Guideline encourages growth of city clusters

At its executive meeting on Wednesday, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, the State Council approved an outline for the development of city clusters in the Yangtze River Delta. Centered on Shanghai, the region encompasses cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, and has become a significant economic center in China. The blueprint said development should follow a pattern that encourages innovation, coordination, green awareness, openness and sharing. The region will push ahead with the development of its service sector, high technology and foreign trade, according to the outline.

Measures to push administrative reform

The State Council released a guideline on Thursday to streamline administrative procedures and relegate administrative approval power for investment projects to lower levels, aiming to improve efficiency for enterprises entering the market and boost private-sector investment. The guideline specifies 15 measures that need to be adopted this year. The investment approval list will be revised this year to cut more than 90 percent of projects that need to be approved by the central government. The remaining investment projects will be registered and approved through an online national platform, according to the document.

Better protection of 'left-behind' children

The National Health and Family Planning Commission issued a circular on Wednesday to promote the healthy development of "left-behind children" who live with their grandparents in rural areas after their parents have left home to work in big cities. The circular highlighted the need to provide useful knowledge to guardians or parents that will help them keep their children safe while they are away from home. Medical institutions at all levels are required by law to report if children are found to be missing, or suspected to have suffered from domestic violence or injuries, according to the circular.

Artificial intelligence tops national agenda

The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Cyberspace Administration of China on Monday issued a three-year guideline for the development of the artificial intelligence sector. By the end of 2018, the market is expected to be valued at more than 100 billion yuan ($15.26 billion). The country will make breakthroughs in some core technologies in the industry, develop a number of leading AI enterprises worldwide and set up an innovative and green AI industrial ecology, the guideline said.

Regulation of online lottery sales beefed up

The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Security, the Administration of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the General Administration of Sport jointly issued a notice on Tuesday about regulating online sales of lottery tickets. The notice said future online sales must be centrally managed by the lottery issuer. Lottery administration centers are required to carry out regulation in a timely manner, and no individuals or companies are allowed to sell lottery tickets online without approval. The notice ordered all relevant parties to guard against unauthorized individuals or companies engaging in online lottery sales, with heightened inspections and supervision from the government.

(China Daily USA 05/31/2016 page5)