4 | Wednesday, January 30, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY CHINA Bridging cultures HK crime Guizhou aims rate hits to relocate its historic low point

By CHEN ZIMO in Hong Kong poor residents [email protected]

Hong Kong recorded its lowest levels of crime for 45 years in Measure assists province in its fight to 2018, as overall crimes continued improve lives, provide better services to decrease for 12 consecutive years, according the annual report of the Hong Kong Police By YANG JUN in Guiyang and Force on Tuesday. ZHENG JINRAN in Beijing Unfolding Hong Kong’s crime 670,000 situation last year, Commission­ Guizhou province plans to relo­ people er of Police Stephen Lo Wai­ cate 670,000 people from poverty­ from poverty­stricken and bar­ chung said a total of 54,225 stricken and barren regions this ren regions in Guizhou province crimes were reported in 2018, 3.2 year, bringing the total of relocat­ will be relocated this year. percent lower than that of the ed people to 1.88 million in four previous year. This is the lowest years, the most in the country, the figure since 1974. provincial government said. erty, the governor added. The overall crime rate stood at This year, 1.68 million people “We will take multiple measures 728 cases per 100,000 people, nationwide are scheduled to be to help relocated residents get which also fell 4 percent com­ relocated under the 13th Five­Year jobs or start businesses, and make pared with 2017. Plan on Relocation for Poverty sure at least one member of the There were fewer cases of rob­ Alleviation (2016­20), and 40 per­ family has a stable income,” she bery, burglaries, theft, rapes, seri­ cent will be in Guizhou. said. ous drug offenses, arson, Governor Shen Yiqin told the Gao Fen, a deputy to the provin­ Foreign tourists learn to write Spring Festival couplets on a glass bridge in Changsha, Hunan province, criminal damage and triad­relat­ provincial people’s congress on cial people’s congress and head of on Tuesday. Couplets are a traditional way to celebrate the holiday. YANG HUAFENG / CHINA NEWS SERVICE ed crimes. Sunday that it would not be an the financial department of Shi­ There were 147 robberies, 16 easy job, with the relocations qian county, Tongren — where less than the previous year — the being equivalent to moving 2,000­ more than 700 residents moved in lowest number since 1969. plus residents every day in the 2018 — said, “Relocation is a mountainous province. major step to improve the lives of CE announces extra HK$500m to fight flu It also requires massive support residents in mountainous villages, 54,225 policies to serve the relocated resi­ providing them with new houses By WANG FENG in Hong Kong increased patient loads, she said. exceeded 100 percent in the last two crime cases dents, including employment and and better services.” [email protected] The Hospital Authority still has weeks. in Hong Kong in 2018, 3.2 education, which are also chal­ The county has built kindergar­ sufficient means in its annual bud­ Data from the Centre for Health percent lower than that of lenging, Shen said, adding that tens and primary schools near res­ Chief Executive Carrie Lam get to pay for new measures. The Protection also shows local influen­ the previous year the measures to alleviate poverty, idential communities, the county Cheng Yuet­ngor announced that an additional HK$500 million is avail­ za activity remains high. Young chil­ including relocation, are “the top government said, and more ser­ extra HK$500 million would be able if the Hospital Authority needs dren below 6 years old are But in contrast to this favorable priority and the greatest task” this vice centers are expected soon. allocated to the Hospital Authority it later — with the approval of the particularly at risk. situation, there was a significant year. Wang Aduo, another legislator, to support its efforts to fight the win­ Food and Health Bureau, the CE In the first four weeks of this year, increase in deception crimes — Guizhou will provide 160,000 said that cultural traditions for ter flu. added. there were more than 520 flu­like these rose 18.1 percent to 8,372 houses for relocated residents this ethic minorities also need protec­ The one­off funding is meant to Lam said she, the Hospital outbreaks reported at schools and at cases. year, Shen said, adding that more tion “in a bid to better preserve give the Hospital Authority more Authority, and Secretary for Food residential homes for the elderly It is a notable increase as the than 17 