Creative Agriculture Carnival

Creative Agriculture Carnival

From March 23 to May 12， the First Beijing Agriculture Carnival was held in Beijing’s Changping District. During the 51 days， more than a million tourists visited to embrace the charm of modern agriculture. The event featured more than 400 new products， 60 technological innovations， and 30 creative activities. Visitors not only participated in various interactive activities， but also purchased fresh agricultural products. As a brand new form of Beijing’s agricultural exhibition， this carnival highlighted modern agriculture’s functionality in terms of production， daily life， ecology， and culture， meeting the public’s demands both materially and spiritually， as well as expanding channels for farmers to increase their incomes.

Most Difficult Year to Get a Job

China’s Ministry of Education recently announced that Chinese university graduates in 2013 will number nearly 7 million. But according to surveys of 500 work units in early February， employment opportunities this year have decreased by 15 percent. Slowing economic growth， decreased labor demand in some industries， and greater numbers of graduates all contribute to job-hunting pressure this year. For over a decade， China’s count of university graduates has increased every year. At present， the gross enrollment rate for university students sits at 30 percent. According to related development plans， the figure will rise to 40 percent by 2020. Thus， job-hunting difficulties may persist for a long time.

Along with adjusting and honing employment policies， formulating new policies and establishing long-term mechanisms， more attention should be placed on fairness in such circumstances. Only when prejudice against factors such as gender， hukou （residential registration）， appearance， and family status are eliminated can pressure on university graduates’ employment be relieved.

（Yuan Xinwen， People’s Daily）

Disaster Relief with Clean Hands

On May 12， a signing ceremony for key projects related to Lushan post-quake reconstruction was held at Lushan Earthquake Relief Headquarters in a temporary shelter. The Lushan County Government signed contracts with five enterprises including China Tiancheng Group in fields such as tourism， mining， and high-end textiles， attracting investments of 16.35 billion yuan. As post-quake reconstruction begins， greater funds and materials are being invested， more reconstruction projects pop up， and the entire area attracts greater public attention. Thus， governmental supervision of quake relief materials， funds， and reconstruction projects becomes increasingly important. On May 10， Ya’an Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection reported ten violations， testifying to the government’s determination to crack down on corruption in post-quake reconstruction projects.

（Guo Guanglin， .cn）

Say “No” to OEM Formula

China Central Television recently uncovered deceptive practices by some baby formula producers， arousing greater concern about domestic formula market. Original Equipment Manufacture（OEM） is a cooperative mode. To reduce production costs and maximize comparative advantages， manufacturers with brand advantages contract other enterprises to produce products or parts. However， this practice has been misused to deceive Chinese consumers. Some enterprises register in foreign countries， but contract domestic enterprises to produce the product for the Chinese mainland market only. In this way， their products can be labeled “imported.” Contrasting the manufacturing industry， supervision and oversight for products related to public safety such as infant formula must be strengthened at the national level. Along with raising standards for market access， greater judicial interpretation is needed to specify which OEM enterprises have violated laws and what punishment they should receive.

（Xu Lifan， Beijing Times）

Lang Ping

Lang Ping， a former volleyball player and world-renowned coach， recently signed a contract to return as head coach of China’s national women’s volleyball team 15 years after her first term of service in the position. Equipped with successful experience gained in Europe and the United States of leading a team to volleyball’s top tier quickly using scientifically-proven methods， Lang is more confident to lead China’s national team to global success. Her international experience has also bestowed her special insight and understanding of volleyball culture， theory， and market. Due to Lang’s star power， more young people will be attracted to the sport with her at the helm of China’s national team， which could accelerate the development of the country’s volleyball culture， draw more attention to league championships， and enhance the prosperity of the volleyball market.

Li Bingbing

Li Bingbing， a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme（UNEP）， flew to Kenya on May 6 to attend a press conference at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi， where she delivered an impromptu speech asking the public to reject ivory products as well as urging governments and consumers around the globe to stop illegal trade. As a goodwill ambassador for the UNEP， Li has long devoted herself to environmental protection. She hopes her Kenya trip will attract more people to join the wildlife protection cause.

