Regulation on blogs

THE government will draft new regulations to exert tighter controls over the growing number of blogs and webcasts, Long Xinmin, director of the Press and Publication Administration and also a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), said Monday.

“Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government’s ability to supervise the Internet,” said Long.

Long said the government was in the middle of drafting new regulations over Internet publishing, and blogs and Web sites that publish webcasts would fall under these regulations.

Property tax

THE government is considering levying a property tax as a way to control the skyrocketing house prices, according to a buget report to the NPC on Monday.

It has long been under discussion that house owners and tenants should pay an annual tax, which fluctuates with house prices.

Draft property law

LAWMAKERS decided Monday to submit the revised draft property law for final approval at the parliament’s full session, saying that the draft has been “well-considered” after more than 60 revisions.

The draft property law, which grants equal protection to State and private property, has been deliberated by nearly 3,000 lawmakers since the NPC annual session began a week ago.

No shark fin

GOVERNMENT officials should take shark fin off their reception menus before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to help present foreign visitors with a favorable national image, Xu Zhihong, a deputy to the NPC, said yesterday.

“Serving shark fin to foreign guests during the Olympic Games could greatly hurt China’s national image, and officials should start to remove the dish from the dining table right now,” said Xu, also president of Beijing University.

Regulation on blogs

THE government will draft new regulations to exert tighter controls over the growing number of blogs and webcasts, Long Xinmin, director of the Press and Publication Administration and also a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), said Monday.

“Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government’s ability to supervise the Internet,” said Long.

Long said the government was in the middle of drafting new regulations over Internet publishing, and blogs and Web sites that publish webcasts would fall under these regulations.

Property tax

THE government is considering levying a property tax as a way to control the skyrocketing house prices, according to a buget report to the NPC on Monday.

It has long been under discussion that house owners and tenants should pay an annual tax, which fluctuates with house prices.

Draft property law

LAWMAKERS decided Monday to submit the revised draft property law for final approval at the parliament’s full session, saying that the draft has been “well-considered” after more than 60 revisions.

The draft property law, which grants equal protection to State and private property, has been deliberated by nearly 3,000 lawmakers since the NPC annual session began a week ago.

No shark fin

GOVERNMENT officials should take shark fin off their reception menus before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to help present foreign visitors with a favorable national image, Xu Zhihong, a deputy to the NPC, said yesterday.

“Serving shark fin to foreign guests during the Olympic Games could greatly hurt China’s national image, and officials should start to remove the dish from the dining table right now,” said Xu, also president of Beijing University.