The Chinese Government has promised to recruit more university graduates who have taken on leadership roles in the countryside in a bid to encourage more college students to work in rural communities after graduating. Next year, 10 to 12 percent of newly recruited civil servants in the country will be college graduates who have experience working as "village officials," according to the State Administration of Civil Service. The number of university students with official positions in rural communities is expected to increase to 600,000 by 2020 from the current 200,000.

Track to Success: The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is assessed as environmentally sound

 Eco-Friendly Railway

China

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said recently that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has passed its environmental impact assessment. The ministry launched the assessment of the world's highest rail system in early October and announced the results to be "satisfactory" The wildlife paths, protection of vegetation, frozen earth, marsh and scenery, as well as anti-pollution measures have met expectations, and have balanced projects with the Tibet environment, according to the ministry.

Future goals: China is starting to transform itself from a manufacturing powerhouse into a center for technological innovation

 Afforestation Goals

China

China is expected to raise its forest coverage to 21.66 percent by 2015 in a bid to improve the country's ecological environment, said Sun Zhagen, Deputy Director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA) recently. China will beef up its afforestation efforts to cope with global climate change, Sun said. China's forest coverage reached 20.36 percent in 2009, up from 18.21 percent in 2006, according to SFA figures

Numbers

3rd

China's ranking in outbound tourism worldwide

487 million

The number of Chinese senior citizens by 2053