Yi Zhongtian

The first two volumes of Yi Zhongtian’s Chinese History， titled The Ancestors and The Nations respectively， celebrated their world premiere in Beijing on May 16. Renowned scholar Yi Zhongtian plans to spend five to six years writing the series about the history of China. In total， it will consist of 36 volumes， with two published each quarter through 2018.“We are neither eyewitnesses nor participants in history， and we can’t even look at history from afar，” Yi illustrates. “We cannot provide specific and accurate explanations for the ‘origin of China，’ ‘Chinese dream，’ and‘Chinese spirit.’ For this reason， the history of the Chinese nation must be rewritten to radically change ways of thinking and expression.”

Jack Ma

Jack Ma， who recently resigned as CEO of China’s largest e-commerce firm Alibaba， topped the list of China’s Top 10 Innovative Entrepreneurs released by the Hurun Research Institute on May 16. Soon after his resignation， Ma became chairman of TNC （The Nature Conservancy） China， hoping to devote his time to environmental protection and education. He has asserted that entrepreneurs are responsible for enhancing efficiency， scientists for providing correct methods， and sociologists for spreading information to as many people as possible. Ma joined the Board of Trustees of TNC China in 2009 and became the first Chinese member of the TNC Board of Directors on April 16， 2010.

Quotes

“EQ is very important in actual work. What we need to enhance is the ability to respond to public concerns and solve problems， namely the capacity to adapt to society.”

— Chinese President Xi Jinping responding to the question，“Which is more important， IQ or EQ （emotional quotient）？” at a meeting with college students and unemployed workers in Tianjin on May 14

“I’ve frequently heard the prediction that the Chinese will ‘buy the world.’ I disagree with this modern incarnation of ‘yellow peril.’ Let’s prove together that China’s development will bring opportunities around the world and create jobs in Europe， including France.”

— French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at a press conference in Hong Kong

“The lifespan of many bridges in China is only 20 years， and some even collapse only a year after completion. If a nation’s bridges survive only 20 years， the nation’s vision is only 20 years out.”

— Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun speaking at New York University， illustrating that China needs foresight more than money

“So far， we’ve invested in two solar power projects and are integrating them， which will probably take one or two years to complete. But， those projects will become competitive only when they acquire government subsidies.”

— Renowned investor Warren Buffett on China Central Television answering a Chinese netizen’s question about his interest in China’s solar industry

“Today， it’s hard to discuss agriculture without involving other sectors， especially in China. According to the Nonpoint Source Pollution Report released by the State Council in 2010， agriculture has surpassed industry and urban sewage to become the largest nonpoint source of pollution in China. Agriculture is contributing more to pollution than either industry or cities.”

— Professor Wen Tiejun， dean of the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of Renmin University of China， at the 2nd China Int’l Agri-Business Forum held in Beijing on May 11， 2013

Millennium Old Pedestrian Street

After more than 1，100 years of history， Santangjie is the most famous street in Suzhou， a garden city about 90 kilometers south of Shanghai. The 3.5-kilometer-long pedestrian street， which connects Tiger Hill scenic spot of flowery Huqiu Town to the bustling Changmen Gate commercial district， has been a commodities distribution conduit since the Tang Dynasty （618-907）. Now， the preserved street has been dubbed“the most popular tourist， historical and cultural street in China.” As the weather turns warmer， increasing numbers of pedestrians can be found along the street， visiting old shops， tasting local snacks and reminiscing about the city’s past prosperity. Others board a small boat to cruise the river paralleling the street， serenaded by water lapping against small and elegant bridges.

A 50-Mile Gallery

Located in the eastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， Lijiang River scenic area boasts one of the world’s largest and most beautiful karst formations. The stretch of water from Guilin City to Yangshou County has been dubbed the “Fifty-Mile Art Gallery.” When the weather is good， visitors can appreciate green hills surrounding the river， and on overcast or rainy days， the scenery unfolds like an elegant Chinese wash painting.

Cultural Township

Three kilometers southwest of Tengchong County in southwestern Yunnan Province lies Heshun Township， well known for its rich historical and cultural legacy. The township is home to a massive village library， the largest of its kind in China. It also produced many Chinese cultural celebrities. The whole village is dotted with elegant ancient ancestral temples， stages， pavilions and stone railings. The picturesque scenery has attracted many filmmakers， photographers and painters， especially in late spring and early summer when seas of flowers against Anhui-style buildings present a particularly enchanting view accented by blooming lotuses.