LETTERS

I was impressed with the article entitled “Foreign Investment Welcomed in Chinas Senior Care Market”in the April issue of your magazine. As reported， the growth of Chinas aging population has made its senior care services industry a focus of social attention. And it is predicted that in 15 years time this sector will replace real estate as the countrys largest industry. Such enormous potential is attractive to foreign investors. I work in the American Chamber of Commerce in China， which acts as a bridge between American enterprises and the Chinese government， companies， institutions and media. In recent years， many of our member enterprises have expressed great interest in Chinas senior care market， and some have invested in joint-venture senior apartments. We have noticed that the Chinese government previously limited the infl ow of foreign investment in this fi eld， but has now adopted a more open attitude. Our research also shows a change in Chinese peoples concept of senior care. As most young people are busy working and have no time to look after their aging parents， particularly in big cities， the elderly no longer expect their children to take this responsibility. They instead turn to senior care institutions， run by professionals who offer considerate care， and where it is possible also for them to make new friends.

lin lin

u.S.A.

I have been studying in China for one year， and during that short period a friend introduced me to your magazine. I fi nd it a window on all aspects of China， its people， the governments policies and Chinas development， and especially about changes in the way people think. I guess every foreigner from a developing country must be curious about the miracle of Chinas rapid economic and social development. How could it be possible for the government of such a big country to lift 70 million people out of poverty and advance towards a prosperous future？ I noted in China Today May issue the article that carried a picture of Pakistani workers installing solar panels at the ZTE 900 MW photovoltaic power station in Bahawalpur region of Punjab Province. These familiar faces reminded me of the fi eld research we did in Chinas western Gansu Province. Local people there had been living in desperate poverty， but their living standards have dramatically improved since the government helped them build a photovoltaic power station in a desert area， and encouraged e-commerce as a medium for selling agricultural products. As a civil servant in the Pakistan government， I cherish the opportunity to study in China， and would like to introduce the Chinese experience to my country. My thanks for your report on our changes， and I look forward to reading more.

Kasun