China announces central government reshuffle

China’s cabinet on Sunday announced a plan to streamline central government operations, South China Morning Post reported. The plan dissolves the scandal-plagued Railways Ministry, giving its regulatory responsibilities to the Transport Ministry and operations to a new state-owned enterprise, the China Railway Corporation. The plan also merges the regulators for broadcasting and print media, incorporates the family planning commission into the Health Ministry, elevates the food and drug administration to ministerial level, and pulls together fisheries and maritime enforcement agencies. The plan, which was presented to the National People’s Congress in Beijing, is the seventh restructuring of the central government since China began market reforms 30 years ago.