COMPREHENSIVE PATROL: China's first fishery patrol vessel equipped with helicopters begins its maiden voyage from the southern city of Guangzhou to patrol in the East China Sea on November 16 (LIANG GANGHUA)

Curbing Kickbacks

China's Ministry of Health will intensify its crackdown on bribery in hospitals, according to a report in the People's Daily on November 17.

Bribery in hospitals has increased in some areas of China, seriously undermining people's interests and the image of medical professionals, according to the report.

The ministry will work to stop doctors from receiving kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies while strictly prohibiting hospital staff from illegally collecting information about prescriptions for commercial purposes, the report quoting an unnamed official said.

Some pharmaceutical companies pay kickbacks and bribes to doctors and hospital staff to boost the sales of their drugs.

Some medical equipment-makers have also been involved in similar schemes.

Those found to have accepted bribes will be punished according to the relevant laws and rules, the official said.

Best Supercomputer

A Chinese supercomputer was ranked as the world's fastest machine in the TOP500 list officially issued by U.S. and European researchers on November 16, highlighting China's rapid progress in the field.

The Tianhe-1A system at the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, is capable of sustaining computation at 2.57 petaflop per second, which equates to a mind-numbing 2.57 quadrillions of calculations per second.

As a result, the former number one system, the U.S. Department of Energy's Jaguar in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which achieved 1.75 petaflop per second, is now ranked in second place, according to the 36th edition of the TOP500 list.

Freer Flight

China will open part of its low-altitude airspace for aviation in an orderly manner to promote the country's general aviation sector, including for private planes, a report in November 15's People's Liberation Army Daily said.

According to a circular jointly issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, the country's low-altitude airspace will be divided into three sections: areas under control, areas under surveillance and areas where aircraft can fly freely after reporting their flight plan in advance.

Previous regulations put low-altitude airspace throughout China under control, which meant private planes had to apply for permission in advance for every flight and then wait for approval, which often took a long time.

According to the circular, the open airspace reform will be trialed in some areas by 2011.

They will then be expanded to other parts of the country.

Recognized Heritage

Peking Opera and acupuncture are among the traditional celebrations, healing techniques and culinary arts newly added to the UN Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to the Paris-based UNESCO.

After an committee finished examination of 47 nominations, the list was expanded to 213 traditional elements.

Armenian cross-stone art, Colombian Marimba music and French gastronomic meal are also among the members newly recognized by the UNESCO committee.

As for the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the reviewing meeting in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, also added four new elements, bringing the total number to 16.

The protection-in-need list enrolled three intangible cultural styles in China. They are Meshrep, a performance art practiced by Uygur people in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the watertight-bulkhead technology of Chinese junks, as well as printing with wooden movable type.