This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. Here is the news.
The health of China's rivers is due for a thorough examination, as an action plan for pollution control goes on stream.
A State Council plan on water pollution has been released recently, in a bid to reduce pollutants and protect resources through new, strictly quantifiable targets.
Over 70 percent of the water in the basins of China's top seven major rivers should be "in good condition" by 2020. The targeted rivers include the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.
Over the last few decades, industrialization, urbanization and rapid population growth have taken their toll on China's already rare freshwater resources. Half of China's major rivers and around 40 percent of important lakes are polluted.
The Haihe River in the heart of Tianjin, a neighboring city of Beijing, is among the worst. According to a 2013 report by the city, 70 percent of water in the Tianjin section is categorized as "bad". The river suffers from a severe water shortage.
The problem is nationwide. The main streams of rivers are often given more attention than tributaries and lakes. The authorities are urging local governments to attach just as much importance to tributaries in order to meet the new targets.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
China's top legislature has begun reviewing a draft amendment to the Advertisement Law, which proposes a ban on baby formula advertising to promote breast feeding.
The draft stipulates that dairy products, drinks and other food advertisements that claim to partly or completely substitute breast feeding are banned from mass media and public venues.
The proposal stipulates that advertisers, clients, agents and publishers that violate the rule could be fined up to 1 million yuan, roughly 160,000 U.S. dollars.
Supporters believe that breast feeding is the best source of nutrition for newborns, as it increases their immune systems and reduces the likelihood of obesity in adulthood.
However, only 28 percent of infants younger than 6 months were breast fed in China in 2008, well below the global average of 40 percent.
Breast feeding rates might have increased in recent years as the government initiated measures to revive the practice, including encouraging businesses to provide new mothers dedicated rooms to feed their infants.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, aims to raise the exclusive breast feeding rate to 50 percent by 2020, as outlined in its program for the development of women and children.
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A new clause has been added to a draft law on the regulation of overseas Non-governmental organizations in China, which was reviewed for the second time by the top legislature.
Compared to its first reading, the new draft law added that activities of overseas NGOs that conform to the law are protected by Chinese law.
The previous draft does not allow overseas NGOs to set up branches in China. The new law was amended due to the fact that many overseas NGOs, especially in the fields of science and technology, already have branches in China and their presence is supported by government policies.
The new law stipulates that overseas NGOs are not allowed to establish branches unless the State Council has other regulations.
The new draft law aims to regulate the activities of overseas NGOs in China, protect their legal rights and interests, and promote exchanges and cooperation.
There are provisions on the operation and fundraising of overseas NGOs in China as well as their management and supervision.
You're listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing. You can access the program by logging onto NEWSPlusRadio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at [email protected]. That's [email protected]. Now the news continues.
New football textbooks will be introduced in Chinese schools beginning in the autumn semester this year, after the Ministry of Education named the sport a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
The textbooks have been compiled with input from football coaches and experts by state-managed publisher, the People's Education Press.
The books are aimed at primary school students from grades three to six as well as junior and senior middle school students. They cover the basic skills and rules of football, as well as the history and development of the sport.
The textbooks use 3D images to show tactical operations for the first time, to help students get a more intuitive feeling during their studies.
Students will also be able to use their cellphones to scan QR codes in the textbooks to access instructional videos.
The editors have selected 20 schools across the country for the trial use of the books and will make revisions accordingly.
In February, the central authority started a plan to improve China's football credentials, as the country is frequently troubled by corruption scandals in domestic leagues in recent years.
More efforts will be made at the grassroots level to nurture young talent and ensure the integration of professional clubs, school teams and amateur teams.
The Ministry of Education plans to select thousands of schools to lead the campaign, reviving the sport's popularity on campus and offering coaching that it hopes will create a bigger pool of talented players.