WORLD: CHINA-U.S. TRADE TALKS P.22 | BUSINESS: RURAL POLICY DOCUMENT P.34
VOL.62 NO.10 MARCH 7, 2019 WWW.BJREVIEW.COM
IN HIGH SPIRITS Expanding social care to meet modern demands
RMB6.00 USD1.70 AUD3.00 GBP1.20 CAD2.60 CHF2.60
)/$ЮፑʶѮՁὙڍJPY188 ᥪԦ̼Ձe
VOL.62 NO.10 MARCH 7, 2019 CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK BUSINESS 02 People Focused 37 Critical Tasks Highlights of the 2019 No.1 Central THIS WEEK Document 38 Market Watch COVER STORY 16 Creating a Bond CULTURE Community-based senior care 44 Key Terms to Understand takes root in Beijing Reform and Opening Up 18 Rare Finds 12 COVER STORY New policies reduce drug costs FORUM 20 Nourishing Hopes 46 Do We Still Need Classical Devoted rural teachers are better For the People Poems in Today’s Modern Society? rewarded China steps up livelihood improvement efforts EXPAT’S EYE WORLD 48 Night Owls’ Market 24 New Hopeful Land Discovering China’s market places Saudi Arabia seeks greater WORLD at night cooperation in Asia 26 Sliding Into Uncertainty P.22 | Xi-Trump Consensus Donald Trump strains U.S.-EU relations Guides Talks NATION China-U.S. trade negotiations 30 Foreign Envoys in Xinjiang gain momentum Diplomats tour vocational training centers in Xinjiang CULTURE P.42 | Reeled In Quality of content holds key to short video apps
¼ BUSINESS P.34 | Strength Cover Photo: Students at Hongqi Primary School in Zaozhuang, Shandong Province (VCG) From the Soil Agriculture grows stronger with ©2019 Beijing Review, all rights reserved. more policy support
www.bjreview.com Follow us on
MEDIA PARTNER BREAKING NEWS » SCAN ME » Using a QR code reader Beijing Review (ISSN 1000-9140) is published weekly for US$61.00 per year by Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080, Periodical Postage Paid at South San Francisco, CA 94080. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Beijing Review, Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080 EDITOR’S DESK
A News Weekly Magazine Published Since 1958 People Focused As China’s annual political season gets diversified. It is imperative that intensive President: Li Yafang underway, hopes are high that more is- Vice President: Luo Xianyong deliberations should be carried out before Associate Editors in Chief: Li Jianguo, Ding Zhitao sues that affect people’s lives are raised, decisions are taken. At the Two Sessions, Assistant President: Li Zhenzhou contemplated and addressed. participants review the government’s work Executive Editor: Yan Wei Every March, the country’s top law- in the past year and make recommenda- Assistant Executive Editors: Zan Jifang, Liu Yunyun, Ding Ying makers and political advisers gather in tions for it to act upon. Heated debate is Production Director: Yao Bin Beijing for their annual meetings, popu- Editorial Administrators: Zeng Wenhui, Shi Bosen common. Through candid discussions, a Commentator: Lan Xinzhen larly known as the Two Sessions. This year, consensus is pooled and workable solu- Opinion/Culture Editor: Ding Ying they are officially known as the Second tions are reached. World Editor: Yu Lintao Session of the 13th National People’s Nation Editor: Zan Jifang It is the Chinese Government’s belief Business Editor: Deng Yaqing Congress (NPC), which opened on March that the ultimate purpose of economic Web Editor: Li Nan 5, and the Second Session of the 13th Editorial Consultants: Rebeca Toledo, Craig Crowther, GHYHORSPHQWLVWRGHOLYHUEHQHĶWVWRWKH Sudeshna Sarkar National Committee of the Chinese country’s more than 1.3 billion people. Staff Reporters: Tang Yuankai, Wang Jun, Pan Xiaoqiao, Yuan Yuan, People’s Political Consultative Conference Their aspirations for a better life are what Wang Hairong, Li Fangfang, Ji Jing, Lu Yan, Wen Qing, Li Qing, Li Xiaoyang, (CPPCC), taking place between March 3 Ma Miaomiao, Zhang Shasha motivates the government to improve its Visual Director: Pamela Tobey and 13. services. Poverty alleviation, a social safety Photo Editor: Wang Xiang Part of the reason why the Two net, education and welfare programs Photographer: Wei Yao Sessions are so important for resolving Art: Li Shigong have been at the top of the Two Sessions’ public concerns is that participants rep- Design Director: Wang Yajuan agenda in recent years. Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong resent a broad spectrum of opinions. The The government is poised to respond Designer: Zhao Boyu NPC, the highest organ of state power Proofreading: Ma Xin, Hou Beibei to calls from the public. It incorporated whose functions include electing the Distribution Director: Hu Keqiang president, making laws and supervising a number of life-saving but costly anti- Human Resources: Zhang Yajie cancer drugs into the medical insurance Marketing/PR Director: Pan Changqing the government, consists of deputies Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng from China’s provinces, autonomous reimbursement list last year, lessening North America Bureau regions, municipalities, special admin- WKHĶQDQFLDOEXUGHQRISDWLHQWV,WLVDOVR Chief: Yu Shujun istrative regions and armed forces. The taking measures to ensure that senior citi- Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334 zens are taken good care of, at their own E-mail: [email protected] CPPCC National Committee is composed homes or in nursing homes. Moreover, Africa Bureau of members from the ruling Communist Chief: Li Jianguo Party of China (CPC) and non-Communist China is well on its way to eradicating pov- Tel: 27-71-6132053 parties alike, as well as those from dif- erty across the country by 2020. E-mail: [email protected] ferent sectors of society ranging from While China’s economic growth tar- *HQHUDO(GLWRULDO2IßFH gets and global footprint may be more Tel: 86-10-68996252 science and technology to the press. Fax: 86-10-68326628 CPPCC National Committee members are relevant to international observers, ini- English Edition free to offer their suggestions on govern- tiatives aimed at improving livelihoods Tel: 86-10-68996250 Advertising Department ment policies. Through these institutions, domestically are also worthy of attention. Tel: 86-10-68995807 Chinese people participate in and contrib- They offer a perspective to understand E-mail: [email protected] ute to national policymaking. the CPC’s people-centered approach to Distribution Department Tel: 86-10-68310644 As China has evolved into a middle- development. They also put the country’s E-mail: [email protected] income country and disparities remain, unremitting efforts to sustain high-quality, Published every Thursday by demands are becoming increasingly robust growth into context. Q BEIJING REVIEW, 24 Baiwanzhuang Lu, Beijing 100037, China. Overseas Distributor: China International Book Trading WRITE TO US Corporation (Guoji Shudian), P. O. BOX 399, Beijing 100044, China Tel: 86-10-68413849, 1-416-497-8096 (Canada) Send an e-mail: [email protected] Fax: 86-10-68412166 E-mail: [email protected] Please provide your name and address along with your submissions. Submissions may be edited. Website: http://www.cibtc.com CHINA...... RMB6.00 U.S.A...... USD1.70 AUSTRALIA...... AUD3.00 UK...... GBP1.20 CANADA...... CAD2.60 SWITZERLAND...... CHF2.60 General Distributor for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan: JAPAN...... JPY188 EUROPE...... EURO1.90 TURKEY...... YTL5.00 HK...... HKD9.30 NEPAL...... RS40 Peace Book Co. Ltd. ѢྟԦᛠ̂ˉࡌܰڍ˖Fl, Paramount Bldg, 12 Ka Yip St, Chai Wan, HK ˞ክӬͮὙ/17 Tel: 852-28046687 Fax: 852-28046409 ˞ҨӬͮὙӑ̚ֆઐᇪ Ὑӑ̚ࣉ᜴ۡӜᄇʹࣺܷᛣՁᥪᎃὙڦڠ Beijing Review (ISSN 1000-9140 USPS 2812) is published weekly in the ʷংృ߾డӥڍὙృᬵᔉᎬЎҺృत͗ށUnited States for US$61.00 per year by Cypress Books, ᎃ 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, South San Francisco, CA 94080 ᇪ᫁Ὑృᬵᔉ News Postage Paid at South San Francisco, CA 94080 ᎃࠈႂពὙ ԦᛠᦉႂពὙ POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Beijing Review, Cypress Books, 360 Swift Avenue, Suite 48, Ӿ҄Ὑӑ̚ӧᐎӾ҄థᬌМՂ ЮፑʶѮՁὙ$/(ᥪԦ̼ՁὙڍ/South San Francisco, CA 94080 ӑ̚ֆઐᔭྟࣱኃయ*44 ࣸնԺՁӑ̚ࣉయѮᄅኃՁ Юᭅ͈Ὑ̠ඞࣈЊڍ
2 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK XINHUA ALL IN THE DETAIL Fan Yongzhen (left), a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, visits an embroidery of Yunnan style workshop in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on February 13. Before this year’s NPC session opened in Beijing on March 5, lawmakers made extensive consultations with people from all walks of life to hear their demands and suggestions on state affairs.
http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 3 THIS WEEK SOCIETY XINHUA basis to meet local residents’ needs, says a statement by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, which released the plan along with nine QVJGTEGPVTCNNGXGNCIGPEKGU As of the end of 2018, there were 587,000 village-based librar- KGUPCVKQPYKFGCPFQXGTDKNNKQP books had been distributed to rural TGUKFGPVUUCKFVJGUVCVGOGPV China started a trial run of the 4WTCN.KDTCT[RTQLGEVKPCPF put it into full swing two years later in order to optimize public cultural UGTXKEGUKPTWTCNCTGCU$[VJGGPF of 2012, the project had covered all administrative villages where basic conditions allow for building a NKDTCT[ Fraudulent Lending Chinese police have shut down OC³CUV[NGITQWRUKPXQNXGFKP HTCWFWNGPVNGPFKPICPFUGK\GF Building Links suspects since a national campaign against organized crime was launched Workers lay the track for the Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway in Bozhou, east China’s Anhui Province, in early 2018, the Ministry of Public QP(GDTWCT[6JGTCKNYC[YKNNNKPM5JCPISKWKPEGPVTCN%JKPC«U*GPCP2TQXKPEG*GHGKECRKVCNQHGCUV%JKPC«U#PJWK 5GEWTKV[UCKFQP(GDTWCT[ 2TQXKPEGCPF*CPI\JQWECRKVCNQHGCUV%JKPC«U 4 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK XINHUA than 100 million yuan ($15 million) .KUCKFVJCVCNNRTQDNGOU KPRTQ³VU KFGPVK³GFD[VJGKPURGEVKQPJCF +PCPQVJGTECUGUWURGEVU been addressed, resulting in one ad- from a fraudulent lending ring ministrative detention, 28 penalties targeting college students were CPF³PGUVQVCNKPIOKNNKQP[WCP arrested by police in the city of #P[CPI*GPCP2TQXKPEG6JG The State Council report said group’s members had harassed the government had strengthened and threatened students who were supervision, overhauled polluting unable to repay the loans by send- ³TOUCPFEQODKPGFCFXCPEGF ing nude photos or insulting text technologies such as remote sensing messages to them or their family with on-spot inspections to detect OGODGTUVGCEJGTUCPFENCUUOCVGU GPXKTQPOGPVCNXKQNCVKQPU Fining Polluters Piracy Crackdown #FOKPKUVTCVKXG³PGUCOQWPVKPIVQ A special operation against online DKNNKQP[WCP DKNNKQP YGTG copyright infringement, which High Demand UNCRRGFQP³TOUQTICPK\CVKQPUCPF started in July last year, has been A job seeker looking for housekeeping work registers her facial information individuals for environmental of- successful, said the National at the family center of Fujian Women’s Federation in Fuzhou City, southeast fenses in 2018, according to China’s Copyright Administration (NCA) on %JKPC«U(WLKCP2TQXKPEGQP(GDTWCT[6JGJQWUGMGGRKPIOCTMGVUCYPQV Ecology and Environment Minister (GDTWCT[ QPN[UVTQPIUWRRN[DWVCNUQUVTQPIFGOCPFUCHVGTVJG5RTKPI(GUVKXCN .K)CPLKG*GVQNFCDKOQPVJN[ 6JGCWVJQTKVKGUKPXGUVKICVGF NGIKUNCVKXGUGUUKQPVJCVVJG³PGUYGTG cases of online copyright violations, CNOQUV³XGVKOGUVJG³IWTGKP QHYJKEJYGTGETKOKPCNQPGUCPF before the current Environmental involved around 150 million yuan 6JGDNWGDQQMVKVNGF4GRQTV 2TQVGEVKQP.CYECOGKPVQGHHGEV OKNNKQP QHKNNGICNHWPFUUCKF Mental Health on National Mental Health Fines in 2018 also grew by 32 CP0%#UVCVGOGPV About 11 percent to 15 percent of Development in China (2017-2018), RGTEGPVHTQOC[GCTGCTNKGT.KUCKF #VQVCNQHOKNNKQPNKPMUVQ Chinese people have mild to moder- KU%JKPC«U³TUVQHKVUMKPFQPOGPVCN The minister made the statement pirated information were deleted ate mental health problems while 2 JGCNVJUCKFVJGPGYURCRGT before the Standing Committee CPFOKNNKQPRKTCVGFRWDNKECVKQPU percent to 3 percent have moderate The blue book suggests the of the National People’s Congress YGTGEQP³UECVGFVJGUVCVGOGPVUCKF to severe problems, according to strong need for psychological as it began deliberating feedback The authorities paid close at- China Youth Daily, citing a recently EQPUWNVCVKQPPQVKPIVJCVRGTEGPV on a State Council report on how VGPVKQPVQNKXGUVTGCOKPIRNCVHQTOU TGNGCUGFTGRQTV of surveyed people said they do not the government responded to the The NCA interviewed executives of While the majority of China’s JCXGCEEGUUVQUWEJUGTXKEGU legislature’s inspection report and 15 platforms and pushed them to national mental health is in good Chen Zhiyan, a professor at the EQOOGPVU VKIJVGPKPVGTPCNKPURGEVKQP condition, the urban population institute and deputy editor-in-chief The top legislature made The platforms shut down or is, overall, in better shape than the of the blue book, said psychological inspecting the enforcement of the FQYPITCFGFCEEQWPVUHQT rural population, according to a blue consultation would “better meet Air Pollution Prevention and Control copyright violation and removed book released by the Institute of the needs of the people concerning .CYCRTKQTKV[QHKVUUWRGTXKUKQPYQTM 570,000 pirated short videos, the Psychology at the Chinese Academy mental health, and improve their KP UVCVGOGPVUCKF QH5EKGPEGU OGPVCNJGCNVJEQPFKVKQPU© XINHUA A Warm Embrace %JKNFTGPJWICECTVQQP³IWTGWUGFHQTTCKUKPIRWDNKE CYCTGPGUUQHTCTGFKUGCUGUKP$GKLKPIQP(GDTWCT[6JGFCVGOCTMGF VJGVJ+PVGTPCVKQPCN4CTG&KUGCUG&C[YKVJVJGVJGOGQH$TKFIKPI *GCNVJCPF5QEKCN%CTG http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 5 THIS WEEK ECONOMY need to have at least 500,000 2018 and approved in late January, supply-side structural reform in the Rising Mutual Funds [WCP KPVJGKTUVQEMVTCFKPI the new board is likely to be rolled ³PCPEKCNUGEVQTKPQTFGTVQRTQXKFG Chinese mutual fund companies CEEQWPVUCPFOQTGVJCPOQPVJU QWVCUUQQPCUVJG³TUVJCNHQHVJG OQTGSWCNKV[CPFGH³EKGPV³PCPEKCN are gearing up to invest in the new of trading experience to gain direct year, Shi Donghui, head of the UGTXKEGU science and technology innovation CEEGUUVQVJGOCTMGV capital market research center of the .GPFGTUUJQWNFRTQOQVGVJGKT board expected to be launched later The leading tech companies, 5JCPIJCK5VQEM'ZEJCPIGUCKF ³PCPEKCNUGTXKEGUVQUWRRQTVRTKXCVG VJKU[GCT which are expected to expand amid ³TOUUOCNNCPFOKETQDWUKPGUUGU 0KPGOWVWCNHWPF³TOUKPENWF a quickening economic transition, CEEQTFKPIVQVJGOGGVKPI ing China Asset Management will be among the main invest- Financial Support The PBC vowed to push ahead %Q*CTXGUV(WPF/CPCIGOGPV ment targets, said Zhang Fan, an China’s central bank vowed to with opening the bond market, while %QCPF+%$%%TGFKV5WKUUG#UUGV asset manager with China Asset UVTGPIVJGP³PCPEKCNUWRRQTVHQT boosting institutional and product /CPCIGOGPV%QJCFCRRNKGFVQ /CPCIGOGPV%Q the real economy and people’s KPPQXCVKQP the securities regulator to issue The new board will focus on NKXGNKJQQFKPCEEQTFKPIVQC Its to-do list also includes 10 equity investment products for companies in hi-tech and strategi- conference that ended on enhancing overall supervision of VJGUEKVGEJDQCTFD[(GDTWCT[ cally emerging sectors such as new- (GDTWCT[ ³PCPEKCNKPHTCUVTWEVWTGKORTQXKPI The mutual fund products offer an generation IT, advanced equipment, The People’s Bank of China monitoring of institutions and pre- alternative investment channel for new materials and energy, and (PBC) said it would give guidance on XGPVKPITKUMU UOCNNKPXGUVQTU biomedicine, according to the China macro-credit policy and encourage 4KUMEQPVTQNUQXGTVJGIQNF According to the draft rules 5GEWTKVKGU4GIWNCVQT[%QOOKUUKQP ³PCPEKCNOCTMGVKPPQXCVKQP market, commercial bill market and for the board, individual investors First proposed in November It stressed carrying forward RTQRGTV[OCTMGVYKNNDGUVGRRGFWR 6JG³PCPEKCNUGEVQTUJQWNFIQ all out to support poverty reduction KPVJGEGPVTCNDCPMUCKF Investment Growth XINHUA The manufacturing and property sectors of China are expected to maintain relatively rapid investment ITQYVJKPVJGEQWPVT[«UGEQ PQOKERNCPPGTRTGFKEVGF Investment in infrastructure may still face pressure, given a sharp fall in 2018 and shrinking NQECNIQXGTPOGPV³PCPEKPIEJCP nels, and is likely to grow at a medium pace, according to a report released on February 26 by the 0CVKQPCN&GXGNQROGPVCPF4GHQTO %QOOKUUKQP The report estimated that mining, mid- and high-end manu- facturing, accommodations and FKPKPITGCNGUVCVGUEKGPVK³ETGUGCTEJ and technological services would be RQRWNCTKPXGUVOGPVVCTIGVU %JKPCUCY³ZGFCUUGVUKPXGUV OGPVWRRGTEGPV[GCTQP[GCTKP The country still enjoys a huge investment potential thanks to the country’s high deposit level, high- quality development and policy Reaching the Sky UWRRQTVVJGTGRQTVUCKF 6JG³TUV#4,CKTETCHVQRGTCVGFD[)GPIJKU-JCP#KTNKPGUVCMGUQHHHTQO&CEJCPI#KTDCUGKPGCUV%JKPC«U5JCPIJCK The government will accelerate QP(GDTWCT[6JGFGNKXGT[OCTMUVJGDGIKPPKPIQHUECNGQRGTCVKQPQHVJGLGVNKPGTKPFKIGPQWUN[FGXGNQRGFD[VJG EQOOGTEKCNWUGQH)VGEJPQNQIKGU %QOOGTEKCN#KTETCHV%QTRQH%JKPC CPFDGGHWRKPXGUVOGPVKPCTVK³EKCN 6 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK XINHUA edented pace in sectors including tan areas like Beijing, Shanghai and e-commerce, online entertainment, )WCPIFQPI2TQXKPEGCEEQWPVGFHQT ³PCPEGCPFUOCTVOCPWHCEVWTKPICU RGTEGPVQHVJGPCVKQPCNVQVCN well as Web-based ride-hailing and China aims to substantially HQQFFGNKXGT[ improve the technology and qual- )KXGPUVGCF[GEQPQOKERGTHQT ity of charging facilities, speed mance and rapidly developing new up efforts to establish a better ITQYVJFTKXGTU%JKPCKUEQP³FGPVKP standardization system and and capable of handling all kinds of optimize the distribution of these risks and challenges and realizing facilities within three years, ac- higher quality employment, said cording to a plan released by the Meng Wei, a spokesperson for the 0CVKQPCN&GXGNQROGPVCPF4GHQTO 0CVKQPCN&GXGNQROGPVCPF4GHQTO %QOOKUUKQPKP&GEGODGT %QOOKUUKQP It will also improve the intercon- nectedness of the charging networks, upgrade the charging services and Charging Expansion create a better environment for the China had built 853,000 charging development