A Chinese satellite will not only enable passengers of high-speed trains to watch high-definition videos more smoothly but also help those at the scene of natural disasters report emergencies.

Shijian-13, China’s first high-throughput communications satellite, was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province at 7:04 p.m. Wednesday.

The satellite, with a transfer capacity of 20 Gbps and a designed orbital life of 15 years, was sent into orbit on a Long March-3B carrier rocket.

The satellite, which has a higher message capacity than the combined capacity of all of China’s previous communications satellites, is capable of providing better Internet access on planes and high-speed trains, as well as in less-developed regions.

While in orbit, the satellite will undergo tests on its broadband multimedia satellite communications system and the high speed laser communication technology between the ground and the satellite.

“The launch is a milestone for China’s communications satellite technology,” said Tian Yulong, chief engineer of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

Different from previous satellites fueled by chemicals, Shijian-13 is the first Chinese satellite to be powered by electricity.

Using electricity as propellant could potentially improve efficiency by as much as 10 times compared with those that use chemicals as a propellant, said Zhou Zhicheng, commander in chief of Shijian-13 satellite system, adding that it can also help extend satellite life and reduce launch weight significantly.

For the first time, a large number of domestic components have been used on the communications satellite. It is also the first time a laser communications system has been installed on a Chinese high orbit satellite with a long lifespan.

The satellite and the rocket were designed by academies affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology respectively.

It was the 246th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.

Customs authorities in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province said Wednesday that they had seized more than 1 tonne of mammoth ivory smuggled from Russia.

Luobei customs found 107 mammoth tusks, along with 37 woolly rhino horn parts and 1.11 tonnes of jade in secret compartments in a truck attempting to enter China through Luobei port in mid-February.

The driver of the truck fled after being informed that the truck, which claimed to carry soybeans, needed further examination. He and the owner of the goods were caught in a hotel later that month.

The owner, surnamed Han, had bought the truck and built secret compartments for smuggling. He was accused of smuggling goods under the country’s criminal law.

Russia’s Siberia region is a major source of mammoth tusks, a raw material for ivory-carving, which are usually uncovered by hunters when the tundra snow melts.

If we are going to develop a better approach to taxing the better off, we first have to decide who is better off. One of the most difficult issues which tax policy has to face is the relationship between capital assets and income.  How do we feel about people who are asset rich but income poor, or people who are income rich but capital poor?

Let us look at some difficult examples.

Mrs Hardup  is a widow living in a one bedroom flat in what is now Chelsea – it used to  be Fulham. She lives on a state pension, with no savings or private pensions to top up what the state provides. She and her  husband bought the flat in the 1960s when it was much cheaper, and paid off the mortgage. Doing that got in the way of other savings.  The flat  is worth £1.2 million today.

Mrs Lucky lives in a Council bungalow on her state pension, but has recently won £1.2 million on the lottery. She has so far put it into cautious investments. She might live for another 20 years, so she could draw down and spend more than £60,000 a year depending on how well she invests the money. Alternatively she could buy herself a property, remove the rent  bill and pay herself a bit less.

Mrs Hardup decides to sell her Chelsea  flat, move  and  buy a small detached property near her daughter in Bolton for £200,00, leaving her £1 million to invest to provide her with an income well above the national average.

Mr Feckless retires early, sells his £1.5m southern counties executive house, buys a £500,000 smaller property, and spends three years on expensive cruises,  buying luxury cars and other consumption, using up much of his spare £1m.

Mr Prudent retires with a good  pension of £35,000 a year, and continues living in his £1.5m southern executive home. He is surprised by the choices of his former  neighbour, Mr Feckless.

Mr Whirlwind is in the prime of life and earns £150,000 a year. His income has risen quickly recently, and he has been too busy to get round to buying a home of his own. He pays a lot out in rent for the smart new property he has recently taken on, eats out most days and takes expensive holidays. He has few assets.

Do we have views on which of these, if any, is rich? Do people have moral preferences over who should pay more?  Should we tax income more, because it is available to be paid to the government as it comes in? Should we tax assets more, to make people reorganise their assets?

Chinese citizens’ personal information and the country’s important data collected by Internet service providers may need evaluation and permission before being shared with non-domestic entities.

Such information should stay within China and be subject to security assessment before being provided to anyone outside China, according to a draft guideline released Tuesday for public opinion by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

To export personal information the collector must get consent from the individual, the draft says.

For data related to national security, the economy or public interest, such as information on nuclear facilities, armed forces or public health, the collector should coordinate a security evaluation with the authorities.

The evaluation will ensure online data is managed legally, the guideline said.

To make suggestions on the draft, the public can email security@cac.gov.cn before May 11.

Konggar Airport in Tibet, one of the highest-altitude airports in China, was able to accommodate a Tibet Airlines wide-body Airbus 330 aircraft overnight for the first time, the airline announced Wednesday.

The 3,600-meter-high airport in Lhasa was able to accommodate the plane after the airline’s technicians solved the problem of re-starting the aircraft’s engine in a low air pressure environment after an overnight stay.

A new oxygen diffusion device has been designed to increase air supply during the engine ignition process, the airline said.

High-altitude airports (over 2,438 meters above sea levels) pose safety issues for pilots as low air pressure affects flight performance. All five airports in Tibet are classified as such.