U.S.-based Starbucks Coffee Company signed memorandum of understanding deals in China to assist local farmers to develop better sustainability practices.

Herbalife Ltd. held a ground-breaking ceremony in Changsha, Hunan, for its state-of-the-art extraction facility for botanical extracts, powders and pure compounds to be used in its inner and outer nutrition products.

The Beijing Human Resources and Social Security Bureau says it will continue to give top priority to the employment of college students this year.

News from a meeting of Tibet's Political Consultative Conference held in Lhasa is that Tibet plans to build 400 rural retail stores in the autonomous region's agricultural and pastoral areas to address the problems of the local population in purchasing commodities.

Li Yuan, the deputy director of the Ecological Division of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, has disclosed to local media that China will arrange a CNY1 billion special fund this year for environment protection and pollution control in the rural areas of the country.

According to Eric Legros, the CEO of Carrefour China, the company plans to enhance purchase of agricultural products from Chongqing, and the French retailer is expected to buy fruit and vegetables of over CNY100 million in the city in 2010.

Zhejiang Electric Power Corporation has released the first corporate social responsibility report in State Grid Corporation of China system since the enforcement of "Guidelines to State Grid Corporation of China on Fulfilling Social Responsibility".