Top leaders laid flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes in the heart of Beijing Saturday morning to mark the National Day.

President Hu Jintao and other top leaders participated in the ceremony and paid their respect to those who sacrificed for the nation's independence and prosperity. 

The leaders joined 3,600 representatives from all walks of life in Beijing in the ceremony to mark the 62nd anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.

 

China to give top priority to improving people's livelihood: Premier Wen 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged to make every effort to improve people's livelihood and uphold social equality and justice.

Addressing a reception marking the 62nd anniversary of the founding of new China in Beijing, Wen Jiabao said the government will continue to give top priority to improving people's livelihood in all its endeavors and address pressing issues directly affecting people's interests.

The premier vowed to address unfair income distribution and the income gap to ensure prosperity for all. He also pledged to protect people's democratic rights, uphold judicial justice, resolutely fight corruption and properly address societal problems.

 

China stresses work safety in upcoming holiday 

China's industry and commerce watchdog has urged local authorities to step up safety checks and regulation during the seven-day National Day Holiday that starts today.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce said in an urgent circular that local supervisory bodies must pay special attention to enterprises in the mining, hazardous chemicals and fireworks sectors.

It called for severe punishment for illegal behaviors that compromise work safety.

The circular said emergency response plans should be made to ensure accidents are dealt with expeditiously.

 

China's central bank to continue prudent monetary policy 

China's central bank has reiterated it will continue to pursue a prudent monetary policy and make price stability a priority.

The People's Bank of China said in a statement the rhythm and force of the monetary policy must be handled carefully.

It said China's economy is growing in a stable and rapid manner.

Inflationary pressure has eased somewhat but still runs at a high level. 

The statement reaffirmed that the exchange rate of the Chinese currency must be kept "basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level.

 

China's PMI rises to 51.2 percent in September 

China's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) continued its rise in September, hitting 51.2 percent in September from 50.9 percent in August.

The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) says the 0.3 percentage-point rebound marks the PMI's two-consecutive-month rise, indicating that economic development is continuing to stabilize and that the worries of a hard economic landing are being eased.

 

Long holiday in China to see 530 million people traveling 

During the week-long National Day holiday starting today, more than 530 million people are expected to go on a journey, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the same period last year, according to an official prediction.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Transport says China's railways, highways and airlines will serve a daily average of 75.6 million travelers during the holiday from Oct. 1 to 7. They will be especially busy on the first and last days of the holiday when people are leaving and returning. 

He says more than 830,000 buses with 20 million seats will be operating during the holiday. Meanwhile, 21,000 ships with nearly 900,000 seats will be operating at full steam.

 

China aims to reduce leprosy cases by half by 2020: ministry 

China plans to decrease leprosy rates by 50 percent over the next 10 years, according to a joint plan to fight the infectious disease issued by the Ministry of Health and ten other ministerial-level institutions.

The prevalence rate is targeted to be brought down to one case per 10,000 people by 2015. The rate will further shrink to one in every 100,000 people by 2020 in at least 98 percent of the country's counties, according to the plan. 

A total of 500,000 cases of leprosy have been reported and treated for free throughout the country since the founding of new China 62 years ago.

 

Over 35,000 drug users treated in rehab centers: ministry 

China's Judicial authorities have set up 59 provincial-level rehabilitation centers and treated more than 35,000 drug users in these centers through the country's efforts to curb drug-related crimes and maintain social stability.

An official with the Ministry of Justice says the centers receive substance abusers who enter voluntarily or are forced into treatment.

He says the centers are exploring ways to help drug addicts break their habits, recover from psychological or mental problems and better integrate themselves back into society.

 

Chinese gov't spokesperson calls for boycott on online falsehoods 

A government spokesperson has called for a boycott on online falsehoods and Internet-based rumors, which he referred to as "malignant tumors" that are detrimental to social stability.

The spokesperson from the State Internet Information Office under the State Council, or China's Cabinet, called for China's 500 million Internet users to "abide by the law, show self-discipline and refrain from spreading rumors."