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Train Ticket Pricing

With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season， train ticket pricing has again become a hot topic. Someone posted a microblog to call for “seatless tickets cut to half price，” which garnered support from 80 percent of netizens. It is against the principles of fair play that currently seats and standing-room-only tickets are sold at the same price. An economic belief holds that market naturally determines the price. Letting the market determine train prices requires the countrys railway department to transform from an administrator to a market player. After reform， not only will the prices of seatless tickets drop， but prices for various classes and times will become adjustable and negotiable， and such flexible pricing will benefit all passengers – regardless of income and social class.

（Xu Lifan， Chinadaily.com.cn）

LCD Fines

On January 4， 2013， the National Development and Reform Commission of China announced penalties of 353 million yuan levied on six international LCD screen suppliers including Samsung and LG for anti-trust charges and price fixing. The settlement is considered the biggest fine China ever imposed on foreign firms. Before this， the United States levied penalties of more than $1.2 billion on the six companies and punished nine executives involved.

Free competition is considered the soul of the market economy. After the opening of the Chinese market， various foreign investors have flooded the country. Multinational enterprises commonly dominate fields ranging from chemicals and food to electronics， and manipulate market prices through slowing production and price fixing. Some of their products are sold at extremely high prices in China. The 353-million-yuan penalty indicates that China has begun to say “no” to monopolies.

（Lian Hongyang， Dayang.com）

Yellow Light Rules

Chinas strictest-ever traffic regulations were enacted on January 1， 2013， which added a penalty for running a yellow traffic light. Some drivers have complained they cant stop fast enough when the light turns yellow unexpectedly， and that sudden braking can result in accidents.

As China is becoming a “society on wheels，” its people lag behind in driving etiquette. When the light turns yellow， some drivers dont attempt to stop at the intersection， but speed up to make it， which frequently causes accidents. Perhaps the debate on the new traffic rules wont fade until drivers get used to slowing for a yellow light. Of course， traffic administration departments should also improve traffic light timing to ensure drivers have time to react when it changes.

（Tao Duanfang， The Beijing News）

National Health Report Debate

The National Health Report released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS） on January 8， 2013， ranked Chinas national health index 11th of 100 countries sampled， and predicted the country to surpass the United States in every respect by 2049. However， the ambitious predictions of the report were met with doubt and mockery rather than applause from netizens.

The primary reason is that the bright future described in the CAS report sharply contrasts realities of modern China. In an era of fast transformation， China now suffers from many problems， such as wealth polarization and environmental pollution. For this reason， some criticized the report as “baseless and complete nonsense.” The key to solving problems is to stop empty talk that may lead the country astray， and rather stay devoted to hard work that can rejuvenate the nation.

（Wu Lian， People.com.cn）

Buzzwords

Exploded Meter

﹙“爆表”﹚

The phrase “exploded meter” refers to a measurement beyond the maximum a gauge can show. On January 13， 2013， several Chinese cities suffered severe air pollution， of which Beijing and Tianjin faced the worst. By 1 p.m. on that day， 16 of Beijings 35 air monitoring stations showed PM2.5 index surpassing 500， the maximum that their meters could display.

Four Dishes， One Soup

﹙“四菜一汤”﹚

During his inspection tour to Hebei Province before the 2013 New Years Day， Xi Jinping， general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China， strictly practiced the dining standard of “four dishes and one soup，” and conspicuously forbade wine to be served. Currently， many subordinate officials use public money to treat visiting senior officials to luxurious banquets. Large expenditures for official receptions have become deeply detested by the public. In this context， the example set by the Partys new central leadership was widely praised.

Naked Admission

﹙“裸考”﹚

The phrase “naked admission” refers to students admitted to universities purely on exam scores without any other factors taken into consideration. In China， some students can score extra points for exceptional talent in some realms. However， such a method is criticized for subjectivity and even tied to corruption. Meanwhile， students must enroll in extensive exam courses that can produce extra points for fear of falling behind peers. Many have called for reform of the enrollment system to achieve educational fairness.