POLICIES & REGULATIONS

China Passes Bill on

Animal Vaccination

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China’s President, Mr. Jiang Zhemin , has signed Chairman’s Order No. 87, a bill on animal vaccination. The bill, passed during the meeting of

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Indonesia’s Herbicide Policy Relaxed

The Indonesian Government has loosened its tight control over the use of herbicides. All kinds of herbicides will now be treated similarly, and should be used in accordance with the instructions provided by manufacturers. The Indonesian Minister of Agriculture mentioned that this move was necessary in order to increase food production. The Indonesian Government has had strict measures in the past over the use of herbicides containing active paraquat, and was more relaxed with herbicides containing glifosat.

162 APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997 China Moves to Protect its Ecological Environment and Biodiversity

Shortage of grassland, grassland degradation, soil erosion, and The Chinese Government has also passed a series of laws and difficulties in protecting endangered animal and plant species regulations to protect its marine environment, and a marine are among some of the environmental problems faced by China. environment monitoring network has been set up throughout The Chinese Government, even as early as the 1950s, has placed the country. For effective management, coastal waters have been much emphasis on protecting its resources and nurturing its divided into zones. Measures have also been taken to have ecological environment. better control over offshore construction projects, offshore petroleum plants, and waste disposal. Fourteen national level Afforestation, which was started in the 1950s, has resulted in an marine nature reserves were established by the end of 1995. increase in forest area. Currently, almost 14% of China is covered by forest, totaling 134 million hectares. Mountains in 12 A Program for Nature Conservation, and an Action Plan for the autonomous regions which were once barren are now covered Conservation of Biodiversity, which contains policies, strategies, with trees. Ten afforestation projects have been carried out since and a list of important biodiversity conservation projects, has 1978, covering 120 million hectares. The ten projects are in: been outlined by the Chinese Government. On-site conservation • the western part of north-east China, the northern part of and off-site preservation methods to protect biodiversity have North China and the northern part of north-west China, also been adopted. Almost 800 nature reserves, covering about 72 known as the ‘three north shelterbelts’ million hectares, were established by the end of 1995. Ten of • the shelterbelts along the upper and middle reaches of the China’s 99 national-level nature reserves are listed in the Yangtse River International Network of Biosphere Reserves. The ten are: • the coastal shelterbelts • Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province • the plain farmland shelterbelts • Wuolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province • the Taihang Mountains • Fanjing Mountains in Guizhou Province • the antidesertification project or grassland construction • Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei Province • the shelterbelts for comprehensive control in the Huaihe • Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province River and Taihu Lake basins • Mt. Bogda in Xinjiang Autonomous Region • the shelterbelts for comprehensive control in the Pearl • Dinghu Mountains in Guangdong Province River basin • Xilingol Nature Reserve in Inner Monglia • the shelterbelts for comprehensive control in the Liaohe • Yancheng Nature Reserve in Jiangsu City River basin • Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve in Yunnan • the shelterbelts along the middle reaches of the Yellow Province River The following six national-level nature reserves have been The first and second phases of the ‘three norths shelterbelts’ included in the list of the world’s important wetlands: project has been completed. This has increased the forest area • Zhalong Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang in these parts from 5% to 8%. This project has turned vast Province barren land into greenery. More than eleven million hectares of • Xianghai Nature Reserve in Jilin Province farmland have been protected by forest networks, and about • Boyang Lake in Jiangxi Province nine million hectares of grassland restored, under this project. • East Dongting Lake in Hunan Province • Bird Island in Qinghai About 5.5 million hectares of land have been planted with trees • Dongzhai Harbor in Hainan Province in the shelterbelts along the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The coastal shelterbelt afforestation project was China has designated a total of 512 historic and scenic sites, launched in 1991. About 1.6 million hectares of forest, covering covering a total of 9.6 million hectares, while forest parks total 18 000 km of the coast, has been established since then. The 710. The Chinese Government has also established various Taihang Mountains afforestation project has produced about artificial breeding centers, zoological and botanical gardens for one million hectares of forest since it was launched in 1994. the off-site preservation of various types of wild animals and Protection of grassland resources has been enforced by authorities plants. It has also established numerous specimen centers, one following the Grassland Law. Under this law, unauthorized gene bank and two cell banks for wild animals. This will help reclamation and over grazing are forbidden. With grassland in gene research and preservation work. The Government has construction and control over grassland utilization, total grassland set aside special funds for preservation of some endangered area has increased. Much has been achieved from the 49 key animal species. comprehensive demonstration projects for grassland stock breeding.

APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997 163 POLICIES & REGULATIONS India to Extend Penicillin-G Policy

The Indian Government will be extending its existing Penicillin- G allocation policy for the rest of this financial year, and the rifampicin intermediate policy until 30 September this year. This will curb imports, and is necessary as Penicillin-G is available from local manufacturers. According to a source, this drug is currently manufactured in India by Hindustan Max-GB, Spic Pharma, Torrent Gujarat Biotech Ltd., JK Pharma Chem Ltd., Alembic Chemicals Works Ltd., and Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. For the past year, international Penicillin- G prices have been lower than the domestic price.

National Scientech Achievement Award Patent Laws Regulation Drafted

The Chinese National Scientech Awards Office held a Under Review in meeting on 24-26 March 1997 in Changsha . During the meeting the ‘National Scientech Achievement Award Regulation’ was discussed and drafted. The purpose of the New Zealand ‘National Scientech Achievement Award Regulation’ is to promote breakthroughs in science and technology for A decision made by the New Zealand Commissioner of development of new products, new techniques and new Patents, Bruce Popplewell, earlier this year, is currently materials, and to establish large-scale industries which being disputed by the Pharmaceutical Management will contribute to economic and social development. The Agency (Pharmac). Since January, the Commissioner regulations were prepared based on the Chinese ‘Scientech had been allowing 'Swiss claims,' applications by Progress Law’ and the ‘Promoting Scientech Achievement manufacturers for a second 20-year patent term if a Transformation Law.’ Representatives from provincial new application for a particular drug is discovered. and municipal science and technology commissions Disputing this new practice, Pharmac have called for and universities in Hunan , Heilongjiang , a High Court review to settle the matter. The Zhejiang , Shanghai , Shandong , Hubei Commissioner, also keen to settle the matter once and , Shaanxi and Chongqing presented for all, is agreeable to their request, but an industry talks on awards, scopes, conditions, appraisal principle body, the Researched Medicines Industry (RMI), systems, award systems and other related topics, besides claims it will join with 13 manufacturers in a bid to sharing their own experiences relating to these. According defend the original policy decision before the High to a senior staff member of the State Scientech Awards Court. Until the matter is resolved, the Commissioner Office, the ‘National Scientech Achievement Extension is not accepting any Swiss claim applications. Chief Award Regulation’ was necessary to carry out the changes Executive of RMI, Kim Miles, confirmed that many of the scientech awarding system and to establish the manufacturers were awaiting the High Court's decision ‘National Scientech Achievement Award’ which is stipulated eagerly, many of them with Swiss claims pending. in the ‘Scientech Achievement Transformation Law’ and the ‘Deepening Scientech System Reform Resolution’ in the ninth Five-Year Plan issued by the State Council. The draft will be discussed in depth by experts and scientists from various fields. He also mentioned that other important regulations are currently under preparation, such as the ‘National Invention Award Regulation,’ the ‘National Natural Science Award Regulation,’ and the ‘National Scientech Progress Award Regulation.’

164 APBN • Vol 1 • No. 7 • 1997