Welcome to news of the week. This is Matt Horn. First, the headlines:
Tropical Storm Batters Guangdong
Japanese Destroyer Arrives in Guangdong's Zhanjiang Port
Guangzhou Strengthens Anti-Drug Efforts
Chinese Mainland and Taiwan Agree on 144 Charter Flights in July
Tropical Storm Batters Guangdong
Fengshen, the typhoon which killed hundreds in the Philippines, made landfall on Wednesday with winds of up to 51 miles per hour in the economic zone of Shenzhen. Heavy rains and strong winds hammered the Pearl River Delta as well as eastern and western Guangdong. Two were killed and one is missing in the flooding caused by the typhoon. The Guangdong meteorological station said Fengshen, which means "wind god" in Chinese, is losing strength as it moves northward.
Japanese Destroyer Arrives in South China
A Japanese navy destroyer sailed into the southern Guangdong coastal city of Zhanjiang on Tuesday. It is the first visit by a Japanese warship to China since the end of World War II, the latest sign of improving ties between the two economic powers. The navy vessel with 240 crew members carried blankets, medical supplies and other relief goods for survivors of the massive earthquake in Sichuan province. The 5-day visit comes amid warming relations between the countries after last month's meeting in Tokyo between Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Guangzhou Strengthens Anti-Drug Efforts
Thursday was the 21st International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Guangzhou anti-drug authorities held a promotion activity to educate the public about the harm of drugs. Our journalist Zhang Keng has more:
China enacted its first anti-drug law on June 1st this year, an important regulation to fight the problem. Director of Guangzhou Anti-Drug Commission Zhang Guifang said a comprehensive work mechanism will be established to crack down harder on drug trafficking.
"we will strengthen the crack-down on drug related crimes, severely punishing those found guilty, and ensuring criminals will have no chance to commit such crimes in Guangzhou."
Guangdong customs announced that, from January to May, Customs officials identified 85 cases of drug smuggling, seizing 228 kilogram of drugs.
Plastic Bag Ban Shows Results
It is almost four weeks since the ban on plastic bags was implemented in the province. According to a sample taken by the Guangzhou Sanitation Bureau, the amount of plastic in neighborhood rubbish centers has dropped to 13.5% from 16.1%, proving the ban is effective. Our reporter Liang Chunmei has more. Lcm0623-1
As the door-to-door approach to rubbish collection remains unchanged, Director General with the Bureau Lv Zhiyi hoped that citizens will use biodegradable plastic bags to collect rubbish for the good of the environment. He also suggested citizens sort their trash into different colors of biodegradable bags.
"The ban on plastic bags should be integrated with sorted refuse collection, so the rubbish can be recycled more efficiently."
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