A new report from the State Council is suggesting the main task in the second half of this year is to improve the quality and efficiency of economic development in this country.

The report is a review of how economic and social development plans are being implemented.

The analysis says the government will maintain a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy. 

Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, has submitted the report to the ongoing bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

China, Vietnam pledge to resolve dispute in South China Sea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in Beijing.

Both sides pledged to resolve their dispute in the South China Sea.

Wang reiterated China's stance, saying the two countries should push ahead with maritime cooperation and work together to control the dispute and turn challenges into opportunities. 

Pham said the Vietnamese side is ready to resolve the dispute and work with China for stability in the area.

 

China, U.S. defense ministers meet ahead of regional meeting

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan has met with his U.S counterpart Chuck Hagel ahead of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-plus.

Both sides have stressed the need for cooperation and dialogue.

Both Chang and Hagel will attend the biennial Defense Ministers' meeting, set to be held on Thursday in Brunei Darussalam.

The ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-plus is attended by defense ministers from the ten ASEAN members, plus China, the United States and a number of other countries.

 

Possible US-led strike on Syria: reactions

UN inspectors have collected evidence on the alleged use of chemical weapon in Syria last week. 

Investigators are expected to conclude their investigation in four days.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is calling on UN Security Council member countries to not go "missing in action" as the Syrian crisis deepens.

At the same time, there have been protests in the UK and US on possible anti US-led strikes on Syria.

 

Japan' nuclear regulator upgrades Fukushima leaking to serious

Japan's nuclear regulator has upgraded its assessment of leaking contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant to a "serious incident".

Some 300-tons of highly-radioactive water leaked from the plant last week. 

The contaminated water has been making its way into the Pacific ocean.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority originally only gave the leak a Level One rating.

However, the situation is now listed as Level Three. 

The 2011 Fukushima disaster itself was listed as a Level Seven on the IAEA's International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

This is the same assessment as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Earlier this week, Japan's industry minister announced the government was taking over cleanup efforts from plant operator TEPCO.

 

Botulism ruled out of Fonterra contamination: New Zealand regulators

New Zealand food safety officials have announced the bacteria found in Fonterra dairy products that sparked an international alert and wide-spread media coverage here in China is not bacterium that can cause botulism. 

The bacteria discovered is incapable of producing the botulism toxins.

The report from regulators in New Zealand says the bacteria in question has no association with food safety.

A batch of products from Fonterra tested at the end of July was originally determined to contain the bacteria which can create botulism.

However, futher tests have determined the original assessment by food safety regulators turned out to be incorrect.

Fonterra products have come under heavy scrutiny here in China, and sparked wide-spread media coverage about the safety of food products from overseas.

 

China Chang'e 3 Lunar Exploration Mission- China to launch Chang'e 3 lunar exploration by end of 2013

Chang'e 3, China's lunar exploration program which incorporates a robotic lander and a rover, is scheduled to launch by the end of this year at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

Wu Weiren, general designer of the Chang'e 3 mission says it took six years to develop the mission,

Wu adds the detector system has completed the final assembly and all kinds of large-scale tests.

Final assembly and first testing of the rocket system is also complete.

Other systems are already able to perform the task.

Chang'e 3, which is named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, is a follow-up to the Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 lunar orbiters of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.

Individual Taiwan tourism for seven more cities

Residents in seven cities in the Chinese mainland have been given official permission to apply to travel to Taiwan as individuals under a cross-Strait agreement.

It brings the total such mainland cities to 26.

Newly added cities include Shi/jia/zhuang, Changchun, Hefei, Changsha, Nanning, Kunming and Quanzhou. 

The cities have a total registered population of 200-million.

The ban on traveling to the island was lifted by Taiwan authorities in July 2008.