FLOW OUT: Floodwater is discharged from the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, near Yichang City, Hubei Province, on July 22. Water flow into the reservoir of the dam reached 49,000 cubic meters per second on the previous day (ZHENG JIAYU)

Gov't Property Ban

China's central authorities on July 23 introduced a ban on the construction of new government buildings.

The General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a directive that calls for an across-the-board halt to the construction of any new government buildings in the coming five years.

The ban also prohibits governments from building expensive structures designated as training centers or hotels.

According to the directive, the construction, purchase, restoration or expansion of office compounds done under the guise of building repair or urban planning is strictly forbidden.

It also bans CPC and government organizations from receiving any form of construction sponsorship or donations, as well as collaborating with enterprises, in developing construction projects.

While allowing restoration projects for office buildings with dated facilities, the directive stresses that such projects must be exclusively aimed at erasing safety risks and restoring office functions.

The directive stipulates that expenditures on office building restoration should be included in CPC and government budgets.

Islands Survey

China will carry out a survey of its territorial islands, the State Oceanic Administration announced on July 23.

It will be the country's second integrated survey of island resources.

The survey aims to cover China's territorial islands, which number around 10,000, in five years, according to the administration.

Data on the distribution, quantity and quality of the islands' resources and the development potential of such resources, as well as the islands' major environmental and ecological conditions will be collected.

The upcoming survey is also being carried out to formulate a strategic blueprint for maritime development and social construction on the islands in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

New Visa Rules

The Chinese Government promulgated a new exit-and-entry regulation on July 22 that is intended to standardize the issuance of visas for foreigners, as well as related services and management.

The 39-article regulation will take effect on September 1, replacing the previous regulation promulgated in December 1986.

Based on one's purpose of entry, the regulation categorizes ordinary visas into 12 types, with the new R-visa to be issued to high-level foreign professionals.

Another new visa type, the Q-visa, is introduced for foreigners who come to China to visit relatives.

According to the regulation, financial, educational, medical and telecommunications institutions, when necessary, can verify foreigners' identities with the exit-entry management agencies of local public security organs.

The regulation is also designed to address illegal entry, residence and employment in line with the exit-entry law.

Elder Care Lottery

The Chinese Government will allocate 1 billion yuan ($163 million) this year from a special fund raised from lottery sales to improve elderly-care services in rural areas.

The money will be used in 33,300 under-construction and existing nursing homes and other senior-care facilities in the countryside to provide meals and recreational services for elderly people, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on July 24.

Each project will receive 30,000 yuan ($4,884) in allowances to construct, renovate or equip facilities, the statement said.

It added that the program should expand the proportion of rural elderly people who have access to senior-care services by 10 percent.