Detention house law

The Ministry of Public Security is soliciting* public opinion on a draft law on detention houses, which will consider better human rights protection for those in custody.

All people’s procuratorates* must supervise enforcement of detention house law, regarding detention of suspects and defendants, as well as inquiries and meetings with attorneys to avoid power abuses, according to the draft law published on the ministry website. The use of police instruments and weapons by detention house staff must be supervised by procuratorates, said the draft.

New high-speed rail line

Construction of a major high-speed railway in Northwest China started in Zhongwei City in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Monday, according to the regional government.

The Zhongwei-Lanzhou high-speed rail line will link Zhongwei and Lanzhou, capital of neighboring Gansu Province. It is scheduled to measure 218 kilometers with a top-speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The line is expected to open in 2022.

Crosstalk master dies

Tang Jiezhong, one of China’s top crosstalk artists, died in Beijing on Sunday.

Once a student under the renowned crosstalk performer Liu Baorui, the 85-year-old had partnered with a number of outstanding comedians throughout his career, including Ma Ji, Hao Aimin and Jiang Kun. Tang worked as the managing director of the Chinese Quyi Study Center and was a part-time professor at the Beijing Language College, now known as Beijing Language and Culture University.

Smart ‘green cards’

A new ID card designed to give foreign permanent residents easier access to public services in China was issued across the country on Friday to expats holding “green cards.”

The machine-readable Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card — similar to the second-generation ID cards held by Chinese citizens that store information about the card holder on an embedded* chip — can be used independently as legal proof of identity when dealing with such issues as finance, education, health, accommodations, telecommunication and employment.(SD-Agencies)