of a charging infra- stations for new-energy vehicles UVTWEVWTGCEEQTFKPIVQVJGRNCP (NEVs) by the end of January, surg- NEVs are gaining popularity in Worldwide Attraction KPIRGTEGPVHTQOC[GCTGCTNKGT China, the world’s largest auto mar- Staff at an e-commerce enterprise in Putian, southeast China’s Fujian Province, the Securities Times reported, quot- ket, thanks to a string of supportive UJQYECUGKVUEWUVQOK\GFRTQFWEVUQP(GDTWCT[%TQUUDQTFGTGEQOOGTEG KPICPKPFWUVT[TGRQTV policies and the fact that they help has recently boomed in the city, which exports products to over 20 countries #VQVCNQHEJCTIKPI reduce fossil fuel consumption and CPFTGIKQPU stations were built nationwide in CFFTGUUCKTRQNNWVKQP ,CPWCT[CNQPGWRRGTEGPV[GCT The annual sales of NEVs rose QP[GCTUCKFVJGPGYURCRGT RGTEGPV[GCTQP[GCTVQ Charging stations in metropoli- OKNNKQPKP intelligence, the industrial Internet, it will continue to recruit new staff, the Internet of Things, and other ramp up training programs and XINHUA PGYIGPGTCVKQP+6KPHTCUVTWEVWTG utilize more platform resources to More investment may boost the JGNRETGCVGOQTGLQDU GH³EKGPE[QHRTQFWEVKQPHCEVQTUUWEJ The moves come as an en- as resources and human capital, as couraging sign for the country’s job well as public services like social market and have helped mitigate security, education and medical care, worries about decreasing job op- VJGTGRQTVUCKF portunities in the Internet sector URTGCFKPIQPUQEKCNOGFKC Race for Talent Analysts said the tertiary As China’s tech companies continue industry, accounting for over half of to grow, so too does their demand %JKPC«U)&2KPJCUUGTXGFCU HQTSWCNK³GFGORNQ[GGU,&EQOC the catalyst for a stable job market leading online retailer, announced as services, mainly in labor-intensive plans on February 25 to recruit some UGEVQTU+VKUOQTGGHHGEVKXGKPETGCV 15,000 new staff this year, with the ing new job opportunities than the bulk of the total, about 10,000 to go VTCFKVKQPCNUGEQPFCT[KPFWUVT[ VQYQTMGTUCPF³TUVNKPGOCPCIGTU “Every percentage point of the HQTKVUNQIKUVKEUCTO6JGTGUVQHVJG EQWPVT[«U)&2ITQYVJKUVTCPUNCVGF job offers will be for retail sales and KPVQOQTGPGYLQDU©UCKF9W)G QVJGTUWDUKFKCTKGU chief economist with Changjiang Rain or Shine .KMGYKUGGEQOOGTEGIKCPV 5GEWTKVKGUEKVKPITGEGPVUVCVKUVKEU Workers assemble umbrellas in a factory in Dongxiang Autonomous County, Alibaba, which owns China’s largest Thanks to sprouting new busi- PQTVJYGUV%JKPC«U)CPUW2TQXKPEGQP(GDTWCT[7ODTGNNCRTQFWEVKQPJCU online shopping platform, recently ness models and industries, labor been developed in the county as a means of lifting people out of poverty RNGFIGFPQNC[QHHUKP+PUVGCF demand increased at an unprec- UKPEG http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 7 THIS WEEKWORLD XINHUA ¼ ¼ VIET NAM EGYPT Top leader of the Democratic People’s People look at the wreckage of a fire that Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un talks with erupted inside Cairo’s main train station U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, on February 27. Over 20 people were killed and on February 27. The two leaders ended more than 40 others wounded their second summit earlier than scheduled with no deal XINHUA XINHUA ¼ BRUNEI Members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces take part in celebrations marking the 35th National Day in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan on February 23 8 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK ¼ KASHMIR Indian National Army members and onlookers gather near the wreckage of an Indian aircraft DIWHUóLWóFUDVKHGóLQó%XGJDPóLQó,QGLDQFRQWUROOHGó .DVKPLUóRQó)HEUXDU\óó7KHóSLORWóDQGóDóFRSLORWó were both killed XINHUA XINHUA XINHUA ¼ NIGERIA President Muhammadu Buhari celebrates his reelection victory at the office of the All Progressives Congress in the capital Abuja on February 27 ¼ SPAIN A visitor tries a 5G aerial taxi at the Mobile World Congress, which presents the newest 5G products from all around the world, in Barcelona on February 26 http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 9 THIS WEEKPEOPLE & POINTS ¾ NEW TYPHOON COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Yu Yong, Deputy Director of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), was elected chair- Foreign man of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, which kicked off its 51st session in Guangzhou, capital city of south China’s Guangdong Province, on February 26. The Typhoon Committee is an intergovernmental body established in 1968 under the Investment Law auspices of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and China Newsweek the World Meteorological Organization, in order to promote and coordinate the planning and February 25 implementation of measures required for minimizing the loss of life and PDWHULDOGDPDJHFDXVHGE\W\SKRRQVLQWKH$VLD3DFLĶFUHJLRQ During the 2019 annual session of the National Yu, 57, holds a bachelor’s degree from the Nanjing Institute of People’s Congress (NPC), a draft of Foreign Meteorology and a master’s degree in climatology from Nanjing Investment Law will be submitted for deliberation. University. Defined as a fundamental law for the invest- He served as head of the Guangdong Provincial Meteorological ment of foreign business, its research and revision Bureau from 2004 until 2011, after which he began to work for the CMA work started in 2011, followed by the first inspec- and became deputy director of the administration in 2017. tion and comments for the public in 2015. In December 2018, the draft Foreign Investment Law was reviewed. On the same day, the draft was available for public inspection as people were en- of government guide funds, they should also couraged to leave comments before February 24. Development of the LQFHQWLYL]HWKRVHVHHNLQJĶQDQFHDQGVWDQGDUG This legislation indicates the Chinese ize the whole service. By building a financing Government’s willingness to open up in the next phase and its determination to further reform. Private Economy guarantee system and establishing cooperation Since reform and opening up, three laws between banks and tax administrations, enter- People’s Daily have been introduced to assist foreign businesses, prises with a perfect credit record will have less namely Law on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint February 25 pressure from corporate loans. Ventures, Law on Non-Equity Joint Ventures (or To push forward the development of the private At the same time; the implementation of Contractual Joint Ventures) and Law on Wholly economy, it is essential to building a suitable policies should be accelerated to relief the tax Foreign-Owned Enterprises. environment with corresponding measures. burden for enterprises. Large-scale tax cuts Although some changes have been made Fair competition is the key for private eco- have been clearly implemented at a national in the past 40 years at points such as China’s ac- nomic development. The government should level. It is necessary to put relevant policies into cession to the World Trade Organization, the laws expand market access and abolish policy practice, especially with regards to promoting a documents that violate market rules. Private en- cannot fully adapt to the new era. Hence, voices reduction of value-added tax and implementing on replacing the three laws by one were mooted. terprises ought to be encouraged to participate inclusive taxation on small and micro enter- in the restructuring of state-owned companies, However, this legislative act is not a simple integra- prises and technology-based startups. tion of laws, and the legislative process has been assets and resources in various ways such as as- Recent policies have brought practical set acquisition. sped up. benefits for the private business in reducing The environment of the legislation requires Operational costs can be a burden for pri- business costs and optimizing the business en- vate enterprises seeking to develop. Therefore, elements including multilateral trade and re- YLURQPHQW+RZHYHUFDVHVUHßHFWLQJSUREOHPV gional trade systems like TPP, to be taken into ĶQDQFLDODJHQFLHVDQGJRYHUQPHQWVKRXOGSOD\ should be studied, and governments should a role. Businesses should be taking advantage commit to solutions quickly. “It is our common goal to build a “The EU is willing to strengthen exchanges globally trusted 5G security system. and cooperation with China in areas such We should give full play to our as promoting undertakings for persons complementary advantages ZLWKóGLVDELOLWLHVóZRUOGZLGHµ for mutual benefits and Ambassador Walter Stevens, Permanent Observer of the EU WRóWKHó81ó2IILFHóDWó*HQHYDóDWóDóPHHWLQJóFRKRVWHGóE\ó&KLQDó ZLQZLQóRXWFRPHVµó and the EU on the sidelines of the 40th session of the UN Human Zhang Feng, chief engineer of China’s Ministry of Rights Council in Geneva on February 26 Industry and Information Technology, at the 2019 Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, on February 26 10 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com THIS WEEK Consumption Upgrade People.cn February 25 Last year, China’s total retail sales of consumer goods reached 38.1 trillion yuan ($5.7 trillion), maintaining steady development. The contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth reached 76.2 percent, an increase of 18.6 percentage points over the same period when compared to the previous year. It has become the driving force of economic growth for five consecutive years. Over the past 40 years, consumption has transformed from traditional commodity to service; mean- while, the consumer demand gradually transferred to differentiation, individualization and diversification from imitation, homogenization, simplification. This has provided a continuous and reliable driving force for economic development with an enhanced and defined structure. This highlights the positive changes in China’s economic indicators and internal struc- ture, and also reflects the changes in quality taking place in China’s economy. China’s consumer market faced pressure last year. But the decline in the growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods mainly obeys a law that the proportion of physical consumption can decrease and its growth rate can slow down during the process of consumption structure optimization. China’s service con- sumption accounted for 49.5 percent of total consumer spending in the last year which was not reflected in the total retail sales of consumer goods. The population of China will offer huge purchasing power for the consumer market. In addition, the country’s consumption culture has the potential to support high-quality economic development. ¾ FORMER GENERAL GETS LIFE SENTENCE account and the legal system must be established Fang Fenghui, former chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission for a higher-level bilateral or multilateral trade (CMC), was sentenced to life in prison at a military court on February 20 for taking and offering agreement. bribes as well as possessing a huge amount of assets, whose origins he could not account for. Current Foreign Investment Law draft is +LVSROLWLFDOULJKWVZHUHUHYRNHGDQGDOOSHUVRQDODVVHWVFRQĶVFDWHGDFFRUGLQJWRWKHUXOLQJ relatively brief and focuses only on its legal au- Fang was placed under investigation on graft accusations in January 2018 by military pros- thority, which is to promote and manage foreign ecutors. He was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People’s Liberation investment and protect foreign business activities. Army (PLA) later in the year. Issues concerned with other existing laws such as Fang, 67, a native of Shaanxi Province, enlisted in the PLA. In 2007 he Company Law were excluded. was appointed commander of the former Beijing Military Area Command. Apart from the demand of reform and open- In October 2012, he was named chief of the general staff of the PLA ing up, the law also takes responsibility for the and in November 2012 he was elected member of the CMC of the CPC. In promotion of foreign investment, as well as the early 2016, he became chief of the commission’s Joint Staff Department, protection for foreign business investment in which replaced the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA. China, which is the necessity of this legislation. “Working together with our Chinese ´7KLVó\HDU·VóPDFURUHJXODWLRQóIRFXVHVó colleagues, we learned so much and RQóFRXQWHUF\FOLFDOóDGMXVWPHQWVó shared our knowledge with them as and the country continues to adopt well… Together we were able to a proactive fiscal policy and prudent understand how to best manage and monetary policy, which further FDUHóIRUóWKLVóSUHFLRXVóVSHFLHVµó boosted confidence in the markets Steven Monfort, Director of the Smithsonian’s National DQGóKHOSHGóVWDELOL]HóWKHóIRUH[óPDUNHWµ Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, commenting Wang Chunying, a spokesperson for the State on the cooperation between the United States and China Administration of Foreign Exchange in conserving giant pandas in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 11 XINHUA COVER STORY FOR THE PEOPLE Improving people’s livelihood has been the priority of the agenda of the Chinese Government By Lan Xinzhen 12 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com ang Yongnian, an 87-year- old resident in the Jiaxinglu Community in Hongkou District, Shanghai, receives day-time care from a commu- Wnity elderly care center at a resident service station, which also has an activity room, a healthcare center and a dining hall. He is VDWLVĶHGZLWKWKHVHUYLFHVSURYLGHGE\WKH VWDWLRQ7KHUHDUHĶYHVXFKVWDWLRQVLQWKH community, and 35 in the entire district. Residents there can enjoy convenient and quality services within a distance of around 15-minute walking. In 2018, during the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, also known as the Two Sessions in China, many policies related to the enhancement of people’s livelihood were established. This year, as the Two Sessions opened, there is a noticeable improvement in peo- ple’s livelihood, with a more pleasant living environment, better medical and elderly care services and more stable jobs under a more reliable social security system. First priority Ensuring the people live a better life has always been the pursuit of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Government. Early in 2013, in his second year as Students of a primary school in Baiyun Township of Rongshui general secretary of the CPC Central Miao Autonomous County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Committee, Xi Jinping stressed the impor- Autonomous Region tance of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and improving the living standard of people. “The CPC seeks happiness for the Chinese people,” Xi said at an NPC panel discussion. “Whatever issues the people DUHXQKDSS\DERXWRUGLVVDWLVĶHGZLWKZH must work hard to solve them.” V V http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 13 XINHUA WEI YAO College graduates seek jobs at a job fair in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on January 19 A baby is vaccinated in a disease control and prevention center in Anping County of north China’s Hebei Province on April 25, 2018 The coherence of this plan has been A combination of measures a large-scale vocational skill training ini- achieved through various policies. At the tiative, and offering timely assistance to The year 2018 not only marked the 40th unemployed people and laid-off workers. First Session of the 13th NPC last year, Xi anniversary of China’s reform and opening In addition, the government put forth vari- emphasized taking more concrete mea- up, but also the first year of implement- sures in ensuring and improving people’s ing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With ous programs to address employment for living standard, strengthening and develop- Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. university graduates and other targeted ing new approaches to social governance, According to the Report on the Work of groups. One of the initiatives aims to se- winning the battle against poverty, promot- the Government 2018, multiple measures, lect graduates to work at the community ing social fairness and justice, and making such as boosting employment, increasing level throughout the country. The policy of steady progress in ensuring people’s ac- incomes, strengthening the social security secured loans for entrepreneurs has also been improved to create more jobs by en- cess to childcare, education, employment, system, developing fair and high-quality couraging business startups. medical services, elderly care, housing and education and carrying out the Healthy China 2030 initiative, were introduced to In 2018, the government continued to social assistance. raise basic pension payments for retirees Looking at government work reports improve people’s living standard. Faced with new changes in economic and basic pension benefits for rural and delivered by the premier of the State development in 2018, the Party and the non-working urban residents. China is com- Council, China’s cabinet, to the NPC in re- Central Government ranked improving mitted to raising the personal income tax cent years, a large part of the content has employment as a top priority. The State threshold, creating expense deductions for been devoted to the policies surrounding Council emphasized stable employment items like children’s education and treat- people’s livelihood. One of the fundamental in a circular, proposing a series of policy ment for serious illnesses. purposes of China’s economic develop- measures, such as supporting the stable Over the past year, China has promoted ment is to enhance people’s livelihood and development of enterprises, boosting em- the integrated development of urban and welfare. ployment and business startups, launching rural compulsory education and contin- 14 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com XINHUA 249.1 Ownership of 240 Major Durable Consumer Goods (Units per 100 Households) 109.3 96.1 78.6 85 