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This is NEWS Plus Special English.
China will introduce free legal aid services to more people in need and improve access to these services.
The central authorities issued an instruction focusing on perfecting the legal assistance system. It ordered that legal assistance should address livelihood issues of people in poverty.
The directive urged all provincial governments to expand coverage of legal assistance to include labor protection, marriage, food and drug safety, education and medical services.
The existing coverage of legal assistance includes helping citizens with financial difficulties apply for state compensation, basic living allowances, or to claim payment for their work.
The instruction identified key social groups to be covered by legal assistance, including rural migrant workers, those who were laid-off, the elderly, and the disabled.
It also promised easier access to legal aid services by offering a telephone hot-line 12348, a consulting website and building more legal aid stations in prominent locations.
Legal assistance will also benefit more people facing criminal charges in order to play a greater role in defending human rights. Such services will be offered to those who intend to appeal but are without financial means.
The governments will also procure more services and support social organizations' participation in offering legal assistance.
You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
China cleared up a total of 26,000 cases of food and drug crime last year, apprehending some 36,000 criminal suspects.
The operations by the Ministry of Public Security also saw 42,000 illegal food and drug workshops closed down.
The Internet has become a major channel for shoddy goods, which called for joint action and an information sharing platform.
So far, 19 provinces have set up inspection departments especially for food and drug crimes.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.
The former head of a hospital in southwest China's Yunnan Province was found to have taken 130 million yuan, roughly 21 million U. S. dollars, of bribes in cash, property and parking spaces.
Investigations have found that Wang Tian-chao, former head of Yunnan's No. 1 People's Hospital, used his position to seek bribes related to construction projects, medical equipment and medicine procurement, and doctor promotions.
Fifty-seven-year-old Wang was found to have received over 45 million yuan in cash, 100 homes and 100 parking spaces worth around 84 million yuan, over the past ten years.
Wang was detained for investigation on corruption charges last September and removed from his post in March.
Over 20 million yuan in bribes, all the properties, homes and parking spots have been seized. The case has been transferred to judicial authorities.
