Beijing

Xi endorses work of HK, Macao

President Xi Jinping met on Monday with Leung Chun-ying and Chui Sai-on, chief executives of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and fully endorsed their work and that of their governments. Xi told the two executives that the fate of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao are closely linked. Mutual development is needed to achieve the Chinese dream, which is the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Museum to close Monday afternoon

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will close every Monday afternoon for renovation and maintenance. The museum launched a pilot plan to close to the public every Monday afternoon from Jan 1 to March 31. The museum has decided to continue to operate a half-day on Monday for the rest of the year.

Ethnic languages books published

A three-volume set of books on ethnic languages in China has been published to boost the country's linguistic diversity, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said on Monday. The set, the first of its kind, covers the findings of research into Chinese ethnic languages. China has about 100 spoken languages and dozens of written forms used by its 55 ethnic groups.

Fewer lottery tickets in February

China's lottery ticket sales dropped 16.6 percent year-on-year in February to 16.87 billion yuan ($2.71 billion), according to official data released on Monday. In a statement posted on its website, the Ministry of Finance attributed the trend to fewer working days to sell the tickets. Last month, welfare lottery sales stood at 9.89 billion yuan, down 15.9 percent year-on-year, while sales of sports lottery tickets dropped 17.5 percent to 6.97 billion yuan, the statement said.

Jiangsu

Legendary head of village dies at 85

Wu Renbao, the retired Communist Party of China chief of Huaxi village in Jiangsu province, died of lung cancer on Monday afternoon. Wu, 85, passed away at 6:58 pm at his home in the village, which is one of the richest villages in the country, well known for its success in creating prosperity.

Bus accident claims 2 lives

Two people were killed and three injured in a bus accident on Monday in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, according to the local public security bureau. The bus, which was stolen when its driver stopped by the roadside because of mechanical problems, hit several cars, electric bicycles and pedestrians around 11:35 am. Local police chased the bus and arrested the suspect.

Guangdong

Ex-deputy mayor expelled from Party

Liang Daoxing, a former deputy mayor of Shenzhen, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China for corruption, authorities said on Monday. As deputy mayor of Shenzhen from 2002 to early 2009, Liang took bribes in return for favors, said the Guangdong provincial discipline watchdog. The case was transferred to the judicial authorities, and an investigation began in late 2012.

Wal-Mart to open three new stores

Wal-Mart Stores will open three new stores in China by the end of May, the US retail giant's Chinese division said on Monday. Wal-Mart China said the stores will be in Shenzhen, Guangdong province; Hangzhou in Zhejiang province; and Suzhou in Jiangsu province. The company also denied recent rumors that it will close its stores in China and withdraw its capital.

Guangxi

Region sees rising trade with ASEAN

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region saw $1.59 billion worth of trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the first two months of this year, a 20.8 percent year-on-year increase compared with 2012, said the Nanning Customs District of China. ASEAN has been Guangxi's largest trade partner for 13 consecutive years.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily 03/19/2013 page2)