Che Dechen, secretary of the Party committee and general manager of the Chongqing Gas Group Corporation, has been removed from his position after a joint investigation found local residents in Southwest China's Chongqing were overcharged for their gas by the company.
Residents from multiple districts in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality complained recently that their gas bills had increased significantly after they changed to new gas meters.
On April 13, the local authority announced that it had set up a joint investigation group to probe the problem.
During a press conference on Friday, the local authority announced that through on-site inspections, experimental testing, data comparison, experts' analysis and judgment, typical case verification, and other methods, the investigation team verified the situation and found that Chongqing Gas Group Corporation and other gas companies had indeed overcharged some residents for their gas.
According to the investigation, between January and April this year, mistakes on a total of 1,085 records led to excessive charges for 190,500 cubic meters of gas.
Other problems include chaotic gas billing cycles ranging from seven days to 13 months, disorganized work in changing gas meters, an insufficient workforce and lack of internal supervision and management.
The local authority ordered the gas companies to fully refund the residents the overcharged gas fees which were confirmed and identified through investigations.
In addition, 14 cases in which companies were found to have violated laws and regulations have been filed for investigation.
Che Dechen, secretary of the Party committee and general manager of the Chongqing Gas Group Corporation has been removed from his position.
Meanwhile, a work group has been deployed to the company to conduct a thorough rectification of the issues.
For the next step, the municipal authority will instruct the relevant department to enhance supervision and law enforcement to compel gas companies to improve their service and management.
After Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force announced its intention to dispatch a special security unit to the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese observers said the move is to deter China's influence in region and it constitutes a major breakthrough for Japan in the military field to cooperate with US regional strategies, which threatens regional peace and stability.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) said it will dispatch a special security unit to the "Indo-Pacific" region to offer capacity-building support to coast guards in the region, Japan's NHK reported on Tuesday.
The MSDF says the deployment will come in May or later to help regional coast guards enhance their capabilities in conducting inspections of suspicious ships and other skills.
It has not revealed details on exactly where the unit will be sent and how long the mission will be.
Sources close to the Japanese defense ministry told NHK that the move comes in response to requests from multiple Pacific Island countries, and that the special unit will provide support for several days for each country.
This will be the first time an SDF special unit will provide capacity-building support for foreign agencies.
"This is a major breakthrough for Japan in military terms, and it must be met with high vigilance by the international community," said Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
In recent years, Japan has been rapidly accelerating its military buildup, attempting to break through its previous exclusively defense-oriented policy, but there has never been a precedent for sending "special police teams" to other countries, Lü said.
He noted that this is a major move by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after his visit to the US where he took part in a trilateral summit with leaders of the US and the Philippines earlier this month.
The US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines also held a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea earlier this month.
Japan's move is intended to widen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region after the US Coast Guard announced an increase in maritime patrols and training activities in June last year, a military expert, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times. He said Japan's move is aimed at both cooperating with US strategy in the Asia-Pacific region and countering China's cooperation with regional countries.
As of the end of 2023, China is leading the world with 26 nuclear power units currently under construction, with a total installed capacity of 30.3 GW. However, a report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) highlights a discrepancy between the capacity of nuclear power and the requirements to meet the country's "dual carbon" goals. The report suggests that constructing nuclear power projects in central provinces, where the electricity supply gap is prominent, could help optimize the layout of nuclear power plants.
According to the report titled "China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2024", in 2023, China's commercial nuclear power units continued to operate safely and stably, with two new commercial nuclear power units added throughout the year, bringing the total number to 55 units with a total installed capacity of 57.03 GW, ranking third in the world.
Nuclear power accounts for 4.86 percent of the China's total electricity generation, resulting in a reduction of 340 million tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions, Wang Yiren, chief expert behind the report, said at the International Forum on Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development while releasing the report.
The country's commercial nuclear power units are located across eight provinces, mainly in coastal areas, with Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang ranking the top three regions in China in terms of total installed capacity, Wang noted. The nuclear power generation in provinces of Fujian, Liaoning, and Hainan account for over 20 percent of their total power generation in the provinces, with percentages of 27.3, 23.4, and 22.7 respectively, according to Wang.
The report highlighted the ongoing challenges in the development of nuclear power in China, including the discrepancy between installed capacity and the necessary requirements to meet "dual carbon" goals, the current layout of nuclear power construction falling short of building a new type of power system, and the absence of industrial scale for comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy.