56.6 59.2 51 56.4 29.7 33 2017 2018 Automobiles Electric bicycles Mobile Air conditioners Kitchen Water heaters telephones ventilators for shower Growth rate (y.o.y.) 11% 4.8% 3.8% 13.7% 10.7% 8.1% (Source: National Bureau of Statistics; designed by Pamela Tobey) ued to tip funding for education toward cal industries, education and healthcare. With the implementation of the pov- poor areas and weak links to ensure that Measures have been tailored to individuals erty alleviation policy and the increased everyone has equal access. By raising ba- and households to ensure that seniors and spending on improving people’s living sic medical insurance and serious illness people with disabilities or serious illnesses standard, Lu began his career in the farm- LQVXUDQFHEHQHĶWVVWUHQJWKHQLQJPHGLFDO receive the assistance they need. ing and breeding industry with the help of staff training and developing new ways Government expenditure in 2018 was the local government. In 2018, Lu and his of conducting food and drug oversight, 21 trillion yuan ($3.14 trillion). The struc- family achieved an annual income of nearly the government aims to maintain the ture of budgetary spending showed that 100,000 yuan ($14,965), nine times that physical and mental health of its people. more financial allocations were used for of 2016, and were successfully lifted out of Environmental protection law enforcement the public good to benefit people, with poverty. has been enhanced and various pollution spending inclined toward innovation-driven Official data from the National Bureau control methods adopted, ensuring further development, agriculture, rural areas and of Statistics shows that China’s 2018 GDP improvements in the working and living its residents, and the improvement of the reached 90.03 trillion yuan ($13.28 trillion), environment of Chinese residents. living standard. indicating economic progress and social Governments at all levels have stability. China’s per-capita disposable in- come was 28,228 yuan ($4,165) in 2018, strengthened efforts to meet people’s Better life up 6.5 percent year on year in real terms basic living needs, steadily raising urban As Wang proclaimed his satisfaction with life in the after deducting price factors. Compared and rural subsistence allowances, social community-based care center, Lu Yihe and his to 2017, more than 13.86 million rural assistance benefits and benefits for en- family, who live in Lianzhang Village, Lianjiangkou residents have been lifted out of poverty in titled groups, so that care and compassion Township, Yingde City in south China’s Guangdong 2018. Q can reach everyone. The government has Province, began a new life after rising out of stepped up targeted poverty alleviation, poverty. Back in 2016, they were still poverty- Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo and more has been done to develop lo- stricken. Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 15 COVER STORY CREATING A BOND $óFRPPXQLW\EDVHGóVHQLRUóFDUHóPRGHOóKDVóEHHQóDFFHSWHGóE\óPRUHóVHQLRUVó By Wang Hairong arly afternoon sunlight slanted through In Beijing, one in four people are seniors, husband into Leling and after her surgery, the glass ceiling of a huge sun parlor, Gao said. The share of elderly residents in the she recuperated at Leling. Her husband soon Edown on tall palm trees lining the room. city rose from 20.3 percent in 2012 to 24.5 passed away, but Xu decided to stay in the In front of the trees is a long row of red paper percent in 2017, according to a white paper nursing home, where she could receive care lanterns hanging between pillars, and beneath released by the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs DQGĶQGFRPSDQLRQVKLS the lanterns are colorful balloons with little pa- Bureau. Xu is outspoken and very energetic, Gao SHUQRWHVEHDULQJULGGOHVĶOOLQJWKHURRPZLWKD A policy goal put forth by the Beijing said. “She is active and often volunteers to lingering festive air. Municipal Government states that by 2020, help out. Recently, she helped to wrap gluti- “This is our recreational room, where roughly 90 percent of the city’s elderly would nous rice dumplings to celebrate the Lantern seniors celebrated the Lantern Festival a be cared for at home, 6 percent by the com- Festival,” he said. few days ago,” said Gao Han, an executive munity and 4 percent by nursing homes and Granny Wang, 77, was admitted into the at the Leling Elderly Social Work Service similar facilities. Pingsiqu Community Nursing Station after a &HQWHULQ%HLMLQJDQRQSURĶWVHQLRUVHUYLFH Founded in 2006, Leling aims to serve fall at home. An affable woman with a sweet organization. seniors in the first two categories, includ- smile, she held various posts in Shougang, Granny Jin, 75, a retired accountant, ing those who either stay at home or go to LQFOXGLQJDVDQHOHFWULFLDQDQGDĶWWHUEHIRUH sauntered into the parlor. “I have been here elderly care facilities in the community, Gao her retirement. After losing her husband, she for half a year and live with my husband,” she said. chose to live by herself while her son and said. Wang said that Leling organizes activi- daughter lived and worked in other parts of But Zhang Ling, the manager of Leling ties such as mountain climbing and holiday Beijing. In recent years, however, her memo- later told Beijing Review, “Her husband celebrations for healthy seniors staying at U\EHJDQWRIDLOKHUp,OLYHGRQWKHWKßRRU passed away before she came here six home. It also runs canteens to provide af- of a building, but because the buildings look months ago. She suffers from senile demen- fordable meals to seniors and delivers meals similar, sometimes I could not remember my tia and doesn’t remember things well.” where necessary. Its staff routinely visits way back home and got lost several times,” “About 90 percent of the residents in empty nesters and offers assistance such as Granny Wang said. Back then, she had her Leling are seniors who have lost the ability to help with bathing to those in need. meals delivered to her home by Leling. take care of themselves,” said Wang Yanrui, In addition, Leling operates one commu- 'HVSLWHWKHGLIĶFXOWLHV*UDQQ\:DQJGLG Leling’s founding director. These seniors re- nity-based nursing home, which is registered not want to leave her home for a nursing ally need care and the center was created to as a business, and provides services to nine home. But on the morning of January 28, meet such critical demands, she said. elderly care community-based nursing sta- she fell and could not get back up. She was tions in Shijingshan. discovered at noon by a Leling worker who Filling a gap Wang said that care for disabled and was delivering her lunch. “I knocked on the advanced-age seniors is a big social demand, door, and she told me that she had fallen Located in Shijingshan District in western and such seniors account for a majority of and could not get up to open the door. So I Beijing, Leling is close to the former site of those living in nursing homes. called her daughter,” said the staff member. Shougang Group, a colossal state-owned The fourth sampling survey of the aged steel conglomerate that was relocated out After that incident, Granny Wang was admit- population in China found that of all seniors, ted into the nursing station. of the capital a decade ago due to pollution 18.3 percent, or 40.63 million, were disabled. concerns. Part of the site has been rede- The survey was conducted by the China veloped and will serve as a venue for the Research Center on Aging and its results &RPPXQLW\EDVHGóVHUYLFHV upcoming Olympic Winter Games 2022. were released in October 2016. One advantage of community-based nurs- Many residents in the area are the Before Xu Yanru, 71, checked into ing homes is that seniors can still live in the group’s former employees or their family Leling’s nursing home six months ago, she neighborhood that they are familiar with, and members. Situated in such a neighborhood, was in a desperate situation. She was living it is also easier for family members to visit Leling is positioned to provide elderly care to with her paralyzed and visually-impaired and spend time with them. low- and middle-income people, said Gao. husband, taking care of him at home. Then Ninety-two-year-old Granny Shi suffers China has become an aging society she suffered a heart problem and needed a from arthritis and has had to use a wheel- since the turn of the century. According to coronary stenting procedure. Her children, chair for the past two years. Now she lives the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2018, who had worked in Shougang, had been in the Pingsiqu Community Nursing Station. people aged 60 or above accounted for 17.9 relocated to other areas and could not take During the day, she likes to park her wheel- percent of the population, and those above care of their father while she had the opera- chair right next to a heating radiator in the 65, 11.9 percent. tion. Before her surgery, she admitted her station’s lounge to enjoy the warmth and 16 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com WEI YAO A staff worker of Leling chats with a senior in Pingsiqu Community Nursing Station in Beijing on February 22 chat with other people. Her 61-year-old GDXJKWHUZKROLYHVZLWKLQDĶYHPLQXWHZDON from the station, comes to visit Shi almost every day. She used to take care of her mother at home, but after Shi could no longer stand on her own, she found that she was not strong enough to lift or carry her mother, so they went to the station where Shi can get profes- sional care. Leling’s caregivers have received training RQHOGHUO\FDUHDQGDUHFHUWLĶHGQXUVLQJDV- sistants, Gao said. In Leling’s nursing home, there is also a psychological consulting room, where assorted figurines are arrayed on a bookshelf, which Gao said are used to simulate life scenarios to prompt the memo- ry of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Community-based nursing homes are relatively affordable. Gao said that the cost per bed is usually 3,000 to 5,000 yuan ($447- 745) per month, including lodging, food and nursing costs. Rooms at nursing stations are provided by the community for free, with the govern- ment subsidizing half of the meal costs as well as part of the care costs, said Wang. women with no income to make handicrafts up multiple service outlets in accordance The government also pays Leling for for sale. The handicrafts making project was with the law and regulations to realize large- SURYLGLQJHOGHUO\FDUH,WVĶQDQFLDOVWDWHPHQW a way to make them relatively financially scale franchised operations and build their for 2017 showed that government funding independent. own brands. accounted for 44 percent of the organiza- In addition, Leling mobilized younger The document, released by the National tion’s income, whereas charitable donations seniors to provide volunteer services to older Development and Research Commission, comprised 23 percent and services income seniors, and recruited young volunteers to promotes the development of private elderly made up the remaining 33 percent. visit and take care of seniors in need. care institutions; and encourages domestic Leling is also a platform for volunteers. According to Leling, it has 72 senior and foreign investors to set up elderly care In 2006, when 29-year-old Wang set up the volunteer teams, with 770 backbone senior institutions, extending the same preferential center, the law school graduate already had volunteers and about 3,000 other senior policies to them. six years work experience, including two volunteers, benefiting more than 10,000 As of the end of 2018, there were nearly years at a non-governmental environmental elderly. 30,000 elderly care institutions with 7.5 organization, two years at a public institution million beds across the country, accord- and two years of social work providing com- ing to a statement of the Ministry of Civil munity trainings. Policy boost Affairs (MCA). In the future, the ministry will “At that time, I wanted to solve a social Currently, Leling has about 70 staff mem- continue optimizing services of elderly care problem,” she said. “I came into contact with bers in its nursing home and nine nursing homes, push forward elderly care services in many seniors during my job delivering com- stations, serving about 100 seniors living downtown areas of big cities and initiate ren- munity trainings, so I came up with the idea in these facilities and many others living at ovation and upgrading of elderly care homes of providing elderly care.” home. Gao said that it aspires to expand into in rural areas, especially those in poverty- Leling has been encouraging seniors Beijing’s other districts and into other areas stricken areas. Q to help themselves, help each other and of the country. A government policy released KHOSRWKHUV2QHRIWKHĶUVWWKLQJVWKDWWKH RQ)HEUXDU\ ERRVWHGKLVFRQĶGHQFH7KH Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo nascent Leling did was to organize senior policy permits elderly care institutions to set Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 17 COVER STORY RARE FINDS New policies reduce drug costs for patients with serious and rare diseases By Yuan Yuan XINHUA Zhejiang Province, was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease, a genetic disorder that enlarges the liver and spleen, at 2 years old. The disease is quite rare in China and so far the number of patients is below 400. A special drug, Cerezyme, can help to control the disease, but each dose costs about 23,000 yuan ($3,380) and Qiqi needs three doses a month. Thus, the cost of the drug per year is more than 800,000 yuan ($120,000). Furthermore, as Qiqi grows older, he will need more doses and the cost will skyrocket. This is far from affordable for an aver- age Chinese family. Having struggled for about five years, Qiqi’s family got relief when Cerezyme was included in the medi- cal insurance system in Zhejiang Province on January 1, 2016. The drug is now on the list of the new VAT reduction policy, which ZLOOIXUWKHUUHOLHYHWKHLUĶQDQFLDOEXUGHQ Zhejiang is not the first province to Doctors offer free medical services for children with rare diseases at a hospital in Shanghai on February 27 make this change. In 2013, Shanghai took the lead by including Gaucher’s disease in its medical insurance, covering 85 percent eading up to Rare Disease Day on active pharmaceutical ingredients began to of drug costs. Ningxia Hui Autonomous February 28, Wang Yiou was busy receive a preferential VAT rate of 3 percent Region, Kunming in Yunnan Province, preparing for various activities for a on March 1. L Qingdao City in Shandong Province and special event. The 37-year-old with brittle several other cities in Guangdong Province bone disease has been trying to raise Save money, save lives followed suit. awareness about rare diseases in China “This is a very positive sign from the Central Chen Wei, a deputy at the 13th National since 2008, when she founded an associa- Government,” Wang told Beijing Review, People’s Congress (NPC) and a doctor tion in Beijing to support and care for such adding that currently there are over 7,000 from People’s Hospital in Kecheng District patients. rare diseases in the world, while only about of Quzhou, has been providing medical This is the 12th year Wang has partici- 400 can be treated with drugs. treatment for rare disease patients for a pated in the day’s activities. “I am glad to Due to the limited number of patients long time. At the NPC session last year, she see more people paying attention to these and big challenges in developing drugs for called for incentive policies for developing patients,” she said. “This year, we are very these diseases, pharmaceutical companies’ drugs for rare diseases. happy to see that the government has re- enthusiasm for spending time and money “The government should play a leading leased more policies on the treatment of LQWKLVĶHOGLVQRWYHU\KLJKUHVXOWLQJLQWKH role in developing preferential policies to rare diseases.” exorbitant prices for treatments. encourage more domestic pharmaceutical On February 11, at an executive meet- “This means that among the over 20 companies in the research and develop- ing of the State Council presided over by million patients with rare diseases in China, ment of such drugs,” Chen said. Premier Li Keqiang, a decision was an- only a very small fraction can get drugs,” On February 18, after the announce- nounced to provide a preferential value- Wang said. “They are the lucky ones.” ment of the VAT reduction, China declared added tax (VAT) rate for some specific However, for Qiqi and his family, that it will establish a national collaborative medicines to treat rare diseases. In all, 21 this “luck” comes at a huge cost. Qiqi, a network of hospitals for rare disease diag- foreign and domestic medicines and four 10-year-old resident from Quzhou City, nosis and treatment to promote the early 18 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com XINHUA A pharmacist gathers medicine for patients at a hospital in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, on November 1, 2018 detection and effective treatment of these rectal cancer, in the national basic medical said at a press conference on February 19. diseases, according to a decision by the insurance program, according to China’s She said that in 2018 it approved 18 National Health Commission (NHC). National Medical Products Administration new cancer medicines, up 157 percent A total of 324 hospitals were selected (NMPA), China’s top drug regulator. from 2017. Meanwhile, the government to make up the new network based on With an estimated 3.8 million new exempted imported medicines from quar- their capacity and experience in treating cancer cases in China every year, it has antine at border ports so they could reach these patients. The network will facilitate become a leading cause of death in the hospitals and pharmacies quickly. the timely transfer of difficult and com- country. In 2015, China launched pilot ne- In addition, the approval process for plicated