VALUABLE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER

Volleyball player and ace spiker Zhu Ting was named most valuable player after she led the Chinese team to a 3-1 victory over Japan with 23 kills and four blocks in the last match of the 2015 FIVB Womens World Cup on September 6. The Chinese team ended the tournament with a 10-1 record， securing its fourth World Cup title and a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics. This is the first World Cup title for the womens team in 12 years.

Born in central Chinas Henan Province in 1994， Zhu was selected for the national womens volleyball team in 2013. She has exhibited outstanding performances in multiple world-level games， winning another most valuable player title at the Asian Youth Volleyball Championship in 2012 and the FIVB Girls U18 World Championship in the following year.

Vying for a Slice of the Air Traffic Pie

Oriental Outlook September 3

Chinas air space is becoming increasingly crowded， with the number of flights increasing from 3.4 million in 2006 to 7.5 million in 2014， a 120-percent rise.

The contradiction between scarce air routes and the rapidly growing demand for air travel is becoming serious. How are air routes distributed in China？ Air traffic rights and flight schedules are reviewed and authorized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China （CAAC） and its subordinate bureaus across China. Every year a meeting is held by the CAAC to redistribute flight schedules among airlines. The three major airlines—Air China， China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines—enjoy priority in obtaining traffic rights.

In the competition for air routes， the CAAC and its relevant departments are essential in calling the outcome of the game. Corruption ensues from such a system. In 2009， Huang Dengke， then head of the CAAC North China Regional Administration， was removed from his post and put under investigation. Huang was later found to have gained illegal profits by favoring an airline company in the process of air route distribution.

The CAAC issued a document calling for further streamlining the administration of traffic rights， air routes and flight schedules in 2010. However， the reform plan has yet to bear abundant fruit. Effectively distributing routes among airlines will remain a challenge for the authorities.

How Can Russia Rev Up Its Economy？

Caijing Magazine August 31

U.S. and EU sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict and the international oil price plunge have once again dragged the Russian economy into a crisis.

The new crisis indicates that the governments efforts directed at economic transformation have failed to take effect. Until today， exports of oil， gas and other raw materials still account for over 70 percent of Russias total exports， while mechanical and chemical products and food rely heavily on imports. Such a situation is caused by the imbalanced development between different industries and between state-owned enterprises， as well as small and mediumsized private companies.

To counteract Western sanctions， Russia prohibited imports of food from Western countries. As a result， food prices at home soared. However， thanks to President Vladimir Putins strategy to elicit patriotism， his popularity rating reached a historical high of 89 percent in June.

Andrey Kortunov， Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council， said Russia is unlikely to thaw relations with Western countries in the short and medium term. In order to pick up the economy， a long-term diplomatic strategy should be formulated to handle relations with Europe， as the latter is an opponent that Russia doesnt like but cannot live without.

More importantly， as many investors are unwilling to give up the Russian market， a fair and open market represents the only opportunity for the country to overcome current difficulties.

Accommodating Seniors Needs

Xinhua Daily Telegraph September 8

Four ministerial-level departments including the Ministry of Culture and the General Administration of Sport （GAS） issued a document regulating square dancing—dancing in squares and parks as a physical exercise—on September 7.

The document requires local governments to provide residents with convenient venues for square dancing， a fitness routine popular among middle-aged and retired women in cities. It also calls for the establishment of a management system by the government and social organizations. The document represents another move by ministerial-level authorities to regulate square dancing this year. In March， the GAS publicized 12 square dances to be promoted nationwide.

Square dancing has long garnered complaints of residents for loud noises and occupation of public space. The issuance of the document indicates that such problems have caught the attention of the government against the backdrop of an aging society.

In 2014， the number of senior citizens aged above 60 reached 212.42 million， accounting for over 15 percent of the population in China. According to the latest estimation of the UN， Chinas senior citizens will reach 36.5 percent of the population by 2049， surpassing most developed countries.

A sound pension system alone is inadequate to address challenges posed by an aging society. Senior citizens preferences and needs should be taken into consideration in urban planning. Also， in order to alleviate social conflicts， policies should be tuned to adapt to senior citizens. Solving the problems caused by square dancing is only a beginning. To cope with an aging society， a lot more needs to be done.

RESIGNED MAYOR

Mei Yonghong， former Mayor of Jining， east Chinas Shandong Province， was named head of the Shenzhen-based China National Genebank， a nonprofit institute devoted to the preservation of biological resources， on September 9 following his widely watched resignation.

Meis resignation has drawn wide attention because its rare for high-ranking officials in China to give up their posts. He previously made headlines for his remarks about the poor income of civil servants. The then mayor claimed that he worked more than 10 hours a day for just 7，000 yuan （$1，098） a month.

Mei， 50， graduated from Huazhong Agricultural University in 1987. He worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Science and Technology before assuming a leadership position in Jining in 2010. He was one of 66 young officials selected by the Central Government from its departments to serve in local governments.

“The countrys fiscal revenue is not quite sufficient， but education must be our top priority. Education funding can only increase—not be slashed.”

Premier Li Keqiang， speaking to outstanding teachers two days ahead of Teachers Day， which falls on September 10

“The influence of air pollution controls on the economy exists but in a limited way. In fact， air pollution controls can help new sources of economic growth emerge， such as environmental protection and new energy industries.”

Ge Chazhong， a researcher with the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning， in an interview with China Daily on September 9

“The Party encourages criticism if its instructive. For a very long time， the Party has been taking advice from different sources.”

Wang Jiarui， head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee， addressing the Party and the World Dialogue 2015 in Beijing on September 8

“Current traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） treatment for HIV/AIDS mainly focuses on immunity maintenance. In contrast， the Schisandraceae study showed that the compound can kill the virus itself.”

Wang Jian， a TCM doctor at the Guanganmen Hospital in Beijing， commenting on recently released findings by Chinese scientists that compound extracted from the herb Schisandraceae could potentially cure HIV/AIDS