Being Adults

Yangcheng Evening News

July 1, 2010

With the announcement of college entrance exam results, this year's examinees are busy selecting suitable colleges. In Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 259 colleges held recruitment consultation fairs recently, but parents rather than students are consulting colleges at the fairs. Modern society is changing rapidly, and parents are worried about their children's possible misjudgment in choosing future careers. This makes the parents reluctant to let their children make decisions about too many things and, as a result, the children depend increasingly on their parents, afraid of taking responsibility for themselves. However, it is very likely some parents' choices do not conform to their children's will. If so, the children will hardly like schools and majors their parents force on them. As independent adults, students should learn to make decisions for themselves and bear the responsibility for their decisions.

Keep It Natural

China Economic Weekly

July 12, 2010

China ranks among the top agricultural producers in the world, but more efforts should be undertaken to increase the competitiveness of the nation's agriculture, compared to organic agriculture in developed countries. Currently, a Chinese farmer can only feed five people, while in the United States, a farmer can feed 73 people; in Britain, 106 people. In an attempt to change the situation, Chinese agricultural officials suggest the government prioritize methods like organic agriculture rather than petroleum-based agriculture which require farmers to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides much so as to guarantee produce.

Petroleum-based agriculture is a high-input and high-yield model of modern agriculture using a large quantity of petroleum-powered farm machinery in place of human labor and relying heavily on agricultural chemicals such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Official statistics show that, in China, oil prices directly impact the costs of agricultural production. In a sense, the country has already entered into the era of "petroleum agriculture." Nevertheless, experts said that China should focus on organic agriculture, which relies less on the consumption of energy resources and raw materials, so as to transform its farming system. However, the existing petroleum-based agriculture seems to run counter to this. More efforts should be made to improve the agricultural production capacities, sharpen the agricultural competitiveness in the world and achieve an eco-agricultural recycling economy.

Celebrity Struck

Oriental Outlook

July 5, 2010

The booming tourism market in China has triggered a trend: cities claiming to be the hometowns of celebrities, historical figures and even fictional characters. Many cities are now caught up in this battle of celebrity. Some of the characters involved include Zhuge Liang, a crafty strategist from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), and Cao Xueqin, author of the great Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Experts said that celebrities' hometowns and related development, in essence, would bring considerable economic income and enhance local visibility, as the country moves toward globalization. Analysts said that while the competition for celebrity hometown titles may appear a move concerning cultural heritage, it is in fact about economic interests, and will improve the standing of local officials.