5G TECH DEVELOPS WITH STRONG MOMENTUM

China's 5G technology has developed with a strong momentum despite the fight against COVID-19, and 5G mobiles of four domestic brands account for 60 percent of the global market, CCTV reported on Friday.

The 5G signal coverage at the summit of Mount Qomolangma has drawn many people's attention when a Chinese survey team reached the top of the mountain on Wednesday to remeasure the height of the world's highest peak.

This indicates that China's 5G technology development has not been affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak but continues to develop with strong momentum, foreign media said.

The global market for silicon wafers, an important material in global semiconductor products, has shown signs of recovery, Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Tuesday.

From January to March this year, the global semiconductor wafer shipment area was 2.92 billion square inches, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous quarter, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International.

Japanese media believe it is the rapid development of China's 5G business that has driven the global wafer market.

China accounted for four of the top five global 5G mobile phone shipments—the combined market share of these four brands exceeded 60 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by a US market research institute.

In addition to mobile phones, the number of base stations is also an important indicator to measure the development of 5G.

Over 10,000 new 5G base stations are being built in China every week, as the nation moves to accelerate the commercialization of the superfast wireless technology, said Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, during the two sessions.

China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom are expected to spend more than 180 billion yuan to develop 5G technology and build 500,000 5G base stations in total this year, according to the three major domestic operators' investment plan.

New 5G infrastructure promotes new opportunities for lithium batteries. China Mobile is estimated to purchase 1.36 billion yuan in lithium batteries in a recent centralized procurement, the 21st Century Business Herald reported.

China is projected to account for 70 percent of global 5G connections, and the country has firmly established itself as a global 5G leader, according to a report by GSMA, an international association of mobile operators.

BEIJING RENEWS DRIVING LIMITS BASED ON PLATES

Beijing's municipal government announced on Friday that beginning on June 1 the city will resume the regulation restricting the number of cars on the road to cut pollution and improve air quality.

In Beijing, drivers are prohibited from operating their vehicles on designated days each week, based on the last numeral on their plate. The government had suspended the restriction because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Restrictions will be in place from 7 am to 8 pm daily at the beginning. Special vehicles for public purposes, such as police cars, fire engines and ambulances, as well as electric cars, are exempt.

ITEMS RETURN TO EARTH FROM SPACE FLIGHT

Chinese engineers opened the re-entry module of the prototype of China's new-generation manned spacecraft that returned to Earth earlier this month, distributing items inside it to their owners.

Dozens of items carried by the re-entry module were delivered to related parties at a ceremony on Friday afternoon at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing-nationals flags of Pakistan and Argentina were given to diplomats from the two countries; a 3D printer was handed over to the Chinese Academy of Sciences; plant seeds were returned to researchers from several provinces; and scientific experimental equipment was delivered to their developers.

Nearly 100 items, ranging from test equipment and experimental devices to cultural products, were sent into space inside the module.

Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, said after the ceremony that some of the items were symbolic, such as postage stamps and soils, and others were for practical scientific or technological purposes.

"For example, we sent up some kinds of seeds in an attempt to use the space radiation to help breed new, better ones to benefit our agriculture," he said.

Speaking of the new manned spacecraft, Zhou said its overall designs and operational efficiency will be world-class.

The re-entry module successfully returned to Earth on May 8, landing at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It was then recovered by personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The new spacecraft's prototype, consisting of re-entry and service modules, was lifted into low Earth orbit on the maiden mission of China's Long March 5B heavy-lift carrier rocket on May 5 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.

During its 68-hour journey, the prototype carried out several scientific experiments and technical tests and also verified key equipment for the new-generation spaceship such as heat-resistance, control and recovery devices, the China Manned Space Agency said.

Once put into formal service, the new manned spaceship will employ world-class designs and technologies and feature great reliability and flexibility, multiple functions and reusability.

LISTING OF ANIMALS TO HELP STOP ILLEGAL SALES OF WILDLIFE

A list specifying 33 kinds of domestic livestock and poultry was released on Friday as a measure to facilitate enforcement of the ban on the illegal trade and consumption of wildlife.

The National Catalog of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, consists of 17 types of animals traditionally raised in China, including pigs, cows, goats, chickens and ducks, and 16 kinds of special animals such as deer, turkeys and ostriches.

All these animals have been raised in China for a long time and are proved to be safe.

Making such a list is meant to carry out a decision by the top legislature adopted in February amid the COVID-19 outbreak to ban the illegal trade and consumption of wild animals for public health and safety, the ministry said in a statement.

The decision made by the National People's Congress Standing Committee made it clear that all wildlife on the protection list of the existing Wild Animal Protection Law or other laws, and all terrestrial wildlife, including those artificially bred and farmed, are banned from consumption.

But animals that have been farm-raised for a long time, and that form value chains helpful in local poverty alleviation, are excluded. The decision required relevant central government departments to draft and publicize a list of such animals.

The 33 animals listed in the catalog released on Friday are the major source of meat in China, and their breeding has become a pillar industry in rural areas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. It said the catalog could be updated in the future.

Following the release of the catalog, the ministry will publish all certified species of the 33 kinds of animals, which numbers more than 800. It will intensify law enforcement over animal health to prevent and control major animal diseases, the ministry said.

As for the widely-watched issue of whether dogs should be on the list-which many people believe is related to whether China would ban the consumption of dogs-the ministry said much public opinion supports not putting dogs on such a white list.

It said dogs have closer relationships with humans and are used for various purposes such as pets and working dogs, and they are not considered as livestock internationally.

However, although dogs are not on the list, they are not considered wild animals, so they could be raised.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Not what we have, but what we use; Not what we see, but what we choose…. - Joseph Fort Newton