The restructuring of China's top environmental authority will empower it to help the country better fulfill its obligation in reducing ozone depleting substances, said a senior official with the China office of the United Nations Development Programme.Devanand Ramiah, deputy country director of UNDP China, told China Daily he was encouraged by China's work in ODS reduction since the country joined the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1991.Ramiah's comments come as the world celebrated the 24th International Ozone Layer Protection Day on Sunday."After the Montreal protocol, the Chinese government has taken this very seriously in terms of putting forth all of its efforts and summoning all of its political will to address this issue."It's not easy because of the scale in China, but I think China is doing extremely well," he said, adding that the country has phased out both CFC and bromomethane at least two years ahead of the time frame required under the protocol, and it is moving ahead with clear targets in weeding out HCFCs. All three of these chemical compounds are ODS.China, as the largest producer and exporter of ODS, faces a series of challenges in phasing out the substances, he said.The scale of companies related to ODS differs and it's a challenge to come up with a strategy to address the issue. There can be difficulties in monitoring small enterprises, he said, adding the diverse and scattered nature of these firms can make their oversight difficult.He also said it's challenging for China and also the rest of the world to find lower cost alternatives to ODS, citing the example of CFC-11.CFC-11 foam was widely used as insulation before it was banned in 2010. It's much cheaper than many other substances that could replace it.Despite the challenges, Ramiah said he is "very optimistic" that China will earnestly fulfill its obligations after strengthening its top environmental authority."As you know, the biggest push by the Chinese government is to balance development with environmental protections, and it's taking the environmental aspect of development very seriously."The newly strengthened Ministry of Ecology and Environment shows the push from Chinese government at the highest level, he said.The reshuffle will help ODS management because the National Management Office of ODS Import & Export will become an independent office."That again shows a state of seriousness in terms of enforcement capacity," he said.In the latest institutional restructuring initiated by the State Council in March, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment was established to assume duties from seven government bodies, including the duty of responding to climate change."We have a very robust program and we are delivering with our partners. Institutional strengthening requires a lot of coordination between different entities and the institutions need to be strong. All in all I think it's going well," he said.Many countries have been following China's lead in introducing new ODS control plans.With the support of the UNDP, there have been countries coming to China, including Malaysia, India and Indonesia, to learn from both the Chinese government and the private sector, he said."China's challenge is so vast but China's action has also been vast," he said. colored rubber bands for braceletsrubber braceletsclear silicone wristbandssilicone wristbands winnipegsilicone wristbands
[Photo/VCG] Mainland courts are pledging to improve cross-Straits judicial exchanges, ensure equal protection for Taiwan litigants and offer them better legal services in hearings of Taiwan-related cases. The Supreme People's Court issued a 36-point guideline on Tuesday in which it highlighted the significance of guaranteeing Taiwan litigants' rights, and ordered all mainland courts to help solve their legal difficulties across the board, from case filing to hearing and final verdict delivery. It was the first time for the top court to issue such a comprehensive guideline to safeguard rights of Taiwan residents and its first rule for deepening cross-Straits development by regulating legal services. We hope the document will not only help courts on the mainland effectively process the increasing number of cases involving Taiwan individuals or enterprises but also prompt economic and cultural exchanges, said Jiang Qibo, director of the top court's research office. The guideline was created following a keynote speech by President Xi Jinping at a gathering in January to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, he said. In the guideline, mainland courts were told to strengthen property protections of Taiwan people and enterprises to ensure a favorable environment when they create a startup or make an investment in the mainland. Zhou Jiahai, deputy director of the research office, said that when a litigant from Taiwan is found to be at fault, We should be prudent and minimize the negative effects on their businesses when considering sealing up or freezing their property or barring them from leaving the mainland. When a Taiwan litigant is detained or monitored on the mainland, courts are required to inform family members within 24 hours, the guideline said. Jiang, the director, said, Specifying legal measures to regulate the handling of Taiwan-related cases is necessary because such disputes have been rising in mainland courts in the past decade. Figures released by the top court on Tuesday showed that more than 5,000 cases were filed annually on average in mainland courts involving litigants from Taiwan from 2008 to 2018, with the peak reaching 7,000 in 2012. To more efficiently resolve the disputes, the guideline ordered mainland courts, especially those handling a large number of such cases in Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, to set up a special website, hotline or social media account and establish a judge liaison office to provide high-quality legal services to Taiwan litigants. We welcome Taiwan residents from all walks of life, including legal professionals, to visit mainland courts and exchange judicial opinions, Zhou said. Also, a communication platform or internship opportunities will be offered to Taiwan youth who study on the mainland. The top court added it would go to grassroots courts on the mainland to check on enforcement of the guideline and ensure Taiwan litigants know about it.
