China News

Xu Jianmei(17), badly burned in horrific blaze, underwent a successful facial transplant with a face grown on her chest in southeast China. Doctors used tissue grafted from her leg on her chest. The healing process of burnt wounds would take up several weeks and she would be able to express in more precise way with her new face, said doctors.

Criticizing drone-attacks in Pakistan that killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, China on Monday said that Pakistan should be allowed to formulate its own anti-terrorism strategy according to its 'national conditions''. Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected as per the UN charter on international law and conflict, added Chinese foreign ministry, avoiding any direct references to US.

Workers of a Nokia factory in southern China on Wednesday protested against the sale of the company's mobile phones business to Microsoft, alleging that they were battling to change new contracts offering them worse employment terms. Workers alleged that they had been forced to sign the contracts after the September deal between Microsoft and Nokia.

As per China's Ministry of IT, the number of mobile phone users in the China hit a record 1.22 billion at the end of October, making it the largest base for cellphones. Among them, 67% mobile phone users are connected to the Internet and 34.5% of them are 3G users.

Chinese legislator, Wei Aimin, has asked the government to give college girls the facility of free abortions in public hospitals, to stop them from being cheated by private hospitals in the name of painless abortions. Aimin's call has garnered supporters and critics in equal numbers, with opponents saying it will encourage irresponsible sex among the youth.

Two US B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday in defiance of new Chinese air defence rules, challenging the country's bid to create an expanded 'air defence zone'. China's move to expand its air defence amidst growing territorial dispute with Japan over the islands has displeased the US, Japan and several other countries.

Recent actions by China concerning air space over the East China Sea have worried its neighbors and US Vice-President Joe Biden will raise the issue during a visit to Beijing next week, senior US administration officials said on Wednesday. Biden would seek to de-escalate tensions heightened after China demanded that airplanes flying near contested islands identify themselves to Chinese authorities.

Japanese and South Korean military aircraft flew through disputed air space over the East China Sea without informing China, officials said Thursday, challenging a new Chinese air defence zone that has increased regional tensions and sparked concerns of an unintended clash. The move came after Tokyo's close ally Washington flew two B-52 bombers over the islands Tuesday without informing Beijing.

In the early hours of Monday, China launched its first ever extraterrestrial landing craft named Chang'e-3 lunar probe into orbit leading to the moon. The spacecraft, which also carries the Yutu or Jade Rabbit buggy, is expected to touch down on the moon in mid-December. China had launched its first moon orbiter, the Chang'e-1, in 2007.

Seeking to allay public anger at waste and extravagance exhibited by its officials, Chinese President had ruled punishments for almost 20,000 officials in the last year to cut down on bureaucracy. According to an anti-corruption watchdog, over 5,000 officials were found to have breached rules for the use of official cars, while 903 were guilty of organizing celebratory events extravagantly.

In a delegatory visit to Nepal, a top Chinese official declared on Tuesday that China has decided to substantially increase its assistance to developing countries in South Asian region, particularly to Nepal and Pakistan. He also added that "Nepal has maintained a strong one China policy and no anti-China activities will be allowed from Nepali soil".

Chinese archaeologists on Wednesday excavated a 4,500-year-old city Neolithic Chinese city in eastern Anhui Province. The archaeology team has also unearthed items from the Neolithic Age to the Han Dynasty, which dates back about 2,000 years. The items include deer heads and antlers, tortoise shells and wheat and rice seeds, China's news agency Xinhua reported.

China's Supreme Court on Friday proposed for an Indian-style public litigation system to replace the present practice of government controlled petition disposal system. China's chief justice Zhou Qiang said the new system would open up new avenues for people to freely express their complaints. "The new system will also put a check on government's interference in judicial decisions, Zhou added.

In another transgression by China, troops from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) took three Indian porters and their mules into custody on December 4 in the Chumar area in Eastern Ladakh. The porters were released by the PLA troops on December 11 only after the Indian Army intervened through the hotline and a flag meeting between local commanders was held.

Doctors in China reportedly kept a man's severed hand alive for a month by attaching it to his leg, before restoring it to its usual position. The 25-year-old, nicknamed Xiao Wei, had his right hand sawn off by a drilling machine last month. The damage was too severe to re-attach the hand at its usual position immediately.

China aims to start building at least 6 million units of public housing next year, state media said on Saturday, reinforcing a government effort to supply more low-cost homes. However, the next year's target is lower than 2013's mark. The country began building 6.7 million units of public homes this year and has already completed 80% of them.

Communist leader Mao Zedong's presence lives on in bank notes and monuments in China, with his 120th birthday being celebrated Thursday. Renovation work is going on in sites associated with Mao, revered as the founding hero of the communist state. The relatively understated celebrations mark China's journey through the three decades, since the disbandment of orthodox Marxism following Mao's death.

China's top legislative committee formally approved a loosening of the country's hugely controversial one-child policy on Saturday and abolished re-education through labour camps, state media reported. The altered family planning policy allows couples to have two children, if either parent has no siblings. The reforms are expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2014.

A survey conducted by China's largest dating and marriage website, Jiayuan.com, shows that one out of 20 (5.57%) university students in China have had a same sex relationship. Moreover, the poll also revealed that 10% of respondents did not have any relationship. The survey, which is the first on gay relationship in China, covered 8,894 respondents in 36 cities.