Symposium Marks Birthday of Xi Jinping’s Father

Symposium Marks Birthday of Xi Jinpings Father

On October 15， Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a symposium in Beijing to commemorate the 100th birthday of his late father， Xi Zhongxun， a respected Communist elder and former vice premier of China.

Xi Zhongxun died in 2002 at the age of 89. In a statement released after the symposium， Xi Zhongxun was described as “an excellent Party member， a great Communist fighter， an outstanding proletarian revolutionary and a distinguished political leader of CPC and the military.”

In his speech at the symposium， Li Jianguo， vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National Peoples Congress， Chinas top legislative body， reviewed Xi Zhongxuns revolutionary career and achievements， asking others to emulate his noble characteristics， revolutionary spirit and refined style.（Xinhua.net）

Palace Museum Expands with New Institute

“Beijings Palace Museum will offer classes to the public，” revealed Shan Jixiang， curator of the Palace Museum（Forbidden City）， in a recent interview at a Taipei exhibition of porcelain from the reign of Qing Emperor Chien-lung（Qianlong）. According to Shan， the Palace Museum Institute would operate as a non-profit organization and invite experts to provide comprehensive training courses to industry professionals to raise awareness about relic authentication and protection from the public.

The institute， a joint project with the government of Beijings Dongcheng District， will be established at Beijing International Vocational Education School， where a lecture hall and 30 classrooms are available along with other teaching facilities.（Zhang Ran and Wang Haixin， Beijing Times）

Homegrown Vaccine Approved by WHO

On October 9， a vaccine manufactured by Chinas Chengdu Institute of Biological Products gained prequalified approval from the World Health Organization. The vaccine prevents Japanese encephalitis and is the first homegrown Chinese vaccine to earn WHOs stamp of approval for its safety and efficacy， which means United Nations agencies can now source it. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan remarked that the vaccine is a welcome development both in the fight to protect children of developing countries from encephalitis and the future availability of vaccines in general， since China can now produce vaccines that meet WHO standards.

According to the WHO， the new vaccine is now available thanks to several years of collaboration between the WHO and authorities in China to improve vaccine production standards and regulations. In March 2011， the WHO announced that the China Food and Drug Administration and its affiliated institutions met WHO requirements for a functional vaccine regulatory system. Since then， vaccine manufacturers in China have become eligible to apply for WHO prequalification as long as their vaccines meet WHO quality and safety standards.（Shan Juan， China Daily）

Kentucky Fried Problems

Earlier October， Yum Brands， the parent company of KFC， a veteran fast food chain in China， reported an 11 percent sales drop in China over the past three months， with global profits down 68 percent. While food safety issues and bird flu remain possible factors， experts insist that Chinese consumer tastes are also changing， which could hurt the somewhat favorable position Western fast food enjoys in China. Competition from Chinese rivals is also rising. Dicos serves soy-sauce chicken and fresh shrimp burgers at more than 1，500 locations in China， and Babi Mantou offers a wide range of steamed buns and dumplings at more than 1，300 outlets in second and third-tier cities.

According to Joel Silverstein， CEO of East West Hospitality Group， Chinese fast food chains are catching up， and although KFC is still something people crave once in a while， the Chinese public still prefers Chinese food and considers it healthier.（China Network Television）

Yu Minhong

Yu Minhong， founder and CEO of New Oriental Education & Technology Group， recently announced that he has joined Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology（BGD）， a private full-time undergraduate institution， as director-general. Utilizing his plentiful resources， Yu claims that he will spare no effort to transform BGD into Chinas best private university. Admitted to Peking Universitys Spanish Department in 1980， Yu Minhong began teaching at his alma mater upon graduation and did not resign until 1991. He established Beijing New Oriental School in 1993， which has grown into New Oriental Education & Technology Group， now Chinas largest private educational enterprise. Yu Minhong has been listed among the 25 people who made the greatest impact on China in the 20th Century.

Feng Shanshan

On October 6， the worlds 9th-ranked female golfer， Feng Shanshan， found a fairy tale ending in Beijing at the inaugural Reignwood LPGA Classic by clinching her second LPGA Tour victory in front of her home crowd with a 26-under 266. Last year， Feng made history when she captured the Wegmans LPGA Championship title in the U.S.， becoming the first Chinese golfer – male or female – to win a major championship. “Compared to its popularity in Japan and South Korea， golf has not received much attention as a professional sport in China until recent years， which has left a gap in terms of skill and performance between Chinese golfers and those elsewhere，” sighed Feng in an interview. “I really hope to see more Chinese players rank in the top 10 in the coming decade.”

