The Seventh Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing on October 9.

The session discusses a draft report to be submitted to the upcoming 17th Party Congress by the 16th CPC Central Committee, a draft amendment to the CPC Constitution, and a draft work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to be submitted to the congress, according to an earlier meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The CPC is expected to hold its 17th National Congress this month.

The draft report to the 17th Party Congress and the draft amendment to the CPC Constitution have solicited opinion within certain groups of people. Delegates of various departments and regions to the 16th Party Congress and newly-elected delegates to the 17th Party Congress have put forward opinions and suggestions.

Hong Kong's Five-year Blueprint

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced a series of plans for the city in the coming five years in his annual televised policy address entitled "A New Direction for Hong Kong."

Tsang vowed on October 10 to push ahead with 10 large-scale infrastructure projects covering transportation, cross-boundary integration and new urban development areas, which would bring about HK$100 billion annually of added value to Hong Kong's economy.

He also said HKSAR will expand nine-year free education to 12 years starting from the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. He announced his government would relax restrictions on age limits and other prerequisites of the city's migrant scheme to attract more talents to settle in Hong Kong.

Tourism of Satellite Launch

The presale of tickets to witness the launch of China's first lunar probe satellite started on October 11, allowing Chinese citizens who pay 800 yuan ($1=7.5143 yuan) to see the spectacular view from observation platforms at the launch zone, 2.5-4 km away from the launch site.

Though the launch date has not been announced, Sun Laiyan, Administrator of the China National Space Administration, said that preparation work was going well and the launch would take place before the end of this year.

The satellite project was approved by the Chinese Government in 2004 as part of the three-stage "Chang'e Program," named after the legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon. It aims to place an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010.

Non-sex Campaign

About 2,000 advertisements deemed sexually suggestive have been dropped from television and radio broadcasts across China over the past two weeks, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) said on October 10.

The SARFT issued a circular on September 25 banning radio and TV commercials and programs involving drugs, sex-related health supplements, drugs for sexually transmitted diseases, sex toys, as well as "vulgar" ads for breast enhancement and female underwear, in its latest move to clean up radio and television.

"Radio and TV stations across the country have examined their broadcasting lists and the month-long efforts have taken effect," the SARFT said in a press release.

Extra Supervision of Coastal Projects

China's environment watchdogs have amended a 17-year-old marine environmental protection regulation to require environmental impact assessments for coastal construction projects.

The amendment, which will take effect on January 1, 2008, requires reports on the impact on the marine environment of all projects, including building, rebuilding and expansions, near the coast before they are approved by environmental protection departments.

Project managers will face prosecution under the Marine Environmental Protection Law if they refuse or prevent spot inspections by environmental protection departments, fail to obtain approved environmental evaluation reports, or put the projects into use without environmental protection facilities, according to the regulation.