To address the mismatch, the report calls to optimize the layout of nuclear power by initiating construction of nuclear power projects in central provinces with prominent electricity supply gaps.
Shu Yinbiao, a consultant from State Grid Corporation of China, said that it is advisable to initiate the pre-project and construction work for nuclear power projects in the central region around 2030. He suggested to include the sites for nuclear power plants where preliminary work has been completed within the national planning as soon as possible and construction should be started at the appropriate time.
The central region lacks the necessary conditions for large-scale development of wind and solar energy resources. Therefore, nuclear power has become a better choice to achieve sustainable energy supply and replace coal-fired power, Shu noted.
Additionally, the use of nuclear power should be regarded as a support for power supply in the northwest region of China, integrating wind, solar, and energy storage to achieve complementary and integrated development of power grid, according to Shu.
But China advocates the construction of nuclear power projects in coastal regions, Shu highlighted, considering resource conditions and energy demand and strong voltage support capabilities to power grid.
In the 11 provinces (cities) along the eastern coast, it is expected that by 2030, the total installed capacity of nuclear power will reach 120 million kilowatts, with the proportion of electricity generation reaching 18.5 percent, Shu noted.
Zhang Tingke, secretary-general of CNEA, said at the forum that it is estimated that by 2035, the proportion of nuclear power generation in China's total power structure will reach around 10 percent, which is equivalent to the current global average level, resulting in a reduction of approximately 900 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
As another effort to meet "dual carbon" goals, the report suggests to include nuclear power in the existing green low-carbon trading systems, helping to fully identify the clean and low-carbon attributes of nuclear power.
China's nuclear power development is in line with the global trend of using the clean energy to achieve climate goals and ensure energy security. One of the reasons for China to progress nuclear power in a fast and steady pace is because China regards nuclear safety as the lifeline of nuclear energy development.
Nuclear safety has been prioritized above all else. The three nuclear accidents in history have had a huge impact on global nuclear energy development, constantly reminding us to remain highly vigilant about nuclear safety," Zhang told the Global Times. There has never been a Level 2 or higher International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)-rated operational event in China, according to Zhang.
To increase nuclear power security management system and boost the public's understanding toward nuclear power, the report also suggested including the atomic energy law as part of the country's legislative plan, as well as the revision of the Act on Prevention and Control of Radioactive Pollution and conducting legislative research on nuclear damage compensation laws.
Compared with major nuclear power countries around the world, in 2023, China's nuclear power units achieved higher scores for the WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators) comprehensive index than the US, Russia, France, South Korea, and other major nuclear power countries. The index reflects the overall level of nuclear power units in terms of power generation capacity and safety performance, according to the report.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Friday that Queqiao-2 relay satellite mission completed in-orbit communication tests and it has been a complete success. The satellite is capable of providing relay communication services for the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project and subsequent domestic and international lunar exploration missions.
After being launched into space on March 20, Queqiao-2 relay satellite underwent mid-course corrections, lunar braking, and circumlunar orbit maneuvers. It entered a 24-hour period elliptical mission orbit around the moon as planned on April 2, according to a release from the CNSA.
On April 6, Queqiao-2 successfully completed a communication test with Chang'e-4 probe, which is conducting an exploration mission on the far side of the moon. From April 8 to 9, Queqiao-2 also conducted communication tests with the Chang'e-6 probe.
The Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 communication and navigation technology experiment satellites, which were launched concurrently, entered circumlunar mission orbits on March 29 and successfully separated on April 3, beginning a series of communication and navigation technology verifications.
Queqiao-2 relay satellite and the Tiandu satellites use a circumlunar elliptical frozen orbit as their mission orbit. Since the moon's shape is irregular, spacecraft flying close to the moon are affected by lunar gravity and other factors, causing potential orbital deviations. The circumlunar elliptical frozen orbit is a stable orbit that minimizes deviations for the spacecraft flying in it.
The CNSA listed several favorable reasons for choosing a circumlunar elliptical frozen orbit for Queqiao-2's mission. Compared to Queqiao-1, Queqiao-2's mission orbit is closer to the moon, resulting in a significant boost in data transmission communication rates. Moreover, a circumlunar elliptical frozen orbit improves coverage of lunar south pole communications and help conserve satellite fuel, allowing Queqiao-2 to remain in its orbit for an extended period with minimal fuel usage.
