Central gov't extends condolences over death of HK customs officers

21:49, January 22, 2020

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  Chinese customs seizes more goods over IPR infringement

  BEIJING, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinas customs seized more than 44 million pieces of infringing goods in 2019, up 78.3 percent year on year, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed Wednesday. Photo: VCGChina seized a total of 51,000 batches of infringing goods last year, among which 50,688 batches were export items, said GAC official Jin Hai.The seizure protected the intellectual property right (IPR) of right-holders from 37 countries and regions, Jin said.In 2019, the GAC approved 13,087 applications for IPR protection, up 14 percent year on year.China has been stepping up crackdowns on IPR infringement. To boost high-quality trade development, customs is working more closely with other government agencies including commerce and taxation authorities to enhance coordination in law enforcement and supervision to better protect IPR.The country also vows to strengthen the "top-level design" for IPR protection, which will see improved legal framework and development plans. The National Intellectual Property Administration said earlier this month that a priority of its work in 2020 is the faster creation of a strategic master plan to develop the countrys IPR strength.

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  France, US agree to extend talks over digital tax

  The US has threatened to impose ruinous duties on French imports of such emblematic goods as Champagne and Camembert cheese in the dispute over taxing tech giants. (File photo: AFP)Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump have agreed to extend negotiations on a dispute over a French tax on digital giants to the end of the year, postponing Washingtons threat of sanctions against Paris, French officials said Tuesday.French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, speaking before a Brussels meeting with EU counterparts, said: "Macron and Trump had a very constructive discussion... and they agreed to avoid all escalation between the US and France on this digital tax issue."A French diplomatic source said the French and US leaders, who spoke by telephone on Sunday, agreed to give negotiations a chance to "find a solution in an international framework" and avoid "a trade war that will benefit no one".Macron tweeted Monday that he had had a "great discussion" with Trump on the issue. "We will work together on a good agreement to avoid tariff escalation," he said."Excellent!" replied Trump on Twitter.The White House said the two men spoke and "agreed it is important to complete successful negotiations on the digital services tax, and they also discussed other bilateral issues."The dispute began last year when Paris approved a levy of up to three percent on revenues earned by technology companies in France, as international efforts dragged on to find a new model for taxing revenues earned via online sales and advertising.Tech companies often pay little tax in countries in which they are not physically present.Washington said the tax singled out US companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix. It threatened retaliatory duties of up to 100 percent of the value of French imports of such emblematic goods as Champagne and Camembert cheese.The European Union had said it would back Fr...

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  Over 20 Chinese tourists injured in bus accident in central Nepal

  File photo: CGTNKATHMANDU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 Chinese tourists were injured in a bus accident in Chitwan district in central Nepal on Friday morning, the police confirmed.The bus set off from the capital to Chitwans popular tourism spot of Sauraha located within the Chitwan National Park on Friday morning, then collided with a moving truck in Ramnagar of Bharatpur municipality and knocked a roadside house at around 11:00 a.m. local time."Over 30 people sustained injuries in the accident, while two Nepali nationals died later in the course of treatment. The Chinese tourists have received general injuries," Ek Narayan Koirala, deputy superintendent at District Police Office Chitwan, told Xinhua over phone.The officer said the identities of the two deceased passengers are yet to be ascertained.Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal said all together 25 Chinese citizens were slightly injured in the accident, adding the embassy has directed relevant authorities to provide assistance to the injured tourists.Dr Asish Bhattarai, in-charge at emergency department at Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital, told Xinhua that the Chinese patients are undergoing treatment for general injuries, and that "their state is not severe, everyone is safe."The medical officer said the Chinese patients might be discharged from the hospital after a couple of hours.District Police Office Chitwan said over-speeding of the vehicle might be the cause of the accident. However, an investigation report is yet to come out.The rainy weather could be another reason for the accident, as there has been a moderate rainfall across the country since Thursday night.Over-crowded vehicles, poorly-maintained roads and shoddy conditions of public vehicles have led to frequent road accidents in recent years in Nepal.According to the Nepal Police, more than 22,000 people lost their lives in the past 10 years in road accidents.