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Supervision on Petroleum Giant
Oriental Outlook
September 12, 2013
For a long time, the rapid development of chemical production and refinement has caused serious environmental problems, which in turn have triggered social conflicts. Some cities find themselves surrounded by factories dedicated to the production and refinement of various chemicals. According to investigations of several chemical production bases and regions inChinabyOriental Outlookreporters, some local governments have failed to conduct proper environmental appraisals before building new facilities. In addition, local environmental protection authorities are sometimes too weak to restrain big companies, and city planners tend to put development high on their list of priorities while giving little consideration to the environment.
Recently, the Ministry of Environmental Protection suspended environmental approval for the chemical production and refinement projects by the countryís two oil and gas giants - the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and the China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) - due to their weak environmental protection performance last year.
The ministryís suspension of environmental approval for CNPC and Sinopec is suitable and effective action that sends a message: If the above problems are not paid due attention to and are not properly solved, the goal of sustainable development and realizing a sound ecology will be impeded.
China's "Big Vs"
China Newsweek
September 9, 2013
In todayís age of digital media, Weibo, the Chinese microblogging platform similar to Twitter, has become a fashionable way of socializing and has transformed the traditional role of Chinese media as it makes every person a potential news source. Users with large numbers of Weibo followers are verified as official ìVs,î and are often online sensations, attracting millions of followers.
In this issue,China Newsweeklooks at the phenomenon of online "Big Vs" and their influence on netizens. With the emergence of Weibo, both celebrities in the mainstream media and those whose popularity has grown at a grassroots-level are able to spread information or voice their views. What posters reveal is sometimes the truth and sometimes purely rumor. In view of their great influence on netizens, the "Big Vs" should wield their influence with caution, and laws should be introduced to make sure that rumors are stopped in their tracks when necessary. ìBig Vsî and hundreds of millions of ìnetizensî should work together to create a more open, rational and tolerant online environment.
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Transferring Public Services
Outlook Weekly
August 19, 2013
Chinaís continuing governmental and institutional reforms necessitate transferring some governmental functions to social organizations.
Outlook Weeklylooks at opportunities and challenges social organizations face in the reform. It is noted that although such organizations have grown rapidly in number in recent years, they still have a long way to go before being able to take over public services offered by the government.
On the one hand, those attached to the state mostly operate with low efficiency and little vitality. On the other hand, shortages of funds and talents as well as an unfair, uncompetitive social environment restrain them from fully functioning.
It is proposed that in the process of detaching social organizations from administrative departments, pilot projects can be conducted in some regions to gain enlightening experience on how to best transfer some public services to social organizations.
Super Middle Schools
Legal Daily
September 9, 2013
In recent years, ìsuper middle schoolsî have sprung up and received attention from society due to their large profits and strong performances in the national college entrance examination. They set no restriction on where the students come from but only focus on their academic performance. However, these schoolsí overemphasis on enrollment rate and making profits by collecting costly fees causes widespread concerns among the public. First of all, their practice goes against the main principle of providing education for all people without discrimination. Some ìsuper middle schoolsî only favor top students and rich students who can afford the high fees. Secondly, some are suspected of engaging in educational monopoly. The schools dominate high-quality educational resources. This is against the principle of proper allocation of educational resources.
It ís time to say no to ìsuper middle schools.î To ensure educational equality,Chinashould shift its education system from an exam-oriented mode to a model that favors critical thinking and real-world application. |