Queqiao-2 relay satellite will provide relay communication services for the Chang'e-4 mission and the upcoming Chang'e-6 mission as planned, and will carry out corresponding scientific explorations when appropriate, the CNSA said in the release.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday evening, did not wait long to get a bite of genuine Sichuan cuisine. Yellen is currently on a six-day China visit lasting through April 9.
According to media reports, Yellen went directly to a Sichuan restaurant in Dongcheng district to sample her favorite kind of Chinese food.
Staff at the restaurant gifted their American guest Sichuan embroidery, a noted part of China's intangible cultural heritage. In return, Yellen offered souvenir coins bearing her name.
According to the US media, Yellen used to be a regular at a Sichuan restaurant while teaching at Berkeley.
During her visit to the restaurant in Beijing, the American official enjoyed classic Sichuan cuisine including boiled beef and mapo tofu.
Previously, Yellen had also enjoyed Cantonese food for her first dinner after landing in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province on Thursday. That meal involved a selection of iconic dishes including roast goose, chilled sweet and sour pork, crispy tofu, and an assortment of Cantonese dim sum.
"We welcome more American officials to taste Chinese cuisine and experience traditional Chinese culture. We also hope that while American officials understand Chinese cuisine, they can deepen their understanding of China and its people, and respect the development rights of the Chinese people," one Chinese netizen commented on Sunday.
Welcoming American officials to taste Chinese cuisine does not equate to accepting sanctions and restrictions; what would truly improve China-US relations would be concrete actions from the US, others wrote.
US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, a US senior official who is believed to be pragmatic and less hawkish toward China than many of her peers, has arrived Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, and kicked off her 6-day visit to China from Thursday to Tuesday (April 4-9), with Chinese experts saying on Friday that Yellen is trying to seek helps from China to solve US economic challenges, and they said US officials need to adjust its arrogant attitude and speak nicely when asking helps.
He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council, has met with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Guangzhou. The two sides discussed in-depth key issues related to the global, economic and financial fields of China and the US.
He said the main task for this meeting is to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in their meetings and telephone dialogue, and seek to provide appropriate responses to key concerns in China-US economic relations, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.
"I opened meetings with Vice Premier He Lifeng for frank and substantive conversations on our bilateral economic relationship. It is crucial that the two largest economies in the world seek progress on global challenges and closely communicate on areas of concern," Yellen said in a post on social media platform X on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, Yellen also had round-table discussions with economic experts and business leaders from the US and some other countries from Europe and Japan to discuss the economic situation of Chinese market, as well as opportunities and challenges linked to the Chinese economy. Yellen also attended an event with leading representatives of the American business community in China, hosted by AmCham China, and delivered remarks on the bilateral economic relationship.
According to her released schedule in coming days, which expected to include meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and senior Chinese officials who in charge different economic and financial sectors of China, analysts said Yellen's trip eyes on further stabilizing the China-US relations as US President Joe Biden doesn't want a fragile and uncertain bilateral ties with China, and Washington needs China's cooperation to solve its headaches at home: a national debt problem and save US backward production capacity by adding pressure to China's development in new energy technologies with the pretext of "overcapacity."
Jin Canrong, the associate dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday that "Yellen is an official who is different from the hawkish ones in Washington who actively push for confrontation with China, she is relatively pragmatic and moderate."
In the phone call between the presidents of the two countries on Tuesday evening, Biden is probably asking for China to permit Yellen's visit, as we can see Yellen kicks off her visit very soon after the phone call, which means that the US has prepared for the visit for a long time, and they are just waiting for China's green light, Jin said.
"According to this, we can have a conclusion that the US is asking for something urgent. Washington's national debt problem could be the top of the agenda. Yellen might ask help from China in the field of monetary policy," Jin noted.
The Congressional Budget Office warned in its latest projections that US federal government debt is on a path from 97 percent of GDP last year to 116 percent by 2034, which is higher even than in World War II. The actual outlook is likely worse, Bloomberg reported on April 2.
The CNBC reported on March 1 that the debt load of the US is growing at a quicker clip in recent months, increasing about $1 trillion nearly every 100 days.
Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday that in this visit, the Biden administration is seeking the further stabilization of China-US relations in the presidential election year. "The two sides are expected to discuss about coordination on macroeconomic policy and trade, and this is not only important to China and the US, but also significant to the world."
But as a US official with pragmatic and relatively friendly image to China, Yellen this time presented her tough stance in some areas. According to the website of US Department of Treasury, "During her engagements in China, Secretary Yellen will advocate for American workers and businesses to ensure they are treated fairly, including by pressing Chinese counterparts on unfair trade practices and underscoring the global economic consequences of Chinese industrial overcapacity."
Washington will not allow "a glut of Chinese production to wipe out American manufacturers of green technology," Yellen has warned ahead of a trip to China, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Li said the US should take the issue about "overcapacity" more objectively, because China's productive capacity is determined by the global demand and the efficiency and market size of China.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Yellen's expression is a bad signal for China-US trade ties, as this is implying that when the US development in areas like new energy and electric vehicle (EV) is facing backward or even failure, Washington is trying to contain China's productive capacity to protect its backward capacity.
"This is very disappointing, as this is indecent for a US Secretary of Treasury to blame and contain China's development in advanced areas to protect US' backward productive capacity," Lü noted.
At present, China's EV export and photovoltaic industry have unshakable status in the world market, the US' measure to contain China in these fields will receive no outcomes, Lü said. "Chinese economic and financial officials can give Yellen a good lecture about how to mobilize resources in the market and whole society to develop a new industry. The EV industry is an example of the success of China's market economy."
Chinese analysts said that Yellen and the Biden administration should understand that, if they are coming to China to ask for help and cooperation, they need to adjust their arrogant attitude and speak nicely, and don't ask for unfair competition to confront and contain China, who will never submit to pressure based on hegemonic logic.
Ahead of the Qingming Festival, many localities across China are vigorously promoting eco-friendly burials, which analysts believe will help to alleviate the strain on land resources, contribute to environmental protection, and also fulfill people's emotional needs for remembering their departed loved ones.
Qingming Festival, also known as "Tomb-Sweeping Festival," will fall on Thursday this year, which is a traditional Chinese festival for people to pay tribute to the deceased and to worship their ancestors. As the holiday approaches, eco-friendly burial is being promoted in various locations nationwide, embraced by a growing number of people.
On Sunday, the civil affairs departments of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei collaborated in hosting an event where people could scatter ashes into the sea as a special sea burial ship, carrying the ashes of 35 deceased individuals, set sail toward the Bohai Bay in Tianjin. Family representatives shared stories about their loved ones, and after a moment of silence in tribute, staff handed over the ashes to the family members.
As the ship reached the designated sea area, the family members, guided by the staff, boarded the deck, and with gentle hands, they scattered the ashes of their loved ones into the vast blue waves.
According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, since May 1994, Beijing has been carrying out the activity of scattering ashes at sea. Over the past 30 years, a total of 774 collective ash scattering activities have been organized for the ashes of nearly 34,000 deceased individuals, with the number of participates increasing each year.
Shenzhen introduced flower bed burials for the first time ahead of this year's Qingming Festival. The ashes buried there are not engraved with a tombstone, name, or any identification. Instead of a traditional grave, the ashes are buried deep in the flower bed using biodegradable containers, according to the personnel in charge.
In just 10 days, more than 250 citizens applied for this new type of burial, with some saying that the departed loved ones accompanying the flowers could be seen as a continuation of life. According to media reports, a total of 252 sets of ashes were buried in the flower beds on Thursday.
Southwest China's Yunnan Province also promoted eco-friendly burial by encouraging people to choose burial methods such as tree burial or flower burial. Currently, the eco-friendly burial rate in Yunnan has reached 51.02%, and the province is also promoting green and low-carbon memorial methods such as offering fresh flowers and online memorials.
Additionally, provinces including Shandong, Henan and Liaoning are all ramping up efforts to promote alternative burial methods and encourage greater participation in eco-friendly funerals.
Funerals are of great importance in China, with the "luxury" of funerals and tombs once being used as a standard to evaluate the filial piety of the deceased's descendants. However, the increasing amount of land occupied by traditional cemeteries has put pressure on urban planning and land resources.
"Eco-friendly burial will reduce the use and consumption of land resources, making it a good balance mechanism for resource scarcity, especially in large cities. This also represents a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature," Li Zhiqing, a professor of environmental economics and Chinese economy at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday.