cases among hospitals and the gotiations with pharmaceutical companies allowing imported medicines into the allocation of quality medical resources. on reducing the prices of cancer drugs and Chinese market and the procedure for In addition, hospitals in the network medicines that treat serious diseases. GRPHVWLFSKDUPDFHXWLFDOĶUPVWRFRQGXFW are urged to further train medical work- After three years of negotiations, the FOLQLFDOWHVWVZHUHERWKVLPSOLĶHG ers on rare disease knowledge and clinical prices of most of the drugs have been cut This year, Wang Ping said the NMPA skills, focusing on improving their abilities by more than 50 percent. This has greatly will work with the NHC to develop the sec- to identify, diagnose and treat such cases. relieved patients’ burden along with the ond list of much needed imported drugs China will also establish a registration sys- fact that they will spend even less after re- WKDWDUHTXDOLĶHGIRUIDVWWUDFNUHYLHZ7KH tem for rare disease patients. imbursement from the medical insurance NMPA will also try to speed up the review The medicine tax cuts are expected to fund. process for imported and domestic cancer medicines and tighten up the monitoring continue and be expanded to cover more For example, the price of Erbitux, a of adverse reactions. medicines and medical devices, which will drug for rectal cancer produced by German “The country has tried to develop a fa- further reduce the economic burden on pharmaceutical company Merck, was re- vorable policy environment for innovation patients and their families. duced by 69 percent, from about 4,200 in medicines so that the latest medical re- yuan ($617) a bottle to 1,295 yuan ($190). VHDUFKĶQGLQJVFDQEHQHĶW&KLQHVHSDWLHQWV 7KHHIĶFLHQF\RIDSSURYLQJDQWLFDQFHU Battling cancer as soon as possible,” Wang Ping said. Q Helping patients with rare diseases is medicines has been greatly increased as just one part of the efforts the Chinese well. “It now takes 12 months on average Government has made in recent years to for a new anti-cancer drug to be approved UHOLHYHPHGLFDOĶQDQFLDOEXUGHQV by the NMPA, down from 24 months be- In 2018, China included 17 drugs that fore 2018,” Wang Ping, chief of the division Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo treat major cancers, such as lung and of medicine registration under the NMPA Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 19 COVER STORY NOURISHING HOPES Teachers in rural areas contribute to education for all By Li Qing n January 14, in Clearwater Bay in students from preschool to the fourth grade. like Children’s Day have also been organized Sanya City, south China’s tropical island Cai teaches a range of subjects with the ex- since she started at the school. Oprovince of Hainan, Cai Mingjing asked, ception of math, science and gym. Cai said the bond between rural teachers “Can you see the sea?” Cai, a rural teacher The majority of students live in the and students is much stronger than that in from central China’s Hubei Province, was not school’s accommodation, most of which cities. “I can pay attention to every student,” talking to somebody with her but to her stu- are children of villagers who work in cities. she said. “We also have more opportunities dents back in the class via smartphone. The “Migrant parents are willing to see their chil- to explore nature, which is another advan- students in Pengjiagou Primary School in the dren stay with teachers. They can’t provide a tage of rural schools.” mountainous area of Danjiangkou City were stable home environment,” Cai said. Cai is part of a large group dedicated keen to quiz her about marine life and the The poor living and working conditions to rural education. According to a report ecology of the bay. and limited access to educational resources released by the Research Institute of “I want to be the eyes of my students in the school initially frustrated Cai, especially Rural Education under Northeast Normal and inspire them with stories from outside when her young colleagues started to leave. University on January 13, there are 3.3 mil- the classroom,” Cai told Beijing Review. She But she was determined to stay and improve lion teachers in China’s countryside and said her students rarely have a chance to see the situation, with encouragement from her nearly 83 percent of them are willing to stay in rural schools. life outside of their small community. family. “My parents told me how kind the Born in 1994, Cai has been a teacher children from the countryside are and how for four years. “I never thought about the much they need a good teacher,” she said. Strong support difference of working in cities or in the coun- Cai emphasizes the overall develop- In recent years, the Chinese Government has tryside. It’s my childhood dream to become ment of students instead of just academic adopted various approaches to raise rural a teacher,” she said. success. Internet courses have been intro- teachers’ income. In addition, more opportu- She is one of seven teachers at duced into classes, in a bid to supplement nities for further education are provided. Pengjiagou Primary School which has 49 traditional textbooks. Celebrations for events In 2018, 4.5 billion yuan ($672.6 mil- lion) was allocated for rural education, a COURTESY PHOTO 660-million-yuan ($98.7 million) increase IURPWKHSUHYLRXV\HDUZKLFKEHQHĶWHG million teachers. Beijing and Guangdong and Fujian provinces provide living allowances, up to 4,000 yuan ($598) monthly, for all rural teachers. Yuan Guilin, a professor at Beijing Normal University, pointed out that the key is to make this job attractive. For instance, in Luxi County, central China’s Hunan Province, the 1,500-yuan ($224) monthly living allowance has improved the living standards of local rural teachers remarkably. Other incentives including medical as- sistance have also improved under the joint effort by governments at various levels. Rural teachers also enjoy some preferen- tial policies with regard to recruitment and promotion. In order to improve the competence of rural teachers, a training program was rolled out nationwide in 2015, mainly targeting Cai Mingjing and her students in Pengjiagou Primary School in Danjiangkou, central China’s Hubei Province teachers and headmasters in central and west China. By 2020, all participants will com- 20 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com XINHUA Yang Zhaojun, who had taught in rural schools for 34 years, interacts with his students in Fengping Primary School in Bijie, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, on September 4, 2018 plete 360 hours of training. address at the school. This makes it hard for exchange programs should extend to rural “The government attaches great im- her to spare time to attend training sessions. schools, according to Yuan. “The positions portance to rural teachers, and I hope the Many mechanisms have been created should not be limited to schools in the coun- policy continues,” said Zhang Ning, a chem- to increase rural teacher numbers in recent tryside,” he suggested. istry teacher in Bobai County, south China’s years. The employment of specially contract- Chinese and U.S. negotiators wrapped up the Argentina. seventh round of trade talks between the During the preceding round of talks world’s top two economies on February 24 which were held in Beijing, Xi met with the with substantial headway on several issues. U.S. team, pointing the next consultation The Chinese team is headed by Liu in the direction of the long-term perspec- He, special envoy of President Xi Jinping tive of China-U.S. relations, receiving high and member of the Political Bureau of praise from the international community. the Communist Party of China Central The latest round of talks again met people’s Committee and Vice Premier of the State expectations of moving toward a China-U.S. Council. The U.S. team is led by Trade agreement that aims at both win-win results Representative Robert Lighthizer and and common worldwide development. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The consultations and talks between During the latest talks, which took China and the U.S. have experienced ups ing needs for a better life. place in Washington D.C., the important and downs since the trade friction between China-U.S. trade and economic coop- consensus reached by Xi and U.S. President the two countries began last year. However, eration is formed and promoted by the Donald Trump during their December China has always adhered to the principles market. In the current situation and in the meeting in Argentina was further imple- of mutual respect, equality and mutual future, intertwined interests are always the mented. They focused their talks on the EHQHĶW6WDUWLQJIURPWKHELJSLFWXUHRIWKH fundamentals of China-U.S. trade and eco- text of an agreement and achieved practi- common interests of both countries and nomic relations, with win-win cooperation cal advancements on a series of issues. the world trade order, China has actively Such results showed positive signs participated in dialogues and consultations, as the essence. This has shown that coop- from both China and the U.S. toward prop- responding to the concerns of the U.S. eration is the best choice for China and the erly handling their trade friction, and laid with the greatest patience and seeking the United States. PRUHRIDIRXQGDWLRQIRUDĶQDODJUHHPHQW maximum common denominator between According to Goldman Sachs statistics, Three rounds of high-level economic the interests of both sides. a great batch of U.S. enterprises, including and trade talks have been held in less than The consensuses reached after seven Skyworks Solutions, Qualcomm and Micron a month. During the latest round, the two rounds of talks indicate the common con- Technology, are highly dependent on the sides decided to extend the talks by two cerns of China and the U.S., conform to Chinese market. Despite the fact that there GD\VIRUWKHĶUVWWLPH%RWKWKHIUHTXHQF\ the general direction of China’s reform and has not been a resolution to the trade fric- of the talks and the expanding consensus opening up in an objective manner, and will tion, more and more U.S. companies are between them indicate the importance help China realize high-quality economic joining the increasingly expanding Chinese of the meeting between Xi and Trump in GHYHORSPHQWDQGIXOĶOOSHRSOHoVHYHUJURZ market. U.S. investment in China was up by 22 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com WORLD XINHUA Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who attended China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 15 124.6 percent in January alone. The Consumer News and Business ity and resilience of the Chinese economy China solemnly declares that it is willing Channel gave a more vivid description, say- came from wisdom, courage, practice and to resolve the trade friction through co- ing that after a year of trade friction, the persistence. No matter how the situation operation and reach an agreement that is market was exhausted and was desperately develops, China will take care of its own acceptable to both. It is the rational choice longing to get rid of the issue. Such public EXVLQHVVDFFRUGLQJWRLWVRZQSODQEHQHĶW for stabilizing cooperation between the opinions from the international commu- ting its people and the world by making two countries and protecting the practical nity indicate that a solution to China-U.S. new progress. interests of both peoples. WUDGHIULFWLRQZLOOEHEHQHĶFLDOWRWKHJOREDO People have reason to believe that under As the China-U.S. economic and trade economy which needs to be injected with the guidance of the consensus reached by the presidents of China and the U.S., the two talks continue to make progress, the mar- stability. countries will make solid progress in future kets of the two countries, as well as of the To deepen reform and expand open- consultations, promote long-term and stable world, have witnessed visible changes. A re- ing up is an unswerving strategic choice development of China-U.S. economic and trade cent report by The Wall Street Journal said made independently by China that will not relations, and play a positive role in enhancing market confidence has been boosted by be changed by any individual cases. China EHQHĶWVIRUWKHWZRSHRSOHVDQGSURPRWLQJWKH the hope of China and the U.S. reaching a has the ability and conditions to take chal- steady growth of the world economy. Q trade agreement. The Financial Times also lenges calmly and promote reform and pointed out that investors were waiting for development through opening up in order a breakthrough in the trade talks between to drive the economy toward high quality. Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo Washington and Beijing. Facts prove that the increasing vital- Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 23 WORLD New Hopeful Land The Saudi Crown Prince’s recent trip focuses on economic cooperation in Asia By Wang Jin ported U.S. military operations against Iraq against the government in 2014, 2017 and in 1991, allowing U.S. military forces to 2018. The author is a deploy in Saudi Arabia to defend possible In addition, although the Donald Trump research fellow at the Charhar Institute and military assaults by Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, administration withdrew from the Joint the University of Haifa the two countries established a very close Comprehensive Plan of Action which was in Israel cooperation mechanism to combat terror- signed with Iran during President Barak ism and extremism in the region, and many Obama’s tenure in 2015, and re-imposed Saudi royal family members and elites VDQFWLRQVDJDLQVW,UDQDQGHYHQGHĶQHGLW chose U.S. universities to advance both as the most pressing threat in the Middle uhammad bin Salman, the Saudi their and their children’s studies. East, Riyadh still believes that Trump Crown Prince visited Pakistan, should do more. Although Riyadh spent MIndia, China and South Korea in Declining U.S. influence tens of billions of dollars to purchase arms late February in an Asian trip which many and weapons from U.S. companies to show However, over the past decade, the bilat- Western media and analysts perceived as generosity toward Trump, Washington still eral ties between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. an effort to break his international isola- maintained restraint in Middle East affairs, have been challenged by several issues. tion resulting from Saudi journalist Jamal even beginning to withdraw and decrease Saudi nationals’ involvement in the 9/11 Khashoggi’s mysterious disappearance in the U.S. military presence in Syria and attacks put a crack in the trust between the the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, Afghanistan. two countries. Growing voices within the Turkey, in October. Salman and Saudi The shifts between Riyadh and U.S. called for further in-depth investiga- Washington reflect the new landscape of Arabia may have considered these political tions into the role of the Saudi royal family their bilateral ties. The transformation of rifts, but the more important reason for the in the 9/11 attacks. Given the sympathies the U.S. from an oil importing state into trip was economic cooperation with Asian held by some Saudi royal members in the oil exporting one due to the development countries. 