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XINJIANG DOCTOR AWARDED WHO PRIZE

2016-06-22

Beijing Review 2016年23期

Palize Mehmett, who has focused on basic public health initiatives in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was granted the United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize on May 27 by the World Health Organization. She received $20,000 as recognition for her work.

Mehmett is director of public health at Xinjiangs Disease Prevention and Control Center. She graduated from Xinjiang Medical University in 1987.

Over the last 30 years, the 52-year-old doctor has spread knowledge throughout the region about nutrition, breast-feeding and drinking water safety by translating books into Uygur and visiting some 300 villages to deliver lectures.

She has also trained thousands of medical workers in the use of low-cost nutritional treatments.

The United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize is awarded to one or more persons, institutions or nongovernmental organizations that have made an outstanding contribution to health development.

Language Usage Needs Rules

Xinhua Daily Telegraph May 25

Culture, entertainment, sports and lifestyle sections of print media are becoming plagued with vulgar Internet expressions, according to a recent report published by news portal People. com.cn.

Online buzzwords alone cannot help a publication appeal to young readers or make it look fashionable. On the contrary, misuse will lower the standards and quality of print media and alienate their loyal readers.

Moreover, media outlets should be pru- dent in assimilating new words and phrases, because allowing them to appear in their publications would be interpreted as mainstream recognition.

The Chinese language has constantly evolved and become enriched. For instance, there are expressions that have come from foreign languages such as English. However, appropriate standards for selecting and assimilating new expressions must be followed. Giving the green light to vulgar words would only damage the purity of the language.

In recent years, around 1,000 new words have been coined in China each year, many of which have been adopted into everyday usage. However, a consensus should be reached on banning virulent or pejorative words in print media.

Ready to Take Off

China Internet Week May 20

Although enterprise applications—software or data provided to improve a companys efficiency and reduce its costs—have developed for years in China, the industry is still at a nascent stage of development and has a big gap to fill when compared with developed countries systems.

In the United States, which has over 27 million companies, the combined market value of the three leading enterprise software and platform companies—Oracle, SAP and Salesforce—stands at $350 billion. However, although China has more than 22 million companies, there is no company in the industry valued above $1 billion.

After all, the application of Internet technology is still insufficient in most domestic companies and therefore it takes time for enterprise applications to be widely used.

Ideal customers for enterprise applications are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, most Chinese SMEs dont have the habit of purchasing IT services, therefore it takes a long time to cultivate the market. Also, most SMEs have a short lifespan, which poses a great challenge for solution providers to secure sustainable and stable profits.

Nevertheless, SMEs should not be altogether abandoned in the enterprise application market, since they have a substantial need for data and security and face human resources and financial management problems. If a universal solution can be provided for SMEs in those areas, its provider may reap huge rewards.

Furthermore, enterprise application solution providers need to be more patient because the industry is at a preliminary stage. It takes a longer period of time for them to grow, and financing for such companies may be more difficult. However, as long as they persist, they will obtain returns.

Successful Anti-Pollution Approaches

Beijing Daily May 27

A recent report published by the UN Environment Program lauds Beijings efforts to curb air pollution, saying that the citys experiences in this field are worth sharing with other developing countries.

Although smog remains a major concern for local residents, Beijings air quality has improved significantly over the past 10 years. Given the fact that Beijings permanent population increased 70 percent, car ownership soared 303 percent and energy consumption grew 77 percent from 1998 to 2013, such progress is hard won.

The key to the improvement lies in efforts to restructure the local economy, optimize the energy consumption mix, and transform production methods and peoples lifestyles. The local government has also put in place an emergency response system for severe air pollution and worked together with neighboring cities to control pollutant discharges.

Several years ago, few people had heard about PM2.5—fine particles measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which pose a serious health hazard. Now the reading of PM2.5 density has become an important gauge for air quality. As the demand for better air quality becomes more specific, the governments efforts to curb air pollution also need to improve proportionately.

In history, many developed countries have spent several decades tackling air pollution. As a developing country, China therefore needs more patience in this fight against pollution.

ACTOR CALLING FOR ANTI-POLLUTION EFFORTS

Li Chen became the first Chinese actor to attend the UN Environment Assembly at the events second session, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 23-27.

Li, a native Beijinger, has been named environmental protection ambassador by Beijing authorities for the UN event. At the assembly, he called on people to play a larger role in curbing air pollution.

Li announced in Nairobi the launch of a charity program called Run for Blue, which is aimed at raising funds for environmental protection initiatives. He said that 70 percent of the funds will be used to support young Chinese investors and their environment-friendly products, and the remaining 30 percent will be spent on UN Environment Program-backed projects to reduce air pollution.

Li, 38, started his performing career at 19. He has performed in numerous TV dramas and films and is one of Chinas most recognized entertainers.

“China will curb worsening soil pollution by 2020, put related risks under control by 2030, and form a virtuous cycle in the ecosystem by 2050.”

Statement from an action plan for soil pollution prevention and control issued by the State Council, Chinas cabinet, on May 31

“We have no interest in any form of Cold War, nor do we intend to star in any‘Hollywood blockbuster scripted and directed by some officials in the U.S. military.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, at a regular briefing in Beijing on May 30 responding to U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carters recent remarks that China could be erecting “a Great Wall of self-isolation”

“Chinas 13th Five-Year Plan has integrated the 2030 Agenda in the countrys overall social, economic and environmental planning.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, commenting on Chinas efforts to advance the UNs 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a recorded video statement for a symposium in southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region on May 29

“There was a structural imbalance in the job market, with demand from labor-intensive industries decreasing, while skilled positions, with experience of sophisticated techniques, posted an increase.”

Xin Changxing, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, announcing on May 30 that China added 4.43 million jobs in the first four months of this year