The adoption of new burial practices represents a significant shift from traditional methods to modern, environmentally conscious alternatives, and this proactive approach is not only beneficial to protecting the environment but also encourages a greater appreciation for and protection of the land, analysts said.
They also pointed out that this new type of green burial involves a change in the concept of funeral for the masses, as many people used to believe that burial in the ground is the most respectful way so that the deceased can rest in peace.
"Nowadays, people have many ways and means to commemorate the deceased, and society also attaches great importance to people's need for emotional sustenance and commemorating their ancestors, which is not contradictory to the new type of burial advocated at present," Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese language and literature from Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday.
Zhang further emphasized that opting for eco-friendly burial methods not only can make people honor the memory of their ancestors but also encourages a more diverse approach to ancestral worship. In addition, these practices align with the principles of environmental protection and natural ecology, meeting the needs for sustainable development.
The new types of burial method are gaining popularity among a growing number of individuals. A staff member surnamed Tao from a funeral company in Beijing told the Global Times on Monday that new methods such as tree burials, flower burials, and sea burials not only save land resources, but are also environmentally friendly and cost-effective, and as a result are gaining more and more recognition and acceptance from the public.
"In recent years, as the importance of ecological environmental protection continues to resonate with the public, there is a growing desire among individuals to opt for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to burial. Various forms of ecological burial are also constantly innovating, and the willingness of families to embrace these alternatives is on the rise," Tao said.
Against the backdrop of recent terrorist attacks in Russia and Pakistan, diplomats and representatives from international and organizations are convening in South China's Hainan to discuss the importance and potential impact of China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI) on global peace efforts. The former special envoy for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) told the Global Times the GSI is of great importance in this context as it provides a fundamental path for achieving lasting security.
The initiative is dedicated to respecting and safeguarding the security of every country, rather than seeking dominance in international security affairs, let alone taking sides. This is the fundamental reason why the initiative is widely welcomed, Chen Xiaodong, China's deputy foreign minister, said at the panel session during the Boao Forum for Asia on Thursday.
The concept and the key points proposed in the GSI are very persuasive, conducive to handling conflicts between countries, and promoting trust and dialogue is a cornerstone, which enables us to establish trust in Asia, Sarybay Kairat, Secretary General of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, said in his speech.
On the recent terrorist attacks in Russia and Pakistan, Zhang Ming, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), told the Global Times that he noted that those attacks resulted in significant casualties.
The SCO strongly condemns such terrorist acts, which prompted more agreements in the SCO to unite with the international community to resolutely combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Zhang said.
Highlighting the importance of the GSI against the background of severe terrorist acts shaking the region, Zafar Uddin Mahmood, former special envoy for the CPEC, told the Global Times that the GSI is of utmost importance to achieving permanent security.
Zafar elaborated it by saying that "we cannot assume that our security guarantee is already sufficient, as recent terrorist incidents have shown the need for increased vigilance. It is clear that we must raise our alert level and be prepared at all times.
"The solution must be a long-term process, requiring a plan to ensure permanent security. In this regard, China's Global Security Initiative provides us a path to consider and research common solutions," Zafar said.
Zhang said the GSI has contributed Chinese wisdom to making up for the deficit of peace in the world. China has provided solutions for countries around the world to address international security challenges and achieve common development and progress, Zhang noted.
In order to promote the international community's efforts to eliminate conflicts through negotiations and resolve disputes through consultation, China has demonstrated its responsibility and commitment as a major country, Zhang said.
China is willing to work hand in hand with other Asian countries to coordinate the management of regional security affairs, combat terrorism and transnational crimes in a reasonable manner, strengthen security cooperation in areas such as nuclear facilities, cyberspace, outer space, public health, food and energy, Chen said in his speech.
As for how to further carry forward the GSI into practice, Zafar said he hoped that the SCO, an organization that continues to expand, will play a larger role in addressing security threats and challenges in order to advance the GSI. The SCO not only organizes joint drills in combating security risks, but also pays great attention to nurturing talents in this field, impacting both regional security as well as a broader global sphere.
Gilles Carbonnier, vice president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told the Global Times during the Boao Forum that he highly recognizes China's GSI and Global Development Initiative, as they are also focused on restoring livelihoods in fragile situations and preventing violations of international humanitarian law.
