Premier signs decree on agricultural plants

Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree and issued a regulation on preventing and tackling diseases that affect agricultural plants, as well as pests and weeds that undermine their health.

The regulation, which was published on the State Council's website on Thursday and will take effect on May 1, aims to safeguard the country's food security and the quality of its agricultural produce.

It divides the threats into three categories, according to the seriousness of their potential impact, and says central government departments in charge of agriculture and rural affairs should coordinate efforts to tackle class one disasters, which are the most serious.

Agricultural authorities at the county level or above should watch out for disasters and report information obtained during their monitoring to their superiors in a timely manner, according to the regulation.

It says governments at the county level or above should launch an emergency response when a disaster occurs, and requires agricultural authorities to make emergency plans, carry out training and drills and store necessary emergency reserves.

The country supports organizations which specialize in offering services to protect the health of agricultural plants, and encourages them to apply environmentally friendly techniques to treat diseases and tackle pests, the regulation says.

The regulation also lists different kinds of behavior that are punishable by law, such as covering up monitoring information or providing it to foreign organizations and individuals without approval.

Rules change for range of business sectors

Among several regulations and policies that came into effect this month, the cap on foreign ownership of securities firms was revoked on Wednesday, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced.

In another regulatory development, passengers are now banned from scribbling on subway platforms or taking animals onto subway trains, except for guide dogs, police dogs and army dogs.

The regulation on the organization, service and management of urban railway transport, issued by the Ministry of Transport, said passengers will also be prohibited from taking malodorous items onto subway trains, or begging on them, or making money by performing.

They must not talk loudly or turn on the speaker of their phone or other electronic devices while taking the train. They are also prohibited from riding skateboards or roller-skating on platforms or trains.

Disabled people will be able to board trains while using mobility scooters, but other passengers will not be allowed to board with self-balancing scooters, electric bikes or bicycles.

The regulation also makes it clear that passengers, except for infants and the sick, are not allowed to eat or drink on trains.

Another policy that took effect on Wednesday was a revision to the regulation on distant-water fishing.

The revision lists 13 kinds of illegal behavior for which the operators of fishing boats will be held accountable, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and turning off boats' positioning equipment on purpose, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

It also sets up a "blacklist" system for the heads of fishing companies and projects, as well as captains, who seriously violate the law.