Government to support investment in railways

    The Chinese Government will step up policy support to ensure investment in the railway sector as part of measures to bolster* economic growth, a top government official was quoted as saying on June 8.

    The government said last month it would open up the railway industry to private investment on an unprecedented scale, but private investors are skeptical — railway project approvals were slowed after a crash on a new high-speed rail line in July last year that killed 40 people.     

    Rise in retirement age

    considered

    China is likely to raise its retirement age for workers, according to social security officials who said authorities would make such a proposal “at an appropriate time.”

    A spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said opinions are still split within the ministry, with some saying that postponing retirement could increase labor efficiency and help balance pension funds while others say extending working years could reduce opportunities for jobseekers.     

    Student barred from NCEE

    A student missed the chance to take the English portion of the National College Entrance Examinations (NCEE) because he was two minutes late for the test’s start on June 9 in Shanghai.

    His mother fell to her knees while begging guards and exam staff to open the gate and let her son take the all-important test. But the test center refused and eventually threw out the angry student, who had climbed over the gate into the center.     

    Spacecraft to carry

    1st woman

    China will launch three astronauts into space in mid-June to dock with an orbiting experimental module, and the crew might include its first female space traveler.

    A rocket carrying the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft was moved to a launch pad in the northwest desert on June 9 for the flight, Xinhua said, citing a program spokesman. The three-member crew will dock with and live in the Tiangong-1 orbital module launched last year. (SD-Agencies)