1990s toward some Islamic extremists, of shale oil has lowered U.S. willingness Traditionally, the foundation of Saudi especially Al-Qaeda, the Saudi image inside to directly intervene in regional affairs in Arabia’s foreign policy has been its ties with the U.S. grew more negative. the Middle East. Therefore, it is necessary the United States. Although the modern Meanwhile, the United States’ hesitant for Saudi Arabia to seek connections with Saudi Kingdom was established in the early and neutral attitude toward the political up- other world powers, especially with Russia 20th century based on the conservative heavals in the Arab world since 2011 and and China, to extricate itself from overde- Islamic Wahhabi belief, its formation and the Syrian civil war weakened Saudi expec- pendence on U.S. assistance. sustainability could not have been realized tations of the U.S. role in the Middle East. without the assistance of the United States Many analysts believed that Washington and the United Kingdom. In the 1930s, it could and should have done more in New opportunities was the British that successfully helped the early 2011 to help save the presidency of The direct motivation behind Salman’s Saudi royal family defeat rebellions inside Muhammed Hosni Mubarak in Egypt rather visit to Asia is to facilitate and speed up Saudi Arabia, and it was the U.S. that dis- than acting as an onlooker. The overthrow the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s own covered the oil wells in the country in the of Mubarak’s regime decreased the political economic structure and to seek new 1940s and 50s and created Saudi Arabia’s trust in the U.S. with many of its Arab allies, economic cooperation and foreign invest- energy-dependent economic structure. especially Saudi Arabia. After the unrest in ments to construct the Saudi Vision 2030, In the Cold War era, Saudi Arabia stood Syria turned into a civil war in 2011, Riyadh which was put forward by Salman in 2017 ĶUPO\ZLWKWKH86WRFRQIURQWWKH6RYLHW was hoping that the U.S. would do more to diversify the Saudi economy and free Union. Although Saudi Arabia criticized U.S. to help the Syrian rebels overthrow the Saudi Arabia from the overdependence of support for Israel, the bilateral ties between Syrian Government led by Bashar al-Assad. energy. Riyadh and Washington were not affected But Washington disappointed Riyadh by The economic foundation between by the divergence. providing only light arms to the rebels and Saudi Arabia and East Asian countries, After the Cold War, Saudi Arabia sup- carrying out very limited military strikes especially China, Japan, India and the 24 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com WORLD XINHUA Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (fourth from the right), co-chairs the third meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee with visiting Saudi Crown Prince 0RKDPPHGELQ6DOPDQ ĶIWKIURPWKHOHIW LQ%HLMLQJRQ)HEUXDU\ Republic of Korea, is oil. Asian countries countries, it is necessary for Riyadh to con- America and Europe, while its foreign have become the most important oil ex- struct more refinery stations in different investments have mostly come from the porting destinations for Saudi Arabia, with ports in both the eastern Indian Ocean and West and have been concentrated in the 70 percent of Saudi oil going there. Saudi Southeast Asia to facilitate the transport of energy sector. During the last years, both Arabia’s imported goods mostly come from the oil. investments from Saudi Arabia to Asia Asia. Among its Asian partners, China is On the other hand, Saudi Arabia hopes and Asia to Saudi Arabia have increased Saudi Arabia’s biggest trading partner. In to attract more investments from Asia. VLJQLĶFDQWO\DQGQHZFRRSHUDWLRQVHFWRUV 2018, the trade volume between China and Recently, it announced an industrial plan VXFKDVWHFKQRORJ\PDQXIDFWXULQJĶVKLQJ Saudi Arabia was $60 billion, with China to invest over $400 billion to encourage and nuclear power, are planned and being importing more than 1.6 million barrels of its logistics industry. Riyadh and other implemented by Saudi Arabia and its Asian Saudi oil per day, accounting for 15 per- Arab countries see China and other Asian partners, especially China. cent of China’s total imported oil. countries as the emerging economies with When Saudi Vision 2030 meets the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, On the one hand, Riyadh hopes to the greatest economic potentialities, thus there will be countless opportunities that encourage more profound energy cooper- Saudi Arabia hopes to attract more coop- will benefit both the Chinese and Saudi ation with its Asian partners. Salman signed eration opportunities with these countries. people. Asia and China are projected to be- an agreement with Pakistan to construct Many planned industrial zones in Saudi come more important to Saudi Arabia, and DQRLOUHĶQHU\LQWKHFRDVWDOFLW\RI*ZDGDU Arabia need investment, and the major closer ties between China and Saudi Arabia where China is building a port, to facilitate purpose of the Crown Prince’s visit to Asia are expected. Q closer energy ties with Asian countries. was to seek investments to advance Saudi Given that most of Saudi Arabia’s oil—simi- Arabia’s economic transformation. lar to its Arab neighbors such as the United Traditionally, the country’s major in- Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo Comments to [email protected] Arab Emirates and Qatar—goes to Asian vestment destinations have been North http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 25 WORLD Sliding Into Uncertainty Transatlantic ties, already strained, face more challenges under the Trump administration By Chen Yang administration of imposing new tariffs against had once claimed to respect the attitudes of The author is an Germany, she questioned how importing cars other sovereign states on the issue. In response associate researcher from allies could be a security threat to the to Turkey purchasing Russian air defense weap- with the Institute of United States. ons, he said, “We cannot ensure the defense European Studies under Having announced that she won’t run for of the West if our allies grow dependent on the the China Institutes another term as chancellor and will withdraw East.” of Contemporary from German politics, Merkel was not encum- This was the second time Pence had at- International Relations bered by any future plans or constraints and tended the MSC as U.S. vice president. Although was free to express her views. he extended a partial olive branch to allies, say- hen the 55th Munich Security With French President Emmanuel Macron LQJp$PHULFDĶUVWGRHVQoWPHDQ$PHULFDDORQHq Conference (MSC), the annual gathering grappling with the Yellow Vest protest move- he played down the U.S. security commitment Wto discuss international security issues ment, British Prime Minister Theresa May mired to Europe, saying the increase in U.S. military in Munich, Germany, was held from February in Brexit, and the Italian populist government power meant the commitment had been 15 to 17, perhaps in an attempt to make up for busy with the European Parliament elections delivered. He also took the opportunity to pro- its absence at the World Economic Forum an- in May, where traditional parties will fight EU- voke dissension within the EU by praising the nual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January, skeptic parties, Merkel, whether she admits it or European countries opposed to the construc- the United States sent a large delegation. The not, has already taken the lead in Europe’s clash tion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. “Davos” of security policy was attended by Vice with Trump. Pence laid more emphasis on Trump’s President Mike Pence and acting Secretary of The U.S. delegation came prepared. In his achievements, attributing the increase in Defense Patrick Shanahan, followed by senior speech, Pence continued to urge European Europe’s military spending in recent years Senator Lindsey Graham and Speaker of the leaders to spend more on defense, saying “Many to him and praising him as the leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. of our NATO allies still need to do more.” He “free world.” There were several embarrass- However, those politicians could not help also urged Europe to stop “undermining U.S. ing moments. An awkward silence prevailed bring transatlantic relations back on track, nor sanctions” on Iran and explicitly asked Britain, when Pence conveyed Trump’s greetings and did they inject new vitality into the partnership, France and Germany to withdraw from the boasted of the U.S. president’s “achievements.” leaving the alliance to slide into an unknown Iranian nuclear deal though the United States Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the new leader future. XINHUA Transatlantic camaraderie? The conference was marked by tensions between the United States and European countries, both overt and covert. At the very beginning of the meeting, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger went all out to criticize U.S. President Donald Trump. In the opening speech, he said the Ukrainian crisis had long been regarded as the primary cause of the cur- rent global instability until he realized that the U.S. president himself had become the biggest challenge to the current international order. Ischinger’s remarks suggested that Europe has no intention to conceal its resentment against the Trump administration. The next day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed in a passionate speech to uphold multilateralism, not withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal, and support the Nord Stream 2 project that will provide natural gas from Russia to Europe through Germany. She also defended increasing Germany’s defense spending to 1.5 percent of GDP in 2024. Accusing the Trump Munich Security Conference (MSC) Chair Wolfgang Ischinger delivers the opening remarks during the 55th MSC in Munich, Germany, on February 15 26 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com WORLD XINHUA A man walks past the security check area for the 55th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on February 15 of Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union United States in terms of security, the economy ers at the event, only one was from Trump’s and a popular candidate for Germany’s next as well as international affairs. Republican Party. Former Democratic Vice chancellor, did not speak with Ivanka Trump In short, what the Trump administration President Joe Biden, who may run for the next when they met at breakfast. As The New York wants is not an ally but a vassal. However, U.S. presidential election in 2020, was given Times put it, the MSC had sung a requiem for Europe is independent and economically the an unprecedented warm applause, in stark the West. United States’ equal, upholds pluralism and pur- contrast to the European reaction to Pence’s sues a multipolar world. Even if it depends on speech. An ally or vassal? the United States for security, Trump’s vision is Besides, Europe’s ambition for strategic a clear violation of European values and funda- autonomy is being implemented step by step At the beginning of Trump’s presidency, Europe mentals and can never be complied with. still had expectations, speculating that his by building up its defense capabilities and On the other hand, Europe’s attempt to maintaining economic sovereignty. European policies and actions would draw closer to the tame Trump is also a pipe dream. Europe is countries are also preparing to meet more like- mainstream and normal U.S.-European relations not capable of challenging the strength of minded partners around the world. would ensue. However, the expected honey- the United States, unable to keep up with moon between the United States and Europe the innovation ability of the U.S. economy, its According to the 2019 Munich Security did not materialize. Instead, the transatlantic demographic structure as well as the dollar’s Report, the annual report of the MSC, “a new relations fell into turmoil. The MSC signaled the PRQRSRO\DQGXQLTXHĶQDQFLDOFDSDELOLWLHV era of great power competition is unfolding growing frustration of European countries. But The Trump administration, although it between the United States, China and Russia, the United States still continues on its own path, suffered setbacks in the mid-term elections in accompanied by a certain leadership vacuum which is a sign that the transatlantic relationship, 2018, has a more uniform foreign policy today. in what has become known as the liberal inter- under the Trump administration, is becoming The frequent changes in Trump’s appointees national order.” With the implication that the more disheartening. have enabled him to follow his own will. In United States is no longer qualified to sustain Trump’s expectations from Europe are Pence’s speech at the MSC, he mentioned its leadership over Europe, Europe itself has the tasks that cannot be accomplished. His strong Trump 30 times, twice as many times as in his potential to fill the leadership vacuum in the pressure on Europe to raise its defense spend- ĶUVWVSHHFKLQ7KLVZDVQRWDFRLQFLGHQFH West. The crisis of transatlantic relations in the ing, imposing additional tariffs on imports from but highlighted the expansion of Trump’s con- Trump era offers a rare opportunity and motiva- the EU and ignoring European concerns on trol over U.S. foreign policy. tion for European integration. Q regional security issues, all serve as weapons to Europe, realizing this, is arranging a stra- IRUFH(XURSHWRIROORZKLVp$PHULFDĶUVWqSROLF\ tegic layout for a post-Trump era. During the His aim is to shape a unipolar world led by the MSC, Pelosi was invited to a night seminar for Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar United States, with Europe supporting the the U.S. Congress delegation. Of the four speak- Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 27 NATION Foreign Envoys in Xinjiang Senior diplomats from permanent missions of eight countries to the United Nations Office at Geneva visited northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on )HEUXDU\ó óDWóWKHóLQYLWDWLRQóRIóWKHó&KLQHVHó0LQLVWU\óRIó)RUHLJQó$IIDLUVó(GLWHGóH[ cerpts of a Xinhua News Agency report on the visit follow: The diplomats from Pakistan, Venezuela, their thoughts, learn the Mandarin language, UHSUHVHQWDWLYHRI&DPERGLDWRWKH812IĶFH Cuba, Egypt, Cambodia, Russia, Senegal and boost legal awareness and master vocational at Geneva. Belarus spoke with trainees at vocational skills. education and training centers, teaching So far, no violent terrorist activities have clerics and other members of the public dur- been reported in the last 25 months in 3HRSOHRULHQWHGóWUDLQLQJ ing their visit. Xinjiang, authorities said. At the vocational education and training They agreed that the Chinese Terrorism and extremism sabotaged centers in Kashgar and Moyu counties of Government has made achievements in peace and caused great casualties in Hotan Prefecture, the diplomats inquired in cracking down on and preventing terrorism Xinjiang. Terrorism, in whatever form, shall great detail about the life and education of according to law, safeguarding the religious not be forgiven, said Sam Ol Ney, permanent the trainees. freedom of its citizens and conserving ethnic traditions and culture. Since the 1990s, the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism both at home and abroad plotted and organized thousands of violent terrorist activities and gravely damaged the stability, solidarity and progress of Xinjiang, trampling the basic human rights to life, health, property and de- velopment for the people in Xinjiang. At the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center, the diplomats watched an exhibition on major terrorist cases in the region. Nikita Zhukov, the deputy permanent representative of the Russia Federation to the UN Office at Geneva, said he could not bear to look at the video clips and pictures at the exhibition. “Terrorism should not be present in modern society like this. It is an absolute de- mon and must be destroyed,” Zhukov said. “It is important to fight terrorism according to law, and the Chinese Government has done so.” Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta, permanent representative of the Republic of Cuba to WKH812IĶFHDW*HQHYDVDLGWKHH[KLELWLRQ showed that anyone could be a victim of terrorism. In recent years, Xinjiang has focused on the prevention of terrorism by striking at the root and source of the problems. It aims to forestall terrorist attacks by providing a SODWIRUPWRWKHSHRSOHZKRKDYHEHHQLQßX enced by extremist thoughts and committed Diplomats visit a traditional musical instruments shop in Kashgar, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur minor crimes so that they can transform Autonomous Region, on February 17 30 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com NATION Trainees study the Mandarin language otherwise they easily fall victims to those part, Dieye added. and law, and take practical courses on auto who exploit them for illegal ends, he said. Thanks to a large-scale renovation proj- repair, hairdressing, baby care and health, After observing a class on law, Pisarevich ect launched in 2010, residents in Kashgar planting and farming. said that it was right for the Chinese now enjoy a modern and convenient life in It is foolish to make accusations against Government to establish the centers. It is their houses with unique traditional designs. these centers where students are learning also in line with the principle and spirit of law, The renovation project has fully respect- the necessary skills to improve lives, said he said. ed the wishes of residents to conserve their Vadim Pisarevich, the deputy permanent culture, setting a good example for other cit- UHSUHVHQWDWLYHRI%HODUXVWRWKH812IĶFHDW Preserving culture ies, said local representatives. “In the old city, we see a good combi- Geneva. The delegates visited the Id Kah Mosque in nation of traditional culture and modern Jorge Hidalgo Valero Briceno, permanent Kashgar, the old city of Kashgar and local development,” said Zhukov, after talking with UHSUHVHQWDWLYHRI9HQH]XHODWRWKH812IĶFH families. a craftsman who makes traditional musical at Geneva, said the accusations were politi- Serigne Dieye, the minister counselor of LQVWUXPHQWVDVWKHĶIWKJHQHUDWLRQLQKHULWRU cally charged and made by those who do not the Permanent Mission of the Republic of of the craft in his family. His son will continue believe in the Chinese people. 