Construction begins on national ‘stony desert park’

Workers have broken ground on a “stony desert park” in south China’s Guangdong Province. The park, located in the Province’s northern Liannan County, will be the first national “stony desert park” in Guangdong, according to the provincial forestry bureau. The park will help complete the treatment of stony desertification and prevent environmental risks, while also powering local tourism, according to the bureau. The park will cover a planned area of 1,458 hectares, with an investment of 134 million yuan (USD19 million). Upon completion, it will feature facilities for tourism, vacation, education and outdoor activities.

Shenzhen customs bust diesel smuggling gang

Customs in south China have busted a gang that smuggled diesel from Hong Kong to cities on the Chinese mainland. Thirty-eight suspects were arrested in the smuggling case, according to the Shenzhen customs in Guangdong Province. A total of 94.67 tonnes of smuggled diesel were seized and preliminary investigation showed the case might involve up to 150 million yuan (USD22 million). Shenzhen customs said it was the largest smuggling case uncovered in recent years. Commonly known as “red oil,” the diesel used for industrial and maritime fuel in Hong Kong is duty-free with red additives. It was wholesaled between 5,200 to 5,500 yuan per tonne, while a tonne of non-duty-free diesel costs about 2,000 yuan more in mainland cities. Further investigation is underway.