XI'S SPEECHES CHRONICLED: A book containing Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks on governance makes its debut on October 8 at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany.Cai Mingzhao (left), Minister of the Information Office of China's State Council, Gerhard Schroeder (center), former German Chancellor, and Shi Mingde, Chinese Ambassador to Germany, attended the launch ceremony. The book, containing 18 chapters by Xi from November 15, 2012 to June 13, 2014, is available in a multitude of languages including Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Japanese (CNSPHOTO)

Most Polluted Province

Hebei, north China's worst-polluted province, set a string of ecological restoration goals for rivers, lakes, mines, forests and groundwater.

The province, which surrounds Beijing and Tianjin, will plant 530,000 hectares of forest by 2017 and raise forest coverage from 28 percent in 2013 to 32 percent, according to a recently unveiled plan.

By 2017, no rivers or tributaries should have water quality below Grade V, said the document. China grades water quality according to six levels: grades I to V and "inferior to Grade V." Water below Grade III is unsafe to drink.

Hebei will address 664 open-pit mines close to railways, highways or towns within two years. In 2014, 10 illegal mines, 46 licensed mines and 32 mining firms are to be shut down. Another 251 mines that have failed to meet environmental protection requirements will halt production for restoration. By 2015, ecological restoration will be completed for 325 more mines.

Total investment in the projects will be more than 60 billion yuan ($9.7 billion).

Hebei is under heavy pressure to cut emissions and treat pollution. It had seven of the 10 most polluted cities in China as of the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Better Urban Living

The Central Government hopes to offer more quality jobs to migrant workers to help ease them into urban living.

To do so, the State Council plans to provide professional training to 20 million surplus rural labor workers per year until 2020. The goal is to boost work conditions, ensure pay schedules and make sure they are covered by social security, a policy guideline published by the State Council stated on September 30.

Official data showed that, at the end of June, China had 174 million migrant workers, defined as those who come from rural areas and work low-skilled jobs not requiring profession qualification somewhere in a city.

According to the guideline, migrant workers will enjoy the same treatment as urban residents in terms of social security.

By 2020, migrant workers and families will also enjoy equal access to basic public services in cities, including education, community hospitals and public housing.

Military Info Security

China's central military authority has issued guidelines to enhance management of military information and crack down on illegal online activities involving military affairs, a military newspaper said on October 8.

The circular was issued by the Central Military Commission (CMC) to strengthen military information security of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police, according to the PLA Daily.

Efforts should be made to promote domestically developed information infrastructure, including Chinese-produced software, to innovate and improve information security defense, and to offer personnel support for information management, the circular said.

Comprehensive management and control measures should be carried out to ensure security of important personnel, core data and key devices, the guidelines said.

Calling increased information security "a bottom-line project" for improving combat readiness, the document said pragmatic measures should be adopted to solve conflicts and other pressing issues.