S. China Sea In Mongolia over the weekend, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s effort to promote China’s stance on the South China Sea issue received broad support during the 11th Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit. Li said on Saturday before he returned to China that the South China Sea arbitration* award will have no impact on China’s territorial sovereignty* and maritime* interests. Speaking in an informal meeting during the summit, Li said the South China Sea issue should not be subject to multilateral* discussions from the very beginning, or be included in the summit’s agenda. Exotic pets Cats and dogs are the most common choices when it comes to pets. But in China, more and more people prefer the blue-ringed octopus*, leeches*, poison-dart frogs, snakes and many other unconventional companions, the Beijing Morning News reported. A number of unusual species have joined crocodiles and foxes to become popular among younger people, reshaping a business landscape usually dominated by cats, dogs, birds and aquarium fish. The main reasons behind the rise of these unusual pets are their lower cost, exotic appearance and less demanding care, according to the newspaper’s investigation. Dike blown up Armed police blew up a dike between two lakes in Central China’s Hubei Province on Thursday morning to reduce pressure after heavy rain resulted in record high water levels. In a southeastern suburb of Hubei’s capital Wuhan, the 3.7-km manmade embankment*, separating Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, was destroyed with 27 tons of dynamite at about 7 a.m., according to local authorities. Card fraud gangs Police have detained two foreign suspects in Guangzhou accused of being part of a gang that produced and used fake bank cards. Huang Peifu, political commissar of Guangdong provincial public security department’s economic crime investigation bureau, said a special task force had been established following reports of two foreigners using fake cards in the city’s Liwan District. (SD-Agencies) | 