6HQHJDOWRWKH812IĶFHDW*HQHYDVDLGDV to carry on the family tradition. Zhukov said the centers resemble colleg- a Muslim himself, he felt glad to see that the The effort of local government and resi- es with modern buildings and comfortable Chinese Government has protected religious dents to maintain traditions amid development lodging. freedom well. deserves appreciation, Zhukov said. Q The purpose of the centers is to boost Facilities for drinking water, heating and the capabilities of the people, said Pedro Luis bathing at the mosque are all provided by Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo Pedroso Cuesta. People should be educated, the government, which is a great effort on its Comments to [email protected] XINHUA XINHUA A class at the vocational education and training center in Moyu County of Hotan Prefecture on February 18 http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 31 HUNAN SPECIAL ON THE ROAD TO PROSPERITY A residential community for relocated poor villagers in Tanfu Township, Xinshao County eptember 24, 2018 was a special day for according to statistics from Hunan’s pov- issues related to agriculture, rural areas and Shi Liujin, a farmer living in Shibadong erty relief office, 1.309 million rural people farmers. SVillage, Huayuan County in central China’s worked their way out of poverty in 2018. In 2018, 16.8 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) went Hunan Province. On that day, the 44-year-old How did the local government ac- to poverty alleviation work in 51 poor counties, got married, something that had eluded him complish this? The province has made including a special fund of about 4.7 billion yuan EHFDXVHRIKLVĶQDQFLDOVLWXDWLRQ%XWKLVOLIHLV poverty alleviation a political task. Following ($699 million) from the Central Government much better now as a result of the country’s tar- Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese and 3.8 billion yuan ($565 million) from the local JHWHGSRYHUW\DOOHYLDWLRQSROLF\ZKLFKZDVĶUVW Characteristics for a New Era, it has imple- governments. put forward by President Xi Jinping, also General mented the central authorities’ decisions In the 11 extreme poverty-stricken Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and arrangements in a thorough manner, counties, the government encouraged the Central Committee, in 2013. The ambitious and prioritized substantial results. development of industries including citrus, drive aims to eliminate rural poverty by 2020. The province also initiated efforts based waxberry, tea, medicinal herbs and animal “I should really thank General Secretary on its own conditions. In addition to effective husbandry, with eight industrial bases set up ac- Xi and the policy adopted by the CPC,” Shi policies and substantial funds, it supported cordingly. Nearly 600 technical personnel were said at his wedding reception. industrial development, created employ- dispatched to help local farmers. ment, relocated people to more habitable The government also boosted employ- Targeted methods areas, renovated decaying housing and ment by providing training and public service Shi is not the only one who has benefited strengthened social security. jobs to villagers. A total of 537 employment from the policy in Hunan. In 2018, over A responsibility system was set up. The bases were set up and 105,000 people received 700,000 poor people in Tanfu Township, provincial governor and the officials in charge vocational training. The number of newly-added Xinshao County, moved out of their old of poverty reduction led the work in order transferred impoverished labor to urban areas dilapidated houses into new and ample to ensure that policies were implemented reached 95,000. In addition, the government apartments under an anti-poverty relocation WKURXJKRXWHDFKDGPLQLVWUDWLYHGLYLVLRQ2IĶFLDOV made it easier for more than 300,000 villagers SURJUDP0RUHRYHUIRUWKHĶUVWWLPHIDUP at all levels paid visits to poor households to to find jobs in their hometown by supporting ers in Jiangyong County sold their produce check on the results of the implementation the building of over 4,000 workshops and es- through an online store dedicated to poverty of targeted measures. The government intro- tablishing 138,000 public service jobs. relief. GXFHGDSROLF\WKDWIXUWKHUUHĶQHGHDFKVWHSRI Since most poor areas lacked access to Hunan, where Xi initiated targeted pov- the work with a clear division of responsibility. transportation, Hunan built more airports, high- erty alleviation, faces an arduous task, since Poverty alleviation was also connected to rural ways and roads to solve the problem. Other it has a large impoverished population. But revitalization, a major strategy which prioritizes infrastructure, including electrical grids, broad- 32 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com HUNAN SPECIAL COURTESY PHOTO Shi Liujin, a farmer living in Shibadong Village, Huayuan County, at his wedding on September 24, 2018 band Internet access and water supply systems, were also improved to make residents’ lives better. Hunan also worked on ensuring housing safety for the poor by relocating people to more livable areas and renovating old houses. It helped 168,000 people solve their housing problems in 2018. For those who are not able to work, such as seniors and people with disabilities or seri- ous illnesses, social security plays a crucial role. In total, 903,000 people received a basic living allowance, and nearly 20,000 people with dis- abilities were offered care services, while 11,655 villagers with disabilities received vocational training that proved helpful for increasing their income. The government also helped 2,300 people with disabilities start their own busi- nesses, and 16,500 people saw their income increase. COURTESY PHOTO Supervision and innovation The Hunan Provincial Government has also adopted a strict appraisal system to ensure the effective implementation of poverty re- lief policies and avoid dereliction of duty by RIĶFLDOV The fostering of a strong sense of duty is FUXFLDOIRURIĶFLDOVZKRKROGSRYHUW\UHGXF tion positions. Supervision and inspection were conducted to make sure that corrupt or incompetent officials were punished. In 2018, more than 2,800 officials were held accountable for poor performance. On the other hand, those who made contributions WRWKHĶJKWDJDLQVWSRYHUW\ZHUHUHZDUGHG The province also explored new mecha- nisms for poverty alleviation. It set up a big data base for intelligent analysis and dynamic monitoring of policy implementa- tion. A platform was set up to simplify the hospitalization and reimbursement pro- cesses. An information management system ZDVDYDLODEOHWRJXDUDQWHHĶQDQFLDOVXSSRUW for education and reduce the number of New houses in Jile Village, Fenghuang County, which are funded by government poverty relief funds dropouts. It also worked on ensuring that the qual- ity of the poverty reduction work would lead lished partnerships with other provinces so The year 2019 is crucial for the country to long-term results. The government made that people could have more employment toward its goal of building a moderately clear preferential policies for those who opportunities outside of Hunan. prosperous society in all respects and worked their way out of poverty and set up Public participation also contributed to consolidating its poverty alleviation achieve- an evaluation mechanism to check the fol- Hunan’s poverty alleviation efforts. In 2018, ments. Hunan will take further steps by lifting low-up performance of counties that shook over 4,500 companies participated in 8,800 600,000 people, 718 villages and 19 coun- off poverty. programs established to help more than ties out of poverty, while at the same time, it Based on the employment environment 5,000 poverty-stricken villages. Donations will continue to work to meet people’s needs and features of poverty-stricken labor, the from all parts of society amounted to nearly for food, clothing, compulsory education, province improved its services and estab- 2.2 billion yuan ($330 million). basic medical care and housing. http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 33 BUSINESS Zhang Li, who heads a local agricultural cooperative, uses his phone to adjust the temperature in a greenhouse for vegetables in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, on January 22 Strength From the Soil Agriculture and rural development get fresh policy support By Li Xiaoyang rom the rise to the recent ease of Sino-U.S. many issues covered by the No.1 Central terms of eradicating poverty lies in these trade frictions, the soybean has been a Document released on February 19, the issues,” Du Zhixiong, Vice Director of the Fhotly contested topic throughout the pe- first policy statement of the year jointly Rural Development Institute at the Chinese ULRG:KLOHDIĶUPLQJWKDWWKHWZRFRXQWULHVDUH released by the Central Committee of the Academy of Social Sciences told Beijing important partners in the soybean trade, China Communist Party of China and the State Review. has highlighted the importance of increasing Council. It keeps issues relating to agricul- A sound agricultural sector and steady soybean output at home as it strives to boost ture, rural areas and farmers’ welfare as the rural development are essential for under- the domestic agricultural sector. top agenda, for the 16th year in a row. pinning the economy and taking the nation Soybean planting is only one of the “The toughest task facing China in closer to its goal of building its society into 34 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com BUSINESS XINHUA “Since China is facing stronger downward GHVWLQDWLRQVDFFRUGLQJWRRIĶFLDOGDWD7KH economic pressure and a changing exter- promotion of modern agricultural product nal environment with mounting risks and processing, which has industrialized agri- challenges, it needs to maintain its focus cultural produce, also augments farmers’ on agriculture and enable it to further con- profits by improving the value added of tribute to domestic economic growth,” he their products. said. “We need to fully utilize the natural and cultural resources of rural areas to di- Focus on modernization versify local economic drivers, develop full- ßHGJHGSURGXFWSURFHVVLQJFKDLQVDQGWDS According to Zhang Hongyu, Vice President into the potential of agriculture for deep in- of the China Institute for Rural Studies, tegration of rural industries,” Ye Xingqing, a Tsinghua University, this year, a priority for researcher with the Development Research the authorities is to keep grain production Center of the State Council, said. above 600 million tons to ensure grain se- FXULW\IRUWKHODUJHSRSXODWLRQ2IĶFLDOGDWD shows in 2018, total grain output reached Improved rural life 658 million tons. At the Central Economic Work Conference The policy document emphasizes in 2017, the annual meeting to set the securing the supply of major agricultural national economic agenda, the authorities products and boosting production of high- said preventing major risks, pollution con- quality agricultural products or those in trol and targeted poverty alleviation would short supply, such as soybeans and dairy be the “three tough battles” for the next products. The target is to keep grain- three years. growing areas at 110 million hectares and The 2019 policy document also empha- arable land area over 120 million hectares. sizes the importance of poverty alleviation By 2020, over 53.33 million hectares of to advance rural residents’ well-being. In high-standard farmland will be developed. 2018, 13.86 million people were lifted Farming will be modernized to im- out of poverty, according to the National prove agricultural output and efficiency. Bureau of Statistics. To create a moderately Liao Xiyuan, an official with the Ministry prosperous society in all respects by 2020, of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), there will be further policies to improve the said technological innovation is key to living standards of all rural residents living promoting agricultural modernization. The below the national poverty line of a 2,300- document stresses making breakthroughs yuan ($338) income annually. in key agricultural technologies and inde- In extremely poor regions, residents will pendent innovation in areas such as smart be given financial assistance, while fami- agriculture, heavy agricultural machinery lies living in inaccessible areas with little and green agricultural inputs. earning opportunities will be relocated. It also promises a new subsidy policy Measures will be taken to nurture talent in to better protect farmers’ interests and en- such areas. FRXUDJHĶQDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQVWROHQGPRUH According to the National Development to agribusinesses. New agricultural pro- and Reform Commission, 100 million rural a moderately prosperous one by 2020, the duction entities such as household farms residents will become urban dwellers by document says. and agricultural cooperatives are to be 2020. However, the relocated people will As it is introduced, the output and developed. be allowed to keep their rural land even af- efficiency of agricultural production will Du stressed that individual agricultural ter they become registered urban dwellers. be enhanced by harnessing technology households should also be supported. To prevent rural residents from slipping and optimizing the agricultural structure. “Individual producers need to be con- back into poverty, rural industries with local Poverty will be tackled and the environ- nected more closely with cooperatives, features will be started to diversify farm- ment in rural areas improved. In addition, leading enterprises and service providers in ers’ income channels. E-commerce has a ensuring a stable supply of green and high- production chains so that farmers can get major role in this. The boom in e-commerce quality agricultural products gets priority PRUHEHQHĶWVqKHVDLG has created new opportunities for rural as well as improving the livelihoods of rural While the rural economy is restruc- development and both rural incomes and residents. tured, tourism and leisure agriculture, consumption have risen. Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture combining sightseeing and recreation, According to Ministry of Commerce and Rural Affairs, told a press conference are being promoted to boost the rural spokesperson Gao Feng, domestic online on February 20 that agricultural and rural economy. MARA has developed nearly 400 sales of agricultural products totaled 230.5 development registered steady progress demonstration counties with rural sightsee- billion yuan ($34.4 billion) in 2018, up 33.8 in 2018, which provided strong support ing and recreational facilities nationwide. percent from the previous year. Online V V to China’s sound socioeconomic growth. Last year, tourists paid 3 billion trips to rural retail sales amounted to 1.37 trillion yuan http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 35 BUSINESS XINHUA Women from the Miao ethnic group produce embroideries as souvenirs for tourists in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province, on February 18 ($201.47 billion) in rural areas with a year- couraged industries for foreign investment says domestic soybean production will be on-year growth of 30.4 percent, indicating released on February 1. expanded by increasing planting areas. the consumption potential of rural buyers. The policy document says agricultural Yin Ruifeng, an analyst with MARA, said Developing the digital economy in rural cooperation with countries involved in the ULFHDQGFRUQSURGXFHDJUHDWHUQHWSURĶW areas will support agricultural development Belt and Road Initiative will be enhanced. than soybean. The output and quality of and reduce the urban-rural income gap, Qu Imports of agricultural products in short domestic soybean can be improved only by Dongyu, Vice Minister of Agriculture and supply domestically will be expanded and harnessing advanced technology. Rural Affairs, said. import channels diversified. More multi- According to the soybean rejuvenation Poverty alleviation also needs new national agricultural corporations will be plan proposed in the document, planting jobs and vocational training for rural labor fostered. will be increased in the traditional soybean- forces, the document notes. New busi- According to Jiao Shanwei, Editor in growing regions of Heilongjiang, Anhui and nesses will be encouraged and supporting Chief of the grain portal Cngrain.com, Henan provinces. The target is to expand platforms built up in rural areas. China has been opening wider to foreign the soybean-planting area to 9.33 million Apart from raising the rural income, investors in the agricultural sector over the hectares and increase the soybean self- measures will be taken to upgrade rural life. past two years. “Foreign enterprises’ partici- sufficiency rate by 1 percentage point by Infrastructure, including roads, grids and lo- pation will help modernize the agricultural 2020. gistics networks, will be improved, pollution sector, achieve sustainable development of According to Han, China’s soybean sup- plies will still partially rely on imports given treatment enhanced, and public services land, and improve the quality of domestic its large domestic demands. such as education, culture, healthcare and agricultural output,” he said. “Along with other sources, the United social security boosted. China produces only 16 million tons of soybeans domestically every year while the States will continue to be an important domestic demand can reach 110 million partner of China in terms of the soybean A more open market tons annually. Of this, about 90 percent trade,” he said. Q Foreign investment in various sectors, has to be met through imports, making including modern agriculture, is being China the world’s largest soybean importer, Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar encouraged, according to a draft list of en- according to official data. The document Comments to [email protected] 36 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com BUSINESS Critical Tasks Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, interpreted the No.1 Central Document of 2019, the first policy statement of the year jointly released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, and summarized its key points at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on February 20. Edited excerpts of his remarks follow: XINHUA ccording to the No.1 Central Document income of rural residents must be double of 2019, this year and 2020 are a decisive that of 2010. That is one of the indices Aperiod for China’s development, with signaling the completion of the work for many critical tasks that must be accomplished building a moderately prosperous society in the field of agriculture, rural areas and ru- in all respects. In recent years, the income ral people. These tasks mainly focus on five of rural residents has been growing rapidly aspects: and has actually grown at a faster rate than First, we will win the battle against pov- that of urban residents for nine consecu- erty. In this year’s document, it occupies a tive years. We must keep the trend going prominent position. We will focus on solving over the coming two years. The document existing gaps in providing adequate food lays out detailed arrangements to foster and clothing for poverty-stricken people the development of rural industries and and ensuring their access to compulsory diversify channels to increase farmers’ education, basic medical services and income. housing. Also, we need to step up efforts to Fourth, we will improve the rural living lift people out of poverty in areas suffering environment. This is one of the key tasks from deep-rooted impoverishment, which during the implementation of the rural is a very tough nut to crack. In addition, we vitalization strategy. We will do a good job are determined to prevent people from fall- in carrying out the Three-Year Action Plan ing back into poverty, and will connect our for Improving the Rural Living Environment poverty