In the first half of this year, the GDP of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region totaled 3,819.86 billion yuan (about US$572.58 billion), accounting for 10 percent nationwide, according to data released by Beijing municipal authority of statistics.

Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province each achieved regional GDP of 1,240.68 billion yuan, 938.69 billion yuan, and 1,640.49 billion yuan respectively, increasing by 6.8 percent, 6.9 percent and 6.8 percent year-on-year respectively.

The region’s overall growth was driven by the growth of its high-tech industries. The added value created by high-tech industries at or above the designated scale (annual turnover reaching 20 million yuan) in Beijing rose by 11.6 percent year-on-year and contributed to 48.5 percent of the industry’s growth.

The added value of strategic emerging industries above the designated scale in Tianjin grew by 8.2 percent on a yearly basis, and that of high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 12.9 percent, driving industrial growth by 1.6 percentage points.

In Hebei Province, the modern service industry has gained momentum and the value added in service industry accounted for 41.7 percent of regional GDP. Meanwhile, the year-on-year growth of added value created in equipment manufacturing industry stood at 15.6 percent, which contributed to 77 percent of the above-scale industrial growth.

At the same time, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has seen vigorous activities in innovation. Data shows that the gross revenue of high-tech enterprises above certain scale in Beijing’s Zhongguancun demonstration area jumped 16.7 percent in the first half of this year, of which the advanced manufacturing and environmental protection technology sector registered a revenue growth of over 20 percent.

Tianjin is home to 94,000 science and technology-based enterprises with 7,568 ones newly registered this year. Investment made in science and technology services and information services in Hebei Province each increased by 39.6 percent and 20.9 percent year-on-year.

Beijing will have a total of 350 day care nursing homes for senior citizens by the end of this year, according to the Office of Beijing Municipal Working Committee on Aging.

Last year, Beijing launched a pilot program of day care nursing homes, where senior citizens can have access to food and day care near their homes. Some nursing homes also provide basic medical care and other activities such as painting and singing classes.

The capital city’s various districts and communities provide space for such nursing homes, and the municipal government offers facilities, while leaving their operation and management to old-age service providers. By the end of last year,

Beijing was home to 150 nursing homes, 70.7 percent of which were under chain operation.

The number of day care nursing homes is expected to reach 1,000 by the year 2020, roughly covering all areas where there is a large concentration of senior citizens.

Beijing has been vigorously promoting new energy vehicle (NEV) for years to tackle air pollution. As of June, the city is home to 135,400 NEVs, with 92,300 charging piles, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Management.

A multi-storey NEV charging station went into operation in SOHU modern city, a busy downtown area of Beijing on Aug. 8. The station, covering more than 4,000 square meters, is equipped with 101 charging piles. More than 500 cars can be charged here daily, and online payment for charging is available.

Beijing has been building charging stations and piles around malls, traffic hubs, office buildings, highway service areas, tourist attractions, as well as regular gas stations. The city is home to 1,873 public NEV charging stations, making charging possible in a five-kilometer range within the city’s Sixth Ring Road.

According to an official of the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Management, Beijing plans to build no less than 3,000 public charging piles this year. By 2020, NEV charging facilities will be available every 0.9 kilometers in downtown Beijing, the sub-center of Beijing, the new airport and the Winter Olympics venues.

Chinese Internet authorities have opened cases to investigate three social media platforms — Tencent’s Wechat, Sina Weibo and Baidu Tieba, for not stopping the circulation of illegal online content, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said Friday.

The administration has received reports from users that illegal content, including pornographic, violent, terrorist and fake information, was being spread on the three platforms, according to a statement published on CAC website.

The illegal content is harmful to national security, public security and social order, the CAC said.

The companies are suspected of violating the country’s cyber security law, as they failed to stop the information being published and spread on their platforms, a CAC official said.

China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo, the instant messaging app WeChat, and Baidu Tieba, the popular bulletin board consisting of 19 million sub-forums, are considered the three largest communication platforms in China.

The CAC will continue to crack down on illegal online behavior and welcomes reports from the public.

Reports can be made by phone 12377 or email jubao@12377.cn.

A trial of five individuals related to fugitive Guo Wengui opened Friday in the northeast China city of Dalian.

Qu Long, former executive of Tianjin Huatai Holding Group Ltd., and former Huatai chairman Zhao Yun’an were accused of misappropriation of funds, while the other three defendants, all ex-employees of Guo’s company, were charged with embezzlement.

According to the indictment, Zhao’s wife approached Guo Wengui through an intermediary to get Zhao out of jail in 2008. After being granted bail, Zhao promised to transfer the assets of Huatai’s major shareholder to Guo, so that Guo could take actual control of Huatai.

Without calling a board meeting, Guo directed Qu Long and other people to transfer more than 400 million yuan (about 60 million U.S. dollars) from Huatai to companies controlled by Guo.

The prosecutors also assert that Gao Song, Ma Nan and Cheng Xiuhua, all former employees of Beijing Pangu Investment Company, which Guo Wengui actually controls, forged paperwork and filed a civil lawsuit to help Guo keep the 400 million yuan.

“Through falsified agreements and a civil lawsuit, we transferred the liabilities to a company in Henan which had no loan repayment capacity to help Guo pocket the money,” Ma Nan, former legal director of Pangu, said.

The defendants pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

They asked for leniency, saying their action was on the instruction or suggestion of Guo Wengui.

“I followed the instructions of my boss and was unaware of the hidden risks and consequences. I feel deeply regretful,” said Ma Nan.

A pre-trial conference was held, attended by the prosecution team, defendants and their lawyers. Over 40 people, including relatives of the defendants, journalists from domestic and overseas media outlets and members of the public attended the hearing, which was broadcast online.

The verdict will be announced at a later date.

Friday’s trial was the third of a series of cases involving Beijing Pangu Investment.

On Aug. 4, one of Guo’s companies, Henan Yuda Real Estate Company, was fined 150 million yuan for crimes of defrauding loans and bill acceptance. Two employees of the company were sentenced to prison terms.

Guo fled China under suspicion of multiple crimes in August 2014 and is currently listed under an Interpol “red notice” for wanted fugitives.