Members of China's top political advisory body have urged the government to unveil detailed implementation measures as soon as possible, following the launch of a series of policies to further expand economic and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.On Feb 28, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council issued a document composed of 31 measures to promote cross-Straits economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. According to the latest policies, Taiwan people will be granted equal treatment with residents of the Chinese mainland gradually with regard to entrepreneurship, employment, education and living.Following the issuance of the measures, many young people have called us from Taiwan, asking how they can take qualification exams for permission to practice certain professions such as medicine in the mainland. We told them to wait for the release of detailed implementation plans, said Yang Yizhou, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, on the sidelines of this year's session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.Nowadays, Taiwan youth have become major participants of cross-Straits exchanges and an important force to influence the development of cross-Straits relations, said Xiao Qingwei, vice-president of Minnan Normal University in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, at a forum on youth innovation and entrepreneurship in Beijing last year.By the end of 2016, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council had approved the establishment of 53 cross-Straits youth entrepreneurship bases and demonstration sites. In Fujian province alone, such bases have attracted more than 2,000 young people from Taiwan to start their own business in the mainland, said Yang, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.Some policies concerning cross-Straits youth entrepreneurship should be adjusted to better serve the needs of the Taiwan people. We hope to improve these youth entrepreneurship bases and to help them attract more Taiwan youth to the mainland for entrepreneurship and employment, Yang said.The central government has created many favorable conditions in this regard, said Zhang Jiaji, a member of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League and a member of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.Zhang stressed that how to carry out the central government's decision to grant Taiwan people equal treatment with residents of the Chinese mainland is the most crucial part of the recently introduced policies.These 31 measures have shown the consistency and steadiness of the central government's policy on Taiwan. Although Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen has refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, the central government is still sticking to its Taiwan policy and keeps on delivering goodwill to Taiwan people while cross-Straits relations are at a low ebb. It shows that central authorities have a big heart, he said.Further studies must be conducted to make these 31 measures easy to understand and easy to implement. The relevant government authorities should also supervise the implementation of the new policies, identify problems and make timely adjustments, he said. personalised silicone wristbandscustom fidgetfabric wristbands ebaycheap custom wristbandsmake your own rubber braceletmotivational bracelets for athleteslivestrong bracelet
Shark fins are on display inside a dried seafood store in Hong Kong on Jan 2, 2013. [Photo/Agencies] HONG KONG - Hong Kong's imports of shark fin dropped over 50 percent in the past 10 years, which is due to the decline of consumption amount and shipping companies' ban on shark fin carriage policy, World Wide Fund (WWF) Hong Kong said on Thursday. The volume of shark fin imported into Hong Kong has dropped from 10,210 tons in 2007 to 4,979 tons in 2017, down over 50 percent, said WWF Hong Kong, quoting the latest figures from the Census and Statistics Department of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government. Tracy Tsang, WWF Hong Kong's senior program officer for oceans sustainability, said the actions of WWF and other green groups to reduce shark fin consumption and introduce airline and shipping bans have had a real impact. We are now working towards making Hong Kong a shark fin free zone in the next decade or less, Tsang added. Since 2007, WWF Hong Kong has launched a string of shark conservation actions, which includes engaging corporations to make a no shark fin pledge and not to promote trade or consume shark fin; publishing No Shark Fin Carriage Policy - Implementation Guidelines; and promoting alternative shark-free menu. WWF Hong Kong has focused its work on the global shipping companies since 2015, and the latest figures indicate that the campaign may be helping shipping companies to implement their no shark fin carriage policies. WWF Hong Kong urges the remaining shipping companies to establish no shark fin carriage policies, and corporations and the public to say no to shark fin.
