SUMMER FUN: Tourists raft on the water at the Chaotianhou scenic spot in Xingshan County, central China's Hubei Province, on July 9, during a lingering heat wave (DU HUAJU)

Forest Coverage

The State Forestry Administration said on July 10 that China will spend 212.9 billion yuan ($34.7 billion) by 2020 to fund forestry projects as part of efforts to improve the country's environment.

The money will be used to foster 21.67 million hectares of forestry and increase China's forest coverage rate by 4.1 percent by 2020, the administration said.

China created 6.01 million hectares of forested areas in 2012, and projects aimed at tackling sandstorm problems in Beijing and Tianjin helped foster 537,000 hectares of green land last year, according to China's National Afforestation Committee.

China's forest coverage had totaled 195 million hectares, or 20.36 percent of the country's total area, by the end of 2008.

Gov't Spending

The State Council, China's cabinet, issued a timetable on July 10 for disclosing government spending on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips, as well as information on investigations into major accidents.

According to the State Council's plan, provincial governments should disclose their spending on the three items starting from 2013, and municipal and county governments should disclose such information by 2015.

Moreover, reports on investigations of major accidents should be fully disclosed to the public starting from 2014.

The State Council identified nine categories of information as priorities in promoting government transparency, including information on administrative examinations and approvals; budgeting and government expenses on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips; subsidized housing; food and drug safety; environmental protection; production safety; pricing and charges; land appropriation and demolition; and public welfare institutions and enterprises, particularly the education sector.

Maritime Law

China's maritime authority has beefed up its law enforcement capabilities in order to further protect the country's oceanic rights and interests, according to an official document that was unveiled on July 9.

The document, which was posted on the Chinese Government's website, includes a rule regarding the duties and functions of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA). The SOA was restructured earlier this year along with several other government departments.

The rule, which was recently approved by the State Council, highlights the SOA's expanded duties concerning law enforcement and the protection of maritime rights.

The maritime police command, a department under the SOA, will be tasked with commanding and deploying marine police officers, according to the rule.

The SOA is responsible for conducting law enforcement activities in waters that are under Chinese jurisdiction, the rule says.

Safeguarding maritime boundaries and dealing with criminal activity on the sea are among the SOA's designated duties.

The rule also says the administration is responsible for guarding the safety of key maritime areas and coping with emergencies.