alleviation work with the vitaliza- so that it can be markedly improved by the tion of rural areas. end of 2020. This focuses on waste and Second, we will further promote grain sewage treatment, a toilet revolution and as education, medical care, sanitation, production. This is always a top priority village facelifts. Across China, since villages social security, culture and sports. We will and the primary task regarding agriculture differ in many ways, our efforts will proceed strengthen pollution treatment and eco- and rural affairs. Sufficient food supplies from reality and adapt to local conditions; logical conservation and promote green may serve as the ballast stone to cope with thus our guidance should be differentiated. agricultural and rural development with a mounting downward economic pressure We also need to carry out the job gradually view to making China’s villages highly liv- and increasing uncertainties and risks. This and refrain from going beyond our abilities. able, with picturesque scenery, blue skies year’s No.1 Central Document emphasizes We will ensure our efforts not only match and green spaces. strengthening agriculture and promoting the level of local economic development, There are many tasks concerning food production. The detailed require- but also are in line with local culture and agriculture, rural areas and rural people, ments include continuing the policies and customs. but these are the critical ones. In light of measures that support grain production, Fifth, it is necessary to shore up the China’s goal to complete the building of ensuring a sown area of 110 million hect- weakness in rural infrastructure and public a moderately prosperous society in all re- ares for grain and maintaining its stable services. These areas constitute the most spects by 2020, poverty alleviation is the output. We must guarantee China’s arable visible signs of the urban-rural gap and most important element. It must be fully land area remains above the red line of are some of the livelihood issues that ru- accomplished on time and with the de- 120 million hectares. We need to compre- ral people complain about most strongly. sired results. Food security is our primary hensively implement the policies providing Therefore, in order to improve people’s task, and we will guard the bottom line of special protection for the designated lives in the countryside, we should address keeping grain production from falling. The permanent basic cropland, and continu- this weakness as soon as possible. To this rural vitalization strategy is the overarching ously increase grain production capacity. end, the document includes a village infra- program that we will continue pushing for- Moreover, the document stresses the goal structure development project expected ward in an all-around way with unremitting of developing 53.33 million hectares of to improve areas such as drinking water, efforts. Q high-standard farmland. roads, power supply, housing, logistics Third, we will increase the income of and the modern information network. We Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo farmers. By 2020, the annual per-capita will provide better public services such Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 37 BUSINESS MARKET WATCH OPINION Addressing Capital Constraints to Serve the Real Economy KLQDoVĶQDQFLDOUHJXODWRU\DXWKRULWLHV the approval of perpetual bond issuance nels are still short of demand. recently took new steps to facilitate and lower the threshold for preferred For instance, before the launch of per- Ccapital replenishing for commercial stocks and convertible bonds. Wealth petual bonds, Chinese commercial banks banks. There are strong signals that al- management subsidiaries of commercial mainly relied on stock issuance, preferred leviating lenders’ liquidity pressure and banks are encouraged to invest in bank stocks, convertible bonds and tier-2 capital smoothening the mechanism for the bonds issued for capital supplement, and bonds to replenish capital. In many other transmission of the monetary policy has foreign-funded financial institutions are countries, however, perpetual bonds are EHFRPHDSULRULW\IRUWKHĶQDQFLDOVHFWRUoV encouraged to participate in bond market widely used. efforts to serve the real economy. transactions. Third, alleviating the capital pressure of The People’s Bank of China, the cen- Commercial banks’ capital issue has commercial banks is important to ensure WUDOEDQNFRQGXFWHGWKHĶUVWFHQWUDOEDQN become an important focus of financial a smooth transmission of the monetary bill swap (CBS) operation of the year on policies for several reasons. policy, which will make the policy more ef- February 20. Valued at 1.5 billion yuan First, while commercial banks’ capital fective and better serve the real economy. ($223.55 million) and to be due in one adequacy ratios have met regulatory re- 7KH&KLQHVHĶQDQFLDOV\VWHPPDLQO\UHOLHV year, the CBS will support the issuance of quirement, they still face pressure in the on indirect financing where commercial perpetual bonds by commercial banks to long term. According to CBIRC figures, by banks play a major role. After the central replenish capital. the end of 2018, Chinese banks’ capital bank releases liquidity, if commercial banks Many recent policies are about com- adequacy ratio was 14.02 percent and their fail to transfer the liquidity into credit mercial banks’ capital supplement. To tier-1 capital adequacy ratio was 11.58 granted to the real economy, the monetary increase liquidity of perpetual bonds, the percent. policy would not be as effective as desired. PBC created the CBS and has included However, they need more capital to The central bank has repeatedly em- banks’ perpetual bonds with ratings of AA adapt to the new asset management phasized that a smooth transmission of the or above as collateral for medium-term policy issued last year. In addition, since monetary policy is crucial in tackling the lending facility, targeted medium-term the capital adequacy ratios of international GLIĶFXOW\DQGKLJKFRVWRIĶQDQFLQJ&DSLWDO lending facility, standing lending facility and leading banks stand between 15 and 20 inadequacy restricts the ability of com- re-lending. percent, Chinese banks still have space for mercial banks to give loans. So targeted The China Banking and Insurance improvement. solutions are important to ensure that the Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) announced Second, the tools available for banks monetary policy runs smoothly. in January that it would allow insurance to replenish capital are still not enough. According to a policy briefing of the ĶUPVWRLQYHVWLQEDQNVoWLHUFDSLWDOERQGV Commercial banks can rely on internal State Council on February 19, the PBC will DVZHOODVFDSLWDOERQGVZLWKRXWĶ[HGWHUPV channels for capital supplement, such as improve regulations, clarify the conditions A recent executive meeting of the retaining earnings, but they are facing a for issuing capital supplement bonds and State Council, China’s cabinet, also formu- serious problem of the growth of profits the related loss absorption mechanism, and lated detailed measures to facilitate capital slowing down. Comparatively, capital sup- explore the issuance of perpetual bonds replenishing for commercial banks. For plement from external channels are more and tier-2 capital bonds with debt-for-eq- instance, the meeting decided to fast-track immediate and effective, but such chan- uity conditions. The taxation authority will soon issue policies concerning perpetual bonds. As more related policies are being put into play, China will have an increasingly Alleviating the capital pressure of commercial sound mechanism to supplement com- mercial banks’ capital, and the banking banks is important to ensure a smooth industry will become abler to support the transmission of the monetary policy, which will real economy. Q make the policy more effective and better serve This is an edited excerpt of an article by financial commentator Zhang Mo published in Economic Information Daily the real economy Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar Comments to [email protected] 38 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com MARKET WATCH BUSINESS NUMBERS ($1=6.7 yuan) Sales of Passenger Cars in China 49.2 January 3.2 tln yuan The purchasing Number of Units Growth (y.o.y.) Value of bonds issued managers’ index of China’s in China in January manufacturing sector in Sedan 986,200 -14.89% with the treasury bond February, narrowing from issuance standing at 49.5 in January 170 billion yuan and Sports utility 878,900 -18.86% vehicle local government bond issuance reaching 418 Multi-purpose 129,600 -27.44% billion yuan vehicle 54.3 Cross 26,400 The non-manufacturing passenger car -25.99% purchasing managers’ index of China in February, -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 75,178 down from 54.7 in January Passenger Car Sales in China by Country of Origin Number of China’s Proportion of total, January private equity funds by Others 0.81% the end of January, with a combined value of France China 0.77% 41.15% 12.74 trillion yuan 8.1% South Korea Year-on-year increase of 3.08% U.S. 10.13% &KLQDoVQRQĶQDQFLDO Germany outbound direct Japan 22.79% 18 times investment in 47 Belt and 21.27% Growth rate of China’s Road countries in January, online insurance policy reaching $1.33 billion GHDOVRYHUWKHSDVWĶYH Sales of Chinese-Manufactured Cars by Brand years January SAIC 609,300 1.14 bln tons Dongfeng 315,400 China’s cargo throughput 42.6 bln yuan at ports in January, up 9.1 FAW 299,200 Beijing’s exports in percent compared with Guangzhou January, an increase of 209,700 the same period in 2018 Automobile 14.7 percent year on Geely 158,400 year but a decline of 9.8 percent compared with BAIC 148,100 December 2018 Changan 141,700 Great Wall 111,700 Brilliance Auto 74,300 Chery 61,100 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 (Source: China Association of Automobile Manufacturers) http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 39 CULTURE Reeled In Short video apps come under regulation By Ji Jing t 20, Yuan Guihua, who flunked her poverty but with rich resources. UXQQLQJHDWLQJDQGVLQJLQJ+HUĶUVWYLGHRZDV college entrance exam, is an Internet ce- Douyin even launched a special project to viewed more than 60 million times, received 4 Alebrity. It started with a simple video that generate tourism by training local people how million likes and over 430,000 comments, and gained her nearly 1 million views. to shoot and share videos on Douyin and pro- she had over 15 million fans within a month. The young woman from Guizhou Province, YLGLQJWKHPZLWKIUHHDGWUDIĶF Chen Jiamin, a university student in Dalian, southwest China, opened an account on According to the China Internet Audio- northeast China’s Liaoning Province, spends Kuaishou, a short video app also known as Kwai, Visual Products Development Report published nearly an hour watching short videos every day. and posted a video of her picturesque but im- by the China Netcasting Services Association The 19-year-old likes watching videos on tourism, poverished village. To her surprise, it was seen (CNSA) in November 2018, the number of short pets, cooking, handicraft making and painting. by thousands of people and when she posted video users reached 594 million by June 2018, “When I watch a video of others at a tourist more videos of herself ploughing, picking veg- accounting for 74.1 percent of all Internet users site, I jot down the names of the site and the etables and fruits, and chopping up firewood, in China. Young people use short videos more, hotel so that I can go there in future. I learned many people became interested in the veg- with over 80 percent of those under 29 using to cook through short videos and made several etables and fruits she grew organically, without short video platforms. dishes during the winter vacation, which proved using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The market has become more mature to be very successful. It’s very useful,” Chen said. Yuan began to promote green agricultural as the content has become more diversified. However, not everyone is a fan. Liu Yang, a products online and taught other villagers to In 2017, the most watched short videos were foreign company employee in Beijing, said he grow specialties and sell them online through entertainment-related while in 2018 their popu- seldom watches short videos except those on the app. Today, she has over 3 million followers larity dropped. pets. on Kuaishou. There are over 100 short video platforms “Many short videos are vulgar, going too Yuan’s case exemplifies the popularity of and these have become more specialized, far to attract viewers. They are also too short to such videos in recent years. focusing on different areas such as finance contain enough information, which means they and sports. Short news video platforms are also are not of high quality. Moreover, it’s a waste of A booming sector thriving and have become the entry point for time and I would rather watch a movie,” he said. traditional media such as TV stations to enter “Those who use short video apps are mostly The short video industry experienced explosive the short video market. younger people and I can hardly understand growth in 2017, with its market value reaching According to the Report on Short Video their fashion.” 5.73 billion yuan ($856 million), up 184 percent. Users 2018-2019 released by research firm ,WLVHVWLPDWHGWKDWWKHĶJXUHZLOOKLWELOOLRQ CSM on February 21, people watch short videos yuan ($4.48 billion) by 2020. primarily for relaxation and entertainment, then Content management There are several ways for short video for getting information and knowledge, and In spite of the rapid growth, the industry is also SRVWHUVWRPDNHDSURĶW IURPDGYHUWLVHPHQWV finally, for social contact and sharing content. plagued by problems such as vulgar content, virtual gifts sent by fans which can be converted Young short video watchers and makers typi- pornography and piracy. into cash, selling products online or charging cally suffer from loneliness and anxiety. Last year, a teen who had a baby at the viewers for the content. Zhang Zhian, Dean of the School of age of 17 and her boyfriend attracted over 45 Platforms featuring video sharing have Communication and Design, Sun Yat-sen million followers on Kuaishou. Subsequently, already become a new route for rural residents University in south China’s Guangdong several teens around the same age also an- to escape poverty since many rural areas have Province, said on one hand, short videos have nounced they were pregnant and it became a various resources and beautiful landscapes enabled Internet users to express themselves, fashion on Kuaishou to be pregnant at such an but lack marketing knowledge and distribution giving full play to their personalities; on the early age. In China the legal age for marriage for channels. other hand they have filled up Internet users’ women is 20. Some of the main video sharing platforms IUDJPHQWHGVSDUHWLPHDQGVDWLVĶHGWKHLUVSRQ As a result, the Cyberspace Administration such as Douyin, also known as TikTok, and taneous needs for audio-visual products. of China ordered Kuaishou to ban the teen’s ac- Kuaishou have launched campaigns cooperat- In addition to web celebrities, many enter- count and not allow her to register a new one in ing with local governments to help some rural tainment stars have also opened short video the future. residents out of poverty. In the past year, over platform accounts. Xie Na, a famous hostess On January 9, the CNSA published a regu- 16 million vloggers gained income on Kuaishou, with Hunan TV, registered an account on lation for online short video platforms, which of which 3.4 million people came from areas in Kuaishou last year and posted videos of herself stipulates that users have to register using 42 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com CULTURE XINHUA A woman of the Mongolian ethnic group in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region makes a short video to show local daily lifestyle and traditions Industry insiders say as regulation of the short video market strengthens, the growth dividend has disappeared. However, people are not likely to go off short videos as it will become more convenient to make and share them as the 5G age dawns. The heyday of short videos is yet to come. Li Yongjian, Director of the Cybereconomy Research Department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said following the explosive increase in the number of short video platform users, high-quality content has become key for such platforms to survive market competition. XINHUA Kuaishou started a campaign with traffic value of 500 million yuan ($73.53 million) to share with more than 500 counties in poverty in the year 2018-20, announced last September by the company. They also initiated cooperation strategies with counties by way of local training. Wu Bingying, a college graduate, in her vil- lage, Xifeng in southeast China’s Fujian Province, is one of the beneficiaries. She was chosen by Kuaishou as a rural champion due to her performance on the platform. She went back home from Beijing after the three-day training in January. The training classes included online and offline business management, online branding and how to be a rural champion to get more villagers involved. Douyin collaborated with over 40 sci- ence and technology museums across China to popularize scientific knowledge on its platform during last year’s National Science Popularization Day, observed in September. Also, ahead of World Museum Day on May 18, seven museums in China including the National Museum of China (NMC) posted short videos of Tourists from 13 countries and regions take part in an activity to promote traditional folklore in Tongxiang, their collections on Douyin with upbeat back- a city in east China’s Zhejiang Province, on April 15, 2017. They were encouraged to post photos and short ground music