EMERGENCY EXCAVATION: Armed policemen relocate an old man who was trapped in Yicheng Township, Zhangshu, Jiangxi Province on May 22. Statistics show floods since early May in south China had affected 23.7 million people as of May 24 (LI DIANSHENG)

Calling for Creativity

Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for the creation of a more competitive and innovative workforce in the country, with the focus to be on training more top-notch specialists.

At a national conference on human resources in Beijing held from May 25 to 26, Hu said human resources were essential to the development of the Party and the state. He also said the quality of China's workforce was still poor compared to that of developed countries.

China aims to enhance the strength of its workforce, and place at high priority the fostering of high-caliber professionals, Hu said in a statement released after the meeting.

He said China will work to have a large, high-quality workforce, and to be a strong world power in terms of human resources by 2020.

Moral Authority

Police in Beijing launched a crackdown on drugs, gambling and prostitution on May 24 to clean up the city and advocate a healthy lifestyle.

"During the drive, we will crack down hard on the organized crime behind all those social evils," said He Angang, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Local police have detained 111 suspects and sealed off 33 entertainment venues in connection with prostitution rings and activities since April 11 when a special campaign started.

Police have decided to expand the campaign to crimes related to drugs and gambling because the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking approaches on June 26 and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa opens on June 11, the spokesman said.

Care for Children

On May 25, the organizing committee of the National Community Care Campaign under the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) launched a program addressing the special needs of children from migrant worker families for 2010. These children are either left behind to live with relatives in rural areas or live a relatively mobile life with their parents in cities.

The program, first initiated last year, consists of building leisure amenities for children, training their teachers, delivering pamphlets to parents and conducting studies on their living conditions. The Unilever-sponsored program has covered the 10 provinces and autonomous regions, where most of China's migrant workers are from.

According to statistics from ACWF, in China there are 40 million children younger than 14-years-old who have been left behind in rural areas.

Honda Strike

The assembly plants of Japan's second largest automaker Honda in China have been forced to halt production, as workers of a parts supplier went on strike demanding higher salaries.

Hundreds of workers rallied at the compound of the Nanhai Honda Auto Parts Manufacturing Co. on May 27 in Foshan, Guangdong Province, asking for an increase of up to 1,000 yuan ($147) a month.

The strike started on May 17. As of May 27, more than 1,000 people had taken part in.

Due to the strike, three Honda plants including the Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co. in Wuhan, Hubei Province, have suspended production as supplies of gear-boxes came to a halt.