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Beijing 'vigilant' over Japanese jet fighters
China is "highly vigilant" about Japanese jet fighter flights over islands claimed by both countries and Japan must bear responsibility for any consequences, military and maritime officials said yesterday. The officials were responding to Japan sending jet fighters several times in the past two weeks to intercept Chinese patrol planes approaching airspace above the Diaoyu Islands. "We will decisively fulfil our tasks and missions while co-ordinating with relevant departments ... so as to safeguard China's maritime law enforcement activities," said Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun . Reuters
Promotions for PLA air force generals
Major General Sun Herong, the deputy air force commander of the PLA's Nanjing military command, and Major General Yu Zhongfu , the deputy director of its air force's political department, have been promoted respectively to the positions of commander and political commissar of the air force in the military region, according to the Jinan city government's website. Choi Chi-yuk
Mao's 1947 democracy remarks valid, says Xi
Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping cited Mao Zedong's remarks on democracy while visiting non-communist political parties this week, Xinhua reported. Xi was quoted as saying by Chen Changzhi , chairman of the China National Democratic Construction Association, that a 1947 remark by Mao was valid to the Communist Party today. Mao said the party had found democracy as the "new way" to break away from the rise and fall of past dynasties. Staff Reporter
Maiden test flight tipped for drone
The prototype of a domestic unmanned aerial vehicle would make its maiden test flight soon, the Science and Technology Daily reported. Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun sidestepped questions about the drone and the test flight, saying he had not read the newspaper report but that it was no surprise for the PLA to test new weapons. Choi Chi-yuk
Hunan party chief lashes local officials
Hunan Communist Party secretary Zhou Qiang accused several local party officials of promising local enterprises favours in return for money while doing little for economic development, the Economic Daily reported yesterday. At the Hunan party committee's economic work conference on Tuesday, he said: "Before, some officials only handled affairs after gaining something. Now they even gain and do nothing." He Huifeng
Organ donation project set to be extended
A reliance on organ transplants from executed criminals would end within two years, with a successful voluntary organ donation pilot project to be extended nationwide from next year, the Nanfang Daily quoted Deputy Health Minister Huang Jiefu as saying. He Huifeng
White paper highlights health improvements
The mainland's first white paper on health said life expectancy reached 74.8 years two years ago and the maternal mortality rate dropped by almost half from 51.3 in 2002 to 26.1 per 100,000 last year. Zhuang Pinghui


Tokyo releases captain of Chinese fishing boat found in Japanese EEZ

Beijing and Tokyo in new maritime stand-off after Japan seizes Chinese boat, holds captain

Why more Japanese than ever support strengthening the Self-Defence Forces

Beijing hits back at ‘extremely hypocritical’ critics of PLA drills around Taiwan

Diaoyu Islands

Briefs, December 28, 2012

The Diaoyu Islands, called the Senkakus in Japan. Photo: AFP

News

China

China is "highly vigilant" about Japanese jet fighter flights over islands claimed by both countries and Japan must bear responsibility for any consequences, military and maritime officials said yesterday. The officials were responding to Japan sending jet fighters several times in the past two weeks to intercept Chinese patrol planes approaching airspace above the Diaoyu Islands. "We will decisively fulfil our tasks and missions while co-ordinating with relevant departments ... so as to safeguard China's maritime law enforcement activities," said Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun.


Xi Jinping