GD HK Structural Cooperation Agreement Signed

Guangdong and Hong Kong signed a Structural Cooperation Agreement this morning (April 7th) in Beijing. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping attended the signing ceremony. The agreement is expected to link the two regions closer together, as it lays out more specific policies and measures for the two sides to cooperate on, under the Outline for the PRD Reform and Development Plan and the CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement).

photo from:gov.cn

Citizen Telephone Service Extended with English Services
The Mayor¡¯s citizen telephone service, the ¡°12345¡±, added 30 new operators and a new English service yesterday, greatly extending the center¡¯s capacity to handle inquiries. The service is open 16 hours a day and is a direct channel for citizens to file complaints which are then supposedly passed-on to the Mayor and vice-mayors.

Facilities Being Improved to Facilitate the Disabled in Foshan
To improve the lives of disabled people, Foshan is now renovating major facilities across the city, making them more easily accessible to wheel-chairs. 417 locations across the city are currently being upgraded and this should be completed by September. The work includes building wheelchair access to parks, setting aside parking lots for the disabled in hotels and large commercial centers and setting-up counters in banks and post offices that are lower, at the same level as wheel-chairs. Many disabled people in Guangzhou are hoping their local officials follow Foshan¡¯s example.