Unrelated to our daily lives: a batch of new regulations set to be implemented in December 2007 might include stipulations that special charges at restaurants must be disclosed, public rental housing units must not exceed 50 square meters, online stores must register for business licenses, and students from private universities can also buy half-price train tickets... As December approaches, citizens will face the last batch of new regulations for the year.
1. Special charge items at restaurants must be disclosed
The "Operating Standards for Catering Enterprises" issued by the Ministry of Commerce will officially come into effect on December 1st. Although these standards do not explicitly specify rules regarding corkage fees, service fees, or private room fees, they point out that "catering enterprises must clearly display their operating hours, types of food provided, service projects and their corresponding fee standards, as well as any other special provisions. Food sold must have clear pricing, the services provided and costs must conform to agreements with consumers, and valid receipts must be provided."
Additionally, the standard requires that the location of exhaust vents for each catering enterprise should be more than 10 meters away from residential areas, hospitals, or schools; dining places over 100 square meters must be equipped with restrooms and cleaning supplies.
2. Public rental housing area must not exceed 50 square meters
The "Regulations on Public Rental Housing Security" jointly announced by the Ministry of Construction and eight other departments will come into effect on December 1st. For newly constructed public rental housing, the method clearly proposes that the planning layout should consider the convenience of low-income families in terms of both living and employment, adopting a combination of integrated construction and relatively concentrated construction, mainly within economic affordable housing and general commercial housing projects. The single-unit building area of public rental housing is specified to be controlled within 50 square meters, and the unit structure should be reasonably determined based on the living needs of low-income families.
3. Middle and primary school students can buy half-price train tickets
Starting December 1st, students from private universities and some eligible middle and primary school students can also buy half-price train tickets. The "Student Round-Trip Ticket Processing Measures" formulated by the Ministry of Railways will come into effect on December 1st. According to the regulations, eligible students include those from regular higher education institutions (including private higher education institutions offering academic qualifications), vocational schools, research institutions undertaking postgraduate education, military academies, middle and primary school students whose family residences are not in the same city as their schools, and students without wage income. Middle and primary school students can purchase four student tickets per year from their home to their school using their student ID and a written certificate from their school.
4. Solar water heaters must reach 45℃
China's first environmental solar standard will come into effect on December 1st. According to the standards specified in the "Technical Requirements for Environmental Label Products - Household Solar Water Heating Systems," the water temperature of solar water heaters must reach 45℃. Simultaneously, lead, nickel, and cadmium emissions must meet the standards. Solar products that fail to meet environmental standards and have poor quality will be phased out of the market.
5. Roads must be at least 6 meters wide to have parking spaces
The phenomenon of parking spaces encroaching on pedestrian walkways will be regulated. Beijing's first local standard for "Traffic Management Facilities Setting Specifications" will begin implementation on December 1st. It requires that parking spaces generally should not be set on pedestrian walkways, but if necessary, there should be an effective pedestrian walkway width of more than 3 meters. When setting parking spaces in alleys or side roads, the road width must be no less than 6 meters, and parking spaces can only be set on one side of the road, without affecting the passage of vehicles and pedestrians. Additionally, parking spaces should not be set within 50 meters of public bus stations, gas stations, fire stations, hospitals, manhole covers, or under transformers.
6. Online stores must disclose business information
Starting December 1st, online stores must obtain business licenses. The "Beijing Information Promotion Regulations" will be implemented on December 1st, requiring entities and individuals in Beijing who use the internet for business activities to legally obtain business licenses and publicly disclose relevant business subject information, permits, or filing proofs, as well as service rules and procedures on the homepage of their websites.
7. Flat-screen TVs have a one-year warranty
The "Implementation Opinions on After-Sales Service for Flat-Screen Televisions" will officially start implementation on December 1st. New standards include: starting December 1st this year, plasma and LCD televisions will have a one-year warranty for the entire machine, and a two-year warranty for important components such as displays, screen drive components, and screen logic components. If quality issues arise with plasma or LCD televisions, they can be returned within 7 days and exchanged within 15 days.