which became a hit with viewers. videos on social media platforms The NMC’s Douyin account had attracted over 700,000 followers by February 28. Q their real names and all short videos have to marital affairs. People posting such contents (Li Fangfang contributed to this report) be examined by the platforms before they are face a one-year, three-year or permanent ban streamed. depending on the severity of the case. Nearly two dozen categories have been The regulation also seeks to protect original labeled as vulgar, including those that damage content by prohibiting short video platforms the national image and ethnic and regional from streaming segments from films, TV dra- Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar unity, pornography and videos regarding extra- PDVDQGRQOLQHĶOPVDQGGUDPDV Comments to [email protected] http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 43 CULTURE Key Terms to Understand Reform and Opening Up The China Academy of Translation has analyzed prevailing terms concerning the reform and opening-up policy and translated them into a number of foreign languages. The research institute is affiliated with the China International Publishing Group, the country’s leading international publisher. In each issue, Beijing Review presents a selection of these terms to help readers more deeply understand this program. Confining the Exercise of Modernizing the National Power Within Institutions Governance System and Capabilities Xi Jinping introduced the idea of an “institutional cage” at the sec- At its third plenary session held between November 9 and ond plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) 12, 2013, the 18th CPC Central Committee stated that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in January 2013. overarching goal of comprehensively expanding in-depth He said that the move to confine the exercise of power within UHIRUPLVWRUHĶQHDQGGHYHORSVRFLDOLVPZLWK&KLQHVHFKDU an institutional cage is meant to strengthen scrutiny of the work acteristics and to modernize the national governance system and deter the possible misuse of power by officials. It involves and capabilities. The governance system and capabilities of a establishing a mechanism that prevents, deters and punishes cor- country are embodied in its institutions and their ability to act ruption. Institutions are of fundamental importance and have a appropriately. China’s national governance system, led by the profound impact on the stability of the country. To keep a check Party, is a collection of institutions for supervising the country. on power, there must be solid institutions. Effective administration These include economic, political, cultural, social, ecological holds the key to this goal. Powers should be properly designated and Party development mechanisms and institutions, as well so that the making, execution, and supervision of decisions will as laws, regulations and plans. They are all tightly linked and check and coordinate with each other, and operate effectively coordinated. China’s national governance capabilities are to check and oversee the exercise of power. The people should GHĶQHGE\LWVDELOLW\WRXVHWKHVHLQVWLWXWLRQVWRPDQDJHYDUL be granted powers of scrutiny as part of the efforts to build a ous aspects of society, including reform, development and sound mechanism for supervision with effective synergy. Powers stability; internal affairs, foreign relations and national defense; must be openly exercised and this exercise of power should be and governance of the Party, the armed forces and the nation procedure-based and made public. at large. These institutions and their capabilities are mutu- Party affairs, government operations, judicial affairs, and ally complementary and holistically integrated; there must other activities in relevant areas will be made more trans- be a respectable governance system in order to improve parent. Lists of powers will be defined so that powers and governance capabilities, and capabilities must be improved if responsibilities are matched, and those exercising power bear institutions are to be fully effective. Promoting their modern- correspondent responsibilities and are held accountable for ization means adapting to the changing times and reforming any abuse. Any ideas and practices redolent of privilege will be institutions, laws and regulations which are unsuited to the opposed, and it is absolutely forbidden to seek privilege or to needs of development, while at the same time constantly abuse one’s power for personal gain. establishing new institutions, laws and regulations. The hope is that this will transform the governance of the Party, of the nation and of society at large and make it more procedure- orientated. Upholding Justice While Pursuing Shared Interests Xi Jinping stressed the importance of upholding justice and pursuing shared interests during his African visit in March 2013, stressing the need to seek common ground and find converging interests with others, stick to the sound values of justice and benefit, hold to principles it can act upon, cherish friendship and righteousness, and offer assistance to developing countries that is within the limits of its own resources. 7KHSXUVXLWRIVKDUHGLQWHUHVWVKRXOGEHDOLJQHGZLWKWKHQHHGWRVHDUFKIRUPXWXDOEHQHĶWUDWKHUWKDQEHLQJWXUQHGLQWRD]HURVXP game. China has the obligation to provide assistance to poor countries within the limits of its own resources. A healthy approach to the relationship between upholding justice and pursuing shared interest is a principled approach that values friendship, adheres to moral stan- dards, refuses to succumb to the temptations of greed, encourages us to seek gain only when the justice is not adversely affected, and HPEUDFHVDUHDGLQHVVWRVDFULĶFHVHOILQWHUHVWIRUWKHMXVWLFHZKHQQHHGDULVHV 44 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com FORUM Do We Still Need Classical Poems in Today’s Modern Society? ince 2016, China Central Television has and literature are regarded as outdated by However, for modern society, the ultimate been airing an annual prime-time cultural many. The TV show and society’s interest goal in studying classical poems is to learn Sgame show on classical and modern in classical poems have been regarded with to behave well and to be a good citizen. Chinese poetry. Chinese Poetry Congress, some skepticism as well. Critics say such If you learn hundreds of poems by broadcast every evening during the Spring kind of TV programs are out of sync with heart it may not help address all your griev- Festival holiday, is meant to remind people of the times as the life described by the clas- ances but it will still bring you inspiration the beauty of classical poems and promote tra- sical poems is too remote from us and too and enjoyment. ditional culture. different. They think classical poetry, which Jin Zhiwei (edu.enorth.com.cn): This popular show’s numerous partici- has to vie with computer games and videos Classical poems are the root of China’s tra- pants are from all walks of life, from middle WRĶQGVSDFHRQFRPSXWHUVDQGFHOOSKRQHV ditional culture, and more importantly, they school and college to engineers, farmers is a waste of time and is no longer needed JLYH&KLQHVHSHRSOHFRQĶGHQFHDQGSULGH and food delivery boys. The participants in modern life. in their culture. have to recite poems, guess a poem from However, a surprising number still There are many social factors behind clues, and take part in other poetry-related believes that classical poems will never the wide popularity of Chinese Poetry contests. The number of viewers has been become outdated. They are the root of Congress. Chinese culture, with classi- swelling, hitting 200 million and proving Chinese literature and cultural values. cal poems as its best name card, is going the show to be a hit. Besides, they offer relief from the high deeper into people’s heart and soul at the Chinese classical poetry dates back pressures of modern life. They say it’s natu- time of globalization. This is an irreversible 2,500 years and developed through dif- ral that society has begun to embrace the historical trend. ferent dynasties. It boasts a huge number genre through the TV show. Here are the Chinese classical poetry and literature of eminent poets and numerous excellent views of some netizens. are an integral part of Chinese culture and poems. values. It covers social life, including social, But with the onset of the information- Jewel in the crown political, economic and cultural life, and technology and the artificial-intelligence the state. The aesthetic level and tendency Pan Yumin (China Education Daily): age, things like ancient and classical poetry reflected by Chinese classical literature is Poetry is a very important part of Chinese not outdated at all. Instead, it stands out in traditional culture. Reading classical poems world literature and culture and is a trea- will help to improve people’s cultural knowl- sure trove of world culture. Dear Readers, edge and taste. In today’s modern times, Forum is a Internet language is distancing people from the elegant language of classical poems. Necessity for modern society column that Instead of being outdated, today, people Lu Yuan (Qianjiang Evening News): With provides a space need the nourishment of classical poems vulgar words, especially four-letter words, for varying more than ever. widely used on social media and cellphone In today’s information era, people’s screens dominated by similar offensive lan- perspectives on ways of living and working are tremendous- guage, society is becoming poisoned. contemporary ly different from those in ancient times. So I don’t mean that all vulgar language Chinese society. ancient poems remain a cultural tie that and not-so-elegant parlance should be for- we can’t afford to sever. Classical poems bidden. They are products of this age and We invite you to are the jewels in the crown of Chinese lit- conversely, also shape the modern time. submit personal erature. For thousands of years, Chinese However, reading classical poems in this classical poems have accumulated a rich vulgar language era, while not directly or viewpoints on past and precious cultural heritage for today’s immediately changing our modern life, will and current topics society. Chinese classical poetry has a com- at least help people remember another era. (in either English plete system, encompassing all issues and For most people who read classical scenes of ancient Chinese society. poems, they are far removed from their or Chinese). Today, we learn classical poems not be- tedious daily life and their economic status [email protected] cause all of us want to become poets and will not improve because they have memo- writers, but because we hope to enrich our rized hundreds of poems. However, their Please provide your name minds and improve our cultural taste. It’s passion for classical poems transcends and address along with widely believed that reciting poems once social, educational and family background your comments you have fully understood the meaning constraints, representing the purest and improves your chance of becoming a poet. truest kind of love. 46 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 7, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com FORUM XINHUA A stage photo of Chinese Poetry Congress In the Internet age, things are easily ing. People can easily feel the joy of reading Xu Nantie (Yangcheng Evening News): replaced by newer and fresher substitutes, classical poems, while at the time, broad- Although many people like to post classi- and ancient things in general have no place ening their minds and becoming inspired. cal poems on the Internet and there are TV in modern society. However, interestingly, History influences the present and can shows devoted to classical poems, this is not cultural heritage from the agricultural era, shape the future, so our life is not isolated, a time for classical poetry. Some people have when life was slow-paced, continues to be or severed from history. Through reading been trying to write poems in the classical frequently mentioned in today’s modern poems, people will learn to pay more at- style but most of their poems are awful. society, like Li Bai and Du Fu, two top- tention to daily life and live their lives more Classical poetry will exist as long as it can, notch poets dating back 1,200 years, and intensely. but it will not become widely popular. It will William Shakespeare, together with their Today, people are pressured by all kinds be limited to a small fraction of people and masterpieces. of burdens of life and work and are tired of become a kind of rare art. Take calligraphy Why haven’t they been marginalized the fast pace of life. Struggling in their dull for example. In ancient times, it played a and replaced? Because they represent the everyday life, they feel invigorated by the major role in writing and drawing, but today, EDVLFYDOXHVDQGWKHGHĶQLQJVSLULWRIWKHLU fresh breath of air brought by the Chinese calligraphy no longer plays that important societies. With advancing globalization, this classical poetry game show. role and has become naturally marginalized. NLQGRIFXOWXUDOLGHQWLĶFDWLRQDQGERQGDS The excellent presentation helps more Those who love classical poems and pears more important and precious. people realize that life is not all about work even like to write in that style are free to do Cultural traditions are a set of values and tedious things; there is something so. But they can’t turn a blind eye to real life and society. Chinese Poetry Congress and lifestyle that are retreating in China subtle and beautiful as well, although it is created a sensation, but we hope people’s today. Given this gloomy situation, it’s not a beyond the reach of modern society. passion for classic poems will not become bad idea to revisit classical poems. The popularity of Chinese Poetry a pursuit of simply what’s in vogue. Q Li Zhaoqing (www.zgnt.net): The Congress shows Chinese people’s senti- beauty of Chinese classical poems is ob- mental attachment to classical poems. Their vious from the aesthetic and emotional interest in the poems will not cease even Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar perspectives. They are rhythmic and rhym- though the TV show has come to an end. http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 7, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 47 EXPAT’S EYE Night Owls’ Market By Michael Chick MICHAEL CHICK fter living in Bangkok for over eight years, moving to Beijing turned out to be a dras- Atically different experience. Everything felt different, the climate, the sights, the sounds and even the smells. Sure, Bangkok boasts the larg- est Chinatown on the planet, but Chinatown- Bangkok and China are simply not the same. Beyond the obvious language differ- ence and Thailand’s legendary street food, Beijing lacked something else. It took a while to realize what it was—a night mar- ket for locals. The Qianmen, Wangfujing and Nanluoguxiang night markets fall into the “commercial tourist destination” cat- egory, rather than a night market a local would go to. Perhaps Beijing’s cold weather has something to do with the absence of such a night market. And perhaps Bangkok’s year-round tropical weather makes such night markets a hit. On consulting col- leagues, the standard answer was, “If you want to buy something, get it on Taobao.com, JD.com or Tmall.com.” Seafoods are sold at a night market in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province I became resigned to the fact that such a market did not exist in Beijing. Then I ket has two distinct sections, converging gets, musical instruments, cooking pots, made a trip to Qingdao, a coast city in east somewhere near Walmart. In the north clothing, stationery, souvenirs, jewelry, China’s Shandong Province that is some section, the wafting aroma of fried, boiled, cosmetics and makeup. It was interest- five hours south of Beijing by high-speed baked, broiled and braised food alone is ing to note that not a single stall sold fake train. enough to delight any gastronomist. Being goods. Not a single counterfeit branded The hotel receptionist suggested I try a port city, Qingdao’s proximity to the sea watch, handbag, purse, wallet, or belt was the Taidong Night Market on Taidong Third provides a ready stream of seafood, rang- in sight. Kudos to the government for strict Road. My heart skipped a beat. “Seriously? ing from grilled fish, shrimp, crayfish and enforcement. A night market here in Qingdao?” I asked. VHDXUFKLQVWRWKHVTXLGOLWHUDOO\pLQNĶVKq I would highly recommend that you A nonchalant nod and a broad smile con- in Chinese. You can also find pastries of explore the surrounding area earlier in the ĶUPHGWKDWLWZDVLQIDFWWUXH every shape, size and color, in addition to day, as it is chock-full with shops and malls She kindly helped type the address for other Chinese culinary delights such as selling every imaginable bric-a-brac. Also me into my DiDi app, a ride-hailing service, Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Fujian, within striking distance to the west are two and the taxi promptly arrived in a few min- Uygur or hotpot. You name it, they have it. IT malls. Items sold there are far cheaper utes. I’m not sure which was louder, Teresa In addition to the food stalls, an armada than in Beijing. The general idea is to arrive Teng blaring in the taxi, or my thumping RIUHVWDXUDQWVßDQNVWKHHQWLUHQLJKWPDU at the night market circa 5:30 p.m., when it opens. It shutters at around 10 at night. heart, throbbing with unbridled excitement. ket and beyond, serving both local and By that time, the shopping crowd would When the taxi finally stopped, I hur- non-local cuisines. The usual suspects, have dwindled, leaving the restaurants and riedly opened the door, and before me was including steaks, pizza, burgers, hotdogs, bars the only spots showing signs of hu- the Taidong Night Market in all its splendor. pastas and the like are but a short list of PDQDFWLYLW\,ßDJJHGDWD[LRQWKH