No. 330, Aug 27(1)

News 

Government Moves on Housing Guarantees 
On August 24, the National Housing Working Conference quietly convened under the leadership of officials from the State Council and the Ministry of Construction, with provincial leaders also present. Though the discussions are not being publicized, sources tell the EO that a series of documents relating to the housing guarantee system will surface soon, with policy cementing within the year. This comes after the State Council on August 8 published policy suggestions dealing with the difficulty faced by low-income families in housing markets. The document puts the issue at the top of the housing system and construction reform agenda.
Original article: [Chinese]

Editorial: Domestic Products Are Dangerous Too 
This week's editorial argues that the recently popular argument that 99 percent of Chinese exports are safe downplays the damage done to consumers who end up purchasing the sub-par 1 percent. Furthermore, domestically consumed products deserve more scrutiny, as they fail to meet standards more often than China's exports do.
Original article: [Chinese]

Antitrust Law Enters Last Draft 
The last draft of the Antitrust Law will be reviewed by the National People's Congress' Standing Committee from August 24 to August 30. After more than ten years in the making, it has hope of being passed by the end of the month. One section that has undergone heavy editing in this last draft deals with foreign firms' acquisition of domestic assets in industries linked to national security.
Original article: [Chinese]

National Mining Registry Emerges 
The Ministry of Land and Resources recently began work on a national registry to deal with confusion in mining rights transactions, which is expected to be finished by December. As part of the project, local branches of the Ministry have begun surveying mines for basic information. It is hoped that this will clear up discrepancies in local databases, aid mine inspections and assessments, and make annual reports by mines easier.
Original article: [Chinese]

Industry in Focus: Cotton 
The EO examines the cotton industry in China, which employs over 100 million people mostly in agriculture. Experts tell the EO that the industry is regulated by too many government agencies (nine) and suggest allowing market forces to play a greater role.
Original article: [Chinese]