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) is their legacy, and to maintain their resources to adopt measures to and Health Sophia Chan Siu­chee and disabled — affecting about number of these cases had scheduled to support the process. lifestyle in new places”. relieve pressure on frontline health­ all acknowledged the severity of 3,200 people. Over 70 percent of out­ declined for two years — from Guizhou has aimed high in care providers — amid a surge in this year’s flu season and the pres­ break cases came from kindergar­ 9,353 in 2015 to 7,091 in 2017. This fighting poverty in a bid to reach Zhao Yandi and Dong Xianwu in demand for medical services due to sure it placed on Hong Kong’s tens or child care centers. followed a series of key measures the core national goal of lifting all Guiyang contributed to this story. a very serious seasonal influenza healthcare system and frontline A 2­year­old boy died from flu­re­ including establishment of the people out of poverty by 2020. In outbreak. workers. lated complications on Monday. Anti­Deception Coordination 2019, a total of 1.1 million resi­ Contact the writers at Lam said the measures include The A&E departments of public This is the first child fatality during Centre in July 2017. dents are expected to escape pov­ [email protected] speeding up the hiring process of hospitals received on average 5,873 this year’s flu season in Hong Kong. Increasingly advanced digital part­time and temporary doctors first­time patients a day in the week The boy was among 16 children technology and frequency of and nurses. They will also encour­ from Jan 21 to 27 — slightly lower who had flu­associated severe com­ cross­boundary crimes are the age senior medical staff to partici­ from the previous week’s volume of plications in the first four weeks of main factors pushing up the fig­ pate in a special remunerative 6,235 a day. The average in­patient this year. Thirteen of them did not ure, Lo said. The police have had scheme so they can handle bed occupancy rate at midnight have vaccinations this season. more difficulties in obtaining evi­ dence, he added. “But investigations were not the most efficient solution to deceptions crime — education Former Jiangxi vice­governor guilty and publicity are,” explained Lo. He said 43 percent of 323 vic­ tims who suffered losses in the of corruption; Party expels ex­mayor 615 phone scams originally came from the Chinese mainland; police explained that these people By ZHANG YAN were often socially isolated in the [email protected] city. To help these people — some Li Yihuang, former vice­gover­ who don’t use Facebook or Insta­ nor of Jiangxi province, was con­ gram much, Hong Kong police Zhang Yingrong of Danzhai county, Guizhou province, carries victed of bribery, abusing power registered an account on Weibo — newly purchased furniture on Sunday to his new home. He was and misappropriating 147 million one of the most popular social relocated recently. HUANG XIAOHAI / FOR CHINA DAILY yuan ($21.7 million) of public mon­ media platforms on the main­ ey and was sentenced to 18 years in land. This is so they can to publish prison by a court in Anhui province useful information online. Briefly on Tuesday. Opening its Weibo account He was also fined 2.2 million “Hong Kong Police” on Tuesday yuan ($325,900). His illicit gains afternoon, police attracted over BEIJING FUJIAN will be confiscated and handed 30,000 followers within five Emir of Qatar Bus hijacker gets over to the State, according to the hours. Intermediate People’s Court of Lo said the police intend to makes state visit death sentence Anqing, Anhui province. educate more people in the com­ Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Qiu Rihui, 49, who hijacked a bus The court said that from 2004 to munity about anti­deception Hamad al­Thani will pay a state and rammed it into pedestrians, 2017, he took advantage of his posi­ awareness. visit to China from Wednesday to killing eight, was sentenced to tion to funnel benefits to enterpris­ Since the West Kowloon Rail­ Thursday at the invitation of Presi­ death in Fujian province, the Long­ es and individuals in business way Station started to operate last dent Xi Jinping, Foreign Ministry yan Intermediate People’s Court management, stock right transfers Li Yihuang, former vice­governor of Jiangxi province, was sen­ September, Hong Kong police spokesman Lu Kang announced on announced on Tuesday. The inci­ and bidding for projects and pro­ tenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday for taking bribes. have recorded 208 cases