Pigs raised in the village of Fuyang city, Anhui province, Dec 5, 2018. [Photo/IC] Upgraded breeding methods and more supervision are needed, experts say Agricultural experts have called for upgrading pig breeding methods and tightening biosecurity after the ongoing African swine fever has exposed irregularities in the pig industry. China has reported 111 outbreaks of the highly contagious pig disease across 28 provincial-level regions as of February. The first case was detected in the northeastern province of Liaoning in August, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The rapid response mechanism, including quarantine and culling measures, has been effective in controlling the spread of the disease and mitigating economic loss, Yang Hanchun, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine of China Agricultural University, said at a news conference on Friday. More than 90 percent of the quarantines imposed on affected pig farms have been lifted, and infections due to the transport of live pigs and the use of kitchen waste have dropped recently, he said. However, we still face an arduous and stressful task ahead to curtail and eradicate the disease because of the massive number of small pig farms that are not equipped with effective biosecurity systems, Yang said. According to the ministry, China produces 700 million pigs a year. Farms that breed more than 500 hogs only account for one-fifth of the total, which means nearly 80 percent of hogs come from small farms that have outdated management practices and little biosecurity protection. The humongous volume of China's pig industry, and its complicated structure and widespread distribution, means it is infeasible to ditch cross-regional transport and trade, said Chen Huanchun, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He said it is crucial to increase awareness of disease control and prevention among small pig producers, and establish a chain of supervision covering production, transport, slaughter and processing. The epidemic also prompted the Ministry of Public Security to ramp up investigations into crimes linked to African swine fever. The public security authority said on Friday that it has launched probes into 32 criminal cases associated with the disease and detained 90 suspects. These cases involve 15,000 live pigs and 140 metric tons of pig products. In addition, police also uncovered more than 500 cases that involve processing or selling dead pigs or poultry. Nearly 1,000 suspects have been detained as a result. create your own wristbandwhere can i buy yellow wristbandspersonalized awareness braceletspersonalized silver bracelets for himcustom wristband
Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (3rd left) co-officiates at the opening ceremony in Beijing of the Oral Legacies-Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Exhibition at Prince Kung's Mansion Museum on Dec 15. Joining her as officiating guests are Xiang Zhaolun (2nd left), vice-minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Chen Tong (2nd right), director-general of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. [Photo provided to China Daily] The much-anticipated development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is likely to be released early next year, providing firm policy support and fresh opportunities for the 11-city cluster, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor revealed on Saturday. Lam said that with the development of the GBA entering a new level, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will tie its future closely to the country's overall development and more proactively seek opportunities within that context. The city's top official made the remarks to reporters before she left for Beijing on Saturday, for her annual duty visit. Lam noted that next year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. She said more opportunities lie ahead for Hong Kong and the SAR appreciates the continuous support from the central government. She added that Hong Kong will make full use of those opportunities. During her four-day visit to the capital, Lam will meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Monday, to present them with details of Hong Kong's latest developments including political, economic and social affairs. Shortly after Lam's arrival in Beijing on Saturday, she co-officiated at the opening ceremony of an exhibition, The Oral Legacies: Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The exhibition will remain open until Jan 5. Lam extended thanks to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its great support in the conservation of intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong. She acknowledged the ministry's efforts and guidance that made the exhibition possible. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Prince Kung's Mansion Museum Sun Xuguang said one purpose of the exhibition was to deepen the understanding among Chinese mainland visitors of Hong Kong's traditional culture, through the interactive, visualized exhibits. Sun added that the event presents new opportunities to increase cultural exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong. The exhibition, at the Prince Kung's Mansion Museum in Beijing, is the first thematic exhibition in the mainland featuring Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. A total of 20 items of intangible cultural heritage from Hong Kong are exhibited, including Cantonese Opera, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance performed during Mid-Autumn Festival, Hakka Unicorn Dance and Hong Kong-style Milk Tea Making Technique. Also on display are hand-made lion head festive lanterns, Hong Kong-style cheongsam, Kwan Kwa Wedding costumes, and Cantonese Opera costumes. Visitors will have a taste of some authentic Hong Kong-style milk tea on Dec 16. Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department disclosed the city's first intangible cultural heritage list in August 2017. The list is comprised of 20 items. Ten of those are part of the country's intangible cultural heritage list.