Zhang Xiaogang

The International Organization for Standardization （ISO） elected Zhang Xiaogang， vice chairman of the World Steel Association and a member of the China Standardization Expert Committee， as president of ISO at its 36th General Assembly recently held in St. Petersburg， Russia， making Zhang the first Chinese person to head the organization since its establishment in 1947. Representing a number of developing countries， Zhang Xiaogang delivered a speech after the announcement， suggesting that developing countries should be more proactive in participating in setting international standards， a realm usually dominated by developed countries.

Yao Ming

To improve the fitness and social skills of Chinese students， former NBA star Yao Ming announced that he will work with the NBA to open an extracurricular basketball training facility bearing his name， NBA Yao School， to enable more Chinese teenagers to experience the joys of sports and improve their health.“The poor fitness of todays Chinese students and some schoolsoveremphasis on academic performance really worries me，” Yao explained before tip-off of a preseason game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers at Beijings MasterCard Center on October 15.

Quotes

“There is a huge potential for vaccine manufacturing in China， and we hope to see more and more Chinese vaccines receive prequalification from WHO. The whole world will reap the benefits.”

— WHO Director-General Margaret Chan after a Chinese-produced vaccine preventing Japanese encephalitis received prequalification from the World Health Organization recently. Chan added that the vaccine is a welcome development both in the fight to protect children in developing countries from the disease and for the future availability of vaccines in general.

“The focus of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone （FTZ） is institutional innovation rather than preferential policies.”

— Dai Haibo， deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government， during a press conference for the new FTZ.

“Many Chinese people cant collect paid vacation days， a mandatory employee right in Western countries， because their employers lack a sufficient regulatory mechanism. Many people take days off before and after the national holidays in order to get enough paid vacation for the year.”

— Professor Xia Xueluan from Peking Universitys Department of Sociology in response to public criticism of the most recent chaotic holiday schedule around the “National Day Golden Week.”

“The 14th Dalai Lama manufactured the orphan incident as part of his Tibetan independence initiative， which caused hundreds of families to be torn apart. His actions trampled childrens individual rights and publicly violated common ethics and morality. All humane， justice-loving people should condemn such acts.”

— Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a press conference outlining accusations that the 14th Dalai Lama tore hundreds of Tibetan families apart and is guilty of serious abuses of childrens rights after a series of stories were published by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung about a Swiss campaign in the 1960s to adopt Tibetan orphans， masterminded by a Swiss entrepreneur and the Dalai Lama.

“If the insured receive a quick refund for medical expenses incurred at a qualified medical institution other than those in their place of registration， it could cause more medical insurance to flow into affluent regions from impoverished ones. As a result， the imbalance of medical care levels between the two will be aggravated.”

— Professor Li Zhen， head of the Social Security Institute at Renmin Universitys School of Public Administration and Policy， expressing concern about a policy of immediate reimbursement， but praising its development as a good effort for a country with such a large floating population.

Meili Snow Mountain

Located in Yunnan Province， Meili Snow Mountain is embraced by Nujiang River to the west and Mekong River to the east. The mountain includes 13 peaks boasting an average height of 6，000 meters above sea level， with the highest reaching 6，740 meters. The region around the mountain， still largely wilderness， attracts a heavy stream of visitors from China and beyond. Over the years， numerous brave climbers have attempted to scale the mountain， but all have failed.

The scenery of snow-capped Meili Mountain changes with the seasons， and late autumn and early winter brings Meili cool and sunny weather – ideal for visitors. This is an area of unparalleled biological diversity， unusually explicit geological variety and stunning scenic beauty.

Timeless Port

Penglai， a port city in Shandong Province， is a popular tourist destination for domestic Chinese tourists. The city is said to be the place where Qin Shi Huang， the first emperor of a unified China more than 2，000 years ago， shipped five hundred boys and five hundred girls east， to search for islands of immortality.

Penglai Pavilion remains a must-see. The pavilion is a large park of ancient buildings， palaces and temples that have been restored and rebuilt. Such an attraction has been a tourism goal for the area for more than a millennium， and the site features inscriptions by several famous Chinese poets and calligraphers. November is an ideal time to visit Penglai， because in the wake of the October tourism stampede during the National Day Holiday， visitors can enjoy better service and cheaper prices.

Bustling Macao

One of two special administrative regions of China， Macao is a former Portuguese colony blending Eastern and Western culture into a world-class entertainment， gaming and dining destination.

Its economy now largely tourism-based； Macaos gaming industry first began blooming in the 1960s. In recent years， Macao expanded its entertainment offerings to include more concerts， trade shows， conventions， and art fairs.

November is arguably the best month to visit Macao. While residents of many regions of China are getting chilled by encroaching winter winds， Macao remains warm and sunny. Macaos Vegas-caliber casinos are complemented by richer tourist sites than the American desert tourist mecca， such as the ruins of St. Pauls and A-Ma Temple. Visitors also love Macanese cuisine， which effortlessly blends Cantonese and Portuguese flavors.