Volunteer Issues

September 9, 2010

 Nowadays, more and more Chinese people are willing to get involved in volunteer work as they become wealthier. The number of registered volunteers has exceeded 55 million in China. The year 2008 saw a landmark progress in China's volunteer service, thanks to their massive contribution to the Beijing Olympics and the recovery after the Wenchuan earthquake.

However, there are also problems. Volunteers say they do not necessarily gain happiness from such projects, as they don't feel what they do truly brings change to society and may even suffer subsequent psychological problems.

"Considering the reality that in China governments play major roles in organizing volunteer projects, we should draw support from administrative powers to help the volunteer service transform from being government sponsored to being non-governmental," said Tan Jianguang of the China Association of Social Workers.

China Newsweek

Safety Concerns

September 6, 2010

A passenger jet burst into flames after overshooting the runway at Yichun City's airport in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province on August 24, killing 42 people and injuring 54 others. Although there are some criticisms about the safety of the airline after the plane crash, many aviation experts maintain that the causes of the accident are complicated and the incident should not be portrayed as solely a safety failure of the airline.

"The problem is not the safety [measures]. Rather, it is that companies make no profit as they run at a high costs with few passengers," said Li Xiaojin, a professor at Civil Aviation University of China. Airline companies' lack of profitability inevitably results in management problems, thus leading to potential safety hazards.

Regional airlines are considered necessary to help foster local economic development.