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ChinasaysSCOnotaneasternNATO
ChinaisshootingdownsuggestionstheShanghaiCooperationOrganizationcouldevolveintoamilitaryandpoliticalbloc.
ThestatementcameaftersomemediareportslikeningtheSCOtoaneasternNATO.
Earlier, inaclosed-doorsessionofthesummit, ChinesePresidentHuJintaocalledonleadersofSCOmemberstatestopromoteregionalstabilityandcooperation.
Themembersaresettoworktogethertocounterterrorism, separatismandextremism.
TheSCOcurrentlyhassixfullmembers -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, TajikistanandUzbekistan.
China, RussiavoiceoppositiontomilitaryinterventiontoSyria
ChinaandRussiahaveissuedajointstatement, onceagainvoicingtheiroppositiontomilitaryinterventionintheSyriancrisis.
ItcomesfollowingmeetingsbetweenRussianPresidentVladimirPutinandChineseleadersinBeijing.
ThetwocountriesarealsovoicingtheiroppositiontoforcedregimechangeinSyriaandcallingfortheinternationalcommunitytosupportthepeaceeffortsofUN-ArabenvoyKofiAnnan.
Avalancheleaves 3 dead, 7 missinginNWChina
3 peoplehavebeenkilledinanavalancheinnorthwesterChina'sGansuprovince.
7 othersaremissingwhenasnowslideengulfedanantimonyoreprospectingstationinSubeicounty, northofQinghai.
11 peoplemanagedtoescape.
Oneofthesurvivorsisinhospitalinseriouscondition.
Theareahasbeensufferingsevereheavyrainstorms - rareintheregion - sinceMonday.
H5N1 birdflureportedinNWChina
TheMinistryofAgricultureisdealingwithabirdfluoutbreakinGansu.
Morethan 62-hundredchickensatafarminJingtaicounty, northoftheprovincialcapitalLanzhou, areshowingsymptomsofavianflu.
260 ofthechickenshavedied.
Some 20-thousandchickensintheareahavebeendestroyed.
Chinesescientistre-electedasmemberofkeyUNseacommission
AveteranChinesescientisthasbeenre-electedasoneofthe 21 membersofakeyUNoceaniccommission.
LuWenzhengofChina'sStateOceanicAdministrationwillserveanotherfive-yeartenureinthe "UNCommissionontheLimitsoftheContinentalShelf" fromlaterthismonth.
Thecommissionistaskedtoimplementthedelineationoftheouterlimitsofthecontinentalshelf, particularlywhenthesubmergedportionextendsbeyond 200 nauticalmilesfromcoastline.
Itsfindingsareimportantforcountriestodefinethelimitsoftheirterritories.
Chinacallsforinclusivedevelopmentofouterspace
ChengJingye, China'sPermanentRepresentativetotheUnitedNations, saysthattheinclusivedevelopmentofouterspaceshouldincludetoleranceforspaceenvironment, allnationsandallofmankind.
TheambassadorconfirmedthatChinawilllaunchitsmannedShenzhou-9 spacecraftlaterthisyearandconductaspacerendezvousanddockingmissionwiththeorbitingTiangong-1 spacelabmodule.
ThemanneddockingmissionisbelievedtobeanimportantsteptowardsChinabuildingaspacestationby 2020.
Chinatoboosttreatmentcapacityformentalillnesses
TheChinesegovernmentsaysitistryingtoestablishatreatmentnetworkforseriousmentallyillpatientsacrossthecountryby 2015.
TheMinistryofHealthsaysatleast 60 percentofthosepatientswillreceiveregulartreatmentwhenthesystemissetup.
ThehealthcarewatchdogestimatesChinahassome 16 millionpeoplesufferingfromseverementaldiseases, includingschizophreniaandmentaldisorders.
Chinaconsideringrevisingpensionsystem
TheChinesegovernmentisconsideringrevisingitspensionsystem.
TheMinistryofHumanResourcesandSocialSecuritysaysonitswebsitethatit'sbeenconductingresearchonthereform, thoughithasfallenshorttoofferdetails.
Itisexpectedthegovernmentwilleitherincreasetheretirementageoraskpensionerstocontinuecontributingtotheirpensionaccountseveralyearsaftertheirretirement.
Chinaisfacingapotentialdeficitinretirementpensionfundsduetoanagingpopulation.
Mostmenretireat 60 andwomenat 50 inChina.
GreatWalllongerthanoriginallythought
TheGreatWallofChinahasofficiallybeenofficiallydeclaredmuchlongerthanpreviouslythought.
TheChineseStateAdministrationofCulturalHeritagehasforthefirsttimereleaseddefinitivefiguresrevealingthecountry'snumberonetouristattractiontomeasurejustover 21,000 km.
Apreliminarystudyhadconcludedthatthewallwasaround 8,500 kmlong. Thewidediscrepancyisbeingputdowntoarcheologicaldifferencesoverwhichancientfortificationsactuallyconstitutedpartofitsoriginalconstruction.
TheGreatWall – originallybuilttoprotectChinafromMongolianattacks – beganconstructioninaround 500 BC. However, itsnumerousstretchesweren'tlinked-upuntilthereignofEmperorQinin 220 BC.