Universal Insurance

All unemployed urban residents in China will have access to medical insurance this year as the country plans to expand coverage of an insurance scheme to all cities and towns, according to Li Zhong, Vice Director of the Health Insurance Department under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. He said on February 21 that the program, which has benefited residents in more than 300 cities as of 2008, is expected to be expanded to include all cities and towns this year.

CROSS-STRAITS REMITTANCE A Taiwanese man mails money back home from a post office in Xiamen City, Fujian Province. On February 26, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started full two-way postal remittance services for the first time in 60 years (XINHUA)

The program, introduced in 2007, aims to bring urban children, students and jobless adults under the umbrella of medical insurance.

Tap Water Pollution

A water plant that was closed for three days because of contamination by the disinfectant phenol resumed operations at 2 a.m. February 23, according to local authorities in east China's Jiangsu Province.

Yancheng City's West City Water Plant halted water supplies on the morning of February 20 after authorities found the water to be contaminated. At least 200,000 residents were deprived of tap water, said a spokesman for the Yancheng City Government.

The Yancheng China Water Co., which manages the plant, said it would supply free water for up to a month to compensate customers for the disruption.

Local authorities said phenol was illegally discharged from Biaoxin Chemical Co. into the Xinyanggang River, which supplies the plant's water. Police have detained the chemical company's legal representative and the manager.

Alarming Drugs

China's drug enforcement authorities saw an increase in drug-related crimes last year, with about 73,000 people arrested in more than 62,000 cases.

Their narcotics seizures included 4.3 tons of heroin, 5.5 tons of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," and 5 tons of ketamine, the National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) said in a statement on February 24.

Law enforcement officers around the country cracked 1,565 drug-dealing rings and 244 illegal drug factories last year, the NNCC said, while the numbers of drug-dealing gangs increased by 26.5 percent and the number of production plants was up 86.2 percent.

Expo Tickets Available

Tickets for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai will go on sale to groups on March 27 and to the public on July 1.

Tickets will cost 160 yuan ($23.5). Foreigners will be able to buy tickets from overseas outlets authorized by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

Peak day admission tickets will cost 200 yuan ($29.4) and will cover 17 days including Chinese Labor Day holiday, National Day holiday, and the last week before closing (October 25-31).

Tickets will be discounted up to 30 yuan ($4.4) for those who buy before the Expo opens on May 1, 2010.

Christie's Sanctioned

In response to Christie's auction of two bronze sculptures taken from China's Winter Palace in 1860, which was held despite China's protests, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) on February 26 imposed limits on items the auction house may take in or out of China.

Cultural heritage departments at all levels were ordered in a circular to carefully check "heritage items" that Christie's seeks to import or export.

Certificates of legal ownership, with detailed information about the owners and the provenance (ownership history), must be provided for all items, the circular said.

Officials were told to immediately report to the SACH, local police and customs offices relics owned by Christie's that might have been looted or smuggled, said the circular.