Members of a voluntary rescue team in Shanghai's Zhujiajiao town patrol its waterways on charge boats. [CHINA DAILY] Pedestrians and cyclists in a busy riverside town outside of Shanghai can move about with more peace of mind thanks to the efforts of a highly trained rescue team. For over a decade, the team's patrols have helped prevent accidents, especially along the Dianpu River in Zhujiajiao - a town with a history of more than 1,700 years in suburban Qingpu district. Members perform various tasks, including fighting fires, emergency water rescues, and flood prevention and typhoon preparedness, according to Chen Chunhao, director of the Zhujiajiao's conscription office, which oversees the team. The team has several dozen members, he said. Half are ex-military and the rest are college graduates under 25. All are unpaid but receive free training, and were selected through exams and stamina tests. The group is officially classed as a militia, which still operate nationwide under guidance from local authorities. They play a part in protecting national security and respond to emergencies that threaten social stability. However, such groups are only armed during training with the military. We undertake more diversified duties - mainly covering the propagation of national defense knowledge and performing daily guard duty along the river - in addition to our basic security work, said Li Linjie, the team leader. For example, we rescued a 22-year-old woman who attempted to drown herself in the river in September. In January, the team also cleared heavy snow from the streets and laid skid-resistant straw mats to protect vehicles and pedestrians. On an average day, Zhujiajiao receives more than 40,000 tourists keen to take in the town's history and watery vistas, and accidents sometimes occur with children and the elderly trying to negotiate the river's slippery banks. We're ready for every mission, Li said. Every member also speaks a second language, to help foreign tourists in town. According to its members, the team's track record of success is due to its disciplined military-style management. A full set of equipment is available to us, including rescue and patrol boats, inflatable rafts, motorcycles and firefighting tools, said Yuan Heqiang, another team leader. Members undergo regular military training and physical conditioning, as well as study water-rescue and firefighting techniques. We even began using drones last year to quicken our emergency response time, Yuan said. Experts from the Qingpu Lifesaving Association and the Qingpu Red Cross Association are regularly invited to teach the team the latest techniques in water rescue and first aid. The emergency response team has become a key guardian of peace and security in Zhujiajiao, said Colonel Li Huilin of the Qingpu district's conscription office. Over the past 11 years, the unit has coped with more than 30 major disasters and 500 crises, helping prevent property losses of more than 8 million yuan ($1.21 million), especially before and during weather emergencies. [email protected]custom silicone bandsfabric braceletscustom rubber bandsrubber bracelets cheapcustomise fidget spinnerglow wristbandsblack rubber wristbands
President Xi urges strong efforts to ensure theories keep up with times Relentless efforts should be made to adapt Marxism to China, to the era and to the public, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday. Xi made the remark at the 43rd group study session of the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The study session was held ahead of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, which will convene in Beijing on Oct 18. The congress is held every five years. Jiang Hui, a senior researcher at the Institute of Information Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, gave a lecture at the group study and offered his opinions. Xi said that as a party upholding Marxism, the CPC should make sure its theories keep up with the times. Drifting away from or betraying Marxism will lead to the Party's losing its soul and direction as it moves forward, Xi added. Marxism is unsurpassed in achieving great heights and having a huge influence, he said. One of the keys to the Party's success in conquering hard times and scoring new glories is boosting the building of the Party with thoughts and theories, Xi said. The Party should better use Marxism to observe, interpret and play a leading role in the era, he added. Since China has undergone remarkable changes following its reform and opening-up, Chinese are most qualified and capable of unveiling the lessons and natural laws behind such changes and of making original contributions to the development of Marxism, Xi said. Party members should be self-conscious about and confident in the theory, focus on what they do, listen to what the people think, respond to actual needs and fully sum up the practices of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said. Additionally, the Party should continue improving its capabilities in analyzing and tackling issues by using Marxism, and continue strengthening its capabilities in addressing major challenges, risks, resistance and contradictions, he said. The Party's officials, particularly those in senior ranks, should fully study the classics of Marxism, as well as the Party theories of Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, The Thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, as well as new ideas, thoughts and strategies regarding governance by the CPC Central Committee, Xi said. Sun Zhengcai expelled The former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPC, Sun Zhengcai, has been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for "serious discipline violations". A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee reviewed and approved a report on the investigation of Sun and made the decision on Friday. According to evidence found by the authorities and tips from the public, the CPC Central Committee decided to remove Sun from his position as Chongqing Party chief on July 14.
