CHINA US Focus - Perspectives shaping the world's most important bilateral relationship

Premier Wen Jiabao called for reform to China's scientific and technological system to make it better serve the country's development, while addressing top national scientists and engineers. The system should suit the market economy as well as laws and regulations, Wen said. The speech, which was publicized on Monday, was delivered on June 11 at [...]

Despite complex domestic and global economic conditions, China's financial system operated in a stable manner in 2011, with improving risk-aversion capability and deepening reforms, according to a central bank report released Monday. The fiscal strength of the government, enterprises and individual households remained healthy, and financial infrastructure continued to be steadily built last year, the [...]

Lesbians, banned from giving blood since 1998, are now legally allowed to donate, according to a new national policy which took effect Sunday. While applauding the move, those in the gay community believe there is still room for improvement, as gay men will still find it difficult to donate. The Whole Blood and Component Donor [...]

All public hospitals in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen and one in Beijing have begun scrapping their drug markups, leading the way in a comprehensive public hospital reform aimed at improving the quality of medical services and lower drug costs. On Sunday, the hospitals in both cities undertook what is deemed the boldest and hardest [...]

APPLE Inc is to pay US$60 million to Shenzhen-based Proview to end a two-year dispute over the iPad trademark on the Chinese mainland. The two sides reached agreement on June 25 and Apple has transferred the money to the account of the Higher People's Court of Guangdong Province, the court said on its website yesterday. [...]