Eiffel Tower is lit up with environmentally friendly colors on Tuesday night as One Planet Summit is held in Paris. [Fu Jing / China Daily] Vice-Premier Ma Kai announced on Tuesday from Paris that China will launch a national carbon-trading system in the coming days but he said a national carbon market will need to be set up step-by-step. I am announcing that China will be launching a national carbon-trading system in the coming days ... to encourage businesses to reduce greenhouse gases by using market incentives, said Ma. He said China will step out phase-by-phase efforts to establish a national carbon market, but he didn't reveal when the overall trading market is likely to be operational. Ma made the announcement at the One Planet Summit, which was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. More than 50 global leaders attended the one-day event that focused on concrete proposals and actions to fight climate change. It was the first time China had talked about the specifics of setting up a national carbon trading system and national carbon market. So far, China has established local pilot carbon markets in some provinces and municipalities. At Tuesday's gathering, Ma pledged that China will honor its commitments made two years ago, when up to 200 countries and economies signed the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Ma said China will transform through green and low-carbon development. And he said the nation will also strengthen South-South cooperation in coping climate change. But he urged rich nations to speed up their actions in capital and technology transfer to help poor countries with climate adaptation and mitigation. make rubber braceletswoven braceletscustomise fidget spinnercustom printed wristbandscustom wrist sweatbandscustom rubber band braceletsrubber bracelets custom cheap
Guo Feng, a 39-year-old with Down syndrome, waits for a bus with his mother, Meng Fanrong. [Photo by Liang Yingfei/For China Daily] A lack of care options means many will have no support when their elderly parents die, as Xin Wen reports. Meng Fanrong once considered jumping into the Pearl River in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, with her baby son in her arms because she was fearful of the future that awaited him. Meng, now 70, quickly abandoned the idea, but her concerns over the future of her son, who has Down syndrome, persist nearly 40 years later. Guo Feng, 39, is unable to speak, so he can't alert anyone if he is unwell or experiencing pain, and Meng can only discern his state of health through tiny changes in his expression. He is also unable to care for himself or perform basic tasks, and it took years to teach him basic skills, such as getting a newspaper from the newsstand or pouring water from the kettle. Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder that results when a person is born with three, rather than two, copies of chromosome 21. The extra chromosome results in impaired mental capacity, delayed growth, flat facial features and lower immunity to a number of illnesses. The mental ability of an adult with Down syndrome is equal to that of a child age 8 or 9. More than 2 million people in China have Down syndrome, according to the China Association of Persons with Intellectual Disability and their Relatives. They have trouble communicating and controlling their emotions, and often rely on their parents for care into adulthood. As their parents age, though, the question of future care becomes an overriding concern. People with Down syndrome generally take a long time to adapt to new environments, and some never adjust to new surroundings. Helping them to adapt requires knowledge of the syndrome, familiarity with the person's habits and endless patience. As a result, many parents worry that without professional care, their children won't be able to adapt at all, and are concerned that caregivers will lose patience and mistreat their charges.
