Admin changes star ratings to chlean up hotel industry

The National Tourism Administration declared Monday that the country will begin closing down hotels that fail to meet a minimum star rating.

Income report makes neo-bourgeoisie of the homeless

A recent report says Beijing’s “middle class” has grown to include 5.4 million people, or 40 percent of its population. The national average remains 23 percent.

Internet map providers must be licensed by year end

The first batch of 23 Internet map service licenses has been granted to providers, including Baidu, Sogou, Sina and Nokia.

Community service for jail swap still exploitable, experts say

A pilot program that swaps community service for jail time in Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang province could be setting the trend for China’s judicial reform.

Billionaire uses BMWs, boats and helicopters to catch crook

Liu Boquan, a billionaire in Dongguan, Guangdong province, was driving his son and private helicopter pilot to dinner at around 6 pm, July 15, when he saw two people on a motorcycle rob a woman.

Current laws don’t protect outdoor workers from summer heat

The heat that baked the nation last week brought renewed focus to labor safety standards, especially those that apply to outdoor labor.

Government splurges on NGO social projects

The municipal government announced it intends to spend 100 million yuan on 300 social service projects run by local non-government organizations.

City kindergartens to offer English within five years

The municipal government intends to push forward its English education to the kindergarten level within the next five years, according to a draft on the promotion of foreign languages released by the local government last weekend.

Urbanization to end by 2016, report says

A report by the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), a central government think tank, warned that urbanization is expected to slow down by 2013 as the cost of city living rockets, making economic growth unsustainable.

Gov endorses gated-style management of city villages

The walled-off management system employed by villages in Daxing District may be replicated across the capital after a shining endorsement by the local government.