NONAGENARIAN MEDICAL RESEARCHER JOINS THE PARTY

Li Huanying， a 95-year-old researcher with the Tropical Disease Research Institute of Beijing Friendship Hospital， took the oath to become a Communist Party of China member on December 27.

“Joining the Party and doing research are similar in that they both represent the pursuit of truth. After serving the people for nearly 60 years， I think I may be a qualified Party member now. However， I will not relax requirements of myself and will continue to work hard，” Li said.

Li holds a masters degree in bacteriology and public health from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. She worked for the World Health Organization before leaving her family in the United States and returning to China in 1957. She has devoted herself to research into the prevention and treatment of leprosy all her life.

Li won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th International Leprosy Congress held in Beijing in September 2016， for her contributions to prevention and control of the disease in China.

Elderly Care Sector Opens up Further

Guangzhou Daily December 26

China will fully open up its elderly care market by lowering the entry threshold， according to a recently released State Council General Office circular. The nation will lift restrictions on overseas investors entering the sector and allow them rights and benefits equal to those of their counterparts from China， it said. For favorable policies to bear fruit， though， much effort is required.

Given Chinas rapidly aging population， demand for elderly care far outweighs supply. Reform of the elderly care sector is thus urgent.

The government has long been a major provider of elderly care services. The expansion and improvement of the sector， however， require a market-oriented approach involving active participation by private investors.

In order to attract private capital to the sector， which has a long investment cycle and unstable returns， obstacles should be cleared by simplifying business registration procedures for elderly homes. As well-trained caregivers are in short supply at the current time， reforms of the education system are needed in order to fill the need. Only with more competent staff can the industry improve its services and develop faster.

Elderly care has huge potential for growth and presents great business opportunities. It is expected to boost domestic demand and provide new growth drivers for the economy. Hopefully， with the implementation of the circular， the industry will make greater strides.

Have Confidence In the Real Economy

Economic Daily December 24

Fuyao Glass Industry Group in Fujian Province， Chinas largest automobile glassmaker， has decided to invest $600 million to build a 2，000-worker factory in Ohio， the United States. In response to criticisms of the plan， Fuyao Group founder and Chairman Cao Dewang complained about the heavy tax burdens in China， which triggered heated debate about the economic challenges China faces.

The real economy is the basis for Chinas sustainable economic growth， and it has solid foundations for development.

The real economy is plagued with problems such as overcapacity， high labor costs and heavy tax burdens. These problems cannot be solved overnight. Fortunately， the positive impacts of the various policies rolled out by the Central Government in a bid to reinvigorate the real economy are emerging.

The recently concluded Central Economic Work Conference， the annual policymaking meeting to map out economic plans and reform priorities for the coming year， has also identified revival of the real economy as a primary task of supply-side structural reform， pledging to step up efforts in reducing taxes and lowering corporate costs.

Most companies from China which expand overseas do so due to their own development needs rather than other factors. As a matter of fact， overseas direct investment from companies in China has been constantly on the rise for more than 10 years. This doesnt equate to capital flight.

Faced with the pressure of capital outflow resulting from the U.S. Federal Reserves midDecember interest rate hike， China will stick to its opening up strategy by facilitating overseas investment while preventing associated risks in order to realize mutually beneficial development.

Chinas real economy is in a crucial stage of transformation. Its development conditions and trends are sound in spite of some structural and systemic problems. As long as the nation continues to deepen reform and open up further to create new growth drivers for the economy， while controlling financial risks， the real economy will have bright prospects.

Counseling Services Development

Oriental Outlook December 29

Chinas psychological counseling and treatment services are still at a preliminary stage of development， and there is a lack of professionally competent counselors. Currently， China has around 30，000 full-time psychiatrists； approximately one for every 43，000 people. By comparison， the ratio for developed countries tends to fall between 1：1，000 and 1：1，200. China， therefore， has a large gap to fill to reach such a proportion.

Most psychiatrists in China havent received systematic education in psychology. No university has established psychological counseling as a bachelors degree subject. And only a few universities and scientific research institutes have masters degree programs in psychological counseling and clinical psychology. Elsewhere around the world， by contrast， where advanced psychological counseling services exist， practitioners are required to hold at least a masters degree in psychological counseling.

The industry also lacks supervision. Although hospital-based psychiatrists are overseen by health authorities， most of them take on part-time jobs at for-profit institutions， which are not supervised by any government department or industry association. Lack of supervision will lead to overpriced services and other malpractices that harm patients interests.

The industry needs to become more professional and mature in order to satisfy societys increasing need for high-quality counseling services.

？NEW MINISTER OF SUPERVISION

Yang Xiaodu was appointed minister of supervision on December 25 during a bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress， Chinas top legislature.

The Ministry of Supervision is responsible for supervising law enforcement across the country， including efforts to tackle corruption. Yangs predecessor， Huang Shuxian， was transferred to the post of minister of civil affairs in November.

Yang， 63， has been deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection （CCDI） of the Communist Party of China （CPC）， the Partys top anti-graft body， since January 2014.

Before joining the CCDI in 2013， Yang was chief of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. He had also held several other senior government and Party posts in Tibet Autonomous Region and Shanghai， including those of Tibets vice chairman between 1998 and 2001 and vice mayor of Shanghai from 2001 to 2006.

“Most indigenous Chinese theme parks are unable to meet public demand in design， operation， and maintenance， and particularly lack cultural creativity.”

Dai Bin， President of China Tourism Academy， on December 28 in response to a report on Chinas theme parks， which said of the 2，700 theme parks in the country， only 10 percent are making a profit in 2016

“Chinas modern service businesses， environmental protection， telecommunications and information services， and hi-tech industries will offer more market access to foreign investment in 2017.”

Tang Wenhong， Director General of the Foreign Investment Administration of the Ministry of Commerce， on December 26

“More technological， industrial and information resources in regions along the Yangtze River Economic Belt should be channeled into less developed western regions to boost concerted development.”

Chen Xiushan， a professor of regional economy at Renmin University of China， on December 26

“One of the reasons behind the slowdown[of box-office growth in 2016] is that the quality [of domestic movies] still cannot meet the growing expectations of viewers.”

Zhang Hongsen， head of the Film Bureau at the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television， on December 25