BEIJING -- China will expand a pilot reform to nationwide starting next year, obliging polluters to repair the environment or pay a compensation.The decision was contained in a document issued Sunday by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.By 2020, China aims to establish an efficient comprehensive damage compensation system to protect and improve the country's ecosystem.Under the system, individuals or companies that cause environmental damage shall have to help restore the environment. If the damages are beyond restoration, they must pay for losses, a process that will be managed by local governments as non-tax revenue.The system does not apply to marine ecological and environmental damages, which is governed by the marine environment protection law.The reform has already been piloted in Jilin, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Yunnan, with notable progress made, according to the document.China has launched a series of campaigns to fight pollution and environmental degradation, as authorities rectify practices that boost economic growth at environmental cost.Thousands of officials have been held accountable for environmental damage, following inspections by central authorities.The country has reduced the use of coal by industries and households and taken bold moves to encourage the use of new energy as well as cleaner fuel energy such as natural gas. custom silicone wristbands24 hour wristbands couponmotivational wristbands for athletes
HONG KONG -- Four candidates have won the 2018 Legislative Council (LegCo) by-election of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission said on Monday.Tse Wai-chuen, Cheng Wing-shun and two other candidates were elected to the sixth LegCo.The by-election was held on Sunday from 7:30 am local time (2330 GMT Saturday) to 10:30 pm local time (1430 GMT). The by-election filled four vacancies in membership of the LegCo, including three geographical constituencies vacancies in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon West and New Territories East; and one vacancy for the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency.At the swearing-in ceremony of LegCo in 2016, six members were disqualified by the court for invalid oath taking. The by-election filled four of the six vacancies. The other two vacancies are temporarily left to be filled as the two disqualified members were appealing against the ruling.The LegCo is the legislative body of the HKSAR. Each term of office of the legislative council is four years, except for the first term when it was set to be two years. The term of office of the sixth LegCo began on Oct 1, 2016.
