The Chinese military has ceased most of its commercial activities, and is on target to end all such activities by the end of the year, according to Xinhua News Agency.By the end of last month, 100,000 out of 106,000 commercial programs undertaken by the People's Liberation Army had ended, marking an achievement in the PLA's decommercialization efforts, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.The report quoted a PLA department in charge of the work as saying that the Central Military Commission pays great attention to the decommercialization efforts, adding that 26 central government departments and nine commission agencies have been working together to push forward the objective.Plans for the remaining commercial activities, which are sophisticated or sensitive, are being made in accordance with related policies, while issues pertaining to legal affairs, employees, assets and debts have been properly handled according to agreed-upon schedules, the department added.It noted that inspectors will be sent to PLA units to examine whether commercial activities have ceased and whether employees have been adequately compensated. Members of the PLA or the public are also welcome to report concerns via a hotline or email, according to the report.The Chinese military started running its own businesses in the mid-1980s to offset a sharp decrease in the defense budget ordered by then-leader Deng Xiaoping.In 1992, the Central Military Commission officially approved commercial activities by the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force.In February 2016, the commission ordered the PLA and the Armed Police Force to eradicate all commercial activities within three years.Last month, the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, State Council and Central Military Commission jointly published the Guidelines on the Complete Halt of the Military's Commercial Activities, requesting that units of the PLA and the Armed People Force cease all commercial activities by year-end.The document also stipulates that all property, land and reception facilities owned by the military that have been used for commercial purposes will be directly administered and allocated by the Central Military Commission. wristbands with tabsflash drive wristbandcustom made rubber bracelets24 hour wristbands coupon24hr wristband
SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's unification ministry said Monday it will flexibly review major inter-Korean issues such as civilian exchanges with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), indicating a dialogue mood on the Korean Peninsula. Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng told a regular briefing that main inter-Korean issues, including civilian exchanges, would be flexibly reviewed within the limits of undamaging the framework of the international community's sanctions on the DPRK. Lee told reporters that the current severing of the inter-Korean relations was not desirable when considering the goal of stable situations on the peninsula. President Moon Jae-in is expected to inherit a so-called "sunshine policy" of trying to enhance inter-Korean ties through investment and trade, advocated by liberal presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung. Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye had championed the continued humanitarian aid to the DPRK regardless of political situations, but the aid has been severed since the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January 2016. As President Moon took office, expectations were running high for the resumption of the humanitarian aid and civilian exchanges between the two sides. About 10 South Korean civic groups were reported to have applied to the unification ministry for humanitarian aid and cultural exchanges. The spokesman said the ministry will review whether to approve the applications for contacts with and visits to the DPRK.
