Statistical Reform

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on March 8 adjustments to the decade-old method it uses to measure China's production and investment.

Beginning January this year, China had revised the statistical threshold of "large" industrial enterprises to an annual business income above 20 million yuan ($3.04 million), from the previous 5 million yuan ($761,000), when compiling industrial production data, the NBS said in a statement on its website.

Enterprises that are above the new criteria would be surveyed one by one, while under-criteria companies would be calculated by sample surveys, according to the NBS.

For fixed assets investment data, the threshold was raised to 5 million yuan, up from the previous 500,000 yuan ($76,100), while bringing projects in rural areas into the statistical count, the NBS said.

The NBS had used the old statistical method since 1998 when China's GDP was only 7.9748 trillion yuan ($1.21 trillion at current exchange rate), compared with 39.8 trillion yuan ($6.05 trillion) in 2010.

Opened Market

Overseas investors were welcomed to participate in China's programs for the support of senior citizens as demands for such services were set to soar in the rapidly ageing nation, a senior official said.

"Businesses and nongovernmental institutions from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries are encouraged to invest in the projects, which will enjoy preferential policies in the use of land, water and power, and taxation," said Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Dou Yupei at a press conference in Beijing on March 8.

People aged over 60 have accounted for 12.8 percent of China's total population, with their number reaching 170 million. The ratio is set to rise in future.

"There are only 2.3 million beds in nursing homes for the disabled, orphans and seniors at present. The government plans to double that amount by 2015, which means there will be 30 beds for every 1,000 residents," Dou said.

Judicial Justice

Government Chairman Nur Bekri of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said there were no secret or closed-door trials in the region, when attending the full session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, in Beijing on March 5-14.

He said China is a country under the rule of law.

"Any person who breaks Chinese laws shall be [prosecuted and] tried in public while his or her legitimate rights shall be protected," said Nur Bekri.

The Internet access in the region was cut off for 10 months in the wake of the July 5 riot in regional capital, Urumqi, in 2009, which left 197 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.

"The Internet access resumed on May 16 last year against the backdrop of improved social situation and a growing call from Internet users," Nur Bekri said.

Take-off Schedule

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China said on March 5 China's first jumbo jet, the C919, was to take off in 2014 after being rolled off the assemble line between the end of 2013 and the first half of 2014.

The jumbo jet was to be put into service in 2016, said Wu Guanghui, Vice General Manager of the company and the jumbo jet's chief designer.