IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Auto

Green car push reaps rewards

Despite lingering consumer doubts about the technology and practicality of electric vehicles, the Chinese government and automakers are pushing ahead with the development of green cars. Buyers of hybrid cars, which run on a combination of batteries and conventional engines, are entitled to a direct central government subsidy of 5,000 yuan ($790) per vehicle, and a rebate of up to 60,000 yuan on the purchase price is offered to buyers of battery-driven cars. Auto makers are also luring buyers to the green cars with free maintenance and a range of personalized services.

Their combined effort to promote greener cars on Chinese roads is beginning to pay off. A survey by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed that 8,159 hybrid and electric cars were sold nationwide in 2011. All together, there are more than 10,000 green cars on China's roads.

Defense

Aircraft carrier to begin service

China plans to put its first aircraft carrier into service later this year, a top navy official said.

Xu Hongmeng, deputy commander of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said on March 11 the PLA "has a plan" to put it into service this year. The carrier has undergone four sea trials since last year. According to media reports, the former Varyag, which is docked in Dalian Port, in Liaoning province, is currently equipped with life-size model planes. China's first aircraft carrier, a retrofitted former Soviet vessel, set out on its maiden voyage on Aug 10. It underwent three more sea trials in the Pacific.

IPR

Number of lawsuits soars

The push for an innovation-based economy and growing public awareness has resulted in a soaring number of lawsuits involving intellectual property rights (IPR), a top court official said.

Last year 66,000 IPR cases went to litigation, up 37.7 percent on 2010, Chief Justice Wang Shengjun said on March 11 while presenting a work report on the top court to the national legislature. The litigation jump is bigger than those for lawsuits in other categories.

The reason for the rise is growing public awareness and China's vigorous push for science and cultural industries, legislators said.

Charity

Red Cross goes public in hiring

The Red Cross Society of China has for the first time invited public bids for auditing services, in order to enhance openness and transparency.

The society is still struggling to recover its public image after a young woman claiming to be one of its officials bragged about her lavish lifestyle last year.

"The latest move to publicly purchase auditing services is actually among a series of measures to improve the charity's transparency and better meet public demand for information," said Wang Rupeng, secretary-general of the organization.

According to a media release, the charity will select five auditing firms to provide auditing services for three years.

China Daily

(China Daily 03/16/2012 page2)