New regulations to take effect on April 1

BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- A series of new regulations will take effect on April 1, covering various aspects including food safety at schools, application for exit-entry permits and production safety.

ENSURING FOOD SAFETY AT SCHOOLS

A new food safety regulation jointly issued by the Ministry of Education, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Health Commission will take effect on April 1 to spot and address problems regarding school food safety in a timely manner.

According to the regulation, officials from kindergartens to secondary schools in China are to dine with their students at school canteens.

The regulation also aims to establish the work requirements for prevention, emergency response and coping with school food safety accidents.

APPLICATION FOR EXIT-ENTRY PERMITS MORE CONVENIENT

A new regulation to streamline the procedures for exit-entry permit applications for Chinese citizens will take effect on April 1.

According to the regulation issued by the National Immigration Administration, Chinese citizens on the mainland, regardless of where they were born or live, will be able to apply for passports and travel passes for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan at any immigration administration across the country.

Citizens are no longer required to return to their places of birth to apply for the aforementioned travel documents, said the administration.

ENHANCING PRODUCTION SAFETY EMERGENCY RESPONSE

A new regulation on China's production safety emergency response will take effect on April 1, which will standardize emergency response work systems, preparation and rescue.

According to the regulation, the State Council oversees national production safety emergency response work while local governments at the county level and above are responsible for rescue work in local incidents.

The regulation urges governments at county level and above and relevant production safety supervision authorities to formulate rescue plans for potential incidents and make them public. Production units should also make rescue plans.