China issues coal mine production safety regulation 

During a safety inspection, police officers explain relevant regulations to employees at a coal mine in Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 9, 2023.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a decree of the State Council, unveiling a new regulation on coal mine production safety.

The new regulation, which will take effect on May 1, 2024, aims to improve production safety at the nation's coal mines, prevent and reduce safety-related accidents, and enhance protection of people's lives and property. 

By placing top priority on production safety, the regulation stresses sound management and strict overhaul of various risks and hidden dangers. It orders coal mine operators to conduct self-checks on risks and make rectifications accordingly.

The regulation specifies that coal mine businesses must fulfill their main responsibilities, and that local Party and government officials are obligated to carry out strict supervision of production safety.

The regulation also stipulates various penalties for violations, spanning fines, ban from the profession, suspension of production, and business closures.

China's No. 1 central document for 2024 charts roadmap for rural revitalization

Villagers harvest citrus fruit at a citrus planting base in Shipen Village, Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Feb. 27, 2024.

China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2024 on February 3, outlining the priorities for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization this year.

The document encompasses six parts, including ensuring national food security, forestalling any large-scale relapse into poverty, improving rural industries' development, strengthening rural construction, enhancing rural governance, and strengthening the leadership of the Communist Party of China on work regarding agriculture, rural areas and farmers. 

As the first policy statement released by China's central authorities each year, the document is seen as an indicator of policy priorities.

To promote Chinese modernization, it is essential to consolidate the foundations of agriculture continuously and push forward rural revitalization comprehensively, the document said.

It also highlighted the need to study and apply the Green Rural Revival Program's development philosophy, working methods and advancement mechanisms.

On China's new journey in the new era, the focus should be on promoting rural revitalization across the board while carrying forward work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, the document said. 

A people-centered development philosophy should be upheld to deliver tangible benefits to the people and to make substantial progress, it said.

It also stressed the importance of holding the bottom line of safeguarding national food security and avoiding a large-scale return to poverty.

Priority should be given to enhancing rural industrial development, rural construction and rural governance, the document noted.

Efforts need to be made to strengthen the role of reform and sci-tech development in promoting rural revitalization and to facilitate various means by which rural residents can increase their incomes, the document said.