at the Tuesday. The visit will be the emir’s dent happened at about 3:20 pm in motions. He accepted huge bribes, PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY station — most of which involved second to China as a head of state. the city of Longyan on Dec 25. The amounting to 15.7 million yuan. lost property and disputes. A total His first visit was in November court sentenced Qiu on Monday For 13 years, he mainly served as of 30 cases occurred in the Main­ 2014, during which the two nations for intentional homicide and the general manager and board the Guangdong Commission of land Port Area of the station. upgraded bilateral ties to a strate­ endangering public safety. chairman of Jiangxi Copper Corp, 147 Supervision on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a total of 48 homi­ gic partnership. general manger and chairman of million yuan It said he lost his ideals and cide cases were reported last year, HUNAN Jiangxi Copper Ltd, and vice­gover­ beliefs and betrayed the Party’s double that of 2017. But 19 of these of public money was misappro­ HAINAN Man executed for nor of Jiangxi. priated by Li Yihuang, former purpose, violating political disci­ cases were attributed to the fatal Rescue center set up deadly rampage From 2011 to 2014, while serving vice­governor of Jiangxi pro­ pline and resisting the Party orga­ traffic accident in Tai Po, New Ter­ as the general manager and chair­ vince. nization’s supervision. ritories, in which a double­decker in South China Sea A man convicted of killing 15 people man of Jiangxi Copper, he directed The commission said he violated bus flipped on its side last Februa­ The Ministry of Transport opened in an SUV crash was executed on his subordinates to fabricate items the eight frugality codes to have a ry, killing 19 people and injuring a maritime rescue center at Yong­ Tuesday in Hunan province after in the company’s accounts and ille­ higher price, causing losses in golf membership card and play 65. The 30­year­old driver is now shu reef in the Nansha Islands on approval by the Supreme People’s gally used 2.68 million yuan of pub­ State­owned assets of 20.8 million golf, and he violated Party disci­ facing a charge of dangerous driv­ Tuesday, to better protect naviga­ Court, according to the Hengyang lic funds, the court said. yuan. pline in accepting gifts and proper­ ing causing deaths. tion and transport safety in the Intermediate People’s Court. Yang Between March 2013 and May “Because he showed repentance ty. Despite a 9.9 percent drop in South China Sea. The center will Zanyun deliberately drove his Land 2016, when serving as the vice­gov­ for his crimes and actively con­ Cai was also accused of neglect­ serious drug offenses, seizures of offer better support to maritime Rover SUV into a crowd in a square ernor in Jiangxi, he directed the fessed to his crimes and cooperated ing his duty and causing great loss­ drugs rose alarmingly; the rescue operations in the southern in Hengdong county on Sept 12. He company’s staff to redirect public with the judicial officers to return es of State­owned assets. He amount of methamphetamines, part of the sea. In July, the ministry then continued to attack people funds of up to 147 million yuan. The the money, we handed down a leni­ abused power to benefit others and cocaine, and ecstasy­type drugs sent a rescue ship to Zhubi reef of with a shovel and knife. The attack money was offered to his family ent sentence,” a statement released accepted their bribes either paid in seized increased by 149.3 percent, the Nansha Islands. In October, left 15 dead and 43 injured. Yang members through business opera­ by the court on Wednesday said. cash or property. He also illegally 174.5 percent and 260 percent, another rescue ship was sent to the was sentenced to death for endan­ tions, the court said. In a separate development, Cai possessed firearms. respectively. region as a replacement. Over the gering public safety. The sentence In 2008, when Jiangxi Copper Zongze, former mayor of Shantou, The criminal evidence in the case past six months, the two ships have was approved by the top court on purchased the prospecting rights Guangdong province, was expelled will be sent to prosecutors for char­ Inside rescued 16 people and two ships in Jan 18. of a local silver mine, Li violated from the Party and deprived of his ges and his illicit assets will be con­ eight operations. CHINA DAILY — XINHUA the regulation to purchase it at a retirement benefits, according to fiscated, the commission said. To the point, page 9