APPEAL REJECTED: Bo Xilai, former Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, hears the verdict during his second trial for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power at the Shandong Higher People's Court in Jinan, Shandong Province, on October 25. The latter rejected his appeal and affirmed the original sentence of life imprisonment (XIE HUANCHI)

Message of Change

Comprehensive reforms will be planned during the upcoming Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in November, according to a statement by Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 23.

Xi, also General Secretary of the Party's Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with overseas members of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing.

"We must properly balance reform, development and stability. With greater political courage and wisdom, we can further unleash and develop social productivity and enhance the creative forces of society," Xi said.

The president added that it is China's basic national policy to invigorate the country through science and technology.

Tibet White Paper

The Chinese Government issued a white paper on Tibet Autonomous Region on October 22. The paper, titled Development and Progress of Tibet, gives a detailed account of the region's advances over the past 60 years.

According to the white paper, 96 percent of Tibet's local government spending comes from financial assistance from central authorities.

In 2012, the per-capita net income of local farmers and herdsmen was around 6,000 yuan ($1,000), and 88 percent of the same group lives in government-subsidized housing. Cultural preservation has also been fruitful, with the study and use of Tibetan language and script protected by law.

More than 90 percent of students in local primary and middle schools receive bilingual education, with Tibetan as the principal language.

Traditional religious activities such as studying scriptures and debate, initiation into monk- or nun-hood, abhisheka (empowerment ceremony) and self-cultivation are held in Tibet on a regular basis, the white paper stated.

So far, more than 40 incarnated living Buddhas have been confirmed in the region through traditional religious rituals and historical conventions.

Anti-Pollution Plan

Beijing will ban half of all private vehicles and 80 percent of civil servants' work transports from the city's roads if an air-quality red alert is issued, the capital's Information Office said on October 22.

Private vehicles will be barred from using the roads, based on odd and even license plate numbers, when pollution is predicted to linger in the city for more than three days.

Public transport, including buses and subway trains, will extend their service by 30 minutes and increase the number of backup vehicles and trains on days of persistent pollution in order to meet increased demand.

The emergency plan, based on the experiences of foreign countries, has a warning system comprising blue, yellow, orange and red alerts. Red alert will take effect when the air-quality index is forecasted to be above 300 for three consecutive days, the office said.

Classes at kindergarten through to middle school will be suspended when air quality is particularly low to protect students' health, with 24-hours notice given before emergency measures are put in place.