China has successfully tested a homemade laser defense system for targeting small-scale drones flying at low altitude.

The machine is able to shoot down various small aircraft within a 2-km radius and can do so within 5 seconds of locating its target, said a statement released on November 2 by the China Academy of Engineering Physics, one of the system's co-developers.

Characterized by its speed, precision and low noise, the system is designed to destroy unmanned, small-scale drones flying within an altitude of 500 meters and at a speed below 50 meters per second, it said.

The new laser system, which will either be installed or transported in vehicles, is expected to play a key role in ensuring security during major events in urban areas, the statement said, adding that a recent test saw the machine successfully shoot down more than 30 drones—a 100-percent success rate.

Political Ability

The "political ability" of rural Chinese people is at a medium level and more than half believe going to court is too much trouble, according to a Chinese university research report on October 30.

The report surveyed more than 4,000 residents in 242 villages nationwide from 2013 to 2014.

The overall political ability index of non-urbanites in China was calculated at 0.59, medium level (between 0.4 and 0.6), according to the report by the center for Chinese rural studies at the Central China Normal University.

Anywhere between 0.6 and 0.8 is considered high and 0.8-1.0 is very high. The index uses 36 categories, both objective and subjective, covering political knowledge, awareness, attitude and participation.

Rural people with high income and good education care more about political events and are more likely to join in public affairs.

Railway for Tibet

China has approved construction of a railway linking Lhasa, capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region to Nyingchi in its east, local authorities said on October 31.

According to the plan approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Lhasa-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway runs 402 km from Nyingchi to Xierong, a stop on the Lhasa-Xigaze line.

The 32-km section from Xierong to Lhasa will be electrified.

The new Tibet line was one of the three rail lines approved by the NDRC, the country's top economic planning body. The other two are from Ordos in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to Ji'an in the eastern Jiangxi Province, and from Datong in the northern Shanxi Province to Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei Province. The total investment of the three is 250 billion yuan ($40 billion).

The Tibet project will cost 36.6 billion yuan ($5.95 billion) and take seven years to complete. The state-owned China Railway Corporation will build and operate the line.