Shenzhen Evening News
July 24, 2009

A university graduate in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, was fired from his job at a security equipment factory during his probation period, apparently because he has a birthmark on his head.

The man, identified by his surname Zhao, graduated from a university in Wuhan earlier this year. With the gloomy economic environment, Zhao felt lucky to find a job in Shenzhen: a security equipment factory hired him and signed a three-year contract with him, including a three-month probation period, during which his monthly salary was 1200 yuan.

On July 6, Zhao went to the company for registration and on the same day, Zhao, along with the company's other new employees, were sent to Bao'an district for job training. There, all of them were told they were to be given a haircut by a company-assigned barber. All male employees can only have a short crewcut.

Zhao, who has a five centimeter long birthmark on his head, asked a manager whether he could be exempted. He was told either to keep his hair or his job. Zhao chose the latter and had his hair cut.

The next day, a medical examination was arranged for the new recruits. On July 8, Zhao and other four employees were told to pack up, supposedly because three were suspected of having Hepatitis B, another of heart beats that were too fast, and Zhao for a skin disease that was believed to be contagious. All of them were given 600 yuan severance money.

The newspaper reporter contacted the company, which said that the haircut is because that new employees take "military training" and it is not compulsory. Zhao was fired only because that he didn't meet the company's requirement.

New Express
July 24, 2009

Another Guangdong-based newspaper New Express reports on a mass swimming activity in Guangzhou: accompanied by another 2026 swimmers, the mayors of the two neighboring Guangdong cities of Guangzhou and Foshan swam across the Pearl River yesterday, as a way to prove the government's success in clearing up the once heavily-polluted river.

The mass swimming activity has been held for four consecutive years in the river. According to the report, the water quality of river has improved substantially compared with four years ago. "Last year, you could barely see anything deeper than 10 cm. But this time, you can see your hand clearly under 20 cm."

But the river is not going to be a public swimming pool no matter how much clearer it is going to be. "Once we totally clear it up, we are going to put up warning signs and ban people from swimming in the river, because it is still too dangerous to swim in the river."