CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE: The photo shows the ruins of Yihe River Bridge in Luanchuan County, Henan Province, which collapsed on July 24. On July 28, the death toll had risen to 44 with 22 still missing (ZHAO PENG)

Lowered Iodine

The Ministry of Health On July 26 publicized a draft revision of the national standard of iodine content in edible salt, in which it stated the highest allowable limit should be cut in half.

The average iodine content would be reduced to between 20-30 mg per kg of edible salt, from the current 20-60 mg, according to the draft.

Iodine intake was "excessive" in five provinces and "above normal" in 16 other provinces, although the national level was "acceptable," the ministry said in a statement explaining the revisions.

Members of the public are invited to make submissions regarding the draft to the ministry via fax or email before September 12.

Earlier in July the ministry said iodized salt was still essential in China as benefits of it still outweighed the negatives, citing the results of a nationwide risk assessment on iodine intake.

Increased Scrutiny

Party and government officials whose spouses and children have emigrated overseas are to be subject to strict examination when applying for private passports and going abroad, according to a new regulation released on July 25.

A provisional regulation by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council specified new rules overseeing the issuing of private passports and travel passes to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to such officials.

According to the new rules, these officials should also submit written accounts on all income and property owned by their spouses and children living overseas, and on any changes in their financial conditions.

In some corruption cases, officials who moved their spouses and children to foreign countries deposited their money into their wives' or children's bank accounts. Even if they were eventually apprehended, the wealth transferred to overseas banks still belonged to the families of officials.

War on Drugs

China solved 39,000 drug crime cases in the first six months of this year, the Ministry of Public Security announced on July 23.

Police arrested 45,000 suspects for drug crimes and dismantled 111 illegal drug-making plants, said Liu Yuejin, head of the anti-drug department of the Ministry of Public Security, at a conference in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

In the first half of the year, police nationwide seized 2.7 tons of heroin, up 17 percent from last year, and 3.6 tons of methamphetamine (also known as "ice"), up 13 percent, Liu said.

Police uncovered 162,000 drug users in the six months, among whom 95,000 were new users, taking the number of registered Chinese drug users to over 1.43 million, Liu said.

According to Liu, during the first half of 2010, a total of 75,000 drug users in China received compulsory drug addiction treatment in rehabilitation centers while 32,000 drug users received drug rehabilitation without having to live in rehabilitation centers.

Wage Hikes

China is expected to approve a wage regulation by the end of this year in a major effort to improve the lives of workers and narrow the income gap.

Yin Chengji, spokesman of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said the regulation was drafted in 2008 and will soon be submitted to the State Council for approval, the China Business News reported on July 28.

In line with the draft regulation, the wage increase in the country will be pegged to CPI, the report said.